Prog polymath Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon, Shadowland) brings down the curtain on his Alchemy Victorian steampunk trilogy, with The Mortal Light, its final instalment. This two‑and‑a‑half‑hour epic again musically chronicles the continuing escapades of Victorian adventurer Professor Samuel King, played by Nolan, with his band of companions - plus a villain or two along the way. Again, its scale and narrative ambition melds prog with musical theatre, light opera supremos Gilbert & Sullivan's patter songs and melodrama. This time, our hero and his band are bound for Norway to confront Makaria, a demonic deity, via dank tunnels under London and across tumultuous seas to the climactic meeting between the pair. With Nolan is a company of 12 principal singers and 32 chorus voices, the most familiar being Andy Sears (Twelfth Night) reprising his role as the dastardly Lord Henry Jagman. There's a recurring musical motif running through the storyline, heard in previous instalments and which strongly echoes The Phantom of the Opera. Among the highlights are the Cockney charms of Magician, the dramatic set piece of Cavalry, Fade's blistering chorus line and the roistering Escape. Particularly memorable, the church organs of Guardians coupled with the rich voice of Ryan Morgan in character as Father Caleb gives in a hymn-like quality. In contrast, Gemma Ashley's powerfule voice is effective as Eva on Unbowed, while Laura Piazzai provides the menace and the magic as Makaria especially on the eponymous song with its Gregorian chants and pagan vibe which ends CD1. The album's theatrical instincts are played out on CD2, Crime coming straight out of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta—quick‑witted, playful, and knowingly exaggerated—before the mood shifts into the elemental drama of Thunder, complete with crashing waves, its rich choral writing giving the scene real weight. Agreement pairs Jagman with King for a volley of comic repartee. Sears, in particular, channels a wonderfully roguish vibe, all arched eyebrows and sly menace. From there, the album deepens. Portal opens in a mystical haze before blooming into a moving ballad built around that recurring musical motif. Threat in contrast is statelier and more insistent, its relentless keyboard pulse underscoring the confrontation of Tom (Robbie Gardner) with a gun‑wielding thug. The final act gathers momentum. Arrival brings a primitive, ritualistic energy with Makaria at its centre, followed by the meditative gravitas of Seduction, where King takes the spotlight. The tension ramps up in Siege, before Jagman delivers Trust with striking passion over piano and strings. Explosion provides the expected dramatic release, and the journey closes gently with Sunset, a moment of calm after the storm. There's little to criticise in The Mortal Light which offers the best of many musical worlds. Its execution is immaculate; its performances superb and Mark Buckingham's album artwork is spellbinding. There's also talk of a potential feature film - watch this space! **** Alison Reijman Where to buy? |
