Arkangel
Warrior
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Arkangel's one and only album, "Warrior," is arguably one of the best albums of all time. Take the best progressive art rock elements of bands like Rush, Kansas, E.L.P. and Jethro Tull and you've got a killer mixture of acoustic and electric--along with quite a billing to live up to! On the "Wind Face" (acoustic) portion of the disc, you've got memorable classics like "Warrior," "Paradox" and "Greater Love," which show off the talent and class of these artists--much like Led Zeppelin would do on all its albums. The "Fire Face" (which was side two of the LP) starts off with the mesmerizing and Celtic-like ditty "Ex Nihilo" accompanied by violin, segueing into "Morning's Anthem," a prog rock masterpiece. Guitarist Dave Marshall, whose son plays in one of the newest Wilde Silas (Atomic Opera) groups, lets his guitar do the talking, er wailing, in "Elohim Considers Antedeluvia" (which is an adaptation of "Toccata and Fugue in D minor")--one of the strangest names ever for a song. Both "Ark" and "To a Sleeping Infidel" are rocking apocalyptic messages of how God rescues His people from His wrath and how He's gonna do another rescue soon. For ordering info on Arkangel, write: Joyeuse Garde Recordings, PO Box 840501, Houston TX 77284-0501.