MEN WHO CLIMB MOUNTAINS

And there are those who say Pendragon, the quintessential escapist neo-prog band, doesn't change. After the metal/neo-prog hybrid of Pure and Passion, I half-expected Men Who Climb Mountains, with its less than elves-and-magic cover, to be similar. And there are brief moments where that heavier/lighter approach is present (Beautiful Soul, Faces of Darkness). But the vast majority of this album is slow and reflective. Sometimes its highly melodic, sometimes seems overextended. Everything here - bass, vocals, guitars, melancholic keys, is clear and shines, though. There are complaints from people about Nick Barrett's low hillbilly kind of voice. People, relax. He sings fine, and his unusual tone is actually welcome for a change. Fits that folksy vibe always running through his music, and nowhere its more fitting the mood than here.