BAND OF RAIN

There have been some more changes in the Band of Rain camp since 2020's 'Petrichor', which in itself, had seen some major moves. Chris Gill is still there of course, on guitars and keyboards, as is Jon Camp (Renaissance) on bass, but while Robert Webb (England) is still on keyboards, he has also now taken on the role of lead vocals as Matthew Corry is no longer involved and we have a new drummer in Zsolt Galantai and Michael Steinbacher has joined to provide saxophones and flute. I have followed Chris's career all the way from 2004's 'Deep Space' and is strange to hear him taking such a backseat in a band which was originally a vehicle just for his multi-instrumental talents.

Jon's fretless bass is very much a key component of the overall sound, and it is his versatility which provides much of the melodic lead, while the vocals also have a hugely important part to play in a band which is now much more firmly into psychedelic prog or Canterbury than the style which I had become used to. Although Chris has kept the name, this is not what I have come to expect from Band of Rain, and while he is obviously content to now be playing in a band and letting others take the strain, it does not really feel like BoR to me. Putting that to one side, is this a good album? I think the answer must be that it is good but not great, as I am not a massive fan of Webb's vocals, and there are times when the songs appear to be waiting for the next flash of inspiration. Mind you, when Camp decides to be front and centre his bass playing is nothing short of sensational. It is an album with plenty of ups and downs and while enjoyable it is certainly not essential.

BAND OF RAIN began as the one man project of Chris Gill from England. There's quite the story about him in the bio here and the man continues to release albums as he has eight so far including his most recent from 2021. "Deep Space" is his debut from 2004 and here is a guy who takes pride in his album covers. Thankyou!

Chris began as a bass player before turning to guitar then after getting into a car accident and having both hands broken he turned to synths. So the man can play all these instruments very well but it's the drums that are lacking here but not enough for me to not give this 4 stars. I just love the sound here. So much depth, layers of sound which I like and we do get some guest vocals but like most psychedelia he sort of mumbles along(haha). Guest flute as well on one track otherwise this is all Chris and what a job he did. I'm not normally into the "do it your self" musicians stuff but we have a winner here.

This is a long one at just under 69 minutes and we get 13 tracks and I have a top five to talk about. There are no weak tracks by the way or songs that make me cringe even a little bit thankfully. The opener "Cloudburst" sets the tone and although it's just outside of my top five I need to mention it. I dig those contrasts where we get this spacey sound which is overwelmed by some heaviness led by the guitar. "War And Peace" with those deep bass lines, keys and riffs really get me going especially how surprisingly heavy it is 4 minutes in. Oh my!

"Criggion" is so spacey with beats coming half way through. The title track has some cool contrasts and lots of synths. Powerful at times and the guitar makes some noise 1 1/2 minutes in. The final two songs "Castle Walls" and "Svengali" round out my top five. The closer is so uplifting to start as vocal melodies join in. I noticed Chris has an album called Svengali so he clearly is influenced by him and a fan.

Well I'm a fan of BAND OF RAIN even if this is the only record I have by them. It's been a fun week listening to this one, it's all about that spacey and drifting sound with those guitar leads and the depth of sound as well. Great album! I can't believe Chris played with Lol Coxhill and his band back in the day.

'Sometimes in the morning, when I take a shower, that's when I start recalling the things the day before ...' eh, it smells like having some simple everyday experiences from now on. But that's not the case here, definitely. Song structure meets jamming. This album is offering a somewhat quirky, unusual, yet very original behaviour. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm looking for, I'm fond of. The entire flow, Jon Camp's awesome fretless bass again and again. Odd moments, 100% deliberated, I'm sure. Or the improv appeal, especially when following the last three tracks. Partially it's also reminiscent of Caravan. Not only due to Robert Webb's voice, which is coming close to Richard Sinclair here and there. And so one can say that the new album delivers a melting pot of inspiration actually. Since the beginning of this century United Kingdom based multi-instrumentalist Chris Gill is the key factor when it comes to the development of this band.

