Scott's Song by Song #47: Spock's Beard- The Archaeoptimist -

 To be posted on Facebook on September 29, 2025

Welcome to issue #47 of Scott’s Song By Song (#scottssongbysong).For more information about this series, click here: https://www.facebook.com/share/Gc2VkwHQWGLdeaDd/?mibextid=oFDknk

Hello! To say that I am excited about being able to put up this pre-release review would be an understatement. Today I’ll be reviewing the upcoming Spock’s Beard release “The Archaeoptimist”, which is due to be released on November 21, 2025. I want to thank Ryo Okumoto (SB’s amazing keyboardist) and Conor Cleere of Snapper Records (of which SB’s label Madfish is a division) for helping me to make this review possible. I received no other compensation for this review than the download Conor sent. As always,”I call it like I hear it”, and with the exception of the album’s opener “Invisible”, which is widely available online, this is a cold listen. As you may know, this is the first SB album since 2018’s “Noise Floor”. The band only has one new member in new drummer Nick Potters. The album was conceived and largely written by Ryo Okumoto (who mentioned that there would be a new SB album being recorded on his FB page in the summer of 2024), along with Michael Whiteman of the bands I Am the Manic Whale and Whimsical Creature, with contributions from Ted Leonard (SB Vocalist) and Alan Morse (SB Guitarist). According to Ted Leonard in an interview published in Prog Magazine:

“While not a concept album, the title is taken from one of the tracks called The Archaeoptimist. This epic follows the story of a young girl being raised by her father in a post-cataclysmic world and her pathway from being an inspiration to a leader. Other songs vary in theme from obsession with one's work or task to musings about the passage of time forging ahead despite obstacles.”

Alright! Enough background info! Let's dig in!

Track 1 - Invisible (6:33)

“Hello out there, can you see me?” These words ring out in a capella harmonies to herald the band’s comeback! The band kicks in with a quintessential SB fanfare and then we’re off. Ryo’s organ does a call and response with the remainder of the players before playing a short but magnificent synth solo. Leonard’s vocals join in at around 1:25. I believe that we are in 7-8 here. Potters is proving himself capable of navigating time changes with ease, and apparently he can sing as well. As Ted Leonard pointed out in the same article referenced above: “yes, we found a drummer that is an amazing singer...named Nick!” Bassist Dave Meros is locked right in with Potters, with his signature Chris Squire influenced tone. Alan Morse’s rhythm playing plays counter rhythms to the rhythm section in the verse. Leonard’s vocals are spot-on, as usual. At around 3:35 the band plays a series of rhythms that would make Dream Theater proud, before going into a new double-bass drum driven groove. Ryo comes back with another synth feature following that transition. Then Alan gets the spotlight next with harmony guitar parts. The band continues to rock out before the vocals return with around 40 seconds remaining. Alan plays an ascending melody that leads to a big drum fill from Nick and this dynamic opening track reaches its conclusion. This was a perfect choice as the lead-off single as well as the album opener as it exudes everything fans want to hear from SB! Brilliant track.

Track 2 - Electric Monk (6:16)

We begin in 3-4 with accents on the “1” from the band with organ on the 2’s and 3's. After a dramatic chord is held out, the band kicks in with a new groove at around 22 seconds. I think we’ve gone into a quick 7-8 with Ted coming in on a higher note. By 53 seconds the tempo slows back down and the rhythm changes again. Meros is walking all over this one. At 2:34 there is a half-time section with harmonized guitar parts in the forefront. A quieter vocal section follows with the accompaniment becoming more sparse and eventually down to an acoustic guitar and piano part. A moderate 6-8 takes over led by guitar parts then vocals. Ryo takes a beautiful jazzy piano bit, then the music builds, led by Alan’s guitar. There is a lot of ebb and flow in this song dynamically, which I love. It leads to a big finish. Another great track from the Beard!

