▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ 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 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░