POWER OF THREE

As may be guessed from the title, this is the third album from Christian progressive melodic rock band Time Horizon. They have been through quite a few line-up changes since their inception, but whereas the last album was featured around the core of Ralph Otteson (keyboards, piano, Hammond organ, backing vocals), Allen White (electric and fretless bass) and Dave Miller (electric guitar, acoustic guitars) plus assorted well-known session musicians such as Jake Livgren, Tony Kaye, Billy Sherwood etc, we now have a six-piece band with the trio being joined by David Bradley Mau (lead vocals, keyboards), Bruce Gaetke (drums, backing vocals, lead vocals), and Michael Gregory (electric guitar, acoustic guitars), although it should be noted that Gaetke was an original member of the band, although he performed on only a few tracks on the last album.

What strikes one immediately from the off is just how polished this is, and I was blown away as I did not expect an album of this quality from what is (to me) a totally new act. Just goes to show just how much great music there is out there, and that it is impossible to keep an eye (or ear) on everything which is going on. For me the main comparison is with Saga, perhaps not too surprising with two keyboard players in the band, yet with two guitarists what really works here is the blend between the instruments and the arrangements. There is still room for cut through, with the drums playing an incredibly important role in that area, and the vocals are spot on throughout.

This is a real crossover album in that fans of melodic progressive rock will surely fall in love with it the very first time, as did I, while fans of more straightforward melodic rock will hopefully also find plenty in here to enjoy even though there is more depth and breadth than they would normally be used to. There are times when the guys allow themselves to be rockers, with the keyboards taking more of a backseat, providing some layers and tinkling piano, and then at others they are a synth-driven outfit with polish and balls. This is not music from 2022: it could have come out at the end of the Seventies and at any point up to 2000, with flair and musicianship joining with wonderful songs and hooks. If one had told me this was a supergroup I would not have been surprised, and within the first 30 seconds of opener "Living for a Better Day" I was doing research as I was blown away by what I was hearing.

Yet another incredible release from the mighty Melodic Revolution Records label, and well worth discovering.

 

Third time is a charm for Time Horizon and The Power of Three album (now that is what I call convoluted wordplay) , just released in early 2022. Their first two albums were gratifyingly attractive, setting the stage for this third masterpiece. While I enjoy the bleak, atmospheric, dark and at times doomsday-ish style of prog, it is certainly very handy to listen to something a bit more joyful and upbeat. Time Horizon are a HIGHLY skilled US band that are keen in expressing a Christian message but certainly nowhere near preaching mode in any way. Just being positive is what they really wish to evoke and that, they do well indeed. First, the superlative musicality jumps right out at you with massive symphonic keyboard textures, fortified by a wicked rhythm section, as both the reptilian bass and the eruptive drums are first rate. With dual guitarists and two keyboard players, the sound is overpowering, bombastic and often outright poignant, as the material here really shoots for the stars. The lead vocals by David Bradley Mau are exceptionally interesting, very impressive, hinting at times at Saga's Michael Sadler, one of the finer voices in prog rock. Though not boldly going beyond the universe in terms of style, the crafty melodies and the instrumental prowess are seductively enchanting, offering up a convincing set-list of hummable, yet sophisticated tunes, well balanced and expertly arranged. If Yes would have followed this recipe instead of the poppier dross found on their more recent albums, they would still be leading the prog movement.

Within seconds of the opening salvo assaulting my nodes, I started nervously giggling, a sure sign of how affected I am by truly ingenious music. "Living for a Better Day" may also serve as an anthem of sorts, as current as one could possibly hope for. Punchy, bold, confident and goose bumps galore, the voice just seduces within that hard beat and the suave melody. Throw in a brash synth flurry, a sterling guitar splash, a bopping bass ditty (Allan White), all glued together by some sturdy drums from Bruce Gaetke. Straight for the jugular, the delicious musical venom has entered my soul and I like it.

Next up, the insistent and reverential beauty of "I Hear, I See", offering 'hope, truth and wonder', I had a brief thought of what Steve Perry's Journey would sound like in a full-on prog envelope. Intense vocals, heavenly choir work, tough rhythmic pulse, and a simply gorgeous melody. Another anthem for the ages. The instrumental break is breathtaking, sizzling guitars ripping wildly, as the voice just hammers away at any reticence or anxiety. The orgasmic downturn is just pure genius, a masterful finale to a great song.

The short smoky organ-rumbling "Prelude" is a keyboard treat, Raph Ottensen is no slouch on the ivories, a modern day Jurgen Fritz of Triumvirat fame. He is just setting the stage for another insanely tasty track, "the Razor's Edge", a conventional set-up until the double melody kicks in, raising the level to an ever-higher plane, adding bombast and insistence to the mix. Paroxysm at its finest.

Halfway into the album, I cannot help nodding my head in tacit acknowledgement of a great album washing over me, entertained as well as feeling positive and content, no small feat in the current doom-laden bunker world we try to live in. On "Steve's Song" the wild fretless bass played by the famous Michael Manring carves a glorious path, with celestial choir mellotron in the background, just to further their chop credentials, and prove they can play with the best of them. A delicate piano etude ignites the lovely "Time to Wonder Why", a classy ballad if there ever was one, a slow burn, dripping with melancholia, oozing with regret, the focus on the voice and the poignant lyrics.

