The Morrigan - Masque. 1998 England

Masque continues in the same manner as The Morrigan's two previous releases. There is the usual blend of original material mixed with creative progressive rock arrangements of traditional medleys. Whereas Wreckers sounds like an extension of Rides Out, Masque sees The Morrigan stretching out to new horizons - with more sophisticated arrangements and an overall heavier sound. Like Wreckers, The Morrigan held back their more adventurous material until later in the disc. Highlights include the heavy and complex progressive rock track 'Moonghost', the Cathy Alexander dominated 'The Traveller' with its Hackett-esque guitar, the jazzy variation of the traditional 'Dribbles of Brandy', and the Ozric Tentacles (with vocals) inspired 'The Demon Lover'. A very fine album.

Ownership: CD: 1998 English Garden

8/26/14 (new entry)