Arabesque - Beyond the Veil (1994)

The debut album and the first of two albums from this Dutch prog metal band. A band lead by the guitarist Joop Wolters.

The result is instrumental electric guitar-god dominated metal. No vocals. Just Joop's guitars, helped out by some bass, keyboards and drums. Just like numerous other guitar-god albums.

The result is a pretty decent album with some OK melodies and riffs. The guitars are in the foreground and the main reason for this album. Joop is a good guitarist and gets the best out of his trade on this sometimes jazz infused prog metal album. Decent is the word and dull is what this album is. Hence my verdict. Those who likes guitar solos following guitar harmonies following guitar solos will find an album to their liking here.
The rest of you........

2 points
 

Custodian. The - Necessary Wasted Time (2013)

The debut album from this new English band, released through Laser's Edge. Also heavy backed by the same company with promo copies sent to, amongst others, this blog too.

Heavy promoted with good reasons. The Custodian is run by Richard Thomsen from the prog band Xerath. Which does not tell me anything. The stated intent of trying to create a fusion of the best of the 1970s prog on this album does tell me a lot though. Hence the band name, I guess. A fitting band name too.

What meets the listener is a wall of sound which first reminded me about the first King's X albums. And that band and their great albums is my main reference here. I really like the first King's X albums, btw. So that is a compliment. The difference is that The Custodian is not as hard edged as their US brethren. Their sound is much more based on the 1970s psychedelic rock sound. The Custodian also use a lot of Hammond organs too. That and airy electric guitars. The guitars is not chugging as in metal riffs. They are much more airy and flowing. The same goes for the vocals. This reminds me a lot about Porcupine Tree on their most melodic. And yes, there is a lot of Steven Wilson & co here. Fans of his projects will lap up this album. Ditto for the many Rush fans out there. The Custodian owes Rush a great deal.

Most of all; this album sounds as fresh as fresh fruits and vegetables. The sound is in short brilliant. The songs are not superb though. This album is missing a killer track or two. But this is still a great album and agree with their record label's beliefs in this band. This is truly a remarkable debut album which I am sure will raise a lot of eyebrows. It has certainly given me a big smile during the last two weeks. Come summer, come The Custodian.

4.5 points

Toccata - Circe (2005)

The debut and only album so far from this Argentine band.

The band and album was sold to me as symphonic prog. With this band name reference to ELP, that is what I thought I got too. I was not pleased when I found just another Dream Theater copycat. Although with female vocals. The music is somewhere between prog metal and neo prog with some symph metal thrown in too. ELP ? I cannot find much of them here. If any.

The guitars and the keyboards is pretty much following the traditional formula. The drums and bass patterns is like listening to Dream Theater. The female vocals is not particular good. Neither is the songs which I feel is pretty tiresome. Decent music it is. But nothing more. This is not really for me, I am afraid. Decent, but also a very dull album.

2 points

Ange - À Propos de... (1982)

The ninth studio album from these French masters of symphonic prog.

Although symph prog is not what we get here. À Propos de... is an album of old French songs given a disco/1980s pop sound. The idea is horrible. What comes out of the speakers is indeed horrible too. A truly awful destruction of some, surely, great songs. I have no idea why Ange went on this rampage through them. The sound is horrible. The music is horrible. This is a horrible album.

Enough said. Don't pass me the camembert.

1 point

Pi2 - The Endless Journey (2005)

The third album from this Spanish supergroup. A so far spectacular underwhelming Spanish supergroup.

Their first two albums did not really do anything for me. Pi2 delivers a mix of commercial AOR and symph prog/fusion on The Endless Journey. I should had already seen the warning signs when I looked at the incredible cheap and tacky cover artwork. The artwork serves more like a warning than a buy-this-album invitation. The album starts off with some vocals rich AOR/neo prog in the US style. Very tacky and very bad. Cringeworthy is the word here where the vocals intertwines with some 1980s sounding synths and guitars. OK, some melody lines are pretty good though and the album improves a lot after we are getting the AOR stuff left behind us.

The final half of this hour long album is occupied by the twenty-five minutes long title track. A track which is a mix of symph prog and fusion. It is also dominated by keyboards. Spanish folk music also makes a guest appearance here. Besides of that, this track serves more like a cure against insomnia than anything else.

In short; this is album has some good melody lines inbetween some underwhelming and cringeworthy material. It is not worthy our attention though. Avoid.

2 points

Erlkoenig - Erlkoenig (1973)

A flash in the pan album from a German krautrock band who came, released this album and then vanished without a trace.

Which is a pity because this band had something really something going with this album. Krautrock is what they did. Krautrock with a lot of symphonic prog influences too. That and some space rock, folk rock and jazz. The music here is truly eclectic. You never knows what's around the corner on this album.

The music is being performed with a lot of Hammond organs, vocals, some guitars, bass and drums. The vocals is very good.

The music is very good throughout. It is almost impossible to describe though as it is full of oddities and strange surprises. It is one of those albums you have to hear to believe. Get it if you can.

3.5 points

Comedy Of Errors - Fanfare & Fantasy (2013)

Hmmmmmm.........

Despite of living in the same area as this Glaswegian band comes from, I have never really rated this band. I never really fell for their 2011 Disobey either. Their self titled 1988 debut album is best forgotten. It has also taken me a lot of time to get into Fanfare & Fantasy too. Perhaps far too much time.

We are knee deep in neo prog here. Neo prog from the 1980s. They are veterans from the scene, following in the wake of the likes of Pallas and other Scottish neo prog bands. They were mainly opening for those bands back in the 1980s. Then life happened, the band members had to sort out their respective lives. Which they did. Then they found out that they had unfinished business and the band reformed again. I guess this is what happened. That explains the rather not so great Disobey and this album. A far better album.

