Jordan Rudess – Permission to Fly
Release Date: 6th September 2024
Label: InsideOut Music
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal.
FFO: Dream Theater, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Erik Norlander.
Review By: Eric Wilt
If you follow progressive music, especially the groundbreaking progressive metal of Dream Theater, then you need no introduction to Jordan Rudess. The former child prodigy turned keyboard wizard has had an indelible impact on progressive music, be it with The Dixie Dregs, Dream Theater, his Dream Theater side projects Liquid Tension Experiment and Liquid Trio Experiment, or on his previous solo albums, Rudess has created a body of work that is second to none. On 6 September, Rudess is back with a new solo album called Permission to Fly.
Permission to Fly begins with The Final Threshold, the first half of which sees Rudess making his way through an organ romp that feels like a nod to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. As this section comes to a close, Rudess does a complete 180 and, with the help of singer Joe Payne, creates a dreamlike soundscape to see the song the rest of the way. It’s remarkable how he takes two disparate song parts and makes them work together as if it was the most natural thing. The Alchemist is the fourth track on the album, and it sees Rudess having fun with Payne’s vocals as they follow the dynamic keyboard line. Further on in the album, on the song Eternal, Rudess lets his prog metal flag fly free. Perhaps my favorite song on the album, Eternal opens with heavy guitars and an organ and keyboard fest that is reminiscent of something you would hear from Erik Norlander. As the song progresses (pun intended), Rudess moves to the keyboard sound that he is known for before the vocals come in. The verses are filled out predominantly by keyboards, but about halfway through the song the heavy guitars return, elevating the song to the next level. This is followed by some keyboard noodling like that that can be heard from Rudess on numerous Dream Theater albums.
While there isn’t a bad song on the album, some of the other songs like Haunted Reverie, Footsteps in the Snow, and Shadow of the Moon aren’t quite as aggressive as I’d like them to be. These songs are closer to ballads than to rockers, and while I’m sure there is an audience for these songs, I anticipate myself skipping them more often than not. This isn’t a slight against Rudess, as the songs are impeccably composed and played, but there is no accounting for taste and mine simply likes the songs to be a little edgier.
If you are a fan of Rudess, there is bound to be a lot of music for you to enjoy on Permission to Fly. While I wouldn’t rank it up there with previous Rudess albums Feeding the Wheel or Rhythm of Time, there is still enough amazing compositions and keyboard wizardry to keep his fans happy until the next Dream Theater album drops.
(3.5 / 5)
