The fusion of rock and theatre has a long tradition, and done well, it can bring immense musical and dramatic satisfaction to those of us with a progressive mentality.
Clive Nolan has, of course, been doing this well for several years. Last year, he & Laura Piazzai delighted us with the sophomore Imaginaerium album, Siege, and now, hot on the heels of that, he brings us the third album in the Professor King and Alchemy series, The Mortal Light, released via Crime Records & We Låve Rock on 15th February. You can pre-order both the digital album and the lush 4-CD box at https://clivenolan.bandcamp.com/album/the-mortal-light
In the steampunk Victorian universe, King and his friends now travel to Norway, and face Makaria, a malevolent demigod who is brought to vivid life by Piazzai, this musical relationship continuing to yield such riches. As a piece of musical expression of evil, Makaria the closing track of CD1 is stunning, the drums and orchestration joining with Piazzai to fill the room, pure operatic progressive rock.
The two main CDs have more than two hours of music within two acts, with 35 distinct parts. This review will, therefore, provide you with a flavour of what to expect.
There are a host of artists appearing on the album. Naturally, Nolan is responsible for all the keyboards, orchestration, and chorus. Those of you who remember Scott Higham’s time with Pendragon fondly, as I do, will be glad to see him appearing here on drums – he is an exceptional musician who creates such power in his playing. The class bassist from The Windmill, Arnfinn Isaksen, is also here, and fast becoming one of my favourite modern guitarists, Mirko Sangrigoli, who, of course, appeared on Siege. The Principals include once again Andy Sears, and the Master of Ceremonies is Ross Andrews. For those of you unfamiliar with Nolan as a vocalist, this album is yet more proof of a serious voice talent.
It really is all so lovingly packaged, the mixing and mastering providing a sonic delight. I can bring a couple of things for you to whet the appetite and help you to decide to purchase. First, Clive has released a single edit of Witch, which I played on my radio show last Saturday. It is embedded as an audio for you below, the exceptional story of those appalling trials, judges not listening, Clive telling the story of the witch who got away with aplomb, the keys and voice thumping along at an insane pace, the chorus an explosion of joyful noise in the finest theatrical tradition, and here, as throughout his musical albums, you hear in the music that progressive core so perfectly melded with dramatis personae.
We also have a video of Crime, which was released a couple of years ago, with the concept and animation by Neil Monaghan, and artwork by Fabien Bienvenu. The roll call of the talents on vocal display in the video is joyful, and as for Gemma Ashley, I was blessed to see her at Clive’s Mead Hall last autumn. See her website at https://gemmaashley.co.uk/ Now, I am aware that there are progheads out there to whom a theatrical track such as this would be, shall we say, sniffed at. “Nuffink like Arena”, they might say. Well, no, it isn’t. But one of this website’s missions is to broaden the musical palette, and I find the whole track delightful, and a very good example of what to expect on the work as a whole.
Lastly, I am going to embed for you a video from King’s Ransom, the second in this series released eight years ago now. The film is by Neil Monaghan, a talented man who I was pleased to discuss this and other projects with last year. Ashley’s performance is stunning, and this is, again, a very strong example of the adding of operatic into the prog and theatrical mix.
From the opening bars of the majestic organ on Wedding, via the choral and orchestral expression of the raging storm on Thunder, to the self-deprecating lyrics of Nolan (“One day, someone will set this all to music”. “I hardly think that anyone will be foolish enough to do that!”), thence to the progressive joy of the closing keys on Sunset, you are treated to a world of adventure and quality music, a sweeping panorama of the imagination; rock; opera; rock opera; Gregorian chanting; pastoral; prog in its varying manifestations; theatre.
Very highly recommended.