Rating : 3¾ / 5

Summary : A refreshing new-age approach to an old-world style

In order to quickly and accurately describe the music of a band not yet on the Clearchannel playlists, reviewers use two tools: Genre, and comparisons with other bands. But Avalon Rising’s music doesn’t lend itself well to either of those tools.

In theory Storming Heaven is Celtic rock. In fact it is very Celtic, rather medieval, and a bit rock. And although it’s Celtic rock, do not think of Mostly Autumn or even Karnataka. Those bands are more progressive and far closer to the ‘rock’ end of their genre. Iona may be a stretch too, and many would compare Avalon Rising to Shine Dion, Loreena McKennitt or Candice Night – but those are also uncomfortable references. Perhaps Clannad would be closer.

Since neither comparison nor genre will work very well, hopefully a more creative description of the music will help: Remember Glass Hammer’s Middle Earth Album? All those hobbits with their barroom sing-along songs? Now imagine that the Prancing Pony’s management hired the best musicians of the time and allowed them to use a very limited amount of electric and bass guitar. The band had a male and a female vocalist and used an imaginative array of instruments – violin, flute, harp, recorder, mandolin, oboe , trap drums, celtic harp, recorder, bodhran (a percussion instrument), doumbek (also percussion), and mandocello (tuned about half an octave below a mandolin).

Make no mistake, despite that interesting mix of instruments it is Kristoph Klover’s guitars that define this music, although they’re held tastefully back in the mix and often contribute to the traditional atmosphere. Imagine a distorted guitar picking a riff along the bass strings as an accompaniment to a fiddle and recorder playing frantically-paced, complex melodies. And over the 5 minutes the all instrumental piece introduces percussion and bass, and the guitar’s riff is developed into an interesting melody that complements the violin. You'll be left breathless and fascinated. And the rest of the tunes are … altogether different!

Avalon Rising is a project of husband and wife team Margaret Davis and Kristoph Klover. Davis is a classically trained soprano, and although her voice is one of the sounds that will stay with you long after the CD player has been turned off, the vocals are not the strongest component of this music. That honor belongs to the guitars and to Cat Taylor’s violins – one of which is a sometimes-strident but masterfully played 5-string electric. The band resides in the San Francisco area and has gathered a dedicated following through two albums and ten years of local appearances. And Like Glass Hammer, they were selected as the band for an official Lord of the Rings Oscar party in Hollywood.

The basis of this sound is in traditional English, Scottish and (mostly) Irish folk music, and there are continental renaissance-era influences. A few of the 15 short tracks are original compositions while the rest are adaptations of traditional pieces. And all 73 minutes are filled with those uplifting, bouncy compositions that will have you tapping your feet the first time you play it, and whistling along with the melodies every subsequent time. Remember Mike Oldfield’s stylized Irish ditties? Well this isn’t stylized – it is as close to the real thing as you’ll get in the 21st century.

To appreciate this one your tastes will have to extend beyond just prog and rock. This music applies a progressive spin to retrogressive music and will be appreciated by hobbits and open minded music fans everywhere.