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Trollheart · 05-13-2011, 11:17 AM

Once and future king, part 1 --- Gary Hughes --- 2003 (Frontiers Records)

There are albums, there are concept albums and then there are musical phenomena. In the latter category you'll find and probably recognise behemoths like “Tommy” by The Who, Jeff Wayne's “War of the worlds” and of course “The Wall” by Pink Floyd. To this pantheon should also be added this perhaps lesser-known but in no way inferior double album, which you really have to hear to believe.

Based (not surprisingly, given the title) on the legend of King Arthur, “Once and future king” is the brainchild of Gary Hughes, vocalist and songsmith with Manchester melodic-rockers Ten, and was three years in the making, seeing the light of release in 2003. A true rock opera in every sense of the word, the album features performances from some of the very best talent in the world of melodic/prog rock, as Gary has assembled a cast of stars, among them Diamond Head's Sean Harris, Magnum's Bob Catley, superstar Arjen Lucassen, Lana Lane, Sabine Edelsbacher and Erik Norlander, who also helps engineer the whole thing. Each member takes the part of a player in the drama, roles listed below further on.

When I say this is a double album, that's not exactly true. Mindful of the cost to the fans of an expensive double-disc, Gary actually released part 1 and part 2 as separate discs, though in the same year, so that these are two physically separate recordings, though one follows on from the other. Think the original release of “Back to the future 2” and 3 and you'll get the idea. Together but separate. Nonetheless, although each track is self-contained and can very much be enjoyed on its own, or as part of a playlist, to get the real feel for the album you have to listen to both discs through from start to finish. It's an amazing achievement, and a fitting testament to Gary's vision for the project.

It's of course primarly a rock album, and there are loads of fast, upbeat, fist-punching rock anthems in there, with some really nice ballads too --- Gary writes some great stuff: listen to “Rainbow in the dark” or “Soliliquoy (The end of the world)” by Ten to get an idea ---but perhaps surprisingly on a rock opera, only the one instrumental, and that on part 2. And not, strictly speaking, an instrumental. But we'll get to that later....

The whole thing kicks off with as might be expected a sort of overture, piano and choral voices giving way to thundery keyboards as the mood turns dramatic and insistent, driven by the unmistakable presence of prog god Arjen Lucassen behind the keyboards. The overture swells and gets louder and louder until the opener “Excalibur” powers into life, and the album sets off at a breakneck pace, with the crowning of Arthur, as he accepts the magical sword that bears the opener track's name. First of several vocalists on the two albums, it's Damian Wilson (Threshold, Ayreon, Star One) who takes song duty on this track, narrating the crowning of Arthur, and the pace keeps up for “Dragon Island Cathedral”, with Gary himself taking over vocal duties as he takes the role of the eponymous king, while the guitars of John Halliwell and Chris Francis (Ten) battle it out in a glorious fight for supremacy, and Gary outdoes himself by providing swirling, squealing keyboards in addition to singing.

The approach taken by Hughes to the Arthurian legend is very different to some standard ones. Eschewing the tack taken by various movies, or the TV series “”Merlin”, and cutting out the more romantic/less historically accurate elements, Gary actually takes a page from Richard Carpenter's approach to the legend of another mythical British hero, Robin Hood, in his retelling of the story for Goldcrest's TV series “Robin of Sherwood”. Like that series, Gary's take on the legend of Arthur brings in more mystical and pagan elements, the old gods, and his characters are less black and white than other interpretations have painted them. Gary says he used “various sources such as the Mallory Poem and the Geoffrey of Monmouth version of the Arthurian legends which is probably the earliest. Various other documentation from various authors, things like the Bernard Cornwell novels Excalibur, Winter King, Enemy of God and various things like that which I thought were probably as close to my interpretation as I could get.
I tried to avoid the Hollywood-isms and tried to concentrate on Arthur the battle lord trying to unite the tribes which is what it was all about” (Excerpt from his interview with MelodicRock.com --- MelodicRock.com Interviews: Gary Hughes - Once And Future King.)

