The Neal Morse Band - The Similitude of a Dream (Inside Out)
In the (belated) top spot for 2016, we are proud to present the second full length release from the Neal Morse Band! This is a structured concept album and is clearly a more collaborative effort than the first NMB album and with a greater sense of purpose.
In terms of lyrics, the concept of the album was inspired by the1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. For the puposes of the album, it recounts a dream-like tale, recounting the story of a man named Christian who after a life of spiritually unfulfilling anguish is told to leave the evil City Of Destruction and make a pilgrimage to the Celestial City, where he can find peace and, ultimately, salvation. The album is split in two parts with ifferent narrative tone and the music shifts along with it from the dark industrial paths of the City of Destruction to the salvation that is the Celestial City.
Beginning with a melancholic string part, the opener "Long Day - Overature" transforms in an inspired jazz-fusion riff that gives way to a Yes solo sequence that then jumps into a labyrinth of keyboard sounds and hard rock riffing. "The Dream" is very Floydian with intense retro-prog flashbacks to the seminal "The Wall" as the song progresses. "City Of Destruction" is a 70s hard rock track, while there are hints (more discreet or more obvious to other prog legends throughout the album: The Beatles ("The Ways Of A Fool"), Peter Gabriel ("Slave To Your Mind"), Led Zeppelin ("The Man In The Iron Cage") and The Who ("I'm Running"). Also throughout the album you can hear influences from other musical genres that have worked their way into the album: Country ("Freedom Song"), piano ("The Mask") and prog metal ("Confrontation."). The instrumental masterpiece"The Battle" that acts as a closer is a prog orgasmatron with musicality and technicality meeting halfway to produce the bastard child that every prog musician would be proud to have.
The album is a veritable prog rock experience that is by leaps and bounds the best release of 2016, marrying the old with the new with a perfect blend of retro and progression. It does not get any better!
98/100
Below are the music videos for "City of Destruction", "The Man in the Iron Cage" and "So Far Gone".
In terms of lyrics, the concept of the album was inspired by the1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. For the puposes of the album, it recounts a dream-like tale, recounting the story of a man named Christian who after a life of spiritually unfulfilling anguish is told to leave the evil City Of Destruction and make a pilgrimage to the Celestial City, where he can find peace and, ultimately, salvation. The album is split in two parts with ifferent narrative tone and the music shifts along with it from the dark industrial paths of the City of Destruction to the salvation that is the Celestial City.
Beginning with a melancholic string part, the opener "Long Day - Overature" transforms in an inspired jazz-fusion riff that gives way to a Yes solo sequence that then jumps into a labyrinth of keyboard sounds and hard rock riffing. "The Dream" is very Floydian with intense retro-prog flashbacks to the seminal "The Wall" as the song progresses. "City Of Destruction" is a 70s hard rock track, while there are hints (more discreet or more obvious to other prog legends throughout the album: The Beatles ("The Ways Of A Fool"), Peter Gabriel ("Slave To Your Mind"), Led Zeppelin ("The Man In The Iron Cage") and The Who ("I'm Running"). Also throughout the album you can hear influences from other musical genres that have worked their way into the album: Country ("Freedom Song"), piano ("The Mask") and prog metal ("Confrontation."). The instrumental masterpiece"The Battle" that acts as a closer is a prog orgasmatron with musicality and technicality meeting halfway to produce the bastard child that every prog musician would be proud to have.
The album is a veritable prog rock experience that is by leaps and bounds the best release of 2016, marrying the old with the new with a perfect blend of retro and progression. It does not get any better!
98/100
Below are the music videos for "City of Destruction", "The Man in the Iron Cage" and "So Far Gone".
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