Clive Nolan - 2026 - The Mortal Light

(139:00; Crime Records)

SPOILER ALERT: In this review I will be discussing some of the storyline and participants, so if you want to listen to the album without this information then just be aware this is the third in the ‘Professor King’ trilogy but in many ways should more accurately be thought of as a sequel to ‘Alchemy’ and if you enjoyed those then this is essential. 

Clive and I have known each other for more than 30 years and I have always followed his musical path with interest as he has never been content with staying in just one area, but has spread his talents wide, as a composer, librettist, musician, singer and producer. He has been involved in numerous projects, and I consider myself lucky that I saw him front Shadowland on the infamous ‘Lurve Ambassadors’ tour a million years ago, but I am always honest with my opinions so if I didn’t enjoy this then I would say so. However, this is a wonderful continuation of the story which commenced with 2013’s ‘Alchemy’, and was then taken in a different direction with 2017’s ‘King’s Ransom’.

These are full-blown theatrical productions, designed for the stage, with multiple singers giving life to the participants. Yet again Professor King is on a quest where he needs to defeat a great evil which threatens the world, and to assist in this he brings in some new compatriots, while others return from his previous escapades. Two of those, Edwin Deeks and Tom Worthy, were in the adventure to save Robert Peel, while Eva Bonaduce has been in all three. What I have always enjoyed in these works is the way Clive brings in multiple styles and changes which makes for an incredibly fun listen, as one imagines what is taking place and how this would appear if performed in a theatre in front of an audience. There is a detailed booklet which allows the listener to easily follow the storyline, but although I looked at this after I had played the album a few times, I found there is great clarity in the lyrics and the conversations in-between so there is no real need.

I don’t often shout out loud when I am listening to music, but when I heard Samuel King’s plan on how to beat Makaria by releasing Lord Henry Jagman from Purgatory, I actually exclaimed “No!”. Jagman is a nasty bit of work who was removed from this earth by Thomaz Anzeray, and here King is talking about bringing him back and giving him another chance? It didn’t seem possible, and there is plenty of discussion about whether this was a good idea, but in the end, everyone agreed it was the only way to breach the fortress. There is no doubt that Andy Sears was one of the highlights of ‘Alchemy’, and here he has returned to again take on the role, and Clive has also used the opportunity to revisit some of the melodies from that musical here. During “Escape”, we find new lyrics to the music and arrangements of “Tide of Wealth”, while during “Explosion” we get a small reprise of “The End Justifies The Means”. These small memory jerkers, along with repeated melodies from ‘Alchemy’ which drop in throughout, indeed makes this much more of a sequel to ‘Alchemy’ as opposed to continuing from ‘King’s Ransom’. 

Andy Sears is yet again a highlight, while Clive’s own vocals show a much greater confidence in his own ability, which he often hides when performing with Pendragon and Arena. Perhaps it might be time for a new Shadowland album next? All those involved have combined to make this yet another essential chapter in the story of Professor King. At one point he promises Eva there will be no more adventures and that they can settle down together, but then at the end of this quest an emergency arises, and Eva says they should go, so is there more to come in this saga?

Needless to say, when I received this album, it hit the player immediately as I thoroughly enjoyed the others and wanted to know what happened next. I then realised I needed to play ‘King’s Ransom’ again to confirm how that story fitted to this one, and of course I then had to go back to ‘Alchemy’ as well, before coming back to ‘The Mortal Light’. All three theatrical productions work solidly on their own, as well as tying together – I can certainly see Clive putting together some theatre runs where they are performed one after the other on consecutive nights, even though it will mean a lot of work for everyone involved.

Melodies? Check. Strong lyrics? Check. Amazing vocal performances? Check and Check.

I am a huge fan of ‘Alchemy’, and my youngest daughter loves the album so much that we used to play it in car frequently, especially “The Unwelcome Guest”, and this is a worthy continuation. I know I am very lucky to have heard this so early as the album is not being released until the middle of February, but it is definitely worth the wait. 

Kev Rowland, February 2026

Links:
https://www.clivenolan.net/
https://crimerecords.no/