Neal Morse & The Resonance – No Hill For A Climber (InsideOut Music, 2024)
Neal Morse’s latest project, No Hill for a Climber, marks a return to his collaborative roots with a unique twist: all contributors are Nashville-based musicians. The album’s title, inspired by Barbara Kingsolver’s coming of age novel Demon Copperhead, serves as a thematic anchor for this ambitious prog rock venture.
The Resonance features Andre Madatian (guitar), Philip Martin (drums), Johnny Bisaha (vocals), Chris Riley (bass), and Morse himself handling keyboards, guitars, vocals, and production. Joe Ganzelli supports on percussion. While not internationally recognized in progressive rock circles, these local musicians match Morse’s high standards, delivering high level performances.
No Hill for a Climber seamlessly combines Morse’s hallmark melodic hooks with fresh ideas. You can hear influences from Spock’s Beard, NMB, and King Crimson.
The opening epic encapsulates Morse’s signature style, majestic, melodic, and meticulously arranged. Co-composed with Madatian and Riley, the track features lush orchestration, bluesy guitar passages, and a sweeping narrative.
The song “Thief” is a bold departure. This experimental track delves into darker, King Crimson-esque territory. With its sinister dual harmonies and frenetic instrumental breakdowns, “Thief” highlights Morse’s ability to explore uncharted creative directions while maintaining cohesion. Morse shared: “It’s so different… it’s in all these different sections, and I’m really happy with the way each part has come out. It’s pretty crazy. There’s even a really cool King Crimson-style instrumental bit in the middle that Chris Riley originally came up with at the Radiant School a couple of years ago.”
On “All the Rage”, Morse returns to brighter themes. This track brims with uplifting melodies and triumphant chord progressions. It harks back to Morse-era Spock’s Beard, mixing rock energy with subtle quirks.
“Ever Interceding” is a ballad free of complex arrangements that capitalizes on Bisaha’s emotive vocals and Morse’s melodic talent.
The title track, a sprawling 29-minute epic, is a progressive rock adventure co-composed with Madatian and Riley. It transitions through cinematic peaks, acoustic interludes, and climactic crescendos. While some moments lean toward saccharine sweetness, the dynamic structure keeps the listener engaged, culminating in a satisfying orchestral finale.
Christian lyrics may not resonate with all listeners, but the album’s musical craftsmanship transcends its thematic focus. No Hill for a Climber reaffirms Neal Morse’s position as a progressive rock luminary, capable of bringing together tradition with innovation to create something truly special.
The album has its roots at the end of 2023, as Morse explained: “I started thinking about what I was going to do in 2024, and my wife suggested that I should think about doing something with the amazingly talented younger guys that we have here locally, – like Chris Riley, Andre Madatian and Philip Martin. I knew just how good they were from playing with them at our Christmas concerts and other events.”
Morse concluded: “if I was going to compare its structure to an album I’ve done in the past, it might be along the lines of ‘Bridge Across Forever’ or Spock’s Beard’s ‘V’; it’s not that it sounds at all like those albums, it’s just structurally similar. It has voices and playing styles and soundscapes that many people will have never heard before! Everyone you work with changes you a little bit, so even I sound a little different on this one, but I hope that everyone will love it!”