Afforested - Wolf's Heads And Woodlanders (2009)

The debut offering from this new English folk rock band. A fifteen minutes long EP, that is.

The mainly instrumental music is performed with synth, acoustic guitars, bass, drums, flute and mandolin. The dominant instrument though is the synth. Dominant because the sound is really annoying synthetic. The forest here is made by plastic and not by organic materials. The other instruments feels organic enough, though.

The music is somewhat folky and new age. There is no real teeth and no bite in this music. There is no real bark either. Just this new age symphonic annoying plastic feeling synth who goes where many has gone before. This is borderline shopping mall music. There is thankfully a proper song on this album. The male vocals are a bit over the top theatrical though and does not add much to the proceedings.

On a positive note........ The flutes are really good. Some of the songs are good too. If the synths could had been scrapped and some authentic organic music had been inserted into the mix, I am pretty sure this band has a good future. This is a decent EP and nothing more than that.

2 points

Aphrodite's Child - End Of The World (1968)

The debut album from this Greek band, lead by Demis Roussos who was a really big solo artist when I grew up. He has alone sold 40 million albums and is still going strong, to my knowledge. Aphrodite's Child was a trio and the founder of Vangelis was also in this band. Quite a trio, Aphrodite's Child.......

End Of The World was released in 1968 and a child of it's time. The music is a mix of The Beatles, Greek folk music and Pink Floyd. End Of The World is actually quite a pioneering album for it's time. The use of Hammonds is great. Gary Brooker and other tangent players must surely have been listening to this album. Demis vocals is also great. The bass and drums is also great here. Aphrodite's Child was one heck of a band on this album. I am impressed.

The Greek folk music and flower power songs here is by far the best songs on this album. The beat songs is not that good. The overall quality is really good throughout. This album is a surprise to me as I was listening to it in preparation for their 666 album. Don't go directly to that album. Lend your ears to their two other albums too.  End Of The World is a surprisingly good album.

3 points

Aqua Nebula Oscillator - Third (2012)

The third studio album from this French space/psychedelic rock band. A band I was first thought was from one of the less desirable industrial towns in Germany due to their sound.

Aqua Nebula Oscillator has a reputation for playing a mix of garage and space rock. I would label their music as dirty, muddy psychedelic rock. There is a lot of punk and new wave in their music too. That in addition to garage and spaced out psychedelic rock. Not to mention krautrock. I regard Aqua Nebula Oscillator as a borderline space rock and krautrock band.

The music here is not that spaced out, really. It is much more dug into the dirt than up there in the space. The tracks here are a lot more song orientated with verse-chorus-verse than on most space rock albums I have heard so far. The guitars, bass and vocals is mostly distorted and fuzzy. The drums is the only clear instrument here.

The songs are good and I find myself really liking this album. I am not that happy about the song structures which is far too rigid verse-chorus-verse for my liking. A couple of great tracks would not go amiss too. But this band has an undeniable charm and I will get their other albums too. This is a good album.

3 points

Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987)

This album was released 3. August 1987 and is therefore 25 years and two days old.

I am one of those who did not particular enjoy Def Leppard's three first albums. Pyromania is OK. I had no wishes to get Hysterian back in August 1997. But I was swept away by the emotions and the miracle of the drummer who played/plays drums with one arm. So I got this album, played it and liked what I heard. It was a massive seller too. A well deserved best seller. More than twenty years has gone since I have played this album. I noticed the 25 years anniversary on Facebook and dusted of this album.

I am by no means a fan of big hair metal and AOR. Hysteria is unashamed that. It also has a sound I have not heard on any other album too. It has this almost organic techno sound. The songs are also very commercial too. I should really hate this album. But I don't hate it.

The songs are all great. The title track a superb song and the best song on Hysteria. The other songs are masterfully crafted too. There is a lot of excellent vocal and guitar harmonies on this album. The drums and bass is superb. Hysteria is by far the best of the big hair heavy metal albums and one of the last hurray of this genre before Nirvana's Nevermind album blew this scene out of the water and back to the underground again. Hysteria is anno 2012 a great album. It sounds better anno 2012 than back in 1987. It will not take me 20 years plus before I put it in my CD player again. Regard it as a regular in my living room. Happy anniversary !

4 points

Awad. Amadeus - Time Of The Equinox (2012)

Amadeus Awad is a guitarist from Lebanon and this is his first album. He has got some help from one of Yngwie Malmsteen's vocalists. That kind of gives the game away. Or gives Time Of The Equinox away.

Another guitar god who is throwing his axe around in a recording studio. Thankfully, this album has something more to offer than pure shredding. Some proper song structures and some pretty pastoral melodies. A lot of power metal too. Amadeus or his marketing people has described this as a meeting between his guitar and Middle East music. Maybe that was the idea before it hit the record studio. The result is much more like power metal from Scandinavia, though. Did I mention Yngwie Malmsteen ? I think I did.

Amadeus Awad is probably a guitar god. Time Of The Equinox is a pretty decent album with some pretty dull melodies. This is not entirely a terrible album. I cannot really say I enjoy it though. A decent album, nevertheless.

2 points

Qwaarn - My Achievements (2012)

Another band from Quebec, Canada. My Achievements is their third album. Their previous albums are The World Of Qwaarn from 2004 and Abberations from 2007.

As with all bands from Quebec, Qwaarn have their own twist on their genre. In this case, neo prog. Qwaarn's takes neo prog down a pretty dark alley. The vocals are a pretty dark and so is the sound. A sound based on tangents and some guitars. This in addition to bass and drums.

