BOOK OF THE DEAD

What an impressive outing this album truly is. Ken Jaquess spent 4 years creating this album, and it really has some of the highest quality musicianship I've ever heard.Ken Jaquess worked 4 years on this album, and it really paid off. This is one of the best albums I've heard all year. The influences are highly noticeable: Yes, ELP, Genesis, UK, etc. Allan Holdsworth is one of the best guitarists in the world today, and he shows off his expertise and precision in a great way on this album. He has the mindless noodling of Steve Howe combined with the mathematical precision of Robert Fripp, and much much more. Shawn Guerin also has a great voice, sounding very much like Peter Gabriel at the height of his Genesis career. Spock's Beard keyboardist Ryo Okumoto plays some incredible keyboards, sounding very much like Tony Banks and Rick Wakeman. Yvette Devereaux plays an incredible violin, her sultry sounds swirling with the string slinging of Holdsworth into an immaculate combination.

The opening track The Infinite Voyage, a 24 minute epic, goes through many moods and tempos without losing interest. I've never got bored of this incredible track, which features incredible work from all members, but especially on the part of Holdsworth and Okumoto. The four remaining tracks on the album are all equally good. They each have different themes that develop quite well. Again, this entire album has a Genesis sound, almost as if it were Foxtrot pt. 2. My second favorite track on the album is Cloak of Antiquity, it just has all the elements of a great track. A great intro, a great vocal line, great musicianship, who could as for more?

Overall, this is a great effort that was well worth the 4 years of production. Unfortunately, the late Guerin is no longer alive, so we can't expect to hear the great vocals again. I hope Jaquess gives K2 another go in the future. I recommend this piece of music to all. 3.5/5