— First review of this album —

'Cursed, Unshaven, and Misbehavin' is an EP/single from The Dillinger Escape Plan comprised of four live recordings from the band's early shows, standing as one of the rare glimpses into the earliest incarnation of the American mathcore giants. Two of the songs on here come from the band's 1999 debut album 'Calculating Infinity', while the other two are from their 1998 EP 'Under the Running Board', all of which had been frequently played throughout Dillinger's early shows. This live recording does capture the violent release of energy that defines each and every performance of this band, but the quality of the recordings is really bad and when this is combined with the generally abrasive, dissonant music that is being recorded, one can really be confused by the final result, which makes it a piece of the band's early history that should be fascinating for die-hard fans but outside of the band's innermost circle of admirers there is little of interest here to the more general enjoyer of extreme music.

'Under the Running Board' is a three-track EP from The Dillinger Escape Plan that runs for about 7:30 minutes and acts as the anticipative released before the band's debut album, part of that first era of aggressive and technical music with the grizzly vocals of Dimitri Minakakis. Stylistically there is not much separating this release from 'Calculating Infinity', since this EP really sets the tone for what is to come with the band's debut album released the following year. The rampant riffs and the explosive tempo changes are on full display but unlike the band's previous EP, 'Under the Running Board' exhibits has a more cohesive nature, it bolsters a better songwriting and an overall better sound, still very dense and unhinged. Later on, these three songs would become staples of the band's infamous live shows, presenting the avant-garde approach of the band to creating dissonant and extremely heavy music.

The Dillinger Escape Plan released their self-titled debut EP in 1997, and this release offers the very first glimpse into the harsh, dissonant and abrasive sound of the American mathcore band, here developing a style that would be refined later on, still reliant much more on shock value as well as intensity and aggression, not necessarily exhibiting that sense of complexity that would go on to render the band's debut album such a highly praised work. The six tracks comprising this EP stylistically offer a range of brutal riffs and dynamic tempo changes as well as a very distorted way of writing, definitely capturing the trials of a young band still searching for their sound. Reissue also include three live tracks from that same early period with vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, whose harsh vocals seem to be really suitable for the destructive nature of the first few DEP releases and sonic ventures.

Cold, aggressive, gripping and destructive, 'Calculating Infinity' is the debut album of American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan, released in 1999. Now, mathcore is a very abrasive, technical and extreme sub-genre of heavy metal music, popularized in the late 90s due to the success of bands like Dillinger, often mentioned as one of the pioneering acts of the movement. While all of this might be true, this band is much more than just another heavy act as they display a profound taste for the progressive, a desire to experiment and take the genre further, always intertwining the blatant aggression with various influences that are not necessarily associated with mathcore - all of this is this debut album in a nutshell.

With the overhaul of complex arrangement and incredibly energetic and technical playing, there is a very clear direction to this album and an overall sound that is cohesive, concentrated, and entirely violent, making 'Calculating Infinity' one of the most compelling and exciting heavy albums of the decade, allowing a large chunk of avant-garde sounds and techniques to "penetrate" the sonic picture resulting in an intelligently crafted combination of complex time signatures, manic tempo changes, atonality and dissonance. Of course, this remains a tough listen due to the dynamic nature of the music as well as the harshness of the vocals but beneath all that lies a really fascinating experiment and a solid album that indicates one possible future path for heavy music, and certainly one that aligns with the spirit of progressive. Some of the really fine tracks that complement such opinions would be '43% Burnt', a scourging excursion into avant-garde metal territory, 'Jim Fear', which is a straightforward blast, the dramatic and aggressive sound of 'The Running Board' as well as the calculated title track and the more experimental 'Weekend Sex Change'. A lot to unpack with 'Calculating Infinity', a mad, driven, noisy and surreal work of extreme musical brilliance.

Been a wild ride through the Devil Doll rabbit hole, but we're finally here to the last record Mr. Doctor had ever made under the Devil Doll name. While technically the band isn't disbanded, at least according to some sources, it's safe to assume they aren't gonna really make any new music anytime soon. Though I could very well be wrong. Last year bands like Semiramis and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum came back. Guess it wouldn't be too far fetched for Devil Doll to wriggle their head back out into the modern prog landscape. But until then, this is their current last album, Dies Irae.

