TRANSCENDENCE

When I first listened to this release it was very difficult to me to decide if I was listening to a studio album sensu stricto or a compilation. Transcendence is built in so special manner that it seems to have clear signs of a concept album, a song-based album and a 'rare-and-unreleased'-type compilation at the same time. Anyway it can faintly be rated as a regular studio release. All the compositions were composed and recorded long before 2015 when they were published, let's say in the pre-North Star era of North Star, most of them were performed by the duo of Kevin Leonard and Joe Newnam, not by the entire band, and all are rather etudes for keyboards and bass than genuine prog compositions. But all are full of beauty, so this release is worth to be familiar with for everyone who likes North Star and US progressive in toto.