While many other prog-prone artists prefer to take their time working on a particular project, Clive Nolan has always been quite prolific, which doesn’t impinge on the quality of his work. So even though it’s been a little more than six months since the English musician issued a third installment of his "Alchemy" saga, here comes another concept album, this time with a Viking theme at its core.
Titled “Song Of The Winter Throne” and based on the tale of the 13th-century King of Norway Håkon Håkonsson – which might be the first time Nolan has written about a real-life person – the platter is to be released on October 2nd in a variety of formats, including a regular CD with a few bonus numbers and a so-called Earbook edition that adds an entire disc of extra material and a making-of documentary on DVD. Comparisons to Clive’s “Song Of The Wildlands” from 2020 – rooted in the myth of Beowulf – seem unavoidable, but with orchestra and choir in the mix again, his second North-oriented offering should deliver new thrills.
Song Of The Winter Throne
CD 1:
1. Born In Shadow
2. The Woman From Varteig
3. Wolves Gather
4. Flight Of The Birkebeiners
5. The Hidden Prince
6. Ritual Of Faith
7. The Puppet Crown
8. Fractured Throne
9. The Sword And The Fire
10. A Kingdom Rejoices
11. Frost Upon The Longships
12. Storms And Wrecks
13. The King In The Mist
14. The Winter Throne
CD 2 – Bonus Album:
1. We Are The Storm And The Iron
2. Back To Varteig
3. Strings And Necks
4. Crowns Across Time
5. In The Mist
6. The First Prince
7. Ritual Of Faith (Ceremonial mix)
8. More Wreckage
9. Purely Instrumental Flight
10. Puppet Frets
11. Longships (backing track)
DVD:
Forging the Winter Throne: The Making of the Album
