SPOCK'S BEARD

Spock's Beard bounced back after the unimpressive "Octane" album, with this eponymously title album that shows (finally) that even without Neal Morse, the band can come up with some very good prog.

The album begins well, starting with On A Perfect Day, a song that is so good that it could have fit on any of the earlier albums. Skeletons At The Feast follows, a strong prog-metal songs that bristles with energy.

After that, the album wavers some, as Nick D'Virgilio seems to be pushing the band back toward the mundane ballads of the last album. But after a shaky start, With Your Kiss actuall turns into a good piece. The rest of the middle of the album again goes up and down, with the tunes getting way too close to arena rock.

But it gets better again, with As Far As The Mind Can See, a prog suite. The second section, Here's A Man, a funky fusion piece, is particularly good.

It's a mixed bag, but there is enough great material for me to give this three stars, round up.