Comparing Disobey with Fanfare & Fantasy; the sound is the same. The songs on Fanfare & Fantasy is far better though and I get the feeling the band is now up to full steam. Probably more so now than in the 1980s. Style wise, they sounds like a mix of Pendragon and Genesis. Melodic, symphonic neo prog in other words. I like their keyboards and guitars interplays. Great stuff. Ditto for the songs here. I am still not comfortable with thin, light vocals like Joe Cairney's vocals. That is a personal preference though. His vocals cannot be faulted though.

I am not a big fan of classic 1980s neo prog. This music is like symphonic prog without the brains. But Fanfare & Fantasy is one of the few albums I really like from that scene. Hence my weak, weak great award.

4 points

Magma - Inedits (1977)

As a Magma fan, I still agree that not everything Magma has released is good/great/superb.

This live album, offically their second live album, contains live recordings from 1972 to 1975. The collection of the tracks here concentrates more on the jazzy side of the band than the full frontal attack zeuhl I so much love them for. Which is fine enough if it not had been for the bootleg sound quality. That ruins most of this album in my view.

The music itself is decent and I still find some joy in this live album. But I think I will let this album gather dust and rather concentrate on the many other Magma albums instead. This is not a recommended Magma album.

2 points

Happy The Man - Crafty Hands (1978)

The second album from this US band. A band who sounds like noone else. That said, they sounds like Oblivion Sun, the new US band whose includes most of the Happy The Man members.

Crafty Hands is very much down the unique music and sound path. The band and this album sounds like a mix of Yes, Gentle Giant and Genesis. Most of the music here is instrumental. Instrumental as in a mix of symphonic prog, eclectic prog and fusion. Long, lingering melody lines which also taking a lot from new age. Then the band fires of an pretty commercial AOR like track with vocals and a conventional radio friendly sound before the band retreat into themselves with a couple of closing eclectic symphonic prog tracks.

Very strange. Very strange. Very strange.

...And not so easy to review or even form, let alone express an opinion on. Happy The Man was a truly original band. One of a kind.

I do like this album a lot though. The instrumentals, that is. The AOR interlude falls a bit flat on it's face. The rest of the album is good. Do I understand this album ? Not really. But I still find it good and I find this band a bit of a mystery. But I like them.

3 points

Gong - Zero To Infinity (2000)

The nineteenth Gong album and a return to the classic lineup. Well, neither Steve Hillage and the electric guitar solos is present. But Didier Malherbe does the saxes, Daevid Allen the male vocals and Gilli Smyth the female vocals. Theo Travis is also involved. Good news, then.

The music is a bit of a mix between the jazzy Pierre Moerlen's Gong and the more whimsical Daevid Allen's Gong. Between trippy jazz, whimsical children rhymes, avant garde jazz and some funk. The funky Magdalene is a great opener. Gilli Smyth does the trippy jazzed out The Invisible Temple. An eleven minutes duet between her and a saxophone. A great song and the best on this album. The rest of the album is a mix of the cringeworthy bad Yoni On Mars and some rather good stuff.

In short; this is an album with one great song, some good songs and a couple of hideous bad songs. This is a good album and another reason why this band is never really boring. Just a bit frustrating.

3 points

Lobate Scarp - Time And Space (2012)

The debut album from this new US band. It is being lead by the vocalist and keyboardist Adam Sears. Over fifty musicians (!!)were involved in this album.

Adam Sears is thinking big with this album and the sound is indeed both bold and big. Music wise, we are somewhere in US symph prog land. That and with some prog metal influences. The songs are pretty long. The title track is clocking in at over fifteen minutes. The music though is pretty melodic. Sometimes, the cliches geiger teller hits a dangerous high level.

The music is being delivered by a mix of electric guitars and keyboards. That and a lot of orchestral instruments. The vocals is great. Ditto for the rest.

The title track is great and showcases some great melody making abilities. Unfortunate, the rest of the album is not in the same class. There is no doubts that Adam Sears is a great talent and that he should continue down the same track. This is a very good album. I am in no doubts it will be regarded as a superb album by most others though. I am though missing some more great tracks before I would go that far. Nevertheless....

3.5 points

Kadaver - Abra Kadaver (2013)

The second album from this German band and a follow up to last year's self titled debut album.

The album title gives associations to Black Sabbath and that is where we can find the roots of their music too. Space rock based stoner rock. Perhaps more stoner than space rock. The band still lives in 1972, sounnd and music wise. The music is as retro at it can be.

The end result is a good album with plenty of style and attitude. The sound is both dirty and heavy. Fans of old heavy metal and hard rock will really like this album.... a lot. This retro hard rock scene is a popular scene, popular among three generations. Family friendly music, in other words. That is what this album is. A heavy, noisy album with good songs. I give it my two thumbs up.

3 points

Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue (1977)

Their seventh album and a double LP. Seventy minutes long, it is a single CD. Good value for money, in other words.

Electric Light Orchestra continues on from the previous year's album A New World Record. That means The Beatles with some strings and a more elaborate pop sound. I fully understand why Jeff Lynne has played with Ringo, Sir Paul and George after listening to this album. This is by all intents a pop album.

I have to admit I got a weak spot for Electric Light Orchestra and their music. Just as I have got a weak spot for The Beatles. My patience with Electric Light Orchestra is wearing a bit thin after listening to this album though. It is by all means ticking over nicely and I have got more into it during the last listening sessions. The music is by no means great. The music is pretty light hearted and airy. The sound is as only Electric Light Orchestra could make it. Unique, in other words. Refreshing too. Which is what saves this album in my view. But seventy minutes is too much and too many songs here are just decent and nothing more. The only thing I remember from this album is the sound. The songs are dull, to say at least. Hence my verdict. Love the sound; not the songs.