Guinevere makes her entrance in the next track, “At the end of day”, played by the multi-talented Lana Lane, performing a beautiful duet with Gary as Arthur. The song is, not surprisingly, a love song as each sing of their love for the other: “I saw a miracle arrive/ For an angel walked into my life/ You make the flames of a heart so cold/ Ignite, you melt my soul” While Guinivere sings “I will be everything you need/ For the timeless one brought you to me./ Safe in my arms as the torches fade/ With the light at the end of day “. The song is driven on a haunting piano melody, almost acoustic, though there is a tremendous guitar solo halfway through, though whether this is Chris Francis, John Halliwell or indeed Gary himself I don't know, as all three take guitar duties across the album, but the texture of the solo sounds to me like some of Gary's best work from Ten.

The mood stays generally balladic for the next offering, with Danny Vaughn taking centre stage as Lancelot, asking the eternal questions as “The reason why” gets underway. Vaughn puts in a fine performance as the honourable man caught up in a web of his own making as he sings “Show me the reason why we put chains on our lovers/ How can we justify this kind of control?/ Show me the reason why we enslave one another.” Things kick into high gear again then as Morgana makes her entrance, in the shape of Irene Jansen, who sings her heart out on “Shapeshifter”, a real rocker after the previous two low-key tracks.

Enter Merlin, played by Magnum's Bob Catley (a good choice!), and we see that he is far from the kindly old magician of many previous Arthurian stories. Gary has chosen here to represent the wizard as someone longing for the old days, as magic begins to lose its grip on the emerging new world as the Dark Ages start to fade out, and he wishes to bring back the old gods, believing that only they can return the world to the way it was. “If I was king for a day”, he sings, “This land would burn in the mystical flames/ Born through the fire the old gods would reign.”

“King for a day” is a sort of slow heavy waltz, not a ballad, but a slowburner certainly. The grinding, doom-laden tone is driven by Paul Hodson's keyboards and piano lines, and paints a disturbing picture of the most powerful man in Britain at the time. It's followed by the return of Danny Vaughn as he reprises his role as Lancelot in what is perhaps one of the most commercial songs on the album, and could indeed have been lifted as a single. “Avalon” is pure AOR heaven, as Lancelot begs Guinevere to stay with him, despite knowing it to be wrong.

The rest of the album stays in fairly high gear to the end then, with “Sinner” another power-rock stormer, Diamond Head's Sean Harris taking the role of Galahad as he rails at Guinevere for her betrayal of Arthur with Lancelot: “You're the queen, it's obscene/ how you lied and schemed/ You're a fake; there's a snake deep within ya/ It's a web that you weave out of vile deceit/ You've got blood on your hands /You're a sinner.” This leads into Merlin's last turn on the first part of the album as Catley denounces Guinevere for her part in the fall of Arthur. “In flames” is an anthemic, powerful thumper, with swirling keyboards and groaning guitars mirroring the shame of the Queen's betrayal, and what it means for the Monarchy. Merlin cries “Crawl out, bruised by the landslide /Fool's fate, destiny's jaws/ Ground down, used and abused by Love/ Like a silent blade/ Shout out; bleed as the dammed die/ Too late, venom and claws, /Gouged out, wounded and tongue tied /Love! Love cuts you down in flames “

Merlin demands Guinevere be burned at the stake, but Arthur intervenes, instead sending her away, as he growls through his heartbreak “This web of lies is to blame, binding the pain./You betrayed me time and time again./ Why don't you answer me?/ You left me crying in the rain, blind and afraid/ Now the broken words I have to say/ Echo but my heart has turned away./You'll never lie me again “ The role of Arthur is again taken by Gary Hughes for the closer on the album, and “Lies” does not disappoint as an ending track, as Gary pours his entire heart into the image of a man who has been cruelly and unexpectedly betrayed and who, despite his wish to forgive, is in the position that he cannot do so and retain the respect of his peers, and so is forced to exile his Queen.

