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Fish - Weltschmerz CD (album) cover

WELTSCHMERZ

Fish

 

Neo-Prog

3.91 | 155 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

thesimilitudeofprog
4 stars It has been a long time in the making but Fish has finally released his final album 'Weltschmerz'. If this is indeed Fish's last studio album, he leaves us with a masterpiece. The word 'Weltschmerz' translates as a feeling of melancholy in a world of weariness. This album was created against a backdrop of unprecedented world events, shocks and challenges making the artistic achievement more impressive.

Grace of God in my opinion is one of Fish's better album openers. This song resonates with many of Fish's multi-movement pieces but this one is impressive because it builds so well and so naturally. Often with expansive prog pieces the way movements segue into another can become clunky or disjointed. Grace of God is a fine example of a song growing seamlessly with a clear purpose. Next up is a song called Man with A Stick. This song has a wonderful blend of old and new. Following Man with A Stick we have a song called Walking on Eggshells. A song about a torched relationship that should end but will not. The arrangements on Walking on Eggshells carries you on a journey. There are great moments of fine detail, and the vocals from Fish are flawless. This party's over is special song. This farewell song is both joyful and sad. It is a goodbye, but it is also a call to arms that we still need to fix our world. On the fifth track on the album Rose of Damascus, Fish delivers his greatest lyrical performance in years. The album standout for me is track 6 a song called Garden of Remembrance. It has one of the most powerful music videos I have seen in a long time. Garden of Remembrance is a poignant song with great emotional power and depth. The song references the issues of Alzheimer's and its deep emotional impact on family and loved ones. Anyone who has experienced Alzheimer's and Dementia in their family will be drawn into this song and will relate immediately with the depth and the power conveyed by the song and the video. Following Garden of Remembrance, we have a song called C Song (The Trondheim Waltz). This song has a real folk feel and references Fish's Scottish roots. After C Song (The Trondheim Waltz) what is probably going to be a fan favorite, Little Man What Now? This is reportedly inspired by his father's passing. This song this is a definite highlight on the album. Another highlight on this album is Waverley Steps (End of the Line). It brings together all the nuanced skills of Fish's sustained career. It has a powerful moving poetic narrative. On the title track Weltschmerz Fish masterfully brings together the mix of genres, styles and influences that define what the solo chapter of his musical career has been about. Weltschmerz stands as the best album of Fish's solar career and easily amongst the best of this year by anyone.

Rating-88%

Recommended Tracks: Grace of God, Rose of Damascus, Garden of Remembrance, Waverley Steps (End of the Line) & Weltschmerz.

thesimilitudeofprog | 4/5 |

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