American prog rock act The Psychedelic Ensemble has released a new album, titled The Sunstone.
The Sunstone, a 62-minute concept album, is the fifth by TPE. The concept derives from medieval folklore about viking mariners who used magical crystals or 'sunstones' to navigate the seas. In the press release about the album, TPE notes:
"Folklore suggests that sunstones could orient navigators to within a few degrees of the sun, even in fog when the stars were not visible or after the sun had set. No proof that the vikings actually used sunstones existed until 2013 when scientists discovered a fragment of Iceland spar crystal during excavations at a viking settlement. The crystal, or sunstone, was among the artifacts found from a ship that sank in 1592. The sunstone was found near other navigation tools. Through experiments, scientists have proven that sunstones have refractive powers to accurately reference the sun in unfavorable weather.
Explanations about the powers of sunstones exist in ancient literature ranging from the allegorical to the mystical and beyond. To early mariners, the sunstone must have proved a mystery. How did the crystal find light when the sun had sunk below the horizon? Did ancient mariners believe that the sunstones were scientific tools or bewitched crystals? If one assumes the latter - that sunstones were beguiled - one is tempted to construct tales about these magic crystals such as the concept behind the music of The Sunstone. While the album's concept is simple storytelling, a number of allegories lie beneath its surface and the listener is invited to discover them."
For further details or to order the album, visit www.thepsychedelicensemble.com.