Roswell Six
Terra Incognita

Anyone who has been left orphaned by Ayreon and feels nostalgic about them cannot miss this interesting album by the Roswell Six, one of those supergroups that is a bit prog and a bit metal which has delighted us occasionally over the last decade, and with their album Terra Incognita, which without being particularly astonishing proves to be a work of good quality. Nonetheless, by the end of the listen, no matter how satisfied you may be, you will continue to be orphans of Ayreon and will continue to feel nostalgic about them.

Because this “Terra Incognita”, as mentioned, is a good album with excellent premises, brought to light from the stories of Kevin J. Anderson and supported by the presence of James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Michael Sadler (ex-Saga), John Payne (Asia), Lana Lane, and Gary Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery).

Oh, Heavens, I wrote James Labrie.
Is anyone already experiencing evident epidermal allergy symptoms that could be fatal?
No? Good.
Let’s proceed then.

The initial “Ishalem” is the calling card and, besides being the longest and most complex track of the album, it is probably also the best. The vocal section is excellent with LaBrie and the outstanding Lana Lane, both in great form, now as throughout the entirety of the album.
Musically, one can notice the desire not to overdo it, to favor the immediate and often catchy melody over the difficult and sprawling piece with which supergroups often flex their muscles. After the galloping “The Call of The Sea”, we're struck by an overwhelming track in which, at the ominous cry of shan-gri-sula-ro (???), the good James reigns supreme shouting I am the point."

Remarkable and surely effective, despite their simplicity, are the two decadent and at times somewhat cloying ballads, Letters in a bottle and Beyond the Horizon. Definitely worth highlighting is Halfway, embellished by an excellent performance by Lana Lane and an interesting guitar riff.

The second part of the album is less incisive, with interlocutory tracks such as “The Winds of War” and Swept Away, an instrumental (“The Sinking of the Luminara”) in which there is an attempt to more decidedly pursue the progressive discourse, but with a result that certainly will not remain in the annals. There's a final redemption with “Merciful Tides”, which blatantly reprises “Letters in a Bottle”, being its version sung by Lana and not merely acoustic. The closure is entrusted to another instrumental piece, “The Edge Of The World”, a reprise of the entire album.

In conclusion, this is a decidedly enjoyable album, certainly not outstanding, that favored catchiness over showing off the square balls we hold down here. The soloists' vocal interpretations are excellent, with some notes on the instrumental section, the major criticism being directed at the use of that damned techno keyboard very much from the 80s (present in “The Final Countdown”? though there it made sense) which is also liked a lot by power speed groups like Rhapsody, and which occasionally gives a touch that's a bit too epic. Trombone-like, precisely.