SPOCK'S BEARD

The overall sound of the album can be described as a logical continuation of what the previous two albums had offered to the table, however, much less "attractive" as 'Noise Floor' features an array of songs that are just not very memorable, even if they are well-played and sometimes carry some very good melodies and fine playing. The contribution of Ryo Okumoto is definitely noteworthy as his keys drive many of the songs, while the guest appearance of Nick D'Virgilio could hardly be overlooked. The band seems to have had less poignant ideas this time around, which might also be the reason why they had seemingly gone on a hiatus following the release of 'Noise Floor', also leading to the formation of off-shoot band Pattern-Seeking Animals. The album is good but that might be just about it, Spock's Beard have had much stronger and more exciting material over the course of their history.

We must by all means, however, attribute the musical direction of 'The Oblivion Particle' to the presence of outside writers, in the face of long-time songwriting collaborators John Boegehold and Stan Ausmus, collectively credited with six of the nine album tracks. On top of that, the album has been mixed by Rich Mouser and produced by him and members of the band, which results in what could be summed up as a really strong and varied producer's album. Slightly less joyous and energetic than previous releases, 'The Oblivion Particle' has a genre-less touch to it, the songs unfold somewhat methodologically, as the bands treads on some new ground. The use of effects and a range of different instruments adds another interesting layer to the album, which is neither 'The Light', nor 'Feel Euphoria', it is an entity of its own that will probably take some time to fully understand. Enjoyable tracks like 'Minion' and 'Bennett Built a Time Machine' counteract the dense and intricate sounds of 'A Better Way to Fly' and 'To Be Free Again'. Full of fantastic vocals, stellar production and overall very strong playing, often really technical, this is an interesting album but a more difficult listen, definitely an odd entry in the SB back catalogue.

Just look at the album opener 'On a Perfect Day', a song that has to be one of the signature recordings of the NDV-fronted era of Spock's Beard, as this song has the energy, feel and musical extravagance of the classic SB yet it does not compromise on modern production values and sounds. 'Skeletons at the Feast' is a mesmerizing instrumental, one of the band's strongest offerings in general in my humble opinion, while 'Is This Love' is an interesting and powerful short entry. 'All That's Left' is a good but more mellow song and its mood is continued on the 11-minute mini-epic 'With Your Kiss', a song that is more memorable for its rampant second half, really solid writing with fine vocals, excellently crafted melodies and masterful playing. The album then goes on to lose some of its steam as the middle part is definitely the weakest, just to be redeemed by the four-part suite 'As Far As the Mind Can See' and 'Rearranged', tremendous tracks that expand on that ecstatic and proggy sound of the album's first couple of tracks, with the final track serving as a great album closer, melodic and well-produced.

'Spock's Beard' has to be a much underrated and overlooked album from the band's catalogue, perhaps because of the time of its release, perhaps because of its length, but this album carries that early SB spirit and "rearranges" it in a very modern and compelling way, definitely a big improvement over 'Feel Euphoria' and 'Octane'.

An introspective rock opera, 'Snow' contains a tremendous number of SB classics, definitely some of the band's most memorable episodes from the entire back catalogue, together with preserving all the signature aspects of the band's sound - the flamboyant instrumental pyrotechnics, the humour, the catchiness and the beautiful vocal harmonies, the prominent and jarring rhythm section as well as Neal Morse's excellent writing. Perhaps a logical step forward from 'V', one can see the double album 'Snow' as a mandatory but difficult exercise for every self-respecting prog act, and the Beard's entry is nothing short of excellent, playful, lush and inspired, a fancy journey through some of the band's boldest musical decisions and experiments, with an array of glorious sounds. The wide list of highlights from this album should include the album overture, 'Long Time Suffering', 'Welcome to NYC', 'Devil's Got My Throat', 'Open Wide the Flood Gates', 'Wind at My Back', '4th of July', 'Reflection', and 'Freak Boy'. An immense album that is at least a fabulous exit for Neal Morse, the mastermind behind 'Snow'.

Opening up the album is the great epic 'At the End of the Day', a melodramatic and symphonic piece that sweeps through passages of orchestrated bliss, to parts that approach the heavier end of the rock spectrum, to some purely experimental and fusion-oriented jabs, a tremendous way to set a tone for an album that is above all, celebratory, expansive, engaging and at times challenging enough to keep you intrigued. Another hard-hitting and suspenseful track follows in the face of 'Revelation', which is followed by the second part of the cross-album suite titled 'Thoughts'. This entry is much more unhinged and aggressive than the first part, of course, with very proggy instrumentation and gorgeous vocal harmonies. The accessible sound of 'All on a Sunday' is a lovely nod at 'Day for Night' or even parts of 'The Kindness of Strangers', while 'Goodbye to Yesterday' is a beautiful and more acoustic piece. Closing off this perfect album is the grand 27-minute autobiographical epic of Neal Morse - 'The Great Nothing', an intricate and delightfully symphonic piece that perhaps surprisingly, stays away from the overall heavier sounds of 'V' and presents the earlier symphonic sound of Spock's Beard in a very coherent and accessible manner. The entire album is gorgeous, although the listener should expect to hear a slightly more unhinged side of the band, full of incredible music and thoughtful lyrics, 'V' is framed in masterful arrangements.

