Review by Xephyr for Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit (2012)

Amazing Debut For Beyond the Bridge

The Old Man and the Spirit is a meaty concept album that is very intelligently written, using interesting recurring musical themes that lead to a more complete sounding album experience. The masterful transitions that keep the story rolling aid listeners in overcoming its lengthy run-time, which was what initially kept me from checking out this album. 

In the paraphrased words of Beyond the Bridge concerning this album, the concept of the work is that there are two main characters played by the two vocalists. The male acting as the Old Man and the woman acting as The Spirit. These two characters conflict within the album since they both have what the other lacks. The Old Man has experienced life in its fullest but still feels somewhat lost when it comes to understanding life. The Spirit, being transcendent, is capable of understanding concepts the Old Man cannot, but is unable to feel or experience life in the same way as the Old Man. These two converse and The Spirit offers the Old Man the ability to gain her understanding at the cost of the knowledge of his past experiences and feelings. 

I was very impressed right from the start and Beyond the Bridge instantly sucked me in to the tale. Many progressive metal/rock bands can be a train wreck when they try to make a concept album of this size, especially as their debut album. What is very apparent right off the bat is that the members of Beyond the Bridge are extremely proficient at their respective instruments and at songwriting as a whole. There are very few parts of the album that drag and the tracks always continues to build on themselves, adding new themes and ideas while still retaining the more paramount themes established previously. 

Not to mention the vocals are fantastic. Normally male vocalists in this genre that attempt to sing consistently at a higher range can become grating and sometimes insufferable. Beyond the Bridge's male vocalist is actually VERY clear and stable when going for higher sustained notes, which is a pleasant surprise. The layering with lots of different guitar parts, synthesizers, and even male choirs in certain parts is well executed, especially when the Old Man and The Spirit sing in tandem. The album also accomplishes its climaxes and falls very well in terms of instrumentation and dynamics, creating memorable moments that stick with you. 

The Old Man and the Spirit is one of the better progressive metal albums I've listened to in a long time. It's been a long time since I could happily sit through an hour long progressive metal album without turning it off halfway through. A good portion of the music is masterfully done, but that doesn't mean there aren't a few silly parts either. The climax of the entire album near the end is somewhat chuckle-worthy, which in my opinion keeps this album from being a true standout.