That said some albums even are solo efforts more or less, but here again we have a complete BAND OF RAIN in action. 'The Sun King' is an eclectic album, brimful of noteworthy impressions. I mean, who really would expect a harmonica appearing in between, like it is on the opener Distant Land? And then '... a wily crow shone his eye down on me ...' - As The Crow Flies shines with lyrics and irresistible refrains that are forcing to sing along in one way or another. Due to the title track the band goes intensively symphonic. And after that, all brakes are released now at the latest. They let it all free flow with so much ease, it's simply fantastic. '... sometimes in the evening when I go to sleep, I think about the morning, which memories to keep ...'

Band of Rain first grabbed my attention with their album, "Dust of Stars". I really loved how they created atmospheres that would evolve with these almost dark and sometimes eerie moods. Yet there were moments of beauty and as well borderline insanity. It seems that album was a new sound for the band as older albums had a somewhat different style, though still good music.

Last year, Messieurs Chris Gill and Micha Steinbacher released an album independently of the Band of Rain catalogue under the Gill Steinbacher Project moniker entitled "Sven Gali". The atmospheric charm of the "Dust of Stars" album was still present. So with these albums to enjoy, I looked forward to the announcements of a forthcoming album in 2020, "Petrichor".

If I understand correctly, "Petrichor" sees a new band assembled for Band of Rain. I am under the impression that older recordings were largely to the credit of Chris Gill and that Micha Steinbacher joined sometime before "Dust of Stars". Older Band of Rain albums also featured a female vocalist. For this release, the band consists of Chris Gill - guitars, Jon Camp (Renaissance) - bass, Robert Web (England) - keyboards, Rick Hambleton - drums, and Matthew Cory (Emperor Norton) - vocals. Two members here really stand out on the album: Jon Camp for his ubiquitous, deep, chunky bass, and Matthew Corry for his unusual high, almost opera- meets-Renaissance-period vocal style.

The music on the album stays true to the recent band of Rain sound with compositions that move slow and steady, the drums typically keeping a steady beat while the bass roves and churns out its expressive groove. The keyboards and guitar create the atmosphere that is sometimes ominous and forbidding, other times ethereal and atmospheric but often moody and brooding. Matthew Corry's voice soars over the music. It's not a voice you'd immediately take to, I think, and honestly at first I was a little disappointed not to hear the female vocals of the previous albums or more instrumental tracks like on "Dust of Stars". But after a few listens, I began too hear how unique Corry's voice is and felt it did suit the music most of the time. I say most of the time because there are a couple of places where I question what the lyrics are supposed to be about ("Save lives, save money"?) or where the vocals are lost in the mix somewhat. But though I think it was a bold move to use Corry's vocals, the result is unique and appreciable after a bit.

One track that stands out for me is "Tupelo" which features more heavier guitar riffs and more power behind the music but later morphs into an almost southern rock style with a Band of Rain approach. It's also an instrumental track.

This album didn't immediately grab me as "Dust of Stars" or "Sven Gali" did. I read in a couple of other reviews the observation that as this is a new band and a new version of Band of Rain, there is as yet gelling and cohesion between the members. In a way, this was a kind of test album. "Let's see what we've got between us!" But with subsequent listens I have come to enjoy the album more. That building of moods and shifting of atmospheres still signifies this as a Band of Rain album. If this is a case of a band learning to create music together and heading towards greater things, then I am eager to hear where they go next.

"Petrichor" is certainly something different from the majority of modern prog band approaches and worthy of checking out if you like music that is not busy but instead takes you on a journey over landscapes of ancient, fallen civilizations and misty autumn forests, rivers, and rocky escarpments. This is mood music with an eerie edge and at times there is a tension lurking beneath the smooth flowing surface. Not quite an "excellent addition to any prog rock music collection" but better than just "good but non-essential".

