Album Review: Rick Massie – Guided to an Imperfect Light (Self Released)
Hailing from Whitehorse, Yukon, progressive metal/rock artist Rick Massie will release his second studio album, ‘Guided to an Imperfect Light’ on June 3rd, 2022.
Personally, one of 2022’s most anticipated albums. Rick Massie is an uber-talented solo artist who genuinely can’t be pigeon-holed. His music can be simply summed up as ‘progressive metal’ but that is far too simple a classification. What he does, what he is capable of, just doesn’t fit neatly into genre-shaped holes and it’s what makes any release by the musician so exciting.
Opening this second studio album with a flurry of instruments and starry effects, Once Upon A Time sets up the cosmic style this album has overall.
Up next is Counting the Stars. A track that we gushed about when it was released a few months ago as a single. Some time and countless listens later, does it still have the same impact? Absolutely, it is a colossal example of musical wizardry that keeps you guessing over its elven-plus minute runtime. Heavy and groovy, technical, uplifting, and cinematic, it’s a simply spectacular song that could be the apex of the entire album.
Though, there is so much more grandness to come, beginning with Need. A track that brings chunky riffs, dreamlike vocals, verbose melody, and a general feeling of extravagance. It then explodes into heavy life in the latter half just to keep you on your toes.
Up next? A bloody epic. A fifteen-minute epic called Lullabye and if you thought Counting the Stars was huge, get a load of this. A track that is stuffed to the brim with creativity and genre-bending moments. If Rick Massie is a ‘kitchen sink’ kind of artist, here he has gutted the entire house. Yet, it all makes sense, and it flows incredibly well. Multiple paragraphs about this track could be written but to keep this review tighter, a couple of moments will be highlighted instead.
The childlike melody at the start, the extra snarl that comes from the vocals at times, the latter half’s epic guitar soloing and the subtle, laidback melodies. It’s a spectacular track.
Take a breather, Moonlit Hallways is a very short slice of cinematic ambience, one with a touch of sinister sci-fi vibes. A precursor to The River and Unity. The former, getting the head-banging from the start but quickly developing into something grander, quite uplifting and undeniably beautiful. The latter? A peppy, almost sing-along track with foot-tapping and grin-inducing rhythm. Another unique sounding and thrilling track on an album that is filled with them.
With Guided to an Imperfect Light, Rick Massie has proved that he is not a ‘one-trick pony’ and that his stellar first release was no happy accident. He’s upped his game, delivering an album that doesn’t put a single foot wrong. It’s not hyperbole to suggest Rick Massie is one of the finest solo talents out there right now.
Rick Massie – Guided to an Imperfect Light Full Track Listing:
1. Once Upon A Time
2. Counting the Stars
3. Need
4. Lullabye
5. Moonlit Hallways
6. The River
7. Unity
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Rick Massie - Guided to an Imperfect Light (Self Released)
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The Final Score - 10/10
10/10