Neal Morse

Sola Scriptura

Written by: PP on 12/04/2007 14:36:23

It's rare to be able to listen to the first five minutes of a CD and immediately be confident that you've got your hands on an epic release. It's not uncommon to have similar thought-patterns when contemplating albums by Opeth, Dream Theater or Spock's Beard, hence it isn't surprising to find the latter's frontman Neal Morse's new record "Sola Scriptura" a progressive masterpiece as well.

Assisted by the Dream Theater drummer Mike Portonoy and the guitar wizard Paul Gilbert from Mr Big, Neal Morse has put together an album both conceptually astounding and musically stunning. Through four songs averaging at 20 minutes long each, Neal explores his chosen topic of Martin Luther's "95" theses in vast detail through impressive instrumentation and a multitude of dimensions and harmonies ranging from the utterly beautiful guitars to the oddly de-tuned keyboard sessions. "Sola Scriptura" has all of classic Spock's Beard and Dream Theatre effects packed into one, the virtuoso guitar techniques that arouse chills in your back, the breathtaking instrumental passages whose beauty can not be described in words, and the sophisticated tempo and mood changes scattered across the four songs on the album.

"Sola Scriptura" isn't hard to make acquintances with, but unnervingly difficult to become best friends with. The utter complexity and depth in each song invites the listener to an exciting but seemingly neverending journey into understanding the cause of monk Luther, making it an acquired taste for some, but a necessity for others. Any Dream Theatre or Spock's Beard fan should immediately go out and purchase this, if for nothing else than the stupendously impressive guitar duels between Morse and Gilbert.

8

Download: The Door
For the fans of: Dream Theatre, Spock's Beard
Listen: Myspace

Release date 26.02.2007
InsideOut Music
Provided by Target ApS

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