MIDNIGHT MUSHRUMPS

No Gryphon album ever sounds the same! Midnight Mushrumps doesn't have the same chirpy medieval spirit as the group's debut but I still love it. It's much more subtle and moody.This is more of a keyboards-oriented album. I really like the nineteen minute suite which takes up the album's first half. It is not easy to digest at first and took me a while to get into. There are some complex chord changes and unexpected melody twists throughout. Lovers of classical music should appreciate it as much as prog folk fans.

The second half also has some pleasant pieces. I can hear some renaissance influences. 'The Last Flash Of Gaberdine Tailor' with its harpsichord passages definitely sounds like Bach-era music. I love the dark "Gulland Rock" and the charming "Dubbel Dutch". 'Ethelion' is also great and adds a little diversity with the strange laughing section in the beginning and a cool and economic drum solo. The track works as a nice showcase for all the musicians. The little recorder riff is quite romantic too and it metamorphoses with all band members slowly joining in. This release was a bold move for Gryphon and paved a way towards their even more progressive masterpiece "Red Queen To Gryphon Three."