The music is pretty pedestrian. It never really takes off. There is no really great or even good music here. I have been listening to this album both at home, at my office and on the walks between these two locations. I have always wondered when this album was coming to life. I am still asking myself the same question. This is a decent album with good musicianship. The songs are pretty underwhelming though.

A decent album, but nothing more.

2 points

Kosmoratik - Gravitation (2012)

Kosmoratik is a new Oslo based Norwegian trio and Gravitation is their debut album. None of the members are spring chickens though.

The music too is pretty mature. References are the likes of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Caravan, indie pop and cool jazz. The vocals is both male and female. There is a lot of half-acoustic jazz guitars and keyboards here. Ditto for male and female vocal harmonies. The bass and drums is also pretty jazzy. There is also a lot of Gilmour era Pink Floyd references here. I also get some faint Gazpacho vibes here.

The sound is excellent breezy cool. The songs are all very good. My main gripe is the lack of one great song or more. The band and this album is sailing very close to being great. But they are not quite there yet. This band has something going on and I really hope we will hear a lot more from them. Keep up your good work, guys.

3.5 points

The band homepage

King Crimson - Starless And Bible Black (1974)

Two days ago, I was asked which King Crimson albums I would recommend. My answer was all studio albums + as many live albums you could get hold of. That is what I have done. Purchased every KC albums I could get hold of. With good reasons, I have to add. I rate KC very highly (surprise !).

Starless And Bible Black is their sixth album and not the most prolific one of the seven albums Mk I setup (who ended with Red). It has all the KC quirkyness though with a mix of avant garde RIO like melodies, some quirky rhythm fests and some more accessible songs. Great songs like The Night Watch, the title track and the opening track, the slightly bewildering The Grand Deceiver. Not everything here is fantastic. This album is a captivating album though. "Captivating" is Robert Fripp and KC's trademark, btw.

I am fascinated by this band and Starless And Bible Black fuels my fascination. This is music for my brain... and sometimes my heart too. A great album.

4 points

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

This one does not really deserve a review on a small blog like The Sound Of Fighting Cats. But for the first time in my life, I am listening through the whole Pink Floyd disco. So here follows some words about Wish You Were Here.

The album starts with the first part of the Syd Barrett tribute Shine On You Crazy Diamond. A truly brilliant track and one of the best songs ever. A couple of very good songs follows before the brilliant title track arrives. The final part of Shine On You Crazy Diamond closes this album.

Wish You Were Here is one of the giants of the classic rock and prog rock history. It's position is justified. It is a superb album. I still think it could had been better. It is too pedestrian for my liking. But Wish You Were Here is still a superb album.

4.5 points

Blue Öyster Cult - Blue Öyster Cult (1972)

The debut album from this US band.

Blue Öyster Cult is a band I have difficulties finding any label for. Ditto for this album. Heavy art rock is perhaps the best label I can come up with. Some comparissons with Bad Company is also evident.

Blue Öyster Cult is setting out their stall on an over crowded market with this album. The music is based on guitars, some keyboards, bass and drums. The vocals are good. The production is not particular good. The music is not particular heavy. It is much more intelligent and intricate than hard.

An album with two very good songs in the form of Starway To The Stars and Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll. The rest of the material is pretty good too. Good, but a bit anonymouse. This though is a good album from a very interesting band.

3 points

Frampton. Peter - Frampton Comes Alive! (1976)

A long personal story....... When I was a kid, I wanted to buy this album. This and Smokie's Greatest Hits album. I went for the latter one though. A pretty dire album, though. Smokie was a dire band. So I did not get the Frampton Comes Alive alive album until three weeks ago when I picked it up in a car boot sale for some pennies. Was it worth the wait ?

Wikipedia is my friend and it tells me Peter Frampton is an English man and has previously played in Humble Pie. His biggest selling album was this, the Frampton Comes Alive! album. It has sold zillions copies and is one of the most selling live albums of all time. It has spawned some hits too and there is always a radio station around this planet playing songs from this album. Frampton Comes Alive! is a huge album in the world of classic rock. I have not seen any of his other albums though. He has released more than ten studio albums. The last one two years ago. He is most/only known for this live album. A very strange case, Peter Frampton's career. He is still gigging and I guess he is still financially living well on Frampton Comes Alive! somewhere in the sunny part of USA. A smart choice !

The music........ Commercial classic pop-rock in the 1970s vein. Not many power-chords can be found here. The hit singles is a bit too sugary sweet and sickness inducing. This album has not aged well.

...... Despite of aging a bit disgraceful, this album and the music here has some endearing qualities. It is a charming meeting with a very good guitarist and artist. His use of the talkbox is excellent. He is a very good guitarist and the long instrumental parts on this album is really great.

Yes, this is a bit of a cheesy album and it has not aged well. But it is also a good album which deserve a second chance. I actually recommend it, shocking as it sounds. Most car boot sales and flea markets have a copy so go check them out and pick up a copy from there or you can even buy a new copy from the usual places. Frampton Comes Alive! will stay with us for decades to come. In my view; for all the right reasons too.

3 points

Mostly Autumn - The Spirit Of Autumn Past (1999)

The second album from these folk/prog musicians. A band which arguably started this female fronted prog bands scene. Heather Findlay, the vocalist here, is a pioneer in the scene.

