Steve Hackett
Beyond The Shrouded Horizon

In an evident state of inspiration, Steve Hackett produces a double studio album two years after "Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth," in open challenge to the current music market rules, which already suffers from the internet's competition. 

I have to say that the previous work, although always of high quality, didn't particularly satisfy me; certainly a lot of good music, but little truly memorable, as if Hackett had completed a "perfect assignment" with less soul than usual. 

The situation is different from listening to the album under review; I say right away that I like it much more. The recipe is more or less what he's carried forward since "To Watch The Storms" ... revised and corrected progressive, flashes of heavy blues, references to Middle Eastern rhythms... this album also includes all that, and yet I perceive greater compositional creativity, superior energy, and overall, a more varied search for melodies.

I'll immediately give the most glaring example in my opinion: "A Place Called Freedom" can't help but remind me of the emphasis of certain epic tracks of The Who's "Quadrophenia", to the point that if a young Daltrey had sung instead of Hackett, the difference wouldn't be noticed. 

In the initial, powerful "Loch Lomond," distorted riffs alternate with acoustic sequences that recall Fairport Convention's folk-rock style; in "Til These Eyes" and "Looking For Fantasy," one navigates enchanted waters of extremely refined melody, while "Waking To Life" is the Middle Eastern-contaminated piece that stands out most for its driving rhythm and beautiful female voice.

It's worth noting that this album features three pieces that should, if I'm not mistaken, date back to the never-born second album of the supergroup GTR, where Hackett crossed the six strings with another prog guitar monument, namely Steve Howe; among these, "Turn This Island Earth" is very beautiful, despite an outro in suite style perhaps not perfectly suited to the track's rhythm.

Disc 2 contains mostly instrumental pieces, of the "scenic fresco" genre in pure Hackett style, and I note that in a couple there's the evident influence (believe it or not) of Santana, as well as a cover of Focus and a self-cover "Reconditioned Nightmare." 

The overall judgment is certainly high; perhaps 5 stars might be excessive. A 4-and-a-half star would be appropriate.

I highly recommend it, and not only to aficionados.