I was very pleasantly surprised to find this CD. Leonardo DaVinci was a truly great man who deserves a tribute. Why not make it an opera featuring progressive rock/metal? Leonardo: TheAbsolute Man is the brainchild of Magna Carta president Peter Morticelli which was actually written in toto by Trent Gardner. He employed members of his own bands Magellan and Explorers Club as well as Kansas (Steve Walsh), Under the Sun (Chris Shryack), and many other talented musicians. With a line-up like this, expectations should be high. Those expectations are not disappointed. Further, it is obvious that Gardner did his homework in writing the libretto for this work, and he seems equally inspired musically. I imagine that he experienced a sort of renaissance himself when trying to distill the life of such a great man into one recording. In a day of fast food, fad music (grunge, yuck!), and the like, it’s good to see that some things are timeless classics: progressive rock, and one of the greatest minds ever, Leonardo.