"Cry Boudica" Arabic intro, Japanese sound, bewitching like a battle hymn; it starts with melodic prog metal with female vocals, a bit redundant. The break goes back on progressive paths calibrated with a well-delivered synth drum; the guitar solo shows great skill and impresses rebellion, good start. "The Final Redoubt" for these mysterious and catchy noises, bringing the rhythm with the breath and the pad; the most with a melodic metal band is this progression avoiding boredom on repetitive titles, in short it starts strong. Laura high warrior priestess harangues her troops, the guitar spleen on Riverside. "Footprints" crescendo, bells, this little something full of energy that makes the ear prick up. Mirko's solo is a plus to not plunge into repetition with the solo that unfolds; The bass is pulsating and the keyboards are fluffy. "All There Is to See" for the neo-classical cello intro, Laura sings divinely, supported by the electric piano. Clive does everything but doesn't put himself forward on his keyboard parts. A choice, a mistake? A beautiful, intimate, consensual ballad. "When My Eyes Are Closed" follows the same solemn hymn narrating tolerance, the vocal flirting with Bonnie Tyler; an acoustic solo from Simone doesn't really get going with this too-short symphonic finale.

"To the Victor Go the Spoils" superb cinematic intro from the time of Arabian Nights, with a church bell background and a tribal pad punctuating the attack, an Andalusian note with the acoustic arpeggio and Laura in a trance, an incantation of the Pythia. Volleys of violins and the band innovates with a classically tragic riff, howling, meowing like in Ulthar where you have to give milk to the cats. The captivating instrumental peak, forcing you into a trance; a violin finale with the sound of minstrels. "Never Burn the Cakes" for the medieval folk side with Clive and Laura on vocals, lacking breath. "The Last Arrow" in the Pendragon style with a rocky Clive-Nick on Mirko's martial drums; a solemn synth break, it feels like Arena; Simone's solo and the fade with the colorful final arrow, very beautiful. "Deep" with Laura singing divinely, a zest of Kate Bush. A sad tune on Clive's keyboard for the contemplative nursery rhyme. "Blood Moon" drums forward, Laura and Clive, it's a bit lacking. The red moon, symbol of the war scene, is featured with Simone's guitar solo stealing the show.

The second CD, with mixed covers, including "Dorian Grey (Re-Visit)" from 1992's Shadowland, may be a welcome addition to this good but repetitive album for fans of the deluxe editions. Originally released on Progcensor (3.5).

IMAN CALIFATO INDEPENDIENTE were a four piece band from Spain playing a symphonic/jazz style of music. This is their debut from 1978 and they would follow this one up with their final release in 1980 which I like better. There are vocals on here provided by the bass man but there's not a lot of them. This is very much synth led with an excellent bass player. Yes, there's plenty of guitar provided by Manuel Rodriguez who had previously been in GOMA who released one album in 1975.

The bio here states that the band's origins came at a convention by a mediation guru that they all attended. I would not connect this music with that dynamic, but hey they all lived in one house and it would certainly help that they were on the same page as far as their lifestyles goes. We get four tracks worth around 42 minutes.

The opener at almost 21 minutes really sets the tone for me. And it's not a good tone. From the almost silence to start this record off to distant children's choir that slowly increases in volume until I can at least hear it properly, I just found this whole suite like this. Those almost silent or very quiet calms. It's almost 3 minutes into this song before we get normal volume sounds. Starting off on the wrong foot as they say. This is so slow in developing that it's almost 7 minutes before we get a consistent melody.

"Darshan" at 8 1/2 minutes doesn't do a lot for me either. I do like that lush melody to start. This is mellow stuff but it will get more energetic with synths leading. "Cerro Alegre" is probably my favourite. Piano and acoustic guitar to start but when the electric guitar arrives I'm smiling. Piano and bass then lead after 3 minutes before it slows right down. I like the section where it picks back up with guitar leading again. It settles late. The closer is the shortest song at 5 1/2 minutes and it's fairly mellow to be honest, and features some reserved vocals. Both the vocals and sound turn more passionate before settling again. It's very symphonic sounding to end it.

