Snow
I love good prog-rock… almost as much as I love having a good laptop computer. Wireless internet isn't bad either. I'm checking my email as I drive down an almost deserted Highway 61. It's a straight stretch and I steer with my knee so I can check my email. There's a new one from HM Magazine Editor Doug VanPelt. He's rambling on about some type of illegal punishment scheme he's dreamed up for me, because I'm late with my Spock's Beard review. My knee jerks as I read his comments on burning CD's and I swerve wildly to avoid hitting an oncoming truck. My laptop slides off the passenger seat onto the floor with a thud, no problem, titanium alloy…perfect for such things. I fire it back up and finish reading his email as I pull into one of several Starbucks along this route. After a double-shot mocha, I'm ready to hit the open road and pop in disc one of Snow, a new double-disc concept album from modern art rock marvels Spock's Beard. Halfway into track two I realize that this is a step above previous releases by the band, in both lyrics and production.
Spock's Beard is a 5-piece prog outfit, originally hailing from San Francisco, with of Neil Morse on lead vocals, keyboards and acoustic guitar, Alan Morse on lead guitar, Ryo Okumoto on keyboards, Dave Meros on bass and Nick D'Virgillo on drums. Their sound combines the influences of Pink Floyd, Yes, The Beatles, Rush, early Genisis and Gentle Giant.
Musically, Snow is their most ambitious project to date, a grandiose double disc concept album. This project brings out the best of the band, combining the intricate, artistic, lengthy tracks, with shorter rock pop gems. The songs on both discs run into each other to produce a pair of hour-long pieces, in true concept album fashion. From heavy songs like "Devil's Got My Throat," which has them sounding like a harder edged version of Rush, to the haunting beauty of the mellow "Solitary Soul," Spock's Beard are in top form here.
Like the classic rock opera Tommy, Snow delivers a messianic central figure, where lyric writer Neal Morse draws from past protagonist characters, and relies heavily on the New Testament itself. Snow's an albino with an incredible gift: the ability to cure diseases of the soul with his touch. Born and raised on a farm, among people who could never bring themselves to accept him, he takes his gift and his future to New York, where he plunges himself into the city's fount of suffering and darkness, with surprising results.
At various points, the story gets a bit disjointed and vague, but there is plenty here to ponder and absorb. When combined with the incredible music, production and musicianship, the story of Snow comes alive, and is not to be missed.
-Simon
This is an awesome album! I love it and I can't wait to hear what Neal Morse comes up with now he's left the beard!
Testimony, his new album comes out September 23rd and is set to be a double album featuring some amazing musicians such as Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) and Kerry Livgren (Kansas) It's the story of his life and how he came to Christ... powerful stuff! If you like snow, reports say you'll love Testimony!
