The Plumes of Enceladus 

(click here to order CD and here for digital downloads)

Malice À Forethought (a cautionary tale in five parts) 

click on titles for the lyrics page.

Track 1.  Part (i) The Hypocratic Oaf

Track 2.  Part (ii) Survival of the Wittest 

Track 3.  Part (iii) Revenge is Sweet, so Slayeth the Lord 

Track 4.  Part (iv) P and/or A

Track 5.  Part (v) Post Box

 

PROMETHEUS (Greek for Forethought) and brother EPIMETHEUS (Afterthought) work for the Gods as their representatives on earth and were known to fashion men from clay. As a reward ZEUS gives fire to humans.

 

But one day they decide to challenge ZEUS at a sacrificial meal marking the "settling of accounts" between mortals and immortals. PROMETHEUS played a trick on ZEUS. He placed two offerings before the Olympian: a selection of beef hidden inside an ox's stomach (nourishment hidden inside a displeasing exterior), and the bull's bones wrapped completely in glistening fat (something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior). ZEUS chose the latter, setting a precedent for future sacrifices; henceforth, humans would keep the meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering to the gods.

This angered ZEUS, who reclaimed the fire from humans in retribution. PROMETHEUS in turn stole it back. ZEUS calls on his three daughters (also known as The Three Fates, ATROPOS, CLOTHO and LACHESIS) to conjure up a suitable punishment. So PROMETHEUS is chained to a rock where his liver is eaten out daily by an eagle only for it to be regenerated by night.

 

As a further punishment(?) ZEUS sent PANDORA (All Gifts) the first woman, to live with men. Despite PROMETHEUS's warning, EPIMETHEUS accepted this "gift" from the gods. PANDORA carried a jar with her, from which were released evils, pain and diseases. PANDORA shut the lid of the jar too late to contain all the evil plights that escaped, but hope remained in the jar.

 

Years later, the Greek hero HERCULES would shoot the eagle and free PROMETHEUS from his chains.

 

 

Track 6. Love Letter from a Newspaper to a Coffee Cup (Lyrics by C Turhan)

Track 7. The Chthonic Deities of Vengeance

Part (i) The Tri-cycle of Life (including - Incest! A Game for all the Family)

Part (ii) The Chthonic Deities (including - The Genesis of Nemesis)

Part (iii) The Furies at Work (including - Families? Who'd have 'em?)

Part (iv) All is Avenged (including You Men; IDs Please)
 

The CHTHONIC DEITIES dwell in the underworld, wherein also lie the souls of the dead. There are many deities, but here we will concentrate on just three, THE FURIES (in Greek, THE ERINYES or EUMENIDES) dedicating themselves to vengeance. These are:-

ALECTO Meaning “unceasing anger”. Daughter of GAIA, fathered by the spilt semen from URANUS after he had been castrated by CRONOS (Ouch!!)

 

TISIPHONE Meaning “Avenging murder”. Daughter of ALCMAEON and MANTO. Sold into slavery by her step-mother because of her beauty; then fell in love with CITHAERON (KING OF BOEOTIA), but one of the snakes on her head poisoned him!

MEGAERA Meaning “Jealous One”. Daughter of NOX and ACHERON

The three pursue CLYTEMNESTRA and ORESTES, as CLYTEMNESTRA killed her husband AGAMEMNON, the KING OF ARGOS for sacrificing their daughter IPHIGENIA and returning from the wars with CASSANDRA as a concubine. This is just after CLYTEMNESTRA is unfaithful to him (AGAMEMNON), whereupon ORESTES kills CLYTEMNESTRA, his own mother! Oh, and don’t forget ELECTRA, the eldest daughter of AGAMEMNON and CLYTEMNESTRA.

 

Here is a link to a review of the album by Henri Strik of Background Magazine, an on-line magazine for Symphonic and Progressive Rock in The Netherlands. and below is an Instagram feed from Chris Morgan:-

"Here is a band that may not be as well known in the progsphere as I feel they should be, but this, their debut full-length album, made my top 15 releases of 2023, so you can probably tell that this review will be largely positive!
Led by Gerard Freeman, this prog collective are heavily influenced by early Genesis (my all-time favourite music), but they’re certainly no carbon copy. Although their love of Genesis is very much evident on this album, they’ve managed to maintain their own unique edge while staying true to the past, which makes their debut stand out among the other 2023 gems.
With all that said, I’ve always felt there was another reason why I rate this fine record as much as I do, & why I was so drawn to them at HRH Prog 13. After a couple more spins, I’ve come to the conclusion that, despite the band’s early 70s roots, it perfectly captures the atmosphere & production characteristics of the early 80s prog albums I grew up listening to, & connects with me in a way no other album has since discovering said classics.
In each track, I hear elements of those Marquee bands who were a huge part of my musical upbringing, as well as those who I’ve discovered in more recent years. For example, in ‘The Hypocratic Oaf’, I hear Pallas with a hint of Pendragon, in ‘Survival of the Wittest’, I hear strong hints of Haze, in ‘Postbox’, I hear Marillion with a hint of Pallas, but I’d say the epic ‘The Chthonic Deities of Vengeance’ is a love letter to both ‘Supper’s Ready’ & the lengthy masterpieces of the next decade.
To sum up, while some prog artists have gone for a newer & more refined sound in recent years (which is by no means a bad thing), The Book of Revelations are one of the many bands keeping the classic prog flame burning, but have also managed to capture everything I love about the 80s prog revival better than any other group of the 21st century. Is it just me who hears this? Who knows, but either way, I can’t recommend them enough." 
Reposted from instagram (prog_rock_baz_2001).

 

 

 

The Plumes of Enceladus

N.B. Enceladus is now top of the list of Saturn’s 62 moons in the search for extraterrestrial life, after the discovery of the water plumes issuing from its South Pole.