Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Spock's Beard
Label: Mascot Records
Release: 2010
Running time: 79:46
Rating: 4.5/5
The American champions of prog rock revivalism, Spock’s Beard, are back with another album, and eight years after the departure of co-founder and creative mastermind Neal Morse, it proves they still rule the roost of melodic progressive rock. Their sound feeds mainly on the best ingredients of heart-tugging lyrical expressiveness, rainbow-bright symphonic arrangements, and the outstanding technical chops of each band member. “X” is, as the title already tells you, their tenth studio album, and also the first one funded in the old-school style of their legendary prog “cousins” Marillion, with pre-orders from fans. Their names are listed in the special edition of the album and in the song “Their Names Escape Me”. That’s a purely side note, though, with nothing to do with the music on the record, which is once again on par with the band’s best period under Neal Morse’s lead.
It looks like Morse’s name will come up less and less in connection with his former band, since Spock’s Beard, with Nick D’Virgilio in the double role of lead vocalist and drummer (and backup guitarist), had already proven with the excellent previous album “Spock’s Beard” (2006), following the quality dip of “Octane” (2005), that they can still create masterpieces. “X” didn’t just consolidate that position, it raised the band’s maturity a whole level higher, and hints that if the Beardmen keep going at this pace, they’ll soon top the stretch from the band’s founding up to the album “Snow” (2002), which is still considered their best.
“X” proves these guys never run out of imagination, crazy ideas, and sonic mischief, the kind we so often miss in modern progressive rock. On top of that, the album brings a completely unexpected freshness. Besides his consistently excellent drumming, Nick D’Virgilio hits his best vocal form to date, while his drumming and the instrumental skills of the other three “partners in crime” are, as always, a real feast for the ears. It has to be said that “X” is a shade darker in mood and a bit more “down-to-earth” than we’re used to from the Beardmen, and as such it will surely appeal to everyone who’s had enough of the “green tongue” sermonizing and the nonstop cheerfulness of the Swedish prog scene, led by bands like The Flower Kings and Kaipa.
What sets Spock’s Beard apart from most other prog rock revivalists, especially the Scandinavian school that emerged in the nineties as an answer to the chronic shortage of bands carrying the original progressive rock tradition, is that practically all their compositions have soul and heart, and that sterile and boring are concepts completely foreign to them. You can feel the incredible bond, the familiarity, and the creative chemistry between the band members the whole way through. Take the two compositions on the album that run over 16 minutes, “From the Darkness” and “Jaws of Heaven”: authentic prog rock epics that, thanks to a convincing mix of outstanding vocal harmonies, melodic arrangements, and soloing pirouettes, fly by in a heartbeat. Those two are also the best things on the album. While the mysterious and at times slightly dark “From the Darkness” successfully blends modern production with dizzying solos, grooving bass lines, and juicy arrangements (the “Queen-style” ending is especially impressive), “Jaws of Heaven” brings back the best days of symphonic prog rock.
Keyboardist Ryo Okumoto, a man who’s been through every wringer, goes all out with the legendary Mellotron and brilliantly crafts layered orchestral arrangements, of which the album has no shortage. Guest woodwind and string players were responsible for those, which means the orchestra sounds completely organic. “The Emperor’s Clothes” falls into this category, one of the nicest surprises on the album, with baroque woodwind arrangements surprising you in the opening section. The jazz-fusion-tinged instrumental “Kamikaze”, the shortest piece on the album, is a chance for Okumoto’s solo outbursts, which, teamed up with Alan Morse’s dazzling guitar feats, make for a proper epic battle. Anyone who worships legendary keyboards like the Minimoog and the Hammond organ is going to have a blast listening.
At the same time, the Beardmen eagerly steer clear of drawn-out noodling that could wreck the melodic structure of the individual compositions. “The Quiet House” is a fine example of neo-prog rock epicness, which, thanks to romantic vocal harmonies and the sound of synthesizers, even has a bit of that eighties charm. Also very welcome, and downright surprising, is the total absence of ballad-style moments, where the Beardmen used to fall all too often into soggy outpourings of typical American schmaltz. Don’t get me wrong, lyrically they’re still eternal optimists, but the down-to-earth kind, with an eye for the social problems of our time, while the metaphysical preaching has been left to their former bandmate and his solo career.
Just when it seemed they’d struggle to match their excellent previous album, Spock’s Beard went and made “X”, one of their most mature records ever, one that stands comfortably next to the best work of the Neal Morse era, like “V” (2000) and “Snow”, and is without a doubt the best album of the D’Virgilio era so far. As a whole, the album is almost shamelessly catchy, an achievement that usually only the best manage to pull off. This time around, on most tracks they opted for an almost complete return to the roots of seventies progressive rock, without any longer hard rock or pop experiments, which they used to love indulging in, and it paid off handsomely. Much of the credit goes to the excellent production, handled by all the band members, which built a very successful bridge between old and modern sonic shades. The only criticism (once again!) concerns the album title, which could have shown at least a little more creativity, while this time the cover art is nothing special either
Lineup
Nick D’Virgilio – lead vocals, drums, backing guitar
Alan Morse – guitar, backing vocals
Ryo Okumoto – keyboards
Dave Meros – bass guitar, backing vocals, backing keyboards
GUEST MUSICIANS:
John Boegehold – backing keyboards
Jimmy Keegan – backing vocals
Danielle Ondarza – French horn
Denis Jiron – trombone, bass trombone
Eric Gorfain – violin
Daphne Chen – violin
Lauren Chipman – viola
Richard Dodd – cello
Production
Spock’s Beard
Tracklist
1. Edge of the In-Between (10:30)
2. The Emperor’s Clothes (5:52)
3. Kamikaze (3:50)
4. From the Darkness (16:36)
— a. The Darkness
— b. Chance Meeting
— c. On My Own
— d. Start Over Again
5. The Quiet House (9:03)
6. Their Names Escape Me (8:57)
7. The Man Behind the Curtain (7:46)
8. Jaws of Heaven (16:22)
— a. Homesick for the Ashes
— b. Words of War
— c. Deep in the Wondering
— d. Whole Again
