SECOND SIGHT

Second Sight is the sophomore release by Legend, birthed two years after their 1991 debut Light in Extension and a rather interesting enigma in that my first spin through needed a lot of aural adjustment (read as hearing the music for what it is and not what I believe it should be ? How arrogant of one to be that selfish!). 'Dance', the opening track sounds like a 90s track, modern electronic synths, robotic drumming and slash guitar, while singer Debbie Chapman does some British Debbie Harry voice emulation , this sounds like a prog Thompson Twins (wink at Paul?) but in a good way, the swift lead guitar solo follows sinewy grooves. On 'New Horizons' the theme becomes more conventional, a mid-tempo rocker with soothing vocals , a middle section that stretches Debbie's abilities to the 'nth degree, successfully might I add. Guitarist Paul Thomson is the star of the show, delivering a series of opulent solo blasts that are reasonably memorable, the marimba synths and vrooming bass doing double duty up front and center. But this crest passed is where things get really interesting from a prog standpoint, the sensational 'The Healer' is a medieval hymn of the loftiest order, proving that their deep-rooted folkier influences are as tight as their Gothic rock slants, even when Paul unleashes a beastly guitar arpeggio. This is an admirable tune, a near classic with more to follow. The 13 minute+ 'The Wild Hunt' further underscores their progressive inspirations, combining historical call to arms in order to defend the village from the foreign invaders and coating the fabled story with deeply dynamic musical cornerstones, a bastion of bombastic bass and fortress drums, walls of keyboard and towering guitar slashes. Steve Paine gives his fingers a free rein to travel along his synthesizer keys with resolute abandon, while vocalist Chapman wails away. This is repeated again with increased intensity as the fretboards light up with little mercy. What a killer track again. 'The Legend' does not decelerate one iota from the message, a recounting of Excalibur's magic quest, spearing a chugging almost reggae-ish lilt as it pulses throughout the soaring theme, providing the ultimate spark for some extended pyrotechnical soloing from the axeman and the keyboardist. 'I Close My Eyes' is an overt anti-war song , a soldier eyewitness account , begrudging the horrors of mustard gas in the Flanders, the marching fascists in Europe and worse of all, liberating Belsen concentration camp. Showcasing once again the historical fact that WWII was an atrocious yet just cause, perhaps the last and only one. As an avid student of history, I pray. This is a song Al Stewart would perhaps consider but for its gloom-laden sadness. A total, gut-wrenching treat. While we are in a historical mood, 'Mordred' is the somber figure from Arthurian myth, the King's rival, who ultimately died at the hands of his monarch at the battle of Camlann . During Arthur's absence, Mordred crowns himself king and marries Guinevere, forcing Arthur to return to Britain. The music is uniquely cinematographic, a battle ground for tormented riffs, colliding rhythms and ravaged themes in an almost heavy rock context. The terrain is now calm, eloquently expressed by lingering keyboard work, swaying synths croon a funereal tirade as the forlorn lady's voice scours the mist for some relief. This is a very inspiring recording that bodes well for the next leap forward in the amazing Triple Aspect and the recent magnificence of Cardinal Points. 4 Avalons