RED QUEEN TO GRYPHON THREE

"Opening Move" is a great opening move! A formidable beginning, which suggests that the album will be carried out through Nordic melodies heavily influenced by Renaissance (mainly Ashes Are Burning). The instrumentation is as sublime as the production. There are no moments of aggressiveness, but rather they have decided to save it for later and start this work in the quietest and most leafy way possible. A beautiful combination of string instruments with wind instruments. Originally it would be 3.5 but I decided to add that half point to it because of the freshness of the harmonies and because the sound is more than decided from the beginning. It lacks a bang or an extraordinary lapse. Gryphon has understood that his specialty is the instrumental field and has made it very clear in songs like this.

In "Second Spasm" the album starts to get aggressive. I honestly don't have much to say about this song. It is a beautiful continuation of the first. Beauties and natural progressions and rhythm changes, involving the guitar. I love the characteristic sound of the crumhorn, it makes the band an emblem of progressive Renaissance music. I would say that this song has certain subtle overtones of Gentle Giant.

"Lament" is my favourite. When listening to this song at the beginning I have started to think about how difficult it is to release an album only instrumental. Gryphon on this album carries the melody very maturely, like surfing a wave that is fortunately very long. This song makes a wonderful pause (at approximately minute 3) to take the work to an intense and chimerical terrain. I feel like it's a very difficult song to compose. There are parts that I have no idea where they got them from, but they look great. This song is not tedious at any time. They are 10 minutes versatile and can be enjoyed a lot. The best part of the song is the ending, as the melody turns into beauty until it reaches the maximum point of subtlety and romanticism. It is a pity that it ends up hiding little by little and not with a definitive ending.

The song that closes this masterpiece is "Checkmate" and has a messy beginning with a very extravagant pattern and where finally the percussion can be the protagonist for a moment. In the middle of the song, a succession of major and minor notes occurs where the bassoon has its highest (and, unbeknownst to the listener, most desired) span. I perceive it as a genuine mixture of the spirit that brings together melancholy and hope in a single pot, also showing that unwavering love for traditions. The ending is quite experimental compared to the whole album, but it has its magic. Gryphon has managed to keep the instrumental level constant during these (almost) 40 minutes, and has managed to combine 4 songs very similar in instrumentation but different in meaning. A mastery of sound expression very difficult to compare. My respects.

Deserves the plus of the fifth for the neat sound they have achieved and the wonderful concept that seems to have come naturally. The album deserves to be recognized as an essential work.

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