Neal Morse
Sola Scriptura

The album piques curiosity from the very enigmatic and somber cover that in a way heralds some of the atmospheres into which one will be projected in this "colossal" concept album by Neal Morse.

His fourth progressive solo work features the extraordinary participation of Mike Portnoy (drummer of Dream Theater) and the "guitar hero" Paul Gilbert. The most intriguing thing that pushed me to listen to the album (as a fond lover of prog) is the extremely concise track list: it only includes 4 titles

The Door

The Conflict

Heaven in My Heart

The Conclusion

That would suitably serve as titles for the chapters of a "Fantasy" book.

Instead, the theme is rather concrete, practically "historical"… not even in this work does the former leader of Spock's Beard manage to get rid of the religious theme which, as in previous works, appears somewhat controversial, tormented, and in this case (pardon the term) "heretical." The story on which the entire concept is based is indeed that of Martin Luther, a monk and theologian of the 1500s who, with his 95 theses rejecting ecclesiastical dogmas, established himself as the spiritual father of the Protestant Reformation.

Neal Morse, probably, with this record wants to definitively establish the reasons that led him to religious conversion, adhering to the precepts of the Protestant church. But let's move on to analyzing for a "moment" the musical part: the thing that initially unsettles before listening to the album is the total duration: a full 76 minutes divided into 4 tracks! ... one might wonder what hefty task the enlightened genius of Morse has delivered to us this time.

The first track opens with an intro of ominous tones with Portnoy-style drum bursts and keyboards that serve as a backdrop to the guitar, which precisely sketches a typically prog metal riff. The first 5 minutes are entirely instrumental and revisit some of the themes that will later develop over the course of the track (and those following) ... sudden time changes, riffs artfully linked together with expert composition... then the majestic refrain and Morse's impeccable singing introduce the disc's theme; just enough time to be captivated by the splendid overdubbed voices that the rhythm changes again and climbs into a guitar riff that feels strangely familiar (let's say it heavily echoes Dream Theater), suddenly an acoustic guitar and a pounding 4/4 drum that lull a typically "Morsian" singing ... yet another majestic melody takes us to the heart of the track. If one weren't watching the seconds on the stereo display, we'd think we're listening to a great conclusion of the composition ... but no! ... the music plunges again into a hard and convulsive riff interspersed with several breaks and wah-wah guitar, then yet another musical theme this time a bit more rocking (which would not have been out of place in one of Morse's previous works) ... it continues like this with other time changes and softer breaks until the guitar solo ... then another verse introducing the third sung theme over more relaxed percussion ... the final 4 minutes of the track begin after a reflective pause of reverberated strings, the piano strolling over two chords and the voice softly singing a verse to make way for a poignant guitar solo that hands off to the last subdued refrain that concludes it all with a decision: <<... I will write my words on the door>>.

The first track, with its over 29 minutes, has ended and you almost wish to catch a breath ... not even the time to think about it when a powerful riff literally blows your hair back ... the atmosphere is very "grunge" it almost feels like hearing Lane Staley sing (the now-departed historical leader of Alice in Chains) ... try it to believe!! It all gives way to a melody that retraces Neal's musical path, almost a self-celebration of the melodies that made us fall in love with the music of "Testimony" or "?" ... then returns a theme already heard in the first long composition in a slightly different sauce (more prog) but one is almost stunned when the time is interrupted twice leaving a Gregorian choir to appear in the chiaroscuro; at the end of the interlude, Morse's voice reappears to accompany us melancholically towards a Spanish-style classical guitar (one of the most beautiful passages of the entire work) that after a careful arpeggio projects us into a Gypsy, jazzy time, with a classical guitar solo that gives way to Morse's piano and then Portnoy's solo.

With a mastery that leaves one stunned, the acoustic sounds turn into the evil distorted sounds that echo a mid-track theme from the first track, enhanced and sung... a couple of breaks and calm returns over a verse enriched by suggestive African percussion that frames a beautiful almost pop-melodic singing ... the relaxed atmosphere accompanies us for the last 4 minutes of the composition and closes in an almost dreamy way as if the inner "conflict" of Luther/Morse had really ended ...

After the third track (a rock-pop ballad with fairly refined intermediate passages, but not too much!) which almost lets us really catch our breath with its "only" 5 minutes, "The Conclusion" begins ... The very brief enigmatic start gives way to a delightful sonic wrap played by true virtuosos, Portnoy's double pedal firing in bursts, the keyboard dodging and emerging definitively before being overtaken by a dark and unsettling riff. Needless to say, themes already hinted at or developed earlier are revived, sometimes fleetingly, other times enriched and perfected ... worth noting at the 7th minute the supersonic drum solo and other fleeting "schizophrenic inventions" that accompany us to the center of the track ... another poignant refrain, previously heard themes supported by excellent guitar solos, and the closure on a soft keyboard that leaves the chord in suspense along with Morse's vibrant voice.

To tell the truth, Neal Morse, in this album does not invent anything new from a musical standpoint; the tendency to maintain some of his melodic lines and multi-theme compositional structures is confirmed. However, it is interesting to note the much harder twist of this work that borders on the darker progressive metal style of "Train of Thought" by Dream Theater without ever losing sight of the entire "prog theory" from the '70s to today ... the technical skills are squandered and sometimes they may appear a bit tedious but the execution is literally impeccable, the compositional ability is impressive and lovers of the genre will find this truly delightful (mouth-watering) ... it's certainly not an album recommended for newcomers to prog metal or works by this exceptional author, but it remains nonetheless a commendable work and fully deserves 5 stars!