Scott's Song by Song #57: Speechless - Time Out of Mind

 

Welcome to issue #57 of Scott’s Song By Song (#scottssongbysong).For more information about this series, click here: 

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Welcome to 2026!  Time to get back to the reviews!  However, today, I am going to turn the clock back 2 decades to review an album from 2006, that I have only recently learned about.  Sean Tonar has long been a notable member of my circle of Facebook friends, and many of those reading this most likely are part of the same circle!  I have long known that Sean performs as a guitarist frequently around Metro Atlanta (my former stomping grounds from 1992-2011), interviews many notable proggers on YouTube and posts “Head to Head” album battles pretty much every day on Facebook, in addition to being a good guy in general (I reached out for a professional favor a couple of years ago, and he came through in a big way).  He has in more recent years been a part of the band “Story of a Life”. What I didn’t know however was that he had released this album titled “Time out of Mind”  with his then band Speechless back in 2006 until he recently put up a post about it.  It turns out that it is posted on Prog Archives and has some good reviews from back in the day.  Well, better late than never!  So let’s take a deep dive into this instrumental hidden gem album. (As usual, this is a cold listen, and Sean doesn’t even know I am doing this review, so there is no compensation at all.)

The line up consists of:

- Derik Rinehart / drums

- Paul Rusek / bass

- Sean Tonar / guitars

- Robbie Hamil / keyboards

Track 1 - In the Clouds (5:02)

The track begins with some accented chords with electric piano being prominent, before Sean takes the melody on the guitar.  The sound reminds me of the Dixie Dregs/Steve Morse band.  Hamil then takes over the melody on the organ.There is a cool 7-8 section at around 1:50. This is wonderful instrumental prog, that is highly structured, not a loose jam that goes nowhere.  There was an ear-catching sound effect at around 2:45, following a guitar solo from Sean. Great bass line from Rusek at around 3:30!  Rinehart has some great drum fills at around the 4 minute mark, leading back to that organ melody.  This is a great energetic opening track!

Track 2 - Spidercrawl (4:06)

Rusek kicks us off with a great, complex, bass riff.  The band joins in accordingly.  The band locks in tight with complex grooves.  At around 1:45 they transition into a slower tempo section.  Sean takes the lead with nice synth backing.  He is building a slow-burn solo here. There is an ascending pattern that takes us out of this middle section. Then a quick descending riff leads us to a smoking keyboard solo from Hamil! The groove under the solo is fierce.  They go into a more melodic section afterward that leads us to the exciting end bit.  Fantastic track that takes us on a 4 minute musical journey.

Track 3 - Stella (6:30)

Some sound effects create a rhythm that the band locks into for an intro, then they go into an odd-metered riff with an electric sitar in (I presume) Sean’s hands. It reminds me a bit of the intro to “Changes” by Yes on “90125”, or even “Silent Talking” from Yes’ “Union” album. At 1:15 the synth takes over with some low pitched sounds.  Sean and Robbie do some Q&A playing then the music builds up again. I like the dynamic shifts in this.Sean takes a nice solo around 3:30.  So far his playing has focused more on melody than flash. Robbie follows with a synth solo.  I like the timing and dynamic shift just before the 5 minute mark, and the electric sitar returns. Awesome drum fills around 5:30 take us to a 4-4 that in turn leads us back to the odd metered riffage from the start.  Super cool prog!

Track 4 - Thank You (5:20)

This begins with guitar arpeggios and harmonics.  The band kicks in at a moderately slow pace.  Sean has a nice “shimmering” clean guitar tone with a chorus effect.  This one has a slightly fusion feel to it. The rhythm section has a nice groove going, and the keys create an atmosphere.  There is a bass solo in the middle of the tune.  This is a laid back, chill-out track.  Nicely done.