I'm going against the grain here with the 3 stars but this is not a 4 star record in my music world. Their next record is closer to that rating though.

If you ever want to hear what it means to go beyond the typical rock format and get into philosophy, this album is something you should consider. The first side is a story about the different ways people combine their tribal energies to create a society. Using rational reasoning or the pursuit of pleasure, we cannot find a balance unless will merge our two directions into a unified whole. Rush decided to go full sci-fi fantasy with a story based on Greek mythology. Side two is basic prog rock with shorter songs and good hooks. After this album, the band never wanted to go into a total prog rock fantasy story again. This was their peak at being the reigning kings of rock fantasy. It is interesting and makes for an exceptional music experience. It also is self indulgent and pompous. Something prog rock excels at. This is Rush at the peak of prog rock.

This 2011 live set is more of a merch item than a major release (in fact it was originally advertised as "ready to pick up IMMEDIATELY after the concert and the moshing have finished." Do people really mosh at a Spock's Beard concert?). It offers five songs covering around 15 years of the band's catalogue and showcases some lineup changes.

While this is for the most part a good selection of strong Beard songs, there's little that is particularly revelatory and the performances are not the best available, so it does have an air of 'for completists.' Yet I find it an interesting listen because of the multiple intersection of phases that it represents. Three songs are from Spock's Beard/Morse Era, two are from Post-Morse/Pre-Leonard albums. Jimmy Keegan (here the tour drummer) and Ted Leonard (here guesting on vocals in D'Virgilio's absence) were soon to join the band formally, and Neal Morse returns here to join in for two tracks on vocals. The album therefore offers a concise aural venue for musing about the different versions of the band.

My own sense of the songs is that while A Perfect Day (from Spock's Beard, 2006) is an enjoyable enough song, The Emperor's Clothes (from X, 2010) does not quite hold up against the older material, and the attempts at Gentle Giant vocal moments in the latter song don't quite land in this version. The older songs seem richer, though one must grant that they are cherry-picked highlights (and allow for my general preference for and more time invested in older Beard).

As for the vocals, Leonard and Morse have very different voices, and personal taste weighs heavily. I enjoy Morse's vocal style and tone significantly more than Leonard's (not his fault). Thinking about why that might be as I listen here to Leonard doing covers of Morse, I am struck by how much Neal Morse typically inhabits songs, creating a strong sense of confessional presence and of direct address to the listener. He does more with his voice, and he was often a preacher while singing well before he more literally started preaching in some of his later material; the discontinuity between pre-Christian and Christian Morse is not complete. Leonard (particularly here) can sometimes sound more distant and diffident to me, as if he's performing the tune more than living the song, and his tighter, higher tone feels a less intimate part of the whole to my ears, though it works well enough for the opener and for passages that need some soaring. Of course, Leonard is here stepping into another band's material and can be forgiven for not quite being inside it; there are moments that sound hesitant.

The recording quality is quite acceptable (better than, say, Don't Try This at Home), but with some noticeable issues here and there. As another reviewer notes, A Perfect Day sounds a little muddy, but not massively so. The intro to The Doorway doesn't go well. Most obtrusively, an important keyboard section drops out almost completely (and sounds off key) at the start of The Light, significantly marring the opening passage. The harmonies on June sound a little warbly ? there are several better versions. But it's a live show, an instant merch item with no overdubs, and I suspect not recorded on a big budget ? I find the sound quite listenable in that context.

I enjoy the way this set invites comparison of the different songs and eras. It's an entertaining enough hour, but not one that I will prioritize over a slew of other Spock's Beard recordings, and no song stands out as having its finest moment here. It's enjoyable, but seems to belong in the "for fans" category, though for fans it's worth the listen.

