From Bandcamp, “Featuring artwork and fully illustrated 20-page booklet from the legendary Hugh Syme, this album represents a massive step up in the ORION discography. The first half of the album is dedicated to four individual tracks tackling the personal struggles of religion, the gut-wrenching task of caring for those with profound illnesses, the horrors of social media, and the battles of failing relationships. The second half of the album is home to the 25-minute epic, “The Cycle of Light.” It brings a message of enduring hope, and maybe something more. On this new album you will find different time signatures, orchestras, choirs, harmonies, and maybe some solace.”

“The Tumult of My Heart” is the first song. Two things struck me off the bat…first, I love his voice…he has the same cadence that Geddy Lee does, a similar inflection, and it is emotionally charged. Second, the firm melodies are there for the taking, and the bass work is pronounced. In this sense, it is reminiscent of RUSH, and this song might well be what RUSH would sound like today if they were still making music. “The Ghosts Among Us” has Peter Gabriel vibes. The melody is simple, but so effective, and the vocal harmonies and peaks keep the music firmly planted in the listener’s mind. Bass, guitar, and keyboards create a synergy within the music, and the lyrics are just as poignant, “we have no answers, and you have no choice. So, we’ll carry on, and we’ll carry you.”

“This Sickness” has more hardened structures, and that dark, fierce bite that you crave. The bass work is excellent again, and the themes seem to serve as a reminder of a society that overuses medication…“the patients and the doctors, they all bleed into one. Dosing up each other, until all identity is gone.” “As Best We Can” is more touching, with clean guitars and expansive backing elements. Let this gentle melody soak it, and it will warm you from the inside out. For me, it’s an inspirational song that pushes a positive message, “as best we can, maybe even less. It’s all we’ve got, it’s all that’s left.” I can feel his effort to do better in the music, to push forward. “Spark” is an instrumental that connects the first half of the album with the final movement, and it has a combination of weight and melody, towed in a careful balance.

“The Scattering Stars” has gentle piano tones to go along with a heavy riff, and you can hear the song progressing with emotion. I picture someone climbing up, and with each step they take, it gets harder and harder, but the determination inside you, the unbreakable will of the human spirt if you will, pushes you forward. “The Falling Heavens” has some very strong vocals that draw out like a blade, and hit peaks at times that are so charged, I feel goosebumps forming. The lyrics sum up the feeling, “they burn me alive, the stars that once lit my sky. I thought I’d get what I gave, an eye for an eye. They just bring tragedy, they just bring pain.” If ever there was a song to reflect the human experience as a whole, this is it.

The title track closes the album. On the first few tracks, Ben uses your emotional response to break you down, but now, he lifts you back up. “But is fate what they break, for those that survive the fall? Left to rebuild the world, in the image of us all,” he muses. I don’t think I have heard an album in a while that connects the music so well with the vocals, and I don’t usually care much for lyrics…it’s music that has the most moving qualities for me. Here, you’ll get an emotional dose of both. The lyrics remind you of your burden and your pain, but the music digs in harder and frees you, if only while the album lasts. Answers? I’m not sure. But there is a deep genuineness and honesty in the album, and it connects the human experience with a natural curiosity we have to question.