TRACKLISTING
1. Excalibur
2. Dragon Island Cathedral
3. At the end of day
4. The reason why
5. Shapeshifter
6. King for a day
7. Avalon
8. Sinner
9. In flames
10. Lies

ROLES

KING ARTHUR -- Gary Hughes
QUEEN GUINEVERE --- Lana Lane
MERLIN --- Bob Catley
SIR LANCELOT ---Danny Vaughn
MORGANA --- Irene Jansen
SIR GALAHAD --- Sean Harris
NARRATOR --- Damian Wilson

And so ends the first part of this excellent opera. See below for part 2, the continuation and conclusion.

Once and future king, part 2 --- Gary Hughes ---2003 (Frontiers Records)

As part 1 ended on a heartbreaking note, and with a slow, sad song, so part 2 begins with a juggernaut, echoing some of Rainbow's best work from “Rising”, “Kill the king” pounds its way out of the speakers (or headphones : whatever's your poison!) as newcomer to the project D.C Cooper from Royal Hunt takes the part of King Aelle, lusting after Arthur's crown. The track thunders along on metal hooves, kicking up dust all around as Aelle declares “I wanna kill the King of Britain dead /I wanna thrust a knife deep in his chest/ I wanna feel and see his blood run red!” No ambiguity there, then! The track is in some ways similar to the opener on part 1, “Excalibur”, even to the point of having a musical “overture” to get it going. Great guitar work in there, but the thing that really drives the track along is the pounding drums of Greg Morgan.

Time for introspection then as Arthur reminisces and Gary Hughes returns for another cruncher, “There by the grace of the Gods (go I)”, before he lapses into maudlin reproach as he croons to his now-vanished Guinevere in the first and perhaps best ballad on the album, “I still love you (I still do)” featuring another excellent guitar solo. “I'm still trying to fight the memories, it's my legacy of pain / I was broken but survived to fight another day / I will never understand your reasons: that will never change/ But wonder if the time has come to try again?” Guinevere, singing separately, answers in “Oceans of tears”, a more upbeat track in which Lana Lane accepts the Queen's culpability in her crime against Arthur, but there will be no reunion, no trying again, as she sings “I'll cry no more ocean of tears/ Don't know why I'm alive/ What my heart's beating for”

And that's the end not only of the Queen's contribution to the album, but of the King's too, as the story is taken up by other characters in the saga. “Rise from the shadows” powers out of nowhere as Morgana declares her opposition to Arthur and her wish to supplant him on the throne with her own son (and, some believe, Arthur's), Mordred. Irene Jansen reprises her role, putting in a great performance, which is to be her last on the album, and the melody itself echoes that of “Excalibur”, which opened part 1 and the entire saga, a nice touch.

Things slow down then for the final song from Bob Catley as Merlin, as he takes one side of a beautiful love duet with Nimue, played by Edenbridge's Sabine Edelsbacher, the song carried on a beautiful, luxuriant bank of keyboards and acoustic guitar. “Believe enough to fight” sees Nimue exort the wizard to find the courage and conviction to fight for Arthur against the hordes of Mordred, ranged against them, and he responds “I will return the gods to Britain/ This heart will burn/ I pledge my soul/ I will return the gods to Britain/ This tide will turn.”

And then the battle begins in earnest. As the climax of the story, and the album, approach, Doogie White (Praying Mantis/ Yngwie Malmsteen/Tank) takes the role of Mordred for “The hard way”, declaring he will defeat Arthur and take his throne. Nimue returns for “The pagan dream”, another fast rocker, and Mordred for “Demon down”, before the only instrumental on the album, “Deius”, brings a close to the battle, as Arthur is killed, but (if legend is to be believed) kills Mordred also. It's really more a chant carried on a military backbeat than a true instrumental, though it's credited as such on the album, and it takes us into the battle proper.

The finale of the album is taken up by two glorious pieces, the first sung by Galahad, played again by Sean Harris, as he laments Arthur's passing in “Without you”: “I thought I'd found the answers but I'll never understand/ The whys, the hows the wherefores/ In this godforsaken land/ You raise a man to saviour/ You bow to his command/ Then break him where he stands.” The closing lines are particularly poignant, and point to a prophecy mentioned in the closing track: “And now my eyes betray me/ Through this callous twist of fate/ Imprinted on the landscape like reflections in the lake / Across the sky at sunset/ With every dawn that breaks/ I swear I see his face....” It's a bittersweet song that in some ways deserves to be the closer, but then you get to hear the actual final track, and to be honest, there could be no other.

