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WATER OF DIVINITY

Colin Mold

Prog Folk


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Colin Mold Water of Divinity album cover
3.49 | 17 ratings | 2 reviews | 12% 5 stars

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Studio Album, released in 2007

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Pursuit of Amphibalus (5:38)
2. The Dying Tree (5:45)
3. Prayer and Shelter (3:23)
4. So Many Thoughts (2:25)
5. Beautiful Place (5:24)
6. When Will You Wait to See My Light (6:31)
7. A Life Through New Eyes (6:50)
8. Arrival and Capture (5:29)
9. From the Spring Flows New Hope (9:31)

Total time: 51:06

Line-up / Musicians

- Colin Mold / vocals and all instruments

Releases information

CD Whiteknight CMCD001 (2007) UK

Thanks to clemofnazareth for the addition
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COLIN MOLD Water of Divinity ratings distribution


3.49
(17 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(12%)
12%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(41%)
41%
Good, but non-essential (35%)
35%
Collectors/fans only (6%)
6%
Poor. Only for completionists (6%)
6%

COLIN MOLD Water of Divinity reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Being totally enthralled and enamored by Colin Mold's latest album 'Girl on the Castle Steps', I undertook the task of getting his debut recording 'Water of Divinity' into my collection and strive to comprehend where it all began for him, in terms of recording (his very first foray was the raw Kara project). There are some who do not like beautiful music, a notion that I find kind of bizarre, as if a pretty woman or a pretty photograph would somehow deserve to be unliked and therefore discarded. But this prettiness can also incorporate a colossal amount of pain and emotion, a strong sense of melancholia and nostalgia which is the underlying essence of such a wide variety of musical styles, from Gypsy, Fado, Celtic, Umm Kulhtum and Flamenco to blues, folk, jazz and rock.

The seeds of future greatness ('Girl' is an outright masterpiece) are plainly audible on this exemplary offering, obviously kept low-key for budgetary reasons, such as the strong lead voice that resonates with such ardor and poignancy as well as the dexterous guitar playing of the highest caliber. Acoustic and electric workouts are technically proficient and exhibit a strong sense of personality and style that is well above the norm. This very personal album is littered with examples of Colin's musical expertise and showcases a bright future for this multi-instrumentalist. As per the liner notes, 'Water of Divinity' began as a collection of instrumental pieces designed around the story of St Alban and quickly evolved into a more or less conceptual recording with appropriate lyrics and vocals. The opener 'Pursuit of Amphibalus' is an all-instrumental track that espouses the electric folk-rock traditions of the United Kingdom in an obvious and expansive manner

The sedate 'The Dying Tree' is our first glimpse of Colin's quivering and angelic voice, a seductive expression similar to a less husky Justin Hayward. The fuzzy guitar washes amid the acoustic picking show the signs of a composer on top of his game , especially when the oblique lead solo kicks in , hinting at Iona's Dave Bainbridge or even Allen Holdsworth.

'Prayer and Shelter' is a hauntingly beautiful highlight track, like a sky full of scintillating stars, soothing backing vocals shepherded by a fluid electric guitar flight and blanketed in lustrous keyboards. Yes, there is a little hint of early Enya as well as some folksy preciousness that exudes beauty and serenity.

'So Many Thoughts' is a brief acoustic guitar interlude, aromas of Ant Phillips in the air, jangly notes resonating spiritedly.

The sunny 'Beautiful Place' chooses to lean towards a more classic folk expanse, the sublime vocals and deep lyrics taking over a brisk and echoing melody, whilst whooshing Roland synths paint the air and sensuously duel with a voluptuous axe solo as well as some fine acoustic picking. From this moment on, Colin proposes a series of four songs that easily rival the future jewels on 'Girl on the Castle Steps', where sweeping rapturous melodies vie for attention with superb instrumental playing. First up, the grandiose 'When Will you Wait to See my Light' with its memorable chorus that sticks to your brain like some tenacious mould (pun time!), augmented by a soaring, scouring guitar solo for the ages, the soothing voice seeps lovingly beyond the melancholia and consecrating the talent on display here. I mean this is achingly beautiful, inspiring, personal and sensational music, a song for the ages.

'A Life Through my Eyes' continues the crest on which the music rides, a more acoustic oriented style at first that evolves into an enormous guitar excursion, flush with emotional drive and folk tradition, dense synthesized orchestrations that give width and breath to the meaningful lyrics.

'Arrival and Capture' seeks to prove a crucial point in terms of progressive value, bristling synths fluttering wildly and forcing a near symphonic aura that is applause worthy, shoving all preconceptions aside and highlighting some more fabulous playing that is all substance and effect, deeply cinematographic and sonically resonant. This is where the prog rock element is vivid and unpretentious, effectively providing depth to the recording. Both the keyboard and the guitar expertise are obvious and stunning.

The heroic finale 'From the Spring Flows Hope' is another fine example of Colin Mold's craft, an inspired musical exercise that obliterates any doubt about his technical abilities, showcasing a staggering display on electric guitar, searing leads that cascade relentlessly from his fingers, flavored with distinct Celtic tones and his acoustic playing is nothing to disregard, his picking technique on par with his emotional delivery. Once again, the melodic inspiration is well beyond expectations, a supreme sense of melody and structure confirms the obvious.

Fans of Iona, Mike Oldfield, Karnataka, Mostly Autumn as well as prog-folk in general need to check this talented artist out. Music for music's sake! A star is born.

4.5 celestial irrigations

Review by apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Very accomplished musician from United Kingdom.Mold had come in touch with piano, violin and guitar already before the age of ten and he first appeared in the music scene with Kara, the band he formed in St. Albans in 2004.After a good self-titled album with his group Mold focused on releasing his first personal album ''Water of Divinity'', a work that saw the light in 2007 as a self-produced CD.Mold plays all instruments and sings on this effort, except for two tracks where Jo Marriot plays flute and another one where Kara bandmate Steve Barfoot plays the drums.

Originally the album was heading for an all instrumental work around the story of British Christian martyr Saint Alban, ending up though being a mix of sensitive instrumental and vocal tracks.Mold's style has strong resemblances to his band KARA and the solo albums of COLIN MASSON, drawing influences from the works of STEVE HACKETT and MIKE OLDFIELD.The music is strongly based on ethereal soundscapes with dreamy synthesizers, moving electric guitars and a heavy dose of acoustic movements with a huge Celtic influence.The material has a strong sense of melody and deep atmosphere with sparkling electric solos, grandiose symphonic textures and folky vibes, keeping a fantastic balance between Rock and Folk music, resulting a trully proggy work with versatile themes.Another strong asset of the album is Mold's voice, which is simply beautiful and delicate, full of emotional singing lines.There are no evident black holes despite the album being a one-man effort, ''Water of Divinity'' is filled with melodic, rich and colorful arrangements of high class.

Hard to realize there is one sole figure behind this great album.Emotional and highly melodic Progressive Rock with obvious Folk vibes in a work, where little pearls are dispersed here and there.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

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