Compass – Our Time On Earth
Label: Escape Music
Release date: April 24th, 2020
Website: www.newmansound.com
Never in my wildest dreams I would have expected STEVE NEWMAN recording a Progressive Rock, in parts even a Metal record. But strange things happen and surprisingly enough the self-declared “Control Freak“ passed some parts of it. COMPASS is a real band and every member recorded his individual parts in NEWMAN’s Chrome Dome Studio. Vocals were done by the previously unkown Ben Green, who did a very good job on “Our Time On Earth“. The boss himself handles all keyboards as usual and provides a much more aggressive guitar playing to the album. Some RUSH and PINK FLOYD here and a big part of my Prog favorites IT BITES there – but COMPASS never let the melodic parts aside (especially on the opener “Skies Of Fire“), which makes the CD accessible even for AOR junkies. My personal highlight is the title cut with its fragile beginning, which would have fit easily onto the last DREAM THEATER album. It would be thrilling to know if COMPASS can establish themselves as a band in the future or if they will remain a one-off studio project. Listen to the album and give the guys a chance!
7,5/10
Andreas Höhn
Track List:
1. Skies Of Fire
2. Our Time On Earth
3. Caught In A Frame
4. Neon
5. The Preacher And The Pigeon Feeder
6. Another Life Suicide
7. Warning From History
8. Our Time On Earth
