Sometimes you need to go away to get a better handle on where you come from. Every so often, a band comes along who ends up going on a musical journey far away from the style which they originally made their names with, only to return to that genre and produce some of their best material within that format thanks to the broader musical perspective and the expanded range of techniques that journey has invested them with. Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, for instance, drifted away from their early death-doom style for much of their middle career, only to produce some of their best albums in that vein once they came back to it.

Now, with The Last Will and Testament, Opeth have pulled off the same trick. For their run of albums from Heritage onwards, they've been more in a traditional progressive rock vein than the blend of proggy death metal and death-inflected prog metal that put them on the map. However, in the album preceding this one - In Cauda Venenum - echoes of heavier styles could be heard if you listened carefully, spurring speculation that they might one day make their big return to metal. That's what they have done here. Sure, it has plenty of quieter passages - but so has Still Life or Blackwater Park; unambiguously, The Last Will and Testament sees Opeth returning to the prog-death kingdom they founded, Mikael Åkerfeldt even breaking out old-school harsh vocals here and there alongside his clean vocals.

At the same time, this isn't a retreat to Opeth's comfort zone so much as it's a new departure. It's a concept album, like Still Life, but goes deeper into that territory than that album did, with an even bigger focus on presenting a narrative and even throwing in a touch of theatrical flair absent from that work. The story is all about a family who come together to hear the reading of the titular will - the final testament of their tyrannical, estranged patriarch. In that sense, bringing back the harsh vocals just plain makes sense - if you want to capture all these characters' perspectives, the more distinct voices the better. In fact, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame not only provides some flute contributions here and there, but also throws in some narration here and there.

But where this really offers a departure is the way that Opeth's four-album expedition into retro-prog territories has polished and refined their command of the less heavy side of their sound, with quiet moments of folk-tinged or classically orchestrated music worked in to excellent effect. Having Anderson along for the ride becomes doubly appropriate, because whilst the style here is far from retro, it's learned enough lessons of the past to truly claim to be part of a musical tradition you can trace back all the way through Anderson's pioneering work with Jethro Tull (along with Anderson's other first-wave prog peers).

Maybe you love both classic-period Opeth and their more recent prog-embracing, metal-abjuring works, in which case you don't really need this review - you're going to listen to Last Will and Testament sooner or later anyway and you'll probably enjoy it just as much as the rest of their discography. But this is also an excellent album for anyone who's pickier about their Opeth. If you loved their metal-oriented work but felt that the albums from Heritage on went in a direction you weren't inspired to follow, then this may well be a great point to get back on board, because they're offering sounds here they've allowed to lie fallow for over a decade. If, on the other hand, you came onboard with their recent work but aren't quite keen on their metal side, this might put you off - but I'd encourage you to give you a try, because this might be the "in" you needed to really get to grips with the band's metal roots.

As for me, I think it easily slots into the top tier of Opeth releases. At the very least, it's their best metal-oriented album since Ghost Reveries, and it may well be on a par with any of their other studio efforts.

The constant discovery of new bands ( new to me at least) that possess talent and mastery of great composition is probably the most satisfying part of being an open-minded progressive music fan. My tastes do largely focus on guitar based music and I struggle to deal with the more avant-garde end of things but that all means that I was destined to get something from Arena's Contagion. When I first heard this album I must have been going through a tough time in life generally (I really was) because I pretty much wrote this off as one of those great prog albums that was too harsh for me to like. Looking back and after dusting down my copy I realize that my life troubles were not the only reason for that assessment - in fact that assessment was heavily derived from the fact that I was listening to the highly polished Road Of Bones from IQ at the time and I have to say that the difference in sound is quite marked but with renewed open-minded listening I recognize how good Contagion really is.

There is nothing stellar about Arena but there are also no obvious weaknesses. Everyone is more than competent with their instruments and even Sowden's vocals fit that same description. He never drifts out of range and never fails to deliver a performance that is both credible and meaningful but at the same time is never overly impressive. Like the rest of the band: better than adequate but not world beating. Put the performance together with great compositional talent and a firm concept and you arrive at Contagion, an album that demands a full listen and which leaves you with indelible imprints on the brain for many days afterwards. I will say that those imprints are largely vocal hooks which in some ways is a little disappointing but in the end this is great entertainment.

