DER GEFALLENE STERN

Flaming Bess' music has always struck me as charmingly at odds with its lyrical contents. Simply put, the somewhat self-aware nature and epic cheesiness of their B-movie Sci-Fi/Fantasy plots about the eponymous star-goddess and queen of light tends to clash with their music. The latter, by 2013, has gone through a vast range of mutations from mid-tempo Camel-esque romanticism with symphonic elements (Tanz der Götter, Verlorene Welt), to world music (Fata Morgana), to smooth jazz/ambient electronic trip-rock à la Massive Attack (Finstere Sonne). Flaming Bess have consistently strived to incorporate modern elements and thus been, quite literally, progressive. None of this screams "tales of sorcery and high adventure," and it may equally be questioned whether the band's insistence on having their stories told separately from their songs, rather than incorporating them musically, is a wise artistic choice. After all, the narrative bits by their very nature constitute a break within the musical flow that arguably is the strongest feature of the band's compositions. On the other hand, it is perhaps precisely this idiosyncratic mixture that has provided the band with a unique identity of its own.

That being said, the mesh of narrative and music has never been more accomplished than on the bands' newest effort, "Der Gefallene Stern" (The Fallen Star). The album continues the story of 2008s "Wächter des Lichts" (Guardians of the Light), and is apparently the second part in a trilogy entitled "Music of the Spheres." As always, the story is a journey narrative which in this case takes the shape of a descensus ad inferos, much in the vain of Dante's Divine Comedy. Its narrator and protagonist (spoken by Markus Wierschem, who also penned the story) is a nameless soul cast into a doomed world of darkness. Led by a shining star (Mirjam Wiesemann), he and and other lost souls go on a pilgrimage to evade their annihilation and uncover their identities. Thus unfolds a mysterious quest, that, at its best moments, is utterly beautiful, endowed with a lyricism that will unfortunately be lost to those not familiar with the German language.

The music on the other hand combines all of the various musical influences and experience the band has acquired throughout the four decades of its existence. And it is here that the true magic of this record is to be found. This is all too fitting, given that, as far as I can tell, the story is at some level about the nature of music itself. The mixture of ambient rock and modern electronica within the band's tried and true symphonic approach works to perfection here. It pleasantly reminds me of "Tanz der Götter" and "Verlorene Welt," without denying that the band has moved on.

The reunion with former member Hans Schweiss (drums) is truly beneficial, as the electronic drums of the past have never quite worked for me, as is the addition of Mike Hartmann, who joins FB veteran Jenny K. on vocals. Of all the various singers that have appeared on FB's albums in the past, he is the best by far, blending sensitivity and melody with rawness and power. This is best witnessed in "Die Kyberniten" - probably the most rock-driven song the band has ever put out and a welcome change of pace from the predominant mid-tempo. But the album's highlight is the twelve minute epic "Haravienna" which seamlessly blends all the band's talents and features some stunning experiments, unexpected twists and turns, and great guest performances. This may be the most complex piece of music the band has written. Certainly, it is one of their best.

Peter Figge's keyboards have never sounded better, Achim Wierschem's guitars are at their most melodious, and Hans Wende's laid-back bass lines provide a fitting foundation for the songs. The compositional material is consistently good, avoiding the painful experiments of the past (like the children's rap in Aklabeth on "Wächter des Lichts"). The music flows seamlessly, evoking its story's mystery and (mild) suspense without any particular urgency, and thus reflects the nature of the journey that its characters take. Variations of some central, symphonic leitmotifs punctuate the album to give the whole a very complete, well-rounded quality.

All in all, this is a very fine, atmospheric concept album, perhaps the band's best so far. Musically at least, if not commercially, the band's star is hardly falling, but ascends and shines on ever brightly. I can only hope we won't have to wait another five years for the conclusion of the trilogy. "Der Gefallene Stern" comes highly recommended: 8.5 out of 10.

Seven years ago, a friend of mine with a penchant for the obscure got me acquainted with a German band called Flaming Bess. The albums back then were Tanz der Gotter and a more recent one called Finstere Sonne. The music of both albums was pleasant enough, if nothing spectacular. Given that both Camel and the Alan Parson's Project are among my favorites, I grew to like them quite a lot in their own right, yet it felt hardly like I was listening to the same band (and safe for the bass player, it apparently wasn't), the one sounding dreamy and romantic, the other one more electronic and experimental. I also checked out the guitarist's Mindmovie albums, which I liked even better.

The group's newest effort is quite a strong one. While the German narrative bits are mostly lost to me, the album gives of a mostly meditative and sometimes dreamy vibe that reminds me of Tales of Mystery and Imagination - perfect for a longer car ride or a relaxed evening at home - with the occasional rocker or ballad thrown in. There are some highly interesting tracks, many of which only unfold their full strength and details on repeat listen. The obvious highlight is the more adventurous, very cool and eclectic Haravienna, the English lyrics of which make me wish I knew more of the overall story.

With a rich, unique and well-defined sound that crosses the boundaries between symphonic and electronic aesthetics, and some inspired instrumentation, especially from Mindmovie, I feel this is what Alan Parsons might sound like if he were still making good music today.

With their 2013 release, FLAMING BESS continues to scale the upward trajectory established by "Waechter des Lichts", while not quite fanning their feathers as on their original recordings. This is as rock oriented as anything they have ever done, with recent electronica yielding to a percussive bite. Mike Hartman is the main vocalist with Jenny K appearing on several tracks. As is customary, narration of the ongoing fable punctuates the proceedings, perhaps somewhat less obtrusively than has been the case in recent years.

The album fairly explodes with a few rousing old style instrumentals that are not that dissimilar, although the theme of the first will reappear several times throughout the 77 minutes like a trusted friend. The ensemble approach illuminates the guitars and keys to best effect. It's true that the acoustic dimension remains perhaps forever buried, but some might not miss it. "Verzweifelt und Vergessen" is one of their best song oriented pieces, launching atmospherically before propelling forward rhythmically while retaining a spacey core.

From here the quality descends a notch for most of the duration, although most pieces are still entertaining, the best being the epic "Haravienna" which overlaps azz/funk/psych territories shamelessly. It's hard not to admire the ambition even if the GPS loses its signal here and there.

Whether or not FLAMING BESS is a rising star or even a star at all may be debatable, but this collective luminescence is anything but fallen.