MEN WHO CLIMB MOUNTAINS

Honestly, this is one came across as a big disappointment. I tried very hard to like this CD and, in a way, I did. That´s exactly the problem: I had to push too much. Believe, Passion and Pure might have not be masterpieces, but they did have some real good stuff on them. I mean, they all had at least one very strong tune that you can call a "real" Pendragon gem. This one does not. Please, don´t get me wrong. It´s not bad. the problem here seems that all tracks start very well but don´t go anywhere, there´s a kind of build up that never reaches a climax, it just keeps going on and on and on. The only exception to the rule, but not much, is the 11 minute Explores of The Infinite that at least has a fine melody that holds well throughout the whole song. The remaining stuff sounds ok, but either appearing to be half baked or, more often, like discarded tunes from their other albums.

It´s really a pity to hear such outstanding band, a real prog legend, delivering so little. Ok, maybe I´m being too harsh: they´ve been around a lot and for a group that released so many prog classics, I guess it´s only natural that one day they´d fail to meet such gigantic expectations (let´s face it, most of us DO expect them to produce something as powerful as The Masquerade Overture or The Windows Of Life, to name but two). Stylistic, their previous two albums proved they could tackle different musical paths and still maintain some quality. Here they seemed stuck in a rut: you heard it all before, it´s nice, but simply the songs go nowhere. And for a band who delivered such perfect rounded stuff like Pendragon , this is a real letdown. Specially if you notice that the performances themselves are spotless and the vocal parts are great, probably the best of their entire career.

So in the end I found this CD pleasant enough not to keep pushing the "next track" buton, but it does not made me want to listen to it again like all the others did (even with Believe, which was a big disappointment only because it could not compare to the trio of blockbusters that preceded it). I guess I should rate it 3 stars, since there is not really bad stuff on Men Who Climb Moments. It only sounds unfinished, composition wise. However, I´ll give it 2, since I feel the need to balance some reviews here that gave it 4 or even 5 stars that I can´t really understand why. The fact that the band is great, and that the music here isn´t bad does not mean it´s on par to what they did before to give it such praising, at least that´s my point of view.

Listen carefully before buying it.