Customer Reviews

Terra Incognita: Beyond The Horizon

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I received my copy of it a couple of weeks ago and a day hasn't gone by that I haven't listened to it at least once.
My coworkers have been greatly surprised. I usually leave the louder music at home, but I haven't been able to with this CD.
From the opening moments of Ishalem, straight through to the end, I've been enjoying it more and more everytime I listen to it.
Author Kevin J. Anderson and his wife, Rebecca Moesta (also an author) are first time lyricists. They managed to accomplish a great deal in regards to song and story on this CD. Making the CD and the book "The Edge of the World" a well rounded achievement.
"Here Be Monsters" is still my favorite song, but "The Call of the Sea" is creeping up there.
Lana Lane is fantastic. I'd never listened to her much before this, but I will be tracking down more of her stuff.
I think the main reason, for the two songs that I like, is the vocals of John Payne as "Captain Shay."

This album was recorded as a companion to Kevin Anderson's novel Terra Incognita: The Edge of the World, with Anderson and his wife contributing lyrics while prog-rock keyboardist Erik Norlander (Rocket Scientists) took the lead on the music. Lana Lane (Norlander's wife and a solo artist in her own right), James Labrie (Dream Theater) John Payne (ex-Asia) and Michael Sadler (ex-Saga) all contribute vocals.

As would be expected from the pedigree of those involved, the musicianship is pretty solid. If you're familiar with Rocket Scientists or Lana Lane's music you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect - keyboard-driven progressive rock with a bit of a "bombastic" feel to it. The vocalists all give excellent performances, though on the title track Beyond the Horizon is pronounced as "Beyond thee Horizon" by the singer, which feels a bit jarring. On the downside, the compositions themselves feel a bit bland; aside from Ishalem none of them are particularly memorable. The lyrics also tend to be a bit simplistic. Overall while I don't mind this album, and find the novel-album crossover idea a bit intriguing, I think the CD will be collecting dust on my shelf in short order.

Genesis, Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, Dream Theater. I have always been drawn to progressive rock music. The artistry, the technical aspects. Some of the best keyboard work has been one of the biggest parts of progressive rock.

Prog Rock may not be for everyone. sometimes it requires you to have thoughts. It's never really been for those who just want to dance. It's made to enjoy what the instruments and their players are capable of. And the performers on this disc are capable of a lot!

When I first heard about this CD, I knew it would be my style. The main thing that drove me to want to hear it was the fact that James LaBrie from "Dream Theater" was a part of it. And it did not disappoint at all.

I loved the way the songs flow together to form a musical opera to Kevin J. Anderson's latest novel release,"The Edge of the World". The lyrics are a wonderful representation of the book.

The musicians who took part in this endeavor are all great talents. Lana Lane's vocals were totally haunting. LaBrie's vocals were powerful as always and as a keyboardist of 25 years, I really loved the performances of Erik Norlander of "Rocket Scientists". He loads the entire CD with great keyboard artistry.

The CD moves quite well and is a must for any lover of progressive rock. Rush fans, Dream Theater fans, Pink Floyd. You name it. And, when Anderson releases the sequel to "The Edge of the World", I truly hope he rounds up everyone from this album to give us another serving from Roswell Six.

I adore rock music, and first and foremost this CD is one of the most amazing rock albums that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. "Terra Incognita: Beyond the Horizon" is a true musical adventure. International bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson, wrote an engrossing novel titled, "Terra Incognita: The Edge of The World." He then took a story line from this engaging book, and he and his wife Rebecca Moesta, also a bestselling author, wrote the lyrics to the songs which tell the story.

This CD leads the listener through the beginning of a holy war with the trials and tribulations of the leaders involved, while also telling the story of two young lovers that are separated by circumstances most of which are beyond their control.

Roswell Six is the name of the musical group that was put together for this project. This group boasts some of the best known artists in the progrock world today. The vocals are perfomed by Lana Lane, Michael Sadler, James LaBrie and John Payne. The music for all 13 tracks was written by Erik Norlander, who also added his phenomenal keyboard work to the mix. The other musicians rounding out this project are a veritable who's who in progrock today. David Ragsdale - violin, Martin Orford - flute, Chris Quirate - drums, Gary Wehrkamp - electric guitar, Kurt Barabas - bass, Mike Alvarez - cello and Chris Brown - guitars.

