OCTANE

As good, and perhaps slightly better than Feel Euphoria, Octane shows the Beard furthering their creative discovery post-Neil, and depending on where the listener is coming from, is a fine show creative and emotive playing.

Negative criticism often complains of the overtly pop veneer to the band's new sound-- which I admit, is catchy-- but there is plenty of ambitious, dynamic stuff happening in between D'Virgilio's moments of (excellent) crooning. For those of us who feel progressive music isn't confined to the mold the band fit into during their early era, Octane possess plenty of music to satisfy, from dark walls of guitar sound, like on Surfing Down the Avalanche or NWC to soaring sing alongs like Planet's Hum and There Was a Time. Honestly, the variety in this album is one of the big draws for me, as is fine songwriting the band demonstrates in either field.

Nick's voice is perfectly suited to either, and Octane possess an infectious and genuinely uplifting quality which will please those with an open enough mind to approach it without the pretentious baggage that often comes with being a fan progressive music.

Songwriting: 4 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4