PURE

Hailing from england a nother great progressive rock band Pendragon has made their 11th studio album. From a prog band that has made music together since 1978 they sound more vital and fresh then most of the music out there these days. Like some of the old league progressive rock band's tend to make the same record's over and over again, you could think that Pendragon is a new band on the market taking influences from bands like Marillion. The whole album sound's heavy as hell but still it is so full of melody. Of what i got from this album is that band's singer guitarist Nick Barrett is a genious. Composition's on the album are absolutely astonishing. the sound actually reminds me of some Porcupine Tree's records. Especially last year's great Fear Of A Blank Planet. Growing massive soundwall's and putting some of the best guitar melodie's and riff's in year's on top of it all bass and the drums work perfectly to make every song a piece to remember.

I have been dissapointed many times when lissening prog band's because they might have amazing compositions and the singer's vocal's make me want to piss honey but the lyric's sound some what stupid. Like the band went to the studio and remembered that they forgot to make the lyric's, and just improvised. On top of that Barrett is a great guitarist he is a good lyricist. Soft and hard at the same time. Not an common feature, but Pendragon make it sound so natural, and that is what most other band's lack. Everything about Pendragons music sound's natural and real. When singing about being afraid that other people see inside of your head or spychopatic moments that you have it all sound's such as it should. Barrett's singing style is one thing that make's them sound as brutal as they are. Not the most beatifull singing voice's i have heard. Not even close. Dry and soft sound of his singing is actually on of my favorite thing's on the album because i couldn't think a vocalist with a perfect controll over his voice singing these song's. It just wouldn't be right.

From such an old progressive rock band this album is surprisingly candid. it's not that the album's style would be something we have not heard before, but Pendragon made the best of the style. Some thing's on the album that really stick out. First of all the opening song Indigo. Quite an epic start for this album and i have to say that it is the best damn song on the entire album going on for 13min and 43 second's of progressive guitaring. There is one part of the album i like even more. The 3 part song Comatose. Especially the first part View from the seashore. Pure brilliance. Beatifull piano work lays you on a dreamy state that breaks apart when the song darkens at 3min working up to the best 2 minute's of the album and mellowing back down at the 6min part in to a classical 60 synth. The whole albums sound can be described as soft and hard at the same time. That's something band's like Marillion and Arena have not quite managed.

Comparing Pendragon to any other progressive rock band's out there these day's is not quite right because this is one of the best neo-progressive album's of all time.