Aragorn is the forerunner of Australian progressive rock/jazz rock band Snakes Alive. Snakes Alive had only been active for about a year, but if you look at their history, you can see that the group Aragorn, formed in 1972, was the starting point of their musical career. They also didn’t release an official album, but fortunately they left an album-length recording, and that’s the album you’re listening
to right now called “The Suite.” This magnificent 43-minute grand piece, mainly composed by the keyboardist Oleg Ditrich was originally inspired by none other than, J.R.R Tolkien’s novel, “The Lord of the Rings.” Snakes Alive was a short-lived band project consisting of Michael Vidale (bass), Peter Nykyruj (drums), Alex Ditrich (keyboards), Boris Peric (guitars), Jonas Thomas (sax, flute, vocals) and Colin Campbell (trumpet). Their sole album was recorded and privately released in a limited number of copies back in 1974, and have never seen an official label release nor a legit CD reissue as of March 2012.
This 1973 recording "The Suite" was released 50 years after it was recorded. Aragorn’s music style is a profound Progressive Rock that directly feels the influence of British Rock in the early 70’s. Oleg
Dietrich, who studied classical music from an early age, began composing “The Suite” in 1967 under the influence of his friend John Simpson, who was obsessed with The Lord of the Rings. Oleg was only 14 years old at the time. After completing most of the composition, he formed the band Aragorn, named after the main character in the novel. In September 1973, after completing additional work on the composition and arrangement with the help of other band members, “The Suite” was recorded, but did not reach an album release and remained only as master tapes. ...
"The Suite," a vigorous performance full of energy by the young bloods who were in their 20s back
then, must be the hidden masterpiece to rewrite the history of Australian Progressive Rock. By taking various style from Medieval Folk to Symphonic Rock with a Jazzy flavor, they are fully expressing the dramatic and grandiose storyline of the original novel with delicacy. In order to compress situations and emotions such as mystery, magnificence, confusion and intensity contained in the original story, the composition becomes more complex and dense toward the latter part of the music.
THE SUITE
Aragorn‘s “The Suite” is a masterpiece of Australian Progressive music originally released in 1975 in a limited run of only 50 copies. The record was later illegally reissued in pirated CD
copies, immediately attracting the interest of fans of Prog sounds. In late 2022, the Korean Merry Go Round record label officially reissued it, adding a bonus track, giving new visibility to this absolute masterpiece of Australian music. The band is closely associated with the Snakes Alive lineup, with whom they share some lineup members. The only recording of the project is this wonderful album. An album that allows us to ‘rewrite’ the history of Australian Progressive music, as it is definitely one of the best releases of that magical period that is the 70s.
Inspired by Tolkien‘s legendary book “The Lord of the Rings,” of which it develops the theme in a long track of 43 minutes in the vinyl version and over 50 minutes in the updated CD reissue. Musically,
the band’s style is reminiscent of the UK-made sounds of Progressive music, with long instrumental textures in which melodies and solo inserts of guitar, keyboards and flute are interwoven. The lyrics inspired by the themes of Middle-earth are interpreted by a dynamic and expressive vocalist, well inserted into the musical context of the album. The rhythm section is solid and elaborate, enriched by continuous tempo changes, as in the best tradition of the genre, allowing the development of the album concept by perfectly tying together the various parts that make up the tracklist.
A pleasant journey both within the history of the book we all know, and in the sounds of the 70s,
proposing a mixture of different styles always referable to quality Progressive Rock. Symphonic traits alternate with more jazzy passages, acoustic passages with guitar arpeggios and more energetic ones, recalling at times the music of Jethro Tull, at others that of more symphonic bands such as YES and VDGG. Intense from beginning to end, this work enhances both the compositional and performing technique of the band, who use the entire duration of the suite to develop their original ideas with markedly personal traits.
This is recommended listening for all lovers of the Prog sounds of the 70s, a true masterpiece that
remained hidden for so long and that today, thanks to the Korean label Merry Go Round, can be rediscovered and spread among fans of the genre. To be listened to and re-listened to many times, at each listening it always reserves us nuances and emotional passages of absolute value.
Aragorn – The Suite
Label: Merry Go Round – MGRC-0005
Series: Hidden Archives Series
Format: CD, Album, Stereo
Country: South Korea
Released: Nov 1, 2022
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock, Symphonic Rock
TRACKS
01. Creatures Of The Night (3:05)
02. Rivendell (3:52)
03. Wonder (4:48)
04. Rivendell South (0:48)
05. Land Of A Mordor (3:49)
06. Trees And Grass (2:04)
07. East Of Greyhaven (4:17)
08. A History Book (3:32)
09. Thuner (2:59)
10. Grove (2:01)
11. Sky (1:20)
12. Dark Lord (2:33)
13. Rivendell East (1:39)
14. Aragorn (2:52)
15. Ends Of Time (1:52)
16. Dance Of The Ring (1:32)
BONUS TRACK
17. And The People And The Night (Bonus Track) (7:50)
LINE - UP
Oleg Ditrich - piano, keyboards, vocals, songwriter
Jonas Sayewell - flute, acoustic guitar, vocals, songwriter
John Simpson - electric guitar
Michael Vidale - bass, producer, recording engineer, mixing, mastering, photography
Peter Nykyruj - drums, percussion, photography
Sangman Kim - executive producer, design, liner notes
NOTES
Artwork [Cover Art By] – Siyeon Kim
Recorded at Clover Studios, Sydney, Australia, September 1973. Mixed at EMI Studios, Sydney, Australia, February 1974.