There are highs and lows as Arena drive us through the emotions attached to the narrative and do a great job of leading us through the story without any real need to study the lyrics. As said the production is very slightly murkier than the highly polished IQ albums of the 2010s and I think that is well suited to the theme because it adds a layer of distress that further enhances the narrative which would easily be undermined by over-sanitization. There is a little too much repetition in the lyrics for my liking because it is those chorus sections that stick in the mind and tarnish the album's credibility as a prog classic. It is a prog classic but this is one of those minor issues that knock it back a touch. I will also say that there is slight imbalance between vocals and the rest of the music and I think this is typical of the more theatrical endeavours of the neo-prog genre. We are not talking about the vocal excess that comes with Ayreon's worst moments but I do think I could live with a little less vocal and a bit more guitar and keyboards leading the way.

If you take the album as a whole and many of the individual tracks then a progressive signature is stamped across pretty much everything although a couple of tracks would lend themselves to individual release as singles; although I don't know that anything ever was. Quite right too, this is a concept album and it needs all the constituent parts to remain relevant. With the strongly melodic composition and edgy but considerate style this album does have a level of general appeal that could easily see the band gain some recognition beyond team prog but in the modern world of near limitless musical availability it seems unlikely but also a real pity. For those that look down on neo prog, this one will not surprise you but for those that enjoy it then this one should be in your collection and dare I say you should sample a few more from this band. I know I will.

'One of Us Is the Killer' is the near-perfect, exhaustively eclectic and dizzyingly intricate fifth studio album from The Dillinger Escape Plan as the band seemingly goes "further down the rabbit hole" of experimenting within the possibilities of their very own niche sub-genre of metal music and letting their now-dominant alternative and art rock edge to take over the stylistic direction of the music. The result is a daringly artistic rendition of the mathcore beginnings of the collective, now completely converted to a sprawling progressive metal crossover filled with a variety of ambitious compositions, excruciating riffs, hyper-technical rhythms and layers of phenomenal vocals as this album marks one of the best performances of Greg Puciato, who has in any case commented how laborious the recording of the vocal parts for this album has been. It seems like the band had let themselves loose on this one with the programming and the effects, which are used rather craftily, all to the amelioration of the songs.

One might consider all but the final third of 'One of Us Is the Killer' as the perfect symbiosis between the aforementioned elements - the unbound heaviness, the rattling aggression of the genre, and the band's very own (and very progressive) take on it. The more avant-garde nature of the album reveals itself with the opening track 'Prancer', this is a sonic havoc of a song that utilizes very interesting guitar effects following the generally unusual structure of the song. The dense and technical playing continues on 'When I Lost My Bet', while the title track offers a more industrial sound. 'Hero of the Soviet Union' is grim, quirky and deranged, followed by 'Nothing's Funny', a song so catchy and memorable you might mistake for a pop song had it not been for the swiveling heavy guitars. Two more intriguing songs follow, offering different and exciting variations of the DEP formula, followed by an instrumental track with a title in cipher. It is towards the end where the album loses its audacious grip, which does not compromise the overall coherence and integrity of the work, which remains among the best of the respective decade and a high point of the band's discography.

"Kołysanki" is the fifth full-length studio album by Polish music act Lux Occulta. The album was released through the Trzecie Ucho label in March 2014. Lux Occulta were originally active from 1994 until 2002, but in 2012 it was announced by guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (Decapitated, Vader, Machine Head, Sceptic) that Lux Occulta were working on a new album. That album became "Kołysanki". Only Kiełtyka (who in addition to playing guitars also plays accordion on this release), lead vocalist Jarosław Szubrycht and keyboard player Jerzy Głód remain from the lineup who recorded "The Mother and the Enemy" (Lux Occulta´s fourth full-length studio album from November 2001). New in the lineup is guitarist Maciej Tomczyk.

