Imagine waking up and finding yourself in some kind of neo-gothic fantasy land. A land in which pianos, oboes and fairytale synths wail like banshees. Gareth S. Brown has realized your nightmares and has written the darkest of chronicles through his musical soundscapes. Think a sonorous accompaniment to Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy and your prurient nightmare begins…

As a musical curator; Gareth S Brown comes across like Michael Nyman casting symphonic spells with John Dee. You can imagine minstrels dancing the estampie (a medieval dance and musical form), whilst William I drunkenly falls off his horse after too much red wine and pops his merry clogs.

Clarinets blow a tempestuous death march, murderous violins drift above thunderous percussion. This is Gothic--with a capital G--music. Gothic in the medieval revival sense, not in the Sisters of Mercy gothic rock sense. The setting for this music would be more at home in some cavernous ecclesiastical building rather than the London Astoria. No confines, no clichés and no limits, that's exactly how I picture the approach that GSB took when making this album.

Gareth S Brown is another ex Hood member who has released an amazing solo record (his second in fact, after debut album Iron Henry). This is as far away from Hood's typical autumnal electronica as you could possibly get.

It's a brave move and thankfully, The Gallows brims with an exuberant vitality and self confidence. In my humble ears, GSB has woven the most original and mystical album of the year!

Just don't play this to the kids at bedtime.

Gareth S Brown Myspace

9/10

Nicky