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| Steve Hackett & The Underworld Orchestra - Metamorpheus |
 Released: 2005 Label: InsideOut Music America / Camino Records Cat. No.: SPV 085-5088A CD/IOMA CD 2103 / CAMCD35 Total Time: 57:04/STRONG> | |
Reviewed by: Marcel Haster, April 2005 With the release of To Watch The Storms in 2003, I had my first real introduction to the music of Steve Hackett. Before that time I only knew him from his work with Genesis. A glance at his more than impressive discography shows he is a very versatile musician. His solo work can mainly be divided in two categories of music: rock and acoustic. With the release of the aforementioned album, I had the opportunity to talk to him on the phone and he turned out to be a very nice person and is truly an artist. With this album still in mind, I was eager to listen to his newest album, Metamorpheus. However, I was in for a surprise when listening to the album! Was the right CD in the sleeve? This is by no means rock, but almost pure classical music. Yet this is nothing new for Mr. Hackett. On the contrary, it is already his fifth album with a chamber orchestra. The first one was released in 1983, called Bay Of Kings and this brought him a lot of praise and sold out venues. Metamorpheus was written with as a basis the classical guitar. But when you listen to the album, you have to listen really good, because at times the orchestra dominates the sound. It is best to listen to the album as one piece to really enjoy the music. It is a very delicate piece of work, bringing a romantic story with passion and enthusiasm. However, this passion and enthusiasm are restrained to certain boundaries. With this album, I now respect Steve Hackett as a composer even more, as he clearly created a masterpiece with this album. To describe Metamorpheus in one word: beautiful. Yet, in the capacity of reviewer for Progressiveworld.net, I do have mixed feelings. The catch phrase of our website is "Your Ultimate Guide To Progressive Music" and so I now face the question: is Metamorpheus progressive music? Well, it is different from the previous Hackett album. But musically I think it would fit better on a classical music website. Still, fans of Hackett, it is a beautiful work of art, so don’t hold back and dive into the classical side of Steve Hackett. Rating: 3.5/5 [See also Joshua's and Tom's review -ed.] More about Metamorpheus: Track Listing: The Pool Of Memory And The Pool Of Forgetfulness / To Earth Like Rain / Song To Nature / One Real Flower / The Dancing Ground / That Vast Life / Eurydice Taken / Charon's Call / Cerberus At Peace / Under The World - Orpheus Looks Back / The Broken Lyre / Severance / Elegy / Return To The Realm Of Eternal Renewal / Lyra Musicians: Contact: Website: www.stevehackett.com Discography
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