PASSION

Well, tell me about a grower!!! When I first heard this CD I thought it sounded awful! It seemed to me that this great band had listened too much to artists like Radiohead, Coldplay and the like... Too much for their own good maybe. Then, after a few more spins, you start to realise that the CD is not bad, just different. A few more and you´ll see that Passion is actually very good. And so on. I came to the conclusion, when I recovered from the inital shock, that Pendragon is one of the few prog bands to appear from the 80´s neo prog movement to actually have something new and relevant to show after all these years. And Nick Barrett is a rare breed indeed: he does write new stuff that is in essence the melodic symphonic rock he was always famous for, but also incorporate more recent styles blending them without losing his idendety nor his focus.

The results are stunning: even if you don´t like the music that comes from the CD, no one can deny those guys have made something that sounds modern and still very Pendragon-like. Along with all the new elements (tape loops, sound effects, unusual vocal harmonies, different song structures, etc) you´ll find generous doses of Barrett´s trademark emotional guitar solos and Clive Nolan´s brilliant, elegant keyboards fills (with a strong influence from Tony Banks of Genesis). This departure from their masterpiece The masquerade Overture is even more radical than on 2005´s Believe, but much more satisfying in almost all aspects. Pendragon is one fo the very few bands that achieved the rare feat of escaping the traps of being stuck with one succesful formula.

Although it was released in a relative short time after their last, the very good Pure (2008), Passion has no fillers to be found anywhere on the CD. All the tracks reeks of conviction and power (passion?). But my favorites tracks are the long ones: Empathy, This Green And Pleasant Land and Skara Brae, where there is room for the band members to show their instrumental prowness, proving how good and creative they can be combining the new and the old into some of the best prog stuff to be heard lately. Symphonic prog can be modern too!

The production is excellent.

Pendragon proved once and for all they can reinvent themselves after more than 30 years on business. Nick Barrett is not only one of prog´s finest songwriters, but also one of the most creative and enduring. He knows how to evolve without selling out.

Rating: Mea culpa. When I first heard this album I thought I´d ended up giving it 3 stars, if that much. I know some killjoy will rate it even less, sooner or later. It´s ok. Let´s respect people´s opinion. However, if you do pay atention to this album (with time and an opend mind) and give it the credit it is due, you´ll find hard to see it other than as it is: a very strong record for people with an open mind.