John Otott’s Invictus is a ten-track album of original piano-based orchestral pieces composed and performed in a very cinematic/soundtrack style. From big, bold and heroic to sweetly sentimental and romantic, the music is (obviously) varied and covers a lot of musical territory. The album was mastered at Lurssen Mastering in Los Angeles, where the music for all the of the Game Of Thrones shows and The Lord Of The Rings movies (and many other dynamic, powerful projects) were mastered. I don’t think anyone will fall asleep to this music, but it is definitely a pleasure to listen to again and again!

Invictus is John Otott’s fifth full-length album (plus a number of singles) and this is the fourth that I’ve reviewed. A multi-instrumentalist and composer, John started playing the piano at a young age and took up the bass guitar in high school. He went on to play in a series of rock bands, and performed regularly at such Hollywood hot spots as The Whiskey A Go-Go, the Troubadour and the Roxy. He released his first album, Exit Reality, in 1995 and then Flying Machines (2011), Colors (2014) and Unspoken (2019).

Invictus opens with “A Warrior’s Song,” a piece that begins very quietly with a poignant clarinet solo. When the strings enter, they darken the piece dramatically. The main theme of the piece includes drums, wordless vocals and full orchestration with a big symphonic sweep. It’s definitely a powerful movie theme in search of a movie! “Giuseppi’s Dream” is much more piano-based with orchestral support for the first main section of the piece, and then the orchestra takes the lead with the piano still very apparent. The roles switch back and forth a few times during the piece, with the orchestra heightening the drama and emotional impact. The word “invictus” means “unconquered," "unsubdued" or “invincible,” and the title track expresses all three with piano and full symphony orchestra. This dynamic piece has a Middle Eastern flavor that is both powerful and dynamic. The piano carries the lead in most of the mysterious “Into Dark Into Light” - dark and very intense! “Highlands Rhapsody” begins as a lively piano solo before the orchestra enters and takes the piece soaring. The second movement calms considerably with a duet for piano and oboe before the strings and orchestra re-enter, building the intensity once more. “The Storyteller’s Journey” begins as a piano solo with occasional acoustic guitar before becoming fully-orchestrated, keeping the piano in the lead for most of the piece. This one reminds me of some of Yanni’s spirited orchestral pieces. “Valentine Waltz” is unabashedly romantic, suggesting graceful images of long, flowing dresses and dancers with stars in their eyes. “Call of the Canyons” suggests images of big open spaces and feelings of total freedom. John Otott makes excellent use of the piano’s dampers to create a dreamy atmosphere on “Remember When,” an invitation to reflect on happy memories. The album comes to a close with “Dare to Fly,” which starts out with the piano played in the upper and lower octaves of the piano - an interesting contrast! The first half of the piece feels a bit timid and tentative, and is mostly piano. As it becomes more fully orchestrated, you can feel confidence growing from the piano as the orchestra seems to offer encouragement. By the middle of the piece, the music is starting to soar, becoming triumphant near the end. It’s a great close for an excellent album!

Invictus is both powerful and inspiring as it takes us on a musical journey in our own imaginations. The album is available to stream and download from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as from many streaming services including Spotify and Pandora. Check it out!