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░ ██ ██ Artist: Gryphon ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Reinvention █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-12-31 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: self-released ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ The 2010s has been a great decade for classic prog █
█ rock acts of the 70s riding the new wave of █
█ popularity that the genre has been experiencing. █
█ These bands emerge seemingly from out of nowhere █
█ after finding a few classic heyday members who █
█ round up a bunch of newbies for the team and then █
█ secretly head into the studios unbeknownst to the █
█ world and then ultimately deliver a slice of good █
█ old fashioned classic prog tailored for the 21st █
█ century. Camel re-recorded their classic "The Snow █
█ Goose," Maxophone, Osanna, Comus and Bubu made a █
█ comeback after woefully brief careers in the 70s █
█ and even Soft Machine has completely rebooted with █
█ some of the band's former glory day members coming █
█ to the forefront in 2018. Add to that list, a band █
█ i would've never expected to hear from again and █
█ that's GRYPHON who hasn't been heard from since █
█ 1977's "Treason." █
█ The release of their sixth album REINVENTION marks █
█ a whopping 41 year absence since their last album █
█ hit the market. It's hard to believe that this █
█ band that took the world by storm in 1973 with █
█ their unique Renaissance medieval folk only to █
█ catch the prog rock bug shortly thereafter and █
█ fizzle out a mere five years later has found a █
█ second wind by releasing a more than competent █
█ companion piece to their unique five album run of █
█ the 70s. While a shock to some, those who have █
█ kept up with the band on their website have been █
█ eagerly waiting for some new form of product after █
█ GRYPHON announced all the way back in 2007 that █
█ they decided to produce a new album after 31 years █
█ of silence. For those aware way back then, it █
█ must've been quite a nail biter as the years █
█ trickled along and no new album. Well that wait █
█ has come to an end and GRYPHON have finally █
█ released a very worthy album to fit within their █
█ short but interestingly diverse canon. █
█ Unlike some bands that own a particular band name █
█ and return with a whole new cast of members, █
█ GRYPHON returns with three of the classic team. █
█ Brian Gulland is back with his famous bassoon, █
█ bass crumhorn, recorders, and harmonium playing, █
█ Graeme Taylor likewise makes a reprise on guitars █
█ and vocals and Dave OberlΘ has returned on drums █
█ and vocals as well. While the band had █
█ traditionally been a quintet even on their most █
█ ambitious effort "Red Queen To Gryphon Three," █
█ REINVENTION finds three new members joining the █
█ Medieveal folk ranks with Graham Preset on violin, █
█ mandolin and keyboards; Andy Finds on flute, █
█ soprano crumhorn, soprano sax and clarinet; as █
█ well as Rory McFarlane on bass. Just like █
█ "Treason," the band has opted to reform as a █
█ sextet and all the better for it as the newly █
█ updated musical journey benefits from the expanded █
█ musical mojo from these seasoned veterans. █
█ With five fairly different albums in their 70s █
█ heyday which took GRYPHON through three distinct █
█ musical styles and two albums that provided the █
█ bridge between, the obvious first question for █
█ anyone familiar with the complete GRYPHON canon is █
█ where exactly would they go after so much time █
█ away from their medieval playgrounds. Those █
█ questions are answered fairly abruptly as the █
█ opening "Pipe Up Downsland Derry Dell Danko" █
█ starts off with dueling recorders and engages in █
█ an engaging menagerie of progressive folk acoustic █
█ guitar that falls somewhere in between the band's █
█ eponymous debut and the ambitious jittery folk of █
█ Jethro Tull's "Song From The Wood." The track █
█ prances around like a proper pony at a medieval █
█ wedding ceremony with after more than three █
█ minutes offers some vocals bringing more of a █
█ "Raindance" vibe to the stage. There is also much █
█ more of a presence of acoustic classical guitar █
