NEAL MORSE: Sola Gratia (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Untiring. Inexhaustible. Inexhaustible. So many adjectives that apply perfectly to Neal Morse. Barely a year after the release of his (sublime) rock opera, "Jesus-Christ the Exorcist", he is already back with a new album, "Sola Gratia". You wanted to know everything about the life of Saint Paul? Your desires will be satisfied.

Because Neal Morse has lost nothing of his proselytizing faith by concocting a new concept album telling a page of the history of Christianity. If the title and the hooded silhouette of the cover of his new effort recall those of "Sola Scriptura" (2007), it's not totally a coincidence. Indeed, because of the pandemic (at least this is the official reason given), "Sola Gratia" is an album credited to Neal Morse and not to the Neal Morse Band. The American has composed alone this new opus which looks much more like "Testimony", "Sola Scriptura" and "? than "The Grand Experiment" or "The Similitude of a Dream".

If "Sola Gratia" displays fourteen titles, many of which are short (6 under 4 minutes), this is just a false appearance. In reality, the album consists of two long suites (from 'Overture' to 'Building a Wall' and from 'Overflow' to 'The Great Commission') each preceded by a short song ('Preface' and 'Sola Intermezzo'). The sequences of the titles make it impossible to isolate one of them, which would then begin and end quite abruptly. The two suites follow one another in vocals and instrumental passages, alternating lively movements with calmer, even intimist passages ('Preface', the finale of 'Now I Can See / The Great Commission'), multiplying heroic guitar and keyboard overlaps using different sounds. Neal Morse's vocals is, as always, successively inhabited by sadness, anger, doubt and rediscovered faith, sometimes accompanied by more secular gospel or female choirs.

The compositions are mostly gorged with a symphonic progressive of the great days sprinkled with folk ('Preface', 'The Glory of the Lord'), metal ('Building a Wall') or electro ('Seemingly Sincere') touches. Neal Morse's paw is easily recognizable (the harmonic progressions, the finale in apotheosis) and the amateurs of the American won't be surprised by the content. Among the little surprises are 'March of the Pharisees' for his bass-drum duo, the very successful 'Never Change' for its surprising floydian character and the less convincing 'Seemingly Sincere' for its synth loops and electro beat.

The bravura tracks are numerous and Neal Morse proves once again that he is a magician when it comes to composing superb melodies of a confounding fluidity. Anyone who hasn't gotten tired of his previous albums will certainly still enjoy this one. Those who think that he only plagiarizes for years his own compositions will be able to move on without even listening to it. And the symphonic prog lovers who would come from Mars without ever having heard of him will make a very nice discovery. - Official website

NEAL MORSE

SOLA GRATIA

INSIDEOUT MUSIC

PROGRESSIVE ROCK