Track 3 - Afourthoughts (7:32)

I should have caught it from the title! They are re-visiting the “Thoughts” series of songs that began way back on the second album “Beware of Darkness” from 1996, and continued on “V” in 2000 and “Afterthoughts” on “Brief Nocturnes and Endless Sleep” in 2013. The intro will be familiar to long time SB fans. Ryo is really taking the spotlight on this album! But Morse comes back with a smokin’ guitar solo. The overlapping vocal parts are back in a 6-8 singsong way. There is a great chorus with fantastic musical transitions before another round. Of course at 3:30, we get the Gentle Giant inspired a cappella vocal madness that we love and cherish. At around 4:15, the band starts punctuating accents between vocal phrases, eventually crescendoing to an instrumental break. What a great way to honor the band’s legacy. They expand on the “Thoughts” themes with a tight set of vocal harmonies around 5:45, then Alan’s guitar takes over. Potters gives us tasty drum fills as we approach the song’s climax. Another chorus follows and then things cool down a bit before the a-cappella ending. Incredible track!

Track 4 - St. Jerome in the Wilderness (8:46)

The intro on this one reminds me of classic SB tunes like “Flow” and “Walking on the Wind”; abrupt quick phrases with space between. At around 30 seconds they go into a groove, and shortly thereafter Ted begins singing. Much of the verse is in 7. The chorus however is in 5. Another cycle repeats with many variations. Ryo’s gentle piano with Dave Meros’ countermelody on the bass signals the bridge of the song. Awesome drum fills around 4:40, lead us to Alan Morse’s killer solo, which he approaches with reckless abandon on the whammy bar. Ryo answers with an incredible organ solo, then what I believe is a synth solo (but it could be a heavily processed guitar solo). Ted’s vocals after 8 minutes are dynamic and heartfelt. The ending resolves with some gentle piano playing. More classic SB stylings!  

Track 5 - The Archaeoptimist (20:59)

Here we are to the epic centerpiece of the album! It has been many a year since the Beard gave us a 20 minute plus epic; but 2025 seems to be the year of the return of the 20 minute epic to prog! (See several of my reviews from this year.) I can’t wait to dig into this one. A bit of chaotic instrumentation leads us into this one. Then the grand intro begins the journey. Nice harmonized guitars and keys from Alan and Ryo. Then Meros and Potters give us a morse code (no pun intended, but I’ll take it) rhythm to lead us to the next melodic theme. The music settles down by 1:40, then Ted begins singing. The first verse is backed with gentle accompaniment. There are some interesting chord progressions building the foundation. Ted’s voice occasionally reminds me of original Kansas singer Steve Walsh on this. At 4:10 the music pauses before a new theme begins with the gentle instrumentation continuing. However, by 4:30, a pulsing synth sound takes over and begins to build in intensity. Additional sounds (mellotron perhaps) enter in, before Dave and Nick give us a solid rhythmic foundation to build on starting at 5 minutes. Alan plays a guitar melody then Ryo gives us a modal synth solo. There are plenty of drum fills along the way as well. The guitar melody returns , and I realize it reminds me of Elton John’s great prog moment “Funeral for a Friend”. At 6:50, Ted jumps back in with more impressive vocals. A funky groove backs this section. Excellent a cappella harmonies jump out at around 7:50 before the instruments rejoin. There are jazzy chord progressions in this part. Around 8:30 there is a guitar solo with a very unique tone; perhaps a “cocked wah”? (It’s not as dirty as it sounds.) Organ takes over next. The vocals return with the funky groove continuing. I like the semi-spoken vocals around the 10 minute point. At around 10:30 there are more harmonized guitars with syncopated rhythms behind. By 11 minutes in there is a new groove that is also on the funky side. Meros’ bass is delightfully prominent here. At around 12 minutes, the beat straightens out and gets more rockin’. There are more great harmonies in this segment. A good bit of this one feels inspired by Kansas to my ears.. I love the off beat ascending riff around 13:40. Nice double-bass trump as we cross the 14 minute mark. Following that there is something of a break-down with straight 4s on the kick drum with vocals building on top of it. Bass then joins in. The vocal harmonies continue to impress as they begin twisting the melody and rhythm in new ways. By 14:35 the music gets downright heavy! The guitar, bass and drums play a dense riff with Ryo tearing it up on the organ! Killer stuff! The vocals return by 15:10, but we are still rockin’ hard! First the feel changes to double-time, then the double-kick drums return. By 15:50 there is a 7-8 groove happening with Alan soloing over the top. After a verse, Ryo takes the spotlight back at around the 17 minute mark. The music becomes a shuffle for the next vocal section. A sustained vocal note heralds a big half-time, wave-your-Bic-lighter-in-the-air section. Big harmonies abound here as we reach the close. This is an instant classic epic! It has a bit of a whistle sound, then a gong at the end! ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!

