FEEL EUPHORIA

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Well I have got a "Promotional copy" of this new album by SPOCK'S BEARD, scheduled to be released on July 2003. Such new issue is the first release after the controversial album "Snow", (this latter quite disappointing in some circumstances), too much emulating the ideas of "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" by the early GENESIS. Instead this new work is without the writing, keyboard, and vocal performances of the original member Neil MORSE, who left the band for some personal reasons or a sort of personal crisis. However already as from their previous work, he was not so brilliant like in the early albums by S.B.. Besides the remaining members are a bit forced to become leading vocalists, despite of being able to carry out some good music both vocally as well as instrumentally within their solo albums.

Well as they are not like GENTLE GIANT, their task without Neal Morse is obviously more difficult!! But proceeding by order, I like to point out first of all that they are obliged to steer more in the direction of such "poppy" stuff, rather than facing the progressive aspects concerning their music. That was a typical mood inside the first half of their recordings; while here the heavier prog elements of bands such as KING CRIMSON are disappearing, except on a few early GENESIS-like breaks through, similar to those ones by the early "romantic" K.C." . The arrangements without the creative mind of MORSE are more difficult, despite of the majority of these pop songs being natural and well performed here. For this reason, I should give this CD an higher score. Finally this is good stuff and Nick Di Virgilio is not only a remarkable drummer, because he can also sing in a good manner. This album could represent the new direction of the band, which was not able to innovate their ideas in the recent times, becoming tiring along with the last uninspiring stuff by Neal MORSE.

Interesting album, even though it is not essential!!

How could you possibly not Feel Euphoria knowing that a new Spock's Beard album was set to be released? If you are a real head case when it comes to prog-rock like me, you know exactly where I am coming from. Okay, I know you are wondering what they sound like without their main man Neal Morse. Their circumstances were the same as Genesis many years ago when they had to replace their lead man Peter Gabriel, and a drummer by the name of Phil Collins took over the lead vocal spot. Let me ease your minds, Nick D' Virgilio does an excellent job stepping out from in back of the drum kit (he still plays drums) to take over the lead role with the band. He actually sounds like Morse on a few cuts. It does not surprise me one bit that it was such an easy transition, his solo album Karma absolutely floored me and I wondered why he was not singing more for the band anyway.

Morse was the heartbeat of this band for so long, I too had to wonder how their overall sound would hold up throughout this album. I have to admit I was not exactly sure after two listens, I guess the third time is the charm because by the time I had listened completely on the third spin I was convinced that they were different, they had a new kind of energy, and they definitely were still the Spock's Beard that I loved listening to. Everyone in the band kicks it up a few notches to support D' Virgilio on his new job and the outcome is spectacular. This band has been at the top of their game for so long now how could anyone expect anything less.

The music ranges from the hard rocking title track "Feel Euphoria" to the gorgeous harmonies and lead vocals of "East Of Eden, West Of Memphis," featuring sparkling guitar lines, keyboards, bass and drums all produced to perfection. "A Guy Named Sid" is their mini-series/opus in six parts that will have prog-heads salivating. The progression and changes that each individual part goes through is like the cover of the CD, a rainbow of colors dumped into a vast pool of sound and textures, it is all breathtaking rock music.

Some long time fans may think that the beard is just stubble right now and it needs to grow in, personally, I think the old growth just had a trim and it grew back in differently to fit the new face. The beard is still there and it has plenty of time to grow. Just like the title of the last two tracks, it is all about "Change" and the will to "Carry On."

Rating: 4.5/5

I feel sorry for all you Spock's Beard fans out there. So much great music in this bands back catalogue and its all MINE to discover!! Envy me you sad people whilst I have such treasures to discover for myself. Now, I actually possess a fair amount of SB material but I had'nt got around to listening to it. So much music and so little time - does that sound familiar? After chatting to a friend I felt compelled to listen to them and this was the album I decided to start with. After checking the reviews I thought maybe I had made a mistake - it does'nt have the high score that others have.Anyway - I don't think I made a mistake - if there are better SB albums than this then I am in for one hell of a treat.

