Release Date: September 2nd, 2022
Genre: Prog Metal
Links: https://figure-of-speechless.com/
Line Up:
Glen McMaster – Guitars/Songwriting
Derek Sherinian – Keyboards/Producer
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal – Guitar Solos/Mixing
Ray Alder – Vocals
Tony Franklin – Bass
Brian Tichy – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Day and Night
2. Carve A Smile
3. Escape Hatch
4. Midnight Desert Rendezvous
5. Tunnel At The End Of The Light
6. The Cast-Out
7. Draw The Line
8. Inside Room 6
9. Turn A New Leaf
10. DysUtopia
11. Unfolding
Fates Warning decides to no longer record any more albums and what happens? 2022 becomes the “Year of the Fates Warning Band Members.” Ray Alder already has one album out (see my review also here on MGM,) and another one coming out in September. Figure of Speechless appears to be a pretty massive “supergroup” with some insanely talented musicians. We all know that sometimes these things work out great and other times they fail miserably. So where does this one stand?
The album is called Tunnel At the End of the Light, and let’s break it down into two parts: band and music. First, when you have folks like Billy Sheehan, Tony Franklin, Brian Tichy, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and Derek Sherinian, along with the mastermind behind the project guitarist Glen McMaster, you can pretty well expect it’s going to be a pretty amazing Prog Metal tour de force. Add to the mix the voice of Ray Alder, it relies on how good the songwriting is. There will be no questioning the skill of the performers. OK, how are the songs you ask? Pretty damn good. Despite the caliber of Prog royalty contained here, it is still not an overwhelming number of notes and time changes. It still presents itself as accessible. It’s heavy without being too dark, it’s brooding without being too pouty, and it’s just a great listen for anyone who is a fan of great Prog Metal. Glen McMaster has put together a fantastic collection of songs and a more than capable roster of talent to bring it to life.
It’s a fantastic album, but I don’t necessarily see it topping any AoTY lists for 2022, though I could always be wrong. But there are some major contenders out there. I also very much see this as being a one-and-done project. Most of these guys have some seriously busy schedules, so finding the time to do another, at least any time soon, is going to be tough. Would I want to hear more from Figure of Speechless? If it’s as strong as Tunnel At the End of the Light, oh hell yeah!
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: 8/10
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