TOM DONCOURT & MATTIAS OLSSON'S CATHEDRAL

Tom Doncourt and Mattias Olsson's Cathedral feature the last material the late Tom Doncourt created alongside long time collaborator Mattias Olsson, and given the name of this album it is obvious to assume that this was their joint effort to create material honoring the legacy of Doncourt's old band Cathedral. Doncourt passed away in 2019, and a year or so later the album he and Olsson had crafted together was released through Olsson's label Roth Händle Recordings.

Those who are fond of contemporary, creative and expressive progressive rock made with an eclectic orientation that includes cinematic sections, classic era symphonic progressive rock and post-rock among several styles used or with elements featured throughout should enjoy this album by Doncourt and Olsson immensely. A strong, solid and perhaps somewhat dark creation. A suitably haunting finale for Doncourt as a creator of music it is too of course, but first and foremost a high quality example of what I'd describe as contemporary, eclectic progressive rock.

Tom Doncourt is known for his work with Cathedral the symphonic band that released the excellent album ''Stained Glass Theories'' in 1978. He has released some albums of experimental music in an ambient and electronic style with some guest musicians including Mattias Olsson's ex-drummer of Anglagard. This collaboration release is more in the symphonic prog style than his previous releases. Together and with other musicians they have recorded their parts in their respective studios. This album was finished after Tom's passing by Mattias. The result is a stunning 35 minutes of music with those vintage sounds of strong keyboard melodies with a brilliant rhythm section. The music is dark, melancholic, and introspective with some beautiful arrangements and rich instrumentation. The album is 2 long songs separated by some little pieces. You can hear some influence of King Crimson and the unique Swedish prog style. The highlight song is the 12 minutes ''Poppies in a Field'' with his haunting melodies, sumptuous keyboard melodies, and that modern Kink Crimson's style of drumming. My only complaint is that this album is too short.

You certainly remember the legendary American band Cathedral founded in Long Island in 1975. This combo released a fabulous album called "Stained Glass Stories" in 1978 in the Yes vein then, after a reunion, the great (more personal?) "The Bridge" (2007). Tom Doncourt and Mattias Olsson's Cathedral feature the last material the late Tom Doncourt created with his friend Mattias Olsson, and according to the name of this album, you easily guess that they wanted to create a music honouring the legacy of that band. Tom Doncourt sadly passed away in 2019 but a year later the album they had crafted together was released through Olsson's own label Roth Händle Recordings. After Cathedral's split, Tom released several albums of experimental music in the ambient and electronic style with some guest musicians including the Swedish drummer Mattias Olsson. If I say Olsson was former Änglagård's drummer, your eyes will twinkle. And you're right! Actually this collaboration release is in the symphonic and dark prog style close to King Crimson (the first and "Red" period): a lot of mellotrons, a melancholy and introspective atmosphere... This album was finished by Mattias after Tom's passing away. «Before Tom passed away last Spring we had been working on an album together on and off for a year?Whenever I was touring or recording in the US I would stop by his studio on Long Island on my way back to Sweden and we would write and record together?The process was incredibly relaxed, open and fun with a lot of story sharing, joking and discussions about unusual instruments, music and art. Already from the start we had decided that this album was going to be Progressive rock in the vein of our old bands Cathedral and Änglagård. (...) Finishing the album has been a strange and eerie process as the music was created by the two of us during a long, intuitive and wild conversation. And now that dialogue has gone silent?but whenever I have felt lost or needed help or guidance I have always turned to the music we created together. (...) You will probably listen to this album as a bunch of progressive rock songs but I hear it more as a sonic Polaroid of the friendship we shared and the love and respect we had for each other which made us feel free and safe to create, explore and have fun". Mattias says in the booklet. The result is a fabulous record featuring vintage keyboards, a brilliant syncopated rhythm section (you often think of Bill Bruford), a rich instrumentation (a lot of guests), beautiful arrangements and a delicate mix. A vibrating tribute. The epic 'Poppies in a Field' (12'34) is a must, really! By the end, the simple melody of 'The Last Bridge Organ' and its evocative crescendo of guitars and keyboards, quietly evaporating into the mist is a poignant and hopeful (?) conclusion to that record. In a nutshell, this disc with its 8 tracks and 36 minutes (only!) is a pure bliss! Highly recommended.

With the band CATHEDRAL, Tom Doncourt released a single symphonic prog album in the late 1970s that astonishes even to this day. Somehow he and Änglagård founder and candidate for busiest man in Prog, Mattias Olsson, hooked up to try to drag Tom out of retirement and voilà! There is music being produced! And wonderful, boundary-pushing music it is! (Should we expect anything less from M. Olsson?)