If you´re familiar with the avant-garde extreme metal sound of "The Mother and the Enemy", you´ll know that Lux Occulta occasionally toyed with both jazz, electronic music, and trip-hop parts during that otherwise quite extreme and black/death metal oriented release ("Yet Another Armageddon" is for example a fully fledged female vocal-led trip-hop track) and on "Kołysanki" those elements are the dominant ones. You´ll find metal oriented sections here and there, but "Kołysanki" is predominantly not a heavy metal oriented release (although raw shouted vocals and a few distorted guitar riffs do appear on occasion). The tracks are quite experimental and feature a lot of interesting vocals (often in Polish) and effects. Regular vers/chorus structures aren´t really Lux Occulta´s thing. It´s not easy listening music by any means and it´s some of the more experimental works of an artist like Ulver I´m reminded of and also 70s progressive/experimental music artists like Robert Wyatt and Hugh Hopper (of course in a more contemporary setting).

It´s definitely an interesting, darkly atmospheric, and avant-garde oriented music release and it´s quite bold considering that Lux Occulta after all released four metal oriented albums before this one. I guess you could say that you were warned after listening to "The Mother and the Enemy", but "Kołysanki" does after all take the experimental ideas in a completely different direction and add other textures and jazzy electronic elements to them, so you are excused if you find this a confusing album. Confusing in this case means great, bold, and adventurous, and it´s obvious from the sound production, to the performances, and the intriguing compositions that Luc Occulta have struck gold and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

Clear Air Turbulence would be, the second album released in 1977 by the sadly short-lived Ian Gillan Band, one of the forgotten masterpieces of Seventies progressive jazz rock. For those who think of Ian Gillan as little more than a hirsute hard rock screamer, even a casual listen to this record may definitely bring somewhat of a shock ? and not just because of the vocals.

Following his return to the world of music after a series of unsuccessful business ventures, Ian surrounded himself with a bunch of seasoned musicians (including bassist John Gustafson, of Quatermass and Roxy Music fame), and proceeded to surprise his fans by slowly but inexorably detaching himself from his Deep Purple past. Unfortunately, though, rock fans are not always as open-minded as we would wish them to be, and the project folded after releasing a total of three studio albums, plus a posthumous live one.

When listening to Clear Air Turbulence, we cannot but regret the demise of such an exciting outfit, offering an incredibly high level of musicianship as well as creativity. The six tracks on the album, which all exceed the five- minute mark, feature complex, multi-layered structures, enhanced by the discreet presence of a horn section, and distinguished by an overall sense of sophistication, a lightness of touch seldom associated with Gillan's mother band. Even Ian's vocals, while easily recognizable, never really sound like the original 'air raid siren' unleashed on the likes of Machine Head and Made in Japan.

However, the ace in the hole on Clear Air Turbulence is undoubtedly keyboardist Colin Towns. Another of the many unsung heroes of the rock world, now a composer of jazz and soundtrack music, Towns joined the band for the recording of this album (replacing original member Mike Moran), and immediately stamped his mark on their music, as well as on the band's later incarnation ? simply called Gillan, and much more akin to Deep Purple in sound, with excursions into outright heavy metal.

Weird, spaced-out keyboard sounds introduce the title-track, surging into a crescendo that soon gives way to a manic, bass- and drum-driven riff, and a wildly exhilarating, 7-minute-plus ride, powered by Towns' sweeping synthesizers. In the middle section of the song, guitarist Ray Fenwick (a veteran of the British rock scene, formerly with the Spencer Davis Group) demonstrates his skills with a slow-burning, emotional solo. Towns is also responsible for the delicate flutes on the dreamy, soulful ballad "Five Moons"; while on the funky "Money Lender" horns take pride of place, with Gillan's commanding, even aggressive vocal performance somewhat reminiscent of his hard-rockin' past.

"Over the Hill" (my personal favourite, along with the title-track) showcases drummer Mark Nauseef's impressive skills, as well as brilliant piano and synth in the bridge, and more understated yet distinctive guitar work. The atmospheric "Good Hand Liza" follows, punctuated by Latin-style percussion and spacey synths, and driven along by John Gustafson's meaty, dynamic bass lines. The album ends in style with another intricate, highly structured number, the romantic "Angel Manchenio", dedicated to a Gypsy who became Gillan's blood brother (an intriguing tale, as told by both the lyrics and the liner notes). The song, which alternates slower, almost Latin-flavoured moments with full-fledged jazzy flights of instrumental and vocal prowess, is probably the furthest Gillan ever strayed away from his hard rock roots, and a perfect closer for such a distinctive album.

