Released by: Inside Out Music/Sony Music
Release date: 20 October 2017
Genre: Prog Rock
Links: Twitter , Facebook , sonsofapollo.com
Lineup:
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – Guitar
Billy Sheehan – Bass
Mike Portnoy – Drums
Derek Sherinian – Keyboards
Jeff Scott Soto – Lead Vocals
Tracklist:
01. God Of The Sun
02. Coming Home
03. Signs Of The Time
04. Labyrinth
05. Alive
06. Lost In Oblivion
07. Figaro’s Whore
08. Divine Addiction
09. Opus Maximus
When it comes to prog rock, the resume this supergroup brings to the table can’t be equaled in any manner. The members are from bands all across the spectrum of prog rock with Billy Sheehan (the Winery Dogs, Mr. BIg, David Lee Roth, Talas), Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Alice Cooper, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Art Of Anarchy, Guns ‘N’ Roses) and Jeff Scott Soto (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey). This album is proof that these guys didn’t let it all hang out in the eighties and nineties, and they can still rock with the best of them.
The album kicks off with an eleven plus minute song in ‘God Of The Sun’, that has a sort of Mediterranean feel to the beginning before giving way to some kick ass riffs that give this prog rock giant a fantastic start. ‘Coming Home’ and ‘Signs of the Time’ crank out next. There is a great groove to these tunes, both with killer bass lines and a beat that you can’t help but find yourself really submerged into the music. Next up is ‘Labyrinth’, which has a really heavy riff once the song gets going, but has a slower overall feel to it than the rest of the songs to this point.
Cruising through the record is ‘Alive’ and the very heavy ‘Lost In Oblivion’, which is without a doubt the heaviest on this album. And could be the favorite amongst a record filled with hard hitting tracks. The video for this tune is killer, and check out the link below to see what we’re talking about. ‘Figaro’s Whore’ is a short musical interlude to give you a break before hammering the proverbial nail into the coffin on the last two tunes. At the first listen to ‘Divine Intervention’ gives off this Deep Purple-ish sound on this prog rock gem before ending this trip with the prog dream ‘Opus Maximus’. A virtual musical journey filled with intricate guitar solos throughout, and solidifies the last hour as one of the best prog albums in recent years.
This album blends some of the heaviest riffs we’ve heard in prog rock, and some of the songs are more just straight up hard rock period. It’s well done and laid out perfectly for a seamless flow from start to finish. Jeff Scott Soto’s vocals are spot on and he sounds great. The members of this band know prog rock and it shows. There are some pretty heavy moments scattered throughout this album which definitely was a bit of a pleasant surprise for us.
‘Lost In Oblivion’ was the tune that we had to go back to for a second listen right away. In our opinion, the best on the record and the video below should help verify that. This is a great listen and highly recommended. We hope they hit the road to support this album, and that Billy Sheehan brings it to his hometown area and throws Buffalo in the mix. We’ll definitely check this show out.
Written by: Pam and Mark Schaff
Ratings: 9/10
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