The Masquerade Overture by Pendragon

The Masquerade Overture by Pendragon,  1996 album.

Pendragon (meaning "dragon head") is an English neo-prog band founded in 1978 and active in the progressive rock scene. They include Clive Nolan, whom we discussed on the occasion of the release of his recent album,  Siege by Imaginaerium.

The Masquerade Overture is one of their best albums and a classic of neo-progressive rock.

It is a concept album that deeply explores the essence of human duality, the eternal battle between Good and Evil, and the masks people wear in society. It uses the metaphor of the Masquerade, a Venetian masked ball, to describe how in life, individuals often wear figurative "masks" to hide their true intentions, emotions, or insecurities.

The album artwork represents this conflict and depicts caricatures of good ("Toff") and evil (Salieri, the composer).

The lyrics, written primarily by guitarist and vocalist Nick Barrett, address personal struggles, insecurity, the pain of unfulfilled aspirations, and the distinction between illusion and reality, how people deal with past failures and project different versions of themselves. Each track explores the different "faces" people present as they navigate life. Musically, the style is rich and symphonic, with a theatrical structure emphasized from the opening "Ouverture," an Italian choral chant that creates the sumptuous atmosphere of a grand and mysterious masquerade.

The songs are long and engaging, rich in melody, with time signatures and powerful arrangements. The overall theatrical atmosphere is born from the fusion of melody and complexity, with exceptional guitar solos, beautiful bass lines, and magnificent keyboards.

- The Masquerade Overture, the title track, is a short and powerful overture featuring an operatic chorus in Italian and introducing musical themes that will be developed throughout the album, all set in a Venetian carnival, symbolizing the "masks" people wear in life.

- As Good As Gold begins with a soft mood and evolves into a powerful and intense neo-progressive rock piece featuring Clive Nolan's magnificent keyboards.

- Paintbox has a melancholic atmosphere, a beautiful melody reminiscent of a music box, a stirring vocal performance by Nick Barrett, a splendid instrumental section, and great guitar work.

- The Pursuit of Excellence is a short, very atmospheric piece in a pastoral style with beautiful keyboards by Nolan and a theatrical vocal by Barrett.

- Guardian of My Soul, at approximately 12 minutes, is a track in perfect symphonic progressive rock style, with a beautiful intro, great melodic and rhythmic changes, and a magnificent synth solo by Nolan.

- The Shadow begins with a quiet, lullaby-like section and builds into a symphonic progression with a beautiful, haunting chorus and a very compelling finale.

- Masters of Illusion is an epic, approximately 12-minute piece that closes the album and features a long, beautiful guitar solo.

Bonus tracks in this version

- Schizo, a psychedelic-sounding track with atmospheric keyboards, beautiful melodies, and splendid guitar work by Nick Barrett, along with excellent vocals featuring backing vocals by Tracy Hitchings and Gwenn Ross.

- The King of the Castle (The Shadow Part 2) is the splendid finale to The Shadow, featuring stunning choral arrangements, a powerful symphonic atmosphere, and a dramatic atmosphere.

- As Good As Gold (Edited Version) is a modified version of "As Good As Gold," shorter for radio airplay, which unfortunately cuts the beautiful guitar solo from the original.

- Masters of Illusion (Edited Version) is, like the previous song, a radio version, and the reduction in length to about three and a half minutes also means it loses its grandeur and epic scope.

An album that is Pendragon's conceptual masterpiece and certainly one of the finest neo-progressive albums of the '90s.

Highly recommended!

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.

Tracklist

1. The Masquerade Overture (3:03)
2. As Good As Gold (7:15)
3. Paintbox (8:39)
4. The Pursuit Of Excellence (2:37)
5. Guardian Of My Soul (12:41)
6. The Shadow (9:55)
7. Masters Of Illusion (12:51)

Duration 57:01

Bonus tracks in this version

1. Schizo (6:59)
2. The King Of The Castle (The Shadow part 2) (4:45)
3. As Good As Gold (Edited version) (3:27)
4. Masters Of Illusion (Edited version) (3:33)
Duration 18:44

LineUp

- Nick Barrett - acoustic and electric guitars, Kurzweil K2000 orchestration and programming, lead vocals and backing vocals, arrangements, effects
- Clive Nolan - keyboards (Korg 01W FD and Wavestation SR, Moog, Kurzweil K2000, EMU Vintage Keys and Proteus 2, Roland Vintage Keys, Orchestral Roland D110, D50, and JD800, Yamaha SY77 and 35)
- Peter Gee - fretted and fretless basses, Taurus pedals
- Fudge Smith - drums

Featuring:
- Anthony Plowman - vocals
- Simon Clew - vocals, backing vocals
- Gwen Ross - vocals, operatic vocals
- Tracy Hitchings - backing vocals
- Tina Riley - backing vocals