The finale is the title track, and is sung by Harry Hess. He's not given a credit as a player, so perhaps like Damian Wilson at the beginning of the first album he's more a narrator than a participant. The battle is long over, Arthur is dead, or taken to Avalon, depending on how much you believe the mythology, and his legend has begun to grow. In a stately homage to the Once and Future King, Hess sings “They've slain the man/ But not his heartbeat/ His spirit soars on the wind/ They claim the day/ But the fire inside remains/ For the lost once and future king.” It begins as a piano ballad, with a riff borrowed from Pink Floyd's “Echoes”, and later with the sudden introduction of a screaming guitar (one assumes Gary Hughes, but there's no way to confirm this) it morphs into a huge, powerhouse anthem celebrating the legend Arthur has left behind, the man he was, and the story he began.

As I said, I truly believe this is an underappreciated magnum opus, and would definitely recommend a listen, but again as I said, to get the full benefit from the project, you really have to listen to both albums through all the way at least once. Okay, so that's over 100 minutes of your time, but I promise you, it will be time well spent!

TRACKLISTING
1. Kill the king
2. There by the grace of the gods (go I)
3. I still love you (I still do)
4. Ocean of tears
5. Rise from the shadows
6. Believe enough to fight
7. The hard way
8. The pagan dream
9. Demon down
10. Deius
11. Without you
12. Once and future king

ROLES

KING ARTHUR --- Gary Hughes
QUEEN GUINEVERE --- Lana Lane
MERLIN --- Bob Catley
NIMUE --- Sabine Edelsbacher
KING AELLE --- D.C. Cooper
MORGANA --- Irene Jansen
MORDRED --- Doogie White
SIR GALAHAD --- Sean Harris
NARRATOR --- Harry Hess

Suggested further listening: "Babylon", "Return to Evermore", "The twilight chronicles", "The robe" and "The name of the rose" by Ten

