Mau, Melanie & Martin Schnella: Invoke The Ghosts

A select few musicians have become highly recognizable within progressive rock circles, and I would include Melanie Mau and Martin Schnella as two such artists. They have been involved with a number of progressive rock bands including Seven Steps To the Green Door, Frequency Drift, and Flaming Row (formed by Schnella in 2008). They also have an extensive solo discography, which you can see below.

On this new album, the duo and guests go for an acoustic folk-prog approach, and although it is mostly acoustically driven, there is still much complexity here. All the songs are original as well, somewhat of a departure from their cover albums of the past.

There is an eclectic nature to the first track “Nur Ein Spiel� with its beginning acapella vocal arrangement, off kilter acoustic guitar, and odd meter tempos. It is also quite catchy, especially the chorus, with German sung lyrics. The playing gets quite intense on the proggy “The Beast Is Lurking� where the rhythmic attack is quite complex and again, the vocals quite catchy, this time with English lyrics. The singing is always excellent, no matter the chosen language. The airy and up-tempo “Soulmate�, an infectious and rousing prog number with fantastic dual vocals from Mau and Schnella and complex acoustic guitar and the gorgeous and delicate “Where’s My Name� showcase a contrast in styles, from hard driving acoustic prog to gentle melancholic balladry. The vocals on the latter are absolutely stunning and the instrumental break delivers some creative, hard driving moments with an exotic flair, ensuring boredom will never set in. The near ten minute “Of Witches And A Pure Heart� focuses on the duo’s prog rock roots where the musicianship, arrangements, and vocals are of top quality, and Schnella’s guitar work is exceptional.

Another fantastic album from 2022, Invoke The Ghosts just might be their best yet. Highly recommended!

The players:
Melanie Mau (lead and backing vocals)
Martin Schnella (acoustic guitars, electric guitars, baritone guitars, vocals)
Mathias Ruck (vocals on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Lars Lehmann (bass guitar, fretless bass)
Simon Schröder (percussion, bodhran on track 4, drums on track 8, vocals on tracks 1, 9, and 10)
Guests:
Jens Kommnick (Uilleann pipes on tracks 3 to 7, 9, low whistle on tracks 3 to 9, tin whistle on tracks 3, 4, 9, cello on tracks 5 to 9, acoustic guitar on tracks 3 and 9, vocals on track 9)
Siobhán Kennedy (vocals on track 9)
Steve Unruh (violin on track 3)

Discography:
Gray Matters (2015)
The Oblivion Tales (2017)
Pieces To Remember (2018)
Through The Decades (2020)
Invoke The Ghosts (2022)

Track Listing:
1. Nur Ein Spiel
2. The Beast Is Lurking
3. Soulmate
4. Where’s My Name
5. Of Witches And A pure Heart
6. Calypso
7. Red Beard
8. Ein Stummer Schrei
9. Das Goldene Konigreich (The Virgin Queen)
10. Wholeheartedly

Added: January 8th 2023
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 478
Language: english

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