I am normally guilty in making some long detours around this scene in hunt for some more intellectually stimulating music. The music on The Spirit Of Autumn Past is warm, celtic music orientated female fronted rock. The song compositions is pretty symphonic and intricate. Heather Findlay's vocals is intertwined with Bryan Josh vocals. This reminds me about Touchstone a lot. Mostly Autumn was here first though and it is evident that Touchstone has been very inspired by them. Not only when it comes to the vocals too.
Heather's vocals is excellent and Josh vocals is great. The vocals one of the best reasons why we should love this band. The synths and the many other instruments creates music in the junction between celtic folk and rock. Symphonic prog rock, I hasten to add.

Mostly Autumn is a great band and even I as a staunch sceptic of this scene have to admit I really enjoy this album. My main gripe with it is the lack of any truly great tracks. The album is also a bit bubblegum pop in some of the rather commercial verse-chorus-verse songs. These songs is somewhat lacking in substance. I am though slowly, but surely turning into a Mostly Autumn admirer, although this album is not really that great. A 3/4 point split is my verdict.

3.5 points

Area - Arbeit Macht Frei (1973)

For some reasons, I have not dared touching my collection of Area albums. I think this is both lack of bravery and experience. I am though a fan of both Soft Machine and Picchio Dal Pozzo. Two bands who often are mentioned in the same sentence as this Italian band. Area was also the forefather of the more avant garde jazzy side of the Italian scene. After listening to this album a lot, I understand why. If you like any of these three bands, you will also like the two other bands. Area and this album has very much fulfilled my cravings for more Soft Machine.

This album starts with what I believe is a Jewish prayer as "Arbeit Macht Frei" is what is written over the Auschwitz concentration camp gate. Both a fitting and mood setting start of this album.

The music on Arbeit Macht Frei is a heady mix of Italian prog rock, jazz, Canterbury (Soft Machine) and avant-garde. Demetrio Stratos vocals is a bit strange and an acquired taste. The music is performed with woodwinds, bass, drums, guitars and tangents though. There is not a substandard tone on this album. My only gripe with this album is the lack of one truly brilliant song. Arbeit Macht Frei is still a great album and a must have album. The two best songs is Consapevolezza and the title track.

I am though glad I waited some years before I explored this album as this is not easy listening music. Those who wait for something good.....

4 points

Kong - Merchants Of Air (2012)

The seventh album from this Dutch band. I first time heard about them back in the early 1990s when they were signed on a Peaceville sub-label and had a couple of their tracks on their samplers. Weird music and I took a note of this band for further explorations. Merchants Of Air is my first Kong album though. First, but not the last.

The album sets off as a rocket down the industrial metal alley in the direction of Senmuth. I was not pleased first time I put this album on as I was fearing the worst. The music is guitar based with a lot of samples added on in addition to bass and drums. The guitars are pretty harsh.
Then, the true identity of this album, and probably Kong, emerges. It is still industrial instrumental music, but with a human face. There is a lot of guitar harmonies and almost soft landscape emerging on remaining majority of the album. A lot of very interesting details. This is still industrial metal though and this is not a music style I really like. Merchants Of Air is the best album I have heard in this genre since the second album from Red Harvest back in 1994.

Merchants Of Air; an industrial album with a human face. Bring on the flower power industrialists Kong. This is a very good album in my view, somewhere between 3 and 4 points.

3.5 points

Churn Milk Joan - Black & Ginger (2012)

The second album from this Richard Knutson (Plum Flower Embroidery. Neutral Sons, The Chacers) and Colin Robinson (Big Block 454) collaboration.

This album continues in the same path as their first album One. Richard's vocals on the top of Colin's numerous instruments and sound making devices. That list is very long. There are also some instrumental parts here on these rather very long tracks. The title track takes us over thirteen minutes.

What label do I put on this ? Krautrock is probably the best label. Can is a good reference. In other words; the more funky, psychedelic end of the krautrock spectre scene. The music is also minimalistic and as the duo has described it themselves; less is more. Which in the case of this album is spot on. Black & Ginger is a minimalistic album.

Best song on this album is the very melodic, haunting title track. Their best ever song, I believe. The quality is very good throughout and this album should give krautrock fans and others a lot of pleasure. It is also a streamed and a "name your price" album, although the payment system did not accept "my neighbour" as payment. Despite of this technical glitch, it is well worth checking out this album.

3.5 points

The album

Ange - Guet Apens (1978)

The sixth album from these French symphonic progsters.

Ange's sound is a mix of French folk, theatre music and English symphonic prog. Guet Apens is no exception from this rule. Christian Decamps vocals is very theatrical and is in the forefront of the mix. They are supported by keyboards, guitars, flute, drums and bass. The result is an album with both folk and symph prog. French prog, in other words.

I am not overawed by the quality of the songs here. I cannot really get into this album as I have gotten into their previous albums. This album is a solid Ange album, but nothing more. A couple of great tracks is sadly missing. This is a very good album, though.

3.5 points

Nemo - Presages (2003)

The second album from this French eclectic art rock band.

Nemo is by no means an easy listening band. Their music and sound is both huge, eclectic and very complex. Sixty-four minutes with this album is a bit of a trial.

Presages is a very French album with the typical eccentric French approach to art and prog rock. In this respect, it is in the Ange mould. But it is so much more than that. This album is incorporating everything from jazz to metal and symphonic prog. Herein lays it's problems too. It is simply a too big mouthful and it's concept is lacking a concept. It feels a bit of a mess, to be frank.