"The Great Divide" returns to more forceful tone, with hints at vintage Kansas, a supple voice and heavy rhythmic support in close combat, as the Hammond burns brightly, at times almost Deep Purple comes to mind. The mid section settles down into a nice bass groove with tinkling piano and breaks galore, before splashing a few solos on synth and retreating back to the main melody.

The finale arrives in the form of the brooding "Digital Us", a modern take on the mechanical technology that gives us so much opportunity as well as endless propaganda and preaching. Funny how religion is now being displaced by newfangled theories on social conduct, dictating once again what is right, what is wrong and how we should all feel collectively the same. "All so blind" is repeated here not often enough! Perhaps reverting to a more organic life would do us all a favour, rekindling the notions of happiness and serenity as opposed to ceaseless criticism of everything under the sun. The final seconds are current.

I fully understand that I keep giving 5 star reviews, much to the chagrin of some who feel this may be gratuitous but this has been my mantra since day one on PA, highlighting what is really good and staying away from the dross altogether, letting others do the dirty work (Steely Dan song, I believe). I choose to remain positive and upbeat.

5 Strength trios

Rarely have I heard Christian Rock as clean, polished, and proggy as this. (Neal Morse is the runaway leader in this genre, in my opinion.) Despite lots of styles and themes of other artists from the 70s and 80s being emulated here, this is a surprisingly engaging and refreshing album of solid classic rock-inspired Neo Prog.

1. "Living for a Better Day" (7:47) 1980s glam rock with bands like SAGA and a little bit of ICEHOUSE coming to mind with this one. Nice sound with lots of melodic hooks coming from individual instruments, chords, vocals, and lyrics. Solid drumming, great keyboard support in a PETER GABRIEL way, standard 1980s electric guitar power chords, and Michael Sadler or Ira Davies-like vocals. (I later found that the lead singer performing on this track was, in fact, the one and only Michael Sadler!) This is eminently listenable--even haunting me enough to draw me back for repeated visits. (14/15)

2. "I Hear I See" (6:53) despite the more-overtly Christian lyrics, the music and presentation continue to establish this band as more proggy and more polished than 99.9% of the Christian rock I've heard. Great sound engineering. Not quite as dynamic as the opener, this is still great, engaging music, with well-balanced, professional performances from all involved--even the lyricist. David Bradley Mau is such a strong, confident singer--so like the vocal "gods" of the 1980s. A very solid, enjoyable song. (13.5/15)

3. "Prelude" (2:31) here the electric guitarist and keyboard wizard get a chance to shine a bit while setting us up for the next (though, in fact, the two songs seem totally different and distinct from one another). (4.25/5)

4. "The Razor's Edge" (4:57) here the lead vocal duties are handed over to drummer Bruce Gaetke. He's good but when compared to it's like comparing Grand Funk Railroad's DON BREWER "We're an American Band") with Mark Farner ("Closer to Home [I'm Your Captain]"). (8.5/10)

5. "Steve's Song" (3:59) beautiful little instrumental with cool fretless bass chord play and piano. Almost a EBERHARD WEBER sound and feel here. I love to just let myself float through this one. (8.75/10)

6. "Time to Wonder Why" (5:39) this one reminds me of modern IQ--sounds, chord structure, all of it! Also, it has a very plaintive Peter Nicholls-like vocal performance--all of it spawned from Tony Banks' work on Duke. A few elements don't quite gel as well as previous songs (drums, fretless bass, and reverbed vocal "choir" feel a bit incongruous.) Plus, there's no big climax or finish or lyrical reveal. Though covered by a beautiful vocal, the song refuses to make a statement. (8.33/10)

7. "The Great Divide" (6:09) the heavier, melodic-metal side of the band coming out. This could be Grand Funk, Blue Öyster Cult, Ted Nugent/Damn Yankees, or even ZZ Top. Nice background vocalise, keyboard play, and soloing in the instrumental mid-section. I can't pinpoint it, but there is something missing from the feel of this song: as if the band had to play it too many times before it got the "best" take and were drained of their enthusiasm for it, only finishing it by rote commitment. (8.667/10)

8. "Digital Us" (6:20) cool floating soundscape that takes us back to the ICEHOUSE feel of the album's opener. Man, this vocalist is so talented! David Bradley Mau makes very note, every phrase, every slurry seem so effortless and natural. Nice guitar and keyboard performances. (8.75/10)

Total Time 44:15

While this album is a sonic gem, filled with as perfectly engineered sound and mixes as one could hope for, and blessed with an amazingly gifted lead singer in David Bradley Mau, some of the songs fail to reach the heights of surprise and excitement that one hopes for (especially in a prog album). Still, as mentioned above, this may be the most pleasing, engaging prog-0riented Christian rock album I've ever heard. Kudos to the band. Now I have to go back and listen to their previous albums!

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.