|
BEYOND THE SHROUDED HORIZONSteve HackettEclectic Prog3.86 | 473 ratings |
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
Progosopher
like
|
There is very little on this album that is not on any previous Hackett albums, but at the same
time listening to it is highly satisfying. Hackett has definitely found his particular niche. The
acoustic and electric mix we are used to hearing are not separated much, but rather many of
the songs employ both approaches, intertwining them into a rich and organic whole. The
songs are well constructed, as is expected, and are better than usual. Rocks more than To
Watch the Storms but is not as meaty as Wild Orchids. (Not having Out of the Tunnel's Mouth,
I can't compare it to that.) We have bombast, melodrama, thematics, soft segments, expert
integration of various instruments and tones. In short, a Steve Hackett album. Outstanding
tracks include the opener, Loch Lomond, Waking to Life, with Amanda Lehman's excellent
vocals, and the 11-minute opus, Turn This Island Earth. If you want a concise experience of
Hackettness, this one song will give you all you need to know. I am also particularly fond of the
Four Winds suite found on disc two of the expanded version. I recommend that one, not that
there is much truly different on it, but that it is more high quality music. Nit-pickers will no
doubt eschew the presence of Enter the Night, a vocal version of Pressure Drop (found on
Time Lapse) and the pumped up version of Cured's Air Conditioned Nightmare called here
Reconditioned Nightmare. For me, I find the vocal of the former a significant alteration of the
original, while the latter amps up a song I always thought could be amped up (not that I have a
problem with the original). Many will also be pleased there is nothing like Diary of a Vanishing
Man or the slowed down vocals he has used so often in the past. This one is classy all the
way through. Stylistically, nothing new, but that is not to say we have a clone of previous
albums. The integrated approach here is distinct, and the production is superb. Another great
release from a great artist.
Progosopher |
4/5 |
MEMBERS LOGIN ZONEAs a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums. You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials). Social review commentsReview related links |
| 