SIEGE

This is the second album from Imaginaerium, and here Clive and Laura have taken a somewhat different tack as this feels way more like a band than a project. The initial idea for Imaginaerium and the resulting debut 'The Rise of The Medici' was when singer Laura Piazzai was performing in one of Clive Nolan's productions and she suggested to Eric Bouillette that he ought to compose something for her. He thought this was a great idea, and in turn contacted Clive for assistance with the lyrics, but this soon changed into a more collaborative work with both providing the music. I first came across Laura when she and Clive collaborated on 'From The Outside In' where Laura sang on new versions of some of his material, and in some ways, I feel this album is closer to that than the debut. One of the sad reasons for this is Eric sadly died way too young, so the leaders are down to just two. However, unlike that release, and more in tune with the debut, there are only three other musicians involved, with Luis Nasser (bass), Mirko Sangrigoli (drums, guitar) and Simone Milliava (guitar, acoustic guitar) with the feeling here is a band who are going to do much more than just this album.

'Siege' is available in multiple forms, but the one to get is the Ear Book with 32 pages and hard cover and 2CDs+blu ray with 44 minutes of original documentary. I only have the 2CDs, but that is just fine with me as that provides not only 19 songs (some reworkings of material on the main album), but a song version I never thought I would hear, more of that later. Laura is a wonderful singer, with great range and power, and she is quite different in style to Tracy Hitchings with whom she will always be compared given she is working with Clive in a similar manner to how he used to with Tracy 30 years ago. She comes from a more classical and theatrical background, and is much less of a rock singer, and this breadth and depth of style adds to the arrangements which find Clive moving somewhat in the more theatrical style he has been providing in recent years, yet there is always the feeling that this is a proper band at work and that this could be performed live by the same musicians (although there are of course multiple layers).

This does not sound like Arena, Clive's major band these days, and is certainly far removed from role in Pendragon, and the more I played this the more I felt it is a combination of 'Alchemy' and the much-missed Shadowland. The first time I ever saw Clive play live was on the infamous Lurve Ambassadors tour, while Shadowland's debut seemed to be always on the player as one of my daughters declared it her favourite ever album. Here we find Clive melding together two quite different styles with lyrics which are taking their cue from history and telling stories of times gone by. There are far too few lyricists who look back into British history, but here we commence with the wonderful story of Boudica (or Boudicea), queen of the Iceni, who rose up against the Roman occupation of Britain, with her defiance carved into history as a symbol of resistance. Tourists to London will probably look at the statue of 'Boadicea and Her Daughters' near Westminster Bridge and have no idea who she was, but to Brits she is part of our myths and legend, a spirit of unyielding rebellion.

Laura is in control right from the beginning, while Clive's arrangements are complex as he builds the layers of rock and theatricality, so much so that this album stands very much on its own, but one can also imagine this being performed more in a theatrical setting than a rock gig, although the songs are thematically related as opposed to telling one story. Interestingly, the delicate piano based "When My Eyes Are Closed" is about mental illness and the battle sufferers fight, which can be both invisible and numerous, yet unrecognised by others. "Never Burn The Cakes" is the story of a king who is widely recognised as one of the greatest and unifying rulers ever, King Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. However, ask Britons who burned the cakes, and they will also say Alfred as he accidentally let some wheaten loaves burn while fleeing the Vikings. In many ways that is his legacy, which seems somewhat unfair. With strummed acoustic guitar, bodhran and Clive and Laura sharing vocals this is a very different song to the rest of the album.

The more I play this the more there is to enjoy and hear, and with Clive taking the lead on "The Last Arrow" one is reminded yet again of what a great singer he is, and how I would like to hear much more from him. That is one of the songs which is reworked on the second bonus album, but when I was sent this release, I checked out the track listing, did a double take, and immediately played the first song on the second disc. Back in 1994 Shadowland released a five-track EP, 'Dreams Of The Ferryman', designed to gain interest for their second album, 'Through The Looking Glass', which contained some songs not then available, including "Dorian Gray". The version included here 30 years after the original finds Laura providing plenty of passion while Clive accompanies her on keyboards. I do prefer the old version, but that may well be due to how many times I have played it, and maybe this will encourage some to look back at Clive's catalogue, which is deep and varied.

This is already one of my favourite albums of the year, and I envy those of you who live in Europe and will be able to see this performed, as this is a wonderful piece of art that all progheads will do well to seek out.

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