Twenty years after Vivien Lalu launched his progressive rock project with “Oniric Metal”, he returns with “A Mythmaker’s Demise”. More than merely another album, though, this feels like a celebration of legacy, craftsmanship and the artistic brotherhood that has sustained Lalu since 2005.
Fittingly, the record reunites Lalu with vocalist Martin LeMar, whose voice helped define the project in the first place. Also returning is drumming legend Simon Phillips – formerly of Toto and now leading Protocol – who played on the earliest Lalu track, “Paint The Sky”. Alongside guitarist and bassist Joop Wolters, the four have made an album that looks backwards while sounding entirely comfortable in the present.
There is something unsettling about the way “Tears Of The Muse” opens, yet it quickly reveals itself as melodic, accessible and unmistakably classy. It pulls off the neat trick that much of “A Mythmaker’s Demise” repeats: sounding grandiose without becoming bloated. These songs are generally concise, but they never feel small.
“EKO” is wonderfully evocative neo-classical prog, played with astonishing precision, before “I Am The One” attempts to cram an extraordinary amount into a short space of time. Somehow, it works. Indeed, it positively crackles with ideas and energy.
The first of two instrumentals, “Mayacama”, takes the listener on a genuine journey. Joop Wolters’ guitar work is sublime, but that is increasingly the story of the entire album. His playing carries into “Prince With The Swift Warning”, one of several moments where Lalu exhibit just a touch of Magnum’s sweeping, melodic grandeur.
Things take a more unsettling turn with “Learning To Fly”. LeMar is superb throughout the record, possessing the range and personality required to make these intricate compositions feel like songs rather than exercises in technical ability. Phillips, meanwhile, is predictably magnificent without ever overwhelming the material.
“A Drop Of Water”, the second instrumental, arrives at precisely the right moment. Light, bright and airy, it acts almost as a palette cleanser before “Fhloston Paradise” once again places Wolters’ guitar at the centre of proceedings. For all the keyboards, changing moods and rhythmic complexity, this is very much a guitar album.
“Cordal Weaves” is cinematic in scope. You can almost imagine Steve Hogarth singing it, which should indicate something about both its drama and emotional weight. Then “Midnight Ink” changes the tone again, its piano refrain bringing the record to a reflective and suitably elegant conclusion.
Progressive music often seems determined to equate ambition with length. “A Mythmaker’s Demise” understands that the two are not the same thing. There is plenty happening across these ten tracks, but nothing is stretched beyond its natural limits.
Twenty years after “Oniric Metal”, Vivien Lalu has come full circle, reunited with two musicians who were there near the beginning. “A Mythmaker’s Demise” honours that history, but it never becomes trapped by it. This is intricate, cinematic and beautifully performed progressive rock – a milestone record worthy of the anniversary it celebrates.
Rating 8.5/10