Track 5 - The Big Majestic (7:53)

This is the second longest track on the album.  It begins with a somewhat “Spanish” sounding riff.  At about 1 minute in, however, they lock into a new riff at a faster tempo. Robbie is playing nice arpeggios on the organ as we proceed. At around 3 minutes the temp increases a bit more and the energy level rises.  Rusek has some great drum fills on this.  There were some synth fills with some Wakeman influences from Hamil, that I wish were a bit higher in the mix.  The riffage around 5 minutes is a bit heavier. The syncopated chords around 5:40, remind me of the Dixie Dregs/Steve Morse again. Nice track!

Track 6 - Something Green (4:32)

This one has a funky vibe. Sean plays a riff on acoustic guitar here, with prominent electric piano.  Sean and Robbie play off of each other nicely.    Cool keyboard solo after 2 minutes.  I believe I even hear some conga drums in the mix.   Sean plays some electric lead licks toward the end.  This is a groovy little tune to vibe on.

Track 7 - Spaghetti Junction (4:41)

Again, having lived in Metro Atlanta for the better part of 2 decades, I am sure aware of what Spaghetti Junction is; it’s the freeway interchange on the northeast side of town between I-85 and the so-called “bypass” of I-285, and some other exits.  It is a huge interchange with a few “high-flying” ramps.  Certainly, that is where the title of this track gets its origin story.  It begins with what sounds like a reversed tape effect fading in.  They soon play some complex lines before locking into a straight-up rock groove.  The main theme is a guitar part using “double-stops” by Sean, interspersed with some synth fills.   A bass riff takes over for a moment before Sean and Robbie trade solos.  Paul Ruseck is quite a bassist, and his presence is felt strongly on this track.  This is a very energetic instrumental and a lot of fun to listen to, and sounds like they were having lots of fun playing it.  

Track 8 - Hangover (3:28)

This is the shortest track on the album.  It begins with a drum pattern from Rinehart, joined by Rusek’s bass.  The band then locks into a power chord based groove.  There are a number of timing changes as each member gets featured.   Sean does some “right-hand tapping” and some faster scale runs here, perhaps his flashiest playing on the album.  At around 2:40 there is a descending chord progression with a tricky drum pattern on the toms.  The effects of the guitar give the effect of sinking into water.  The track ends on an unresolved chord followed by a little drum tag.  Interesting track with a lot going on in a short time.

Track 9 - Vader’s Boogie (8:46)

Darth Vader, I presume?  The final track is also the longest.  A “Morse code” type of drum beat starts things off here, then the band kicks in with a moderate tempo over syncopated drums.  The darker riffs give way to a more peaceful one, giving us contrasting segments of the song.  Around 2:25, they shift gears into a whole new riff at a faster tempo.  Sean and Robbie each take a solo, then we have the band building to a crescendo on another “Morse Code” type of riff; this part is very Rush-like.  At 4 minutes, the band locks into another rockin’ riff and then there are keyboard solos.  They get faster as they cross the 5 minute mark.  Afterward, they return to the Morse code vibe and take the volume level way down.  They then begin to build it back up.  There are nice contrasting sections throughout.  The faster riff returns in the final minute, supporting an organ solo, then a guitar solo.  Right at the end they hit us with the Star Wars “Imperial March”!   Very cool.  Awesome track.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

I really wish I knew Sean back when I lived in the Atlanta area.  I would have loved to have heard these tunes live on stage.  There are lots of cool riffs and melodies throughout.  I may be 20 years late to the party, but I am glad Sean posted about this album recently, as I will certainly enjoy having the tracks in my mix!   I hope that Sean sees this and fills us in on what happened to the other members of the band–a “where are they now” update.   I’ll give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars (90%) as it is a very good album.  Check out the link below to hear it for yourself.  I found it on Apple Music/I-Tunes as well, so it may be on your streaming service of choice as well.

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Prog On!

Scott

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LINK FOR LISTENING:

The entire album is up on YouTube at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nAskmTVNjvnusU225D-JPk6KBYSvkIhKQ