THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE

The latest from guitarist extraordinaire Steve Hackett (and something like his 30th album), this one is a concept album with a story based on Steve's own life experiences, and is something special, his best album in many years. At 74, and a career spanning more than 55 years, Hackett seems to be stronger than ever, with his Genesis Revisited tours and regular releases of live and new solo albums. This album mixes together songs of many different styles, ranging from classical guitar stylings to dark and ominous heavy prog metal riffs, as well as lighter more melodic pop and rock, with international stylistic flourishes, strong harmony vocals, and yes, even some Genesis-reminiscent passages. Steve has his powerhouse backing band (same as his touring band) as well as some guest artists to bring these songs to life, and the result is a tour de force album of delights, 13 tracks comprising a compact 45 minutes, telling his story in one of the prog highlights of the year. Best tracks: Enter the Ring, Wherever You Are, Ghost Moon and Living Love, Get Me Out, Into the Nightwhale. Rating: 4 stars