The album opens with 'Onomatopoeia' - an uptempo, uplifting track which sets the tone very nicely. Tight drumming and a sense that you have a band enjoying themselves. It has a quieter mid-section but soon regains momentum. A very catchy song. Next up we have 'The Bottom Line' which features that which I treasure most, delicious soaring synth before settling down to become pretty anthemic and acoustic along the way. Track three is the title track - it opens with synth and drum before vocals and choppy organ take up the beat. Its a fantastic track - the chorus has a unusual though very compelling phrase leading into it. The track gets more frantic two thirds of the way through. Organ mayhem ensues and you wonder who unleashed Mr Emerson into the proceedings. Next we have 'Shining Star' which is a nice ballad, reminiscent of America/The Eagles - listen and tell me I'm wrong. Lovely guitar, nice and chilled. 'East of Eden, West of Memphis' follows - and it is such a fantastic song. Very upbeat and foot-tappy (know what I mean?). I commented on this feature of the album to a friend and he said that maybe that was why some people did'nt like it. Strange - nothing wrong with foot-tappyness. Anyway - the second half of the song is a different matter. it cranks up the bpm and features fabulous synth, guitar, drums and all round excellent musicianship. 'Ghosts of Autumn' opens with sombre piano - vocals tell us to 'Listen to the whispers of the rain....' - its a rocky ballad and an excellent track to boot.

The next 6 tracks are 'A guy named Sid part one' up to part six. The first part is an instrumental and one of my new favourites. Its pretty funky, driven and very tight. It could be the new theme for one of my fav sci-fi series Space 1999 (in-joke). Great keyboards throughout. Part two continues the tale and is a strong, rocky, prog beast. Part three is more sensitive - featuring the line 'Every story has 2 sides, but no one ever wants to hear mine'. It reminds me a little of Kevin Gilbert, who was a friend of SB's drummer. Part four continues the tale of 'A guy named Sid' and it is followed by a choral piece which seems familiar to me - cant place it though. The final part of the epic ties up things well - great playing as usual. The albums last track is 'Carry On' - again, up uplifting, positive song. Sounds like the Carry On Wayward Son brigade. Superb album. What one next I wonder?

3.2 Stars

Since Neal Morse was the leader of the band and made the painfully dull "Snow", I wanted to see how the band would deal without the man behind the band. Surprisingly, Feel Euphoria is stronger than Beware of Darkness and Day for Night. There are obvious changes in the sound from the band though you can still hear the sound of Spock's Beard. The changes include the drummer taking vocal duties, the harder-edged approach, the keyboards, and the songwriting. The quality of the songs is a bit inconsistent as most of the best moments are in the first half

Onomatopoeia begins the album strongly and makes you realize that Spock's Beard changed after Morse's departure. You can hear heavy electric guitars taking lead, more rock-oriented singing, no more Morse's synths/pianos, etc. The most interesting part of this song (and maybe the album) is the genius usage of harmony vocals, brilliant acoustic chord progressions and haunting mellotron in the middle section. The hard rock comes back and ends the piece.

The Bottom Line is a bit more remnicent of earlier Spock's Beard, though the intro still has the elements of Feel Euphoria: old school analogue synths and heavy guitars. Suddently, a nice vocal melody turns this song into a ballad with time changes and prog elements. I love the synth line used in the choruses. This is overall a very successful attempt at a progressive rock song in the vein of early Spock's Beard.

The title track has very good musicianship and an amazing chorus hook, yet is marred by having a disjointed structure. The second half of the song sounds like a good jam session.

Shining Star is a pop song with very good vocal melodies and straightforward instrumentation to complement it. It is a harmless little tune.

East of Eden is a quite unusual song. It begins with some heavily distorted guitar riff and catchy melodies and good melodies. Suddently the song makes an abrupt turn and voila! you got Ryo going in overdrive playing a mad synth solo under beds of mellotrons! The song ends with backward tapes and a reprise of the initial melodies, which is something that feels a bit out of place.

Ghost of Autumn is an emotional musical journey with Ryo playing gorgeous piano leads. The song focuses on melodies and is pretty laid back. Check out the guitar solo in this piece. Overall, a great song and the last highlight of the album.

Unfortunately, Neal Morse is the guy that knows how to write epics. A Guy Named Syd has its moments, and the musicianship is great, but the piece doesn't really work as a whole. However, it is much better than "Healing Colors of Sound". Anyways, the song begins with a groovy overture that ends with a pretty good synth solo. Pt2 begins as an uptempo rocker that has quite cool vocal harmonies that remind me of Dream Theater. It has a soft interlude and then comes back with the initial punch. Pt3 is focused on melody and is an ok part. When pt4 began, the first thought I had was "Ryo robbed Wakeman's synths!" because the synthesizer used is heard in Tales of Topographic Oceans. Anyways, great synth line and a pretty good rocker. pt5 is a short piece focused on a complex arrangement of vocals that sounds poppier than ever. pt6 is a decent conclution to the epic.