05-13-2011, 11:17 AM	#13 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Once and future king, part 1 --- Gary Hughes --- 2003 (Frontiers Records) There are albums, there are concept albums and then there are musical phenomena. In the latter category you'll find and probably recognise behemoths like “Tommy” by The Who, Jeff Wayne's “War of the worlds” and of course “The Wall” by Pink Floyd. To this pantheon should also be added this perhaps lesser-known but in no way inferior double album, which you really have to hear to believe. Based (not surprisingly, given the title) on the legend of King Arthur, “Once and future king” is the brainchild of Gary Hughes, vocalist and songsmith with Manchester melodic-rockers Ten, and was three years in the making, seeing the light of release in 2003. A true rock opera in every sense of the word, the album features performances from some of the very best talent in the world of melodic/prog rock, as Gary has assembled a cast of stars, among them Diamond Head's Sean Harris, Magnum's Bob Catley, superstar Arjen Lucassen, Lana Lane, Sabine Edelsbacher and Erik Norlander, who also helps engineer the whole thing. Each member takes the part of a player in the drama, roles listed below further on. When I say this is a double album, that's not exactly true. Mindful of the cost to the fans of an expensive double-disc, Gary actually released part 1 and part 2 as separate discs, though in the same year, so that these are two physically separate recordings, though one follows on from the other. Think the original release of “Back to the future 2” and 3 and you'll get the idea. Together but separate. Nonetheless, although each track is self-contained and can very much be enjoyed on its own, or as part of a playlist, to get the real feel for the album you have to listen to both discs through from start to finish. It's an amazing achievement, and a fitting testament to Gary's vision for the project. It's of course primarly a rock album, and there are loads of fast, upbeat, fist-punching rock anthems in there, with some really nice ballads too --- Gary writes some great stuff: listen to “Rainbow in the dark” or “Soliliquoy (The end of the world)” by Ten to get an idea ---but perhaps surprisingly on a rock opera, only the one instrumental, and that on part 2. And not, strictly speaking, an instrumental. But we'll get to that later.... The whole thing kicks off with as might be expected a sort of overture, piano and choral voices giving way to thundery keyboards as the mood turns dramatic and insistent, driven by the unmistakable presence of prog god Arjen Lucassen behind the keyboards. The overture swells and gets louder and louder until the opener “Excalibur” powers into life, and the album sets off at a breakneck pace, with the crowning of Arthur, as he accepts the magical sword that bears the opener track's name. First of several vocalists on the two albums, it's Damian Wilson (Threshold, Ayreon, Star One) who takes song duty on this track, narrating the crowning of Arthur, and the pace keeps up for “Dragon Island Cathedral”, with Gary himself taking over vocal duties as he takes the role of the eponymous king, while the guitars of John Halliwell and Chris Francis (Ten) battle it out in a glorious fight for supremacy, and Gary outdoes himself by providing swirling, squealing keyboards in addition to singing. The approach taken by Hughes to the Arthurian legend is very different to some standard ones. Eschewing the tack taken by various movies, or the TV series “”Merlin”, and cutting out the more romantic/less historically accurate elements, Gary actually takes a page from Richard Carpenter's approach to the legend of another mythical British hero, Robin Hood, in his retelling of the story for Goldcrest's TV series “Robin of Sherwood”. Like that series, Gary's take on the legend of Arthur brings in more mystical and pagan elements, the old gods, and his characters are less black and white than other interpretations have painted them. Gary says he used “various sources such as the Mallory Poem and the Geoffrey of Monmouth version of the Arthurian legends which is probably the earliest. Various other documentation from various authors, things like the Bernard Cornwell novels Excalibur, Winter King, Enemy of God and various things like that which I thought were probably as close to my interpretation as I could get. I tried to avoid the Hollywood-isms and tried to concentrate on Arthur the battle lord trying to unite the tribes which is what it was all about” *(Excerpt from his interview with MelodicRock.com --- MelodicRock.com Interviews: Gary Hughes - Once And Future King.)* Guinevere makes her entrance in the next track, “At the end of day”, played by the multi-talented Lana Lane, performing a beautiful duet with Gary as Arthur. The song is, not surprisingly, a love song as each sing of their love for the other: “I saw a miracle arrive/ For an angel walked into my life/ You make the flames of a heart so cold/ Ignite, you melt my soul” While Guinivere sings “I will be everything you need/ For the timeless one brought you to me./ Safe in my arms as the torches fade/ With the light at the end of day “. The song is driven on a haunting piano melody, almost acoustic, though there is a tremendous guitar solo halfway through, though whether this is Chris Francis, John Halliwell or indeed Gary himself I don't know, as all three take guitar duties across the album, but the texture of the solo sounds to me like some of Gary's best work from Ten. The mood stays generally balladic for the next offering, with Danny Vaughn taking centre stage as Lancelot, asking the eternal questions as “The reason why” gets underway. Vaughn puts in a fine performance as the honourable man caught up in a web of his own making as he sings “Show me the reason why we put chains on our lovers/ How can we justify this kind of control?