Tempest Another Dawn
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Another Dawn is the latest offering from long-running Celtic/folk rock band Tempest. This time around, the band is joined by former 3 (the ELP spinoff, not the newer prog band) vocalist Robert Berry, who guests on keyboards and produced the album. Berry, who got to try his hand at folk music several years back with the Wheel of Time soundtrack, is a good fit for Tempest, considering their emphasis on violins, flutes, mandolins and tambourines over the usual rock instruments (though they’re present as well).
The album, the band’s eleventh studio release, is an interesting mix of original material, covers and of course traditional Celtic music. It kicks off on a high note with a spirited and utterly enjoyable cover of the Grass Roots’ 1967 hit “Live For Today.” Three original songs follow, including one – “Verses of Grace” – that was inspired by the 2009 Presidential inauguration. After another cover, this time Andy Irvine’s “Never Tire of the Road,” we get to the songs where Tempest really shine; songs like “Jomfru,” “Black Jack Davy” and “Dagda’s Harp,” where the band takes centuries-old traditional songs and give them a modern, though always respectful, spin. As always, Tempest makes the most of Celtic-style melodies and a wide array of instruments, plus a solid dose of plugged-in rock elements to capture our attention. The only real downside is that Another Dawn is exactly the kind of album you expect from Tempest, and you have to wonder if they’re challenging themselves at all.
Tempest may not be giving us anything we haven’t heard before, but they have a style that’s identifiable and an energy that’s contagious, so it’s hard to hold that against them. Another Dawn is as solid as any other Tempest album, and should prove perfectly enjoyable to current Tempest fans or fans of Celtic rock and/or modern folk rock. It’s also an album that fans of the newer, popular folk metal bands (Tyr and Eluveitie come to mind) ought to check out, if only to see that it’s not always about Vikings and ale.
Genre: Celtic Rock, Folk Rock
Band:
Lief Sorbye (v) (m) (f) (h) (t)
Adolfo Lazo (d)
Michael Mullen (vi) (v)
James Crocker (g)
Damien Gonzalez (b) (v)
Robert Berry (guest) (k) (v)
Track Listing:
1. Live For Today
2. Verses of Grace
3. The New Squire (The New Squire/Hiking in the High Country/Ruby As a Child)
4. Great Departure
5. Never Tire of the Road
6. Jomfru
7. Dagda’s Harp (Dagda’s Harp/Chief O’Neill’s Favorite/Poll Ha’Penny)
8. The Moving-On Song
9. Black Jack Davy
10. High Rise (High Rise/Fiddler’s Lock/Kelly the Rake)
Label: Magna Carta
Website: www.tempestmusic.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10