Carry on is an uplifting finale and sounds like something coming from Neal Morse in terms of style.

Overall, a surprisingly strong Spock's Beard album with good melodies and musicianship. I recommend it to fans of neo-prog and/or Spock's Beard.

Highlights: Onomatopoeia, The Bottom Line, East of Eden, Ghost of Autumn

Let Downs: None

My Grade: C+

How could Spock's Beard continue without Neal Morse? How could Genesis continue without Peter Gabriel? Well, they both did by making their drummers their respective lead vocalists. The parallels don't end there. Both Morse and Gabriel left their bands after making complicated 2-CD concept albums, what some consider their "magnum opuses." When both bands continued without their leaders, the individual members began writing their own material for the next album and neither group was the same ever again. Both Morse and Gabriel went on to successful solo careers. Odd coincidences, don't you think?

What I find that differs from these parallels is the music the two bands made after their respective upheavals. Genesis continued making some really great music until they sold out to commercial interests in the 1980s. Spock's Beard became a bleak former shadow of itself, losing it's catchy melodies and hooks, replaced by an AOR-tinged, heavier sound and uninspired songwriting. In my opinion, Neal Morse was Spock's Beard. Nick D'Virgilio is a great performer. I have no doubt about that. But he just can't fill Neal's shoes. Feel Euphoria makes that plainly clear.

Even the six-part A Guy Named Sid, a half-hearted attempt to make a progressive rock epic, is just sad to listen to. The music is uninspired, the singing is uninspired, the lyrics are uninspired. Nearly all of the tracks of this album leave something to be desired. Quite a number of them are on the level of filler. Even the group's earlier inspirations from the greats of the 1970s appears to be missing. After Neal left, it was quite evident after listening to this that the band wanted to move in a new direction. I just don't think they took the right fork in the road. Future albums will continue to show a mislead wandering about. Spock's Beard fans will enjoy some of the numbers on here, but should also notice the lack of direction and the lack of quality material. Others probably should avoid. I would instead recommend getting anything from the Morse era. Two stars, for fans and collectors only.

It's impossible not to compare the new Beard to the old, Neil Morse's leadership often being cited as the cornerstone of the band; however, after many listens of Feel Euphoria I heartily agree with those who say that Neil's contributions were repetitive, heavy-handed, and growing very old. Now that he's off writing not-so-thinly-veiled-Christian Rock-- we can finally get some fresh ideas to the old Beard, and what a change!

For starters, let's talk about the song writing. Not quite as proggy, as in the rapidly becoming dated sound of the band's inspiration, possessing a much sharper, technical edge. The band playing is very tight and energetic, lending a more modern sound to the group's otherwise proggy skeleton (which is still there, just hidden). Okumoto actually gets to become a viable (and welcomed!) addition to the band's sound, while the two axe-players continue cranking out there usual excellent fret-work. Some may complain that these tunes are a return to the approachable pop sound found on Day for Night, but I say they haven't given Feel Euphoria much of a chance. There are textures and nuance hidden behind the straight-ahead vaneer of many of these songs, showing as much gusto for creativity as ever before in the band's past.

D'Virgilo's voice should also be mentioned-- because it is more sensitive, smoother in timbre, and quite honestly, more fun to listen to than Neil's often bellowy caterwauling; big props to him for filling in big shoes.

Jaded fans should give this one another chance, and newcomers might actually find this a better place to start discovering the Beard than their old classics.

Not quite there, not yet here

After (Neal) Morse's departure from the band people likely wondered if they'd be able to stand on their won two feet. Indeed, losing a respected musician as well as their lead singer and composer is not something that many bands are capable of dealing with. Well, with Feel Euphoria the Beard managed to prove that they would live on after Morse, but they'd just need a bit of time to recover from the blow first. As many others have commented, the band tried to stay pretty close to their Morse era sound with their first couple of releases without him, and while it can be argued how well that worked there's no denying the music is similar yet very much different from when Morse was still around.

