Robert Berry – The Wheel of Time

This latest effort from Robert Berry (who played with Steve Howe in GTR, and Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer in 3) is truly a departure from his usual style.

The album is based on author Robert Jordan’s best selling series The Wheel of Time and acts as a soundtrack to the books.

True to form, Berry gives us once more an original album, but it’s quite different from what you’d expect from him. Here he’s very much influenced from his work as producer for the band Tempest. There’s a definite Celtic influence in the sound and he co-wrote a couple of the tracks with Lief Sorbye of that band. Not what you’d expect from Robert Berry, nevertheless, performed in a way you’d expect from him.

Berry takes care of production and almost all instruments and vocals. There is, however, a non-negligible vocal performance by Lisa Bouchelle. Always nice to hear her.

This is a strong album, with a lot of instrumental tracks which guides you through the series of books as though you were there yourself.

Another strong effort from Robert Berry, charting new territory in a way only he can do.