Frequent readers/visitors of this site know that I am a Neal Morse fan indeed and I especially like his work with Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Flying Colors and of course The Neal Morse Band. But I can also really appreciate - and this is probably a euphemism - his solo career, as albums like Testimony, Testimony 2 and Sola Gratia are real prog rock gems indeed, despite the fact that the religious/spiritual lyrics are not really my cup of tea, but I will never hold that against Morse as his music is always top notch prog rock without a shadow of a doubt. No Hill For A Climber - this title is taken from Barbara Kingsolver's book Demon Copperhead - is again, of course, a religious-based project, but again that does not bother me as the music is astonishingly beautiful indeed. Neal Morse recorded this amazing album with a couple of young unknown musicians. Chris Riley( keys, guitars, bass guitar), Andre Madatian (guitars), Johnny Bisaha (lead vocals), Philip Martin (drums) and Joe Ganzelli (drums) are local Nashville lads actually. The result is earthshaking, as this album is super proggy indeed! And it sometimes sounds like King Crimson, sometimes like early/old Spock's Beard and in other places like the Neal Morse Band, but there is always that Neal Morse musical signature that makes his music so special and recognisable. The album features two super long brilliant epics, namely Eternity In Your Eyes (clocking in at almost twenty-one minutes) and the ambitious title track, which even almost reaches the twenty-nine minutes mark. Opening track Eternity In Your Eyes features those typical Morse hooks and melodies and overall, this new epic is majestic, packed with grand soundscapes, orchestral highlights, bluesy guitars -check out the hazy, bluesy guitar solo at the ten minutes mark - and beautiful, emotional alternate vocals from Morse and Johnny Bisaha. So, after, almost twenty-one minutes of high-class prog rock I was wondering if it could get any better than this.... Well, follow up Thief is a kind of slower song and here Morse shows his most experimental side as I have never heard a Neal Morse track like this one. Thief kicks off with a beautiful dual-vocal harmony, before it evolves into a complex King Crimson-like prog rock "monster," becoming the most "unusual" Neal Morse track ever recorded; check that one out at maximum volume and you will not believe your ears indeed! The third track called All The Rage truly reminds me of good old Spock's Beard featuring lots of tremendous, glorious melodies, especially Neal's vocals here are second to none indeed, turning this song into another highlight of this breathtaking album. Finally, we reach the second epic, which comprises twenty-nine minutes, and this prog rock rollercoaster is "dominated" by Madatian's guitar hooks, melodies, and solos, while Morse's and Bisaha's vocals "do the rest." The instrumental passages, like the thrilling keyboard solo or the soaring guitar solos, are truly magnificent, however the chorus of this new Morse epic is a bit too sweet and too corny for my particular taste; but hey, you must always look for something to nag about, right? Conclusion: No Hill For A Climber is a MUST have album for all fans of Neal Morse, Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, and the Neal Morse Band and I am sure that this album will end up very high in my 2024 top ten album list for sure. A brilliant album packed with impressive prog rock music; indeed, play it LOUD and very often and you will be hooked, like yours truly! ***** Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
