Anyone: Miracles in the Nothingness

Riz Story is literally a one-man band called Anyone. On his most recent release, Miracles in the Nothingness, he plays all the instruments and provides all the vocals, except for one track that is sung by Jon Davison of Yes. It is a double album, like its two predecessors, In Humanity and On the Ending Earth … . Together, they form something of a trilogy. As Story puts it, “Like the prior two albums the setting is a world in full collapse. And so, it is a bittersweet mixture of joy and bliss at the gift of existing, intermixed with the tragedy of watching humanity destroy the planet and everything on it.�

The album doesn’t require the listener to agree with Story’s perspective to enjoy the music. It’s classic prog, through and through, with complex time signatures that are used to great effect rather than to gratuitously display Story’s virtuosity and several epic-length songs that generally don’t overstay their welcome.

I won’t compare this to The Wall as an overall package. Although that is not one of my favorite Floyd albums, I acknowledge its greatness. But I can find myself a bit exhausted after listening to it, like I have been bludgeoned by Roger Waters’ unremitting gloominess, saved only by some extraordinary moments of beauty provided by his partner and foil, David Gilmour. I didn’t get the same sense of suffocation from Miracles in the Nothingness. This album never reaches greatness, but it is strong throughout and nearly lives up to its enormous ambition.

Track Listing
CD 1
1. Dawning of the Miracle (2:08)
2. Children of the Void (6:25)
3. My Name Is Forever (9:11)
4. Some Delectable Species (7:54)
5. Transcending (14:25)
6. Extinction Event (8:41)
7. Someone (6:06)

CD 2
8. Daylight (9:09)
9. Symptom of the Miracle (12:55)
10. Evolutions (5:24)
11. Anthropocene (7:19)
12. If the World Is Running Down (5:49)
13. Miracles in the Nothingness (19:43)
14. The Ineffable Bliss of Being (5:38)

Added: December 17th 2024
Reviewer: Aaron Steelman
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 120
Language: english

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