"The album is broken into instrumental pieces interspersed with Moody Blues-like narrative about a rich nobleman who finds love among the poor and organises them into a movement. The style is dominated by luscious keyboard and guitar arrangements in a romantic vein. The third composition, "The Rally", epitomises the style. This ten minute piece has a courtly baroque essence and good development with slow passages and rhythmic up tempo marches giving the back line something to do. It is followed by the eloquent and at times rather chirpy "Final Dawn", with sax and flute joining in. A childlike female vocalist relates the next part of the tale before one of the finest parts of the album "Outcry", a sophisticated melancholic piece featuring rolling thunder and distant church bells. It builds steadily to the point where it breaks out like sunshine through the clouds in an emotional uplifting celebration. The arrangement then cuts back to delicate strings and light piano before building a second climax through organ and brass effects. A sad renaissance-era refrain closes this stunning piece with a subtle harpsichord score.

The only other album by Protos (although Rory has released other material under his own name and with others) was 25 years ago and is viewed by many as a minor classic. I see no reason why this album should not be held in similarly high esteem. If you are turned off by narrative tales then you can buy the album’s 7 instrumentals from CD Baby download [or iTunes]."

"We're always pleased to reveal hidden treasures. Protos will be a pleasant surprise if you haven't already enjoyed some of the fruits of Rory Ridley-Duff and Steve Anscombe. Their history goes way back to 1982 with their One Day a New Horizon album. Twenty-five years on the good beginning have not been forgotten. A colourful prog instrumental album with narrative that fans of the genre will love. Keyboard based and a pleasure to follow!"

The Noble Pauper's Grave is presented as a progressive concept album which tells the story of a noble who abandons his origins to help the poor....and depicts his big-hearted fight to help others by supporting the weaker party in a struggle against oppression.

The thirteen tracks are split into two types: the odd number tracks are the musical parts; the even number tracks are a narration of the story written by Steve Anscombe. This inventive approach allows the listener to fully enjoy the drama of the instrumental music and manages to avoid being boring.

Musically we are presented with an evolution of the classic Protos sound that was apparent on the debut album. This album combines an eighties sound and mixes it with a progressive rock style to create moments of great atmosphere.

Rory and Steve have taken good care to preserve their melodic style and the song writing manages to create a perfect mix between music and narration. It is incredible how the various songs reflect the mood of the narration moment by moment - they successfully seduce the listener so that they become immersed in the story.

The work lasts 51 minutes and almost half of the CD is concentrated in two main tracks - The Rally and Outcry – which represent the soul of the album. There is also a fine closing track Departures that depicts an emotional farewell at the noble’s funeral. A lovely touch is the way the thunderstorm marks both the birth and the death of the noble, closing of the circle of life.

Production quality and mixing are of a good standard. The cover appears a bit bare, but is in line with the album's title. This is a good album that will fascinate lovers of progressive electronic sounds and ambient dreamy music. I recommend this CD – it is not easy to find albums as well made as this.

(Translation by Valentina Contini)

Powerful keyboards deliver intricate tuneage with enthusiasm and passion. The melodies are presented in a variety of modes, grand and fragile, romantic and fierce, reed-like and symphonic and every other sort of sound you can imagine. Heavenly passages slide into severe drama with shrill pitches, while lilting stretches explode into blazing displays of torrid declaration.

The guitars display equal versatility, sometimes forceful and fiery, sometimes delicate and tender. Whatever the mode, though, they resound with authority and grandiose scope. The riffs constantly strive for altitude, connecting the audience with divinity.

The percussion is quite emphatic, providing powerful propulsion to the already-dense tuneage.

The compositions are dazzling, emphatic and full of dynamic verve. A distinct aura of optimism is predominant. Each song celebrates accomplishment and infuses the listener with that same sense of success. Few modern progrock releases embody an abundance of grandeur as this one does.

Protos re-issued a CD album titled "One Day A New Horizon” (1982) last year which we evaluated. They expanded the boundaries of UK symphonic instrumental music, drawing on the palette established by Genesis, Steve Hackett and The Enid. They have reunited and released a marvelous new album [The Noble Pauper's Grave] - a dramatic story that Rory Ridley-Duff (keyboards) and Stephen Anscombe (Guitar) have created. This is a great masterpiece, a step up in scale and quality from their previous work with magnificent classical keyboard playing and sweet, flowing and elegant guitars!

When listening to these tracks, I was more than once reminded of Camel (mainly circa "Rain Dances"), in a few places the influences are striking, particularly on the longest three, The Fugitive, New Horizon and The Maiden, which are the most impressive. The music, while being strongly dominated by synthesizers involve some classically-structured harmonies, following the Camel art-rock formula, with electric guitar in the Andy Latimer style periodically highlighting the textures. The keyboard playing of Rory is the most remarkable, revealing melodic and, at times, truly grand chord progressions. His two partners, guitarist Steve Anscombe and drummer Neil Goldsmith, are also competent musicians. Thing of Beauty and Hunting Extremely Large Animals are both beautiful, but are instantly accessible, the music being slow throughout. To conclude, "One Day a New Horizon" is a pleasing CD.

