(4 / 5)
When I spoke to Tori Amos for this magazine in the wake of the release of her last album, “Ocean To Ocean”, the US political landscape was playing heavily on her mind, and clearly informs this, her 18th studio album, “In Times Of Dragons”; a sprawling beast that imagines her marrying a dangerous and power-hungry billionaire then narrates her escape.
This isn’t the first time Amos has dabbled with the long-form concept album, somewhat mirroring 2002’s “Scarlet’s Walk” (a road trip across American in the wake of 9/11), this chronicles a different kind of journey in the wake of political and social upheaval.
This album doesn’t so much unfold as accumulate. While the opener “Shush” sets the scene, asking where the woman who wrote “Silent All These Years” is now, second cut of this set, the title track sets the tone with a skittering, uneasy pulse as Amos introduces the lizard-like antagonist “out for blood”, immediately placing us in a world that feels both allegorical and uncomfortably close to reality.
Elsewhere, she sketches out a loose cast of allies and outsiders. “Provincetown”, laced with harpsichord, plays like a gathering point for misfits-among them a “gay witch” as Amos urges, “go on girl, grab the lifeline”, the song teetering between fight and flight.
It’s emblematic of an album that consistently rewards intentional listening; this isn’t something to let wash over you, but something to sit with, decode, and return to, discovering new characters and detail with each listen.
There are moments of softness threaded through the defiant sprawl. “St Teresa” offers quiet reassurance; “you are kissed by God”, while brief interludes like “Ode to Minnesota” and the jaunty “Fanny Faudrey” – which brings to mind “Wednesday” from Scarlet’s Walk – provide welcome breathing space between heavier chapters.
The album’s emotional core arrives with “Veins”, a clear standout that recalls the electronic textures of “To Venus And Back”. A back and forth duet with her daughter Tash, it deals with inheritance and harm; “don’t want it running through your veins”.
Even lighter moments carry weight. “Strawberry Moon” opens with studio laughter before settling into a fragile ballad, while “Pyrite”, one of the record’s late highlights bursts with energy.
By the time we reach the release of “23 Peaks”, the album has become something elemental. Wind howls, strings swell and Amos delivers one of her most haunting refrains: “Can you take this weight from me?”, before invoking “the ancient order of the dragons”. It’s a spine-tingling close to a record that often feels overwhelming in scope, but one that reveals more of itself with each return.
Ultimately, this review is redundant; you already know if you have the space in your life for a 17-track narrative album from Tori Amos. But that’s to be praised, by making something expansive that truly demands your attention for a one hour and 10 minute stretch, she’s pushing back against the idea that music should be frictionless, immediate, and easily consumed.
Words & Live Photo by Mike Gray
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
Check out Mike’s review and excellent photos from the first night of Tori’s latest tour, here:
https://musicrepublicmagazine.com/2026/04/tori-amos-city-hall-sheffield-8th-april-2026/
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