THRENODY FOR A DEAD QUEEN

This is the 6th album from Scottish progressive rock band Comedy of Errors since re-forming in 2010, and follows their very strong 2022 release, The Time Machine. But this one takes a very different approach, with wonderful results. Threnody For a Dead Queen is a much more gentle, mostly instrumental, enveloping soundscape of an album, taking its time to let ambient recurrent sounds and themes slowly develop and build into richly textured musical events. They are in no hurry to get anywhere here, as the journey is the whole point, and the songs all fit together as a conceptual whole. You can tell they had a very clear concept for what the sound and feel for this album would be, and they executed it perfectly. Three long pieces (12-15 minutes each) provide the bulk of the album, with other shorter interludes and connecting pieces between. A very soothing and relaxing album, but one that is never dull, always interesting, with slow dramatic builds and beautiful soundscapes. Vocals are used sparingly, but quite effectively, such as in the final 3 minutes of title track. This is the type of album that you just need to immerse yourself in and just let it flow all around you for a richly rewarding experience. Best Tracks: Threnody for a Dead Queen, Summer Lies Beyond, The Seventh Seal, Jane. Rating: 4 stars