It is a wonderful feeling to start a new year with a great progressive rock album release, and Wherever Forever by Spirergy is certainly that. The project is the work of composer and multi-instrumentalist, Dave Allen, of Hoylake, on the Wirral, it is the third release under that name – following on from Aeon in 2023 and Journey Beyond in 2024. This year Dave has joined forces with fellow multi-instrumentalist Colin Powell (of A Multitude of One) and released two impressive albums in 2025 as Riffstone: A bold, narrative-driven, historical concept album, Richard III and more recently the refreshingly diverse Sanctuary Sky.
Wherever Forever is all the work of Dave alone and it really is a highly enjoyable album full of progressive rock complexity and symphonic grandeur, whilst also being thoroughly accessible with melody and hooks across its 8 varied tracks. Dave’s acoustic and electric guitar playing is stunning at times, but this is matched by his use of keyboards and synths to create epic and atmospheric soundscapes. Add his wonderful expressive bass and drum rhythms and soaring, dreamy vocal harmonies, and you have a vibrant, musical tour-de-force to immerse yourself within.
The songs cover many themes and include human conflict, innocence, hope, cosmic journeys and the human condition amongst others. Dave’s mature and thoughtful lyrics conjure up feelings and emotions eloquently and his higher register vocals somehow fit the yearning, contemplative and uplifting sentiments very well. Musically, Dave is happy to mix all his influences within the instrumentation, including classic rock, old-style prog, melodic pop and epic symphonic rock. It is a delight to listen to the album and see these influences remembered with warmth and virtuosity.
Innocent Hearts is a poignant opener about the impact of war on innocent women, children and families. Building up quietly from acoustic guitar and keyboard patterns, it gains intensity with a driving beat and powerful rock riffs, with some effective keyboard lines as the narrative moves from fragile peace into war. The vocals highlight “the plight of the innocent hearts.” There is a powerful message in the lyrics: “Should we fight for innocence, I really think so,” and there is some nicely judged and economical electric guitar soloing prior to the contemplative ending. There is, sadly, a contemporary relevance to this song, and others on the album, to the global situation we find ourselves in.
12-string acoustic guitar is used at the start of When They Came. It is another dark, dystopian tale about the arrival of an invading enemy. Dave’s electric guitar soloing soars high before vibrant bass and drums propel the music over stabs of expressive keyboards. The lyrics capture the fear and desperation of the people, matched by the intricacy of the electric guitar playing. Interestingly, the uplifting feel of the music at times is juxtaposed with the helplessness of the invaded masses. The vocals of “Hey you, what did we do to you?” have a yearning quality, with the tempo picking up again, creating some lovely classic, melodic rock moments through to the conclusion.
Carry Me Home is a favourite track of mine on the album. It’s a wonderfully upbeat and melodic progressive rock epic, despite telling the story of a wounded soldier finding his way back to safety with the help of a fellow comrade in arms. Dave’s skilful and lyrical guitar and keyboard playing shines brightly (as it does throughout the album) and the instrumentation twists and turns with intricate and virtuosic flair – all intertwined with a soaring melodic chorus, catchy electric guitar motif and a foot-tapping rhythm. There is still enough light and shade along its extended length to keep everything fresh. Electric guitar and piano provide a moving middle-section, with inventive bass and synths joining in effectively. The piano displays a brief jazzy feel over some busy drumming before a return to the exuberant main theme and the optimistic, high floating vocal harmonies of “I’m calling for you to carry me home. Carry me home.” A lovely complex, yet approachable tapestry of prog rock with a compelling message.
See It In Your Eyes is the album’s only instrumental, but it provides a refreshing change after the three previous tracks. Soft piano, followed by a lush background of keyboards set the tone, before a flowing electric guitar, a steady, swaying rhythm, and then some keyboard effervescence appears. It is an appealing, multi-layered track that takes you nicely into the second half of the album.
With Falling From The Sky, a child’s vision of an impending catastrophe in a desolate, ruined cityscape continues the darkness that runs under the surface of many of the songs. A futuristic swell of synths is followed by driving bass and drums, which build up tension as the missile hurtles down from the sky, creating an overwhelming sense of doom and inevitable destruction. Dave’s vocals drip sadness and regret at the effect war has on a young life. The pulsing bass guitar and energetic drums take centre stage most of the time, but the edgy guitar provides the atmospheric dynamics to the fading finale.
It’s Here Again, by contrast, has a joyous character, starting with acoustic guitar and then the wonderfully jaunty keyboard theme, before the lyrics recount the relentless, beautiful cycles of existence. Starting with the daily spectacle of the sun’s rise and set, before looking at the turning of the seasons and the passing of the years. “Like tonight you know it’s here again. I feel tonight that it is here again.” There is a rhythmic pulse to the music with guitar and keyboards combining with the bass and drums and rising and falling to celebrate the constant, awe-inspiring flow of decay followed by renewal. Dave supplies another stunning guitar solo before the returning synths and more enjoyable vocal harmonies.
Insomnia and nocturnal anxiety are the subjects of the melancholic and troubled In The Small Hours. Guitar, bass, drums and keyboards combine to produce highly intricate and shifting time signatures, which help create a disorientating and sleepless atmosphere, with an elderly man sitting on the edge of his bed at 3:00 am, jolted awake by a terrifying nightmare carrying a memory or fear back to life. The vocals are searching and questioning, with powerful guitar and keyboards rising and falling over an insistent beat, conjuring up a flowing musical soundscape full of progressive visions to ponder.
Wherever Forever is a true progressive 16-minute epic that closes proceedings superbly. Starting with strutting, riff-laden, classic melodic rock, we follow travellers searching the vastness of space for a replacement home, in a dystopian future where our Earth is environmentally exhausted. It is another musically diverse track, with haunting vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar contrasting with powerful, driving bass and drums, all anchored by a soaring lead guitar that embodies the journey. Midway, there is a lovely Yes-like ambience with ascending keyboards and Jon-Anderson-style vocals as the travellers ponder their uncertain journey towards salvation, and one they cannot return from. “Find a world, a distant land, build a home in another place. Live a dream of brighter days, children have a future in the starts.” There is a gorgeous pick up in tempo later on, with vibrant power, but also complemented by more reflective moments punctuating the music. An acoustic guitar interlude is an appealing prelude to the full-on, symphonic majesty of the track’s forceful finale. One of those tracks that certainly leaves an impression, long after the final notes fade.
Dave Allen’s Spirergy project has created another highly enjoyable album with Wherever Forever, full of vibrant progressive melodic rock, with sumptuous, virtuosic guitar and keyboard interplay and compositional intricacy, yet balanced by a melodic accessibility and a diversity of contemporary lyrical and musical themes. It is a great way to start a brand-new year of prog rock, and any discerning listener should explore this grass-roots musical gem from this talented multi-instrumentalist as soon as possible via Bandcamp.
TRACK LISTING
01. Innocent Hearts (6:34)
02. When They Came (9:03)
03. Carry Me Home (10:20)
04. See It In Your Eyes (5:09)
05. Falling From the Sky (7:13)
06. It’s Here Again (7:09)
07. In The Small Hours (9:31)
08. Wherever Forever (16:00)
Total Time – 70:59
MUSICIANS
Dave Allen – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Bass, Drum Programming
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 1st January 2026
