X

Has it really been 10 albums for the venerable leaders of the new Progressive Rock genre? Amazing. It seems like only yesterday that I first discovered this band and was re-invigorated in my passion for Prog Rock.

Spock's Beard has carried the banner of symphonic prog forward into the new millennium, following the tradition of bands like Genesis, Yes, Kansas, Gentle Giant, and Jethro Tull. Of course, the last four albums have been in the "After Neal Morse" era, the founding member and artistic driving force behind some of the finest music made in the last fifteen years.

But when Neal Morse left the band for a solo career, they courageously struck out on their own (brother Alan Morse on guitar, Nick D'Virgilio on drums and vocals, Dave Meros on bass, and Ryo Okumoto on keyboards).

With X, they show that they have indeed maturing into song composers of their own, with the prime examples being "From the Darkness" and "Jaws of Heaven" ? both around 17 minutes with four accessible movements featuring incredible melodies and amazing playing.

While there is no way of replacing the musical genius of Neal Morse, the current lineup of Spock's Beard is making very good music.