For the second time I discovered the name of "Petrichor" for an album title, it was already present on the album released at the end of 2018 by the French group KEOR that I strongly recommend, and BAND OF RAIN which comes from take out his seventh throw. This word designates a particular odor, usually pleasant, which the earth takes on after rain. This definition indicates the direction and the turn that this work will take, it will let glimpse the romantic and traditional roots adopted by BAND OF RAIN, like an ideological message announced before the discovery of the content, the informed listener will perceive all these aspects over the listening . This album takes again the English folk bases already heard in the preceding opus, but improved by a more elaborate work and fructified by the additional arrival of seasoned musicians. These British artists offer us Psychedelic / Space Rock music with claimed influences from groups such as PINK FLOYD, KING CRIMSON, RENAISSANCE and YES with a special mention for the expert synthesizer and composer LARRY FAST "Synergy". Note that an eighth album written during confinement is already being recorded. "Petrichor" is a conceptual disc whose main themes are witchcraft, superstition and weather. Here is a summary of my impressions: "Daughter of the Moor" begins slowly like a good track by MARILLION with a voice resembling that of the legendary FISH, the song turns and metamorphoses into tremolos pushed to the extreme like Tom YORK , a "Zeppelin" guitar solo accompanies this vocal feat. We delay with synthetic and pianistic passages to start again with another throat ... three singers for the price of one? This time it twists like a Jeff BUCKLEY in great shape if I may say so ..., it looks like a cover of this much-regretted genius (rip), with almost the same orchestral effects with a very rocky temperament tuned to the same guitar which never ceases to send us endless solis as a kind of well-balanced background sound. "The Craft" develops an instrumental resonance that reminds me of YES "Tormato" period, but with a vocals all their own. A voice alone or with others interpret a few plaintive couplets melting in a form of softness sussurated with subtlety as if to speak in the ear of a loved one ... Sensations sometimes folkloric, sometimes medieval with some atmospheric moments, but constantly dressed in the same bewitching rhythm ... it's beautiful and sad at the same time, but above all successful! "Larkspur" sends us tortured sentences like a castra with intense emotions. The word is strong, but the vocal prowess is there ... hats off! A slow and sporadic tempo appears repetitive to better accompany this voice which never stops dying, with this impression of listening to a story with a glorious past and "Tolkiesques". Guitar riffs with heavy harmonies will complete this beautiful heritage. This "Merlin" does not speak, he takes us on an instrumental journey in a magical and chimerical world rocked by a tempo that sounds like a death knell. He slowly retraces his epic to us through a light and airy bass that wanders through ancestral times, enhanced by endless and distorted riffs and guitar solos. Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away by this captivating and spooky piece. With "Tupelo" we come back to earth, we retouch a very rock ground with all its variants, finished the lyricism of yesteryear. Here blues is mixed with rock, rock with country, but always scaffolded by a touch of mystery and electric sounds revolving in loops in the background, providing this track with a striking rendering to better establish a refined cinematic relief. After two very interesting and heterogeneous instrumental pieces I find with delight our singer prodigy on one of the best tracks of the album: "Witchfinder". MATTHEW CORRY delivers us in addition melancholic and exhilarating songs comparable to those of the leader of RADIOHEAD accompanied by an orchestration of the same name, intonations of the talented JIM GRAY of the group CALIGULA'S HORSE are interspersed admirably in certain epic passages where the chills become overwhelming ! A pivotal passage at 2:40 will make us levitate above the sofa and teleport us into an imaginary world full of sweetness, escorted by a melodic guitar installed in a perpetual solo, before ending this masterpiece with a little lullaby full of delicacy and emotion. The eponymous "Petrichor" the longest title of this opus was obviously conceived around the voice of MATTHEW CORRY. I am not going to complain about it, because here MATTHEW CORRY gives us the cover with a anthology of his vocal possibilities revealing to us the full extent of his talent.The instruments are in perfect harmony with this overwhelming voice, whose controlled emotions rise crescendo until the essential oil is drawn from this humus with vital scents. What to say about this album ...? Quite simply that it is beautiful, that the melodies are immensely deep and melancholic, that the orchestration offers us a complete and bewitching tapestry of the most beautiful effect, and that I have just adopted a new sublime voice in my musical repertoire. This group which is in its seventh album deserves to be better known, and should be referenced among the greats of progressive music! The recurring problem with masterpieces is that they are inaccessible to ordinary people, I myself did not fall in love with the first keys, but I have the immense advantage of writing chronicles that force me to be rigorous and to listen a certain number of times before judging. Now I am wise, and I strongly advise you to harness yourself to this little wonder, and not to let go before having felt all the contents!

So much talent here! Long-time band leader Chris Gill, a talent in his own right, enlists the creative input of legends Jon Camp (RENAISSANCE) and Robert Webb (ENGLAND) and one of my favorite up-and-coming vocalists, Matthew Corry (EMPEROR NORTON).