2.5 points

Man - Greasy Truckers Party (1997)

Two tracks, the two Man tracks, lifted from the triple album from the same legendary 1972 gig. A triple album which also included, amongst others, Hawkwind.

This album is merely half an hour long. The first track Spunk Rock occupies twenty-one minutes of this album. The other track Angel Easy occupies six minutes.

Spunk Rock is an overlong space rock/blues rock which neatly sums up both this scene and Man. Excess all areas. This is not a bad track at all. It starts with a wimper and closes pretty strongly. Cut the first seven minutes and this track would had been a good track.
Angel Easy is a much more structured track. Still not a good track, but still not too bad.

In short; this is not a release for me and I wish I had got the triple album instead.

2 points

Setna - Guérison (2013)

The second album from this much critically acclaimed French zeuhl band.

Although zeuhl in the sense of an all out Magma type attack may be a bit of a misleading label. Setna invites us into a much more ethereal jazz landscape on this album. The main instruments are Rhodes keyboards, percussion, bass, guitar and a voice which works as an instrument. The music is pretty laid back. Laid back, but never really uninteresting or irrelevant. There are a lot of interesting details on this album. So much that it really intrigues me.

In this respect, the music reminds me a lot about zeuhl. As a fan on of that genre and not entirely converted into jazz yet, I find a great album in this album. OK, not everything here is great. But enough for me to label it a great album. An album that continues to give and give over many listening sessions. I recommend this album.

4 points 

Montibus Communitas - Alive (2012)

Hmm.... A live album from this krautrock band from Peru.

Yes, krautrock has a lot of fans and bands on all continents. Montibus Communitas is one of the bands in the new wave of krautrock. On this live album, they reminds me a lot about Amon Duul. Not the second and best incarnation of Amon Duul. I am referring to the first Amon Duul. Long space jams with a rather poor sound quality.

What Montibus Communitas has though is some good ideas. There is no doubts that Montibus Communitas is a great band. All this is disappearing in the bad sound quality on this album. I would rather go for one of their studio albums than this live album. A live album streamed on their Bandcamp site and it is also for sale there as a name your price album. Free in other words. I will check out their studio albums though.

The band and the ideas are good. The bad sound quality is a let down.

2 points

The album

Gong - Live etc (1977)

The first live album from this band I am pretty undecided about. The problem with Gong is that they are two bands. The Daevid Allen version and the Pierre Moerlin version. I like the Moerlin version far better than the Allen version. Or do I ? I am undecided. Gong is a bit of a mystery to me.

This double album is said to be a mishmash of various live recordings. It is basically two sets where Daevid Allen and his drugged out cups of tea and gnomes dominates. The final half is much more spaced out jams.

....Strangely enough, I have come to like Daevid Allen's tea pots as much as I like the more Steve Hillage dominated space jams here. And I am an avid admirer of Steve Hillage. OK, Daevid Allen falls well into the downright silly category several times during this album. Cringeworthy so. But his tea pots and gnomes really flies and I find myself enjoying this a lot. The best track on this album though is the superb space jam Isle Of Everywhere.

My major gripe about this live album though is that it feels a bit fragmented. That aside, this is a very good live album I really enjoy. I also have some other Gong live albums and will give them some spins later. Gong is still a bit of a mystery to me though. Nevertheless, I feel I am about to crack this nut.

3.5 points

Drama - Una Segunda Opurtunidad (2013)

The second album from this neo prog band from Uruguay.

Their first album Inspiracion from 2002 did not set the world alight. Their Genesis/Marillion take on neo prog did not really win them many fans in Europe. They have now changed style a bit on this, their second oppurtunity. That is what I believe is the English translation of their album title. Gone is Marillion and in comes a much more ethnic pop/rock sound with some AOR included too.

The vocals are still in Spanish and those are great. The best about the whole album. The music is pretty generic and does not hit me at home, I am afraid. It is far too commercial minded and focused on their local market to hit me at my home here in frosty Scotland. The quality is also not there either. The music is pretty dull. Competent delivered and with some gutso, yes. Still dull, though. This is a decent album and nothing more than that.

2 points

Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)

One of the true legendary albums, some may call it monsters, in the history of popular music. An album still being toured by Roger Waters to this day and next year (new tour). An album with a massive reputation. So massive it is difficult to relate to the music on it. Nevertheless, I will give it a try.

The Wall is Roger Waters taking over the band and is omitting the other three members in his quest to give us an album with a message. Message with capital letters. This is Roger Waters world and album. His message.

The end result is an album which musically does not live up to the reputation this album has got. Musically, it has some really dull moments. Turkeys, no less. It also has some great songs too. Comfortably Numb is the best one although the many live versions is far better than this version of this great song. Goodbye Cruel World, Run Like Hell and Another Brick In The Wall # 2 is also great. The latter one a surprise hit single. The rest is not up to the usual Pink Floyd standards set on albums like Dark Side Of The Moon etc etc. The Wall is a pretty disjointed effort which does not really sits with me that well. It is still a good album though. I have to admit that I will not play it that often though. I also have to admit that I am disappointed with this album whose reputation is far bigger than the album itself. Sorry, but this is not my cup of tea.

3 points

Emerson Lake & Palmer - Live In Poland (2001)

One of the numerous ELP live albums.

The problem with all ELP live albums is that they all pales into insignificance compared to their Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends masterpiece from 1974. A live album almost as good as the best live album of them all; Purple's Made In Japan.

