Cirdan - The Fate Of The Dragon Prince (2025)

Our favourite Dutch prog rock collective Círdan return with their sophomore effort, 'The Fate Of The Dragon Prince', a bold and immersive album that expands on the Tolkien-meets-cosmic mythology hinted at in their debut. With influences ranging from classic Yes and Camel, to the cinematic textures of post-rock and jazz fusion, this album is a significant artistic leap forward, being tighter, and more compositionally ambitious. The album begins with 'Space Circus', setting out their stall from the beginning, with Sanne de Vries' vocals giving the band their distinctive sound. 'Labyrinth Of The Mind' is a reflective ballad, with emphasis on acoustic guitars, while the eight-minute 'Retreat' is epic prog, featuring some superb interplay between synths and guitar. The six-minute 'Symphony Of The Universe' makes nice use of tightly structured harmony vocals, and leads into a short homage to Yes, 'The Khatru Process', which takes random phrases from the band and weaves them into a loving tribute. The centre-piece of the album is the title track, which is something of a departure for the group, being a 12-minute fantasy epic, complete with shifting time signatures and some excellent instrumental passages, while the album closes with the slow, moody 'Why'. Círdan’s 'The Fate Of The Dragon Prince' is a triumph of mood, structure, and sonic world-building, and while not as instantly accessible as their debut, it rewards deep listening. 

Track listing

01 Space Circus
02 Labyrinth Of The Mind
03 Retreat
04 Cosmic Reflections
05 Symphony Of The Universe
06 The Khatru Process
07 The Fate Of The Dragon Prince  
08 Why