[Review] Neal Morse – No Hill For A Climber

Neal Morse is one of the leading figures of the modern Progressive Rock scene, who has been active on the scene for decades with several world-class projects. The new solo album, titled “No Hill For A Climber,” was released on November 08, 2024 via InsideOut Music and contains five tracks including two 20+ minute long epics. The artist collaborates with young, technical and highly skilled artists through an intense tracklist with elaborate tracks. Opener “Eternity in Your Eyes” is the first epic, exceeding 20 minutes in length and immediately immersing us in the album’s refined sounds. A fresh and modern Progressive Rock, alternating melodic passages with more technical ones, enhancing the compositional and performing technique of the artists involved. An interweaving of instrumental sections that enhance all the instruments with solo inserts and sophisticated phrasing and intense vocal parts with a dynamic and expressive vocal. The long duration is exploited in its entirety to develop the theme of the song between continuous tempo changes and solo interventions by keyboards and guitar that bring the classic Prog atmospheres into a modern and markedly personal context. A true masterpiece, which alone could hold the entire album. After the pleasant impact of the opener, “Thief” is an intense track that enhances Neal’s vocals with an incisive rehearsal. Intense and full of pathos, with beautifully crafted guitar solo inserts, in a constant musical crescendo the track culminates in a granitic Progressive Rock with heavy traits and fine guitar and keyboard breakdowns. The continuous tempo changes are an added value to the sound, which returns to the central theme in the middle section and develops a granitic instrumental section that accompanies us to the finale. “All the Rage” offers bombastic symphonic prog with fine guitar and keyboard phrasing and an intricate rhythm section. The vocals add a melodic touch in both the verses and the choral refrains, showing a softer side to the artist’s sound. A track more in the form of a song, engaging and with melodic traits, without losing quality in the performance. Dreamy guitar arpeggios and a sweet vocal open “Ever Interceding,” offering a delicate piece of prog that brings classic atmospheres into a modern context. Delicate and pleasant, the track flows, leaving us with good feelings, given by the positive melodies contained in the piece, which ends with the guitar arpeggios of the opening. The album ends with the title track “No Hill for a Climber,” another epic suite over 28 minutes in length that opens with atmospheric sounds. An elaborate piece of Progressive Rock that spans styles and eras, with intricate and technical passages alternating with softer and more melodic openings. All the artists involved are enhanced, both in the instrumental parts and in the intense singing parts, offering a true absolute masterpiece of Progressive Rock. There are all the ingredients one would look for in a track of this length, with content sought in both the tamatics and the instrumental developments of absolute value. Neal Morse once again confirms that he is one of the princvipal exponents of Progressive sounds, offering another excellent album. Two epic tracks that explore a wide range of styles, again within Prog Rock, three other long-lasting tracks always well composed and executed that create an intense tracklist from start to finish. An absolute masterpiece of modern Progressive Rock, once again confirming Neal as one of the world’s leading Progressive artists.

Tracklist

01. Eternity in Your Eyes (20:56)
02. Thief (05:22)
03. All the Rage (05:34)
04. Ever Interceding (06:31)
05. No Hill for a Climber (28:49)

Lineup

Neal Morse / Keyboards, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Lead and Backing Vocals
Chris Riley / Keyboards, Guitars, Bass, Lead Vocals
Andre Madatian / Guitars and Orchestration
Johnny Bisaha / Lead Vocals
Philip Martin / Drums on tracks 2, 3, 4 & 5
Joe Ganzelli / Drums on tracks 1, 2 & 5

Neal Morse |Official Website|Facebook Page|X (Twitter)|Instagram|YouTube Channel|

InsideOut Music |Official Website|Bandcamp|Facebook Page|X (Twitter)|Instagram|YouTube Channel|

Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

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