THE TALE OF THE GOLDEN KING

Without going into song-by-song detail (which seems nearly pointless with an album so seamlessly connected), it is safe to say that The Psychedelic Ensemble has added some new twists this time around to what is by now their signature sound. Specifically, this album has been augmented by the inclusion of a (female) guest vocalist and a full orchestra! While the orchestra is used more sparingly at some times than others, it does lend to the album a remarkably different (and, to my ears, absolutely inspired) character from previous TPE albums. And Ann Caren, the guest vocalist, turns in some stunning performances here which really help to dramatize the concept more than in previous works. If you enjoyed previous TPE albums (and how could you not?), everything you loved from those is still here (the frenzied instrumental virtuosity, the fantastically complex writing, and that authentic "classic prog" sound are still 100% in tact); however, TPE is clearly not resting on their laurels. And isn't this - especially when pulled off with such consistent quality - what the prog genre is all about?