MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE LORD OF THE RINGS

I think I have read it on the MA website years ago, they realized this album in one week, including the songwriting. I don't remember why they decided to realize an album inspired to Tolkien, that's not a very original idea, but that's it.

It starts with "The Forge Of Sauron", that's an instrumental made of two difeerent parts joined together. the first dark and appropriate for a movie titles, with drums and bodhran giving a sense or pressure, the second more symphonic and in line with the band's sound of the period.

"Greenwood the Giant" starts acoustic.. The guitar is quite similar to "Evergreen" and this is not a bad thing as that's one of the best MA songs. Also Heather's performance is excellent. If you like slow and melancholic melodies that's a great one. Unfortunately after 2:30 minutes there's an acoustic reprise of The Forge Of Sauron. Unneeded. It jeopardized the song even if I have to admit that the Gilmourish guitar solo that closes the song is very good (and a little stealed from Echoes, maybe).

The piano intro of "Goodbye Alone" reminds to Vangelis, then it goes folk with acoustic guitar and lead violin (a guest as MA don't feature a violinist since The Last Bright Light). It's nice how Heather replaces Bryan as lead vocalist in the middle of the song. It's always nice when Heather replaces Bryan, effectively. But it's also nice how Bryan plays guitar solos. In this song he sounds a lot like Gilmour in Division Bell.

"Out Of The Inn" is a discutible addition. They could have at least re-recorded the track, but it's exactly the same of For All We Shared.

"On The Wings Of Gwahir" is very floydian with guitar harmonics and little dissonant chords. The keyboard behind sounds like Wright, too even if deeply relegated in the background. A good instrumental.

"At Last of Rivendell" is a sort of canon with a strong medieval flavor. A highlight of this album also because it's not an usual thing for MA. It's closer to Blackmore's Night and is possible that the presence of a Blackmore in the lineup has something to do with it.

Back to standard MA stuff with "Journey's Thought". Still floydian, with classical guitar over minor chords of the keyboard and some slide in the back, at least until Bryan sings. It could have been a great instrumental. Now it's only a song.

It becomes harder with "Caradhras The Cruel". Sorry but it's very bad. Bad production and trivial song, the only good of this luckily short song is Heather's voice that here reminds a bit to Annie Haslam. Skip it.

"The Riders Of Rohan" is way better. Not a great song, but at least is a MA song with Heather as lead vocalist. Good but non-essential.

"Lothlorien" is another good moment of the album. A very nice slow song sung by Heather over a base consisting mainly of classical guitar. It reminds a bit to Fat Old Sun.

"The Return of the King" is instead, the weakest track of the album. It tries to be rock and powerful, probably inspired to Pink Floyd's One Step, but in my opinion it totally fails. Skip it.

"To The Grey Havens" is a good closer. A classical guitar based slow instrumental.

Taking into account that weak songs and excellent songs are balanced and the fact that this album is quite an anomaly in the MA discography, it fits perfectly in the "good, but non- essential" definition.