When that is said, most of the music here is very good. A bit bewildering, but still very good. Hence my rating. I may get used to Nemo now. Presages is my first exposure to them. So far, so good. But not more than that.

3 points

Mind - Structures (2012)

I am not sure where this band comes from as I only got the digital album from a friend and not any information. But I have been told they are from USA.

The music is English neo prog with some art and pomp rock connotations. You get the normal guitars and keyboards runs together with some good vocals. Bass and drums are included too. The usual neo prog setup in other words.

The music is pretty OK with a couple of good and interesting melody lines thrown into the mix. The overriding impression is that the music is pretty standard without really surprising me. I got tonnes of albums like this in my collection and has grown a bit wary of them. Mind does everything right 'but creating good melodies. This for me is a decent album, but nothing more.

2 points

Backyards - 2Eden (2012)

The second album in as many years by this French combo, the solo project by Marc Devidal from Morrigan.

This album continues on from the first album. That means a mix of jazzy and ambient keyboards soundscapes. The only instrument here is Marc Devidal's keyboards. Again, the reference is the likes of Karfagen, Jean Michel Jarre and Little Tragedies.

I cannot hide I am not particular interested in keyboards albums. This is most definate in this mould. The tracks here, all instrumental off course, is OK. There is no real good tracks here and the album really boils down to being one big ego trip on keyboards. Which is fair enough and there is a good market for these kinds of albums. This is a decent album in my ears and nothing more than that.

2 points

Court - And You'll Follow The Winds' Rush 'Till Their Breath Dwells (1993)

The debut album from this Italian art rock band.

Their second album Distances from 1997 was a good album with a baroque feel. Unfortunate, this is not the case here. The very long and messy album title very much sums up this album. The vocals sounds like Geoff Tate from Queensryche and some of the music on this album also sounds like Queensryche. That inbetween some art rock and some baroque sounding melody lines.

It feels like the band was throwing everything at this album. The result is fish & chips with strawberry jam and ice cream. A collision of various styles which does not sit well together. This is a decent album, but nothing more.

2 points

Capture The Sun - Capture The Sun (2012)

The debut album from this US (?) band and a Bandcamp release. This album has also been released in an 8-bits version (!!!!) too. I am tempted to download that version too. This is a review of the normal version, though.

Despite of some rather fanciful and funny song titles, all songs, make that tracks, are instrumental post-metal. We are also talking technical metal here with a big slant of jazz too thrown in. Not to mention shoegaze and post rock too. The tracks are performed with walls of guitars, bass and drums. The tracks has some good melodies too. This album does not really stand out from the big instrumental post rock crowd. But the band has potential and this is their debut album. It is a name your price album too so please download it yourself and make up your own mind. It is a decent album in my view and it should really get them gigs and attention in the post metal scene. A scene I as a grumpy middle age man is not entirely comfortable in.

2 points

The album 

Thalassa - Suffer And Misery (1982)

A Belgium band with one album before they disappeared without a trace.

The year is 1982 and the prog is dead. The new thing is slick, commercial music and sound. Just like this album. The reference is Saga and Magnum. Pomp rock, in other words. There is not much really prog rock here. Just some slick guitars and in particular; tangents. The thin male vocals is pretty bad. The music is not too bad though. A couple of good melodies brighten up this album.

This album does not impress me. It is a decent album, though.

2 points

Celtic Frost - Into The Pandemonium (1987)

Celtic Frost is without any doubts one of the most influential metal bands ever to have been spawned. Celtic Frost was formed on the ruins of Hellhammer, a band who greatly inspired the black metal scene (together with Venom and Bathory). Celtic Frost's debut album To Mega Therion was also highly influential in that scene. However, they turned around 180 degrees on their second album, Into The Pandemonium.

Into The Pandemonium starts with a pretty Wall Of Voodoo cover called Mexican Radio. The only really straight song on this album. The album takes a very sharp turn to the left from there on and in. I bought this album back in 1987 because I thought their name sounded a bit thrash metal. I got a big shock. But I really liked this album back then although I did not really understand it. These days and with a lot more experience, I can safely describe Into The Pandemonium as a mix of RIO (Rock In Opposition), zeuhl and avant-garde metal. In fact, Into The Pandemonium is founding album of the avant-garde scene and very much reverred in the scene as that.

Listening to this album now, it is one of the albums that has stood the test of time. I actually feel it is a lot better now than back in 1987. Some metal tracks intertvined with some Aranis chamber orchestra baroque melodies. This album never get boring. The sound is a bit muddy, but that suits this mostly atonal music. The songs are great too. This is one of the strangest albums ever to be released in the metal and avant-garde scene. Celtic Frost pulled it off though and delivered a jewel. My only gripe is the lack of one or two brilliant songs. This album goes into my top 50 list.

4 points

Anglagard - Epilog (1994)

The second album from this Swedish band.

Their debut album Hybris very much re-launched the Scandinavian prog metal scene again. Hybris is a masterpiece (given 5 points by me) and it was impossible for the band to better that one. Epilog was also the final Anglagard album for a long while until they resurfaced earlier this year with Viljans Oga and some gigs.

