Jordan Rudess is a man driven by his need for creativity, whether it be as part of Dream Theater, his solo career or his various side projects. “Making music is as vital to me as air. Whether it's composing piano pieces or embarking on more elaborate projects like this album, the act of creation plays a critical role in my emotional processing and self-expression. Once I immerse myself in a new project, the inspiration flows, and I'm reminded of the satisfaction that comes from bringing musical ideas to life.” Assembling a core group of musicians, Rudess immersed himself in the creation of a new album, Permission To Fly, beginning in late 2023. As listeners might expect, the album features a range of musical styles, while lyrically exploring everything from everyday human struggles to supernatural phenomena.
The Final Threshold opens the album with Rudess’s progressive inclinations, rapid motifs and intricate musicianship. Resolving after a minute into a more ethereal and introspective piano-led section, we are introduced to former The Enid vocalist Joe Payne, who was recruited by Rudess on the suggestion of a colleague. Payne delivers each word with a quiet dignity, an impressive vocal range and a voice that draws us in to the poignant lyrics, which focus on inner conflict, existential despair and the search for transcendence. Now, I’m searching for your eyes / All I see is emptiness / Cold and stormy skies / Now, I’m reaching out my hand / Winter’s grip takes hold of me / I’m frozen where I stand. An opportunity to immediately explore two sides of the atmospheres at play on the album, The Final Threshold expertly balances the technical and the majestical.
Into The Lair, a multi-part nine-minute epic, wanders through a vast range of sonic landscapes. From ghostly to progressive to vaudevillian, the track never rests and thus, for the most part, does not outstay its welcome. Several listens are needed to fully comprehend everything that is happening. Complex percussion from Darby Todd - who Rudess met when he was drumming for Devin Townsend – combine with sophisticated guitar by Steve Dadaian and an ornate, soaring solo from Chilean guitarist Bastian Martinez. With shifting time signatures, lighter airy sections offset with some crunching guitars; Into The Lair will find favour with fans who enjoy Rudess varying his approach.
Sitting between Into The Lair and another nine-minute track – The Alchemist, Haunted Reverie finds Rudess delving into his love for audio experimentation. With some exquisite guitar, Rudess seemingly visiting every note on the piano and a grandeur in Payne’s voice, Haunted Reverie’s lyrics journey through the depth of fear and despair culminating in a triumphant emergence into self-liberation. My fears pushed aside / A rebirth so profound / The chains are shattered now / And the nightmare’s grip released. Rudess explains how his daughter, Ariana, came to write all the lyrics for the album. “While I enjoy writing lyrics myself, my primary focus tends to be on the sonic quality of the words. For this album, I wanted to delve deeper and offer something that resonated on a more profound and cerebral level. Growing up immersed in my music has instilled her with an innate musicality and a singular intuition about my instincts and approach. She’s been heavily involved in the entire creation of this album, a collaboration that has been rewarding on so many levels.”
The Alchemist is the most colourful, multi-faceted and exuberant piece on the album. The time signature and lead instruments change regularly, the complexity of the track allowing each member of the band to shine through sections of harsh guitars, quiet piano, glorious, rich melodic vocals, and insanely, labyrinthine keyboard passages. Progressive and opulent, The Alchemist is full of surprises.
Embers changes the tone of Permission To Fly completely. A four-minute ballad beginning with gentle piano and passionate vocals from Payne, it highlights Rudess’s ability to keep things simple when he wants to. Growing in splendour as it develops, Embers is a moving dissection of resilience, hope and the transformative power of love. And in the night / The darkness sets in fast / A shadow that sinks to your bones / And though you’re weary from the storm / That burn you feel within your soul / Its embers keeps you warm. Another vibrant and alluring guitar solo from Martinez aims for the sky, adding to the drama of a track that drips with emotion but avoids excessive sentimentality. (Side note: Some fans may be interested to know that for Embers, Rudess partnered with Moises.ai, an AI-powered platform that uses audio separation to isolate components of a song. Fans can download the song through the app and make their own version by playing along. You can check out the app here: www.moises.ai)
Another single from the album, Shadow Of The Moon, unfolds over five and a half wonderful minutes. Again tempering the theatrical nature of a much of the album but successfully ramping up the pathos, Shadow Of The Moon uses its lyrical solar odyssey to symbolise a desire to embrace the future and overcoming fears to achieve greatness. Hear the roar, the engine’s on / Activate the gears / Say goodbye to all you’ve known / Forever waits for those who face their fears. Rudess’s keyboards paint a beautiful celestial canvas, Payne utilises his entire range and Darby Todd, as throughout the album, is thoughtful and precise with his fills and percussive embellishments. His past work across a range of genres meant Rudess found a true connection with the drummer. “With a diverse studio background, Darby brings a lot to the table. He’s talented, diligent, and efficient, and more importantly a genuinely wonderful person who is a pleasure to collaborate with.”
Eternal – another nine minute song - returns to a far more lavish, innovative, progressive style more in line with a song such as The Alchemist. With Rudess sensibly separating the three long tracks on the album, it allows the listener the opportunity the digest each of them individually. Had they appeared together on the album, they may well have been a little overwhelming, such is the complexity and range of styles. There are a couple of occasions during the first half of Eternal where it is in danger of becoming a little bogged down. However, during the middle of the track, it opens up magnificently before ultimately leading to its final enthralling ninety second rampage of heavy riffs and rapid-fire solos from both keyboard and guitar.
Penultimate track Footstep in The Snow could be a sister song to Shadow Of The Moon both in style, structure and mood. Payne is impressive across the album but some of his best work is during the more plaintive, melodic moments, of which Footstep In The Snow has many. Instrumental Dreamer ends the album. Almost classical in nature, its restrained opening is a little reminiscent of Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Just before the three-minute mark, gorgeous acoustic guitar takes the lead before returning to the layers of magnificent synths evident in the initial part of the track. Dreamer would certainly be at home as the soundtrack to final moments deeply dramatic or heart-rending film such is its scale.
On his latest outing, Jordan Rudess challenges listeners to embrace the range of styles at its heart. It also sounds wonderful, with the production allowing each and every instrumental flourish to be heard. However, Permission To Fly is not purely the Jordan Rudess show, and time and time again across the album, while obviously playing impeccably, he falls back, allowing other members of the band to excel: Payne is an exceptional vocalist; Todd is brilliantly dynamic and forceful or controlled and expressive as required; and Dadaian is a pleasing foil for Rudess throughout. With thought provoking lyrics and musically ranging from extravagant prog epics to delightfully structured ballads, Permission To Fly is varied, nuanced and captivating.
Permission To Fly is released on 6th September.
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