Martha’s Wake – Sophia

Martha’s Wake
Sophia
1995 (no label)
Denver, Colorado, USA

Leah Carson – Lead vocals
Jon Nichols – Guitar, dulcimer
Melody Nichols – Bass, backing vocals
J. W. Penzien – Keyboards
Lori Penzien – Flute, trumpet, backing vocals
Drew Cullis – Drums

Produced by Dave Beegle

Side 1:

1. The Ballad of Martha
2. Sanctuary
3. Dancing on the Edge
4. A Monster in the Night

Side 2:

1. Passion and Innocence
2. I Believe
3. War Within
4. Children

I have been a big fan of Martha’s Wake since I first heard them. This release is pretty hard to find – I’m not even sure if it was ever released on CD. They are kind of a combination of Iona and Dream Theater. They mix in heavy progressive metal with eclectic instruments and great harmonized female vocals like few bands can. They also like to bring in influences from various world music sources, like the Middle Eastern tones in “Dancing on the Edge.” This release sounds a tad heavier than other releases, but I still love it. This release came two years after their debut album Romans (1993), and a year before their Coloring China release in 1996. Three songs from this tape (“The Ballad of Martha,””Passion and Innocence,”  and “War Within”) were re-recorded for Coloring China.