Live In Poland is not a bad live album though. ELP takes us through most the old songs here. It starts with Karn Evil 9 so Greg Lake can utter the famous words "welcome to the show". The rest of the album takes us through a pretty good list of mildly sedated classics. There is no real explosions and life here. Greg Lake's voice is not as good as it once was, mostly serving as a warning against doing cocaine. The two medleys at the end is not particular interesting either.

This is by all means a good live album by all standards. It does not really comes to life and although it is nice to hear their good old songs, I am pretty underwhelmed by this album. I liked them better in the 1970s.

3 points

Zylver - Van Verre (2013)

I believe this is the debut album from this Dutch artist. Or maybe I am wrong.

Albums like this sometimes lands on my lap and I am supposed to have an opinion about it. Van Verre, which was sold to me as a neo prog album, is the type of albums which has made me turn away from the pop/rock genre. Zylver does what he/they can to appeal to the mass market, to the women buyers. I don't understand much of the Dutch language. The lyrics is in Dutch language and it is delivered in a passionate tone. Que the melting of female hearts. It is worse than the melting of the glaciers in Antarctica. Well, it is supposed to be that.

The music is not terrible. It is competent delivered and there is a huge market for it there. This may be a hit album too and I have heard far worse hit albums than this album. So I wish Zylver good luck. The music is though as dull as watching paint dry, coming from an angle of wanting exciting and untraditional music. Hence my verdict. Don't buy this album if you are into the likes of Magma and Soft Machine.

2 points

Saga - House Of Cards (2001)

Their fourteenth album or so.

Their preceding thirteen albums was a mixed bag to say at least. Rivers deep; mountains high is the best description, to borrow the title from the Ike & Tina Turner classic. Saga obviously took stock as most of us did when the church bells chimed in the new millenium. The result is back to their sound from their first albums. The typical Saga sound. That is what we get here. Saga.

The quality of the songs are good throughout. They have dropped the ball on a couple of cringeworthy songs. That aside, the sound is great and I have a lot of affections from this band. The band that was my door into progressive rock. So this is a good album in my ears..... and just that. Recommended to the fans of the original Saga sound.

3 points

Marbin - Last Chapter Of Dreaming (2013)

The third album from this Israeli fusion band.

Marbin's second album Breaking The Cycle from 2011 (I have yet to sample their first album) was a pretty untraditional album with a lot of Israeli folk music fused into their brand of fusion. The band very much continues on the same path on Last Chapter Of Dreaming.

I am not so sure if the music here can be labelled fusion at all. It is either jazz or crossover music. The crossover is between folk music and jazz. There is a lot of folky tunes here, given a bit of a jazzy overhaul. The music also has a lot of Mexican tijuana feel over it too. The music is performed with guitars, saxophones, bass, keyboards and drums. The music is instrumental.

The music here is by no means exciting and I feel the band has taken a very easy-way-out route on this album. The music is also pretty light on technical details. It feels like it is a jazz-lite album. The longviety of this album is short, I fear.

I still think this is a good album. The melodies are good. But it has it's limitations and the band has not fulfilled my expectations with this album.

3 points

Churn Milk Joan - 8 Black Postcards (2013)

Churn Milk Joan is a two man band consisting of Richard Knutson and Colin Robinson. It is a side project of Big Block 454. Well, that is probably unfair towards the much travelled and highly experienced Richard Knutson as he is not involved in Big Block 454. Anyway; USA meets Yorkshire. The result is Germany.

...or krautrock to be precise. 8 Black Postcards is the third album from this highly productive band who has just released their fourth album. I will catch up with that album later.

This duo named Churn Milk Joan makes surprisingly lush krautrock with some Depeche Mode and avant-garde influences. Yes, their studio is good and you can make a lot of noise with a good studio. The sound is really superb and professional. This is not a garage product. The music on 8 Black Postcards is krautrock in the Can and Faust vein...... I have been told. I know Can, but not Faust. Anyway, the two distinguished gentlemen is using a lot of guitars, voices, drums, bass and sound effects to churn out their music. Some rather confined, claustrophobic music. Rather lush too. I gladly admit this is not an area I am familiar with. But I find the music rather good and I like what I hear. The music is streamed from the link enclosed so check it out yourself. You will not regret it.

3 points

Their Bandcamp page

Ptf - Percept from...(2013)

The debut album from this Japanese band.

We are back in instrumental symph prog land again. Although with a twist, though. Symph prog is perhaps the wrong genre to lump this band into. Their music has more in common with Mahavishnu Orchestra's fusion than with the likes of Camel and Genesis. So let's drag Ptf out of the symph prog genre and put them where they really belong; in the fusion genre.

The music is dominated by violins. It is supported by keyboards, bass and drums. The violin is though dominant. It reminds me a lot about what Jean-Luc Ponty did on the two Mahavishnu Orchestra albums he did. In particular on Visions of the Emerald Beyond. Ptf's rhythm section is also really good and I also very much enjoy the piano here.

The music is also very passionate and gypsy like at times. There is a lot of thumping pulse on this album. There are also some reflective pieces which takes the tempo down a couple of notches.

The end result is a very good instrumental fusion album which sometimes also wanders into symphonic prog. An album which should give this band a lot of new fans also outside Japan. They are doing a lot of gigs in Japan and those who lives there should check them out. Get this very good album from Amazon or thereabouts.

3.5 points

Homepage 

Hostsonaten - Winterthrough (2008)

Fabio Zuffanti's Hostsonaten runs through the four seasons with this album dedicated the winter.

Hostsonaten is named after a famous Ingmar Bergman movie. The music is a fusion of all kinds of European symphonic prog. From the cold wastelands of Sweden to the lush Sicily. You find it all on this album.

