A MIDWINTER SPELL

I am usually severely allergic to Christmas music of all sorts and I have always been a bit embarrassed to admit that some of my favourite bands and artists actually have made Christmas songs and albums (Queen and Jethro Tull are but two examples). Thankfully, the present EP release from The Morrigan is not Christmas music in the traditional sense. We have here four tracks, three of which have been featured already on the band's regular studio albums. The first two tracks are taken from Masque, originally released in 1998, and the third from 2002's Hidden Agenda. I have never thought of these tunes as being Christmas songs, and they were probably never explicitly intended to be so, but they do indeed have a certain wintery feeling (at least when heard in this new context). The fourth track is a previously unreleased version of the traditional Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas and is thus the most "Christmassy" of the four tracks. It is a very nice electrified Folk song in typical Morrigan Folk Rock style.

A Midwinter Spell is the first official release from The Morrigan since 2002 (and their first EP since 1993). It is very nice to have a sign of life from the band. As a "teaser" this EP fills its function quite well as all four tracks are very good and worth having, but for anyone who already has the Masque and Hidden Agenda albums, this EP offers very little new. And for those who don't have those full length albums, I would strongly recommend starting with them rather than with this EP. The Morrigan is a very good and underrated band and their original studio albums are indeed recommended for all with an interest in progressive Folk Rock. This EP, on the other hand, despite generally excellent contents, is not really necessary unless you are a fan or collector (or if you want to give the band your financial support).

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