MOMENTS OF CLARITY

After years of being a fan of prog Rick Duncan decided to take the plunge and write and record a prog album. Joining forces with vocalist Todd Plant Rick came up with 11 tracks coming in just under an hour.

WARNING: For those who hate the vocals of Journey, Styx and Kansas or anything else you consider AOR to the point that it ruins the music for you stop reading now and go on to other groups. You won't like this!

For those of you more open to such things then this is a good album. Outside of a few keyboard parts Robert Van Dyne plays and a couple of great violin solos from David Ragsdale (Kansas) all the other instruments are handled by Duncan while Plant does all the vocals. The album lacks some feeling of being finished and I would think that comes form the fact Rick, while competent is not a master of everything he plays.

The album is a concept album of a man who has tsuffers the tradgedy of his wife dying that brings him to question what he believes and it is his search within and without that constitutes the story. The music is passionate and emotional to match this story. Rick Duncan is influenced by Kansas, Spock's Beard (although I would guess it is Kerry Livgren and Neal Morse more specifically) as well as Dream Theater and Yes. These are influences are apparent with out being derivative. Still there is plenty to like in songs like Introspective, The Grand Design, Shock Value, Moments of Clarity and Ascension. The songs are well crafted even the more simpler tracks like Angeline and Colored Leaf. I look forward to future works from this group.

3.5 stars