PROMISES OF HOPE

THE BARDIC DEPTHS returns with a new line up for this second album "Promises Of Hope", the main innovation being the presence as a full member of Peter JONES, Robin ARMSTRONG co-producing the record and acting as an additional musician.

The album's synopsis was written by American history professor Brad BIRZER, co-founder of THE BARDIC DEPTHS (and co-composer of the majority of the tracks), it describes the horrors of suicide and their possible redemption. Nine titles for a little over an hour of music are on the menu. Let us also specify that this "Promises of Hope" is dedicated to the memory of David LONGDON who accidentally died too soon.

Our meal begins with "And She Appeared", one of the most energetic pieces of the album halfway between progressive and prog pop, a catchy piece which makes you want to sketch a few dance steps, frequentable without for all that shouting genius (8/10). "Regal Pride" follows this easy listening opening, a very cool "down" tempo popping also with a nice sax motif (7/10) but a bit too repetitive for my taste then the long "Consumed" and its almost eight minutes with Celtic connotations (the Penny Whistle of Peter JONES being no stranger to it), melodic rock more than progressive rock, a term also claimed by Dave BANDANA himself, one of my favorite pieces from the album (9/10).

My favorite will be the following "The Burning Flame", a slightly mysterious track in its beginning, sparsely and superbly sung (Peter JONES obviously), carried by the solo guitars of Kevin McCORMICK first then Gareth COLE then, the first beauty in music it is there (10/10). Full colors and shapes, saxophone like it was raining, only Peter JONES is capable of such a performance on the instrument, a high-end and altogether adventurous instrumental range (9/10). "Why Are You Here?" which follows, sax still in the preamble but with singing, a piece that I personally and subjectively find a little sluggish, fortunately enhanced by the work of the six strings in the middle, correct nothing more (7/10).

The two shortest tracks on the album now with firstly "Returned" with an orientalizing tendency, more pop than prog, interesting without being a peak either; note the metronomic drumming driven by Tim GEHRT, drummer of the group STREETS (Steve WALSH) at the dawn of the eighties (8/10), then "The Essence" which is frankly inspired by the same period with a flavor A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS for diehards who know (the guitar like the rhythm pair and even the vocal intonations which could come from Mike SCORE's throat!), I like it a lot but I'm not impartial on this one... .(9/10).

The end clap with "Imagine", the longest track on the record, almost ten minutes, introduced on the church organ by Richard KREUGER before the appearance of the mellotron in powerful layers (Paolo LIMOLI) coupled with the piano of the same man and the lyrical guitar of Gareth COLE, we will not forget the (again and always) cheerful saxophone of Peter which sends this totally progressive piece into another dimension, well sung by Dave BANDANA and Peter JONES and which ends as it began with a short church organ score (10/10).

Grumpy people will say that THE BARDIC DEPTHS didn't invent anything, which I agree with, but it's so pleasant and well put together that forgiveness is in order.