MUNDUS INCOMPERTUS

Three years after the debut, a whole new lineup offers some fresh, exciting, and highly polished "gothic prog."

1. "Baroque Impression No. 1" (9:13) more rockin' than Pär Lindh's previous music (except for the heavy parts of "The Iconoclast" and "Green Meadow Lands") it feels as if GRYPHON had chosen to become more rock-oriented. (19/20)

2. "The Crimson Shield (6:38) one of the most gorgeous pastoral prog pieces since Anthony Phillips' "The Geese and The Ghost." Harpsichord and soprano female vocalist Magdalena Hagberg make this sound like something much older than the 20th Century. (10/10)

3. "Mundus Incompertus" (26:43) in my Top 15 favorite long-playing epics of the 1990s. (45.5/50)

Total Time: 42:34

A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music.