THE LAMPLIGHTER

ANIMA MUNDI The Lamplighter : GREAT album for any PROG music fan! Very nice CD with magic artworks from famous artist Ed Unitsky invites listeners to discover the new music world: it's something new between Camel (Rajaz) and The Flower Kings' ballads and it's really NEW step for the band! It's original, with typical Anima Mundi's music features (in harmonies, for instance), and not a "clone" of the Great PROG Ancestors' style - but you can also hear Yes, Genesis mood there... Also - very good and serious echo of Classical music: from Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet - Dance of the knights to Edward Grieg - Peer Gynt. Oh - and there isn't any 'Cuban Rumba-Mambo-Cha-Cha-Cha' at the album from musicians of this country - only Classic Epic Prog! (lol) If to speak more seriously... This album gives you a very big (and rare now!) treasure: beautiful bright melodies that you can remember at once! For sure, with great acoustic and el guitars by Roberto Diaz (he has the same sort of melodic energy that... Steve Hackett, I would dare to say this after all AM's albums and live shows !) and... I love MOOG solos and "violins' pizzicato" moments (thanks, Virginia Peraza)! In general, pleasantly to notice a very "smart" arrangement of the album: sometimes flute notes, exactly when/where they MUST to be, sometimes drum's moment and bass' line... These things are important there, because all of them work on a whole impression that is 'GREAT' ! I enjoy new singer's voice very much as well - if you love John Wetton's/Greg Lake's style, - you will join to me and Emmanuel Pirko Farrath ;) Yeah, it's conceptual album in 2 parts, a classic PROG themes (Love, Light, Creation)... but deep and SINCERE lyrics SPEAK with the listener... again. Really good poetry in a way, maybe, of The Flower Kings' one. And again and again I want to say about MUSIC: there are many sweet and touching moments in the album, and I am especially glad to meet there powerful development of bright melodies that you've already remembered (they was before in vocal or guitar part for example). ...I want to play this such a beautiful album again and again, and I do it! Anima Mundi (Roberto Díaz, Virginia Peraza, Yaroski Corredera, José Manuel Govín, Emmanuel Pirko Farrath) - thank you very much for the best PROG emotions with "the Lamplighter" !