Neal Morse and his latest bunch of recruits fill a God-shape hole.

Release Date: 8th November 2024

Label: Inside Out Music

Format: CD / LP / digital

You’re never too far from a musical offering from Neal Morse. His latest project feels a bit different yet comes adorned with the warm blanket of Progressive Rock that’s his stock in trade.

Neal Morse & The Resonance is the new band from Neal Morse (Transatlantic, Flying Colors) that sees the master sort of adopt a brand new set of young musicians from his local Tennessee area, who’ve brought with them a sense of newness and immediacy. All the passion that Morse demands but with a hint of the usual suspects – Portnoy, George, Gillette, Hubauer – that occasionally has the effect of ‘what if‘ Neal had lead on this part or if Eric Gillette had sang/played on that part. However, a change is as good as a rest and the guys are given their head by the boss on a set that follows an often tried and very trusted formula. The ‘same picture different frame’ thing…and to be fair there’s much in the way of collaborative writing and singer Johnny Bisaha has enough of a Morse quality and spirituality to be trusted with several lead vocal parts.

A couple of epics provide the bookends in typical Morse sequencing. Seven parts of Eternity In Your Eyes sees an opening Morse vocal – the passion and emotion coming as standard – emerge from a flurry of instrumental Prog fanfares. A moody mid song passage shifts gear with an tense guitar solo, a slow acceleration up to he final five minutes where you can spot, yes, here’s the climax. Morse/Prog by numbers it could well be but, aided and abetted by his latest chums, they eek out a stirring crescendo – and we’d be disappointed if they didn’t.

The six part title track – almost, but not quite nudge the half hour mark – is like one of those massive Whirlwind style, epic Transatlantic pieces made up of several passages that twist and turn, revolving around the No Hill… ‘theme’. Given the length, it bides its time. In this case it’s the second half that sees the piece take a moment after the stomping “it won’t quit” section to move into an spacious part that’s a classic Morse hook. Not surprisingly subtitled ‘Love Is All’, the symphony wouldn’t be out of place in a Disney happy ending. And yes, it does feel like we’ve reached the peak…but hang on, this is Neal Morse and we have ten minutes left…

The spiritual side – did we mention it – still plays a significant lyrical role. We’re talking “Walk in His grace and you’ll walk through the door,” by now and of course Neal will be one hand on the keys, one hand raised, affirming his faith. Maybe even a shaft of light will break through the clouds. Even for those of us who don;t buy into the religious angle might struggle not to be moved. The last couple of minutes drag the track over the line with a short pause and string quartet returning to the main theme.

Not one to rest on the comfort of the Prog laurels, Thief is a diversion into something different and at times, positively weird. Eerie voices and jazzy interludes, off kilter patterns and growling Hammond all add to a scary and curveball of a workout.

Two shorter pieces take the honours though. All The Rage is the sort of rocking workout that might have previously just found a place on a bonus disc. Think King Jesus on the extra disc of the One album… Neal on lead vocals and as impassioned as ever announcing the “The world has come to see your show tonight!” theme of the drug of adulation whose hit might be ultimately unfulfilling. However, dare we suggest that there’s some autobiographical bent in the lyric..?

The acoustic based Ever Interceding features Johnny Bisaha on lead vocals. Created from the same cloth that gave us June from Spock’s Beard and Waterfall from the NMB. Probably even the Transatlantic hymn, We All Need Some Light and Barclay James Harvest’s Hymn. The understated (twelve string?) guitar that opens the song and leads into self doubt might again have a hint of autobiography and spiritual discovery. Again, you might not buy into it, but don’t get caught by fellow drivers at the red traffic lights singing loudly about meeting again on the road to Damascus. No disrespect, but may we just have a take of this with Neal singing please?

While he may be churning out albums at a rate of knots and it would easy to become blase about another Neal Morse album, No Hill For A Climber has all the hallmarks and uplifting moments that don’t allow you to lapse. He will intercede.

Here’s Thief:

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