Glen McMaster is an Australian guitarist who gathered Ray Alder on vocals, Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Tony Franklin on bass, and Brian Tichy on drums for the release of his debut album “Tunnel at the End of the Light” under the band-name FIGURE OF SPEECHLESS.
The names involved in the band reflect the style of the album. We have a 90s melodic progressive metal album, which combines some aspects of DREAM THEATER’s “Falling into Infinity” with the “A Pleasant Shade of Gray” era of FATES WARNING. So, we have a quite dark and very melodic record that is addressed mostly to those who miss the sound that progressive metal had those days.
In general, the low-tempo, depressive style that the band adopts doesn’t work most of the times, as the album becomes too subdued and repetitive, but the vocals of Ray Alder raise the level of the album significantly – at least in some songs. The album’s opener, “Day & Night”, “Tunnel at the End of the Light”, “Dysutopia”, “Carve a Smile” and “Escape Hatch” are nice tracks with melodies that could attract an old-fashioned progressive metal fan.
“Tunnel at the End of the Light” is only for those who want to have everything that Ray Alder has sung. It cannot be compared with his work in FATES WARNING, but similarly to his personal album a couple of years ago, there are some moments that a progressive metal fan will probably find interesting.