The album is still very Morse, but different parts of the music are brought out and highlighted. What's strange about the album is that while many complained that Morse had a very AOR sound in the band, they actually seem to have gone more towards that end of the spectrum without him! While there are moments that are strait heavy rock blended with prog a lot of the songs on the album see a softer vocal style, and this is not only because they have a new vocalist. In fact, Nick D'Virgilio is quite a capable replacement for Morse as he steps out from behind the drum kit a la Genesis to fill the vocal hole. His voice is actually more gruff and has a harder edge to it than their previous vocalist and this proves to be quite a nice change. Not to say that Morse was a bad singer, but he was also not a singer that could not be easily replaced. His voice was pretty mid-ground and a lot of people could have replaced him - not so would be the case if someone like Geddy Lee left Rush. But if it doesn't matter who's at the vocal helm then what does the music sound like?

Well, it's very much the same and different. Likely due to the lack of Morse the band seems to have lost a bit of direction when it comes to writing. A lot of the songs on the album vary wildly in style within minutes of the song. Take for example East Of Eden, West Of Memphis which starts off softly as the band starts a full out soft rock track but soon explodes into full blown pomp prog going into the instrumental section in the middle, lush with keyboards and guitar to make for a satisfying ride. Or The Bottom Line which starts as a full blown prog epic would but soon slows to a stop to allow AM radio vocals to come through until the middle where there's a pseudo-Dream Theater instrumental section. The crazy shifts in song are not a bad thing, it seems like the band is really experimenting here to find out what works best for them. It's a bit of a strange album to listen to with that in mind, seeing as the first couple times you'll likely be thinking, ''oh, I don't like this song - it's too soft rockish... oh! Now I like this song... wait, it's the same song!''. I suppose schizophrenic could be the word. However, after a number of listens this does eventually catch on, but if you never have a heart for a couple minutes of softer music then this album may not appeal to you.

There are points where the album really rocks out though. Take for example the opener, Onomatopoeia which blasts open a hole in the wall with Alan Morse's guitar before introducing their new vocalist to the world. This is definitely one of the standouts on the album for those of us who like our music heavy. It seems that with big brother out of the way, Alan Morse actually has room to breathe. This is evident in a lot of the songs and though the keyboards do still take the lead often it's clear that the guitars have been brought up front.

As for the largest song on the album, the long divided suite A Guy Named Sid we can see that the band still knows what they're doing. It may not be another The Great Nothing but it shows the band in top form with the excellent segments Judge and Same Old Story. The intro and outro are also both quite good while bordering at parts on electronica - but in general this song is where all the manic moods of the album work - probably because the song is long enough to house enough different styles and speed changes to let it work the way they wanted it to.

Only a couple of songs really don't work at all but they're far and few. Coming off of a very odd and creepy title track (which is quite good by the way) we get a sappy ballad by the name of Shining Star where those AOR feelings come right up the the front and block out the band for a bit. Likely a song not overly appreciable by many prog heads. As well the last track Carry On feels like one they could have cut out. Really, if the album had ended after the Sid Suite I think most of us would have been satisfied, but they wanted to tack another one on I guess. It's not a bad song, but the chorus is so wildly out of place that it just doesn't work. It's clear with this track that D'Virigilo should stick to the harder edged track (that theory will be proven wrong in the future though).

This is a good album. People who don't fancy themselves fans of the band ca probably steer clear of the album, 'cause it won't make a believer of you. However, people who do really like the Beard should definitely look into this one - because for it's few flaws it still makes for a very interesting listen. Really, this is just a new beginning for the band, one that really would not be realized for a couple of albums yet. 3 crazy-rainbow-paint-cans out of 5, recommended to fans and people who like heavy music but don't mind a couple of AOR twinges at times.

Not really a bad effort here. I was one of the legions of Spock's Beards fans who found themselves a little bit leery of the post-Neal band. Thankfully my fears were proven wrong--but not by this album. As far as Feel Euphoria goes, it's only average at best. If this was the first CD of theirs I'd listened to after Neal left, I don't think I would have kept going with the band. I'm glad it's not. I found myself much more able to cut my teeth on their self-titled, and having absorbed that, Feel Euphoria is much more agreeable.

But I only gave it three stars, and the main reason for that is energy. Older SB (and s/t SB) seem to carry that sort of excitement and energy through most of their songs. That energy is somewhat spotty or at least very difficult to find through this music. There are some beautiful compositions, some great musicianship and all that whatnot, but the long and short of it is: Feel Euphoria will not excite you very much. I'm a fan of mellow music, don't get me wrong, but Spock's Beard's talents are far more suited to getting my adrenaline moving than tuning my emotions to theirs.

