OUT OF THE COMA

Forty years after the release of their stunning First utterances album, Comus comes out of their almost 30 years lethargy, by reuniting for a Swedish festival and eventually releasing the live recording. It would be another three years untim we see further album activity, with the aptly-titled Out Of The Coma, and its clear artwork reference to their awe-inspiring debut album. A very risky bet, of course, because we've see dozens of bands break their own legend. There was also a fear from most FU unconditional fans to find their new album closer to their 75-released To Keep From Crying, but these fears proved unfounded, even if OotC is somewhere between those two albums. One of the very positive thing is that the modern-day group's line-up features five original members, with only the (sadly) deceased Lindsey Cooper replaced by the younger Jon Seagrott on woodwinds (sax and flute, rather than bassoon and oboe), who also designed the album's outlay and fit the different artworks of the booklet (including some rare 72 session photos), one of which is from The Red Masque's singer Lynette Shelley, who's a major fan of FU. So besides the two "voices", the eerie one of Roger Wootton and the crystal-smashing one of Bobbie Watson, we find Pearson's violins, Hellaby's bass and Goring's many guitars? It looks like they've got most of the trump cards in their hands.

And indeed, right from the first card played, the 8-mins+ title track, we find almost everything we loved in their first misdemeanour, and find ourselves almost transported to the sequel of the Diana EP that had followed their debut album. Indeed, we find the (slightly gentler) madness of Wootton's vocals, which dispels some deranging lyrics, much in the line of FU and Seagrott's sax doesn't diphase us from the Comus realm. The following 8-mins+ Sacrifice is a tad closer to their second full album (at least at first), but it would stick out as its highlight, had it found place on it. Indeed Bobbie's calm vocals give a soft ambiance, reinforced by Seagrott's flute. But halfway through the track, the band returns to their usual insane musical manners and Wootton pushes Watson's vocals to glass-shattering heights, while Seagrott's flute pulls some real neat interventions, before Pearson's violin takes over. The 6-mins Goring-penned The Return is somewhat softer

Of course, it is the Maalgard Suite that holds most our hopes, as this was supposed to be the main work of their second (but lost) full-fledged album. The only witness of that conceptual piece is a live-recorded cassette miraculously found, dusted and restored (as much as possible) of the first part. As you'll easily guess, the sound is anything but great, but whatever you'll hear will enchant you, as you'll realize that their would-be second opus would've at least looked equal to FU. Sadly, the second part was never recorded, but apparently it was written. It is therefore a little sad that Comus didn't choose to re-record the first instalment and record the second yet-uncommitted to tape second part, and then maybe add the live recording as a bonus track. Another disappointment is the spoken explanation between the new material and the historic live tape. I'd have been much happier if I had read it in the booklet, rather than be subjected to the explanation every time I spin the album.

Well, despite most observers' anticipated fears, Comus scores a successful touchdown with their newer material, but fails to convert it with an unfinished historical Maalgard Suite, which was expected to be the icing on the cake of the band's musical legacy. Of course, it's not too late yet, and the band can indeed convert the try by releasing the definitive Maalgard epic in a full-blown studio version, since they've clearly shown us that they've still got IT!! Get to it, guys ;-))))