Expectations exceeded ...

The "Genesis Revisited II" Studio and Live yield it brings to light: While Steve Hackett holds the last the ProgRock light of the Genesis family high, but despite untiring efforts and numerous output, without his former colleagues it is only a fifth of the previous weight. Saying that it the boost in popularity, the tour has given him the successful with Genesis-material use to fix nachzulegen more own material. Perhaps more leisure and collecting basically more material would have been advisable.

As already noticed in the presentation of "Genesis Revisited II" arises Steve Hackett (on stage) now confidently in the center, despite the fact that he did not belong in that band in the middle and even at their own things well did it , charismatic singer such as Nad Sylvan, not behind him to place ...
Now, foreign singers, there is no time (except his wife and his sister-in chorus). As on many previous Hackett albums, the evidence is taken up that Steve Hacktt is a decent backup singers who can create beautiful vocal primers with vocal harmonies. As lead singer but he is definitely going to colorless and bears no album.

"Wolf Light" is full of self-citations; the always same hackett'schen rock schemes earlier albums here reflected again: there is the recurring echoes of carnival music, a (redundant) hint of Blues, the inevitable pieces of dull nylon acoustic guitar, quotations from folk and world music, way too much ugly Hall on drums, grummelndes "Dark Town" din, to impress, etc. etc. etc.

Although he has with Roger King found a capable partner, "Wolf Light" is marked by fatigue. And that's strange, because Steve Hackett is not stingy to be varied with harmonies, careful arrangements and efforts. And yet you get the feeling something is missing. Maybe it's just the mix that is strangely cold as so many times on previous albums, as should a "concertante" sound can be achieved, which is apparently to have in Hacketts opinion only in large halls.

"Wolf Light" is a good album, but only if you fades Steve Hackett's last oeuvre and this takes as a standing for themselves work. Here there is not a note that has not been explored Hackett in previous times and sometimes overused. With all due sympathy for his perseverance and his, you might almost think that stubborn adherence to old (Prog) structures that would disappear without stretching like him in the mists of time - to me it is not enough.

The album has everything needs a good rock album. It also has everything you expect from a new Steve Hackett album. And that's my problem with it. Hackett does not meet expectations, but more unfortunately.