Spock’s Beard is one again at a crossroads. Roughly a decade after original frontman Neal Morse left, successor Nick D’Virgilio has also departed. Now, the group is once again embarking on a new project with a new singer.
Guitarist Alan Morse co-founded the progressive rock back in 1992 with Neal, who plays keyboards and sings. Drummer D’Virgilio and bassist Dave Meros were eventually joined by keyboardist Ryo Okumoto. Spock’s Beard’s line up these days includes Alan Morse, Meros, Okumoto, vocalist Ted Leonard and drummer Jimmy Keegan, a touring member of the group since 2002.
Neal Morse has since held a few notable reunions with Spock’s, but has mainly focused on praise-based prog. D’Virgilio, on the other hand, left to join the travelling stage production for Cirque Du Soleil.
Up next for the newly reconstituted Spock’s Beard a new album project that could expand into a two-disc special edition, Meros says in a talk with Audioholics.
He compares it favorably with X, the 2010 release that would become D’Virgilio’s last. Meros also confirms that the band will once again be collaborating with Neal Morse.
“It is still in construction phase,” Meros tells Audioholics, “but it promises to be a really good CD — right up there with our last one X. There are a couple collaborations between Al and Neal Morse, so that will be interesting as well. … The obvious difference is that Jimmy is now playing drums on the CD, and Ted will give the vocals a different dimension.”
Asked if he has any regrets, as Spock’s Beard enters its third decade, Meros said: “Well, not really a regret, but it would be really cool to somehow know how the band would have done had Neal not left when he did. It felt like we were really on the verge of something at that time, but we’ll never know how it would have played out.”
Click here to purchase …
- Angell & Crane, “Himalayan Dial-Up” from ‘Angell & Crane’ (2024): Video Premiere - November 22, 2024
- Michael Attias, “Avrils” from ‘Quartet Music Vol. II- Kardamon Fall’ (2024): Streaming premiere - October 11, 2024
- Bryn Roberts, “Aloft” from ‘Aloft’ (2024): Video Premiere - September 20, 2024
