PURE REASON REVOLUTION
The Dark Third
STimely reissue for modern prog classic.
ince its release in 2006, Pure Reason Revolution’s debut The Dark Third has been recognised as a modern prog classic. With Floydlike psychedelic flourishes, drums that echoed Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and the harmonised lead vocals of Chloë Alper and Jon Courtney, there was something a little more old-school to PRR’s sound.
On later releases, their synth and electronic influences would drive the band in a more visceral, industrial direction. The lushness of The Dark Third however, was more Canterbury than kosmiche.
This reissue is of the 2007 European version of the record and not the original 2006 UK one. The European version is identical to the US release, with omitted tracks collected on a second disc. Disc 2 also has In Aurélia, a live favourite, whose omission from the main album is puzzling. Mid album palette cleanser, The Exact Colour, is absent, as is the sprawling two-parter The Twyncyn/Trembling Willows. Luckily, in place of The Exact Colour is
Nimos & Tambos, one of PRR’s best upbeat rock tracks. In the flow of an album length release, The Exact Colour fits a little better, but it’s a minor complaint. While Trembling Willows foreshadows the return of the album’s central theme, its replacement, Arrival/The Intention Craft does the same but in a punchier, more concise song. The Intention Craft’s melodic outro not only hints at the coming album climax, but also teases a slight return of the theme from Voices Of Winter. When, in Ambassadors
Return the ‘million bright ambassadors of morning’ vocal refrain returns, it feels like the culmination of the last few tracks, rather than an unplanned return to the theme.
The Dark Third has aged incredibly well. Its centrepiece, signature track
The Bright Ambassadors Of Morning, is as good as any song in the modern prog pantheon, and there’s not a weak track anywhere on the LP. Perhaps PRR’s willingness to draw influences from so many eras of progressive music is why this album feels so timeless.