Distributed by
Truck Records

2005

Rating: 6/10

Englishman Robert Mason, a US resident for many years, has been playing music and singing since childhood.

Having studied music theory also playing trumpet, drums and guitar, he was involved in Jazz, Rock and ensemble projects. His move to Florida and his subsequent musical outings have developed along the classic rock and New Age themes, resulting in his first CD Angelic Mythology.

Pooling together all his musical credibility, Mason displays a deft touch on guitar, with some retro-'70s stylings, which is his forte, as his vocal quality lacks certain areas of discipline. Nevertheless, he comes across as a confident guitarist and songwriter.

Here we find qualified psychologist and English / History graduate Mason exploring the wild fantasies of the mind all layered beautifully into soft-rock templates which fall into the AOR (Adult Orientated Rock) niche.

A brief Bluesy guitar solo opens soft Prog Rocker Golden Ring an ambling ballad, which rubber stamps his intent, with the song gently breezing by with haunting vocals adding to the ambience. Wandering into Greek mythology, Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, who was usually depicted as the maiden goddess of the hunt, becoming one of the most widely venerated of the gods.

Sufi Poetry is steeped deeply in Middle Eastern mysticism, principally Persia, though it’s found in a large body of Kurdish, Punjabi, Arabic, Sindhi, et al. This song, a ballad, drifts along nicely with regular Sufi references, like "The Sufi dancer dances on" Mark Knopfler-like guitar work accompanies the delightful mid-paced ballad Rosemary’s Time, again adopting a retro feel.

Lifting the pace, a beaty The Axis is a rocky as things get: again Mason’s guitar solos are restrained and effective, with Be With Me reverting to previous template. Despite its title, Thunder Bay is a bit of a damp squib and Mason’s vocals lack discipline, possibly the weakest song here, though it has its moments.

An eastern quality ensues on instrumental G2 Obligatory, proving to be the best of the bunch, with yet again some highly impressive guitar work. Midnight Hawk is a bit of mess, an almost pointless track that comes across as untidy and not well constructed.

Where Will You Be? is back to predictable and familiar territory, rounding-off a solid enough an album, which will certainly not sit in everyone’s collection, but well worth getting.

Quality CD for serious music fans – a real grower.