Steve Rothery: The Ghosts of Pripyat album review
31st January 2015Steve Rothery is better known for being the original guitarist & longest continuous member of the British prog rock band Marillion.
The Ghosts of Pripyat has taken a few years to come to fruition. Steve was originally approached back in 1985 whilst recording Marillion< /strong> Misplaced Childhood album & then again in 1994 whilst recording Brave (also by Marillion).
Finally completed in 2014, crowdfunded by Kickstarter & boasting guest artists like Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree & Steve Hackett of Genesis you would assume an album of true greatness.
I can assure you it truly is.
From start to finish the album truly is an assault on all the emotional senses music has to offer & will conjure up so many different images in the listeners minds eye.
You just need to check out the track Yesterdays Hero to appreciate exactly what I mean
.The pinnacle of the album for me is the EPIC Old Man of the Sea. The longest track on the album but also the most evocative. Full of warm tones & inspired understated fretwork wizardry.
Rotherys guitar hits all the notes with an intensity equal to the combined total of Metallica‘s entire catalogue. Those notes are still travelling from the Earth out into space — but at the speed of light!
It’s truly a beautiful album. If you’re a fan of Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Andrew Latimer (Camel) or Jeff Beck then you really won’t be disappointed.
Track list:
1. Morpheus 07:55
2. Kendris 06:09
3. Old Man of the Sea 11:42
4. White Pass 07:51
5. Yesterday’s Hero 07:21
6. Summer’s End 08:47
7. The Ghosts of Pripyat 05:32
An essential purchase for those who not only collect Marillion & related albums, but for those who are a fan of instrumental albums in general.
A Tubular Bells for the next generation.
10/10 
