Innerspace – The last Sign (2024)

I think there is a lot of good prog coming out of Canada as can be seen in my list of favourites. The project around Phil Burton is now coming with its third album and I own the first one called The Village. I certainly know the second album Rise but I didn't buy it. Of course that says something but I had enough faith in this band to buy the third album The last Sign unheard, something I almost never do anymore when in doubt. Now the big question is, do I regret this, or is it a good album.

Let me say that I wouldn't have bought the album if I had heard it. Is it a bad album? What is bad, it doesn't really appeal to me. The tried and tested combination of solid rock, atmospheric prog and orchestral pieces is again the recipe on this album. But it seems like Burton is going more and more towards extremes and that means that the shorter songs like opener Illusion of the Day are very solid and actually go more towards metal and therefore appeal to me much less. Simple Mirror is even weaker if possible, really a simple rocker, and We are one doesn't appeal to me at all.

So the hope is pinned on the two very long songs of which Dying Dream is the first with its more than eleven minutes. It starts nicely with subdued vocals and quiet guitars and keyboards but after five minutes the pounding goes back in and Burton's voice just bothers me, why scream like that when the man can sing so beautifully.

Kyrie is the orchestral piece on the album and shows a completely different side of Inner Space that we know from previous albums too. No guitars, no drums, no bass just classical instruments. Beautiful but I quickly get bored while there is a really big orchestra playing but the melody doesn't grab me.

The relative highlight of the album comes with Blurry Memory and when this song starts you think why doesn't Burton make more songs like this but also here in the middle of the song the tempo increases considerably with heavy guitar work. At the end, however, he shows another stunning solo because he can certainly do that too and the finale is nice and bombastic and exuberant. Overall it is safe to say that the floydian influences from the first albums are less apparent and have made room for more agressive parts.

The closing track In Fine is what remains and here the acoustic guitars and the piano/keyboards sound beautiful and the spoken message turns into a semi-orchestral piece that ripples on to a not very impressive end, a pity really.

In terms of lyrical content, it's all pretty clever and the story about failing governments and little compassion towards those who are less fortunate is almost an extension of previous album Rise, but because of the generally unappealing music, I can't get into it at all. Sorry Phil I know you are a very talented lyricist. 

I think it is important that I am honest and that means that not all prog albums resonate with me but please do listen to the album yourself and maybe it will be a winner for you.

Where the cover is beautiful, I have to confess that I think The Last Sign is the weakest album by Inner Space and that's not nice to say I know,  I'm not out to bring bands down,  but I simply can't be positive about it. It contains not enough compelling and memorable pieces and the heavy aproach doesn't work for me.

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