Over to the music...... Epilog follows up Hybris and in the same style. Though with far less good melodies and some RIO (Rock In Opposition) connotations throughout. I find a lot of Aranis in their music in addition to the normal Scandinavian melancholy and folk music. The music is still symphonic. Though with this added RIO element. I really like RIO so no problems there. My gripe with Epilog is though the lack of any great songs and melodies. Although the term "songs" are misleading. This album is an instrumental album, performed with moog, mellotron, guitars, flutes, bass and drums.

In short; this is a good album which only sporadic shows signs of the greatness from Hybris.

3.5 points

Amon Düül II - Carnival in Babylon (1972)

Hmmm..........

The fourth album from this German krautrock band takes the band into a new territory. Renate Knaup's vocals is pretty dominant here on the top of some more folk rock inspired krautrock. This is still Amon Duul II and krautrock. But not as I know it.

The sound is good and the krautrock feel is still here. The vocals is a bit over the top at times. The guitars still haunting. The bass and drums is still busy bees. The tempo has been turned down a couple of notches and most of the jazz feel has gone. Gone too has the great songs. This is still a good album. But it is not an Amon Duul II album I will play a lot, I am afraid. Anyway, this is a good album.

3 points

Venegoni & Co - Rumore Rosso Vivo (2002)

A live album with a 1978 gig, released 24 years later.

Venegoni & Co was a band with one foot in the Italian prog scene and the other one in the fusion/jazz scene. Arti E Mesteri is a very good reference as Gigi Venegoni was also involved in that band. Venegoni & Co never became as famous as that band though. But their two first albums Rumore Rosso and Sarabande is two great albums though.

The material on this album is taken from those two albums. The music is a mix of folk, rock and fusion. You get long jazzy guitar runs combined with some rather catchy, folk music inspired songs. All is very Italian though. The sound is not satisfying here and that is a great shame. The music itself is great. The sound pretty bad. Hence my points here. Get the two above mentioned studio albums instead.

3 points

Orcus Chylde - Orcus Chylde (2012)

The debut album from this German band.

The band has labelled their music as stoner rock. Strange.... I was listening to both Amon Duul II and Can before turning my attention to this album. Stoner rock is probably 2010'ish speak for krautrock because this album comes across as a mix of Amon Duul II's Carnival In Babylon album, a bit Can, Velvet Underground, Jefferson Airplane and indie rock. I know the stoner rock genre pretty well too and I would put this album on the more melodic side of the scene.

The vocals are females. The music is based on guitars, Hammond organ, drums and bass. The songs are very good. None of the songs are really great. This is a very good debut album though and it is obvious this band knows what they are doing. This is one of the bands well worth keeping an eye on in the future.
I for once will keep my eyes on them.

3.5 points

Backyards - Horizon (2011)

A new French band with their debut album. Labelling it as a band is probably wrong. I suspect this is a solo project for Marc Devidal, ex tangent player in Merlin and Morrigan. He also plays all instruments on this album. Which is keyboards and sampled other instruments, I believe is a fair assumption.

This album has been listed as a neo-prog albums several places. But that is missing the boat by many miles in my view. The music here is pretty much in the Russian/Eastern European keyboards tradition. Little Tragedies and Karfagen springs to mind. Ambient like symphonic rock with some jazz influences, in other words. Sterile music in the case of this album, I would like to add too. This album is a keyboards-fest and little more than that.

Most of the music is decent enough. Nothing here really impresses me. The music is a bit too dynamic to pass as elevator/shopping mall music. That is all it's saving grace, really. This is a half decent album which may appeal to those into keyboards overkills.

1.5 points

Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso - Lo Sono Nato Libero (1973)

The third album from this Italian band. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso was/is one of the pillars of the Italian progressive rock. A status built on partly this album.

This fifty-five minutes long album contains a mix of classical music inspired rock, folk rock, pop and baroque music. The vocals is operatic. The sound is dominated by this classical moog and mellotron sound. It is helped along by piano, guitars, bass and drums too. The music is both symphonic and pastoral. It is also riveting dynamic in places too. There is a lot of variations on this album in musical themes.

My only gripe is the lack of a killer track. But this is still a great album and one of those albums which defines this genre.

4 points

Gli Apostholi - Ho Smesso Di Vivere (1979)

An Italian band founded in 1964. This though is their debut album.

The vocals are in Italian and the music too is pretty much typical song orientated Italian folk rock pop. Angelo Branduardi is a good reference. All songs are vocals lead and built around the vocals. The vocals are supported by piano, guitars, drums, bass, harmonica and some keyboards. The music is on the pastoral, understated side.

The vocals are all good and same goes for the quality of the musicianship. The songs are all cosy and pleasant. Unfortunate, they are not particular good. This album is sadly missing in this respect. This album is a very decent album though.

2.5 points

Club Merano - High Road (2011)

Club Merano is a band set up by veterans in the Finnish rock scene and this is their debut album.

The music is art rock, bordering to AOR. Very melodic with plenty of tangents and guitars. The music has some good vocals too. This is middle of the road melodic art rock. Solid, good craft. Pleasant to the ear and elegant. The album also have some country and folk music influences too.

Although this is a good album, I am missing some great melodies. The music is pleasant and the band even have their own sound. But the lack of great melodies and the dot over the I is my biggest gripe with this album. Besides of that, this is an album which promises a lot. Club Merano should be followed with interest in the future. Their next album may be a masterpiece.

3 points

Present - C.O.D. Performance (1993)

The Belgium band returns after a long break with their third album.

Present is a splinter group from Univers Zero. They have played on many Rock In Opposition festivals and I believe they are also featured in the new movie Romantic Warriors II – A Progressive Music Saga: About Rock in Opposition. Or maybe not. In any case, they belong in that musical category.

