Gazpacho – March of Ghosts (Kscope)

Norway’s Gazpacho continues to evolve into one of modern progressive rock’s most potent bands on its latest record March of Ghosts. The sextet’s precedents are easy enough to infer – the ambitious, song-oriented drama of Radiohead, Elbow and Steve Hogarth-era Marillion immediately comes to mind. (Elbow’s self-description as “prog rock without the solos” is apt.) Complex time signatures and intricate instrumental tapestries take a back seat to lush melodies, heart-on-sleeve librettos and the moving vocals of frontperson Jan Henrik Ohme, serving direct emotional experiences. The only real fripperies are the mandolin and violin work of Mikael Kromer, and his work is strictly in support.

Sure, there’s a thematic quartet of tunes entitled “Hell Freezes Over,” but they’re not laced together as a suite or tied together by a narrative – instead they’re presented as solid songs in their own right. And that’s where Gazpacho excels – the melancholy beauty and modest majesty of the haunted “Golem,” the meditative “What Did I Do?” and the full-bodied “Mary Celeste” match the work of the group’s mentors. Call it atmospheric post-prog art rock or whatever you want, but regardless, Gazpacho is becoming one of the style’s masters.

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