EMPIRES MUST FALL

"Keepers of the Light" opens with neo-prog metal, punctuated by Andy's percussive drums; this sound is direct with the voice, Charlie as frontman, the twirling, pulsating synths and the bass bringing the groovy air. The guitars do the work and wait for the break to launch into a consensual solo before giving way to the keyboards; punchy, more edgy 2020 neo-prog, the one that was missing from the decade? "The Days That Never Were" airs spleen, majestic latency before the start. Charlie launches his crystalline voice, captivating for a message of hope. The sound looks to Arena, Enchant and Rush, distilling emotion in scales. The piano leads the way for this piece exploding into Supernova with a voice reminiscent of the Archangel by the phrasing-sung. A powerful track, hard prog melodic-new prog. "Panopticon" feels like a paranoid prison and a passage to another world, with Riverside's dark intro, fresh percussion, and a bewitching derivation, akin to Galahad and IQ. The break in the Genesis keyboards, their latest iteration, is clear, allowing Charlie to belch out a dynamite verse; the chorus on Arena, to which they could be heirs. The vocal break, laid back for a moment, the passage of the guitar solo on expressive pads, and its long development provide a delightful moment; three beats: "Real Eyes" vibrant, "The Watchman" dynamic, and "The Lie Of The Land" with the nostalgic Hammond for the major piece. Crystal- clear piano and melancholic guitar final.

"Fall Through Time," another psychedelic intro, gradually brightening on a jerky keyboard; the guitar meows, Charlie narrates his desire to change his destiny. Prog like we didn't make anymore, letting large spaces rise on the prog sap, the demonstrative pad on Pallas, Genesis. A piano arpeggio break then the synths, the guitar, we are at the dawn of a great departure. The rhythm is launched, penetrating your ears and imprinting a majestic proggy atmosphere with the Cheap Trick synth of the Heavy Metal title. Mark boasts a Marillion-style break inviting reflection; the guitar goes on the same band, I shiver. Charlie screams, modulates his voice and lets Graham unleash the solo of the month. "The One" smells of Arena for the nervous melody, the melting vocal and the strong rhythm. Conventional but fresh neo prog metal energy, catchy with the keyboard which fires out bewitching notes. A solemn radio edit glorifying prog. "After the War" for the end, solemn piano in arpeggio, Charlie starting slowly. An epic, grandiloquent melody on a great rise; a piano break with Mark ruling, Andy's drumsticks and cymbals coming to his aid. The dramatic evolution, Marillion for Stuart's vibrant bass, the guitars letting loose and foraging in this bucolic world of Charisma. The final guitar solo wrenches, melancholic, weeping, a crescendo finale, captivating one last time the ears of the modern prog fan in search of an OMNI album.

Ghost Of The Machine made the album a springboard from the neo-prog of the 80s and 90s, the new prog stronger, faster, longer, edgy, traveling between dream and reality with a touch of nostalgia.

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