Complex, atmospheric, yet undeniably heavy, this new release
from a leading light in the Prog world doesn’t let down fans of odd time signatures
and ever-changing song structures. None of the songs on the album clock in at
any less than 5 minutes long, which means that within each song, there is
plenty of room for every member of the band to stretch their musical legs.
It is hard for a band to replace any member, however the
greatest challenge or both band and listeners must be a change in singer. However
new boy Ted Leonard does a great job as replacement for Nick D’Virgilo,
continuing with the soaring, melodic vocal lines which are a staple of Spock’s
Beard’s style and retaining the spirit of classic Progressive bands which Spock’s
Beard hold as their obvious influences.
Each track’s length means that there is able to be a definite
sense of development; many of them starting with a more relaxed feel, gradually
building to a climactic section of riffs and solos. The track ‘Afterthoughts’
even includes an a cappella refrain, just to add something even more different
to the mix.
Overall, the album is great for a more interesting,
challenging take on rock music. The mixture of atmospheric sound effects and
technical passages allows for a great blend of modern sounding and more
traditional styles of progressive music.
8/10
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