LOVE OVER FEAR

The English neo-progressive rock act Pendragon is known for its emotive songwriters prog with singer and lead- guitarist Nick Barret taking center stage. With the sentimentalism of early Marillion, the adult symphonic rock of nineties Pink Floyd and the personality of Barret the band made some high-regarded albums leading up to 'Not of This World' in 2001. After that the band had to diversify and ventured in darker compositions with less dominance of the symphonic ballad-type song. The following of the band was challenged until finally the rather bleak 'Passion' (which I like best) was released in 2011, splitting the fan base in two. In 2020 the band returns with a new album which takes the band back some 25 years into the age of sympho-ballad with Gilmour leads galore. Almost all songs have a distinct happy-sad feelgood preachy vibe full of keyboard orchestrations drenched in shimmery reverb. Only 'Who Really Are We?' has a more diverse emotional pallet. Whereas Pendragon formerly had some instrumental passages like you would find on an Arena album (it shares keyboardist Clive Nolan), it now chooses to have the barest linear song structures that are basically pure pop. Basically this is what the fans of Pendragon love most and there's nothing wrong with that. But for some-one who also listens to Magma records this is just way to much cheese - and I do frequent 'Not of This World' because of it great sound and instrumentation. For fans of neo-prog at its most sentimental this must be pure heaven.