An album with many ratings, but surprisingly few reviews, Norwegian band Gazpacho have come up trumps with their latest release, Missa Atropos, and this is an album which I hope will win them many more fans and friends. The subject of the album, the Greek Goddess of fate and destiny Atropos, chose the method of death and ended the life of each mortal in mythology. Hardly light stuff, then, but Gazpacho manage that delicate balancing act of making a serious concept album that is also accessible very deftly. For instance, the opening Mass For Atropos (Part One) leads us as a well performed entree into the main album, and when Defence Mechanism starts the album proper, what we have is a very tightly performed, highly enjoyable slice of rock with clear progressive sensibilities and a terrific, almost Gothic, atmosphere. This remains the mood throughout much of what follows. It does, however, manage to avoid being a depressing work, but, instead, takes us through a journey of one man's infatuation with the subject in a sympathetic and interesting manner.