This is an instrumental album. The music is in the epic symphonic prog genre with long and lingering guitar and keyboards solos. The music is not particular technical. Building up an ambience and mood is the main focus of this album. Which sometimes, make that most times, makes up for a pretty boring listening session. Not in this case though. The main theme is great and it is supported by some smaller themes too. There are even some fusion on this album too and that livens things up a lot.

This is a great instrumental symph prog album and one I highly recommend. If you want to relax and to find out what this sub genre of prog rock sounds like; this is a good album for you. Recommended.

4 points

Gentle Giant - Free Hand (1975)

Once in a blue moon, I discover albums from the past which knocks me out of my stride. Well, these moments are now once a month as I am giving priority to albums I hope will be great. Sometimes, they are.

Gentle Giant is one of those bands which really clicks with me. I love their mix of baroque classic music and prog rock. I live their eclectic sound and music. I love their vocals. I am a fan of this band. In particular; after listening to this album.

Free Hand is their seventh album and it is more or less their trademark. The music on this album, that is. If you want to know what this band is all about; this is the album to get before you explore the rest of their albums. Their music is truly eclectic with a basis in baroque, chamber rock. Into that, they have added symphonic prog rock, jazz and folk music. The result is both melodic and weird. Gentle Giant and King Crimson is the creators of eclectic prog and that shows on this album.

The best song here by far is the brilliant His Last Voyage with the haunting vocal harmonies. The title track ant the rest of this album is brilliant too. There is nothing I would mark down on this album. Nothing at all. It is a true classic album and one I am now very fond off.

5 points

Amon Düül II - Pyragony X (1976)

Oh fox........

Their ninth album and a total turnaround from their krautrock roots. Welcome to the mainstream pop-rock band Amon Duul II. A band who at their best on this album sounds like Blue Oyster Cult and is operating between that territory and commercial rock like for example Eagles. At the worst, they sounds a bit like Bay City Rollers.

Despite of that, this is still not a horrible album. The German accent puts this album firmly in Germany. The songs are not too bad. Some enjoyment can be drawn from it. This album is not my cup of tea though and I cannot recommend it to anyone. Get their first albums instead.

2 points

Magma - Hhai (1975)

The first Magma live album, according to ProgArchives.

I have heard a lot good about Magma live albums and has indeed purchased all of them. I have yet to listen to any of them, saving them up for later and reviews like this.

Magma is more in a funky mood on this album than full frontal zeuhl as on their first albums. Not as disco as on Merci. But still more funky jazzy than zeuhl. The music is pretty understated and not as bombastic as I was hoping for. Maybe this live album is a one off funk parade from the band. Maybe I am in for some more zeuhl related music on the other live albums.

Anyway.... The result is still a very good live album with some very good music. Eighty minutes or so with very good music. I also likes their more funky albums and get what I paid for here. The music is perhaps a bit too one dimentional. It is, actually. This is still a good live album from Magma which should interest their fans. I am one of them. I am a fan of their more full frontal zeuhl though. Anyway...

3.5 points

Rovescio Della Medaglia. Il - Lo Come Lo (1972)

The second album from these Italian prog rockers.

On this album, it is more hard rock than prog/RPI. A lot of hard guitar riffs and no keyboards. The setup also includes flutes in addition to guitars, bass, drums and vocals. Italian vocals, that is.

The result is a hard rocking bluesy album with some RPI elements. There is no great or even good melodies here and the sound is not particular good either. This is by no means a turkey. But it is not a good album either. A decent rating has been awarded.

2 points

Windmill. The - Continuation (2013)

The second album from this new Norwegian prog rock powerhouse.

The second/new wave of Norwegian prog rock has given us a lot of great bands and albums. The Windmill from Hurum (my ex area) debuted with the very good To Be Continued... in 2010. Their new album is as it says on the tin; a continuation of that album. It is by no means a left overs album.

Their sound is somewhat between good old Prudence, Camel, Ange, Genesis and Jethro Tull. As a fan of Prudence, I feel Continuation has taken up a lot of the best parts of Prudence's sound. The flutes and the ...ehhh.... the accented English vocals. A charming feature on Continuation. The instruments are as mentioned vocals, flutes, keyboards, drums, guitars and bass. The sound is in the Jethro Tull vein. A sound also very much adopted by Prudence.

Mentioning Jethro Tull and Prudence, you perhaps now believe this is a folk prog album. Wrong. The music is symphonic prog with a Norwegian flavour. The abovementioned Genesis, Camel and Ange is the best references here. There are some (guitars) power chords on this album too and that makes the music slightly heavy and full of teeth. Most of all; it is a return to the happy 1970s. The album has a retro feel and should make everyone into that sound order this album.

With good reasons too. The music is great throughout with a lot of superb melodies. My only two gripes is when the band tries to become too folk rock. Those melody parts falls flat on it's face. The other one is the lack of any excellent tracks. Besides of that, the band really delivers on Continuation and proves that they have a valid claim to the Norwegian prog rock throne. Not that anyone bothers about who is best. Continuation is in any case a great album and one of the better ones coming out of Norway. Get it !

4 points

The Windmill


     

Headspace - I Am Anonymous (2012)

The debut album from a band who to a large degree is a supergroup. A British supergroup, that is. It is being lead by Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman. Yes, he is Rick's son.

The music is a mix of progressive metal and neo prog. Mostly prog metal though. There is also a lot of djent here. The music is also pretty melodic and it is following the now well known formula with plenty of guitars and keyboards in the mix behind Damian Wilson's powerful vocals. Add the usual bass and drums too and you get the picture.

