Spock's Beard - V

"V stars for Spock's Beard's V."

Combine several 70s prog influences (Genesis, Yes, etc.), a bit of pop, and Neal Morse's own distinct style and you get Spock's Beard, one of the best progressive rock bands since the glory days of the aforementioned bands. The Beard sound very fresh and original with each and every release. With V, their novel sound has worn off (at least for me), but this is compensated for by the bands remarkable musicianship. To me, their best album up until this point has been Beware Of Darkness, and I can safely say that V gives that superlative record a run for its money.

V includes 2 prog epics (16 and 27 minutes) which are the highlights of the album. Each song is brilliant, and the different tones and tempos flow together more nicely than those in, say, The Light (which, though well coherently composed, seems a bit more 'random' -- remember Senior Valasco??). "The Great Nothing", the album's grand finale, is one of their most interesting compositions, weaving a gamut of intricate sonic textures beautifully. I would say that this is one of my favorite of the band's many excellent songs. While "The Great Nothing"'s length means it takes a while to sink in, the other epic, "At The End Of The Day", is the most accessible prog epic I've ever heard. And while both songs are long, they never break down into monotonous plodding. The lengthy and complex instrumental passages are wonderful, and the lyrical portions - which are strange at times - are concurrently catchy and thought-provoking.

Balancing out the epics are four shorter songs for 'normal' people, although I think the prog-meisters and SB fans can still appreciate them. "Thoughts Part II" is probably the best of these, as it stands as the most 'proggy' of the shorter tunes. "All On A Sunday" is a great pop song drenched with mellotron, while "Revelations" - with its heavy moments - is an engaging listen that makes me think of Soundgarden, Neal Morse style. "Goodbye To Yesterday" is an amazing Beard Ballad.

Musically, I'd say the band is at its peak. They are all underrated, of course, but they are indisputably gods. I especially love the additional instruments they occasionally use (like french horn and cello). These add reams of value to the music when they are used, and they never seem like needless enhancements.

This album is absolutely excellent. Back in the days of AMAZON.com reviews, I would have liked to hack their system and give this album 50 stars!