/ Show me the reason why we enslave one another.” Things kick into high gear again then as Morgana makes her entrance, in the shape of Irene Jansen, who sings her heart out on “Shapeshifter”, a real rocker after the previous two low-key tracks. Enter Merlin, played by Magnum's Bob Catley (a good choice!), and we see that he is far from the kindly old magician of many previous Arthurian stories. Gary has chosen here to represent the wizard as someone longing for the old days, as magic begins to lose its grip on the emerging new world as the Dark Ages start to fade out, and he wishes to bring back the old gods, believing that only they can return the world to the way it was. “If I was king for a day”, he sings, “This land would burn in the mystical flames/ Born through the fire the old gods would reign.” “King for a day” is a sort of slow heavy waltz, not a ballad, but a slowburner certainly. The grinding, doom-laden tone is driven by Paul Hodson's keyboards and piano lines, and paints a disturbing picture of the most powerful man in Britain at the time. It's followed by the return of Danny Vaughn as he reprises his role as Lancelot in what is perhaps one of the most commercial songs on the album, and could indeed have been lifted as a single. “Avalon” is pure AOR heaven, as Lancelot begs Guinevere to stay with him, despite knowing it to be wrong. The rest of the album stays in fairly high gear to the end then, with “Sinner” another power-rock stormer, Diamond Head's Sean Harris taking the role of Galahad as he rails at Guinevere for her betrayal of Arthur with Lancelot: “You're the queen, it's obscene/ how you lied and schemed/ You're a fake; there's a snake deep within ya/ It's a web that you weave out of vile deceit/ You've got blood on your hands /You're a sinner.” This leads into Merlin's last turn on the first part of the album as Catley denounces Guinevere for her part in the fall of Arthur. “In flames” is an anthemic, powerful thumper, with swirling keyboards and groaning guitars mirroring the shame of the Queen's betrayal, and what it means for the Monarchy. Merlin cries “Crawl out, bruised by the landslide /Fool's fate, destiny's jaws/ Ground down, used and abused by Love/ Like a silent blade/ Shout out; bleed as the dammed die/ Too late, venom and claws, /Gouged out, wounded and tongue tied /Love! Love cuts you down in flames “ Merlin demands Guinevere be burned at the stake, but Arthur intervenes, instead sending her away, as he growls through his heartbreak “This web of lies is to blame, binding the pain./You betrayed me time and time again./ Why don't you answer me?/ You left me crying in the rain, blind and afraid/ Now the broken words I have to say/ Echo but my heart has turned away./You'll never lie me again “ The role of Arthur is again taken by Gary Hughes for the closer on the album, and “Lies” does not disappoint as an ending track, as Gary pours his entire heart into the image of a man who has been cruelly and unexpectedly betrayed and who, despite his wish to forgive, is in the position that he cannot do so and retain the respect of his peers, and so is forced to exile his Queen. TRACKLISTING 1. Excalibur 2. Dragon Island Cathedral 3. At the end of day 4. The reason why 5. Shapeshifter 6. King for a day 7. Avalon 8. Sinner 9. In flames 10. Lies ROLES KING ARTHUR -- Gary Hughes QUEEN GUINEVERE --- Lana Lane MERLIN --- Bob Catley SIR LANCELOT ---Danny Vaughn MORGANA --- Irene Jansen SIR GALAHAD --- Sean Harris NARRATOR --- Damian Wilson And so ends the first part of this excellent opera. See below for part 2, the continuation and conclusion. Once and future king, part 2 --- Gary Hughes ---2003 (Frontiers Records) As part 1 ended on a heartbreaking note, and with a slow, sad song, so part 2 begins with a juggernaut, echoing some of Rainbow's best work from “Rising”, “Kill the king” pounds its way out of the speakers (or headphones : whatever's your poison!) as newcomer to the project D.C Cooper from Royal Hunt takes the part of King Aelle, lusting after Arthur's crown. The track thunders along on metal hooves, kicking up dust all around as Aelle declares “I wanna kill the King of Britain dead /I wanna thrust a knife deep in his chest/ I wanna feel and see his blood run red!” No ambiguity there, then! The track is in some ways similar to the opener on part 1, “Excalibur”, even to the point of having a musical “overture” to get it going. Great guitar work in there, but the thing that really drives the track along is the pounding drums of Greg Morgan. Time for introspection then as Arthur reminisces and Gary Hughes returns for another cruncher, “There by the grace of the Gods (go