KALEIDOSCOPE

It also takes a few listens before you appreciate just how good it is.

The album begins with an epic, Into The Blue, which starts with a quiet intro with birdsong, reminiscent of Close To The Edge, but we are soon into some prog metal which is the heaviest I have heard from this band. Following the overture there are a number of vocal sections, the first of which from Neal Morse contains a very memorable chorus "The Dreamer and the Healer, they wait for you." The second section has the same vocal effects as were used on Pandemonium from the Flower Kings' Bank Of Eden, and then the third section reprises the Dreamer and the Healer chorus and features Daniel Gildenlow with a very nice vocal. The whole piece blends quiet and loud, fast and slow passages together into one complete whole.

Shine is the next song, and is completely different. Many fans will have seen the video of this song before the album was released, and there was a sense of disappointment in many comments, however in the context of the album the song fits perfectly here. Roine has a stunning guitar solo and the song fades out with a reprise of The Dreamer and the Healer.

Black As The Sky I think is my favourite song on the album. Rocking from start to finish, just before the vocals come in there is a synth riff which sounds very familiar - it's the one from Devil's Got My Throat on Snow. But Spocks' Beard connection aside, this is very much a Flower Kings style song with disturbing lyrics about dark forces controlling our lives. There is an excellent synth solo in the middle.

Beyond The Sun is this album's Bridge Across Forever. With the same theme of meeting loved ones after death, Neal's voice is backed by cello, piano and pedal steel guitar in what is a beautiful song. The songs fades out with a cello melody but no sooner has the last note faded than we are into the overture for the final epic.

Kaleidoscope is the longest track on the album and to me is one of the standout tracks. The overture begins with a catchy melody line before visiting several themes that appear later in the song. Then we have a typical Neal Morse section, Ride The Lightning, with some excellent synth lines on top of Portnoy's drumming. The second section is sung by Roine, and is more in the Flower Kings style, and then there follows a nice bit of laid back jazz instrumental and a stunning guitar solo. Then it is Pete's turn on the vocals, and he does a good job with a section which sounds like he could be in a smoke filled lounge bar, sitting on a stool and crooning. Very nice. At the end of that section we get a reprise of the cello melody from Beyond The Sun, which is taken up by synth and guitar before it builds into a crescendo. Then it's time to take the levels down again, not with a section sung by Mike Portnoy as you might expect, but an acoustic guitar and Neal's voice again - this reminds me of the acoustic section towards the end of Seeds Of Gold. The chorus here is a reprise of Ride The Lightning. Then we move into an instrumental section which I would describe as a cross between Pieces of Heaven and the last part of Is It Really Happening from The Whirlwind, with Portnoy working up to a crescendo on the drums, before one final reprise of Ride The Lightning and a fadout with swirling synths and guitars - and you are left feeling elated and wondering where the last 32 minutes have gone.

If some parts of my review give the impression that the band is recycling old ideas, well they probably are in places, but when the ideas are that good, who cares.

In conclusion, Kaleidoscope is a very uplifting album. There are, as you might expect, spiritual themes, but Neal Morse's Christianity isn't as "in your face" as in The Whirlwind and the uplifting feeling comes as much from the music as from the lyrics.

Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates symphonic prog.

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