Yoke Shire: "A Seer in the Midst" Review

Here is the perfect example of a progressive group who brings the roof down at home, but is completely unknown in our region. Personally, I had reviewed very favorably their preceding album "Masque of Shadows" for a competing newspaper. This record for me was simply one of the best of 1999! An American review had even gone on a limb in qualifying it as the "best progressive album since "Dark Side of the Moon". Certainly an exaggerated definition, which however underlines the excellence of YOKE SHIRE's music... In other respects, I underscore that the German site DURP dedicated to progressive and metal music considers YOKE SHIRE as THE group of the hour. The band from Boston has even won multiple prizes with "Masque of the Shadows"... Unfortunately, none of the French structures of VPC has marketed this record, hence the anonymity of YOKE SHIRE here. The follow-up of the masterpiece "Masque of Shadows" is entitled "A Seer in the Midst" and one must recognize it as of the same quality. However, "A Seer in the Midst" is not a new album, strictly speaking, but a compilation of the last 8 years of the combo's existence. We discovered two new titles recorded in 2002, four old selections dating back to 1994 and thirty minutes "live" from 1999. The new selections ("Mesmerize" and "Ghan Buri Ghan") are rather short and folk instrumentals with flute and mandolin like JETHRO TULL. The four "old" titles revive an EP unavailable for a long time now. "24 Hours Past" and "Mystical Mistress" exhibit the most persistent, bluesy and electric facet of the band like CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. "Dogfight" is a short sound experimentation of the guitar, à la TERRY KATH (the regretted guitarist of CHICAGO: remember "Free Form Guitar"), but the most beautiful is still the remarkable epic "A Seer in the Midst"... Mandolins, acoustic guitars, divine percussion, celestial voices, soaring bass and electric guitars ... everything is put together to make of this composition a classic of its genre. As for the 30 minutes live, it is about the famous trilogy "Maiden Voyage" whose 17 minute studio version is part of "Masque of Shadows". I do not have to state that this suite is fabulous with its roaring organ, its flute, piano solos, its fearsome guitar riffs, its psychedelic experimentations, its Gregorian choruses ... In a word, nothing is missing. After all, who is YOKE SHIRE? At the beginning it was a trio, but today a duo since the departure of drummer BRAD DILLON in the beginning of 2001. CRAIG HERLIHY takes care of the singing, the flute, guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonica, mandolin and the drums (only that!!!!!). His brother BRIAN plays the guitar, the bass, the percussion and vocalizes a little equally. However, when one listens to the music of YOKE SHIRE, one has the impression of hearing a more expansive entity taking into consideration the sound range of the duo. CRAIG is an true man-orchestra who plays several instruments simultaneously while singing. The musical specter of YOKE SHIRE goes from PINK FLOYD to ZZ TOP, going through JETHRO TULL and LED ZEPPELIN. Physically, the two brothers remind me of the IAN ANDERSON of the Great EPOQUE: long hair, full beards, melon or stove pipe hats, ruffle shirts and frock coats ... In a word, it's complete!!! I adore this group...