Pangaea - 2024 - Beowulf

(37:59; Hargadein Music Group)

Track list:
1. Necromancer 8:20
2. Show Me the Way 4:38
3. Masquerade 5:39
4. Wasape 9:19
5. Tomorrow Will Come 4:28
6. What Am I without You? 3:35
7. A Month of Sundays 2:00

Line-up:
Ron Poulsen - bass, vocals
Darrell Masingale - vocals, guitars
Steven Osborn - vocals, guitars, ukulele
Corey Schenck - keyboards, guitars, vocals
Andi Schenck - drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals


Prolusion.
US band Pangaea have a past history that starts back in the late 1980s, and from the middle of the 1990s and until just after the millennium they released a handful or so of album that were generally regarded as being a part of the US progressive rock legacy. Following 20 years or so with the band being in a state of hiatus, Pangaea returned with the album "Beowulf" now in 2024.

Analysis.
When I reviewed the reissued version of the band's album "The Rite of Passage" a while back, easygoing and accessible progressive rock was my conclusion in terms of the type of music the band explored. This has changed quite a lot in the almost 30 years that have gone by since that album was initially released however, and in my book this new album is on that have much stronger ties to the classic rock and classic hard rock tradition.

The songs here are typically steady going affairs, without too many changes or alterations made to tempo, arrangements or other vital features. Nor do we get all that much development in the individual compositions. We do get a lot of examples of steady craftsmanship on all levels, with compelling guitar and keyboard combinations, appealing lead vocals and vocal harmonies, and some nice moods and atmospheres that are explored. While few of the songs strike me as exceptional in any manner, this is a good and well developed album of its kind for sure.

Progressive rock fans will find a couple of nuggets that will be of interest though. The opening song 'Necromancer' is a four part composition where one of the parts explore landscapes with a bit of a Uriah Heep feel to them. This latter detail, alongside the fact that this is a four part song, does give it a higher rate of interest by those with an interest in progressive rock I suspect. And the more exotic sounding 'Wasape' comes with a more mystical sounding mood and atmosphere that gives me associations to ancient African or Australian music, so while the song itself is very much a steady going affair, the more world music inspired mystical soundscape explored does add a level of interest in itself, at least for me and my taste in music.

Conclusion.
Pangaea as of 2024 doesn't strike me as being a band that will be all that interesting for a strict progressive rock interested audience. They have a capable ear for the creation and exploration of classic era rock and hard rock though, with a little bit of AOR making the occasional appearance, and those fond of music within those parameters that enjoy these landsacpes being given a light progressive rock seasoning strikes me as just about the perfect audience for this album.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, June 2024

Links:
https://pangaea.band/