Spock's Beard
Snow

THE REVIEW

A child is born and love is made alive... 

It's 2002. Neal Morse, the main composer of Spock's Beard, "hears" the voice of God: "finish this album, leave the group and await further instructions." Not long before, the talented keyboardist and singer had embarked on a spiritual turn that made him seriously consider the message received. Thus decided to follow the orders imposed by his "superior", Neal devoted himself heart and soul to what would be his last album with the group. The result is "Snow", a double CD, the first concept album for Spock's Beard, but most importantly, the last (for the moment) great masterpiece of progressive rock.  

The spiritual journey undertaken by Neal will significantly affect the lyrics of the album. The concept indeed tells the story of John, a young American boy called by everyone Snow because of his albinism. At seventeen, realizing he possesses mysterious powers of divine origin that make him, in a sense, akin to a modern Christ, Snow leaves his family and goes to New York to bring the word of God to the world. His path will be fraught with suffering. He will meet people of dubious morality, help the poor and the oppressed of the system, fall in love with a woman who will not reciprocate his feelings, have to deal with his ego, a great enemy that will make his faith waver, risk dying crushed by his own sorrows and anxieties, but it will be the love for others that will turn the situation around. The themes of the album move in a typically Christian and messianic universe dearly loved by Neal Morse, who, once leaving the band, will explore it further in his excellent solo works.

The text-music relationship in the album is extremely curated, making the lyrics perfectly linked to the musical compositions. A golden balance between acoustic tracks and more aggressive songs permeates the album throughout its long duration. From a purely musical perspective, it can be noted that we are not dealing with a particularly original work, but the quality of this "Snow" is so high that it goes unnoticed. Songs like "Stranger In A Strange Land", "Long Time Suffering", "Devil's Got My Throat", "Freak Boy", just to name a few, are little masterpieces alternating with engaging ballads like "Solitary Soul", "I'm The Guy", "Carie", and "I'm Dying". All crowned by the captivating finale with "Wind At My Back".

I am sincerely convinced that this work is not inferior to the great classics of progressive rock. If you are passionate about the genre, never having listened to this "Snow" would be a severe omission.