I)”, before he lapses into maudlin reproach as he croons to his now-vanished Guinevere in the first and perhaps best ballad on the album, “I still love you (I still do)” featuring another excellent guitar solo. “I'm still trying to fight the memories, it's my legacy of pain / I was broken but survived to fight another day / I will never understand your reasons: that will never change/ But wonder if the time has come to try again?” Guinevere, singing separately, answers in “Oceans of tears”, a more upbeat track in which Lana Lane accepts the Queen's culpability in her crime against Arthur, but there will be no reunion, no trying again, as she sings “I'll cry no more ocean of tears/ Don't know why I'm alive/ What my heart's beating for” And that's the end not only of the Queen's contribution to the album, but of the King's too, as the story is taken up by other characters in the saga. “Rise from the shadows” powers out of nowhere as Morgana declares her opposition to Arthur and her wish to supplant him on the throne with her own son (and, some believe, Arthur's), Mordred. Irene Jansen reprises her role, putting in a great performance, which is to be her last on the album, and the melody itself echoes that of “Excalibur”, which opened part 1 and the entire saga, a nice touch. Things slow down then for the final song from Bob Catley as Merlin, as he takes one side of a beautiful love duet with Nimue, played by Edenbridge's Sabine Edelsbacher, the song carried on a beautiful, luxuriant bank of keyboards and acoustic guitar. “Believe enough to fight” sees Nimue exort the wizard to find the courage and conviction to fight for Arthur against the hordes of Mordred, ranged against them, and he responds “I will return the gods to Britain/ This heart will burn/ I pledge my soul/ I will return the gods to Britain/ This tide will turn.” And then the battle begins in earnest. As the climax of the story, and the album, approach, Doogie White (Praying Mantis/ Yngwie Malmsteen/Tank) takes the role of Mordred for “The hard way”, declaring he will defeat Arthur and take his throne. Nimue returns for “The pagan dream”, another fast rocker, and Mordred for “Demon down”, before the only instrumental on the album, “Deius”, brings a close to the battle, as Arthur is killed, but (if legend is to be believed) kills Mordred also. It's really more a chant carried on a military backbeat than a true instrumental, though it's credited as such on the album, and it takes us into the battle proper. The finale of the album is taken up by two glorious pieces, the first sung by Galahad, played again by Sean Harris, as he laments Arthur's passing in “Without you”: “I thought I'd found the answers but I'll never understand/ The whys, the hows the wherefores/ In this godforsaken land/ You raise a man to saviour/ You bow to his command/ Then break him where he stands.” The closing lines are particularly poignant, and point to a prophecy mentioned in the closing track: “And now my eyes betray me/ Through this callous twist of fate/ Imprinted on the landscape like reflections in the lake / Across the sky at sunset/ With every dawn that breaks/ I swear I see his face....” It's a bittersweet song that in some ways deserves to be the closer, but then you get to hear the actual final track, and to be honest, there could be no other. The finale is the title track, and is sung by Harry Hess. He's not given a credit as a player, so perhaps like Damian Wilson at the beginning of the first album he's more a narrator than a participant. The battle is long over, Arthur is dead, or taken to Avalon, depending on how much you believe the mythology, and his legend has begun to grow. In a stately homage to the Once and Future King, Hess sings “They've slain the man/ But not his heartbeat/ His spirit soars on the wind/ They claim the day/ But the fire inside remains/ For the lost once and future king.” It begins as a piano ballad, with a riff borrowed from Pink Floyd's “Echoes”, and later with the sudden introduction of a screaming guitar (one assumes Gary Hughes, but there's no way to confirm this) it morphs into a huge, powerhouse anthem celebrating the legend Arthur has left behind, the man he was, and the story he began. As I said, I truly believe this is an underappreciated magnum opus, and would definitely recommend a listen, but again as I said, to get the full benefit from the project, you really have to listen to both albums through all the way at least once. Okay, so that's over 100 minutes of your time, but I promise you, it will be time well spent! TRACKLISTING 1. Kill the king 2. There by the grace of the gods (go I) 3. I still love you (I still do) 4. Ocean of tears 5. Rise from the shadows 6. Believe enough to fight 7. The hard way 8. The pagan dream 9. Demon down 10. Deius 11. Without you 12. Once and future king ROLES KING ARTHUR --- Gary Hughes QUEEN GUINEVERE --- Lana Lane MERLIN --- Bob Catley NIMUE --- Sabine Edelsbacher KING AELLE --- D.C. Cooper MORGANA --- Irene Jansen MORDRED --- Doogie White SIR GALAHAD --- Sean Harris NARRATOR --- Harry Hess Suggested further listening: "Babylon", "Return to Evermore", "The twilight chronicles", "The robe" and "The name of the rose" by Ten __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 11-04-2011 at 06:36 AM.