Celtic-tinged Prog is alive and well, especially ever since the demise of the magnificent Iona back in 2000. Guitarist Dave Bainbridge has gone onto a solo career with a slew of nine releases, that have garnered glowing reviews. The other Dave, our Dave, has played with Bainbridge before, now branching out with his fourth studio album “the Fellowship”. The combined previous thirteen releases were given the loftiest praise by this writer and as such, form a solid Celtic Prog discography alongside many the Morrigan and Colin Masson albums, as well. No massive stylistic change here, Brons forges on with a lush extravaganza that has all the elements needed to be a most successful listen. The core band has the talented Daniel Day on whistles, bass and keys, rummer John Biglands (who also adds keyboards), and the exemplary vocalist Sally Minnear (who is Bainbridge’s main foil).The Celtic cavalry is further solidified by the in dominatable Troy Donockley and Catherine Ashcroft on Uilleann pipes, violin by Matt Steady as well as cello from Ian Brons. Stephen Bradnum does brass and choir arrangements and Mark Swift the piano chores. Fifteen tracks with a running time 76 minutes, means that this is not a singles album, but an entire musical saga meant to be ingested as one single experience, merging historical background and with modern electric interventions.
“Shadow of the Past”, sets the shrouded mysterious atmosphere, and as befits the topography of the Scottish and Northern British areas, the travel through all the peaks, valleys, streams and lochs will provide a multitude of emotions. This recipe is immediately stamped by the rather boisterous “Nameless Fear” with its glittering Brons guitar screeches and bellowing vocals, followed by the redolent fluidity of “Over the River”, where Minnear’s voice gets to wade above the waves, at first rather gingerly, then with some elevated gales of energy.
You want some tracks possessed by soaring and immaculate beauty? “Aragorn” surely fits the bill, initially grandiose and majestic, based on the fictional Tolkien character, and the ideal platform for the pipes to swarm the senses with a whirlwind demonstration, especially when Brons’ axe carves up the theme and slices like a razorblade. Excellent! A moment of pensive reflection on the magical violin-driven “The Road Goes Ever On”, really comes as a welcome diversion into a folkier sound, pastoral and melancholic, utterly Celtic and profoundly hypnotic. The Rogue is an outright sucker for this gentler, medieval style.
The shift to anthemic themes are also prevalent on edgier tracks like the hopeful sentiment-laden “Just One More Step” as well as the towering “Flight to the Ford” and its stunning choir section, underpinned by insane corkscrew fretboard work and powerful rhythmic mayhem, eventually settling into a more linear flight and a lovely piano finale.
The instrumental title track on the other hand, portrays both extremes, the electricity of the rasping guitar, the abundant melodic backswing and a more cinematographic arrangement, with piano adding ornate elegance to counter the sizzling energy, with Brons offering a vintage Robin Trower-like performance, as the power notes burn and crackle. The choir backdrop supplements all the amplitude required. From this moment on, beginning with the intriguing intro “The Voice of Saruman”, the combines six tracks (clocking between 4 and 5 minutes each) act like a suite, the hazy “Mines of Moria” soon deviating into grandiloquence, shifting to the compelling “Mirror of Galadriel” maintaining the Tolkien-esque theme with a moodier presence, a stage for Sally to soar delightfully, in harmony with the crisp piano work. “The River Anduin” maintains the flow, a heady combination of serenity and willpower, while the brassy “Whatever it Takes”, a rather straightforward ballad that shimmers with delight, amazing bass and superb vocals, gathering steam and fortitude. And in conclusion, the ethereal “Let the River Take Him” sending the burning funereal ship into the night, heading towards its final resting place on Iona and the resolute pipes serenading in homage.
A welcome addition to Brons’s discography, perhaps a few more revisits will help it attain the genius of both “Return to Arda” and “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost”, which remains precious gems in my prog jewelry cabinet.
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