UK prog-rockers The Tirith are gearing up for the release of their new album, Quetzalcoatl, due out on Friday, 3rd July. The album blends progressive rock, jazz, and harder-edged influences, and is built around contrast, texture, and detail. We exclusively caught up with the band and asked them to give us a track-by-track breakdown of the record, including an inside look at how the songs were written.
“Quetzalcoatl” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
Quetzalcoatl (“The Feathered Serpent”) is a major Mesoamerican deity representing wind, Venus, dawn, merchants, and knowledge. He was central to Aztec, Toltec, and Maya cultures. He symbolises the union of earth and sky, often depicted as a serpent covered in quetzal feathers. Legend also has it that he appeared as an old man with a long beard, who disappeared over the sea never to return. Quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaur from the Cretaceous period, was the largest flying creature ever known, with a wingspan of about 11m and standing as tall as a giraffe—but that is another story.
“The Slide” (Written by Tim Cox, Richard Cory, and Anthony Hill)
A band collaboration, starting with a rock chord sequence from Tim, which develops into a vocal section with uplifting vocals by Dick. The middle section was written by Ant, with another vocal top line and lyrics by Dick. The song finishes with the guitar sequence and a vocal reprise.
“Moon King” (Written by Anthony Hill and Richard Cory, lyric by Colin Wright)
A song by keyboard player Ant with lyrics from Colin Wright about a mutual friend who died too early. The top line, lyrics, and arrangement were then radically edited by Dick Cory. The song features verses and choruses, plus a softer vocal section and a symphonic prog instrumental—about as symphonic as The Tirith get.
“Back to Space” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
The Tirith revisit the space theme they featured on their first album Tales from the Tower and on Return of the Lydia. On Tales from the Tower, we learned about the adventures of a hapless band of space privateers as they explored the outer arm of the galaxy. In Return of the Lydia, we hear that they were originally sent into space to find and colonise new planets but reneged on the mission, eventually returning to Earth and crash-landing their spaceship, the Lydia.
In “Back to Space”, one of the spacemen is stranded in New York. His friends have all passed away and he is unable to adapt to the nightmare of city life. He decides that the only way forward is to go back to space. The song starts with a huge, dirty guitar riff from Tim, before a series of chaotic verses develop, with the first chorus not arriving until around the three-minute mark.
“Rabbit Ings” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
With its nylon-string acoustic guitar intro, this is a foray into prog-folk rock, with acoustic sections set against harder rock passages. “Ings” is a term of Old Norse origin referring to marshy land or water meadows, still found in place names in Northern England. Dick Cory says he used several place names woven through the lyric. Flute? That’s Ant on keyboards.
“Dancing with Vampires” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
A romantic waltz with a twist: the allure of a female vampire, her beauty and sweet perfume, and the danger that follows—“…we turn as she sinks her teeth into my neck!”
“Spirit of the Volcano” (Written by Tim Cox, Richard Cory, and Anthony Hill)
This track tells how The Tower on that faraway planet, featured on the first album, is eventually destroyed by a volcanic eruption, leaving nothing of the civilisation that once flourished there. If you like, it’s a space concept story spread over three releases. The basic song by Tim and Dick features a central instrumental section developed by Ant.
“Masters of Highways” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
This track has been in development since the Return of the Lydia sessions—it just took time to get right. Only a band like The Tirith could start with a country song in 6/8, shift into a boogie section in 4/4, and end with a long jazz instrumental improvisation. In true country tradition, it tells the sorry tale of a truck driver who spends so much time on the road that his woman leaves him, and he descends into drinking, chasing women, and fighting.
“Save the Oak” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
A song from the band’s earlier 1970s period, now updated. It’s a rock track with ecological and anti-hunting themes. A shortened version is being released as a radio edit ahead of the album.
“No Mind (Mushin 無心)” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
This track explores the Zen concept of “mushin”—an empty or thought-free state of mind often associated with martial arts such as karate and aikido. It represents total presence, where action becomes intuitive and free from ego, fear, or hesitation. The track began as an improvisation and was later developed into a full composition.
“The Riddles” (Written by Tim Cox and Richard Cory)
The album closes with a rock song built around lyrical riddles. The lyrics contain many classic riddles, which listeners can try to solve. However, “M.O.A.I.” references Malvolio’s riddle from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which has no solution. The album ends, as ever, with a guitar solo from Tim.
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