Our Time On Earth by Compass (Escape Music)

Our Time On Earth by Compass (Escape Music)

Steve Newman is best known for his work in the long running melodic rock project Newman, who’s latest and greatest album Ignition was released last month via AOR Heaven. With a desire to expand his musical universe, Newman created Compass – a dynamic progressive rock project whose debut album Our Time On Earth is nothing short of mesmerizing. As grand and as epic as you would expect an album with such a poignant and expansive title, Our Time On Earth is an infinite auditory masterpiece.

In this ambitious new journey, Newman has focused exclusively on the wondrously imaginative guitar and keyboard interludes, and Our Time On Earth finds the esteemed musician at the very height of his creative energies. The vocals on Compass are performed by Ben Green, and his delivery is absolutely thrilling and expressive. Also joining the sonic adventure is the dynamic rhythm section of Dave Bartlett on bass and Toni Lakush on drums. Together, Compass present a spiraling music presentation that fans of acts such as Dream Theater, Saga and even Pink Floyd would find rapturous and intriguing.

“Save us, we keep on falling, destiny’s calling” are among the spirited lyrics on the Skies On Fire commencement, and with that, the Compass experience explodes in the stratosphere. The dazzling title track Our Time On Earth is a standout of cosmic proportions.  The powerhouse refrains of Another Life Suicide with its “one more chance to change this lifetime, one more chance to make it right, you decide!” lyrical content is another triumph to be found on this amazing album.

The heart and emotion of Ben Green’s vocals combined with the stunning musicianship of Steve Newman and company render Our Time On Earth by Compass one of the most impassioned, fully realized albums of the year. In this age of social distancing and isolation, an album as inspiring as Our Time On Earth by Compass is just the remedy we all need – certainly a vast and liberating work of art that all music fanatics will want to revisit time and again.

(Review by Ken Morton)

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