As I have expressed many times, this neo prog crossover prog metal genre is by no means my cup of tea. I cannot deny that this album is a good album. OK, it is filled to the brim by cliches like majestic keyboards and diddly-dei guitar solos. The sound is excellent though. Fans of this genre will love this album. I am not, but still find this album enjoyable enough. The fifteen minutes long Daddy Fucking Loves You is also a very good song which offers symph prog fans like myself plenty to enjoy. Let us hope this album is not a flash in the pan.

3 points

Caravan - Blind Dog at St. Dunstans (1976)

Their seventh album.

Caravan does not really need any introduction. They were/are one of the best bands to come out of the Canterbury scene. They were really superb at their best and not so good on some other albums.

Caravan has moved away from their trademark mix of pop and jazz on this album. What we get on this album is a band trying to go mainstream in this onslaught of punk rock which hit the scene at that time. With Richard Sinclair out of the band, the trademark Caravan vocals has also gone. Pye Hastings is good, but he is not Richard. That is one of my gripes with this album. I do not care much about the mainstream pop-rock on this album too. The sound is not good. There is no good songs here. There is only sporadic glimpses of this great band on this album. Enough to make this a decent album. This though is a highly forgetable album though. This is not a Caravan album I like.

2 points

Camel - Under Age (1970)

This is not the Andrew Latimer fronted English symph prog band. This is the other Camel. It also came from England before emigrating to Italy and then disappear without a trace.

Musically, these two Camels could not had been more different either. This Camel sounds like a crossbreed between Bad Company, the Who and Led Zeppelin. Raw hard rock rooted in blues in other words. It also has this early 1970s sound too and some screaming bluesy vocals. The right stuff for a perfect party in other words and this album would go down well in a party even in 2013. Timeless music in other words. Music other bands does even today. In particular cover versions of Pineball Wizard which starts this forty minutes long album.

The sound is OK and the music decent throughout. Not bad and not great. Go down to your local pub and you will probably find bands doing this kind of music there, playing for a handful of people. That is as original as this music is. Under Age is a decent album though.

2 points 

Stolen Babies - Naught (2012)

Stolen Babies is a Los Angeles based band and Naught is their second album.

This band has labelled their music as post-everything. I am tempted to agree with them. This though is supposed to be a review so I have to be a bit more precise than that. Not easy when it comes to this album and their music.

OK...... The music is female vocals lead in the Edit Piaf. Very good vocals. The music is a curious mix of cabaret, death metal (!), math metal, chamber rock, avant-garde, theatre music, goth and movie soundtrack. Yes, post-everything. The music goes from harsh to warm. Forwards and backwards along this whole rainbow, it goes. The use of accordion adds a lot of cabaret feeling. The harsh male vocals adds a death metal edge to the music.

The end result is fascinating. That is, after recovering my jaw from the floor to where it dropped when I was listening to this album for the first time, some days ago. My jaw has really never recovered from that experience. This album is not what I would call my normal music. It is most definate an avant-garde album. Or as they would probably label it: Post-avant garde.

....Whatever name given to this baby, it very much work. It is far too fragmented to really work as an album. But it is also surprisingly melodic too. Some of the songs are pretty naive melodic too. Almost like children rhymes. In this respect, I get a lot of Gong (the Daevid Allen version) vibes here. Yes, fans of Gong will understand this album. The music on Naught is also far more progressive than most of what passes as progressive these days. The music sounds fresh and vital. It also sounds organic. There is no great tracks here though. But this is still a very good album from a band who often tours USA and beyond. I am pretty sure they are great on stage. Make sure you catch them.

3.5 points

The bandpage

Litai - Litai (2012)

To my knowledge, the debut album from this Italian avant-garde band. A band and an album which has drowned a bit in the recent onslaught of new Italian albums in the avant-garde/RIO genre.

Litai takes some tentative first steps into the arena occupied by the likes of Nicklodeon, Piccio Dal Pozzo, Area and Aranis. That is the references here. A bit chamber, a lot of jazz and a lot of weird avant-garde melody structures. Add a Balkan pop'ish sound to this instrumental music too and you get this album.

The result is both a weird and a pretty melodic and easy accessible album too. An an album performed with a lot of saxophones and other woodwinds, guitars, bass, drums, samples and keyboards. The woodwinds is the leading instruments here. There is also a lot of half-acoustic guitars here too.

The end result is a good avant-garde album which has a lot of charm and quality. The only thing lacking is some great songs and that is a problem for this album. If this indeed is their debut album, it is a good platform to build on. I would suggest to them that they should keep up the good work.

3 points

Ange - Moteur (1981)

The eight or so album from this French band. A band who has been labelled as France's answer to Genesis. They very much had their own sound and music though.

That too is the case here. Some ounces of their previous greatness can still be detected on this album which fully embrace the 1980s with all it's ills and crimes against humanity. The sound for example. A very plastic fantastic sound which sounds so out of time anno 2013. The songs are not particular good either. There is no good songs here. The music reminds me a lot about the worst albums Saga ever put out. OK, not that bad though. But the sound is in that ballpark. The only saving grace is Christian Decamps as always great vocals. French vocals, that is. The end result is a half decent album which I would not recommend to anyone.

2 points

V/A - The Rome Pro(g)ject (2012)

Rome, the eternal city and capitol of Italy deserves a tribute album or ten. It is a bit strange that it took the scene so many years to finally come around to do it.

And it took an Anglo-Italian project to do it too. The project, a various artists project, is fronted by Steve Hackett although I suspect it was created and lead by Vincenzo Ricca. Steve Hackett's brother John Hackett also contribute with flutes. The album starts with a long Italian monologue (a tribute to Rome, I guess) and then breaks into some long and lingering melodic instrumentals. Mostly lead by Steve Hackett's excellent guitar solos. Other prominent instruments are keyboards and flutes. The bass and drums are anchoring the music too and gives it a lot of punch. The sound is beefy to say at least.

