The PROPHETS OF ZARQUON (UK) Galleon Ascending
This is my second incursion into the wonderful world of Zarquon, a moody concoction that relies on heavy doses of magnificent mellotron, never a dull proposition for the Rogue, especially when aided by some rich guitar convulsions and a whooshing female voice that can do no wrong. I enjoyed their fourth album , the 2024 release of “Floodplain”, deeply impressed by their overall sound, nothing ever overtly polished but truly heartfelt, coming across as a band that does not own a corporate sheen, just content to forge their own path.
There is plenty of continuity from the opening piece “Galleon” and its companion piece “Ascending”, settling into a lovely 15-minute run into the sonic adventure ‘that allows the mind portals to cascade through the whirlpool into the dreams vortices of tomorrow’, words I can wholeheartedly applaud. The spirited tone is modern symphonic with tinges of Gothic inspiration, dabs of steeped British folk and that darned mellotron howling in the background. The drum programing does not distract , mainly because the melodies sung by Roseanne are inherently attractive, recalling the fine tradition of British female vocalists, from Annie Haslam to Julianne Regan (All About Eve) and another two dozen I could name in a heartbeat ,they are well known in the prog community.
Veering only slightly on a tangent, “Ridgeway” keeps the lens aimed at the twinkling stars above, ‘the colours enhance, the music brings the dance’ rekindles images of evening bonfires crackling in the windswept cove, a moment of personal reflection put into music. “Spectral Lights” provides a haunting spectacle, where time colludes with space , moments of amazement where movement has no bearing, the two pieces enlaced as one, divided by none.
As the title may slightly hint at, “Pastoral” is nothing more than sonic beauty incarnate, a lace filigree gently blowing in the gale, caressing the skin ever so lightly, the keyboard details beyond jubilation, the voice urgently sedate, a beautiful slice of melody that cuts into the heart painlessly. Absolute radiance, words fail me.
Mellotron strings, electric guitar glitter and a churning thoughts abound on “Whirlpool”, Roseanne showing some intense restraint on an ambient promenade along the beach, Poseidon and Neptune swimming synchronized as one, then comes a transition into a more muscular wave form that is supremely handled, another masterstroke of mood and sensibility.
Incredibly, the anthemic “Whisper Trees” just keeps the maybe I am amazed feeling I get when I look to the west, keeping my attention close to the edge and down by the river. Deliciously ambient and drenched in simplicity, a forest where a voice, an inspiration and a melody unite in total harmony.
What a helluva finale on “As Above So Below (the Plains of Morning)”! Mighty is the mellotron as it engulfs the soul like a blanket of symphony on this colossal hymn to living life, eagerly awaiting not only a new dawn but a new existence. Its utterly thrilling, feelgood progressive rock.
Living in a big city may have its advantages, mainly that a cosmopolitan reviewer/music lover can just slip a CD (yes, I am old LOL) and lose himself in some solemn paradise where solitude is a panacea, where appreciation for the marvels of nature abound, far from the maddening crowd and the unending fascination with negativity. This is a definite must have album that comes heavily recommended for those in need of immediate aural healing without any hint of side effects (perhaps a bit of addiction though) .
5 Soaring sloops