From Bandcamp, “Sole member and founder, Alex Haddad, shared his thoughts about “Keys to the Palace,” this album was ten plus years in the making. A lot of the material here actually precedes that of the two previous releases. Completing this record means giving closure to this era that has spanned through my twenties, and I see it as a well-suited final chapter to this period. The two previous albums provided no happy ending. They were both about defeat in their own way. “Keys to the Palace” reaches for triumph. This is an album about time travel that explores the polarity between past and future, innocence and disillusion, faith and despair, and adolescence and adulthood."

The album has six songs, and “In the Midst of May” is first. The music is fairly complicated at first, but definitely melodic, and features sweeping symphonic elements. It can be a bit hard to follow at times, but what progressive music isn’t? So far, there is also a nice balance between hardened moments and moments of pure joy. “Dover Hendrix” crosses over into the Power Metal genre a bit, with an upbeat gallop of drums and guitars. Alex is adept at many instruments, including piano, bass, and guitar, and although there are complex passages along the way, the music remains very accessible. He follows the melody line carefully throughout, never straying too far.

“Pollen for the Bees” embraces a piano melody that is bright and cheerful, and a veritable mosaic of sounds. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay the album so far is how well he puts these elements together. There are meter shifts, and emotional peaks that he handles. “A Dream That Wants Me Dead” showcases a gentler side of songwriting, with clean vocals and legato guitar notes, and even the harsh vocals have a nice ring to them. He flirts at the side of a precipice but never takes the leap. “Magenta” has a rich, melodic sound that blends many sounds together into a seasoned stew that is both warm and inviting.

The lengthy title track closes the album; a sixteen-minute beast. The intro is a bright montage of guitar and piano, and although harsh vocals follow, the melody isn’t lost. Each rabbit hole that he heads down he returns from, and he keeps his path as straight as possible, but allowing for flexibility along the way. For me, the most amazing part of the band and album was Alex’s musicianship. But, as a listener, you better get ready for a plethora of meters, sounds, shifts, passages, and other elements. It’s like having all of the parts of a motor to a muscle car on your garage floor, and meticulously putting them into the final product, and once installed, it runs like a dream.