x Plane 11

The Lord Will Make A Way (1980). This 1980 album was released after Green received a wake-up call by way of tumble off a stage in Cincinnati. No doubt Green planned a straight-laced, devotional work with The Lord Will Make a Way, but his charisma and sex appeal was also part of the package. The title track is powerful, reverent, and sensual, with Green's voice possessing the intensity and tone of his earlier secular tracks. Like many of his best albums, this one has an immediacy that makes it a joy to listen to. Although Green's clear switch in his lyrical manner – changing she/her for love of the Lord, Jesus, and God - should be striking, the transition is seamless. The gospel standard "Pass Me Not" gets the Al Green treatment with his acoustic-guitar strums and strong call-and-response vocals…

Putting aside the age-old debate about the difference between 'progressive' and 'prog' for a moment, it's always exciting to hear someone gleefully nailing a classic sound. Thunderously heavy but technically adept on a level that seems slightly unfair, MERCURY X are undoubtedly going to excite a huge number of DREAM THEATER and SYMPHONY X fans with their new album…