Colleague Pedro Bekkers considered Lucid Dream's previous album The Great Dance Of The Spirit (2020, see review) to be their best album so far. So maybe with this fifth album by these Italian prog rockers we are in for a surprise? Lucid Dream has been active for some fifteen years and A Peaceful Death features ten new songs, which are all decent, recognisable prog rock songs that do not really stand out; so I think that Lucid Dream's new album will go under in the tons of rock music releases that see the light every day of the week. However, this does not mean that A Peaceful Death is a bad album, far from it, as this Italian band combines elements of hard rock, prog rock, prog metal and even AOR in a particularly effective way, as the end result is ten prog rock songs with stirring melodies indeed. Take for example Heroes Of Light, a beautiful track, very melodic, featuring an awesome chorus indeed. Father offers great metal-like guitar riffs and truly energized vocals, while Out Of Time takes you back to the prog rock of the seventies; think Dark Side Of The Moon's Pink Floyd sound. Shadow On My Shoulders is dominated by guitars and piano, making this one very melodic and versatile indeed. Overall, I would "label" A Peaceful Death as a diverse, easy to listen to album for fans of melodic prog rock in the vein of Saga and Dream Theater. Listening tip: Wheel Of Karma. ***+ Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