Normally, that is. C.O.D. Performance is a deviance from their first two albums. Albums which was pretty crass brutal in it's avant garde sound paintings. C.O.D. Performance though is very pedestrian with little left of what made me really enjoy their first two albums. The music on C.O.D. Performance is almost post rock and ambient. There are even some vocals here too and some normal rock melodies. Thankfully, the end of the album, Alone 2, has some good avant garde harsh guitars which for me is what Present is all about. The rest of the album is not particular good.

This is a big step in the wrong direction for the band and only a decent album from a band I really like.

2 points

Solterra - Soul » Earth » Sun (2012)

The debut album from this Fort Collins, Colorado, USA band. A trio, no less.

The music is instrumental music in the crossroad between experiemental metal and post rock. The music has a lot of jazz influences too. Not to mention gypsy music too with Django Reinhardt type of acoustic guitar picking. That and some Spanish folk music and more traditional rock too. This album is pretty lively throughout and not the typical post rock experiemental metal stuff. The music is pretty innovative and untraditional to my ears.

The music is dominated by both acoustic and electric guitars. That and the usual bass and drums. It also has some good sampled strings too.

The band is advertising for gigs on their Bandcamp page. A good choice from the band as this music is probably far better on stage than on this album. An album that is suffering from a focal point and focus. Instrumental albums like this is a difficult thing to listen too. But with a beer/red wine and in the live setting, this music should be a hit among both gigs promoters, bars and the audience. I would like to come myself and pay for it.

I am between decent (2) and good (3) here. But their originality and gutso brings it up to a good album status.

3 points

The album 

Renaissance - Turn Of The Cards & Scheherazade And Other Stories (2011)

Hmm..... I am not sure if the album was released in 2011 or this year as I got the promo copy some days ago from their managment. Maybe it has been re-released this year. The full title is also Turn Of The Cards & Scheherazade And Other Stories - Live In Concert.

Both Turn Of The Cards and Scheherazade And Other Stories is two excellent albums and cornerstones in their history. Not to mention; female fronted prog/art rock. Renaissance has toured the world with a back to back rendition of these two albums during the last two years. I believe they did this set on this year's Nearfest too. But I am not sure.

Annie Haslam is still going strong at the grand age of 58. Most female vocals is not anywhere near her, with the only notable exception of Kate Bush. Annie Haslam is still the queen bee in the society of female vocalists. The other pillar in Renaissance, Michael Dunford, is also going strong and the rest of  the band also does a brilliant job too. I could almost bet my house on this album being recorded in 1975 or thereabout. But it is not.

The songs are in itself excellent and I am an unrepenting fan of this band. Renaissance is in my top five list of the best bands of all time. The material on this 100 minutes long album is superb. Is this live album a masterpiece ? No. But it is still 100 minutes of pure joy. It is also an album I will keep close to my heart and easy at hand forever.

4.5 points

Magma - Attahk (1978)

Magma's seventh album and the routine has set in.

Magma delivered some really great stuff on the previous albums and set a formula. A formula this album is following. With one notably addition, that is. Gospel is not what I expected to find on a zeuhl album. Maybe the difference between gospel and zeuhl is not that great, after all. Gospel has been incorporated on this album. Besides of that, you know what you get. The full Magma zeuhl treatment.

My gripe is the lack of cutting edge and teeth on this album. Listening to some previous albums made me both fulfilled and tired. They had both teeth and blood. The bass has been tuned down on this album and it also has some good melodies, replacing this all out attack an Magma album is. Besides of the follow up album, Merci, this album is the Magma album with least attack, so to speak. Ironic to name a pretty docile album for Attahk. But that is Christian Vander for you.

The material here is very good. It still leave me lusting for more teeth, more blood and more zeuhl. Attahk is a nice cat and nothing more.

3 points

Piezo - Scene I : Harlequin (2012)

Another good debut album and band from Quebec, keeping the prog/art rock scene alive. The Quebec scene has always been a great one and "Quebec" is a stamp of quality.

Piezo is in the neo-prog and art rock tradition. This is a concept album and the first song Hope - A Walk Under the Sun is very much in the The Tangent tradition. So much that I sent The Tangent c/o their manager a Facebook message, recommending them to take a listen to this album. Which they should be although only half of that song is very much like The Tangent (come to think of it; The Tangent's sound is a Quebec like). This English band is though a very good reference to this album as a whole. A concept album full of intelligent melodic art/prog rock with both a slight metal and jazz edge.

The line up is guitars, tangents, bass, drums and vocals with some nice helpings of sound samples too. The vocals is good. The sound is very good. That makes Scene I : Harlequin an enjoyable listen. My main gripe is the lack of some great songs. This being a debut album, it is a well done job and I hope we will hear a lot more from this band again. This album is both offered as a digital download and as a CD from their homepage. See link below.

3 points

The album 

Tardive Dyskinesia - Distorting Point of View (2006)

The debut album from this Greek experimental hardcore/metal band.

The album takes of as a gunshot in the direction of hardcore land. A hellish racket in other words. Tardive Dyskinesia has been compared to Meshuggah and that sort of technical metal band. The first two thirds of this album is in that direction. That and a lot of sound samples. Chugging guitars, bass and drums with hardcore vocals. The antithesis of melodic. The last one third of this album is far more melodic than the rest of this album.

