THE VISION, THE SWORD AND THE PYRE - PART II

Through the ravages of time, a lengthy creative funk, and a blinding obsession with one specific historical figure, Frank Bornemann has engineered himself into a sonic straitjacket so tight that it would make a first generation MRI machine seem like an agoraphobic nightmare by comparison. One can only hope he has well and truly gotten Jeanne D'Arc out of his system at this point, as I cannot bear any more tedious narratives, vocals apparently meant to simulate Siri without the emotion, and numbing linearity with nary a teaser of a melody or creative shift. I hope it was cathartic for Frank at least because it leaves me hopelessly congested and rushing for my copy of "Colours".

Remarkably, Part II actually marks a slight improvement over its predecessor, as ELOY appear more comfortable moving within this highly restricted frame. Sure, we would love for "Between Hope, Doubts, Fear and Uncertainty" to do more than start like a classic ELOY song, but yes it's a start. Ditto for "Patay" and "Joy", which both could be outtakes from "Silent Cries..", if not for the cramped vocal range that neuters any hope for a new ELOY "classic" at this late date. This Achilles' heel permeates virtually every track, that fleeting nostalgic shiver banished all too soon once the band settles in to support Frank's stilted expositions. It's therefore not surprising that "Reims" projects the best of what Part II can offer, dominated by a choir from Hannover that offers a respite from the smothering monotony. So, the song that sounds least like ELOY. Sad.

I have struggled to assess whether this ambitious project might have worked better as a documentary, feature film, multimedia performance, or some other setting hitherto unexplored, but it's dominated too much by Frank Bornemann's voice, which I loved in its prime but can no longer endorse. Therefore "The Vision the Sword and the Pyre" lives and dies by Frank's ability to sing his devotion to the epic. Unfortunately, his voice has absconded and failed his heroine's legacy.