“I’m not worried what people think of me anymore. When Steve Hackett chose me to be his singer for Genesis Revisited, I spent a lot of time adjusting to the limelight and dealing with insecurity. I wanted to be upfront and real this time, open and honest with the audience. The new album is meant to say, ‘Here I am. This is me.'”

Speaking with Progarchy from his home in Sweden, Nad Sylvan is forcefully enthusiastic about Monumentata, his fifth album on Inside Out Music. As he should be: it’s a compelling listen that grabs hold and doesn’t let go, both direct and sophisticated musically, personal yet universal in its lyrical themes.

Monumentata definitely shares and expands on the musical approach of Sylvan’s Vampirate trilogy Courting the Widow, The Bride Said No and The Regal Bastard; that unique mix of rock punch, folk grace and prog elaboration riding irresistible funk and R&B grooves couldn’t come from anyone else. And moving on from 2021’s collaborative Spiritus Mundi, Nad is fully in the driver’s seat, writing all the songs and tackling most of the guitar and keyboard work. Terrific contributions from fellow prog luminaries (Randy McStine & David Kollar on guitar; Tony Levin, Jonas Reingold & Nick Beggs on bass, and Marco Minnemann & Mirko DeMaio on drums) polish impressive diamonds like the glammy album opener “Secret Lover” and the heavy rocker “That’s Not Me” to maximum brilliance, with Sylvan’s dramatic singing more upfront and delightfully in your face than ever.

What’s not here for the most part (OK, the showbizzy “I’m Steppin’ Out” is a fun exception) are larger-than-life characters or fantastic situations. As Sylvan says, “I’ve been searching for my own identity; this album gets closer to the bone than ever; it feels honest and good.” Having stashed the props of his public persona backstage, Sylvan leans into his true nature by exploring his past. While he recommends the album’s liner notes and lyrics to get the whole story behind the songs, he’s intensely communicative even without those helps, digging into the tangled roots of his family on “Monte Carlo Priceless”, standing up to users and stalkers on “Secret Lover” and “Wildfire”. But the emotional heart of Monumentata comes at the end with the deeply moving title track. Using spare, incisive brushstrokes, Nad deftly portrays his long-absent father, pays tribute to what their relationship might have been, and mourns his recent passing. It’s a devastating ballad that wounds to heal, already garnering powerful reactions online.

While Monumentata is a solid step forward in Nad Sylvan’s artistic development, upcoming tours this fall and next year with Steve Hackett mean that live work as a leader can only be an idea to pursue in the indeterminate future. But Sylvan’s OK with that. “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the first album by Genesis I heard, when I was a record shop clerk in Gothenburg as a teenager; it’s still my favorite.  To be singing those songs at the Royal Albert Hall to 5,000 people [documented on Hackett’s upcoming release The Lamb Stands Up Live] – it was extraordinary.  Genesis is my musical DNA, and it feels like my life has come full circle.”

Whether belting out classics first sung by Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins fifty years ago or bringing his own music into the world, Nad Sylvan has been blazing a trail worth following for more than a decade. Monumentata is an ambitious, satisfying new milestone on his creative path.

Monumentata is released on June 20th; it’s available to preorder on signed CD at Nad Sylvan’s webstore, on LP and CD at the Inside Out online store, and via download at Bandcamp.

— Rick Krueger