At the time of its release, Clear Air Turbulence was not considered rock enough by Deep Purple fans, and probably not jazzy enough by fusion devotees; moreover, the competition of the fledgling punk scene did it no favors. Over thirty years later, however, it is high time it was recognized as an adventurous, stimulating effort, at times bordering on masterpiece status. It is a sad fact of the music world that, all too often, musicians are much more ready to try new avenues than their fans? I would encourage my readers not to make the same mistake: if you love sophisticated, complex jazz-rock/fusion, do not be put off by the name, and get hold of this album.

I've been reviewing the Genesis discography recently, and in doing so, I think I've finally realized exactly what made them truly stand out from the other 70s progressive rock bands: the unmistakable atmosphere. yes, Peter Gabriel was an incredible force of personality and blurred the line between "madman" and "genius" (and was a good frontman and flutist to boot). Yes, the technical proficiency of the members was off the charts, keeping in line with several other bands of the time. But if you asked me what truly cemented Genesis as one of the greats of the genre, it's the beautiful and often haunting storybook atmosphere that permeates those old records they crafted with Gabriel and Steve Hackett in the ranks. It's no wonder to me that several neo-prog bands basically took inspiration off this sound, as it's a perfect way of expressing more emotive and sentimental vibes while still being rooted to what people love about progressive rock on a base level. And, having said all of that, I don't think any Genesis record embodies the word "atmosphere" quite like Selling England by the Pound.

Looking at the tracklist, you'll notice that the band decided to ditch the format used by Foxtrot - having one epic song dwarf most of the record - in favor of splitting the album up into four mini-epics, with more concise tracks to fill in the gaps. As much as I loved Foxtrot I can't help but admit that this format was the right move for the band. Having short accessible tracks to separate each complex behemoth really contributes to how easily digestible Selling England can be, as it offers a nice breather between each main event. Plus, hey, those short songs are pretty great too! "More Fool Me" is easily one of my favorite ballad from the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis, even though it was actually sung and penned by drummer-turned-singer and future (disputed) "most hated man in pop" Phil Collins. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" is probably the trippiest song on the album with a strange psychedelic feel, and yet it was also significant for being the band's first real taste of commercial success single-wise. Finally (excluding "Aisle of Plenty," which is just a reprise of the opener), we've got the stunning guitar work Steve Hackett brings on "After the Ordeal." Playing out as sort of an aftermath to "Battle of Epping Forest," it could be seen as the logical conclusion of the promise heard in "Horizons" from the prior album. The classical guitar work has been further, the solemn atmosphere more effective, and this time Tony Banks even joins in with his own piano parts!

But let's be real, the longer tracks are what this album's all about. "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" might be one of the best openers in progressive rock history (and Genesis already has a fair share of those - look at "Musical Box" or "Watcher of the Skies"). Gabriel's voice is crucial here, as he provides much-needed humanity to the majestic and bombastic instrumental bits. It's important to note that the album's overarching theme is the loss of British culture to Americanization, which is delivered very effectively in the opening lines of "...Moonlit Knight":

Of course, it all becomes even more effective once we're treated to a much faster section in the middle with rapid-fire tapping from Hackett. The song in general goes through so many different moods and cycles but somehow never loses compositional or lyrical focus, which is something that becomes apparent with the rest of the longer tracks on the album. With that in mind, "Firth of Fifth" is primarily dominated by two people: Banks and Hackett. The former gets an incredible piano intro with heavy classical leanings and crazy time shifts, and the latter gets one of the most emotional guitar solos in rock history. The solo is also an example to aspiring musicians that virtuosity isn't everything in guitar playing; just ask David Gilmour. It's also worth noting that Mike Rutherford pulls out some nice bass lines here, especially on the soft break in the middle of the song.

