Pendragon | Artist
Pendragon is an English neo-prog band formed 1978 in Stroud, Gloucestershire by guitarist and vocalist Nick Barrett. There were several line-up changes in the early days, but since 1986 the core lineup has been Barrett (guitar, vocals), Peter Gee (bass), Clive Nolan (keyboards), and Jan-Vincent Velazco (drums). Little happened in their early years but by 1983, when the highly successful neo-prog band Marillion emerged with their album Script for a Jester's Tear, bands like Pendragon and their peers Twelfth Night, Pallas, Solstice, and IQ, found hope in the success that a neo-prog band like Marillion could make on the pop charts. In 1983, having opened shows for Marillion, Pendragon's profile began to rise too. They won a minor spot at that year's Reading Festival and based on that performance, earned a session on the BBC Friday Rock Show. Marillion's manager signed them to his own label, Elusive Records and they issued the Fly High Fall Far EP in 1984, followed by their debut album, The Jewel the following year. The band began to establish a fan base in Europe which spawned a contract with the French M.S.I. label, however back in England, with little support from small Elusive Records label, the group was forced to form its own Toff label to release material. 1991 was the band's breakout year starting with the the album The World, which was a critical success, followed by three stand-out albums in succession; The Window of Life (1993), The Masquerade Overture (1996), and Not of This World (2001). While still relatively obscure in their home country they built a significant following in Europe; in particular, they have developed a strong fanbase in Poland, and have released a compilation specifically for the Polish market, and recorded several live albums there. Musically the band's sound is built on strong melodic flows, outstanding vocals and intricate instrumental interplay between guitar and keyboards characteristic of progressive rock bands of the past. On 2005's Believe album they took their music in a somewhat darker direction. Then 2008's Pure, even featured elements of progressive metal which was well received by the progressive rock fandom, being voted Album of the Year 2008 on DPRP. To-date the band has released 11 studio albums, plus several fine live albums. Standouts include The Window of Life (1993), The Masquerade Overture (1996), Not of This World (2001), and Pure (2008). Also recommended is the live album Concerto Maximo from 2009. When the band was initially formed it was called Zeus Pendragon but the word Zeus was dropped before they started recording, as the members decided it was too long to look good on a T-shirt.
Artist Website: pendragon.mu
Featured Albums: Pendragon
Related Artists: Nick Barrett
