An exercise in persistence and devotion to the cause, Phoenyx patiently bid its time to try again to influence the prog community by releasing this unique album. “There is no point in resisting the obvious reference to Phoenyx rising from the ashes. Thirty-five years after the San Francisco-based Celtic Fusion group released “Keepers of the Flame,” its sole album, Seattle label Prometheus Music has rereleased the cult classic. By 1990, with the city’s wave of psychedelic music and its punk explosion in the rearview mirror, Phoenyx, a five-piece outfit founded and fronted by two women dressed in black leather and armed with electric violins, was one of a handful of bands making the rounds of what one San Francisco music critic called the Bay Area’s “Shamrock Circuit” of Irish pubs, putting a West Coast spin on the blend of traditional Irish and English music and rock pioneered by British bands like Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention, and Steeleye Span”.(-quote Prometheus Music) . Lead singer and primary songwriter Heather Alexander (now Alexander James Adams), violinist Cat Taylor, guitarist Mark Ungar, bassist John Land and drummer Larry the O formed this band. In 1990, Phoenyx released “Keepers of the Flame,” and after some favorable interest, petered out quietly only to resurface like the legendary Phoenix , 35 years later, rising from the ashes of the distant past !
If you enjoy violin-based Celtic fusion, immersing yourself in Irish, Scottish and even Breton folklore as a jolly good pastime , a break from all that symphonic thunder that may rule your world, then you have come to the right place.
Five shorter pieces get the Gaelic party in motion, handclapping along a most welcome tradition. From the ‘jumpin jack flash’ of the opening instrumental “Banish Misfortune/Lark in the Morning”, where the band introduces the overall mood, Phoenyx wastes little time into deviating off into a more profound vocal piece on “Stormbringer”, where Alexander shows off her passionate singing, a bluesier attitude that hints at Tull , mainly due to presence of the electric guitar. “King of Elfland’s Daughter” proposes of typical sing-along Brit-folk whiskey-fueled vocal duet, where the tale recalls a time gone by, the Taylor violin soaring to impressive heights. Yearning for a moodier moment, “Black Unicorn” is a suave story of a mythical animal, expertly hushed along by Alexander’s devilish rendering, theatrical and magical at the same time, the violin applying its screeching defiance to the shrill electric guitar challenge, a sensational track that deserves recognition. And finally, “Cat and the Fiddle” concludes this section of the presentation. Led by a feline violin, playfully romping along with harmony vocals as the lead happily bounces along , like a curious purring creature of the night. Ungar lets a sizzling counter on his axe, just to keep the things interesting as the duel with the fiddle takes shape.
The screen is lifted on the next act , a three-fisted magnum opus : The first corpulent track is the remarkable “Marley O’Reilly”, the title cleverly hinting at a combination Jamaican reggae rhythm, with a definite Irish lilt to the uber melodic verse and chorus, very much a contrast between tropical sunshine and four-leaf clover fog, a heady mix that works perfectly. The main attraction is the phenomenal violin, mandolin , acoustic guitar bass and drum interplay on the extended instrumental section, a colossal success finished of by a glittering lead guitar solo. Bravo! St-Patrick would be proud ! The second extended composition is the ambient “Voices of the Sea”, with shades of Iona (both the UK band and the famed island), a sea shanty in progressive overclothes , the echoing vocals both haunting like a distant siren, emboldened by a lush and densely atmospheric arrangement that keeps things delectably unassuming. A prefect segue as the adventure reaches land , where “Creature of the Wood” lurks in the thick green forest, another atmospheric fairy tale expertly delivered by the intense talents of Heather Alexander, the mid-section kicking up a fair amount of dust as the mood hardens. Another wonderful slice of Celtic-fusion.
Next section reverts to a more traditional jig style, the roots unearthed once again for all to admire, the gliding violin leading the charge with more stops and starts that a subway line. The various stations include the pungent “Musical Priest/Butterfly/Swallowtail Jig”, the crowded choir vocalizing on the nearly Oldfieldian guitar romp of “March of Cambreadth”, the longer stopover at the central carousel “Up in the Loft” where the killer tone gets ‘raunchy rolly’, a grittier riff shifting the mood with overpowering vocals ,hard guitars with a long Bond-like guitar rant and bruising rhythmic pulse, a slight early Curved Air feel that is utterly delightful. Last halt before the terminus, the brief “Concentration”, as in a full load of souls heading to the ultimate destination, nothing brainy, just a shuffling cavalcade of tribal Larry the O beats and whispered vocals.
Freedom arrives at the end, the liberating “Yo Ho!”, a 6 minute + ‘cracker back’ that holds back little but offers so much, with chugging bluesy guitars, hustler vocals, whips slicing through the air, buzzing bass and depth charge drumming. Spirit unleashed, passion fulfilled, the phoenix has risen from the ashes. A sure-fire concert encore, with sparklers lit and well-imbibed voices singing the chorus! Ungar, Taylor and Alexander take over the serenade with undeniable audacity and await your applause.
4.5 Resurrections