NEAL MORSE: The Restoration - Joseph: Part Two (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Five months after 'The Dreamer - Joseph, Pt. 1', Neal Morse comes back with the second instalment of Joseph's adventures, entitled 'The Restoration - Joseph, Pt. 2'. The same cover design (Joseph seen from the back in his multicoloured coat), the same number of tracks, the same introduction (the flight of a fly), so many points in common that lead us to hope that the music contained in this second opus will be of the same quality as that of its predecessor.

It's true that the American rarely disappoints (never would be a better word!). And 'The Restoration' won't be his first misstep. Neal Morse is an inexhaustible composer of addictive melodies, whether progressive rock, classic rock, folk or even his sporadic forays into hard rock or metal, and he proves it once again with an album whose seventy-five minutes are hard to miss.

Virtually the entire 'The Dreamer' line-up is back, including a host of singers who perhaps shine even more brightly on this second opus. Most of the tracks feature numerous exchanges between the protagonists, in the pure tradition of rock operas, and the work done on the vocals is remarkable, with choruses, responses and counter-choruses blending marvellously with the lead vocals.

The tone is lively and the pace generally brisk, even if Neal Morse catches us at the turn of a well-crafted ballad of which he has the secret ('Freedom Road'). The guitars deliver cutting riffs, backed by a heavy, powerful rhythm section. The guitar/organ duel on the intro to 'Make Like a Breeze' is reminiscent of those on 'Sola Scriptura' in a track that smacks of heavy metal and precedes the highly successful 70s hard rock of 'I Hate my Brothers'.

It's a pity that the end of the album doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, with the finale of 'Restoration' a little too flashy, 'Everlasting' too demonstrative and all over the place, and 'Dawning of a New Day', whose long chorus, although very successful, stretches out a little too much. These minor faults don't detract from the overall pleasure, but they do put this new release a notch below 'The Dreamer'.

Varied and exciting, 'The Restoration' will come as no surprise to Neal Morse fans, who will immediately feel like they're slipping into his most comfortable slippers. Like any of his albums, this is a new jewel in the crown for those who follow the American's work, and an excellent gateway for newcomers. - Official website

NEAL MORSE

THE RESTORATION - JOSEPH: PART TWO

FRONTIERS RECORDS

PROGRESSIVE ROCK