TESTIMONY 2

Having already given masterpiece status to two of Morse's other albums (One and ?), I thought it unlikely that he would be able to put out another stellar album after his more recent albums (Sola Scriptura and Lifeline) left me a little disappointed. I was wrong. Testimony 2 is a beautiful work and a true masterpiece.

I have been critical of Morse in the past for self-plagiarizing; but with this album being a sequel, it made sense to do that very thing. Interestingly enough, the reoccuring themes from the first Testimony album are brought to life in a fantastic way. Testimony 2 is full of dizzying overtures, soaring melodies and catchy themes which can't help but please. There are so many highlights, it's difficult to determine where to begin: "Overture No. 4" and "Time Changer" are brilliantly written and performed (with some nice contributions from guys named Nick D'Virgilio, Dave Meros and Alan Morse). "Jayda" is emotionally moving. "Jesus' Blood" and "The Truth Will Set You Free" are Neal Morse at his best with soulish singing and energetic playing on a wide assortment of instruments. "It's For You" is a fantastic tune with some stunning guitar work performed by Paul Bielatowicz.

Disc 1 closes with "Crossing Over" which is a nice ending, but also is my one quibble with the whole album in that it goes a little longer than I think it should. Morse likes having big drawn- out endings and for once I'd like to see something finish strong and abruptly. It's a minor quibble, but one I thought worth mentioning. 5 stars without hesitation and I haven't even gotten to the best part...

Disc 2!

Three songs - all very strong - with "Seeds of Gold" being a 26-minute epic and an outstanding one at that. I highly recommend this album to any prog lover.