— First review of this album —

The follow up to SHEARWATER's island arc of albums and their crossover folk prog masterpiece "The Golden Archipelago" cranks up the rock factor to maybe a 5 but, surprisingly, coming from this folkie, that's not where they lose points. The opener is like a "Talk to the Animals" for Doctor Dolittle's more eco-savvy great great grandchildren, and should have been a hit if that matters at all to anyone reading this, while "Breaking the Yearlings" is almost as catchy and even more raucous, with its pounding beats and throwback organ. For a bit of the old islands feeling we have the low key eerie "Believing makes it easy".

It's the hypnotically dull and morose paeans to the Lords of Languish TALK TALK that lose me in the core of this project. "Insolence" in particular could have been an average track at half its length, and the next couple are ploddingly soporific as well. While they may idolize TALK TALK for good reasons, in these instances Meiburg and co seem to forget that, while they have only only a tiny fraction of that band's listenership, their fans are just as passionate and listen for that singular and joyous, slightly fuzzy and cuddly Shearwater voice. .

Between Pat Metheny Group's eponymous debut (1978) and this follower the guitarist recorded a literary solo album New Chautaugua (1979). Whereas the group debut featured compositions by both Metheny alone and with keyboardist Lyle Mays, here each of the five tracks are their mutual compositions. Meanwhile, Metheny has taken the producer's seat from ECM's Manfred Eicher. Overall the tone is rockier and bolder than before.

The intro of '(Cross the) Heartland' is dominated by a repetitive high-note keyboard riff but soon the quartet is into full game with their lively fusion. I like the serene mid-section featuring that key riff again, and Mark Egan's atmospheric bass. Good, but not deeply impressive. Pat Metheny has said that the mellow 'Airstream' is his own fave from this era. As likeable as it is, I don't necessarily count it among the finest early achievements of Pat Metheny Group.

For the large part of 'The Search' (4:45), Mays' piano virtuosity takes the spotlight. Around 2:50 the guitar makes a nice entry but to my disappointment the composition doesn't much evolve, and it features that certain whistle or flute reminding high-pitched sound I have never much liked in Metheny's music. On the title track the band joyfully rocks out, making it the least fave track for me.

The 13-minute closing piece 'The Epic' is "all over the map", Metheny has unhappily stated, but it's a natural highlight at least for prog-oriented listeners. There's plenty of dynamics between virtuotic energy and sensitive moments. Sadly the high-pitched keyboard strokes near the end are a bit unpleasant for my ears. This album sold pretty well for a jazz album, but it meets my personal music taste less succesfully than most of Metheny's albums. You should try it if you often find Pat Metheny too lame and too much oriented to atmospherics, which really is rather scarse here.

(This is originally a Jazz Music Archives review, shared here in order to give some contrast against the two PA reviews. As a side note, JMA is doing very well nowadays, ie. lots of reviews coming out, unlike in the dormant past years.)

And without Ozzy, they were finally back on track!

After two directionless albums, Black Sabbath returned with Heaven and Hell, and from the very first moments of Neon Knights, it's clear this is not the same band that recorded Master of Reality or even Sabotage. The heavy metal here has more in common with Deep Purple or Judas Priest than with early Sabbath. The presence of Ronnie James Dio (whose voice is more powerful and versatile than Ozzy's) marks a huge shift, and it works.

Children of the Sea offers rich, fantasy-tinged hard rock that unmistakably echoes Dio's time in Rainbow, a vibe that permeates the whole album. Lady Evil is a more conventional hard rocker that doesn't stand out much, but it gets the job done. Throughout the record, Tony Iommi delivers some of his most thoughtful solos, and nowhere is that more evident than on Heaven and Hell itself: a monolithic riff, a hypnotic bass line, Dio at full power, and even a closing section with a medieval flair. It's the highlight of the album and one of the greatest heavy metal tracks of the 1980s.