The result is an album with plenty of great tunes. All of them in the bombastic symphonic prog mould. I am by no means a fan of overly pretentious projects based on overblown egos. In this case though, the eternal city gets what it's deserves by this project. An album that does not sell this city short. Both in the artwork, the song titles and the music itself. The Hackett brothers does a brilliant job and this is surely one of the better albums Steve Hackett has ever been involved in. Vincenzo Ricca and the other Italian contributors also gives Rome the credit this city deserve. And this album really makes me want to visit and discover Rome. I have never been there. But I will probably go there later this year. This album has sown some seeds in my head.

This is a great album which will appeal to all fans of Steve Hackett and instrumental symphonic prog.

4 points

Oblivion Sun - The High Places (2013)

The second album from this US band who sprung out of Happy The Man.

Their self titled debut album 2007 was a curious album who bridged a lot of water. From jazz to US symph prog. It therefore feels a bit natural that the band has reigned themselves in and narrowed in the scope of this album. Now, we are talking a sophisticated form of funky art rock with a lot of symph prog incorporated. This is very much the US take on symphonic prog. There are even a lot of lounge music feel here. The jazz in other words. Oblivion Sun is still very much one of a kind band. I don't know any other band doing this mix of lounge jazz and symph prog.

And the band has also delivered on the promise they made on their debut album. Barely, that is. The High Places has one really superb song and that is the title track suite. The rest of the music is very good too. The title track suite very much represent their style. Laidback lounge with symph prog and a very strong melody too. Superb is this suite.

In short; this is a great album from a band who I think should be regarded as one of the better US bands now.

4 points

Oxhuitza - Ozhuitza (2013)

The debut album from this Italian band who I believe has been released on Fabio Zuffanti's record label. Actually, I am wrong. The band has taken artistic directions from Fabio, but the album was released on Mirror Records in Italy.

Oxhuitza is doing instrumental prog rock where they takes a lot of influences from symphonic prog, King Crimson, RPI, fusion, prog metal and Gentle Giant. I would put them in the eclectic prog label as their music is pretty eclectic. They also knows how to paint big sound collages and comes up with some majestic symphonic hymns too.

I am by no means a fan of instrumental prog as I feel most of it is lacking focus and a focal point. I do though see what the band is doing here and find it far from lacking in focus. This is one of the better instrumental albums I have heard and it is far from dull and elevator music'ish. The music is in fact not easy listening at all as the great melody lines comes on a pretty regular basis. The music is driven by flutes, keyboards, guitars, drums and bass. A bit more flutes would had added more organic flavours and quality in my view. But this is still a very good album which surprised me a lot. It is most definate worth checking out.

3.5 points

Doubt - Mercy, Pity, Peace & Love (2012)

The second album from this jazz band. Or fusion as they call their music.

Maybe jazz is the best label for what the trio Lex Maguire, Michel Delville and Tony Bianco doing here. Avant garde jazz is also a label I would use. That in addition to some rock flirts on their version of Hendrix' Purple Haze. With the exception of that track, easy listening is not what I would label this album as. The music is mostly performed with a Rhodes hammond, guitars, drums and bass. That and some samplers and sequencers. The music is inwards looking and very intense.

I am by no means a jazz fan and I got my hands full with this album. There is stuff I really like here and some stuff I just think is album fillers. I really like Michel Delville's guitars and think the other contributions is great too. That makes this a good album in my view, but not one I would probably play that often. So now you know.

3 points

Yleclipse - Songs from the Crackling Atanor (2012)

The fifth studio album from this Italian neo prog band. A band whose albums has some interesting art work.

I reviewed their third album Opus some years ago and I have noted that what I wrote in that review is not far away from what I am going to write now. Yleclipse has found a sound and a style they are happy with and that is OK for me.

We are talking a crossover between Genesis and Fish era Marillion here. So much that Yleclipse reminds me a lot about another Italian band; The Watch. The sound is warm and organic. Ditto for the vocals. The keyboards, guitars, bass and drums setup works well here. There is no doubts Yleclipse is one of the better neo prog bands out there. A neo prog band I am happy to lend an ear to. Hence the purchase of this album.

I am happy with the sound. I am a bit disappointed by their inability to take one or two steps up when it comes to writing great songs. There is none here. The album is good throughout and a pleasure to listen to. A pleasure and a frustration too as it never really kicks on and move into a higher gear like the albums from The Watch always does. This is still a very good album though and that is that.

3.5 points

Times Up - Snow Queen (2012)

The debut album from this British band who are supposed to be veterans in the scene. The musicians, that is. This band was established in 2006.

We are back in neo-prog land again. Pretty pompeous larger than life neo prog too. Not symph though. Pomp prog is the more right label. The music is performed with the usual guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and vocals formula.

Formula is the right word here. The music follows the usual neo prog formula and does not really offers anything outside that. A formula used by so many other bands. Which is fair enough. The music is decent throughout and I find nothing offensive here. I am just slightly bored by this album who falls well short of interesting me. It is a decent to good album who offers no real good songs, but still has something to offer to those of you more into neo prog than I am.

2.5 points

Hatfield & The North - Hattitude (2006)

A posthumous album with live tracks from the 1970s. The line up is the classic line up, arguably one of the best ever line ups from the Canterbury, namely Phil Miller on guitars, Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, Pip Pyle on drums and Dave Stewart on keyboards. What can go wrong with this line up ?

Well, nothing on this compilation of live songs. Richard sings as good as he has ever done and really adds warmth to the songs. The other three is excellent too with great musicianship on their most known tracks. Tracks which is in the middle of the Canterbury tradition. The sound is great too with a great audience participation too.

