Decidedly, the three Morse/Portnoy/George friends are inseparable because after the cover album 'Cov3r To Cov3r', they are also part of the adventure of the last solo album of 'Neal Morse', 'Sola Gratia' which continues to tell us stories of religions, and after 'Sola Scriptura' in 2007 which referred to 'Martin Luther', at the origin of Protestantism, it is the turn of the apostle Saint Paul to be the subject of this last opus. After his magnificent rock opera 'Jesus Christ the Exorcist' in 2019, he succeeded a year later, in addition to all his parallel projects including 'Flying Colors' (a new live has been issued) to bring out a new gem of a well-filled progressive since the listener has at his disposal 65 minutes divided into 14 original titles with multiple influences as he is used to and it is not with this new opus that we'll can say the opposite.
Indeed, from the first titles, we go from a short acoustic guitar/voice introduction ('Preface') to the symphonic instrumental 'Overture' with first, an energetic first part, then a second, quieter, in a 'Floydian' style which precedes, without transition, 'In the Name of The Lord', which, after a light introduction explodes in a sound surge with a catchy rhythm and with a melody with imposing choirs and an original finale with a choir bringing a jazzy instrumental section and, 'Ballyhoo (The Chosen Ones)' takes over and offers us an addictive melody that we want to resume in chorus and which continues with the instrumental 'March of teh Pharisees' with a bassline of 'Randy George' which renders very well the image of a march, this first part without any cuts ending with the rhythmic 'Building a Wall' in a muscular style with its expressive choir. What follows continues in this diversity of style with first of all the instrumental interlude 'Sola Intermezzo', quite speed, which suddenly gives way to the ballad 'Overflow' in a magnificent piano/voice duo which continues with the accompaniment of electric instruments and a very beautiful instrumental passage filled with sweetness. With 'Warmer Than The Sunshine' we continue in early progressive influences reminding me of the atmosphere of albums like 'Trilogy' by Emerson Lake & Palmer ', then, 'Never Change' returns to an atmospheric 'Floydian' style (with inevitably the magical 'Gilmourian' solo) reminiscent of titles like 'Us and Them' and unfolds a magnificent melody filled with a beautiful sensitivity which makes it one of the highlights of the album, just like the following track, 'Seemingly Sincere', which is still a masterful composition with its genius urgency character which necessarily makes one think to 'Roger Waters' style but which also brings a feeling of quiet strength in certain parts as to let all the accumulated tension fall and whose instrumental part in the second part of the title shows a sought-after progressive with this osmosis between 'Neal Morse' and the rhythm section consisting of 'Randy George' and 'Mike Portnoy'. Follows 'The Light on the Road to Damascus' which, after a slight sung first part, continues in an epic atmosphere resembling the great musical production of 'Jesus Christ the Exorcist', then, 'The Glory of the Lord' takes us into a symphonic fresco in the form of a melancholy ballad with very beautiful choirs and a very beautiful guitar solo from 'Eric Gillette', the album ends with another ballad 'Now I Can See / The Great Commission ', just as remarkable and which rises in crescendo with a melody that never leaves you with beautiful choirs very appropriate for this kind of theme and which falls back into a much more intimate final, the piano closing the story with some moving notes.
In summary, we will have been spoiled this year in progressive music release because it is yet another sumptuous album that 'Neal Morse' offers us with his fellow travelers and, if you liked 'Jesus Christ the Exorcist' , you should undoubtedly adhere to 'Sola Gratia' which is to be tamed little by little and which contains, as often in this case, a patchwork of influences which makes it an album of great variety... | |
