X (Spock's Beard album)

X is the tenth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Similar to what Marillion did for Anoraknophobia, the album was funded by pre-orders of a limited edition of the album before the album was recorded. Those who ordered the album's "Ultra Package" had their names listed in the CD booklet and included as part of the track "Their Names Escape Me", which is exclusive to the limited edition. The album was released independently in May 2010. A retail and digital release with Mascot Records was released in August 2010.[4] This album is the last studio album recorded with Nick D'Virgilio performing lead vocals, who left the band on November 18, 2011, to focus on other commitments. He rejoined the band in 2017 to play on the Noise Floor release, however his future in the band remains unknown.[5]

X
Studio album by
Spock's Beard
ReleasedMay 2010
Recorded2009 - 2010
StudioThe Mouse House in Altadena, California, US;
Clear Lake Audio, North Hollywood, California, US
GenreProgressive rock
Length79:49
LabelMascot
ProducerSpock's Beard
Spock's Beard chronology
Live
(2008)		 X
(2010)		 Live at High Voltage Festival
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rock Hard[1]
Sputnik Music[2]
Sea of Tranquility[3]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Edge of the In-Between"John BoegeholdDave Meros10:30
2."The Emperor's Clothes"Alan MorseA. Morse, Neal Morse, Larry Kutcher6:01
3."Kamikaze"InstrumentalRyo Okumoto4:15
4."From the Darkness"
I. "The Darkness"
II. "Chance Meeting" (add. lyrics by A. Morse)
III. "On My Own"
IV. "Start Over Again"
Nick D'VirgilioD'Virgilio16:53
5."The Quiet House"BoegeholdMeros9:14
6."Their Names Escape Me"BoegeholdBoegehold, Meros8:51
7."The Man Behind the Curtain"A. MorseA. Morse, Stan Ausmus7:46
8."Jaws of Heaven
I. "Homesick for the Ashes"
II. "Words of War"
III. "Deep in the Wondering"
IV. "Whole Again"
BoegeholdMeros, Boegehold16:22

Notes
The above track listing is for the special edition. There are a few changes with the standard edition:

  • "The Emperor's Clothes" and "Kamikaze" are swapped over in the track listing.
  • "From the Darkness" has a slightly longer running time of 17:09.
  • "Their Names Escape Me" is not included.

Critical reception

The X release continued the shift back to the classic Spock's Beard sound and is considered the strongest of the Nick D'Virgilio era releases.[2][6][7][8] Sputnik Music said, "X is a winner on all fronts. It’s truly a triumph and a further validation of their post-Morse configuration. Spock’s Beard had rediscovered the spark that had made them so great before: every song is carefully elaborated and flows very well."[2] Metal Reviews reported, "X is without a doubt the band’s best record with this line-up and can be easily added into the upper echelon of their works overall."[6]

Personnel

Additional personnel

  • Stan Ausmus - songwriting
  • John Boegehold – additional keyboards, guitar, vocals, songwriting
  • Jimmy Keegan – backing vocals

Production

References
  1. Rensen, Michael. "Rock Hard". issue 281. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  2. "Sputnik Music Review". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  3. "Sea of Tranquility Review". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  4. "SPOCK'S BEARD NOW SIGNED WITH MASCOT RECORDS". June 28, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  5. "Inside Out Release". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  6. "Metalreviews Review". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  7. "Prog Sphere Review". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  8. "Prog Snobs Review". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.