Genius: a Rock Opera --- Episode 2: In search of the little prince --- 2004 (Frontiers)
As part two of this lavish rock opera opens, the Dream League Force, the police of the dreamworld, are closing in on the fleeing Genius and Twinspirit n.32. Truth to tell, they can't really do anything to Genius himself, as he's a human and they wouldn't dare harm a human: all they need do is destroy his Twinspirit and Genius will wake up, this dream fading away like, well, a dream, and he will remember nothing of what has gone on here this strange day. Leader of the Dream League Force is Symphony X's Russel Allen.
“He will die” opens, as did the previous album, with narration from Philip Bynoe, setting the scene, then the guitar cuts in madly as the song begins, a real rocker to get us started (or re-started) with great choir/backing vocals, urgent organ going as the guitar parts really take over. It's still quite amazing to think that ALL of the music in this project is created by two guys alone! The Commander of the DLF reminds his team that they have been tasked with the destruction of Twinspirit n.32 by Mr. Maindream himself, for fear Genius will awake with his dream intact, and learn of the existence of the dreamworld. His resolve to catch and kill Twinspirit n.32 comes through clearly in his determined and threatening vocal, and there's a powerful duet between Boals as Genius and Gildenlow as Twinspirit n.32 as the two realise they can use the teleporter that is normally used to bring items from the stores to the twinspirits in order to fashion the dreams they need to, to go in the opposite direction and get TO the stores, and escape from their pursuers.
The ruse works, and the pair find themselves in the Japanese items store of the European store, where they meet the famous and ill-starred guitarist Jason Becker, who had his career cruelly cut short in the 1990s when he was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that eventually robbed him both of his ability to speak and to play the guitar. Obviously a huge influence on Liverani's life, Becker is here represented by Brazilian singer Edu Falaschi (Angra, Symbols, Venus, Almah) and he tells the duo that although he is crippled, here in the dream world he lives on and plays, because his many fans dream of him. It's a quite touching piece, rooted as it is in the very real tragedy of Becker's life, and obviously a hard song for Liverani to have written, but he handles it very well and Falaschi sings the role with total conviction. It's of course guitar-led, elements of “Caress of steel”-era Rush, or Genesis circa “The lamb lies down on Broadway”, a sweet little ballad with a poignant message.
And also some pertinent information, as Becker tells the duo that the prince has been taken to the Asian kingdoms, and that ships leave from here to that destination every day. Genius and Twinspirit n.32 decide to stow away on one, in order to reach the foreign land and try to rescue King McChaos's little son before he is used in a fantasy, as Christmas is fast approaching, when the dreams of many children turn to thoughts of dolls.
Back in the factory, the DLF commander fumes when he can't find the vanished Twinspirit n.32. The music is fast and furious as he tries to figure out where his quarry could have disappeared to. Russel Allen again turns in a fine performance as the frustrated commander who fears he will be held responsible for the failure of his mission, and worse, he can't explain
how he has failed. No-one can vanish into thin air! The galloping drums seem to represent his pounding heart as he gets angrier and more determined, with again some finger-burning fretwork from Daniele Liverani.
Disembarking from their ship, Genius and the Twinspirit find themselves in a strange place with trees carved into the shape of odd numbers. This is the Valley of the Odds, and one of the trees begins to talk to them as “Valley” opens, with hard, sharp, fast guitar and pounding drums racing along. Seventree, the talking tree, tells them they should not be here and must leave. The track becomes quite a rock boogie number, as Seventree tells them that this valley belongs to the king of the Asian kingdoms, who likes odd numbers and has commanded all the trees here be carved into the images of same. Ignoring the tree's warnings, Genius comes to a castle in the distance, and tells Twinspirit n.32 that he will continue on alone, and come back for him.
“Beware” is another fast rocker, with organ and guitar as the guard outside King Oddyfer's castle watches in amazement as someone approaches, something that has never happened before. This role is taken by Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth), the song slowing a little to become a mid-paced rocker as the guard goes to warn his master the king. Meanwhile Mr. Niko, the father of King McChaos, tries to find out what has happened to his son and grandson, but without success. Another guitar ballad, “My dear son” is sung by Mr. Big's Eric Martin in the role of the king's father, as he tries to convince himself all will be well.
After having gained an audience with King Oddyfer, Genius is given his chance to put his case in “What he has to say”. The king's role is taken by Johnny Giolei (Crush 40, Axel Rudi Pell, Hardline) in a star turn as Oddyfer refuses to believe Genius's story, ordering he be taken to the cells, and intending to turn him over to the DLF, which he knows will be good for his social standing and his reputation. It's a powerful, driven song as Genius, desperate to enlist the aid of the king of the Asian lands, tries to convince Oddyfer, but the king wants Twinspirit n.32 captured as well, so he can hand both over to the Dream League Force and earn himself even more fame, so he sends his guards to go look for him, reasoning that he must be nearby.
The longest track on the album, at just over ten minutes, “All my fault” is another guitar and keyboard-driven rocker, split between the plans and schemes laid by King Oddyfer as he plots the capture and death of Twinspirit n.32 and the attendant fame he will gain, and Genius, who languishes in his cell, bemoaning his fate and apologising to his friend, who he does not realise can see him, as they are linked in this “dream”. The music slows down for Genius's soliloquy, very Rushesque, another fine performance from Mark Boals, with Daniel Gildenlow as Twinspirit n.32 coming back in to duet with him, blaming himself for having let Genius go alone. He wishes he had killed himself when he realised what had happened, right at the start. Powerful guitar from Liverani underscores their shared despair and frustration that they have come to this pass. And then...
A beautiful woman appears in the cell, this being Klepsydra, whose role I'm not certain of, but I think she is the king's wife or daughter. At any rate, she's voiced by Live Kristine (Theater of Tragedy, Leaves' Eyes) and sings a beautiful power ballad as he declares she will help Genius “To be free”. Shown a secret backdoor by the girl, Genius returns to his friend and together they go to look for the little prince, where Klepsydra has told him the entrance to the factory will be, in the trunk of an oak tree. Empowered and emboldened, and back on the quest, Genius sings a song of hope and determination as “Fight again” rocks out, ringing with promise and defiance.
Twinspirit n.32, however, sees the end of the dream coming, and knows he is soon to die, and he begins to wonder what his life would have been like had Genius not come into his world? The closing track, “Far away from here”, has him slip into a reverie of how things might have been, and he worries too that Klepsydra may not have been to be trusted, though Genius believes she is sincere. The second-longest track, at just under ten minutes, it's a powerful mix of synth, wailing guitar, pounding drums and some fine vocal performances from Gildenlow and Boals.
Back at Castle Oddyfer, the king rages as he realises that Genius has escaped, and his chance for fame and recognition has gone with him. White-faced, he demands to know how this could happen, but no-one can tell him. He snarls at his guards that they have one hour to find the human.
Coming to the oak tree that Klepsydra had mentioned, they find it to be nothing more than a hologram, and passing through it, the pair find themselves in the Asian storehouse. One problem: within the stores there are literally an infinite number of warehouses, and they don't have a clue in which one the prince is being held. And time, as ever, is running out...
TRACKLISTING
1. He will die
2. Playing in their dreams
3. You won't escape
4. Valley
5. Beware
6. My dear son
7. What he has to say
8. All my fault
9. To be free
10. Fight again
11. Far away from here