Wishing Well brings back a more upbeat hard rock feel, with Geezer Butler's playful, creative bass lines at the forefront. Then comes Die Young, which starts dark and contemplative, before exploding into fast, furious metal. It's another standout moment. By now, it's clear this album thrives the most when it leans fully into heavy metal. The band sounds more confident here than they had in years, and even the experimental touches feel focused (unlike the confused meanderings of Technical Ecstasy or Never Say Die).

Walk Away opens with a riff that feels almost AC/DC-like. It's another decent hard rock track with a solid chorus, but ultimately forgettable. Finally, Lonely is the Word slows things down, offering a doomy, mid-tempo riff that evokes echoes of the Ozzy era. A long, expressive guitar solo over haunting keyboards brings the album to an emotional and satisfying close.

Conclusion: with Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath found their way again, at the cost of sacrificing much of their classic identity (which had already been diluted in the two albums before). In return, we get a tighter, more focused record that navigates confidently between hard rock and heavy metal. Interestingly, the result feels closer to Ritchie Blackmore's bands than to early Sabbath, but the quality is undeniable.

Dio brings a stunning voice, tons of personality, and a new lyrical dimension rooted in fantasy and mythology, just like he did in Rainbow. His presence helped shape the future of the genre. And it's not just Dio. Each member of the band shines in their own way, from Iommi's powerful riffs to Butler's creative bass and Ward's tight drumming.

Best tracks: Neon Knights, Heaven and Hell, Die Young and Children of the Sea.

Giant On The Move is an album from 1976 which I think is the best Indonesian prog album of all.

It has a much better sound than the DIY album by predecessor group Shark Move and much better songs than the first Giant Step album as well as the ones that came after.

It is more consistent and exciting than the Guruh Gipsy album or Abbhama's Alam Raya. And I like it quite more than God Bless's Cermin.

The down side is that even though the vocals by the great Benny Soebardja are quite a bit stronger than before, his pronunciation is still really difficult to get past.

It's quite a shame as he got his friend Bob Dook to write the lyrics in English. And I guess this happened a lot in the 1970s as there are bands from Italy, Germany, Hungary and Japan singing in poor English.

Regardless the music is pretty exciting, with prog influences as well as immense slabs of Deep Purple shining through.

Originally there were only four songs on the LP - Giant On The Move, Air Pollution, Decisions and Waste Time. They are all good but you are better off getting the expanded version with nine tracks.

The album begins with Farewell Today which is a barnstorming opener with nods to ELP and Deep Purple. There is great synth and organ work from Triawan Munaf and some powerhouse drumming from Haddy Arief. Lots of great shifting dynamics too.

It sets the tone for the rest of the album by having a lovely melody yet flawed vocals in terms of diction.

The title track Giant On The Move has great organ sounds and piercing guitar solos, and even a Beatlesque bridge. It has some of Benny's best singing.

I would deem Fortunate Paradise and Air Pollution as among the best songs here. The former starts off with some lyrical classical piano before it calls to mind the heavy psych of Shark Move with some of Benny's best melodies and unison guitar leads featuring Albert Warnerin. The latter kicks off with a two minute drum solo from Haddy Arief and is another very Deep Purple soundalike.

Similarly Liar begins with heavy guitar riffing and more ELP influenced pomp rock. Then there are quiet synth runs, although the heavily phased acapella vocal la is not my favourite part. It's unpredictable as there is suddenly some Brian May influenced guitar and then a funky bass-led outro.

Allusion Way is another schizophrenic composition with a strong Purple influence. Pounding riffs and a great combo of synth and organ.

Decisions has more heavy riffs, bristling synths, acoustic guitar and some great flute from bassist Adhy Sibolangit, while So Long has a nice bass/organ/piano/acoustic guitar arrangement.

Overall this really is one of the best gems of the era and of the Asian region. I would love to hear a remastered/remixed version with clearer vocals. Not to mention Shark Move's My Life as a bonus track!

