CORVUS STONE

CORVUS STONE The Curtain Rises on a bright opening to a recording takes you into a bazaar in another country, uplifting instrumental that only lasts 1 minute 33 seconds but lets you know that you have started listening to Corvus Stone.

OCTOBER SAD SONG a wonderful instrumental track that is filled with a cocktail of musical styles that satisfies every musical taste. The start of the track places you on a precipice overlooking a massive landscape of musical notes turning to see a highwayman riding his horse hat tilted to one side he dismounts his horse taking water at a nearby stream. Yes this is a strange way of describing the track but this is how it makes me feel wearing my headphones I hear every nuance placed very carefully in this masterpiece of music, the keyboards swell and fall like an eagle on the wing the guitar plays out a melody that draws you along allowing you to take in every note. The drum track keeps pace with the highwayman's horse pulling you in to the music's colourful core.

HIGHWAY TO EMPTINESS Corvus Stone pull you out onto a long hard road making you walk its entire length, making you swing your arms with every chord change on the screaming guitar. The Guitarist is almost making fun of you, coaxing you to move faster, until you find your destination of emptiness.

ICE KING Watch out for this man, the Ice King, he will make you succumb to his weary ways, a wonderful track of colours and patterns of magic music that fills your very being with warmth, but take care the melodic voice of the Ice King will get you and vanish you away.

I'LL LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND A very jazzy number that hits the ears with a smack then gets the old foot tapping, I find myself tapping on my desk with my hands. It is fun that makes a smile come on your face.

CORVUS STONE after hearing the sample of this track I actually miss Colin's narrative, but hey you can't have everything you want. The track starts of very calm drawing you in then at the right moment pulls you into an almost Lord of the Rings moment with skirmishes of guitar and keyboards the drums simulate hits of swords and shields. (When I say Lord of the Rings I mean Bo Hanson's musical version) The guitar in this slows to a wonderful stop the keyboards burst into life giving you a feel of a person running for their life, failing to escape the onslaught, finally dying on their own on a bed of dead leaves in a forest clearing with the sun beaming down on their body. The magician comes into the clearing taking the body to the river and placing it onto a boat and setting fire.

MORON SEASON the vocals on this one give you something to think about while you are getting a grips with the instrumental which is truly mind blowing to the ears. Every note has been put in the right place. If you have missed this, put it on headphones and see what I mean. I love the way the instruments answer themselves.

HORIZON 'Please take me home' comes to mind when I hear this track although it is a little gem, wonderful use of the keyboards tweeting in your ears bouncing back and forth, the use of the Wah is great.

INTERMISSION here we sit awaiting the next track, for 40 seconds then, ah, this is Moustaches and Massachusetts which bursts into your ears making you hum to yourself a real runner of a track that is drawn along by the rhythm track nice use of keyboards here. Colin's use of high notes I like gives it almost a Mexican feel but then it changes to something more urban. It's flowery interludes earlier on are really lovely, ending with a single snare drumming.

PILGRIMS A lovely guitar heavy track that has something in there for every prog music lover. The drums singled out I like as I like the drums, each instrument has been placed perfectly in this track the guitar harmonies are special, the melodic keyboard hits the mark making it a special event.

JUSSI PUSSI What can you say, I think this is homage to 'Monty Python' which is one of Colin's favourite comedies, fantastic fun using every sound they can concoct. It is a cacophony of wonderful sounds. The title is not rude as it is a type of cake or bread in Sweden, cos I looked it up. The instruments are fun and the clunk ending, homage to the Python team.

IRON PILLOWS This track almost certainly at first sounds just like a cacophony of sounds all put together, but listen harder and you will get the point of it, some really nice instrumental sections to this. There is a melody but do listen to find it. I really like the randomness of the sections that do build up to a fantastic jazzy whole.

AFTER SOLSTICE A rich guitar sound takes us into a lovely colourful track that gives the feeling of warmth. The track iterates some of the passages gone before on this track but then that adds to the fullness of the piece. All of the players go full out at one point only to slow down to calm us down again. I see a flowery meadow while listening to this track making me feel I am young again playing amongst the long grass of my youth.

THE RUSTY WOLF ATTACK Nice this with the drums and percussion, you very rarely hear any drum solo's anymore. It got my foot and hands tapping on the floor and keyboard.

LOST AND FOUND The last track moves into this one giving a very military feel at first. The keyboard section is beautiful and Blake's voice complements the instrumental, which then moves into, SCARY MOVIE Now I always liked this from an early section of track that I heard somewhere (lol) All the instrumental sections instil an uncertainty that is what a scary movie does, you are always looking forward to the next bit to see if you jump or are scared, but don't forget, look behind you.

CINEMA Yes you are sitting in the cinema waiting for the main feature to start and up it comes, the trailers for the new films, they come on dynamic and full of life. Well this track gives you the same feeling with many twists and turns, delivering you to your seat where you await your film to begin.

YOU'RE SO WRONG This track gives a warm feeling, the vocals are soothing with the instruments, they melt together like chocolate on a warm surface. The backing vocals give it a fuller feeling. The keyboards are subtle but necessary. Till finally it melts into the distance.

THE ICE KING (Instrumental) This has a whole new dimension, although I like Blakes vocals this on its own allows the instruments so shine forth giving it an almost Star Trek backing track. The wailing of the guitar mixed with the keyboard gently running along. The gentle rhythm of the drums carries the whole piece to the end where we meet..

TEN INCH LISA A very short track that sweetens the air rounds up the whole album as quickly as it started.

Tony Cragg