Brighton-based Azure have, from the outset, had big bold ideas rooted in their self-penned fantasy stories and 360˚musical landscapes on which they paint their complex, captivating style of metallic-tinged Prog rock. Fym, their third studio album, has been a long time in the making and understandably so. Coming in at just under 80 minutes, it's an intricate concept album throughout which the musical score has been painstakingly developed to tell its epic story. The incredible, multi-layered lyrical story sees the eponymous hero, a female historian living in a jungle, challenged to locate and collect shards of a shattered other-worldly weapon. Just how she manages to navigate the numerous obstacles, physical and existential, is relayed across a panoramic musical adventure, full of mind-blowing highs and heart-breaking lows. Azure's creators are guitarist/vocalist Christopher Sampson, whose extraordinary, octave-defying voice is a thing of wonder, while musical partner Galen Stapley's edgy, laser-sharp guitar playing is spectacular throughout. Embarking on this journey with them are regular Azure members, keyboards player Shaz D and bassist Alex Miles with guest drummer Andrew Scott. They enhance the score throughout with virtuoso playing and sometimes funky, always intricate rhythms. The gorgeous, resonant upbeat opener The Azdinist / Den Of Dawns sets the scene, full of delightful twists and turns including a Yes-like vocal passage that seamlessly morphs into the title track, which features Stapley's characteristic breakneck speed guitar runs. Mount, Mettle And Key changes the mood, gentle watery soundscapes suddenly exploding into another fast and furious passage. Sampson's voice takes on an almost operatic quality in some of the quieter moments. Central to the story is the segued sequence of Sky Sailing/Beyond The Bloom/Wilt, the story now in full flight, Camille De Carvalho's oboe coming in to add texture to the second climactic Bloom movement, Sampson's voice raging and screaming in the darkness. The album's single Weight Of The Blade is a different proposition, a delicious, bouncy rocker which gallops along, interspersed with some wonderful instrumentation notably from Shaz D on grand piano. Kingdom Of Ice And Light bubbles away, resplendent with subtle melodies, Sampson's voice again exploring new unchartered heights. Trying to characterise a fantastical animal musically is a challenge, but The Lavender Fox presents the most extraordinary "laughing" voice before Shaz D comes to the fore again with the most beautiful piano passage. Agentic State has a dense full-on metal vibe that exhilarates and terrifies in equal measures before the metronomic beat of Doppelgänger lightens the mood again. Taking us into the depths of who knows where, The Portent initially floats on a raft of synth wonderment before a beautiful vocal passage and some gorgeous guitar takes it into another dimension. Its climax comes with the spine-tingling, suspenseful Trench Of Nalu. It's a maelstrom of chaos, full of driving synthesisers, guitars and bass, interspersed with calmer moments right up until Sampson's voice becoming demonic at the height of the battle. With heads still spinning, the beautiful closer Moonrise is simply Sampson sounding angelic and world weary, accompanied by a gorgeous gentle bass melody line from Miles. Magical, mesmerising and memorable, Fym leaves your senses reeling with its astounding magnificence. ***** Alison Reijman Where to buy? |
