X

'X' is precisely the tenth studio album by US symphonic prog legends Spock's Beard, and the final one under the frontmanship of talented drummer and multi-instrumentalist Nick D'Virgilio. After a very strong and consistent career start, releasing several 90s prog classics with the original lineup including mastermind Neal Morse, the Beard had made a name for themselves as one of the most prominent and important acts of the symphonic prog revival. However, the first half of the 2000s saw the departure of Morse, leaving the frontman spot vacant, just to have it taken over by the band's drummer, who also happened to be a good singer and a talented instrumentalist. Sounds familiar?

The Beard then went on to release four albums with this lineup, some of which were leaving fans mostly unsatisfied and longing for the past in which the band was exquisitely creative and releasing fabulous albums every other year. Until 'X' happened. This tenth studio album is the much needed return to form for SB and stands as one of the strongest song cycles the band has ever done, with a majestic album clocking in at eighty minutes, absolutely celebrating and exploring the musical genre they were becoming the champions of.

Alongside NDV, one can appreciate the electrified guitars of Alan Morse, the quirky keyboard playing of Ryo Okumoto as well as the rampaging bass of Dave Meros. Some additional songwriting credits go to the duo of John Boegehold and Stan Ausmus, the usual SB collaborators, who had written some lyrics and music for this album. In any case, 'X' was finally the band's triumph in an era in which they tried to run away from their usual sound by exploring some more accessible and straightforward kind of songwriting, which led to weak albums like 'Feel Euphoria' or 'Octane', until they presented these very carefully crafted and intricate pieces, entirely true to their original approach. Additionally, the albums flows perfectly, making the listener engaged in every single minute and resulting in one of the most pleasant and rewarding Spock's Beard listens.

The band open up the album with the 10-minute 'Edge of the In-Between', a nod to their previous recent works, yet better elaborated and progged up. Then comes one of the new classics for the Beard, 'The Emperor's Clothes', a song that somehow has the quirkiness and the character of the Neal Morse era, but displaying a modern prog swagger that makes it such a tasty entry on this release. All over the album there are these beautiful yet complex instrumental sections that only add up to the value of the record, and one of them goes to this song in particular. Speaking of instrumentals, next up is the Ryo Okumoto contribution titled 'Kamikaze', a piece one could consider a modern rendition of the vignettes Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson were doing for their bands, great stuff. 'From the Darkness' is a 17-minute epic piece that takes the listener back into the 90s, when the band was doing these elaborate long compositions full of amazing twists and turns, and always displaying the fantastic vocal harmonies that SB became notorious for. This one's no exception.

The second half of the album opens up with the groovy bass intro of Dave Meros on 'The Quiet House', a very elegant piece with some exceptional playing and gorgeous melodies, another highlight on this very, very strong album. This one is followed by the peculiar and lovely piece exclusive to the deluxe edition of 'X', titled 'Their Names Escape Me', featuring the famous section where the names of the people who pre-ordered the album is sang. 'The Man Behind the Curtain', much like 'The Emperor's Clothes' is one of these pieces that seem to be unique for this era of the band and work so well, another SB classic. Closing off the album is another 16-minute piece titled 'Jaws of Heaven', a tranquil song that becomes quite intense and elaborate as it develops, a great way to sum-up the intentions the band had with this triumphant album.

Not really much to add except rephrasing the stance that this is one of the exceptional albums by Spock's Beard, a complete return to form after a run of weaker releases, and a flamboyant way to wave goodbye to a very distinct era in the band's history.