Never someone to stand still for too long, the band Cosmic Cathedral is the latest venture from Neal Morse. Neal, of course, needs absolutely no introduction to anyone familiar with prog rock. He’s a prog icon, as well as being extraordinarily prolific .. since 2020 he’s released or been involved with sixteen albums, studio and ‘live,’ either solo or in supergroups like Transatlantic and bands like Spock’s Beard, NMB and The Resonance, plus his work with Nick D’Virgilio and Ross Jennings.
Cosmic Cathedral consists of several veteran musicians, Morse plus Chester Thompson (Genesis, Zappa), Phil Keaggly (Glass Harp) and Byron House (Robert Plant, Alison Krauss). Morse says about 80% of the music on the album arose out of jamming together in the studio, rather than composed in advance, with longtime Morse producer Jerry Guidroz, assembling it and putting it all into some kind of shape and order. The result of this approach, says Morse, is a more “groove oriented” feel with an unmistakeable lean into jazz fusion influence, though still heavily rooted in prog.
If you’re familiar with the works of Neal Morse, you’ll be aware he likes his epics, lengthy pieces of music which go off in all directions and, here, he gives us the mother of them all with the thirty eight minute piece, ‘Deep Water Suite’. You’ll also be aware Morse’s religious beliefs are deeply ingrained into his work, the “Deep Water” Morse is singing about is his Christian beliefs. When he declares “I sing for Jesus, it was for me he died” you know you’re in the presence of a true believer. “Launch out into the deep water” begins the suite and it’s a series of nine pieces which incorporate elements of Transatlantic, particularly on Launch Out Pt1, as well as an acoustic interlude on ‘Fires Of The Sunrise’. Theres some utterly superb guitar work from Phil Keaggly on ‘Storm Paradise,’ and concludes with the triumphant, uplifting ‘Door To Heaven,’ singing “you unlocked the door to heaven, and gave us all they key”. Altogether this is a monumental piece, one of Morse’s finest works..
The album opens with the thirteen minute ‘The Heart of Life’ which sounds like Transatlantic in several places, though without the bombast. The musicianship is masterful, the solos are restrained and not overlong and Morse holds it all together, and this is the pattern repeated throughout. ‘Time To Fly’ has all the groove of a Steely Dan song, especially when the backing vocals and brass kicks in, but Phil Keaggly’s guitar makes you realise this is a prog track as Dan didn’t play solos like this. The jazz inflected ‘Walking In Daylight’ could easily be either Steely Dan or Sting, though there’s some fine extended soloing on the track and, in case you were in any doubt, ‘I Won’t Make It’ is a slower, more sombre piece about someone needing spiritual fulfilment in their life “I won’t make it, I’ve nothing left unless He carries me”.
This is an album rammed with beautiful melodies, good harmonies and fabulous playing from four seasoned musicians who make playing some quite intricate music sound almost effortless. Morse is unconcerned about whether his lyrical content is accepted or not, saying “I’m happy if they just enjoy the music.” That most of this music arose out of studio jams is testament to the skill and abilities of the musicians involved.
