Although their origins can be traced as far back as 1995, Swedish prog-pop-thrashers Platitude (really, doesn't the name choice say it all?) labored in obscurity until 2002, when they finally secured a deal with Italy's Scarlet Records. There followed two albums, 2003's Secrets of Life and 2004's Nine, which saw the septet (consisting of vocalist Erik "EZ" Blomkvist, guitarists Daniel Hall and Gustav Kollerstrom, bassist Patrik Jansson, drummer Marcus Hoher, keyboardist Andreas Lindahl, and synthesizer player/backing vocalist Kristoffer "Wachen" Von Wachenfeldt) produced by veteran metal sound-smith Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Hatesphere, etc.). ~ Eduardo Rivadavia