Actually two epic orchestral works, either of which would stand as a major release. Melodic Warrior is a breathtaking fusion of Native American poetry sung by the Hilliard Ensemble (but forget their incarnation with Garbarek, this is very different), pitched within a full symphonic orchestra and assailed by Rypdal’s signature, gale force guitar as gigantically sculpted as a ring of sarsens. It’s a devil’s stew of Rypdal’s love of Ligeti, Hank Marvin and the cinematic. It shouldn’t work. But gloriously it does, with lushly romantic tunes imploding into atonal maelstroms that reach an appropriate climax as Rypdal, as only he could, scores the Hilliards to trill ‘Excuse me while I kiss this guy ’: Hendrix meets Tallis meets Bruckner. And why not. Recorded six years later ‘And The Sky Was Coloured With Waterfalls And Angels’ is half the length of ‘Warrior’ but just as intense, with Stravinsky-like brass lighting up the dark while swathes of strings hang suspended against that oh, so yearning guitar. Purists will hate these compositions, others may dismiss them as grand follies: but what grandeur, what splendid folly. Better than living your life like you’re sucking a lemon.