The result is one hour of great, hugely enjoyable music. It is also a timely reminder how great this band was and that I should really dig out their two studio albums again. OK, this is a compilation of live tracks though and not a real live album. That shows and take some enjoyment out of this album. But this is still a great hour, made into many, many hours by myself who finds it hard to let this album go and write a review. O boy, they don't make music like this any longer. Sadly.

4 points

Iron Maiden - Maiden England '88 (2013)

Iron Maiden live albums....... hmmm..... There is a lot of them.

Maiden England was originally released in 1988'ish and was one of the best selling VHS gig videos of all time. It was about time it also became available on CD too. 1988 was their first real best year with a sold out Donington Park (107 000 people) and a best selling album called Seventh Son Of The Seventh Son. I also saw them in Drammen, Norway on the same tour as this live album documents.

It is a pre requisite that you like the Seventh Son album if you want to get this album. Me..... I feel this album has fallen a lot in my estimation. I am still a big fan of Powerslave which for me is the ultimate Iron Maiden album. An album which still gives me great pleasure. Seventh Son is a bit too polished for my taste. Maiden England relies heavy on that album and includes some Iron Maiden songs I do not particular enjoy. Wasted Years is a good example. On the positive side, getting the Seventh Son title track live is great and it is sad that they don't play this song more often live. That is the best song on this album by a mile or two. Infinite Dreams is great too. The rest....... well, the nth version of Halloved By Thy Name and Iron Maiden is met by a resigned shrug by myself. I love the first song. But much better versions can be found at the Live After Death live album from 1985.

In short; those who want everything by Iron Maiden (that includes myself) will lap up this album. Those who loves the Seventh Son album will love this live album. I give it a very good status.

3.5 points

Taika - Pulsate (2012)

I guess this is the debut album from this female fronted Japanese band. I got no info on them whatsoever.

Taika plays a mix of neo prog and modern indie rock. The female Japanese vocals is pretty dominating, the music being built around it. The bass and piano is also a pretty dominating feature here. So is what I believe is some accordian too. Some guitars and drums completes the sound.

The sound and music is flowery Japanese rock with a lot of crossover classica music/rock (Rennaisance springs to mind) and folk rock included. It is like a Japanese garden with tonnes of various types of flowers. Very colourful. Unfortunate, a bit one dimentional too. This album, at least. There is no great or even good songs here. The album ticks away without really making any impressions, besides of the Japanese vocals which is not something you will hear coming out of my speakers quite often.

....However, the album does grow on the listener and I am quite liking it now. Maybe it is worth checking out. It is a decent to good album.

2.5 points

Barclay James Harvest - Baby James Harvest (1972)

Their fourth album.

BJH And Other Short Stories was a great album and one that made me buy this album, the follow up to that album. The band still sounds like a bit of a poor man's Moody Blues with a mix of classical music, blues and very The Beatles influenced songs. Baby James Harvest has a mix of everything.

Herein lays it's problem. Baby James Harvest feels like an album full of left overs from other albums. The music here is wildly diverse from light hearted The Beatles copycat to classical music and blues. It is an album really difficult to grasp. The quality is not that great either and the left overs from other albums is a overriding feeling on this album.

I am afraid this is only a decent album from a band I had expected a lot more from than this.

2 points

Jeremy - From the Dust to the Stars (2012)

The fifteenth or so album from Jeremy. He has probably released some more albums too. Most of the album has been he and his guitar on some ambient new age long winded albums. From the Dust to the Stars is a different kettle of fish though.

From the Dust to the Stars sounds and feels like a band effort. The music is sunny, west coast like rock. I would compare the music to a lighter version of King's X first four albums. Light spacy music with a lot of bite and substance. Jeremy's guitars is pretty dominant here and the keyboards, bass and drums is filling in nicely too. Not to mention the vocals.

The end result is a good album which would please anyone into west coast rock. My only gripe is the lack of any great tracks. I am not a fan of this music either. This is still the best Jeremy album I have ever heard though. Check it out.

3 points

Daimonji - Into A Blind Alley (2005)

The second live album from this Japanese zeuhl band who up to then only released live albums. They released a studio album the year after though.

I really liked their first live album. Their mix of jazz and zeuhl were and still is refreshing. The band, who consists of members of Ruins and some other Japanese avant-garde bands, continues down the same path on this album. They sound very much like Magma throughout. Magma at their most jazzy moments. Offering is also another good reference. The band also use both male and female operatic vocals. Most of the vocals is totally over the top mad. The Hammond organ is the platform where the music is being performed from. That means with bass, drums and some guitars. Their use of Hammond organs reminds me a lot about what Mike Ratledge in Soft Machine did on the third to six album.

As expected from a Japanese zeuhl album, the music is very frenetic and sometimes chaotic. There is no real great music here though and I feel the band is running a bit empty here after their great first live album. A bit more quality would had been a good thing. This is still a very good album though...... in small dosages.

3.5 points

Herd Of Instinct - Conjure (2013)

The band too progressive to be called progressive rock is back again with their second album.

This Texan band impressed me with their self titled debut album from 2011. Their mix of King Crimson like monuments and jazz blew me over. I am pleased to report that Conjure is another meal with the same ingredients. A lot more laid back this time though and with some ambient stuff. But still innovative and progressive as few other bands are today. All the music here is instrumental. But it still have some focal points.

The music is delivered by guitars, drums, bass, moog, mellotron and keyboards. It is both intricate, melodic and full of interesting details. It both looks back to the 1970s and to the future.

In short; Herd Of Instinct is one of the very few truly progressive bands out there. Conjure is another great album from them and I am now a signed up fan of them. This is what progressive music is all about.

4 points