The Sheffield arranger, composer and multi-instrumentalist rises once again, landing straight to the top of the Symphonic prog pedestal with another outstanding release that merits the attention of all prog fans, his sixth venture that includes last year’s 20th anniversary remake of his debut 2005 album “All in the Golden Afternoon”. While all his records are of exceptional quality, as well as highly rated within the community, as he maintains a stylistic standard that is purely his own, this new opus might just conquer the prog Everest once and for all. So, when we talk about symphonic Prog , the two words are of maximal importance , as the balancing act required to blend the two together in harmonious deliverance is a challenging task. Arranging classical music, especially keyboard-based material is a bold enterprise, as the numerous prog legends of the glory years of the 70s stamped the rock element for eternity (we know who they are). Credibility, originality as well as respect of tradition are all required elements. Ian handles this arduous task by fully understanding how this brand of music needs to be listened to. The audience yearns for an immersive experience, with a time, a place and a story to plunge into with full engagement, in order to savor all the detailed components and how it will affect the pleasure nodes. From the three-part opening suite “How Dreams Do Creep (for Souls Asleep), to the sprawling “Leonardo” with its five acts , the casual listener is instantly drawn into abandoning any background music pretense, dropping all the multi-tasking maladies of our times , and just close the eyes, and let the imagination roam freely. That my friends is what music should be about: liberation.
Ian wastes no time in establishing the foundational platform on which he will develop his craft on the opener, lessons learned from past innovators like early Genesis, including Ant Phillips (Slow Dance era) , as the delicate interface between the mellotron symphonics, the pastoral elements so dear to the British folk-rock tradition (The Strawbs, Gryphon, Magicfolk, Iona, etc…), and a brawny bass governance leaps forward throughout. Lather on some heady keyboards, both organ, piano, and synths, toss in some slicing guitar shavings and some serious syncopation on the percussive side, and you are immediately plunged into an alternate fantasy world of your own making. As if to further the point, “Late States , Eden’s Gates” eliminates any possible argument that lethargic arrangements could rule the roost, quite to the contrary, the pace is throbbing, expansive, and at times, breathtakingly bold. That stodgy bass is such a devourer of emotions, egging on the remaining instrumental deliberations.
A moment of reflection on the short “Enitharmon’s Dream” wanders into dreamier territory yet still packs quite the wallop when challenged, very indicative of the album cover’s intuitive message.
The epic, nearly 13 minute “Cretan Angel” elects a mythological revisit of the Greek classics, your choice of Iliad or the Odyssey, a vocal and acoustic main frame on which to establish presence, a light passing through the veil of illusion, and a state of temporary silence. The progression is effortless, a gradual build-up of symphonic festivity, where details vie with overall impact for the attentive ear. The second half raises the temperature with stormier motifs, booming drums ushering in grandiose walls of synthesized orchestrations, and an expertly sculpted guitar solo that seek to rival the electronic keyboard arsenal, both putting up quite the fuss. The swirling finale is rightfully over the top.
A duo of 5-minute pieces are next up, with “Fresco” surging into more delicate territory , a warm synth weaving between tick-tock drums, a massive synth-bass echoing throughout the musical cupola, craning necks desperate for focusing on the intricate details. The electric guitar solo overtly takes this straight into the celestial heavens, with a sprawling Gilmour-esque burst that screeches emphatically. Sublime.
Another bucolic, flute-led orchestral romp on “Of Aether, Rose and Spangling Dew”, the soaring harmonic chants a pure delicacy, church organ lagging close behind, cherubs looking down and smiling, establishing a comfortable numbness from which no one wishes to escape. Gloriously intense.
The 11 and a quarter finale is the absolute highpoint, an exquisite exercise in cutting-edge, soundtrack-worthy cinematographic immersion. The stylishness of the piano, in tandem with its bass guitar counterpart, the eloquent choral voices, the euphoric cymbals crashing undeterred, as the melodic accrual marches onward and upward, is wholly phenomenal. The hushed lead vocals appear to express more than reverence, as the crescendo is ultimately attained and the whistling winds scatter the leaves of memories past. The evolution maintains nevertheless a continuity that keeps the focus on the overall canvas, adding a plethora of detail, power and insistence that was deliberately arranged to achieve a haunting apotheosis, perhaps even apocalyptic irrevocability. Symphonic Prog has a new classic to enjoy for ever more.
Whatever your preferences are and how they may influence your choices, there is a time and a place for this style of escape within our over stimulated, at times helter-skelter (rarely has a Beatles title been more applicable to our current mayhem), and many would be negligent at their own peril of not checking out this gemlike flame! This release needs to be both heard and felt.
4.5 glittering emeralds