So, three stars. It's worth it, but they are better before and after.

This is perhaps the album that divides SPOCK'S BEARD's fans the most,and for good reason,Neal is gone.I actually went into this one with a positive outlook having enjoyed Nick's vocals on that one song on the "Snow" recording.Man,this one is sure different from the past ones though.This is more of a band effort,and it shows as we get a bit of a mixed bag here.I took King By-Tor's advise and listened to this one longer then i usually would,and it did make a difference.The problem for me is that although i have grown to really like a lot of the music here,there are still songs that for me are from very average, to not even liking them.So i can't give it 4 stars,but i do enjoy it quite a lot. "Onomatopocia" is liked by everyone but me it seems.It's an uptempo rocker that i like,but then those faster paced,commercial sounding vocal parts come in and i'm turned off.I like it when it calms down with strummed guitar,reserved vocals and mellotron 2 minutes in.It kicks back in 3 1/2 minutes in.Love the mellotron after 4 minutes, and the ending is killer. "The Bottom Line" sounds great to begin with as the guitar,mellotron then synths shine as the drums pound.It settles and it sounds even better.It calms down even more when the vocals come in.Mellotron flows in as the chorus with higher pitched vocals arrive.The almost dead calm before 3 minutes is touching.Check out the section before 4 1/2 minutes.The vocals sound so much like on that ALICE IN CHAINS song called "Stay Away".What a great EP "Jar Of Flies" is by the way.More mellotron before 6 minutes as strummed guitar comes in and then fragile vocals to the end.Great tune. "Feel Euphoria" takes a while to get going as it features electronics,drums,organ and deep vocals.The best part is when it kicks into gear before 4 minutes and later 5 1/2 minutes in. "Shining Star" is a mellow and lazy track that does nothing for me. "East Of Eden,West Of Memphis" is my favourite song.It's fairly straight forward and pleasant with some fantastic mellotron until a change after 3 minutes.I'm so into the rest of this song.Amazing stuff as the tempo picks up and the mellotron storm comes in.Check out the guitar 4 1/2 minutes in! Nick is putting on a clinic on the drums as well.It then sort of winds down slowly to the end. "Ghost Of Autumn" is piano and reserved vocals and drums for the most part.Then it changes 3 1/2 minutes in, and like the previous song i'm totally hooked the rest of the way. "A Guy Named Sid" is the over 20 minute epic that is divided into 6 parts.This was the first song Nick wrote after Neal left the band.Nick by the way is all over this with his drumkit.Nice heavy intro that ends with some great synth work.The second part is even beter when the vocals come in.A calm after 2 minutes as Sid speaks.Organ after 3 minutes. I like the contrasting styles in part three.In part four we get some heaviness with nice bass lines.The vocals are excellent. The vocal arrangements in part five are impressive.Part six brings back the heaviness with mellotron and vocals.The tempo picks up.After 2 1/2 minutes it sounds like the old SPOCK'S BEARD.Good song. "Carry On" is ok i guess,but why not end it with the epic? I like "The Bottom Line" , "East Of Eden,West Of Memphis" , "Ghost of Autumn" and "A Guy Named Sid" a lot,the rest not so much. 3.5 stars and a good start to the post-Neal BEARD.

After being orphan of his leader, the Beard could either die or survive. They could have released another cloning affair, or go into another musical direction. They opted for the latter.

However, they almost went (prog) metal. This is not the genre I prefer. Both "Onomatopoeia" and to a lesser extent "The Bottom Line" are in this vein. I admit that to call an album "feel euphoria" is rather daring. You'd better be sure that you release a great work or you would suffer many critiques.

The heavy impression is just confirmed. If "The Bottom Line" was a fine mix between prog and a harder approach, "Feel Euphoria" is just a dull electro-heavy song with little inspiration. Vocals are not brilliant either and the finale could have been featured on a "Dream Theater" album. Quite.surprising.

Floyd is also revisited during "Shining . Star" (especially during the chorus) but the heavy parts are bouncing again (they were not absent for long) in "East Of Eden.". Some fine mellotron lines (but too few) are highlighting this dull first part, while the beat catches up and the synthesizers are going wild for a superb instrumental section. The guitar play is on par as well: just great. This is the best moment of the album so far (but too short).

It seems as things are going a little better while the album advances. Ghosts Of Autumn is a very good song. More on the mellow side for a while, it lifts off thanks to a brilliant guitar solo: somewhat like .Mostly Autumn does frequently.