█ glory. █
█ After an initial listen, it seems only "Treason" █
█ hasn't been represented on this one as the █
█ medieval folk timbres follow the debut, the █
█ semi-rock passages of the sophomore "Midnight █
█ Mushrumps" and the complexity of the proggy time █
█ signature workouts, the "Red Queen" influences █
█ come through. Add the vocals and shorter tracks █
█ present on "Raindance" and it's a veritable █
█ tribute to the past, yet REINVENTION sounds like █
█ none of the albums that came before. Since GRYPHON █
█ has always had a rather strange anachronistic █
█ sound that evades the time from when it was █
█ created, so too does this 21st century undertaking █
█ embark on a medieval tinged journey into the █
█ progressive rock paradigm that utterly eschews the █
█ decade from which it emerged. In fact the whole █
█ thing is sort of a mindf.u.ck since it clearly is █
█ inspired by Renaissance folk but engages the most █
█ modern 21st production technology making it a █
█ crystal clear listening experience yet implements █
█ a clear progressive rock compositional prowess █
█ that the 70s excelled in which makes this one █
█ sound as eternal as its predecessors. █
█ GRYPHON obviously spent years crafting this new █
█ assemblage of material and it shows. Every track █
█ is well crafted as it emphasizes the medieval folk █
█ values from their past teased out into progressive █
█ rock fantasy worlds. The musical flow is █
█ impeccable as the medieval melodies are as █
█ infectious as ever and the arrangements of the █
█ many instruments are perfectly executed. Perhaps █
█ the weakest aspect of REINVENTION is that of the █
█ vocal parts which clearly show strained and aging █
█ throats not hitting their stride which belie the █
█ triumphant return of the instrumental aspects. No █
█ worries as this is primarily an instrumental album █
█ that emphasizes those characteristics with only a █
█ few vocal parts finding their way into the mix. █
█ While many elements of yore have been resurrected, █
█ there are a few new things going on as well. There █
█ is a clear Celtic folk vibe on some tracks █
█ especially on "Sailor V," but interwoven █
█ throughout which honestly brings a Mike Oldfield █
█ feel to certain parts and transitions as well as █
█ more classical guitar runs. There's even an █
█ extraordinarily awesome keyboard run on "The █
█ Euphrates Connection" which finds GRYPHON tackling █
█ new progressive territories. █
█ All i can say is - wow! REINVENTION is more than i █
█ ever could've hoped for from an old timer band █
█ like GRYPHON. It never even crossed my mind that █
█ this band would ever release a new album and now █
█ that it has arrived i'm utterly shocked as to how █
█ well this album sounds. I predict the consensus █
█ will be that REINVENTION will in no way usurp the █
█ throne as the band's best album which is pretty █
█ much universally accepted as their prog rock █
█ masterpiece "Red Queen To Gryphon Three," however █
█ this album is just as consistent and entertaining █
█ as any of the other four albums from their initial █
█ 70s run and much preferable to yours truly than █
█ their lackluster "Raindance." Add to that a warm █
█ and sensual production that is absolutely █
█ perfectly executed and you have one of the best █
█ prog albums of 2018. Whether this album is a fluke █
█ or a return to form from a classic 70s band █
█ remains to be seen but REINVENTION proves itself █
█ as one of the best modern examples of progressive █
█ folk with rock elements that i've heard. In case █
█ you need it spelled out in emphatic terms, THIS █
█ ALBUM IS AWESOME TO THE MAX!!!! █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. PipeUp Downsland DerryDellDanko 4:52 ░
░ 2. Rhubarb Crumhorn 5:55 ░
░ 3. A Futuristic Auntyquarian 4:47 ░
░ 4. Haddocks' Eyes 11:00 ░
░ 5. Hampton Caught 5:16 ░
░ 6. Hospitality At A Price...(Dennis) Anyone 3:42 ░
░ For? ░
░ 7. Dumbe Dum Chit 3:12 ░
░ 8. Bathsheba 5:41 ░
░ 9. Sailor V 8:39 ░
░ 10. Ashes 3:33 ░
░ 11. The Euphrates Connection 5:59 ░
░ 12. New Dances (Praetorius) 7:53 ░
░ 70:29 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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