MOONBABIES

3.5 stars. There is no questioning the talent of these three guys, and for me as a guitar fan the work of Tony MacAlpine is truly the highlight of this record. Tony is a talent as he plays the keyboards (not on this record) and has done so on a couple of Vinnie Moore records and also on three of the G3 releases, he's also produced albums in the past. The first two songs are amazing along with the final three, but with the other five songs being so-so in my opinion so I just can't reward this with 4 stars.There is a definite Fusion flavour to this album but it's the heavier songs that I like the best.

Highlights for me are "Moonbabies" with some good atmosphere early before it kicks into gear. A nice heavy sound here. Complexity rules after 2 minutes then back to the main melody 3 1/2 minutes in. Nice bass a minute later. "The Noble Savage" begins with a jazzy feel that leads to some intricate guitar and drum patterns.The guitar soars before 3 minutes and themes are repeated.

"Ataraxia" boasts lots of time changes, while "Micronesia" begins with spacey keys which is the best part of the song for me. "Ground Zero" begins with drums as the guitar comes in making some noise. I like when the song settles. "Midnight Bell" becomes pretty heavy with a powerful ending. "Ignotum Per Ignotius" features some scorching guitar and heaviness, the perfect way to end this ride.

Certainly an enjoyable album for me at times just not consistantly.