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through power chords around two a penny and layers of vocals put the icing on the cake. And then the unthinkable happens, they throw in a keyboard solo and then a guitar solo. You wait ten years for a solo and then two come along at once, where will it end I ask you.

More medievalism arrives in the form of Ghilbert de Haace,a very odd old world lilting tune carried and flavoured by the talented Glenn Miller and his accordian. No not that Glenn Miller, the other one who is normally to be found fronting north country folk warriors The Whiskey Priests. A dark journey through the world of Seventeenth century poetry follows in the form of Miltons Schemes, Paradise lost gets a kicking whilst Ben Johnson stands in the side lines. A dark verse and dramatic pre-chorus power us along to a very jolly chorus that puts you ill at ease and makes you think that this is really two songs joined into one for a quick sale.

Social comments often find there way to the fore and Letter from Reiffel examines the state of post Berlin Wall Germany whilst treating you to some great upbeat accoustic guitar work. Burning Joan again takes us back through time, a ballad of a jailer who is love with Joan of Arc and cant understand why she wont return his affections, its not his fault that he is the man that has to burn her at the stake, its nothing personal. Winters Tale thankfully is not a cover of the David Essex song but a mid paced trail through the folly's of trying to live up to the actions of the literary heroes of fiction.

Cold War Comforts is back with the upbeat end of the album, a fast funky bass line is used to hand the simpler guitar work and the sumptuous harmonies. Meanwhile back in the realms of Greek Myth Artemise is having a bad day and Cry Carrion is the musical account of this. The song runs through many phases from up beat pop, to epic rock and comes off almost as a sampler for a progressive rock concept album, but at only five and a half minutes is a bite size and managable rendering.

The final track on the album is Stonehaven, and almost unrecognisable reworking of the song that first appeared on the Pastor Skull album a number of years previously. Its pure pop in the real sense of the world, not this fabricated boy band or computer generated dance rubbish, but a group of musicians playing real instruments to great a great dancey groove and some fantastic harmonies from guest Rachel Swindelhurst really add a touch of class and beauty to the proceedings.

Musically the band have some interesting angles never one for guitar solos, you tend to find that the lead parts of many of the songs are played on the bass with the keyboards also taking a lions share and occasionally something less expected such as accordion. What also stays in your memory is the vocal arrangement. I suppose that if you have such great lyrics its a good idea to deliver them with the right impact and here there is an intricate layering of harmony and backing vocals.

So basically a mix of punk, rock, folk and poetry..what more could you ask for.

"The North Sea heaved when it heard your wedding bells,
The grey skies wept upon the beach,
But who am I to tell the waves which way to turn,
and who are you to tell me what I can see"

Learn more about this author, Dave Franklin.
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