Shine (2CD)

"Men Who Climb Mountains 2019 is an updated version of the 2014 release. This version is the same as the one included in the First 40 Years box set and only now becomes available as a separate release double CD. All the drums have been re recorded by new drummer Jan Vincent Velazco, and the whole album has been remixed by Karl Groom and Nick Barrett."Disc 1Belle AmeBeautiful SoulCome Home JackIn BardoFaces Of LightFaces Of DarknessFor When The Zombies ComeExplorers Of The InfiniteNetherworld Disc 2 Live At TwigsThe VoyagerA Man Of  Nomadic TraitsThis Green And Pleasant LandNostradamusPaintboxKing Of The CastleIndigo FreakshowMasters Of IllusionSpace CadetEdge Of The WorldIt’s only MeOur original write up:Its been three years since the last Pendragon album.  To be honest I hadn't checked in on them in quite some time so it was interesting to listen to their latest - it was very different from what I expected.  Guitarist Nick Barrett has gone all Roger Waters on us - he wrote all the music and lyrics - so this really has evolved very much into a personal vehicle for him.  The usual bandmates of Peter Gee and Clive Nolan are on board and now joined by new drummer Craig Blundell.  Men Who Climb Mountains is a concept album but Barrett isn't spelling it out - you're going to have to work at this one.  The musical mission of the band has clearly changed over the years.  Don't have any hesitation - its full on prog but much more contemporary sounding.  The symphonic flourishes from the old days aren't quite so obvious - which isn't to say you won't notice Clive Nolan's presence.  Its simply that this is a bit more of a guitar driven vehicle than decades ago and Barrett's mournful solos have that nice Hackett-esque feel that always draws my attention.  I have to say I'm impressed.  Highly recommended.

Digipak reissue features partially remixed and newly mastered by Roine Stolt with updated artwork."Sometimes it seems that one of the great groups questioned by paying homage to the greats of the genre is The Flower Kings. The reality is that the progressive symphonic rock should not credited with anybody in full. Phenomena as far apart as Yes / Van Der Graaf Generator / King Crimson / Supertramp / Genesis / ELP / Mike Oldfield, to name a few, have forged an undeniable style. But while they have drunk from many sources before them to finish defining your method or character. And the legacy of the above is extraordinary, superlative.Clearly, The Flower Kings took inspiration from some of those giants, as some of them did of The Beatles, for example.Retropolis is an album that attempts to reinvent something already done. The band manages to further polish their sound, although the composition of the songs do not reach the level of previous albums, including The Flower King (Stolt) and Back into the World of Adventures. True, it is a proposal less original than others, but more complex, better executed and more transcendent than most there.I just remove The Judas Kiss, the rest is an accomplished and varied musical offerings worthy of being appreciated by the audience progressive.Fantastic cover art." - ProgArchives