— First review of this album —

I was pleasantly surprised to find Oöphoi on progarchives. This kind of album stands a long way down the line of development from the atmospheric elements of electronic prog to the pure atmospherics and abstract tone manipulation of some more recent ambient and drone music, where rhythm and song form are left behind. The second side of Klaus Schulze's Timewind might be a more familiar reference point, except Hymns to a Silent Sky is much less busy and kinetic. If you can imagine yourself complaining about there being no melody, no vocals, no beat, and no rock, look elsewhere. If, however, you are someone for whom deep abstraction is not an impediment, patience is in good supply, and slow, evocative soundscapes fully count as music, I highly recommend this album. It has long been one of my favorites among a personal collection of 2300 albums in this sub-genre of abstract ambient sound paintings.

As the evocative album title might suggest, the general ambience here is austere, sparse, spacious. The music evokes a cold expanse using synths and samples. In Beyond These Skies, astringent synth tones swell and fade like passing clouds. Fragile Beauty is at first more gaseous, a susurration of insects on a misty evening, then moves into echoing drips punctuating a dark, cavernous space in which slow synth moans swell and decay at intervals. (The sky conceit seems a little weaker here, but I suppose one can contemplate the sky from within a dripping canyon, and the earthbound water sounds act as a nice foil to the silent skies.) Ominous tones swirl around more ethereal shafts of light. The insects return, more foregrounded. There is a sense of calm mystery. The tracks continue to increase in length with the 21-minute centerpiece, The Unbearable Sadness of Memories. Here an obscure descending tone is half-submerged in a pulsing hum, with a sharp, echoing, percussive sound at intervals of several seconds creating a sense of 3D depth, the whole again encased in a suggestion of space. After 5 minutes or so, a simple, slow melody is suggested and long, high tones come plaintively to the fore. Elusive, distant sounds (voices? birds?) visit briefly. The percussive sound returns, until there is a shift in the last few minutes to what I can only describe as a growing tremor framed by a wind. The elements are simple but the result is hypnotic, evocative. Night Psalm relieves the intensity - it's less than 12 minutes long and brighter in tone, with synth voices faintly suggestive of the choral and arranged in something almost approaching a melody, albeit a slow, shifting, drifting, overlapping melody. Finally, Let the Night Sky Envelop Us closes on a reflective note, still in drift mode; soft-focus tones are accompanied by a rustle of subtle percussive sounds.

As some of the song titles suggest, the album is held together by a broad concept. In the CD liner notes, Gasparetti dedicates the album "to all the people who feel attracted by the beauty and the mysteries of the sky." The tracks evoke an austere space unmarked by human presence and possessing a harsh beauty, with sparse earthly sounds as context. After 20 or so listens the album still holds my attention and refreshes my ear.

If I consult only my own tastes, it's a 5-star album, a masterful expression of its specific genre, close to perfect in the precision and restraint of its execution. Is it essential progressive rock? That's harder to claim. Sounds like this seem inherently niche and likely very subjective even when masterful. I'll settle for a 4 here in the name of caution, but please add a mental star if you enjoy the more abstract, beatless, atmospheric end of things.

A disappointment. Checking the Prog Archives Top Albums of 2025 list last week (since we were now half-way thru the year), and having never heard of this band or album, I was surprised to see it listed at an eye-popping #5 for the year. Seeing that it had few, but very high ratings, and seemed to be something right up my alley, I was excited to check it out. Unfortunately, what unfolded was some competently played and arranged, but somewhat dull, bland, and lethargic atmospheric melodic prog. Closest comparison would be something along the lines of a heavily sedated Alan Parsons Project. Certainly not bad, and some nice gentle melodies. Pleasant, innocuous, safe, but nothing very interesting or exciting here. Pretty generic. Sure, it is probably relaxing, but maybe more sleep- or trance-inducing than relaxing. Sorry to be negative, but just can't see the high ratings for this (and had to write this review to counter some of that praise). It's fine if you like this style, but there's nothing very proggy about this, it's more mellow pop. Rating: 2.5