The first installment of the Terra Incognita saga Beyond the Horizon was with some phenomenal music by all involved, as per my PA review on August 31 2009, a masterful opus led by an army of singers led by Michael Sadler who does a return engagement here, James Labrie, John Payne and Lana Lane, adding lush keyboard work by Erik Norlander, crunchy guitars and a killer rhythm section. But above all else, scintillating tracks that withstood the test of time, like Letters in A Bottle, Anchored, Here Be Monsters, The Winds of War, a sizzling Kurt Barrabas bass effort on The Sinking of the Luminara , the soothing Swept Away and the bellowing title track, were all memorable catalogued for eternity. The second edition “A Line in the Sand” was not as successful in impressing the community, perhaps due to all instrumentation being in the hands of Henning Pauly. Fifteen years later, the third chapter arrives on the unmapped beach, washed by the tide of time, an entirely freshly marooned crew, no hint of a FedEx volleyball anywhere but having Ted Leonard and Annike van Giersbergen as singers can do no harm to the wildlife. While much better than the second offering, this is a not the worthy follow-up to that magical first album, although the material and performance throughout is highly professional. But there really is no chance for overthrowing the pride of the fleet, as Beyond the Horizon was simply ahead of its time, and a perennial example of a concept album expertly played, way beyond any line in the sand. The album opens on the title track that gets the boat on the waves, splashing on its way to some distant peninsula. Intense vocals, a circumspect guitar/bass/drum riff underlining the theme, all solidly played and a hopeful introduction (‘show me more’ is repeated continually). “The Promised Land” follows suite, an agreeable rocking piece but nothing mind-blowing or innovative, more on the predictable side of things. The backing vocals are cool, the various guitar sinews remindful of Blue Oyster Cult in certain ways.
But when the admirable “A Sense of Wonder” settles into a distinct maritime cruise control setting, Annike shows off her well-deserved reputation as a lead singer of quality, her high-pitched tone immediately attractive, the mid-tempo groove also suggesting a fair amount of both fantasy and substance. The sumptuous keyboard backing certainly helps in creating the excitement to ‘wonder’ and wander further. A John Dinklage violin solo comes as a welcome addition, adding much needed sophistication to the overall impression. Definitely a great track.
Lacy sonic frills as well as keeping the violin in the spotlight were smart moves on “Haunted and Hunted”, an exalted vocal pleading for salvation of any kind, like a forgotten castaway stranded on some atoll. Mournful piano, acoustic guitar and that lovely violin keeping the atmosphere suitably ghostly and terrifying. Another piece that works the magic intriguingly.
Then the following tracks ratchet up the grumble a fair bit, flirting with a bombastic heavy rock that shuttles the story further along, somewhat safe and formulaic to these ears. The brooding “Mortal Enemies” swelters like a rusting dreadnaught, gritty vocal bellowing from the bridge, lubricious bass and variable drum patterns threaten the imbalance, the chorus and the lyrics again conventional, saved by the twirling violin, surely the most intriguing soloist by a nautical mile here , begging the question: where are the others?
On the distant horizon, a rumbling bass beacon searches for existence beyond the fog, as “Lighthouse” scans the whitecaps, the raspy guitar expressions dripping with dread, before veering into more conventional expression, a lead guitar solo that drips and splashes and yet, somehow the arrangement does not attain any kind of climactic finale. ‘You are my lighthouse’ comes across as unconvincing. A very good track but not great.
John Dinklage scratches out a majestic violin entrance that stirs the emotions on “The Ballet of the Storm “, watery effects soothing the nerves, a reverberating piano and deft cymbal work underline the musicality this group can muster when prompted (like that charming fretless bass loop). Even the sensitive guitar solo has bluesy overtones that , together with the sultry violin, seduce beyond the pale. This is a magnificent highlight piece of music and easily my favourite here.
Anneke returns on “The Key to Creation”, augmented by glorious keyboards courtesy of Jeff Merrill, Bob Madsen’s bopping bass ruminations, Billy Connolly having carnal relations with his fretboard as well as throttling drum plunges (Ed Toth or Greg Bissonette) that unlock the foundations. She remains the focus of this animated slice of modern prog, the shifting rhythm guitar riff is a masterstroke of genius, overtaking the expected solo (a rather rare event, I daresay) . Excellent piece.
Dan Reed handles the microphone as well as additional keyboards on “Unexpected”, and its another powerhouse track with haunting vocal attributes, spooky and agitated in its hushed and throaty delivery, super dual female vocal line, while an electric piano does its reverberating magic. The title is exactly on the ball, a lengthy synth/guitar dual making it an unusual divergence from the lesser formulaic material. A burping bass line shovels the finale into another melodramatic choice, “Not in My Name” has some interesting attributes but the vocal comes across as ‘a simple story told by a simple man’ and that is what it is, repeated for good measure. Closer to a standard theatrical rock song with a few great progressive adornments that cannot sway the feeling that its just too ‘easy’ sounding, the technical guitar solo drippingly fast but unconvincing within the context. ‘Maybe I missed the whole point’ but that is how multiple auditions formulated my thoughts on this track and album.
Just like the vast oceans that dominate our blue planet, the temperaments vary from placidly calm to utterly tempestuous . Five amazing tracks among the 10 offered here, makes for a nevertheless worthy addition, certainly enough for anyone to investigate and make up their own mind.
3.5 Unmapped coasts