The American singer, guitarist, keyboardist and composer Neal Morse left the well-known prog rock group Spock's Beard (of which he himself was once the founder) in 2002 to fully profess his recently acquired Christian faith. Many thought that he was lost to the music world with that, but he already came out very strong in 2003 with the album Testimony. Prog and religion do not mix, there does not
… seem to be a better genre (besides classical music) to articulate Biblical beliefs in all its bombast. Also on Lifeline those confessions are set extremely complex and grand. The intro of about four and a half minutes alone contains more tempo changes than an average rock band has in its oeuvre. Drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) has no problem with it. This title piece is followed by a number of more predictable songs such as the grim Leviathan and the widely sung acoustic ballad God's Love. They are no more than measures of the prog symphony So Many Roads, which clocks for almost half an hour. An Apostle Again Morse in all his glory is what Lifeline has to offer. (MR)more