Now, let's listen at the epic track. Some twenty minutes divided into six sections. Same mix of heavy sounds and brilliant keys are the ingredients. You'll get them in almost each part, almost alternatively which breaks the heavy impression. At times, the music sounds as Atomic Rooster (Same Old Story) which is fine with me but again, it is quite unexpected.

If you fancy some Gentle Giant mood like the one the band was used to play, it is available as well during the very short Sid's Boy Choir.

The whole of this piece is finally pleasant and confirms the second good part of this album.

I strongly suggest that you just forget that this is a Spock's Beard album. It has little to do with their previous releases. I prefer this one far much better than their previous and dull Snow.

Three strars.

3.5 stars really!

This album reminds me a lot of 'A Trick of the Tail' by Genesis. The music is good and all, but without the former front man, something's missing. Neal Morse was the Peter Gabriel of Spock's Beard, and once he left, the quality of the music seemed to drop a little bit.

The two previous albums were definitely Spock's Beard's best work. They both deserve 5 star ratings, so it was a huge disappointment to see the music become like this. You kind of have to cut these guys some slack though, because their songwriter left, and these guys managed to write their own decent prog music. Now keep in mind, all of the music for the most part is still good. There's obviously some filler throughout the album, but nothing's awful.

Another noticeable trait of this album is that it's not as progressive as some of their previous efforts. Sure the epic 'A Guy Named Sid' is 20 minutes, but for the most part, it's similar to pop/rock.

The first song 'Onomatopoeia' is a nice hard rock song. It's not very progressive, but is a solid track. That's basically the speed that the entire album travels at. Good, but not a masterpiece. It's a decent overall album. I feel that I should also mention that the epic 'A Guy Named Sid' is too long. I wouldn't mind if it was only 10 minutes, because it drags on for the most part. The song kind of feels like they were thinking 'let's see what we could add to make this 20 minutes' instead of 'we have all these great ideas, so let's turn them into an epic'.

It's obvious that these guys were struggling after Neal Morse's departure, but they pulled off a decent album with a few memorable moments. If you were to start with post-Neal Morse SB music, I would suggest going their S/T album, but this isn't an awful choice either.

This album is someting special to me...

I was I recent Spock's Beard listener when Neal Morse said goodbye to his motherband, and I was afraid of what the group could make without him... And although the result is absolutely not bad, I felt tat some of the Spock's magic was gone. Some part of this magic could be heard in Neal Morse's "Testimony", but it was also unsatisfaying to me... So my feelings about the band and his former leader were a bit mixed back in 2003.

Nevertheless, through the years I've appreciated this album like it is... A very good work of fine prog rock music. I sitll a bit hard to hear Nick D´Virgilio triying to imitate the Nearl's voice in Carry On, and some of the songs are not really catchy and well composed, like the failed title track, and the disperse The Botton Line.

But the good facts win here... It's a pleasure to hear the Ryo Okumoto's work through the album. His keyboards are imaginative, variated, and I love his using of mellotron and electronic sounds. The same can be said about Alan Morse, who sounds really liberated in this album. D'Virgilio's voice is also very competent (except a pair of tracks when he tries to imitate Neal Morse...), and Dave Meros is still great, although his bass sounds a bit diminished.

The band's new style is more hard rock oriented than the works with Neal... The jazz and latin elements that were habitual in older albums, here are almost gone. "Feel Euphoria" has more electronic elements, and the guitars riffs have a lot of protagonism too. Is still the same band, but they sound really different... That's a good thing, because the Neal's style is difficult to imitate, and they focused their efffort in trying to make good and refreshing album... And they achieved it, although the result could have been better.

Best tracks: Onomatopeia (good opener... Great guitars!), Ghost of Autumn (I like the Savatage-like piano intro... Fine ballad) and A Guy Named Sid (brave guys! They even made an epic... And it's the best part of the album!)

Conclusion: if you are searching some of the old Spock's Beard's style, you'll not find in here... Without Neal Morse, they are just a different band. I'll not make a comparision between this new era and the older one for that reason... But "Feel Euphoria" is still a worthy modern prog rock album, with some fine tracks and interesting ideas. They are great musicians, they have played music together for a long time, and they know how to make good music... And although I miss some true magic here, It's a pleasure to hear this band going on after Neal Morse's departure!

My rating: ***