Recorded before the March 2019 death of Mr. Doncourt, Mattias & Co. saw this one to completion--and boy are we fortunate he did: it's a monster of surprisingly forward-thinking progressive rock music! One of the best releases of 2020!

1. "Poppy Seeds Intro" (0:59) a cappella voices setting a mood and melody line (4.5/5)

2. "Poppy Seeds" (2:05) picks up the melody and chord progression from the "intro" and translates it into instruments with tuned percussion instruments added to expand and embellish. (4.5/5)

3. "Chamber" (3:36) guitarish and bellish instruments with massive bass drums, Mellotron, and computer scratches morphs into a bass and guitar-heavy KING CRIMSON/TONY LEVIN-sounding piece at 1:30. Alternates with soft "flute", "harp" and electric guitar section two times. (8.75/10)

4. "#1" (10:38) one of the most effective, perfect prog epics of 2020! Quite a heavy, full, almost Viking sound to it from the opening. Very impressive bass and drum playing with astonishing keyboard sound arrangements. (19/20)

5. "Tower Mews" (2:01) treated piano amid multiple 'tron tacks (flutes, strings, voices). I got shivers! Very Ant Phillips-like. (4.5/5)

6. "Today" (1:24) repeated voice saying "Today I'll go crazy" with a full wall of African rhythms & percussives, flutes, "saw" and more. (4.5/5)

7. "Poppies in a Field" (12:34) keyboard dominated slow rock opening is quickly established to support the poppy vocals of Akaba. (No pun intended.) With the third minute the music detours down a dark alley--VDGG-like. Then Mellotron and waves of bells/percussion give an introspective interlude for the fourth minute. Return to the heavy prog theme from the opening for the fifth and sixth minutes before another cycle through a gentle dream-scene in the seventh. At 8:32 begins a very cool, almost YES-like sophisticated section that is my favorite. The final scale down at 10:45 leads into a section of a bizarre, almost "alien," soundscape, which, strangely, takes us to the song's end. Otherwise, there are some very cool experimental sounds woven through both the heavy and pastoral parts of the song, but ultimately, as a whole, it fails to achieve anything cohesive, much less great. (21.5/25)

8. "The Last Bridge Organ" (2:36) interesting sci-fi/Blade Runner-like outro. (4.25/5)

Total Time 35:53

I don't know who Hampus Nordgren-Hemlin is or where he came from, but the dude plays a mean bass! And I really respect the sound experimenting that Mattias is so into. No wonder he and Ketil Vestrum Einarsen make such a good team!

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection and a real tribute to a long-time master of our beloved genre of music. (Mr. Doncourt passed in 2019.) On the down side, the album is a bit short (35+ minutes) with only two proper prog songs and six rather brief "vignettes." BUT, if you like this, check out the other Tom Doncourt stuff Mattias is releasing on behalf of his dearly departed collaborator.

"Poppy Seeds Intro" for an airy, ethereal chakra intro on voices from above. "Poppy Seeds" to the tune of ENO or BEACH BOYS, ambient piano, very meditative and bordering on spleen. "Chamber" on a Genesisian instrumental rhyme on acoustic guitar then diversion of various synths which will leer towards an enraged KING CRIMSON with its immaculate mellotron; note Stina's harp playing its notes between two Thrakean rhythms. For the moment it's fast as titles. "#1" and the first of two large pieces for a titanic glacial improvisation engaged, breaking with the previous titles, oozing with mellotron and keyboards on a deafening rhythm; a dark, sinister and disturbing variation, the end-of-life aura? There is a clear cut for the last third with a calm atmosphere and final return as in the introduction.

"Tower Mews" and an airy title, still ethereal for the beauty of the piano notes, like a premonitory title about the end of life, a title oh so sidereal and warm. "Today" for a piece with forward pads, syncopated and metronomic rhythm, more of an intermezzo in my opinion. "Poppies in a Field" for the second longest track with guests like Anna, Hanna, Stina and Tom's shrill voice, a little out of place given the beauty of the notes but helped by Akaba's angelic and childish voice; Mattias' cold rhythm goes hand in hand with Tom's icy and warm notes. "The Last Bridge Organ" for the last instrumental track on the mellotron, an ode to hope, to hope, just a bit of icy beauty. "Pop" as a bonus track for a journey into the dark and icy universe of the far north with its cold wind, its flurries of snow and its comforting warmth by the fire, near the window; a progressive instrumental in the soul which is worth much more than a simple bonus, the last title of this collaboration between two great gentlemen of music, where the drums pay homage to the organ and vice versa.

An eccentric, electronic, rhythmic album, 6 short tracks played like vignettes, lorgnettes, 2 long ones reminiscent of the long musical tirades of Stuart John Wolstenholme.