Protos…started out in the late 70’s [and] managed to put out an album in 1982 titled One Day A New Horizon. Now that it has finally been released on CD, more can hear its beauty, especially in the opening track The Fugitive. This is a long lost classic… it combines everything I love about the genre including the cinematic keyboard sounds, the fluid guitars and the rhythm section that gels so well. The music is so enjoyable to hear over and over [and] since Protos is all instrumental, they don’t fall into the clichés of the neo prog genre. I’m still at awe with all the great music that comes out of the woodwork in this digital age. Kudos to Rory Ridley-Duff for bringing this and other of his releases to the progressive rock table. Look no further and add Protos’ ‘One Day A New Horizon’ to your collection today! Your ears will thank you a thousand fold!

Culled from performances from 1982-1984, this latest release [Into the Mouth of the Tiger] is a fantastic example of the music of Protos, and while the recordings are raw and for the most part a cut above bootleg quality, there's no denying the musical genius here. After you get through the music on Into the Mouth of the Tiger, you'll wonder why Protos never got the record deal that many of their contemporaries got, like Marillion, IQ, Pallas, and Pendragon.

The band here was made up of keyboard player Rory Ridley-Duff, guitarist Steve Anscombe, drummer Iain Carnegie, and bassist Nigel Rippon. While the music is very symphonic and at times quite bombastic, being instrumental, there is lots of room for solo flights, giving the music a slight feel of bands like Camel, Finch, Sebastian Hardie, Brand X, and even Yes. The keyboard work of Ridley-Duff is outstanding, especially on epic tracks like "The Maiden", "The Fugitive", and "New Horizons-Protos", and he trades lethal bursts with Anscombe on the dramatic"Superpowers". The guitarist has a very fluid style, much like the greats of the 70's prog genre, and forms a stellar team with Ridley-Duff-listen to him churn out a killer solo on "The Aftermath", which is immediately followed by a scorching synth solo from Rory. While these two trade leads, the busy rhythm work of Carnegie and Rippon just keep cookin'. If you like less frantic, more "dreamy" styled prog, there's the melodic "Departures", and the Genesis flavored "Panamor".

Fans of rare progressive rock recordings of the 70's and 80's need to check this archival release from Protos out-can't get much more simpler than that. It has all the elements that make the genre so appealing-stellar musicianship, soaring melodies, complex passages, virtuoso solos, and that vintage sound....

Into The Mouth of the Tiger contains live recordings from 1982 - 1984. With appreciative audiences, the band wheels through tight multi-part originals recalling contemporary greats such as IQ, Pallas, England, and Marillion, though with no vocals. The music is consistently positive, very tight, but not too challenging. Anscombe's guitar tone emulates Steve Hackett and Brian May. There is very little showy soloing, except for a great drum solo during the track "New Horizons". The sound quality is good for a live show from the 80's, with ambient audience noises and a good deal of band banter. An excellent release of historical material, making me interested at the least for more from Rory Ridley-Duff.

"I think this is one of the most important albums of this particular sub-genre and in my opinion is one of the best as well (it is at least equal to the first efforts of Marillion, IQ and Pallas and probably better than the first Pendragon album). There's also a big difference in comparison with other neo bands in that Protos plays music that is entirely instrumental, while most other neo bands seem to focus a lot of their attention on lyrics and vocals. I think this is Protos' strength since most neo vocalists are simply dreadful (save Fish and some others). It's hard to choose the best track from this album because it's so consistent. Every song has a unique charm about it and you can find something you like in any number. The musicians are all extremely competent..."

The album is quite obviously the result of many hours of careful compositional honing and the quality is evident from the opening of the first (and possibly best) track, "The Fugitive". This piece is a wonderful musical journey, by turns dramatic, sensitive and triumphant. This album is a must-have for anyone interested in progressive rock as well as being a staple of rock history

The pieces move between the territory set by Mike Oldfield, Vangelis and electronic prog (from 1970 to 1980). This collection really is a surprise to me as it opens the doors into a world where symphonically tinged prog rock lives in eternal splendour; it's beauty and magnificence never fading away. Can't get tired of these tracks and you would play them forever just to keep travelling between the clouds, turning here and there without pause. I recommend without reserve. Get it. You won't regret it. A timeless disk - if you love prog it can't be missing from your collection.

I like it! It has a sound that I miss nowadays, an innocence and naivety that somehow left over the years. Nice also to see a band understand how important melody is and how useless technical flash and complexity are in the final product. Although there is no mellotron, it really is not missed at all. Coming from me, a mellotron freak, that is a huge compliment. I enjoy the sounds and the way the music is arranged and presented. I am amazed it never garnered more success. Protos is one band that begs to be listened to again - it holds up well to my expectations and it is one of those without any waste on it whatsoever - filler free.

It was a pleasure listening to the whole album (+ the bonus tracks...). It IS a goodie, with warmth and depth in the melodic themes. Also there is enough variation keeping the music interesting all the time. Yes, I can really recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic British symphonic prog...

Protos's music reminds me of Genesis (at Wind and Wuthering), and the keyboard playing reminds me of Tony Banks. I have always liked Protos music since I first heard One Day a New Horizon in 1993. I thought it was totally original. I like Yes, Fantasy, Solstice, England and Protos best amongst the British progressive rock bands.

"Congratulations on one of the best Prog Rock albums made! Is there any chance of the band reforming? I run a Prog Rock Festival and would be very interested if it ever happened..."