| Musical Style: Progressive Rock | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Inside Out | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2026 | Artist Website: NMB |
| Tracks: 13 | Rating: 90% |
| Running Time: 70:30 |
There is no denying that the February of 2026 Inside Out Music fifth NMB album L.I.F.T. is a progressive rock force in which to be reckoned. Previously going under the heading The Neal Morse Band, NMB places strong emphasis on epic length songwriting, multifaceted time and tempo changes and reinforcement of its instrumental sound. Where NMB breaks from the past is distancing from any previous twenty minute plus ‘mega epic’ proclivity, validating the 27 minute “Alive” from 2015 debut The Grand Experiment and 31 minute “Beyond The Years” off 2021 fourth full length effort Innocence & Danger. In between, NMB released in 2016 its second album The Similitude Of A Dream and third The Great Adventure three years later.
As its namesake implies, NMB remains the project of founding member, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Neal Morse, whom has gained apt reputation as the ‘king of progressive rock’. Morse, for instance, might have cut his teeth with quirkily named progressive rock act Spock’s Beard and participated in super group progressive side projects with Transatlantic and Flying Colors, but it his conceptually based solo material in which he has garnered the greatest acclaim. In 2023 and 2024 he released, for instance, a respective two part CD series focusing on the life of the Old Testament figure Joseph - The Dreamer: Joseph Part 1 and The Restoration: Joseph Part 2 - and 2019 a two CD set Jesus Christ: The Exorcist which tells the ‘Story of Stories’. Sola Gratia from 2020 centered upon the Apostle Paul and his early persecution of Christians and later his conversion.
The conceptual themes carry over to The Similitude Of A Dream and The Great Adventure, with each loosely drawing inspiration from John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. L.I.F.T. maintains the concept mindset in that it ‘follows the journey of someone seeking to belong to something greater than themselves” (quoting the groups press material). More specifically, “It starts with feeling connected to the world and life, then there is a break in belonging, after which comes the turmoil and desperate cry, leading to a return to that place of profound connection.” As for the L.I.F.T. title, the group decided to keep it intentionally vague: “We thought it could stand for different things- It’s kind of whatever the listener wants it to be”.
L.I.F.T. finds NMB maintaining the same ‘super group’ lineup of Morse (lead vocals, keyboards, guitars & percussion), Bill Hubauer (lead vocals, piano, organ & analog synths), Eric Gillette (guitars), Randy George (bass) and Mike Portnoy (drums). Opener “Beginning” finds the quintet firing on all cylinders. It draws upon the group’s progressive foundation, opening its first minute to a lone piano-intertwined verse prior to executing its remaining six instrumentally. NMB proceeds to pull out its technical licks and chops musicianship wise, unveiling dramatic overtures, bass driven passages, heavier rocking moments, keyboard solos and quiet ballad like aesthetics.
Debut single “Fully Alive” ensues. Truncated at five minutes, it exhibits ballad like authority in presenting as a duet between Morse’s silky smooth classic tenor croon and Hubauer’s raspy blues soaked delivery. Piano plays a lead role from adorning crystalline verse sections sparkling with sublime overtures and rhythm guitar the upraised refrain emanating of the lavish. Song goes into instrumental mode for its closing moments.
“I Still Belong”, three and half minutes of acoustic rock inborn to spacey keyboards and classical instrumentation, gives way to two minute instrumental “Gravity’s Grip” peculiar to a hastened coinciding of technical riffing and borderline metal guitar.
NMB goes full on progressive for eight minute “Hurt People”. Song takes a hard rock stance, as metallic riffs strike front to back and corpulent harmonies shoulder the heavy set ‘hurt people, they hurt people, they don’t know what they do’ refrain. Group goes into jam band mode for the wonderful instrumental run covering the final four and half minutes: keyboard, organ and guitar solos trade off with Portnoy’s intricate drum rolls and fills.
“The Great Withdrawal” follows as a varied piece. It begins quiet and regal to airy guitars and piano only to pick up after two minutes as heavy rocking guitar takes over, with a slow tilting gradually made towards blues-rock. Gillette contributes a stretch of intense guitar leads.
Two and half minute piano and keyboard instrumental “Contemplation” leads the way to “Shame About My Shame”. The six minute full on ballad cut leisurely traverses its span to forward keyboards and piano alongside acoustic vestiges and soulful backing vocals. Song decelerates for sluggish bluesy lead guitar. There is a bit of a Pink Floyd feel here.
Back to progressive territory for seven and half-minute “Reaching”. With open air layered vocal melodies to start, song morphs into an inspired rocker to see Morse’s moving vocals glide over a congregate of reassured harmonies and galvanized incentive. Time signatures abound, including a move to added vocal harmonies four minutes in and to an instrumental direction over the final two minutes as Gillette’s masterful soloing gives way to symphonic orchestration.
“Carry You Again” breaks down into two parts. First covers the opening minute and half to worshipful ballad with acoustic and keyboard signatures. Tempo change to the second with a forthright pop feel in which light rhythm guitar and cascading piano recapture the inspiration to “Reaching”, disclosing the expressive ‘that’s when I carried you, and I will carry you again’ refrain.
Minute and half keyboard interlude “Shattered Barricade” transitions to the six and half minute “Fully Alive Part 2”. Representing another Hubaurer and Morse duet, song impresses as a bluesy rocker with a semi ballad allure, differentiating between acoustic occasions of an unrefined form (in a positive sense) and others exhilarating as mesmerizing vocal harmonies and provoking melody derive of the commercial. Over the final minute and half a time signature realizes to an instrumental hard rock heading- the NMB heaviness is vastly understated.
Album closes to magnanimous eleven-minute ballad “Love All Along”. Far as ballads go, it is up to the NMB standard: exceedingly well executed with equal parts moving emotion and heartfelt imagery. All the trimmings are in place in terms of orchestration, lush keyboards, still guitar and poignant vocals. No doubt the song is good, but also not to nitpick, but am I out of line to complain it is long-winded in exceeding eleven minutes, particularly in light of the fact L.I.F.T. is already chock full of its fair share of balladry? Still, a fine effort and worthy inclusion, but I cannot help but think easier to digest if cut by several minutes.
Neal Morse fans rejoice in that L.I.F.T. represents another quality chapter in the long annals of artist’s conceptual releases. Everything is up to standard in terms of varied and time signature driven songwriting, skilled musicianship (the groups display of its instrumental sound is awesome), production and two sided vocal approach. Technically, there is nothing to fault here with possible exception of a slight ballad overemphasis. That said if a fan of the artists work, whether it be NMB, solo records or side projects, L.I.F.T. is certain not to disappoint.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Beginning” (6:48), “Fully Alive” (5:02), “I Still Belong” (3:33), “Gravity's Grip” (2:03), “Hurt People” (8:05), “The Great Withdrawal” (5:08), “Contemplation” (2:20), “Shame About My Shame” (5:51), “Reaching” (7:32), “Carry You Again” (5:02), “Shattered Barricade” (1:26), “Fully Alive Part 2” (6:19), “Love All Along” (11:18)
Musicians
Neal Morse - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, Percussion & Windkey
Eric Gillette - Guitars & Vocals
Bill Hubauer - Lead Vocals, Organ, Piano, Analog Synths & GeoShred
Randy George - Bass
Mike Portnoy - Drums
