There are few artists that have accomplished what Steve Hackett already has and yet he still is making arguably the best music of his whole career. And I am including Genesis! “At The Edge Of Light” is yet another masterpiece in what has been a string of them! Starting with 2009’s “Out of the Tunnel’s Mouth,” Steve has been on fire. 2016’s “The Night Siren” is easily one of my favorite albums by him. And “At The Edge Of Light” falls into the same category.
What makes him so good is that he doesn’t limit himself. While Hackett does the whole Genesis Revisited thing, his solo albums aren’t trying to replicate any of that. The music on “At The Edge Of Light” runs the gamut of styles. It’s orchestral, it’s prog, it’s world music, it has a didgeridoo even. One of my favorite tracks on the album “Hungry Years” is basically 60s pop.
There are so many styles on the album and pretty much all works. There’s the lush orchestration of “Beasts in Our Time” and the prog epic “Those Golden Wings” which are two of my favorites. “Descent” reminds me a lot of Holst’s “Mars the Bringer of War.” Not sure how intentional that is, but it segues into “Conflict” which sounds like film music. The only track that perhaps doesn’t quite do it for me is “Underground Railroad” but I’m not into Americana or folk music. Still, it’s done well regardless.
It’s mindblowing to think that almost 69 years old, Steve Hackett is still a major force in progressive rock. While Peter Gabriel is doing who knows what, and the other Genesis members are either shitting out more pop or reinventing themselves as a classical composer, it’s Hackett who has embraced the genre and kept fighting the good fight. “At The Edge Of Light” proves that he is far from done and is the true prog god from the Genesis camp.
Rating: 9/10
Tracklist:
1. Fallen Walls and Pedestals
2. Beasts In Our Time
3. Under The Eye of the Sun
4. Underground Railroad
5. These Golden Wings
6. Shadow and Flame
7. Hungry Years
8. Descent
9. Conflict
10. Peace
Label: InsideOut Music
Release Date: 25 January 2019
Website: hackettsongs.com
