Release date: 27.09.2019
Label: Artist Station Records
Production: Frank Bornemann
Length: 51:49
Genre: symphonic progressive rock/space rock
Rating: 8.5/10
“The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre – Part 2” is the follow-up to the concept album of the same name about the life of French national heroine Joan of Arc, released in 2017 by German prog rock legends Eloy. Guitarist and vocalist Frank Bornemann, the band’s boss and its only original member, has kept his promise that the sequel to this ambitious concept wouldn’t take long to arrive, and the second part of the saga of the Maid of Orléans complements the first in every respect, especially in atmosphere and arrangements. The second part of the tragic story focuses on the final years of her short life: from the key victory at Patay, through the coronation of French king Charles VII in Reims and captivity in Burgundian clutches, to the rigged trial by the pro-English inquisition and burning at the stake at the tender age of nineteen.
There’s been one change in the lineup since the last album: Kristof Hinz has been replaced on drums by Stephan Emig, who is already the seventh drummer in the history of the German “space” proggers, though that hasn’t really changed the band’s expected rhythmic identity. The rich orchestral arrangements, mostly the work of the two longtime keyboardists, Hannes Folberth and Michael Gerlach, remain this group’s trademark alongside Bornemann’s eclectic guitar adventures. The guest choir vocal harmonies, with an emphasis on female voices, are nothing new either, but this time the symphonic arrangements bring in more sacral elements, underlining the medieval flavor that runs through most of the songs. It may be unusual for old-school proggers like these that only three tracks on the album run longer than five minutes, but this is an interconnected musical collage that successfully ties together Bornemann’s concept about the final years of the ill-fated young woman.
The opening track, with its powerful choir harmonies, neatly paves the way into the heart of the concept, while Frank’s unmistakable guitar passages immediately make it clear that Eloy are still in great form. His voice, mostly because of the strong German accent, was never brilliant and was never really front and center, but good backing vocals cover for it most of the time, and most of the compositions are marked by complex instrumental sections that make you forget this longtime weakness. “Patay”, which describes the Battle of Patay in its lyrics, is pretty much a prototype of an Eloy classic. Even though the victory at Patay is credited to Joan of Arc, the battle against the English was in fact won by a French army strike force led by knights before Joan even reached the battlefield with her soldiers.
The songs “Joy” and “Reims”, which deal with the coronation of Charles VII, are full of spirited arrangements and a positive atmosphere, while church organs and choir harmonies add a fitting medieval-sacral stamp. Thanks to an interesting riff and hefty guitar passages, “Armstice of War?” has a slight hard rock charge, while the symphonic arrangements underline the epic nature of the composition.
“Paris” comes off even more warlike, while “Abandoned” already tells of the lost battle and Burgundian captivity. Although the lyrics speak of Charles VII’s betrayal, some historians claim that Charles did in fact try, unsuccessfully, to buy Joan back from the English lackeys, the Burgundians. The next two songs tell of the torture and the trial through dramatic passages and a gloomy atmosphere, while “Rouen”, soaked in church organs and choir harmonies, describes Joan’s death at the stake. The closing track “Eternity” tells how Joan symbolically outlived her tormentors, since her memory lives on centuries after her death, and since the start of the last century she has been venerated as a saint not only by the Catholic but also by the Anglican church.
With the closing chapter of their concept about France’s most famous national heroine, Eloy have proven that, despite the respectable ages of most of the band’s members, they still have plenty of energy left to make great music. “The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre” won’t take the prize for best progressive rock album of 2019, but it will surely rank among the cream of the albums released that year. Bornemann and his crew have convinced us once again that, in their golden years, they haven’t lost their knack for creating vivid, eclectic musical adventures.
Review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. An Instant of Relief… Still The War Rages On (6:28)
2. Between Hope, Doubts, Fear And Uncertainty (2:12)
3. Patay (5:23)
4. Joy (3:45)
5. Reims… The Coronation of Charles VII (2:29)
6. Résumé (2:44)
7. Armistice or War? (4:25)
8. Paris (3:47)
9. Abandoned (4:43)
10. Compiègne (5:10)
11. Tormenting Imprisonment (2:25)
12. Rouen (4:40)
13. Eternity (3:38)
Eloy:
Fank Bornemann – vocals, guitar
Klaus-Peter Matziol – bass guitar
Hannes Folberth – keyboards
Michael Gerlach – keyboards
Stephan Emig – drums, percussion
