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Prog
Inside Out
New Release
Big Big Train
Woodcut
Reviewed in issue:
114
Release Date:
6 Feb 2026
Reviewed by:
🟣 Gary Marshall
For Fans Of
The Flower Kings
Marillion
Spock's Beard
Top three tracks
• Shout
• Mother Love
• Glow
Fireworks Verdict:
"As the lyrics to ‘Albion Press’ say… this could be a masterpiece."
THE REVIEW
Words Of Wisdom!
Inevitably Big Big Train would succumb to Prog’s insatiable appetite for the concept album, but it’s taken them longer than most to get there. Prog means not staying the same, and BBT have developed from their bucolic, historical leanings and taken on different aspects on recent albums, and such is the case here with a slightly darker approach; although musically it feels like a natural successor to ‘The Likes Of Us’, with the usual supreme playing, wonderful melodies and recurring themes, combined with an intriguing and open-ended story.
This album requires two things of the listener; being heard end to end, and multiple times to allow the music to seep into your consciousness, revealing its inherent depth and wonderful nuances. The lead vocals are shared about a little more this time around, with Clare Lindley’s understated performance of the verses on ‘The Sharpest Blade’ being particularly notable; the chorus quickly imbeds in your brain.
"with the usual supreme playing, wonderful melodies"
The short opening instrumental, ‘Inkwell Black’, puts me in mind of Camel’s ‘…Snow Goose’ album before the title-track enters the fray in typical BBT style, with some delightful bass, the impassioned vocals building to a big, heavy section, then concluding with fine guitar work from Rikard Sjöblom. ‘The Lie Of The Land’ is led by piano and has a multiple vocal arrangement, whilst ‘Albion Press’ has some serious riffage, before easing back for the vocals; it has a seven-note motif running through it.
‘Arcadia’ is mellow with cello, flute and 12-string guitar. Other instruments join as the track builds, and those bass pedals… glorious! ‘Warp And Weft’ is clearly a Nick D’Virgilio creation with its odd time signatures and manic energy; it’s a new element to the band’s sound, and the acapella section references Spock’s Beard. ‘Chimaera’ has Oskar Holldorff sharing vocal duties and delivering a fine synth solo, while ‘Dead Point’ revisits the theme from the opening instrumental.
‘Light Without Heat’ is gentle and melodic, with ‘Dreams In Black And White’ featuring a superb multi-vocal arrangement and another fabulous guitar solo. ‘Cut And Run’ brings Prog Metal to the table; heavy, complex and dynamic, with themes from across the album being revisited. ‘Hawthorn White’ and ‘Counting Stars’ sees the story’s protagonist in reflective mood, with the latter, together with ‘Last Stand’, providing an epic conclusion.
"‘Albion Press’ has some serious riffage, before easing back for the vocals;"
As the lyrics to ‘Albion Press’ say… this could be a masterpiece.
Reviewer:
🟣 Gary Marshall
Let Us Know The Score!
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