SNOWTORCH

Another fine concept album from Phideaux, Snowtorch tells a story ranging from the formation of the Earth from cosmic dust and barrels onwards from there. Part of the joy of being a Phideaux listener is seeing which bands he'll draw from next; here, the keyboard work on some parts of the album puts me in mind of a mishmash of Keith Emerson's work in ELP and some of the use of organ on Anglagard's first two albums. For a prog fan, the album is sure to be a sheer joy, building on the successes of Number 7 and Doomsday Afternoon to an admirable extent.