WITHERED FLOWERS AND CINNAMON

So many questions were coming up closely when listening. Why does that appeal to me? And this not? Anyway, I'm so thrilled about their approach to compose music. But how to describe it in an understandable manner? I almost failed for a longer period ... okay, let's start with this humble inquiry. What is the criteria for being called veterans in the prog scene? Probably ENNEADE from Lyon, France should be considered too, since they are active for more than 25 years already. But not continuously, one might counter, because there's a gap of eleven years to their last album. However, so what, the interrupt was well used, as they obviously have developed a new spirit, could preserve, moreover even enlarge their skills. I mean, is it a completely new experience for you to incorporate a saxophone? It looks like that.

And so 'Withered Flowers And Cinnamon' turns out to be a rather eclectic art rock album, here and there also featuring a metal and ambient touch. Yet a challenging blend of styles they are going to offer. Hereby ENNEADE are showing some references to certain prog dinosaurs. I'm even inclined to claim that every particular song is provided with some distinct leanings. 'Life is a gamble, roll the dice ...' - within the opener A Foul Taste Of Freedom I'm going to hear some Jethro Tull feel for example, oh, eh, if those shredding guitars won't come up again and again. Yep, overall seen the album is very much guitar infected, and there's always a heavy loaded counterpart available. The following Illumination - my favourite so far - shines with an irresistible blend of acoustic and electric guitars. Just in a mellow Genesis vein on one side, but then again magically exploding every once in a while.

Marimba and/or xylophone will take the lead when they are passing over to Tinkling Forks. Performing like a couple featuring Grand Buffet this is intensively flirting with a Gentle Giant respectively King Crimson cast of mind. Finally, less thrilling, underlaid with ambient synth patterns and subtle drum support, withered flowers are pointing to Autumn most certainly with proper melancholy. You won't miss the mellotron here, also the aforementioned saxophone contribution by Olivier Sola. My summary, splendid, here we have a very enjoyable matter at hand. 4.5 stars. I'm quite sure this one will reach for my 2022 Album Top Ten in the end. A last question for now: do you possibly have more of such a high caliber in the pipeline?

Formed more than 25 years ago in Lyon, Enneade have not exactly been the most prolific of bands and this, their third album, is the first in 11 years. When they released 'Teardrops In Morning Dew' they were a sextet, but since then have lost one member to drop to a quintet, but apart from a couple of guests it is the same line-up as the last one so I have no idea why it has taken so long to get this out. It is surely not due to a lack of musical ability or material as this is a really enjoyable album right from the off. Somewhat strangely, for any album, let alone a prog release, it commences with a single unaccompanied vocal which is then joined by harmonies. When the acoustic guitars came in I was then very much prepared for a folk release, but instead what we have is an album which straddles Neo and Prog Metal while also bringing in other melodic influences.

One would never guess this was a French album as the vocals from keyboard player Christian Greven are clear and unaccented, and overall this comes across as being heavily influenced by the likes of Lifesigns, although with more bite when the time is right. In modern prog terms this is quite a short album as it is only five tracks and 37 minutes long, with only the closing "Autumn" more than ten minutes, but this is actually refreshing and certainly left me wanting more. They strike a really good balance between different styles, but always commercial, and if it were not for the heaviness they would probably be considered by many to be truly Crossover, as there are some delicious melodies within this. It takes repeated listenings to fully understand the depths within this, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable album the very first time it is played and I am sure this will gain many fans within the prog arena. I only hope we do not have to wait another 11 years for the next one.