[Baggiesfaninessex]

I had a fair idea of what to expect from Clive Nolan's latest project having been a fan of his music in various groups (Pendragon, Arena, Shadowland), side projects (Stangers on a Train, Casino) and of course his collaborations with Oliver Wakeman (Hound of the Baskervilles and Jabberwocky), the latter perhaps providing the most obvious sign-post for this latest piece of work. Caamora is a collaboration between Clive and Polish born vocalist Agnieszka Swita. The project came about in 2005 when Nolan was introduced to Swita they got into deep discussions about Nolan's idea for a musical version of the novel, `She' - the classic novel by H. Rider Haggard.

And to an extent, I was right. The themes, musicianship and overall performance bear the markings of neo-progressive rock with some power metal riffs. However, what has surprised me is the sheer size of this project; it is enormous in scale. And it succeeds in spades. With 2 discs totalling over 2 hours of music, She provides a grandiose epic rock opera, featuring great musicianship, a wide range of instrumentation, anthemic choruses, very melodic tunes and of course, beautiful vocals.

As for the vocalists, all are superb. Agnieszka Swita has a strong voice, reminiscent of many of the European female Gothic rock singers, such as Simone Simons (Epica), Floor Jansen (After Forever) and Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation). Clive Nolan sings well too and it's a mystery as to why he hasn't taken more substantial lead vocal roles in the past, aside from Shadowland. Then we come to the guest vocalists for the project and they are incredible additions to the cast with the beautiful voice of Christine Booth (Magenta) - if ever there was a voice that one could fall in love with, this is it - and of course, not forgetting the fabulous vocal contributions from Alan Reed (Pallas, Neo).

Other featured musicians include John Jowitt on bass (IQ, Jadis, Neo), Mark Westwood on guitars (Neo), and Scott Higham on drums (Pendragon). Nolan appears to have struck a fine balance between the storytelling and ensuring the music lives up to (and indeed surpasses) expectations. The variety of styles, tempos and emotions ensure the listener doesn't get bored, even as the end of the 2nd CD approached, I honestly enjoyed every moment of this epic.

It would be totally inappropriate to single out individual tracks for praise; the whole piece flows rather seamlessly, as a story should and to be honest, I've resisted the temptation to sit and read liner notes and pin point each track for now, simply enjoying the whole experience. I would heartily recommend that when you buy this wonderful package, you do the same. You will not be disappointed. 5 out of 5.