Sometimes an album comes along which totally blows you away and aurally knocks your socks off. “Voice In The Light” is one of those albums and since being handed this album to review each successive listen has impressed me more and more.

Before describing the music it’s worth taking a moment to fill you in about just who Amaran’s Plight consist of.

Gary Wehrkmap (Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals) is well known as guitarist and producer for Shadow Gallery.D.C Cooper (vocals) is the vocalist behind the band Silent Force and has also been the vocalist for Royal Hunt. Nick D’Virgilio (Drums) has played for Mike Kennealy, Tears For Fears, and Genesis and is the long time driving force behind Spock’s Beard. Finally on bass you have Kurt Barabas one of the founding members of Los Angeles based Under The Sun. For many people this list reads like a veritable rock super group.

The music contained on “Voice In the Light” can best be described in one word “epic”. The music is used to portray the journey in a mans life. It tells the story of John O Connor who during a near death experience receives a message from the other side, which manifests itself in later life. His life is turbulent, tragic and often chaotic and the music and songs show him solving pieces of a puzzle, which lead him to make several difficult decisions. His final decision turns out to be a miraculous and supernatural twist of fate that will change the world forever.

The opening track “Room 316” is an instrumental with intriguing sound bites. It also demonstrates in its brief ninety seconds a band of musicians of devastating quality. Guitarists will pump their fists in the air when Wehrkmap provides one of the most memorable and stunning guitar breaks I have heard for a while. His phrasing is devastating and his execution is awesome.

“Friends Forever” sees the first appearance of D.C Cooper on vocals and the first thing that hits you is the way his voice soars with a pristine timbre over the music. The song itself is wonderfully melodic and truly grand. Swathes of glorious backing vocals lift everything to a higher plane and suit the lyrical content perfectly.

“Coming Of Age” has a subtle dark feel and reflects the confusion of a youth facing up to his feelings. The music has a wonderfully classic rock vibe. It soars, twists, turns and feels wonderfully liberated. It’s a wonderful mixture of Queen meets Styx with a healthy dash of Kansas for good measure. Guitar wise however it feels like Yngwie jamming with Steve Vai when Wehrkmap unleashes his solo.

“Incident At Halderman’s Lake” is a key track on the album as this is when John experiences the voice in the light and has his near death experience. It’s also an opportunity for the band to stretch out .We get walls of vocals from Cooper and virtuoso playing from Wehrkmap.This is thoughtful progressive melodic rock of the highest order.

“Reflections Part 1” is a classical guitar led piece, which brought to mind Alex Lifeson (Rush). It’s melodic and lyrically starts to expand the storyline.

“I Promise” is a wonderful mixture of progressive rock and a.o.r.It’s an uplifting and optimistic track, which suits the lyrics perfectly.

“Consummation Opus” is an instrumental, which starts sparse but builds to a fine rock climax (excuse the pun).

“Tragedy In Truth” sees Wehrkmap once more playing some very cool neo classical based licks and lyrically Cooper sings some of the most important parts of the story so if you get round to picking this album up don’t get distracted.

“Shattered Dreams” is the longest track on the album and it’s also the most intricate and musically explosive. It once again feels very classic rock but also thoroughly modern. Coopers vocal lines soar over great hard rock grooves and progressive rythmns.The track moves into instrumental excess as keyboards rock out with truly awesome guitar playing. Somehow as it gets increasingly involved I never felt things were contrived instead the virtuoso workouts felt perfect for the track.

“Viper” sees the band pressing down on the hard rock pedal and the music gives Cooper the perfect backdrop to show his imaginative and creative vocal talents. The guitars riff with purpose and I defy anybody to resist throwing some shapes and playing their air guitar on this track. For the drummers out their D’Virgilio gets his moment in the lime light so air drumming should also be on the menu during this song.

“Betrayed By Love” is a great mid-tempo number, which moves along with purpose. Lyricaly it is also another important song. The melody lines match the mood of the song perfectly. Some of the guitar work on this song is magnificent and at times I was reminded of Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd) and Ritchie Blackmore (circa Rainbow).

“Turning Point” is a great melodic rocker which sees Cooper singing his heart out and at times as he goes for the high notes one couldn’t help being reminded of Geoff Tate (Queensryche).

“Revelation” is the final track on the album and also the second longest. Lyricaly it pulls all the storyline strands together to an intriguing climax. It’s a melodic masterpiece, which goes through many moods by using various instrumentation. It goes through symphonic passages, neo classical romps and almost free flowing jazz-fusion glued together with a dark riffing heart which sounds almost Black Sabbath like.

“Voice In The Light” is a melodic progressive rockers dream. It has everything with its mysterious storyline, virtuoso musicianship and marvellous songs. It also sounds sonically fantastic. Without a doubt this is an album that will keep rewarding with every listen and for this reviewer it joins my shortlist for one of the top ten albums of the year. I urge anyone who loves melodic rock from bands like Queen, Styx, Rainbow and Journey but also likes the progressive rock of bands like Kansas, Rush, Queensryche and Spock’s beard to seek out this record.

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Track Listing

Room 316
Friends Forever
Coming Of Age
Incident At Haldeman's Lake
I Promise You
Consummation Opus
Tragedy In Truth
Shattered Dreams
Viper
Betrayed By Love
Turning Point
Revelation

Line Up

Joe Sumner – Bass/Vocals
Seton Daunt – Guitar
Pete Wilhoit – Drums