Track 6 - Next Step (10:59)

Bach-style counterpoint piano playing starts us off here for the album’s finale. After about 25 seconds, the style becomes jazzier. The band kicks in at 40 seconds, then we are off-and running! This is still another classic SB intro. The groove kicks in just before 1:30 with an extravaganza of excellence in playing. Simply prog-tastic! Before the 2 minute point Potters and Meros provide the backing for Ted’s first verse. The keys and guitar join in as we go along. At 2:20 the beat kicks into high-gear. The chorus goes to more of a half-time feel. Once again, I pick up a few hints of Kansas influences here and there. That may be in the mix, but this is pure Beard! At around 4 minutes in, the music gets dreamy sounding with electric piano and acoustic guitar leading the soundscape. There is even a flute as we go along in this middle section. I like the call and response section as we approach 6 minutes. Potters gives us a syncopated drumbeat and the ryo takes a terrific synth solo. The meter keeps shifting in wonderful ways. I love the ascending crescendo around 7:40 that leads us to Alan’s guitar solo. It’s a barnburner! Potters is instantly entering the pantheon of great prog drummers here on his SB debut! Another synth solo follows with a great Meros bass line underneath. The music gradually slows as we approach 9:15 for another big half-time section. Ted’s vocals at around 9:40 are stellar! There is a cool military beat around 10 minutes. Then they return to the big SB melodies that we all love! Wow! A fantastic close to an incredible album.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

As I said on Facebook a few days ago when the announcement of this album dropped: THE BEARD IS BACK!! And they are in complete classic style. Whether or not it was intentional, they really seem to be drawing on the sound of the initial Neal Morse era on this album. There are plenty of Easter eggs throughout that make me think it is intentional, but you’d have to ask the band members. I have enjoyed pretty-much everything SB has put out over the decades, but I have a special place in my heart for those first 6 albums. Also worth mentioning is that the co-writers on more recent SB albums John Bogehold and Stan Ausmus do not seem to have been a part of the writing on this one to the best of my knowledge. Bogehold, Meros, Leonard and former SB drummer Jimmy Keegan have kept the fire burning with Pattern Seeking Animals (whose latest album I reviewed earlier in the year, linked below), but as they say: “ain’t nothin’ Iike the real thing, baby” I have said it several times in the review, but chef’s kiss to Nick Potters! He really delivers the goods behind the kit! The three (essentially) original core members of the band and long-time singer Ted Leonard really step up to the plate as well. Fans of SB will absolutely adore this album. Rich Mouser also deserves credit for his role in the spotless production. This is an easy 5 out of 5 Stars!  

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Prog On!

Scott

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Links for Listening (and pre-ordering), along with some related articles I’ve written.

As this is well in advance of the release, only the lead-off single “Invisible” is widely available:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhcUaRqxGJI

Here is the Prog Magazine article I referenced above:

https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/spocks-beard-return-with-the-archaeoptimist-their-first-new-studio-album-in-seven-years

Here is their webpage announcing the album including a pre-order link:

https://www.spocksbeard.com/news/2025/09/the-archaeoptimist-announcement/