The Wheel of Time

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Music reviews of The Wheel of Time

Music Review: Surprisingly good concept album...
Rating: 4 Stars

This CD calls itself a 'soundtrack' for Robert Jordan's (still-unfinished) "Wheel of Time" series. I'm not sure that's really the right word though. Although all the songs are derived from the book, it's not the case that each one corresponds to a specific moment, or event, in the book-- as if the album were meant to be a kind of musical accompaniment for those passages. Nor does it attempt to retell the story as a whole. I think it'd be more appropriate to say that this is a *concept* album with songs that all happen to be based (quite strongly) on Jordan's ongoing tale. That means that this CD really can stand on its own merits-- apart from the books. Certainly, those who have read the series will have a better understanding of the intended meanings of the songs (i.e. they'll know *who* the song "The Ladies of the Tower" refers to, and what that means in the context of Jordan's story). Still, familiarity with Jordan's fiction is not a prerequisite for enjoying this music-- it really does stand successfully on its own.

As for the overall sound, there's no great surprise here. Berry's background as a performer and producer of progressive rock,progressive metal, and Celtic rock, has strongly shaped the music on this album. Some moments are extremely folksy, both in melody and instrumentation (lots of acoustic folk/medieval instruments, including mandola played by Tempest's Lief Sorbye), although others rock it up a bit-- occasionally bordering on prog metal). Berry sings a bit (and he's actually OK-- although not outstanding) and there are a few guest vocalists (both male and female) as well. There are also a few guest vocalists.

As for whether the music's any good or not, well-- that's largely a matter of personal taste. I'm not normally a fan of Magna Carta's "harder" approach to progressive rock-- and I actually don't care for the tribute albums that Berry's produced for them-- but I have to say that I find this album quite enjoyable. (That's probably due to the folk influences, which I have a soft spot for). The melodies are interesting without descending into cliched "catchiness", the arrangements are well done, and there's generally a nice, warm "big" sound that comes from extremely high production values. (Maybe this is why the most recent Tempest album sounds so unimpressive-- maybe Berry's been devoting all his energies to *this* project instead?)

All in all, I consider this a surprisingly good (not great-- just good) release. Recommended to folks who like conceptual rock with folk and prog influences. If that's not your thing, you probably won't care for the album, no matter how big of a Jordan fan you are. However, if that *is* your thing, you'll probably like this CD even if you've never heard of "The Wheel of Time".

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