Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Pendragon
Label: Madfish
Release: 2011
Running time: 54:55
Rating: 3.5/5
On their ninth studio album, aptly titled »Passion«, cult English neo-prog heroes Pendragon have carried on with the radical stylistic break from the upbeat symphonic prog rock that defined their nineties output. They’ve also kept up the trend toward ambient-heavy, much darker and punchier material, which they started pushing on the fairly average »Believe« (2005) and then perfected almost to the point of flawlessness on the excellent »Pure« (2008), which for many was even the peak of their discography so far. That means that with the distinctly bleak and unusually cynical »Passion«, they’ve flung the doors even wider open to irritable progressive metal elements, and to electronics too, which isn’t always the ideal combination, but with musicians as superb as the members of Pendragon, even the most dubious experiments can yield surprisingly good results.
Keyboard maestro Clive Nolan (Arena, ex-Shadowland) has never used electronic samples this often in his career, while the band’s head honcho, guitarist and singer Nick Barrett, has finally shaken off his reputation (or curse) as a “carbon copy” of Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), because there are barely any melancholic slide guitar solos this time around. At certain better moments on the album, thanks to the nihilistic atmosphere and a few other things, some of the compositions lean a bit toward Nolan’s band Arena. At their worst, though, Pendragon on »Passion« sound like some second-rate prog metallers with an average vocalist, so the album as a whole is a very solid but rather mixed-quality final result. After the excellent »Pure« it’s even a minor disappointment, but it also has a handful of splendid ideas, where the risky sonic experiments, unthinkable just a few years ago, come off brilliantly.
On the opening title track, after a short, electronically pulsing start with subtle layers of acoustic guitar, where they suspiciously recall some modern “indie” art rockers in the vein of The Pineapple Thief, they suddenly leap into a prog metal section that’s pretty sharp by their usual standards, though enriched with symphonic arrangements, where for a moment they lean toward Arena and even a bit toward Porcupine Tree. Mr. Barrett constantly leans on a crew of dramatic backing vocals, which significantly enrich his technically rather limited singing contribution. Scott Higham (ex-Shadowkeep) once again shines on drums with his thunderous swings, demonstrating why Barrett brought a metal drummer into the band three years ago.
The 11-plus-minute »Empathy«, another unusual and fairly complex prog metal experiment, even contains some doom metal atmosphere, with acrid guitar phrases and irritable rhythmic shades. Barrett’s vocals sound both apathetic and gruff this time. Alongside Nolan’s layered synth textures, they’re the only real proof that the listener is dealing with Pendragon and not with some brand-new British prog metal/art rock attraction, which clearly shows where “modernizing” their sound has taken them, for better and for worse. In the middle section comes a surprising turn into a subtle passage, where Barrett, for the first time on »Passion«, shows off with a brilliant, moving solo why he belongs among the best neo-prog guitarists, while Peter Gee surprises with some unusual funky bass lines. This is where that recognizable, traditional Pendragon ambient magic finally comes alive again. Sadly, everything is then spoiled by a fairly short but still tasteless and unnecessary rap interlude. This ill-considered experiment is somewhat redeemed at the end of the piece by a gorgeous, melodramatic orchestral section under Mr. Nolan’s direction.
»Feeding Frenzy«, where, after some needless baby whimpering, a true prog metal blowout follows, with plenty of uncompromising time changes, jagged guitar passages and dramatic keyboard textures, is one of the more interesting experiments on »Passion«. The good 13-minute-long, upbeat epic »The Green And Pleasant Land«, the most ambitious piece on the album and also its best, is a successful bridge between the two stylistic faces of this cult band: the “classic” symphonic prog rock idealists of the nineties and the cynicism- and gloom-stuffed “nuPendragon” of the 21st century. Nick “conjures up” yet another magical guitar solo, while female harmonies in the background provide stunning subtlety and successfully lift the mighty atmosphere. The acoustic and symphonic arrangements are wonderfully blended, while the complex rhythmic shades are placed in exactly the right spots.
The vocal harmonies here are the best on the entire album, which means Nick’s singing deserves generous praise this time, showing an unusual emotional fire, with only minimal vocal help from Clive and company. In the closing section, some “modern, metal-electronic elements sneak in too, while the psychedelic ending with yodeling voices is completely superfluous. This time Pendragon have struck just the right, moderate path between the two extremes, overblown, idealistic positivism and overblown, gloomy cynicism.
The somewhat psychedelic-ethereal »It’s Just A Matter Of Not Getting Caught«, especially in its opening part, recalls something that could easily have been born in the brain folds of Porcupine Tree or their chief Steven Wilson, which means Nick and the gang must have listened to “select” bands before recording »Passion« to make sure they knew how modern prog rock sounds. »Skara Brae«, the name of a Neolithic settlement in Scotland, the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in all of Europe, which is also what the lyrics are about, is yet another energetic prog metal experiment with pointed guitar passages, fiery drum transitions and mighty waves of symphonic curtains. The brutal, vocoder-processed interludes are in sharp contrast with the subtle guitar harmonies and clean vocals, which nevertheless take the initiative. There are also plenty of acoustic touches that deepen the mysterious, ethereal mood.
The closing ballad »Your Black Heart« opens with a calm, almost serene, piano-backed section, which the rather superfluous use of vocoder starts to chop up. The melancholic atmosphere gradually swells through the introduction of choir-like vocal harmonies, accompanied by a very pretty piano melody. The latter makes for an ideal ending to the album, deepened considerably by a “weeping” guitar solo in Nick’s recognizable style, though it could easily have been two minutes shorter.
»Passion« is a solid achievement where certain unusual and risky stylistic experiments pay off very well, while Pendragon’s new, modern sonic formula, with which they once again made a pretty radical break with their symphonic prog rock past, doesn’t come off equally convincingly at every step. That happens mostly where Clive overdoes the electronics on the synths and where Nick, with increasingly thick backing, sounds a bit forced vocally in his attempt to please younger generations, which is entirely unnecessary, so the best moments on »Passion«, as already said, are the ones where they successfully build a bridge between the old and the new style. Pendragon have undoubtedly changed quite a bit sonically in the last few years. Even though the quality of their studio output still swings quite a bit, they’re undoubtedly on the right track; they sound like a modern band, yet still recognizably themselves. Not just the title, but also the cover of »Passion« (censored in the US, as usual) is pretty unusual for the traditionally “asexual” Pendragon, but it clearly signals what’s in the music.
Lineup
Nick Barrett – guitar, vocals
Clive Nolan – keyboards
Peter Gee – bass guitar
Scott Higham – drums
Production
Karl Groom and Nick Barrett
Track list
1. Passion
2. Empathy
3. Feeding Frenzy
4. This Green And Pleasant Land
5. It’s Just A Matter Of Not Getting Caught
6. Skara Brae
7. Your Black Heart
