THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST

This is a really splendid, warm album and deserves at least 3 stars. It was an 80's album, so typically there are some more electronic and synthesizer sounds but the mixture with some folk acoustic instruments is nice and refreshing.

Indeed, the arrangements in the opener "Beastie" along with the melody makes the song sound a bit like a softer version of a heavy metal song. There's some electric guitar here and Anderson's voice plays a big part to that sound as well as the way he sings in "Clasp". These songs provide an excellent start to the album. I also like "Fallen On Hard Times" a lot. The music sounds very mature particularly on "Flying Colours" and again on "Slow Marching Band" which is another gem with a celtic feel. "Broadsword" and "Pussy Willow" are also cracking songs in my opinion.

A lot has been said about the album's cover. It's probably the best by the band. I read that the outside frame shows some runic symbols which was a system used in JRR Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings.

Although this is not my absolute favourite or by any means among JT's best albums, "The Broadsword And The Beast" along with "Stormwatch" gets a lot of play time in my household. Suffice to say, I like them a lot! 3.5 stars.