Undoubting Thomas: In The Process Of... | A Progressive Process…
(2025 – Roxx Records)
Progressive rock and metal have given humanity some great works of art, and musically they have contributed all their wisdom based on virtuosity and versatility. However, personally, I am a little tired of so much instrumental paraphernalia. Often, more thought is given to intricate and sophisticated arrangements, to demonstrate how much one knows about music, rather than thinking about the songs. Well, that would not be the case with the Undoubting Thomas project, an idea of Thomas McKeown, who is the only member of the “band,” so to speak. But who is this Thomas McKeown? Well, as far as we know, he was a founding and stable member of an old Christian band from the ’80s called Damascus, a band that played metal or progressive rock (depending on how you look at it), which released several albums at the time. Then, McKeown disappeared from the scene, and in 2025, he reappeared with this first work from his new project, which, at first glance, shows a lot of promise. Let’s see, or rather, let’s hear what it’s all about…
At first glance, “In The Process” appears to be a conceptual work, with a unique theme that encompasses different human sensations and feelings. The album has nine tracks, but within each one, there are different songs linked together, so the number of tracks is relative. The overall vibe of the album is far removed from metal itself, but it has an interesting musical warmth that makes it very appealing. There are traces of hard rock or metal in tracks such as “Love And Life” and “My Silence,” and even a more operatic approach in “Save Me,” but in general, the mood of “In The Process” is rather relaxed, with a calm atmosphere influenced by 70s progressive rock and hints of jazz and/or blues, which makes it musically very interesting. To give a more concrete idea, and without making useless comparisons, we could say that Undoubting Thomas is closer to Pink Floyd or Supertramp than to Dream Theater, to describe the idea behind this album a little better.
Thomas McKeown is everything in Undoubting Thomas, or almost everything, because he is not only the sole composer, but also handles vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, and percussion. We say “almost everything” because in this case there are some special guests such as Patrick Culligan, who handles the drums, Heather Humphrey on backing vocals, and Gary Jacklin on violin and viola.
In The Process begins with an excellent instrumental piece, “Overture,” featuring beautiful guitar orchestrations. We also come across “The Mirror,” which includes the tracks “Monster Or Man,” “See Me,” and “All Is Lost” in a perfect combination. There are pieces of impressive musical warmth, in the ballad vein, such as “Any Wonder,” possibly one of the best tracks on the album, and “Something Beautiful,” but also note “Dark Waters,” which includes several songs in its long development. The album ends with the pretentious “Another World,” which, as in the previous case, includes several different songs and is ultimately the longest track on the album.
We found the explanation of the idea behind Undoubting Thomas and the album’s message of dedication very interesting. In short, Thomas McKeown states that “Undoubting Thomas is not Thomas who has no doubt. It is the slow process of changing from doubting to undoubting. In this case, “undoubting” is a verb; an action being taken; to endeavor to doubt less.” The album is dedicated to “…those who struggle with life and faith, but never give up.”
The cover of “In The Process” has interesting and appropriate artwork, nothing surprising but it’s fine. This physical CD edition comes with the corresponding booklet, which logically contains the lyrics to each song, technical data, and also has a graphic illustrating each song on the album. In addition, the overall production (obviously by Thomas McKeown) is excellent, achieving a very good mix and sound.
Undoubting Thomas may not be focused on metal, which made me hesitate when publishing this review, but considering Thomas McKeown’s past, as well as the musical excellence of the album, we thought it would be interesting to share something different. After all, how many metal bands have been inspired by 70s progressive rock? Let’s be honest… I don’t think Undoubting Thomas will be a source of inspiration in the future (although you never know…), but I think its quality and sound deserve a place in the spotlight. By the way, I think “In The Process” is a good start for this project, and let’s hope that in the future it will bring us much more than what the album offers. The important thing, after all, and what stands out most, is that this is good music that leaves us eagerly awaiting whatever Thomas McKeown may release in the future…
This album has been released, at least for now, only on CD. Let’s hope that there will soon be a vinyl edition for lovers of the analog format. I think the occasion warrants it. To find out more about this project or get in touch, here are the details for finding Undoubting Thomas on social media, and, while we’re at it, the video clip for the song “Any Wonder”…
https://www.facebook.com/UndoubtingThomas
