METAMORPHEUS

Another wonderful classical effort from Mr Hackett. This time he uses the Underworld Orchestra to create, along with his distinctively atmospheric guitar, a superb musical drama that has fast and slow pieces, along with happy and eerie moments. It is an album that creates a thoughtful yet beautiful world all of its own. In many ways this is a companion piece to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and is just as good. The packaging, as usual, is typical Hackett, with illustrations by wife Kim Poor. All the tracks merge into a smooth, sinuous whole, and I can heartily recommend this to fans of both classical guitar and fans of Mr Hackett's acoustic playing. It once again showcases his special talent for composing. His diversity seems endless and I have to say that over the passing years he has become stronger and stronger - not something that can be said about many of his contemporaries. Not pure prog, but a classical adventure of epic proportions. Music to relax with on winter nights. Lovely stuff.