1. "Daughter of the Moor" (7:49) Matthew really stretching it out--showing his immensely talented and broad vocal range--but it's rendered so poorly into the mix. And the song is so one dimensional. Too bad. (12/15)

2. "The Craft" (6:34) opens with a band and never goes anywhere from there. As Matthew sings it's as if he's in another universe with absolutely no connection to the music--at least until the music goes soft in the second half. (8/10)

3. "Larkspur" (7:53) finally, something is moving, something is interesting--and Matthew's operatic vocals and lyrics are working within and with this musical tapestry. Great CHRIS SQUIRE-like bass line and love the work of Robert Webb's keys (especially the little clavinet riffs). (13.5/15)

4. "Merlin" (7:18) 2-chord instrumental over which Jon Camp's fretless ambles about. Later, Chris Gill's guitars tear it up pretty good. (12.75/15)

5. "Tupelo" (5:43) an instrumental attempt at uptempo power/heavy prog. Nice sounds and bass and guitar play but otherwise the song has no meat. (8.25/10)

6. "Witchfinder" (7:33) opens with choir and bird noises before band kicks in with slow three-chord blues-rock dirge. Then at 5:10 it's as if a whole other song has been faded into this one to take over. Chris does an admirable job with his axe trying to salvage this one, but . . . (12.5/15)

7. "Petrichor" (12:11) potential and melding but no direction or ambition. (20/25)

Total Time 55:01

So much aimless meandering! The chemistry of these mega-talented individuals just never seemed to gel. For some reason the band is content on every single song to establish a groove and then stick with that one monotonous for the length of some exceedingly long songs while letting vocalist Matthew Corry create some magic yet recording his voice terribly into the mix.

I first came across Band Of Rain back in 2006 when I reviewed the first two albums. At that time, it was mostly Chris Gill, and over the years there have been quite a few changes in line-up, but it has always been Chris's steadying hand at the rudder. This is their seventh album, and although I have reviewed five of the albums I somehow missed 2019's 'Svengali', at which point the band was a duo of Chris and Micha Steinbacher, who had also been on the previous album 'The Dust of Stars'. Just a year later that has changed with Band of Rain becoming a full band and not only is it now a proper band which can get out and gig, or at least that was the plan before a certain pandemic got in the way, but there are a few well-known names who are now involved. The first of these is none other than Jon Camp (Renaissance) on bass, while the keyboard player is Robert Webb (England). Chris only provides guitars on the album, a major reduction in his normal contribution, and the line-up is completed by Matthew Corry (vocals) and Rick Hambleton (drums). To my mind the band has already had two significant periods in their existence, the first being when they released their first four albums between 2004 and 2011, and the second being the next two albums which were Gill, Steinbacher and Ria Parfitt (who provided vocals on 'The Dust of Stars'), and here they are taking it to quite a different level.

Musically there have also been quite a few changes, as this is now a band with a permanent singer and there are far fewer instrumentals whereas it used to be often the other way round, and they are now far removed from the space rock which could be found throughout their earlier works. It is a band album, no longer a solo work, with Gill sharing credits on every song, which now often revolved around the intricate (and often fretless) bass playing of Camp. It is far more psychedelic, and Chris has easily relaxed into the new role he has created within the band, sitting back to let Jon take the centre stage when the need is right, or providing some deft solos. The music often creates soundscapes, fitting in well with the images on the front and rear of the CD, and the whispering at the end of the instrumental 'Merlin' (provided by Parfitt) is particularly effective.

As an album one is never quite sure where one is going to be taken on the journey as there are quite a few different styles at play, and there are times when it joins together seamlessly but others when there appears to be something of a disconnect in that while everyone is playing the same song it doesn't really gel as it should. The band are already working on the next album, provisionally titled 'Dawn Chorus', with the aim to be playing both in concert next year. Realistically this is a brand new band operating under an old name, and once they have been playing together more and developing their sound it is going to be intriguing to hear what they sound like, as the last time I heard a bass this far to the front was with Mr So & So, yet musically these is a very different outfit altogether.

