THE MAD MONK AND THE MOUNTAIN

The Mad Monk and the Mountain is a worthy album filled with enough variation to keep the listener attentive and engrossed to its wonderful sound.

Filled with epic compositions, lush sounds and plenty of creative lyrical designs, The Mad Monk and the Mountain is clearly an album borne of love and devotion by the artist/musician Colin Masson. The fantasy-oriented artwork (also created by Masson), by the way, is quite astounding and eye-capturingly detailed. Influences aren't terribly hard to pick out; a few of them are clearly Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator, possibly some Genesis, and, because of the guitar tone, perhaps some classic 1980's rock. The lyrics and vocal styles alone seem somewhat reminiscent of Hammill. Mr Masson also manages to throw in a good amount of English folk, adding some pleasant eclecticism to the mix. The Mad Monk and the Mountain features a good range of instruments, both acoustic and electric, ranging from the traditional acoustic and electric guitar and basses, to 12-string guitars, recorders, and many different styles of keyboards and synths. Cathy Alexander is the only other musician beside Mr Masson himself on this album, showing how truly versatile a musician he is. Ms Alexander provides beautiful vocals, recorder, and keyboards.

Overall, The Mad Monk and the Mountain is quite a good album. The sheer scope of the compositions is very interesting, making for some nice musical twists and turns, though some of the album can seem to sort-of drag on a bit in spots. The lyrics are somewhat hard to make out at times, but they seem innovative and unique, dealing with life, death, and madness. I give this album 3.8 out of 5. Great music!

Standout tracks: 'Two Lighthousekeepers', 'Tilting at Windmills', 'The House on the Rock'

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