Still, nothing can really prepare the listener for the other two epics, which are probably the most complex and long- winded pieces on the entire album. "The Battle of Epping Forest" is an incredibly wacky and whimsical take on? well, gang violence. Turns out that Peter Gabriel heard about some fight between two gangs in the east end of London, but didn't really know any details outside of that. So what did he do? Create his own characters and scenarios to fill in the blanks! And when you read/hear the lyrics, which are practically a novella, it really shows what an imaginative lyricist and storyteller Gabriel was in his Genesis days. It helps, too, that the music is still top notch. It does get incredibly busy and possibly overbearing at times, but the real treat is the band's knack for using their music to aid the visuals Gabriel creates in his lyrics . I also have to mention that this song has my favorite drum performance of all time; it baffles me how Phil Collins can keep such a comfortable and catchy groove out of a 7/4 time signature, as well as how he weaves in and out of the other instruments with such ease. Then there's "The Cinema Show" which is essentially a tale of two songs: one is a beautiful folk-rock ballad, and the other is the highly complex instrumental piece that follows. Think of it as a precursor to the "Home/Second Home by the Sea" suite we got years later on the self titled album, just pulled off with more imagination and finesse. The real thing to listen for on this song is the incredible vocal interplay between Gabriel and Collins; it really doesn't surprise that Collins would eventually be the next vocalist to take center-stage for Genesis.

Pulling the entire experience together is the production work of John Burns, which is a sizeable leap forward from the sound quality found on previous Genesis efforts. There's much more room for the atmosphere to breathe here, and the more rock-oriented moments don't sound as muddy or one-dimensional as before. In the end, I'm still not entirely sure whether I prefer Selling England by the Pound or Foxtrot, as both albums represent the very best that Genesis has to offer. But in saying that, This one is truly top-shelf progressive rock music. i see why this is in PA's top 5 of all time

After a slow and steady upwards trajectory over the course of three releases, it seems that with 2002's 'Century Child', their fourth studio album, Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish have refined their sound, and taken a huge step up in both critical and commercial success.

Treading the thin line between power metal and symphonic metal, the band have really hit their stride with this album, sounding more inspired and more confident than ever. With a strong emphasis on the symphonic and operatic elements, as well as additional male vocals to compliment Tarja Turunen's voice, 'Century Child' has a much more well-rounded sound than its predecessors.

With great instrumental performances and an excellent production that really gives the music a rich, vibrant sound, there really aren't many faults with this release, other than a couple of filler tracks, it's all pretty stellar.

And with some absolute bangers such as 'Dead to the World', 'End of All Hope', 'Bless the Child', 'Slaying the Dreamer', the underrated 'Feel For You' and the obligatory symphonic metal band cover of 'The Phantom of the Opera', 'Century Child' displays a band who have really established themselves as one of the top bands of their genre, and is an album that belongs in every metal fans collection.

Variations on a familiar and well-loved theme.

In 2006 the Starless theme surfaced in a couple of Robert Fripp's solo concerts, and these extracts were passed on to David Cross. With the help of producer and keyboard player Tony Lowe, he fashioned them into this pleasing album, which consists of just under an hour's worth of ethereal violin, Frippertronics and washes of of electronic keyboards that recall the Mellotron on mid 70s Crimson albums. Variations on the theme are explored by different permutations of the three players, and while the overall effect is gentle and meditative, it doesn't slip into new age muzak or out and out ambience; beneath the tranquil surface there is some serious musicality.

If you're hoping for King Crimson style pyrotechnics, look elsewhere. If you're looking for good background music for late nights spent contemplating the infinite, this could sit nicely alongside Fripp and Eno's Equatorial Stars.

3.5 stars.

— First review of this album —

karfagen omni notes

1)Omni overture- the alblum suite starts off with amazing instrumental intro with keyboards what you expect out antony kalugin the ukranian tomas bodin of modern day.

2)story teller part 1- sounds like caravan meets camel in this amazing song with lil bit that canterbury flavor i think Sinclair on this song could be wrong.

3)whispers from the past- has folkish sound with female vocals sunchild sound i grew to love so much. with more romantic era folk i get steve hackett vibes on this track meets sunchild with the flower kings esque sound.

4)the spark-vocals are very aorish this song has asia vibe to it top notch. evoking 80s vocal sound. the guitars have roine stolt meets steve hackett vibe on this alblum very much. i hear tfk and solo hackett vibes. this album is mixed bag it explores everything and for being aorish asia ike song it one best parts of suite 10/10

5)Masterplan- song starts of very keyboard dominated. One cant help compare antony to tomas bodin from flower kings fame. vocals are antony again evoking sunchild flavor again now it karfagen. antony wanted fuse sunchild into karfagen name it works so good. my second fave song on alblum although this suite is in 2 songs. i got review copy seperates tracks in suite im reviewing each song individually as part of epic process. you still have lil bit that 80s flavor without it being aorish.

