I'M NOT A HERO

Metamorphosis, the neo-prog project of keyboardist/vocalist Jean-Pierre Schenk has released its sixth studio album in 2021. The band has Schenk's emotional voice and dark & melancholy style as its main recognizable traits, but there's always some Floydian ('Division Bell'-era) electric guitar as well. The types of synths and metal guitars are tasteful as ever on this record. The atmospheres remind me a bit of Marillion on the 'Clutching at Straws' album, though Metamorphosis is less sophisticated from a compositional point of view. Usually the songs are made up of a few chord patterns and some lead guitar themes. For me personally, the concept album 'Then All Was Silent' (2005) was the record on which Metamorphosis just clicked with me and it has remained on my playlist ever since. The other albums of the band are usually a bit too much alike, and though 'I'm Not a Hero' isn't going to change that completely, it does sound like the band has progressed over the years. The vocals and lyrics by Schenk are still - and I'm glad for it - filled with a childlike hope for a better world and an senior type of sadness because of it. He fights, he struggles, he looses, he simply doesn't have an answer for it all. He drowns in it, and so does the listener. I think this is why I have always had a soft spot for this Schenker and his sorrowful, bleak type of neo-prog. He kind of makes you feel for him - which in turn is a unique musical experience. This album has a strong run of songs with the slow burner 'Dark World' and the catchy title track and it even has an instrumental track 'When Life Starts Again'. 'More is Less' is another strong song. As with almost any album these days the album could have been more tightly knit together had the two least favorite songs been cut from the record. In the end this is a strong release for Metamorphosis and it should appeal to a lot of neo-prog and crossover prog fans out here. I'll round my rating up to a four star rating, because I don't want Schenker to feel even worse about life. That's just me joking, this album will stay on my playlist just like that other fine record.