Label: Toff Records/The Merch Desk
Release date: 2/14/2020
Production: Nick Barrett
Album length: 64.04 min
Genre: Neo-Progressive Rock
Rating: 9.5/10
Cult neo-prog heroes Pendragon are back with a new album, »Love Over Fear«, and after years of dabbling in prog metal and the odd electronic sample, they’ve made a more than successful return to their melodic, symphonic prog rock roots, delivering their best record since the classic »The Masquerade Overture« (1996). »Love Over Fear« came out as a triple release that, alongside the ‘regular’ version of the album, also includes an acoustic and an instrumental version, which means fans of the English masters of progressive rock can enjoy their new music in three different ways.
It’s their first album with new member Jan-Vincent Velasco, a drum wizard of Filipino descent who replaced Craig Blundell five years ago. Velasco is already the fourth Pendragon drummer since long-time sticksman Fudge Smith left in 2006. Pendragon, who celebrated their fortieth anniversary two years ago, are still led by founding members Nick Barrett (guitar/vocals) and Peter Gee (bass), while keyboard master Clive Nolan, who’s also known as a member of Arena and Shadowland, has been in the ranks since 1986.
Maybe it was the nostalgia of dusting off some of those old, ‘dusty’ standards from the distant past at their anniversary shows that sparked the sudden swerve back to their sonic roots on »Love Over Fear«. On most of the tracks, Pendragon are once again playing melodic symphonic prog rock defined by Barrett’s melancholic guitar solos and Nolan’s eclectic, often epic keyboard textures. They honed that style down to the finest detail in the nineties, right up until after »Not Of This World« (2001), when they started experimenting with prog metal, electronic samples and darker ambient touches in an attempt to ‘modernize’ themselves.
The results were pretty mixed, although »Pure« (2008) still ranks among the highlights of their discography so far. »Love Over Fear« picks up where Pendragon left off with »Not Of This World«, which will delight all fans of classic neo-prog, though on a few tracks they also bring in some interesting new twists. With lyrics that carry quite a few deep messages, Pendragon sound a lot more positive and optimistic on »Love Over Fear« than on their previous four studio albums, though there’s no shortage of melancholic numbers either. The opener »Everything«, with its galloping rhythms and high synth tones, announces that classic Pendragon are back, but the best material on »Love Over Fear« only arrives after the first two tracks.
»Starfish And the Moon« is a melancholic power ballad with Nolan’s solemn symphonic arrangements, joined by ‘weeping’ guitar lines and an incredibly emotional vocal performance from bandleader Barrett. With its remarkable ambient depth, mostly thanks to heart-wrenching guitar passages and rolling synth curtains, »Truth And Lies« is the moment the band shifts into ‘higher gear’ and signals that »Love Over Fear« won’t be your average Pendragon album, but their most ambitious achievement since the end of the nineties. Upbeat and marked by a cheerful chorus, »360 Degrees« is an interesting and innovative experiment in which Pendragon successfully venture into folk prog rock territory. Barrett’s seriously fun mandolin parts add plenty of color to this excellent track.
The epic masterpiece »Soul An The Sea«, which features violin parts from guest violinist and backing vocalist Zoe Davenish, with its still, dreamy atmosphere probably reflects the ‘watery’ cover of this splendid album more than any other track on »Love Over Fear«. Barrett’s move to the English seaside town of Cornwall surely had an influence on the album’s style and its many lyrics about water and the sea.
On »Eternal Light«, where mighty choir harmonies, generously subtle guitar lines and hypnotic orchestral arrangements rule, Pendragon manage to reach a new level of creating complex, sweeping ambient landscapes. The peak comes in the closing section, where Nick plays a heart-wrenching, ‘Gilmour-esque’ guitar solo while choir and orchestral harmonies keep him company, a real feast for the ears. On »Water«, another ambient powerhouse of an eclectic track, the standout is the guest saxophone from Julian Baker, the innovative element that makes this great song even better. The choir vocal harmonies are simulated on Nolan’s keyboards, but paired with Barrett’s melancholic guitar lines and solos they sound superb every single time.
»Whirlwind« is a melancholic ballad propped up by fragile piano arrangements, on which Barrett and Nolan create an utterly intimate mood. The prog-metal-infused epic masterpiece »Who Really Are We?« is the hardest-hitting track on »Love Over Fear« and the only one that, thanks to its punchy guitar lines and dizzying drum fills, slightly recalls the style of the previous four albums. The ambient sweep and rhythmic eclecticism are once again at an enviable level, while the triumphant guitar solo in the closing section is a story all its own. The near-perfect finale of the album, embodied by the melancholic treat »Afraid Of Everything«, successfully combines all the best arranging, lyrical and atmospheric strengths of this cult band.
When Pendragon announced »Love Over Fear«, hardly anyone expected them to return to the high standards of »The Masquerade Overture« and »Not Of This World«. Even fewer imagined that, on top of going back to their classic style, they’d also deliver some very interesting new touches the band had never done on earlier albums. Masterfully produced, composed, arranged and performed, »Love Over Fear« is at the same time a distinctly nostalgic, ambient-tinged record that will thrill the long-time fans most, who unexpectedly got one of the best progressive rock albums of 2020. With »Love Over Fear«, Mr. Barrett has reminded us once again that he’s one of the great songwriting masters of progressive rock, with an exceptional ear for timeless melodies and hypnotic moods.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Everything
2. Starfish and the Moon
3. Truth and Lies
4. 360 Degrees
5. Soul and the Sea
6. Eternal Light
7. Water
8. Whirlwind
9. Who Really Are We?
10. Afraid of Everything
Lineup:
Nick Barrett – vocals, guitar, Roland V-Piano on track 4, Nord Stage 3 piano on track 8, mandolin on track 3, keyboard programming
Clive Nolan – keyboards, backing vocals
Peter Gee – bass guitar, bass pedals, backing vocals, keyboards
Jan-Vincent Velazco – drums, percussion
Guest musicians:
Zoe Devenish – backing vocals, violin on tracks 3 and 5
Julian Baker – saxophone on track 8
