Spock's Beard
Gluttons For Punishment

As everyone knows. . .
In 1974, Genesis released ''The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway,'' a wonderful concept album in which the personality of their leader Peter Gabriel overwhelms all other members of the group. Subsequently, Gabriel leaves and is replaced by drummer Phil Collins. This four-member formation will go on to produce two more albums on the level of the previous ones, ''A Trick Of The Tail'' and ''Wind And Wuthering,'' and will release the live career summary, ''Seconds Out.''
As few know. . .
In 2002, Spock's Beard released ''Snow,'' a wonderful concept album in which the personality of their leader Neal Morse overwhelms all other members of the group. Subsequently, Morse leaves and is replaced by drummer Nick D’Virgilio. This four-member formation will go on to produce two more albums on the level of the previous ones, ''Feel Euphoria'' and ''Octane,'' and will release the live career summary, ''Gluttons For Punishment.''

Ok. . . maybe the comparison to the legendary Genesis is a bit bold. However, I just want to say that Spock's Beard is truly an excellent band. . . one of the few contemporary bands capable of drawing from the real prog-rock of the '70s and skillfully blending it with elements of hard rock.
Now let's move on to the album. Gluttons For Punishment is a double live CD, released in 2005, that perfectly captures the tour for ''Octane.'' The performance, to say the least extraordinary, is highlighted by top-notch recording quality.

CD 1 essentially reproduces the excellent ''Octane'' in a live version.
Excluding a brief introduction, the first track we encounter is The Ballet Of The Impact. This is a must-listen track: introduced by mellotron notes that strongly recall Watcher Of The Skies by Genesis, it proceeds first with a very intense electric guitar part. It all culminates in a wonderful ballad where the piano and light keyboard effects take over. I Wouldn't Let Go is another more traditional ballad: this time, the focus is on the acoustic guitar and the beautiful and edgy voice of D'Virgilio. The genre changes immediately to the powerful hard rock of Surfing Down The Avalanche, introduced by a biting bass riff from Dave Meros and breathtaking guitar work. It continues with She Is Everything: the song's entry, with light touches of keyboard and (synthesized) flute, is good, but then the piece transforms a bit into a clone of Genesis's Your Own Special Way. . . not exactly the best!
The turning point of the first CD is Climbing Up That Hill, a song of traditional rock leanings, nice but nothing transcendental. Letting Go is a brief instrumental where the virtuosic keyboardist Ryo Okumoto successfully ventures into sounds again close to Watcher Of The Skies. After these last three tracks that feel a bit like fillers, we return to excellent levels with Of The Beauty Of It All, which reprises the theme of The Ballet Of The Impact. The following track is the only one on CD 1 that does not come from ''Octane'': it's the marvelous Harm's Way from 1998. Great opening, guitar sections that sometimes mimic the sounds of Pink Floyd, and Ryo Okumoto reigns supreme at the keyboards. . . . absolutely a track to listen to. CD 1 closes with NWC, which is transformed into a pleasant jam session where all the musicians showcase their skills.

CD 2, on the other hand, features older tracks.
The opening is entrusted to the long suite At The End Of The Day. This version greatly surpasses the studio one (released on the album ''V'' in 2000), and even Nick D'Virgilio, putting much of himself into it, does not make the absence of Neal Morse regrettable. In short, a memorable piece that alone justifies the purchase of this live album! It is followed by the lesser-known The Bottom Line, where Spock's Beard masterfully mix hard rock passages with softer moments (so much so that the end of the track is totally acoustic). Ryo Okumoto's keyboard solo (Ryo's Solo), where he improvises as a new Emerson, is also masterful. After an introduction that oscillates between space rock and noise, a wonderful piano score follows.
The Ryo's Solo continues into the excellent Ghosts Of Autumn, another classy ballad with a slightly Pink Floydian flavor (especially in Alan Morse's guitar solo). As Long As We Ride is another great example of how Spock's Beard can change rhythm multiple times without compromising the balance of a composition: it transitions from an acoustic introduction to a central part in pure hard rock style with a hammering rhythm, where keyboard and electric guitar perform really over-the-top interplays. The end of this is entrusted to the band's most ambitious composition, the suite The Light (dating back to their first album, titled ''The Light'' in 1995), where the band mixes progressive, hard rock, pop, and even Latin music with enviable ease. Nick D'Virgilio is exuberant: he sings with the microphone, sings with the megaphone, and at the end duets with the second drummer, introduces the band, and bids farewell to the audience. . . I therefore consider The Light (the third highlight of the album, along with The Ballet Of The Impact and At The End Of The Day), the best way to close this hour and a half journey in pure music.

In conclusion, I feel I must recommend this ''Gluttons For Punishment'' to all those who love both prog and hard rock. We have here a product worthy of the name of this great band. . . a product that far surpasses 3/4 of the music produced today.
Absolutely worth a listen. . . .