One of the treats of the new year on Progzilla Radio was Graham Harfleet’s interview and song selection with John Irvine on The Progressive Rock Show. All of us listening and commenting in the Chat Room found this ever such an engaging show and it is, therefore, a pleasure for me to be able to write some words about John’s The Starships Are Gathering, released on 31st January, and available via the Bandcamp page at https://thejohnirvineband.bandcamp.com/album/the-starships-are-gathering
John handles guitars, keyboards, and bass, whilst the drums are handled with aplomb by Andrew Scott, who also appeared on the first of this trilogy (The End of Days), last year’s Scanning the Dark Horizon, which I must review. The tracks all form part of a short story, and what we have here is a very strong album, which will be warmly welcomed by fans of classic prog rock.
We open with All Systems Go, where the heroes must leave immediately to attend an emergency, and the ground staff prepare the pads for launch. It starts the album off in dramatic fashion, the sense of urgency in the keys especially palpable, but there is some gorgeous fretwork, a deep bassline, and underneath the drums keeping perfect time. Halfway through, we get the most delightful guitar solo. All in all, this is a very strong start, pushing across the sense of anticipation, and it is embedded below.
The Archimedian Point is a hostile stretch of space, but the Gods smiled on the crew as they reached ground zero. This is a pensive piece of music, the opening passage describing very well the dangers of the crossing. The bass melody is gorgeous throughout in a fusion delight of a track, exemplifying a successful flight with a sense of wonder, the guitar solo especially bright.
On the planet, the settlement is still standing, but The Electrics Were Down and there is no sign of the inhabitants. The Captain takes centre stage here, assuring his crew that this is just another run of the mill mission, and all should be repaired seamlessly bearing in mind this was just another case of desertion seen all too often with the recent Reforming. Closing my eyes, I envisage the striking guitar lead as the mission leader going about his business with precision, and the swirling keys and pulsing rhythm section describing the crew obeying orders and working to repair the environment. It is a wonderfully catchy and accessible instrumental piece.
On The Lacus Temporus, part of the outer surroundings, activity had been logged, but all seemed fine, with the ship’s goons larking about in their makeshift bar whilst the Captain had his usual nightmares. This track is epic length just short of eleven minutes long and the music describes the chaos of the parties and nightmares very well, the keys leading the charge, but do notice the astonishing drum work on this and then at the four-minute mark appreciate how sensitive a guitar player Irvine is. As the track develops, there is a distinct Genesis orientated feel, certainly with guitar notes Hackett would be proud of, and some lovely symphonic keys produced before the pulsing main theme returns. This track is never anything less than fascinating and is an early contender for both epic and instrumental track of the year on this website. It is embedded below.
On the last day of their mission, two crew must take the Alien Interceptor out one last time. The crew protest, but the Captain is adamant they must tick boxes, or his backside is on the line. This is a short piece of music, very playful, a sort of mid-album interlude piece prior to the dramatic ending.
The trip, though, was anything but routine, an explosion near The Lacus followed by a blinding light shooting up, with huge heat heading towards the base in a Baptism of Fire. The scene is set initially by the crew reluctantly heading out doing as they are told, with laconic keys before the alarm is raised, signalled by thumping notes and a distinct sense of danger. Irvine very cleverly turns the entire feel and mood of this album around from a routine sortie into something full of incident. As we move into the final Gordian Knot passage, the underlying bass guitar and keys present the crew with a seemingly intractable problem as the electrical impulse envelopes them.
With an unbearable intensity and incredible pain, an inky blackness permeates the Captain’s vision, he imagines he is heading for The Great Polyandrium in the Sky. I have embedded this below, and you will love the guitar solo produced and some staggeringly good drum and percussion work by Scott reminiscent of Bruford at the height of his powers.
As we close, a silhouette appears to address the crew, announcing that he has returned, asking them to join him, as The Starships are Gathering. This part of the story closes with a multitude of ships appearing through the clouds. It is a short track, and it is embedded below, a lovely pastoral piece of music, very effectively announcing the beautiful sight of so many artistic machines flying towards the surface (even rich with danger, flights of military aircraft carry with them a sense of wonder and beauty to boys of all ages). There are some lovely choral voices on this, and this is a progressive rock delight.
I have had a copy of The Starships are Gathering for a few weeks now, and it has enjoyed many spins on the Lazland system. Each gets better. Each gives up just a little bit more of its depth and intelligence. It is one of those albums that provides the listener with something new every time, and it is a very, very fine album. Yes, it will appeal to those of you who like their classic prog and, of course, sci-fi (think of those classic movies of the 50’s with loving nostalgia, and you will be somewhere near), but the production and delivery is strikingly modern.
I am looking forward to the next part. This one is highly recommended.