WITHERED FLOWERS AND CINNAMON

So many questions were coming up closely when listening. Why does that appeal to me? And this not? Anyway, I'm so thrilled about their approach to compose music. But how to describe it in an understandable manner? I almost failed for a longer period ... okay, let's start with this humble inquiry. What is the criteria for being called veterans in the prog scene? Probably ENNEADE from Lyon, France should be considered too, since they are active for more than 25 years already. But not continuously, one might counter, because there's a gap of eleven years to their last album. However, so what, the interrupt was well used, as they obviously have developed a new spirit, could preserve, moreover even enlarge their skills. I mean, is it a completely new experience for you to incorporate a saxophone? It looks like that.

And so 'Withered Flowers And Cinnamon' turns out to be a rather eclectic art rock album, here and there also featuring a metal and ambient touch. Yet a challenging blend of styles they are going to offer. Hereby ENNEADE are showing some references to certain prog dinosaurs. I'm even inclined to claim that every particular song is provided with some distinct leanings. 'Life is a gamble, roll the dice ...' - within the opener A Foul Taste Of Freedom I'm going to hear some Jethro Tull feel for example, oh, eh, if those shredding guitars won't come up again and again. Yep, overall seen the album is very much guitar infected, and there's always a heavy loaded counterpart available. The following Illumination - my favourite so far - shines with an irresistible blend of acoustic and electric guitars. Just in a mellow Genesis vein on one side, but then again magically exploding every once in a while.

Marimba and/or xylophone will take the lead when they are passing over to Tinkling Forks. Performing like a couple featuring Grand Buffet this is intensively flirting with a Gentle Giant respectively King Crimson cast of mind. Finally, less thrilling, underlaid with ambient synth patterns and subtle drum support, withered flowers are pointing to Autumn most certainly with proper melancholy. You won't miss the mellotron here, also the aforementioned saxophone contribution by Olivier Sola. My summary, splendid, here we have a very enjoyable matter at hand. 4.5 stars. I'm quite sure this one will reach for my 2022 Album Top Ten in the end. A last question for now: do you possibly have more of such a high caliber in the pipeline?