20 Nov 2025

The Archaeoptimist: Press & Reviews

Press coverage, international reviews, and interviews for Spock's Beard's acclaimed new album, The Archaeoptimist.

The Archaeoptimist: Press & Reviews

REVIEWS

USA

  • Scott’s Song By Song and Spotlight Site – ★★★★★ “Fans of SB will absolutely adore this album”
  • Metal Planet Music – “one of the pinnacles of Spock’s Beard’s superlative discography…the song construction and musicianship is in the premier league of Prog Rock”
  • The Prog Report – “this album pretty much has everything that the Spock’s Beard faithful could expect – no matter which their favorite era. ‘The Archaeoptimist’ presents the Lazarus-like return of one of the greatest acts in Prog.”
  • The Prog Corner (YouTube)
  • Sonic Perspectives – 8.8/10 “A re-energized Ted Leonard–era Spock’s Beard is back, complete with new powerhouse drummer Nick Potters, to deliver one of the more streamlined and focused albums of their career.”

CANADA

  • Profil Prog (Quebec) – 9.5/10
    “Consciously, the five musicians made musical nods to their own history. In doing so, they offer us sixty minutes of music that is high-level, exciting, and energizing.”

GERMANY

  • Rocks – 8.5/10 “Effortlessly brings together Kansas, Yes, the Beatles, early Genesis, and Pink Floyd, impressively underscoring the band’s leadership within the genre” (feature)
  • Classic Rock – 8/10 “Captivates the listener in a seamless stylistic mix of jazz, funk, soul, and hard rock” (interview)
  • Legacy – 11/15
  • Eclipsed – 8/10 “Complex and breathtaking… No question: Fans will love it—and not just because they’ve missed the beards long enough”
  • Metal Hammer – 5.5/7 “Intelligent down to the smallest detail and technically flawless…timeless, fresh, and vibrant”
  • Rock Hard DE – 8/10 “The tracks sound crisper and more dynamic than most of the competition…everything fits together perfectly, and even after 30 years, SPOCK’S BEARD still pull original, fresh ideas out of their sleeves. A fine album!”
  • Saitenkult – 8.5/10 “A mature, powerful, compelling statement – and perhaps the most convincing sign in a long time that SPOCK’S BEARD have arrived exactly where they should be today”
  • Darkstars.DE – 9/10 “The Archaeoptimist fits seamlessly into Spock’s Beard’s impressive and impeccable discography. Fans of this genre simply must own this album. The phenomenal organ and synth sounds alone, courtesy of keyboard virtuoso Ryo Okumoto, are worth the price of admission”
  • Markus’ Heavy Music Blog – 8/10 “The Archaeoptimist is a fine addition to Spock’s Beard’s list of great releases. It is the next masterfully crafted progressive rock album, blending emotional intensity with musical savvy”
  • Zephyr’s Odem – 8.7/10 “The band’s fourteenth studio album is suffused throughout with incredible joy of playing and an ever-present, almost sunny, positive vibe that’s instantly infectious… Everything that once made the band the spearhead of an entire scene is here. And even though much has changed in terms of personnel and style since the early days, when they’re in this form, no one can touch them.”
  • Darkstars.DE (Chris Strieder) – 9/10
    “The Archaeoptimist fits seamlessly into Spock’s Beard’s impressive and impeccable discography. Fans of this genre simply must own this album. The phenomenal organ and synth sounds alone, courtesy of keyboard virtuoso Ryo Okumoto, are worth the price of admission.”
  • Deaf Forever – 8.5/10 “The frequently interwoven keyboard runs and sounds are already spectacular in the opener ‘Invisible’, stripping away the predictability of the songs — most impressively in ‘St. Jerome in the Wilderness.’”
  • Empire – “The compositions are varied, melodic, and heavy, and despite all the retro charm, they sound crisp and incredibly fresh…what a comeback it is!”
  • SaitenKult – *8.5/10 “A mature, powerful, compelling statement—and perhaps the most convincing sign in a long time that Spock’s Beard have arrived exactly where they should be today.”

UK

  • Prog - “Complex and multilayered without being bewildering… it does all feel rather special”
  • Classic Rock – 8/10 “Like the best modern prog rock, The Archaeoptimist reveals more and more at every new sitting”
  • Metal Planet – “One of the pinnacles of Spock’s Beard’s superlative discography”
  • Metal Epidemic – “They find a perfect balance of classic and modern, nostalgia and innovation, and I just hope there’s more where this came from”
  • Ramzine – “To still be able to produce an album of this quality speaks volumes for their creativity”
  • Maximum Volume – 8.5/10 “Spock’s Beard continue to boldly go wherever they damn well please. ‘The Archaeoptimist’ is proof that they are still pushing, still exploring, still finding new galaxies to map”
  • Musipedia Of Metal – 9/10 “Spock’s Beard are clearly not content with becoming a nostalgia act and they have leaned on the creative drive of their keyboardist to continue the recording legacy of this veteran band”
  • At The Barrier – “a boundless philosophy of experimentation and improvisation kick through”

NETHERLANDS

  • Written In Music – 4.5/5 “The Beard is back, sparkling and brilliant, with a captivating album full of unadulterated progressive sounds”
  • Progwereld – “A worthy successor to ‘Noise Floor’ that puts Spock’s Beard right back at the top of the prog scene.”

FRANCE

  • PROG et + – “A triumphant return after seven years of studio silence. The Archaeoptimist is a major prog rock album—a brilliant blend of technical mastery, emotion, and musical storytelling.”

ITALY

GREECE

  • Rocking Greece – “the great aura that carries the name Spock’s Beard accompanies them in this work as well, making it a must-have for every fan of the band, and of the progressive rock idiom in general”

LATIN AMERICA

  • ProgJazz (Chile) – “Yes, The Archaeoptimist is a triumphant comeback—bigger and better. An automatic standout of 2025.”
  • Autopoietican – “An impressive collection of modern progressive sounds in which Spock’s Beard demonstrates their perennial creativity and interpretative muscle.”

NEWS COVERAGE

INTERVIEWS