THE GATHERING LIGHT

Funny how explosions can actually become a positive thing and simply sling creativity to another level. Karnataka issued some good albums but nothing quite as stellar and accomplished as The Gathering Light. When the band splintered a few years back, all it engendered was 2 new energetic bands (Panic Room and the Reasoning) while bassist Ian Jones enlisted a brand new crew to join him in the ongoing Karnataka saga. The sound is richly symphonic with heady Celtic influences courtesy of Irish pipe man Troy Donockley, hence veering near Iona territory (which is a very good thing), as well as Hugh McDowell, former cellist with ELO. Keyboardist Gonzalo Carrera infuses dense ivory tapestries while guitarist Enrico Pinna blisters magically throughout this splendid disc. The tracks are denser, richer and fuller, loaded with arrangements that will make one smile, flush with luxuriant melodies and an ideal platform for new singer Lisa Fury to belt out some impassioned vocals. The pace is quite exhilarating as a couple of glorious instrumentals open the velvet curtains, first the brief "The Calling" and especially the masterful "State of Grace". On "Your World", Fury showcases her limpid voice effectively, held together by a tight rhythm skirting near classic Mostly Autumn fields, flavored by a seductive Pinna solo that is hair-raising in simplicity and overpowering in emotion while drummer Ian Harris keeps things tight and rollicking. The glorious "Moment in Time" just keeps the tempo moving inexorably forward, a somber piano ushering in a deep melancholia, a crystalline voice swishing above the fray and a massive chorus that will shake your inner soul. Lyrically, the theme is profoundly romantic and expressed with heartfelt conviction. When the sweeping orchestrations kick in allowing the electric lead to swoosh and sway, the proggy bliss blooms. Pinna does a Gilmour slide routine for the ages, while Troy decorates with his Uillean pipes. Anthemic, addictive and utterly drop dead gorgeous. Wow, shiver me timbers, "you've opened my eyes"! The epic 10 minute+ "The Serpent and the Sea" is wholly symphonic with whistling synths adorning the musical pathway, once again infected with a deadly melody that will adhere to your deepest pleasure nodes. Pinna delivers multiple shimmering solos, crowning the aural skies with trembling fizz and the arrangements are garnished with doses of contrasts and atmosphere. The heartrending "Forsaken" is perhaps the most consequential song here, a 12 minute + neo- classical foray with lavish orchestrations, a sensitive verse and chorus and another main melody that will crush your soul. Pinna parallels the theme splendidly, Fury having dedicated this song to her mum and dad, a wonderful gesture in so many ways. "Tide to Fall" has a slight Arabic feel and a highlight reel melody, intoxicating and addictive like some suave sonic opium, with Fury swooning eloquently. This probably my preferred track here, short, direct and effusive. The title track finale is an extravaganza that clocks in at over 14 minutes, a fitting glorious romance that luxuriates within intense Celtic influences (I am a big Donockley fanboy anyway), a moving classic that will please all progressive fans. This is a monumental piece that encapsulates all the elements that make this recording a quantum leap ahead of previous Karnataka recordings. A scintillating epic of masterful proportions whre Fury really shows her mettle!

I have been recently entranced by female vocalists (in the prog community, the guys are not always exemplary but the ladies?.wow!) and dived headlong into multiple purchases with bands featuring estrogen lungs. This prog lantern is an easy 5 candles, one of the finest prog recordings in my collection and one I intend to revisit often.