This CD does not disappoint in any manner from beginning to end. Powerful songs such as "Ishaelem" and "I Am the Point" are balanced beautifully with haunting ballads including "Letters In a Bottle" and "Anchored."

If it were possible to give this CD more than 5 stars, it would be my honor to do just that. I highly recommend that anyone who even thinks they might like rock music to purchase this CD. If you're still not convinced listen to the sample tracks at http://www.myspace.com/roswellsix I do not think you will be disappointed. The CD "Beyond The Horizon," and novel "The Edge of The World" are truly meant to be enjoyed together, so be sure to have both.

I had gotten this directly from Progrock Records a month ago, and have not stopped listening to it! I liked EVERY SONG from the beginning, and have grown to find this CD as good a long time friend as albums from my collection such as KANSAS - MASQUE, POINT OF KNOW RETURN & LEFTOVERTURE.. Albums like PINK FLOYD, RUSH, EVANESCENCE. This album is based on Kevin J. Anderson's new book TERRA INCOGNITA: THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. The release features vocals from four different people, and tells the story of two nations who come to war through something that neither had any involvement in. It features many incredible musicians from various bands like ASIA, KANSAS, ROCKET SCIENTISTS, DREAM THEATER and more. Many of the other reviews here give more of those details, but I am just here to say, GRAB THIS CD and seriously be SWEPT AWAY.. The music is powerful, melodic, graceful and will have your brain and heart singing or humming the various themes throughout. You will not be disappointed in this project, so check out the samples, and/or go the the ROSWELL SIX MYSPACE PAGE for several complete songs. My hat is off to all of the musicians involved, and to Kevin J. Anderson and his wife Rebecca for the vision to make this a reality!!! FIVE STARS!!!!!!!!!

What a superb CD. If you like music by Kansas, Asia, Yes, etc., you'll really enjoy this CD. From easy listening to rock and roll, this CD encompasses prog rock to the max. Great lyrics and stories! Highly recommended!

I originally bought the Roswell Six album " Terra Incognita, Beyond the Horizon" because it featured singer James Labrie of Dream Theater.
I started listening to it and it was even better than I thought it was going to be. Probably because of the story that goes with it... a choice blend of adventure and romance. Im not really that much for romance but this kind of tale suits me. Now I want to hear the second part of the story on CD, whether James Labries on it or not. I want the books too that way I can read the whole tale from begining to end. Prog Rock inspires me in many ways. Think the cd's great.
Thanks
Jimmy T.

Although I am a hardcore Rush fan, I actually discovered Kevin J. Anderson through the Writers of the Future contest. He is well known for his Star Wars novels. When I stumbled upon this album on Amazon, I was skeptical it was a marketing ploy more than a good musical concept. I can actually listen to the songs without wincing. Although this album does not really break any new musical ground. The guys in Dream Theater are also hardcore Rush fans. Anderson dedicates the first novel in this series (Edge of the World) to Neil Peart.

This is esentially an Erik Norlander project, and as with the Norlander's band The Rocket Scientists and his solo albums, there is a lot to enjoy, but the album gets weighted down at times. I love the book and was excited to see Norlander collaborate with Kevin J. Anderson, but the album does not live up to my expectations. On the plus side, James Labrie and John Payne share vocal duties on the album. Both singers turn out exemplary performances. On the minus side, Norlander's songs tend to run togeter and get boring after a while. Also, Norlander's wife, Lana Lane puts in her obligatory appearances. Some may find this good, but I have never been able to get into her vocals. She is a great singer, to be sure, but her voice just doesn't do anything for me. Norlander's greatest strength is soloing on his moogs and Hammond B3s. You will find plenty of that on Terra Incognita. Norlander is only a so-so song writer, and this is also apparent. So, I definitely recomend this album to prog fans and fans of the book alike, but if you're anything like me, this will only get an occasional (albeit somewhat enjoyable) listen.

Terra Incognita: Beyond the Horizon is based on the book, "The Edge of the World" by Kevin J Anderson. The upcoming followup book is "The Map of All Things" to be released in June 2010.

The music is an amazingly well done cooperation from many top musical talents spanning many top progressive music groups. The result is a haunting blend of many moods. Both the vocals and instrumental qualities are tight and sound like the musicians have worked together well for many years.

I suggest buying the Roswell Six cd mentioned above along with the first two books in the "Terra Incognita" series.