VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE

Hackett's first solo album begins with a bang, and ends with a bang as well. You'll find here a very Genesis-like affair, in fact Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford make appearances. Hackett's performances are the main foray of the album, from his acoustic passages, to his electric runs up and down the fret board, one cannot feel anything but awe as this virtuoso plays his soul out. Most of this album is instrumental, but the vocal passages are very welcome and add even more Genesis sounds to the atmosphere.

From the opening Irish feeling of Ace of Wands, to the ending jam in Shadow of Hierophant, there is one thing clear, Hackett is brilliant. Ace of Wands is a rocking instrumental, which has a Celtic/Irish feel at first, and soon becomes a mellotron/acoustic guitar led tune. Hackett's command over the rest of the musicians is key, for he has a much more involved role than he did in Genesis. Hands of a Priestess Part I begins with a very Firth of Fith sounding intro, the flute sounding very much like Gabriel. Star of Sirius is one of the three songs with vocal, and it features a catchy chorus, and some very calming acoustic passages in the beginning. Shadow of the Hierophant is one of the other vocal- laden songs. It has a very Starless type of feel, in that there is a long jam that proceeds after the vocals have finished. The music in this one is powerful, and ends the album on a high-note.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable album from a very enjoyable guitarist. However, the Genesis feeling is very large, and it would take another album or two for Hackett to stray somewhat away from that sound (he would come back to it occasionally). 4.5/5.