Ian McCulloch- Pro Patria Mori

Artist: Ian McCulloch

CD Title: Pro Patria Mori

Label: 1-2-3-4-GO!

Genre: alternative rock

Echo & The Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch is back with his fourth solo studio album Pro Patria Mori. It has been nine years since his last solo album Slideling in 2003.

Since his first solo album Candleland in 1989 and later Mysterio in 1992, Ian has flirted with a more softer and melancholy sound. However, fans of Echo & The Bunnymen and even his slightly harder-edged 1995 side project with Echo & The Bunnymen's Will Sergeant called  Electrafixion, were happy, because their trademark Echo & The Bunnymen sound was always somewhere on the horizon. When 2003's Slideling came along, Ian started to really mellow out. However, songs like Stake Your Claim, Love In Veins and She Sings (All My Life) still bore the Echo & The Bunnymen good seal of fan approval. You will have to be a very good detective to find too much of a trace of that special familiar Echo & The Bunnymen sound fans have come to know and love on Ian McCulloch's latest offering Pro Patria Mori.

I'm on the fence about this release, because I wouldn't normally be a big fan of an acoustic album that sounds like it was made in the 60's and that my parents might have enjoyed. I have always loved Echo & The Bunnymen and Ian McCulloch's voice, so it's a hard call. I am not sure why Ian has decided to go fully into this 60's direction? If you are looking for haunting guitars or anything that sounds remotely like classic Echo & The Bunnymen or even some of Ian's solo albums like Candleland, you won't find it here. It sounds like Ian is holding back on his performance. Take a song like "Shooting Star", it is one of the songs that sounds like it could have possibly been an Echo & The Bunnymen song, but once again Ian is holding out on his vocal performance. Usually, he would belt a song like this, but he has kept his vocals at hushed, docile tones, to match the rest of the album. You really feel like a hippie love child of the 60's throughout this rather bleak and mellow affair. Fans of his 2003 album Slideling should love Ian's new album Pro Patria Mori, because "Baby Hold On", "Playgrounds and City Parks", "Another Train" and "Arthur" from 2003's  Slideling, sounds like it could have easily been on Pro Patria Mori. The difference is that Slideling at least offered a few of the aforementioned songs to keep Echo & The Bunnymen fans happy. I think I'd have to be really rich and really desperate for new music to buy this less than impressive album. I will always be a huge fan of Echo & the Bunnymen and Ian McCulloch, and I have everything including all side projects and solo albums in my vast collection. I guess I should get Pro Patria Mori for my collection too, for the sake of collecting, but I'm going to wait until I can get it in the penny CD bargain bin. Sorry Ian, too much of a mellow thing leads to a really boring, flat and forgettable album, like dry wheat toast with no jam or butter. It would be great to hear new Echo & The Bunnymen material.  It's time!.But..if there is no hope for that, then a return to Ian's full vocal prowess on his next record isn't asking for much. On March 19th, you can decide for yourself if Ian McCulloch's brand new album Pro Patria Mori is too "mellow yellow" for your taste.

For those of you that haven't already checked out Edsel new expanded reissues of Ian's solo albums Candleland,Mysterio and Slideling..don't miss out on the special packaging, remastering and extra bonus goodies!

Ian has just announced his new 2CD album package 'Holy Ghosts' due mid-April on Edsel! It features stunning new live orchestral reworks of classic Echo and the Bunnymen material and Mac’s solo works mixed and produced by Youth (Primal Scream/Depeche Mode/The Verve) in stunning new arrangements. CD 2 is the official commercial release of his new studio album ‘Pro Patria Mori’.

Check out Ian McCulloch - "Lift Me Up" from his new album Pro Patria Mori