If it weren't for that my friend Gordo Bennett played some guitar shredding on one track ("Ancient Electric"), I probably would have been unfortunate enough to never have heard of this album. Thankfully, Gordo did shred, and Band of Rain's Chris Gill became known to me. He sent me a file of the album which took me a couple of months to get around to unzipping, but when I did, I knew I had to have the CD!

Look, I was into NWoBHM at the time and I was becoming disappointed as several remastered albums I bought on CD had inferior remastering. The music did not sound good. And I remembered how I bought so many new releases in 2016 and how good they all sounded. Then I heard Band of Rain's "Dust of Stars" and was taken on a remarkable journey of sound, mood, and emotion.

Part of the surprise was that I have not listened to an album like this for a long time, the closest thin being a Jet Black Sea album. We are talking about music that drips heavy emotion and exudes deep moods. It's a bit atmospheric industrial at times, has world music sounds incorporated at times, and delivers moments of beauty and peace. This is not an album for listening to while talking a power walk in the park, nor is it one for a drive along the coast on a sunny Sunday. This is sit back, close your eyes, open your mind and soul, and take a musical journey type music.

Each track has its charm, its ear-catching piece. It might growl menacingly at you, send you back to ancient peoples and religions, have you imagining a room of churning machinery at the end of a dark and narrow corridor, or have you soaring through high clouds under a starry sky. Most tracks are instrumental, but "Toys" features Ria Parfitt on vocals and reminds me of a song that might have come from the Robin Williams movie with the same name. It has that playful but slightly off-your-nut atmosphere.

"Dust of Stars" is created by Chris Gill and Micha Steinbacher. It's music that gradually unfolds and shifts, like watching early morning mist unveil a morning scene through slowly moving windows. It's never fast or busy. There are just waves and pulses of chords and notes undulating, swelling, releasing, sometimes thundering, sometimes washing to an end. This is a beautiful, albeit sometimes brooding, album of music. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Band of Rain.

It has been six years since the last band of Rain album, but Chris Gill is finally back with another release. As has been the case with his other albums, he continues to mix it up, and this time he has provided guitar, programming etc. and has been joined by Micha Steinbacher (bass, flute, sax, multi-instruments, programming, vocals). Most of the album is instrumental, but on two of the songs he has again engaged the vocal talents of Ria Parfitt, which takes the music into quite a different direction from the rest. This is hypnotic, almost trance-like music, treading a line where progressive rock and psychedelic music meet, reminiscent of Hawkwind, Pink Floyd and very early Porcupine Tree.

It is complex and complicated, and for all the times where it feels that it is driving and forceful there are others where the music just washes over the listener and allows them to relax into it. My favourite is "Indian Summer", where the combination of flute and synthesisers provides an introduction that makes one think that it is going to be in the style of Native Americans, before it goes into traditional Indian, and then something quite different altogether. This really shows the experimental aspect of the music, as the band bring together music from different cultures to create something that is both different and enjoyable. I know that Chris is often busy working on albums by others, but I do hope that we don't have to wait quite so long for the next one..

For this 2011 release Chris went back to basics, in that this is actually a solo effort (apart from vocals and narration by Ria Parfitt on one song). Chris has used sound effects in places to enhance the overall sound, a vocoder in others, and has created an album where the songs are actually quite different to each other as well as being very removed indeed from the previous album. Not only is this instrumental, but often the guitars are much more in your face than before, and "Ghost Planes of the Peak District" actually turns into a Wishbone Ash number with strong twin melody guitars before Chris decides to let that slowly drift away and instead make the keyboards the main lead. There is a real sense of adventure in this album as Chris looks back much more to what was happening in 'Garlands' than 'Art', creating something that contains space rock, psych, gothic rock and so much more.

The two albums are actually so different that they feel as if they are from separate artists, and in many ways they are as Chris has move from the band format with an external producer to one where it is simply states 'written, recorded and produced by Chris Gill' in small print on the rear cover. In many ways this album is more broad in that it contains so many styles, but the earlier one is more focused and more of the sort of thing that I would listen to for sheer pleasure. But, why not go to Chris's site at www.bandofrain.com and find out for yourself as it is possible to stream songs from each album and here is an artist well worth discovering.