THE GREAT UNKNOWN

Eric Gillete is for sure one of the new talented multi instrumentalist in prog rock/metal world who was taken under the wings of famous Neal Morse in last years. Being part on Neal Morse Band in The grand experiment, where he already showing a great potential in guitar department, and vocal aswell. Under his name he released two albums one in 2013 and second this year 2016 named The great unkown. Well what we have here on this lates album is quite competent, complex prog metal with fine musicianship all around. He gathered around him some top players, the keyboards and drums from Haken fame and the bassis was and is part of Peter Gabriel band. So, The great unkown is a blistering, energic prog metal release who will pleases all fans of the genre, I was hooked from first listen. His playing, on his main instrument guitar is exemplary here, he is playing with an amazing ease, on all pieces. Aswell his voice is fiting perfectly into dis kind of music, I really like his vocal parts here. The first part of the album is the best from here and among the most intresting tunes in prog metal field from this year for sure, pieces like title track with almosta Neal Morse attitude in places but infused with prog metal passages, the lenghty 18 min plus Escape where Gillette truly shines an effectiv and well done combination of Haken/Dream Theater. The second part of the album is only ok, here he slows down little bit the pace and even is quite entertaining, the overall experince for me is only good and nothing groundbreaking like first part of the album. So, in the end even the influences are evident here from Haken, Dream Thater or Neal Morse, Eric Gillette's The great unkown is a true prog metal release who needs to be discovered, worth it from start to finish. Solid musicinship and intresting pieces. 3.5 stars for sure.

Eric is known as the guitar player for Neal Morse band, but he is also a great singer and in this album, he shows his talent. He surrounded himself with Haken bass player Connor Green and keyboardist Diego Tejeida. The result is spectacular with this powerful and melodic Progressive Metal in the lines of Dream Theater, Haken, and NMB. The first song takes you in the pure John Petrucci style with the guitar riffs."The Aftermath" delivers a typical keyboard break Haken style and a guitar sound that is not without reference from the powerful style of Threshold. "The Escape" is the gorgeous epic of the album starting slowly to gets heavier and faster after 5 minutes and for the first time, you can almost hear Eric vocals like he sing in NMB. This song has some complex instrumental parts with the symphonic arrangements in the background and the multiple breaks led by Diego Tejeida in a jazzy style. The second part of the album starting with the song "Empty" is in a more relaxing mood but still intense emotionally where Eric shows his great voice. "All I Am" is to me the best of the last semi-ballad tracks of the last three, and how can you resist to a singer that put his heart out like that in a love song. This is not the most original album, but for those like me who enjoys that kind of melodic Progressive Metal, it's a nice addition to your Prog Metal albums alongside with the best ones of that genre.

Apparently, this album came out last year, but it has only just come to my attention. Eric has of course been lead guitarist with the Neal Morse Band for some years, and here he is back with his second solo album. Those expecting prog in the same vein as his "day job" will find a few similarities here and there, but mostly this is melodic prog metal with influences taken from throughout that scene. I had convinced myself that the drummer just had to be his NMB compadré Mike Portnoy due to what is going on behind the kit, but further investigation revealed that it was none other than Thomas Lang (John Wetton, Robert Fripp, Glenn Hughes, Robbie Williams, Kelly Clarkson and many others). Also involved are Haken members Diego Tejeida (keyboards) and Conner Green (bass), so overall this is quite some musical powerhouse.

Those who have seen NMB will know already that Eric is a strong singer in his own right, and this is very much an album of songs as opposed to mass instrumental workouts. Of course, there are times when the note density is incredible, and he does his best John Petrucci impression, but there is way more on here than just Dream Theater complexity and long songs. Of course, he is used to the odd epic here and there when working with Neal, and it would have been surprising for there not to be one included, and the eighteen-minute-long "Escape" is stunning in the way it moved and folds. This is an album that will certainly appeal to those who enjoy prog metal, but it is way more than "just" that, with elements from Haken, DT and the softer sides of Neal Morse all being blended together in a way that is both immediate and makes for compulsive listening. This is superb from start to end.