Two Headed Emperor – Tales From a Mariner’s Pen
Some amazing cosmological force just gave the Two Headed Emperor a box of the most incredible paints infusing magic powers in order to create a unique musical landscape.
Uncompromising wherein creativity is king and the spirit of Neptune has been summoned from the depths of the sea. Following hot on the heels of their fantastic previous work “Goldhanger Creek”, “Tales From a Mariner’s Pen” is Two Headed Emperor’s masterpiece.
From the first few bars of the first song on the CD I was hooked and drawn into the strange and fascinating world of the Two Headed Emperor. In fact, half way
through the track I started the CD again to verify what I had just heard. These songs are definitely tales of the unexpected, progressive music for the modern age and full of surprises. This album is unlike anything else you will hear right now.
The music is so perfectly suited to the picturesque and intriguing poetry of Barry Lamb. Indeed Barry and Peter Ashby, with the addition of the delightful vocals of Georgia Lamb have put together complex musical structures. In fact, there are more ideas in one song here than a lot of artists manage to incorporate into a whole album. Otherworldly and impossible to define, these songs will have the hairs standing up on the back of your neck.
What we have here is assured experimentalism and exceptional playing on all kinds of instruments performed by musicians with a rich musical palette, incorporating light, emotive, exquisite orchestral arrangements in a rock setting. A delicate world, conjured up out of the ether by a truly class band.
The musical integrity of Two Headed Emperor is so important in these strange and uncertain times to compensate for the cultural deficit we are currently experiencing where art is secondary to the widespread emphasis of the worship of mammon. Do yourself a favour and add this album to your collection. You
won’t be disappointed.
= Tim Jones (July 24 th 2020)