Honestly, if this is the cap to the Devil Doll train, I'd say it's a pretty great way to end things off. It does feel like a combination of all previous records, rolled into one complete operatic fashion. You get the more accessible sides of Eliogabalus, the avant-garde concepts rooted in Sacrilegium and The Sacrilege of Fatal Arms, and strong gothic infused progressive rock that started all the way back with The Girl Who Was...Death. Guess this is where Mr. Doctor really put in all the stops for his very unique sound, and I honestly love it. Feels like the peak of the story that Devil Doll woven. Not a literal story, but more like a metaphorical one in terms of musical progression.

However this album does do some pretty interesting things that are away from the rest of the Devil Doll discography. For example, this album isn't a 40+ minute epic!*

*Ok so, that's a lie. While it is true that this album is split into multiple parts acting as separate tracks, it's basically still one big song. Think of it as like Dark Side of the Moon where it's actually just one big epic that just so happens to be split into different tracks. I don't quite know why Devil Doll did this, but it does make for an arguably more accessible experience, while still giving the more older fans something to look forward to.

I think another reason why Dies Irae works really well for me is that the energy feels arguably more lively. There's more of a pronounced rock mood in it. Sure there are still those bits of Devil Doll classical and symphonic elements, but I feel like this has way more of that ROCK in prog rock than any of the previous albums combined, which I do enjoy. Makes this album pretty unique in the grand scheme of things.

I do say though that the far more accessible aspects this album pulls does kinda lose the edge that made Devil Doll so compelling. Sure it still does have that sharp gothic and foreboding nature to it, but it does feel a lot softer, which is a shame. Though I guess it could always be worse, there's probably an alternate dimension where Devil Doll became a jangle pop band if they did continue to make music after this album...dang almost got the shivers thinking that.

But despite the lack of a more clear cut edge, the music still feels very strong and powerful, with moments like Part 4, Part 6, Part 14, Part 16, and Part 18 coming to mind. Funnily enough Part 18 technically is the only track to be over 20 minutes, though that is mostly the signature bouts of silence and a hidden track to accompany it. Realistically though it's just like 2 minutes long. Cannot be a Devil Doll album without a hidden track.

So while it arguably is a bit of a black sheep in comparison to the rest of the Devil Doll scores, Dies Irae is still a really great album that I say serves as a pretty amazing ending to this band's short, but meaningful career. I'd say it's a must listen if you want some strange, yet more readily accessible progressive rock.

Best tracks: Part 2, Part 4, Part 6, Part 14, Part 16, Part 18

Worst tracks: N/A

By this point in the extended PENTANGLE and British Isles folk rock story, I'm not sure what any additional effort by the "Renbourn-McShee and friends" collaboration could accomplish that had not been achieved more convincingly by earlier iterations of themselves or others. If they were true to their art (and I have no reason to suspect otherwise) in the trademark precise arrangements of "The Truth from Above" or "The Maid on the Shore", they couldn't match the the analogous works of STEELEYE SPAN who at least seemed partially inebriated by the joys of their craft, or the persistently evolving explorations of CLANNAD for whom they were clearly idols.

This second and thankfully final JOHN RENBOURN group studio album unwittingly establishes his unencumbered solo work as the state of the art from the family tree circa 1980. To be clear, there's nothing specifically wrong here other than my personal preference for vivacity and a modicum of emotion in this early music style, but there isn't anything terribly right about it either. If pressed, I will backpedal and admit that the tabla of Keshav Sathe helps upgrade "Le Tambourin", "Douce Dame Jolie", and the almost fascinating raga closer "Sidi Brahim" to the higher floors if not the rooftop deck, allowing this review to escape complete disenchantment and maybe even the ire of the Renbourn faithful.

"The Passing" Jacob ROBERGE's first album is the fruit of ten years of hard work, let it be said. It addresses the themes of mourning and memory but with joy if one can say so. The delicate piano theme that introduces "The Long Way Home" is a good shortcut for what will follow, the symphonism heard in this title is only the hors d'oeuvre of a major work (9/10). The first part of "Empty Traces" is a little more passe partout although remaining ultra melodic, always this loose and heady piano in the spotlight (8/10) and a small solo of six strings in the middle. "Garden of Souls" sends a probably involuntary but emphatic wink to the Californian eagles (listen again to "The Last Resort"), a piece of overflowing symphonism and lyricism, just a little too repetitive for the vocal parts as far as I'm concerned (9/10).

The longest "Petrichor" which comes next, remains in the same musical model, a lot of piano, acoustic guitar this time before the electric which arrives later, certainly the track that I had the most difficulty judging (despite five listens) and the one that I like the least on the album a 7/10 only, the saxophone halfway through refers more to EARTH WIND & FIRE than to SUPERTRAMP (soft and very brassy). I clearly preferred the second part of "Empty Traces" all in emotional restraint, well-placed and not invasive choirs, and a magnificent guitar solo which starts at 2:01, a real and beautiful progressive canvas (9/10).