Opening up with the catchy title track, one could not be bothered by the slightly cheesy instrumental intro, or the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, as the joyous music sweeps you in and carries you throughout the entire album. Certainly, we have less intricate arrangements and a stronger affinity for hooks and melodies, which serves the band well as the album is packed with memorable and sing-along SB classics - just lend an ear to 'Gibberish', 'Skin', or 'The Gypsy'. The band preserve their signature sound and present the centerpiece of the album, the 20-minite suite 'The Healing Colors of Sound', made up of several shorter tracks, each of which kind of keeps the album spirit up and serves as a short piece that has its own character and significant sound. Each little track that makes up the big piece is fantastic and catchy, and the 'Day for Night' album is overall really solid, even if it is a much more lighthearted version of Spock's Beard.

With a bag of great ideas, Neal Morse & Co. exercise their songwriting and produce incredible compositions like the 10-minute opening track 'The Good Don't Last', a beautiful mini-epic with some gorgeous playing and great vocal harmonies. This one is followed by several shorter tracks, each one of which has a character and a feel of its own, always staying true to that lighthearted and occasionally humorous Spock's Beard aesthetic that never backs down on grand arrangements over a pop structure - just go through 'June' or 'Strange World', which are definitely two very different but essential sides of the great Beard! And while 'Harm's Way' might feel a little forced in some parts, it is the 15-minute opus 'Flow' that is the big highlight of the record, whether it be for the melodic middle section or the frantic final one, this is a signature track for the band, and one that finishes off a flamboyant, beautiful and well-conceived album. An excellent piece of music in the band's catalogue that showcases just how strong the Neal Morse-era of Spock's Beard is.

Moving away from writing long pieces developed from Neal Morse ideas and cementing themselves as a band even further, Spock's Beard instead opted for a mixture of both longer and shorter songs, on an album that more than any other one in their catalogue displays the true identity of the American prog giants - beautiful and memorable melodies, intricate and often very playful vocal harmonies, a very prominent and upfront rhythm section, with great and sophisticated instrumental passages that are often inspired by 70s progressive rock, acoustic rock, or downright classical music, with all of these ingredients making up the fantastic sound of the band. Opening up the album with the fantastic title track, this is a song that Neal Morse saw as the prog version of the original, which he only famously heard whilst recording 'Beware of Darkness'. The lovely interplay between quirky and melodic passages is immediately discernible here, and this is enhanced by the introduction of the second track, the majestic 'Thoughts', part of a cross-album suite that extends to the solo work of Neal Morse. Featuring Kevin Gilbert as a producer on this track as well as two other ones, we have some interesting additional effects and influences on the album, which only elevates it more. Needless to say, the longer tracks on here as incredible as well, all three of them can be considered SB classics, featuring some of the band's most memorable riffs and melodies. Then there is 'Waste Away', which is quite energetic and hard-hitting as well as the instrumental 'Chatauqua', which certainly echoes something like 'Clap' from 'The Yes Album'.

The album is a definite improvement over 'The Light' in terms of songwriting and production, ripe with beautiful ideas and gorgeous melodies, we may often see this sometimes overlooked follow-up even as more important than its predecessor, excellent all throughout and above all, tremendously enjoyable.

In line with the band's classic sound and their manner of interpreting in a very playful and contemporary way (often with tons of humor, which I do love) the sonic palettes of classic 70s prog, 'Brief Nocturnes' combines lush and masterful instrumentation with lovely melodies and memorable hooks, as the album represents a virtually immaculate amalgamation of all the best traits of Spock's Beard's music. Not a single bit short of technically pristine, this release bolsters both some very intricate and impressive instrumental stunts as well as several more pastoral and eclectic passages. The songwriting is ridiculously good, as the Beard once again display their strong pop sensibilities as they successfully integrate them into the intricate compositions, and all of a sudden, chorus after chorus, the listener finds himself singing along to this great album. It would feel like a betrayal to the entirety of this release to point out any highlights, since virtually every track is a highlight of its own. However, some of the truly magical Beard moments are to be heard on 'Hiding Out', 'Submerged' and 'Something Very Strange'. Incredibly rich and sonically enticing album, this is an SB classic by all standards.