The melodic parts of this album is not particular interesting and neither is the rest. This is a debut album and it will appeal to the fans of this music. I am not. I don't like these new metal genres at all so I have to declare myself out and non-interested.

1 point

Electric Swan - Swirl In Gravity (2012)

Electric Swan is a side project of the Italian band Wicked Minds and this is their debut album.

It is fair to label both Electric Swan and the album Swirl In Gravity a tribute to the old hard rock scene. Bands like Deep Purple, for example. Include Jimi Hendrix's backing band too. The 1970'ish Hammond organ sound is pretty much everywhere on Swirl In Gravity (Jon Lord, R.I.P). There is also plenty of bluesy guitars too here. Both electric and half-acoustic guitars. Monica Sardella's very powerful vocals also adds guts and power to the album. Her vocals is very good.

The music is too bluesy for my liking and the songs are really not that good. But I like the sound of the album and I admit it may have some potential in my living room. More there than in my office. Maybe as a party album. The band should really take this album on the road as it is perfect live music. I give it a weak three pointer and with the hope we will get more albums from this band.

3 points

Tritonus - Between The Universes (1976)

The second and final album from this German band. A band lead by the art-student Peter K. Seiler. Both their albums can be found on a budget 2 albums on 1 CD.

Tritonus first album was a mix of ELP and krautrock. The second album continues in the same direction. It opens with some ELP like and symphonic pop melodies and continues more into krautrock after that. The music is pretty spacy at times with long journeys into outer space.

The quality is good throughout and I am keeping this album in my living room. Peter K. Seiler continued his musical journey in Sirius and their two albums.  He made a good impression with Tritonus and if you can find that two albums on one CD, you should really pick it up. This music is good.

3 points

Infamy - The Blood Shall Flow (1998)

One of the better death metal albums from Repulse Records and out of print, I believe.
Infamy has finally made it on CD after the death of their main-man Joshua Heatley. This album is a fitting tribute to him.

Infamy does mid tempo and not overly technical Death Metal. The vocals are pretty death grunts. The sound a bit muddy. The bass is in the fore of the mix and the guitars are very muddy and down in the mix. The same goes for the drums. The bass is the king here.

I really liked this album back in 1998. Today though, this album is more like putting me to sleep for some hours than really intellectually stimulating. I have to admit mid quality death metal albums like this is no longer my cup of tea. This is by far not the worst suffering I have had to put up with from the death metal scene this year. But as I said; it is putting me to sleep. If you can get hold of this out of print album, give it a try.

2 points

Dogwatch - Penfriend (1979)

A live album from this British band I know absolute nothing about. This album was sold to me as a Genesis copycat, the Peter Gabriel era. I was fooled.

Dogwatch was a band with theatrical, dramatic music. I get some Ange associations here. The band was in the punk and pub rock tradition though. Ian Drury springs to mind as a good reference. The instruments were violins, organs, guitars, bass and drums.

The music is pretty decent and their songs were not too bad. The sound quality, mediocre bootleg quality, spoils the fun though. I have heard it cost next to nothing to record this album and it shows. Avoid this album.

1 point

Macroscream - Sisyphus (2012)

The debut album from this new Italian band.

Stylewise, we are talking Italian prog rock. The title track is clocking in at twenty-three minutes. The music is folk music based symphonic rock. The difference is the absence of mellotron and moog. It has been replaced with violins. That and the English vocals is the only difference between this band and the likes of Le Orme and the Italian greats from the 1970s. Those bands and albums I love.

To my horror, I do not love this album. The English vocals is too nasal for my liking. The songs are not great. I am missing the old Rock Progressivo Italiano sound based on mellotron and moog. Macroscream has moved the Italian sound on and I have been left behind. This is a good album though and well worth checking out. I will though come back to this album later on and see if I feel the same again. Two weeks and numerous listening sessions is not enough with this album, I suspect.

3 points

Renaissance - Illusion (1970)

Their second album and the final album from this version of Renaissance which later formed the band Illusion who released four albums. Two albums in the 1970s and two albums at the turn of the millenium.

Renaissance was Yardbirds minus the guitarist + Jane Relf and John Hawken. Broadly speaking, that is. I am not a historian on this band. For me, and I repeat myself from the review of their debut album... Renaissance is the Annie Haslam version, the Renaissance mk # 2 setup.
The reason I mentioned Yardbirds here is that they went more back to edgy blues on this album after a pretty bland flower power debut album. The classical music influences which in particular became the trademark of Mk # 2 of Renaissance is still here. There is plenty of flower power here. What is missing is any good songs and melody lines. There are some decent melody lines scattered throughout. I do get the feeling that the band had run empty. The following Illusion albums with the same line up is better than this album. This album is decent and nothing more.

2 points

Kansas - Song For America (1975)

The second album from Kansas and probably their breakthrough album too.

Kansas more or less founded this unique American symph prog style. A blend of Yes, Genesis, country, bluegrass and commercial AOR. A style taken up by a lot of other bands. Even new bands like Pinnacle. That is basically the style of music on this album. Tracks like the title track, Lamplight Symphony and Incomudro is very much leaning towards the complexity of Yes though. Both Lamplight Symphony and the title track is superb tracks which really makes this a great album. This album is much more symphonic orientated than melody orientated. This is Kansas going symphonic prog.

The result is a great album with great, complex songs. An album with a great sound too. In short; check it out.

