Pendragon - Not Of This World



1. If You Were The Wind [And I were The Rain] (9:23) 2. Dance Of The Seven Veils - part 1: Faithless (4:09) - Part 2: All Over Now (7:30) 3. Not Of This World - part 1: Not Of This World (7:20) - Part 2: Give It To Me (2:23) - Part 3: Green Eyed Angel (6:40) 4. A Man Of Nomadic Traits (11:43) 5. World's End - part 1: The Lost Children (10:46) - Part 2: And Finally (7:13) -

Total Running Time: 67:07

It's a wonderful phenomenon. Neo-prog, that is. Although I'm not entirely comfortable with the term itself, I am with several of the bands that form part of that "subgenre" of progressive rock. You probably know whom I'm talking about…old Marillion, IQ, Pendragon…Stop right there. Yes, it's no coincidence, I just mentioned Pendragon and this is a review for that band's latest effort, Not of This World. In other words, I've just listened to the album and am very happy as a result. Is this going to be a review of a good album? You bet it is.

After the relatively huge success of the band's previous outing, The Masquerade Overture, Pendragon finally established itself as one of progressive rock's most endearing bands, and in the process managed to garner the label "classic" for that album. Although I didn't entirely agree with such a lofty description, I did enjoy The Masquerade Overture considerably, which is a very good sign this time around because Not of This World was even more enjoyable. The lush melodies that adorn the posh sojourn through melodramatically epic choruses, melancholic and heart-rending passages, and relatively accessible song structures are so memorable that I found myself singing "People my people…captain my captain" like an idiot while walking on the street. It's a good thing that people in Köln don't really care if you behave like a moron, trust me.

For well-crafted songs and music that won't clear your house of guests immediately, this is it. Guitarist/vocalist Nick Barrett's clear singing style and Clive Nolan's keyboards are at once melodic and strong, and drummer Fudge Smith and bassist Peter Gee choose to focus on the songs instead of showing off at every single corner of the record. Sure, Pendragon is not as technically involved as IQ (do yourself a favor, don't think of Dream Theater or, much worse, Watchtower), but this is supposed to be music; not a guitar clinic. And it's supposed to be good. Not of This World is.

-by Marcelo Silveyra

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