There is only one left, the eponymous piece "The Passing" which evokes the five stages of mourning and which displays thirty-two minutes on the hourglass, starting with an orgy of strings that we will find a little later in the piece and which offers an instrumental part of more than six minutes in the opening no less, the solo of six strings of the fourteenth minute (Gabriel CYR) is particularly brilliant. An ode to the progressive music that we cherish so much, listening is the only thing to do, a real auditory pleasure, obviously a (10/10) perfectly justified, even metalheads will be happy with the part starting at 25:50 which climbs high in the towers before the delicate pianistic return of the terminal phase.

The only criticism I would make of Jacob ROBERGE, all the tracks are more or less similar, a downside that remains minor in view of the overall quality of the work.

This album would be largely responsible for Genesis' eventual break-out in the United States, "Foxtrot" is widely considered one of the undeniable classic of Genesis' discography and of the many prog albums issued in the 1970's. The album as a whole would be a breakthrough album and is incredibly more consistent than such earlier efforts like "From Genesis To Revelation". While the album, or many of Genesis' early albums, is not incredibly singles focused it was still a substantial hit in the U.K. Much of this respect is due to the epic 23 minute opus closing track "Supper's Ready".

"Supper's Ready" bounces seamlessly from time signature to time signature without loosing any of its footing. The opening track, and main single, "Watcher Of The Skies" is very reminiscent of what David Bowie was releasing at the time. "Watcher Of The Skies" is theatrically dark with Tony Banks' opening Mellotron chords and Steve Hackett's chugging guitar work. "Foxtrot's" lyrical conceits are also more colorful, creative and thought provoking than previously seen on a Genesis album, "Get Em" Out By Friday" being one of these due to it's lyrics of urban overspill.

"Foxtrot" is a definite must have for any avid Genesis fans or really anyone for that matter. Please buy this album. It's worth it its one of their essential classics in their catalog.

"Quiet Sun" were a british progressive rock band that belongs to what became known as the Canterbury Scene. It was originally formed around the Dulwich College in 1970 as a four piece, featuring Phil Manzaneraleading the project , Bill MacCormick, Charles Hayward, and Dave Jarrett. The band's name came from an article on sunspots and solar flares that MacCormick's brother, Ian, had been reading, called "The Year Of The Quiet Sun". In 1971, Manzanera left to join Roxy Music, MacCormick joined Matching Mole, Jarrett went into teaching, and Hayward joined to Gong. Three years later, Manzanera was riding high on Roxy Music and decided to reform Quiet Sun while spending the latter part of 1974 working on a solo album to be known as "Diamond Head". Manzanera booked 12 hour studio days, recording his solo album for eight and Quiet Sun for four, resulting in "Mainstream". The group mostly re-recorded the songs they had rehearsed back in 1970, though several songs from that time instead found their way onto "Diamond Head", including "Frontera". Both albums are the basis of much of the "801" live shows, which featured Manzanera and MacCormick.

So, coordinating those sessions meant long nights, excellent brew, and cross-collaboration with both Roxy Music's alumni as well as reconvening the old band to reinvent song arrangements and create something fresh. "Mainstream" shows the quartet as anything but a conventional rock act, struggling to establish a unique identity but in the best possible fashion. This album is clearly the other side of the musical coin with distinct variations on "Diamond Head".

Bearing sonic similarities with "Diamond Head", how could it not if using many of the same musicians, engineers and studio, "Mainstream" is a far more unusual affair. Informed by the progressive jazz predilections of its band's members, yet rooted in the distinctive textural playing of Manzanera, the album sounds like little else of its era. The songs and understated nature of the project made the recording almost a tribute to the previous incarnation of the band with hints of the "801 Live" to be. Largely dispensing both with vocals and prog song convention, the songs on "Mainstream" aim for the challenging end of the pool, and nearly always hit their mark. At times the songs feel improvised and in others move in multiple directions at once. They're carefully thought out pieces. Manzanera's guitar shrieks and screams while the band engages in some tricky, jazzy playing underneath. Like modern jazz, each player's part is inventive and worth individual attention. Like prog, there's power and fury in much of the playing. Yet, like rock, it well rocks, undoubtedly.