6)mirror of souls. baroque symphonic opening it like u got symphonic baroque sound that tomas bodin does and hackett does. also with romantic side hackett does. if flower kings and hackett had baby this alblum is exactly that. its so beautiful. classicalness of this song and alblum themes as whole.

7)unchained-here comes many guests are on alblum vocals wise. near end of suite. i hear lil bit yes meets rush in vocals department this song. this album as whole feels like it make killer rock opera and stage production with roger dean artwork and maybe edunistky as backdrop on projector screen.

Literally this antony best work vocals wise on karfagen alblum that is not sunchild. guests vocals make it special. with my 4th listen now this album has climbed up in ratings. this alblum done live with right backdrops artwork bring into visual experience live evokes rock opera without it being rock opera.

8)the cards we play-has singer of sylvan german fame. very baroque and romantic themes in music. why i feel this alblum could be made into score performed live on stage in semi musical theatre style it hack rock opera leanings imho would work better as having movie theatre screen in background with artwork. and then have guests singer evoke imagery on backdrop. if you never heard of sylvan amazing band. i highly recommend.

the mix this alblum in end of it i feel snare of drums is tiny mixed low. bass on alblum is lil high then i expect low frequencies would love drums stand lil more out. it does not rob from alblum as whole its still killer. the mix this alblum is 90 out 100. nearly perfect.

9)you an i-some keyboard tones i hear remind me of Mannheim steamroller at times. no this is not yes cover title of song would confuse you. im getting pallas vibes on this song. uk band has alan reed vocals.. guitars are hackett and stolt fused. antony can do no wrong. this is antony best theatrical evoking musical peice ever.

it like shakesphere and bach and marice ravel made baby with hackett and flower kings combined all into one without it being jesus christ superstar.

10)story teller part 2- this ends alblum is last piece of 2 song epic making cohesive alblum. i love this album alot mix is 90 out 10. the alblum is 95 out 10. cloes thing u can get to masterpiece as possible. it has it minor flaws. i feel over low frequencies of bass are lil to high on few songs near end rob essence of drums sticking out other then that this is rock solid album.

this is alblum for flower kigns fans those who been wanting 20 plus min epic since banks of eden. this alblum is gold just gold. antony has made alblum that evokes theatrical imagery in mind. could be made into live setting. also evoking classicalism of greats of ravel bach. even shakesphere in poetic way its executed in music and lyrics.

buy or die. this is best thing flower kings have not released since banks of eden period. it basically if flower kings made theatrical alblum without name of flower kings.

4.5 stars

Whether "Ship of Fools" is simply the album title or actually the name of this ensemble, it's clear that the former PENTANGLE guitarist has here assembled THE JOHN RENBOURN GROUP mach 2. Instead of trotting out JACQUI MCSHEE yet again, he wisely engaged the young fresh marriage and business partners STEVE TILSTON and MAGGIE BOYLE who had guested on each others' albums and later worked as a pair.

Boyle could not only sing angelically and with more warmth than MCSHEE, but she adds flutes and whistles complementing those of the ever present TONY ROBERTS, while Tilston himself sings and strums and plucks a cornucopia of instruments. The result is the best such collaboration in Renbourn's long career at this unlikely late date of 1988. While it can't match his best instrumental projects, songs like the STEELEYE like "Searching for Lambs", the enchanting "Sandwood down to Kyle", and the MORRIGAN-like title cut lend credibility to the hypothesis that the newcomers injected needed vivacity into a formula that had thus far been only a titch to the good side of competent. Even the one vocal-less number "Cobbler's Jig / Maltese Brawls", with a title that screams filler, is one of the high points for its flourishing arrangements.

It's a shame that this was not only a one off but proved to be Renbourn's last disc for a decade. While it hits the 3.5 star level on the nose, I'd be a fool not to round up if only to acknowledge its preeminence relative to the 1977 and 1980 top heavy John Renbourn Group issues.