Tempest 15th Anniversary Collection Magna Carta MA-1503 (2004), 3-CD Tempest is the quintessential Celtic-folk-rock group. Over 15 years, through multiple lineup changes, a plethora of albums, and a multitude of odysseys across the U.S. and around the world, the band has remained consistent to the vision of founder Lief Sørbye. One might think of it as the other direction heavy-metal might have gone, rather than wandering further and further into chainsaws and ghoulish theatrics. There’s Led Zeppelin in Tempest’s genetic makeup. There is also an honest respect for traditional Celtic music, though Tempest is more accessible in this regard, with rock and pop tropes as its access points. All of this is old news to Tempest’s devoted fans, who will probably get the most out of this collection of rarities, radio appearances, and live performances (the last including, by the way, a dead-on rendition of Spinal Tap’s "Stonehenge"). They’re fun - especially the radio broadcast of a concert in Eugene where the band’s encore was cancelled, to the audience’s consternation, for curfew reasons - but for listeners unfamiliar with Tempest’s blend of Celtic and other folk, rock, jazz, and just about anything else that fits, this probably isn’t the best place to start. On the other hand, the recordings are worth hearing, and the live ones are a particular treat. Tempest has the grand sense of scale of a true prog-rock outfit, and in live performance, that grandeur comes out to play in a big way. This is three CDs’ worth of snapshots from the band’s decade-and-a-half history and is emphatically worth hearing. For the best stuff, go straight to disc three. - Genevieve Williams (Seattle, WA) From Dirty Linen #116 February/March 2005. © 2005 Dirty Linen, Ltd. Used by permission.