About the tracks, probably the best piece on the album is still "Mummy Was An Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small Non- Stick Kitchen Utensil" due to the work of both, keyboardist Dave Jarrett and Manzanera's playing. It's nowhere near as wacky as its title might suggest. Instead it's a guitar shrunk feast with glittering Caravan's styled keyboard runs. All delivered in an aggressive "Starless And Bible Black" era King Crimson's style. Demos of the band's early works which were sent to various record labels of the day are included, as well as the rejection slips, which further reveal Jarrett as the Mike Ratledge acolyte he truly was. Pieces such as "Years Of The Quiet Sun", an original demo, and "R.F.D." show the organist and the entire band in fact playing in the wonderfully twisted Soft Machine improve style as signposts for them to finding their feet. Also it's especially quite cool to hear Manzanera's soaring leads on those tracks. The highlight of "Trot" is a lovely piano solo from Jarrett. "RongWrong" has always been an oddity among oddities. It bears almost no similarity to a same named track from "801 Live" album. That latter version has straightforward vocals, courtesy of Brian Eno, but the one on "Mainstream" is, like everything else on this difficult but yet wonderful prog rock album, primarily instrumental. Here, when the vocals do appear, they're quite different, both in content and delivery. They're every bit as off-kilter as the rest of the sounds that coming out of "Mainstream". Anyway, all tracks sound nice to me.

Albums like "Mainstream" and many other British jazz-rock groups provided a stepping stone into jazz proper. They also got me listening to many American prog jazz/rock artists like Return to Forever, Weather Report, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. "Mainstream" is thankfully no longer "a lost gem", as many others, as many still refer to it, and Quiet Sun was a missed opportunity for the music industry at the time, and by 1972 they were no more. Thanks to Phil Manzanera's fame with Roxy Music, we have this fitting tribute to a highly talented bunch of musicians, and I for one will keep on going back to play it many times as I want. "Mainstream" is more than 40 years old, but "Mainstream" is still an enjoyable album to listen to. So, I recommend this album at all prog rock fans. "Mainstream" is a great album.

1. Solar Musick Suite in 4 parts starting with a slightly psychedelic rock pop from the 60s, well that was the period; a variation that is searching for a while, between blues and pop love song before the passage of the second at 3 minutes; heavy riff suddenly, the crimsonian sax raising the sauce even more, the vocals remind me of JUDAS PRIEST at their start, in the same period; marshmallow air love song that maintains itself; the drift to Canterbury is done without a hitch, as CARAVAN knew so well how to do, an extension of the original sound with its progressive framework; the 3rd beat wants to be hard for... the time, the guitar seems to possess, remaining in the rock territory, but a wild rock with an apoplectic rise. The finale with a return to the verse, look at the first BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, soft, languorous with Dave's keyboards, increasing the new-age side before its time; standard piece made with Steve letting his notes twirl.

2. Fish with the aqueous intro, obvious; flute and rock-jazzy approach with the sax of KING CRIMSON expressive, shrill, avant-garde, used today for the cinematic interlude before its time 3. Meditation of the Snake starts with the reverberant side, psychedelic much more than Canterburyen; the guitar talks and will get lost on a cozy shore.

4. The Salmon Song in 4 parts too, a tenacious rock atmosphere from the start; it calms down quite quickly by starting on a rock drift to LOU REED, stamped with the guitars that talk to each other; Pierre's drums become frenetic, GONG, Mike OLDFIELD will be his future groups. Miquette comes to give voice to the finale which gets carried away, going into possession mode.

5. Aftaglid and the last piece with a soaring atmosphere that goes to HAWKWIND for the air, the rest is done with Steve who bellows, shears, slices with his guitar; the soaring psyche is doubled by a trans air before its time; the drawers do not see themselves passed, except for the one with the acoustic arpeggio hitting our ears for the softness suffered; a psyche-oriental break for the smoking guitar in the distance which like the Pytie comes to preach to the depths of the Heavens. Halfway through and the tone becomes solemn, flirting precisely with the atmospheres of the great PINK FLOYD in their psychedelic period; this is too much for Steve who takes the course again by letting his notes decline along the bass held by Mike while Didier switches to the sax rather than the oriental flute on this mantranic passage. The guitar spurts, a stronger rhythm and we would move on to hard, like what everything is a question of vibration, creation and listening. The finale with the repetitive chorus to continue to dance blissfully on this languorous air; a small finale that amplifies, Steve adds a small solo, one more to bewitch. Minimalist outro reverberating once again, piece that moves away radically from Canterbury to approach space rock.