GOING HOME

I have had a soft spot for Tempest ever since I first heard them back in the early Nineties, and here they are with what I think is their 12th studio album. Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandoguitars, mandolins, mandolas, harmonica, bodhrán) and Adolfo Lazo (drums) are still there, as they have been since the very beginning in 1988, but they have had numerous line-up changes over the years and recent times have seen no difference. None of the others appeared on their last album, 'Thirty Little Turns', namely Lee Corbie-Wells (vocals, fiddle, hurdy-gurdy), Nikolay Georgiev (guitars)and Hugh Caley (bass, vocals) but there is some continuity with an appearance yet again of Robert Berry (keyboards) who has been guesting with them for years.

This is celtic rock with some progressive overtones, for those of you who have not previously come across them then think of some of the music being produced by Jethro Tull in the late Seventies and you will not be too far from the mark, much more that style than that produced by the likes of Iona or Enya. As always, Leif is the heart of the band with wonderful vocals and his acoustic instruments, and one can certainly imagine him providing the songs to the rest of the band as almost complete entities awaiting their input, although it should be noted that half of them are traditional this time. Their last album was an undoubted classic, but while this is not in quite the same league there is no doubt the addition of Lee on additional lead vocals has provided the band with more breadth. She has a real strength and can stand her ground with Leif, and it allows the band to move in different directions.

Tempest have played more than 2500 gigs in their 35 year existence, and show no sign whatsoever of slowing down yet. Yet again Tempest have delivered an album which any fan of Celtic music will thoroughly enjoy.