4 points

Ars De Er - Deux (2012)

The debut album from this band from Belorussia. The band has been active since 2003 with various gigs in their local area before they now has unleashed their music on the rest of us.

The music is RIO (Rock In Opposition) with obvious referenses to Aranis and Univers Zero. The music is performed as a chamber orchestra with mainly acoustic instruments. The music is mostly dark and sinister. It reminds me a lot about Present at times. The piano and bass drags the music into a very dark, nightmare like territory. There are also a lot of lighter moments in the music, performed with woodwinds and harp.

The quality is very good throughout. It can be argued the music may be too similar to the big RIO masters and that Ars De Er is struggling to find their own identity. In a narrow music genre, it is not easy to stake out new ground. Ars De Er makes me want to listen to the Aranis and the Univers Zero albums again. That and the other RIO albums I have got, hidden away in a corner of my office. Deux is a very good intro to the RIO genre and this band. I hope we will hear a lot more from them in the future.

3.5 points

Noco Music - Noco Music (1987)

A French band with 3 - 4 albums on their conscience. I believe this is their debut album.

Noco Music was playing a blend of soft jazz and symph prog with a South American flavour. Mostly soft jazz, though. They can be compared with Passport. The leading instrument is the saxophone. It is supported by some tangents, percussions and bass. The music is a bit too shopping mall for my liking. But this album also has some rather more intelligent melody lines too. Some of the melodies are also pretty good too with some good pastoral soft solos.

Despite of some good melodies scattered around, this album never really captures my interest throughout. It is a bit too dull for my liking. Check it out if you like melodic jazz with plenty of saxophones. The rest of us can safely bypass it.

2 points

Coralspin - Honey and Lava (2012)

A new'ish band from the midlands area of England. I guess that means Birmingham or there about.

Both the band and other reviews lists Led Zeppelin, Queen, Muse, Gentle Giant and Genesis as the main influence on the band. I am not so sure about Led Zeppelin, but Coralspin is broadly speaking a mix of the other bands. Ellie Blyth's high pitch vocals takes some time to get used to. So does the two keyboards attack with support by guitars, bass and drums. The keyboards are pretty dominant here. Those and Ellie Blyth's vocals. That makes Coralspin stand out from the numerous other female fronted English prog/art rock bands these days. Standing out from the crowd is indeed a good idea these days.

The songs on this, their debut album, is both lush and warm. The melodies is pretty interesting and the band knows how to spice up their songs with a lot of Gentle Giant'ish twists and turns. A couple of great tracks is sorely missing though. This band does have a lot of talent though and may become a great band in the future. This album is most definate worth investigating and it is both streamed and offered for sale on the link below.

3 points

The album

Altona - Chicken Farm (1975)

The second and final album from this German band. I was not a fan of their debut album. I was not particular impressed by this album during the first couple of listening sessions too.

The first half of this album continues on from their debut album. A mix of blues and jazz in other words. The instruments are plenty of woodwinds, bass, drums, vocals, hammond organs and guitars. The album changes a lot on side b of the LP though. A good Soft Machine like part starts of the proceedings and we enters a more darkened landscape with some good vocals and melody lines. The final three tracks on this album, Back Again, Feigenblatt and the title track is very good and elevates this album to another level again. It is a pity it took Altona this long to really get going. The title track is a dark, foreboding song which reminds me a lot about Van Der Graaf Generator. A mix of them and blues. A great track, indeed.

This is a good album and just that. Altona split up and was largely forgotten. And they will remain so, I am afraid.

3 points

Glass Kites - Glass Kites (2012)

Glass Kites is a five piece band from Vancouver, Canada. This is their debut album and it has been released through Bandcamp as a "name your price" album.

The music is a blend of melancholic rock and post rock.  The instrumentation is guitars as in post rock guitars with ebbs and flows, some very good vocals, bass, drums, piano and synths. The music ebbs and flows a lot. It is mostly on the epic flows side with tonnes of half acoustic guitars in the sound. There are also some electronica and some very clever Chick Corea like jazzy pianos here.

Comparissions with other bands..... Gazpacho is a very good reference. All fans of that band will probably find Glass Kites a highly enjoyable experience. There is a lot more post rock to Glass Kites though and fans of both post rock and indie pop will also really find themselves at home in this album.

The songs are all good to very good. The main problem with this album is the lack of any truly great songs. This is a debut album though and a very good one from a band I hope we will hear a lot more about in the future.

3.5 points

The album

District 97 - Trouble With Machines (2012)

District 97 is an American band and Trouble With Machines is their second studio album. Their debut album Hybrid Child was released in 2010 to critical acclaim. They have also released two live albums (!).
This band is regarded as the new big thing in the rock/prog scene and has got good support from Laser's Edge.

District 97 is female fronted and Ms. Leslie Hunt does a great job at the microphone. She is helped by John Wetton on one track. The music is a mix of neo prog, prog metal, a lot of pomp rock and a lot of symphonic prog. It falls well within the Art Rock label. The songs are both long, epic and intricate. At times, the music is very majestic and epic. But most of all; District 97 reminds me about the many female fronted English bands now. Touchstone, Panic Room etc etc. District 97 is a US band though and that shines through. Less neo prog, more pomp rock in other words.

The songs are all very good. My only gripe with this album is the lack of any true great songs and/or melody lines. The one missing ingredient which sets them apart from the rest of the female fronted bands. I have no problems understanding why this band is so highly regarded though. This album may not break them, though.

3.5 points