Lucid Dream - The Great Dance Of The Spirit

Lucid Dream has gone through a bit of a lineup change since their last album in 2016. Brainchild and guitar wizard Simone Terigi still helms the instrumental prowess ever since he started Lucid Dream back in 2011 with their debut “Visions From Cosmos 11,” but there has been a loss of a few key members such as vocalist Alessio Calandriello and drummer Paolo Raffo. As a result, the 4 year gap between albums is Lucid Dream’s longest to date, but this Italian group still boasts strong prog rock oriented music tinged with heavy metal moments despite the changes. With new vocalist Karl Feraci and drummer Paolo Tixi, along with session bassist Roberto Tiranti (who also sings in couple of tracks), the lineup is fresh as ever along with other session instrumentalists to add in violin, keyboard, and cello to keep up the emotional side of the band going. While not their heaviest album compared to previous efforts, “The Great Dance Of The Spirit,” it is surely their most balanced.

One thing fans will notice is more of the push towards the ‘rock side’ of the prog rock/ metal genre. There are traces of Poison, Journey and other 80s/ 90s notable rock groups and then heavier, more modern groups like Dream Theatre. Right from the opening ‘Wall Of Fire’ one can see that Terigi hasn’t lost his touch for his instrumental work, but the music seems a bit more simple in the riffing and less spacey compared to the previous albums. Tracks like ‘By My Side’ are more lulling and keyboard driven while being more on the ballad side of rock vs. the heavier ‘War Of The Cosmos’ which is probably the highlight of the album for its gritty guitar tones mixed with more spacey keyboard moments, bringing back memories of older Lucid Dream work. The songs are less epic as well, but still feature enough engaging moments so listeners do not feel bored or like the album is a re hash.

The ‘softer’ side of Lucid Dream is much more prominent on the album as the 2nd half of “The Great Dance Of The Spirit” features lots of acoustic tracks and overall a huge departure from the heaviness that the group has been known for. Adding in spoken work pieces like the title track or ‘Invisible Stranger’ to the peaceful hypnotics of ‘Wakan Tanka,’ the new vocalist really gets to show his voice on these kinds of the tracks, but the simple use of guitar and keyboard with the percussion may be a bit too lulling for most listeners, especially those who like their music faster and heavier. ‘Golden Silence’ the only really balanced track on the album that showcases both soft and heavy, with plenty of guitar work that meshes well with the cello/ violin moments.

As a result, the overall feelings may be mixed for “The Great Dance Of The Spirit.” New listeners will get a balanced approach of soft and heavy with the music, but fans who have stuck with Lucid Dream since the start might be a little let down that the group seem to be straying from the heavier roots. Still, with new members it is nice to hear a fresher approach even if it may not be in the direction expected. The core of Terigi’s sound is there despite the softer touch, but the simplicity of the music hides his more virtuoso moments that have been shared on albums like “The Eleventh Illusion.” Worth checking out for those who enjoy ballad driven rock/ metal with touches of prog, but for those who like the heavier stuff Lucid Dream’s debut showcases a lot more of that.

3.5 / 5 STARS 

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1. Wall Of Fire
2. Desert Glass
3. By My Side
4. Moving Sands
5. A Dress Of Light
6. The War Of The Cosmos
7. The Realm Of Beyond
8. Golden Silence
9. Wall Of Fire (Acoustic Reprise)
10. Prayer For The Great Spirit
11. Invisible Stranger
12. Wakan Tanka


Label: https://www.facebook.com/sliptrickrecords
Band: https://www.facebook.com/lucid-dream-music-173794312641274
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Nov 10, 2020
Next review: Spirit Of Rebellion - Time For Global Refusal

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