Using as cover a section of the triptych painted in oil on boards "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by the Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch of the XV century, Deep Purple published in the epilogue of the sixties the last chapter of the trilogy that marked the point and apart of their first stage, simply titled "Deep Purple" (1969).

An album that maintains that explorer and psychedelic spirit sprinkled with traces of classical music of its predecessor "The Book of Taliesyn", in themes that include African percussive elements by the hand of Ian Paice in the tribal "Chasing Shadows", Jon Lord's warm harpsichord notes on the baroque "Blind", Rod Evans' Greg Lake-esque Crimsonian singing on the delicate cover of the Scottish Donovan "Lalena", and schizoid studio tricks using reverse tapes on the brief instrumental "Fault Line"; and also shows Ritchie Blackmore very involved in the composition with a rich display of riffs and distorted guitar solos interspersed with Lord's hammonds, especially in the funky "The Painter", in the bluesy "Why Didn't Rosemary? " (with an alternative thematic approach to Roman Polasky's creepy film "The Rosemary's Baby"), and in the thick, lingering cadence of the narcotized "The Bird Has Flown".

And if there is a song that could summarize the first stage of the band, that would be the mini-suite "April": the interest in experimental atmospheres in the medieval and beautiful introduction of church organs and acoustic guitars, Lord's persistent concern for incorporating classical components with the arrangement of violins in between, and the incipient hard rock still to take off that appeared in the final stretch of the long track.

Given the scarce commercial repercussion of the album and convinced that the band would not have much more future in the cloudy paths of psychedelia and sixties sonorities, Blackmore and Lord then incorporated Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, dispensing with Evans and Simper in the search of hardening their sound, more in accordance with the powerful style piloted by the overwhelming Led Zeppelin. Thus ended the appreciable formative stage of Deep Purple.

3.5/4 stars

Well this is unexpected. I had a feeling that they would make a new album, but I didn't expect them to just?drop something out of the blue. I expected at least a few singles, but honestly the only shred of advertisement that the band had done for Lucro sucio; los ojos del vacio was that tour they held with Deftones and Fleshwater, which I actually went to a show during said tour. That was when I got a taste of what the album would be like, and in turn, got quite hyped since the live version of these songs were really good!

Though, what about the actual studio output? Well with the band going pop in their last album, I figured they'd continue that streak, but instead Lucro sucio; los ojos del vacio changed things up dramatically, and honestly it took a bit to grow on me. In a way this is probably their most psychedelic venture yet since Noctourniquet, hell probably more.

If I had to describe the sound on this album, it'd probably be if Spiritualized made an album that was a lot more pop focused and had Latino elements.

It's very much a mix of ambient pop, art rock, and neo-psychedelia, rolled in a blanket that is not too dissimilar to some of Omar Rodriguez Lopez's solo works. It's honestly such a weird, but cool sound for the band to do. Cedric's voice is more of a focus here too, giving out very beautiful performances that are a stark contrast to the hard edged stuff he had made in the past. Not only that, but the fact the band is changing things up, even under a pop context, shows their progginess thoroughly even when they moved away from prog. Would I consider Lucro sucio; los ojos del vacio prog rock? No. Maybe prog pop at most, but this is definitely not under the same threshold as The Bedlam Of Goliath. But even still, this is such a different direction to go compared to what one would expect coming off of their last album.

However, I can definitely see why a lot of people are kind of coming into it very confused and lost, because?this album is just weird? It has the beats of a modern day Mars Volta album, but it never really presents itself as one? I don't know how to describe it, but at least initially it doesn't feel like a Mars Volta album. Sure you could say that about their self-titled too, but that one I'd say would still be recognizable as a Mars Volta album, even to the most casual of fans. This album, though, feels so out of left field even for a band such as this, that it ends up being kind of hard to get into, at least for me.

This album's biggest weakness is that while every song is good, even some really great ones like The Iron Rose or Morgana, the aforementioned confusion still persists, and I end up having more questions than answers. I have gotten more accustomed to it with each relisten, and now see it as another album by The Mars Volta, but even if I may have the pieces to the puzzle, organizing the picture is still quite hard.

I also think a weakness this album has is, while this may be more personal, I feel like the live versions I had heard in that Deftones concert sounded better, and thus I am just a tiny bit disappointed in the studio output. Now, no duh, of course songs sound better live, but like?if you listen to old live recordings from the band, it's clear that their studio and live sessions had a similar quality to both. Like, there are some differences, like the live material being far more jammier and wild, but at the end of the day the studio version of say, Tetragrammaton, sounds just as good as the live version of it. Lucro sucio; los ojos del vacio, though, sounds kind of empty on occasion in the studio compared to what I had heard live. It's not an awful emptiness, but it's very apparent these songs are more meant to be played live.

But, perhaps this direction ends up making this one of the most interesting Mars Volta albums ever. I mean, sure it may not be conceptually as interesting as Frances The Mute, but musically it's very?anti-Mars Volta. It's as if the very band itself went into an opposite world, and recorded an album with their mirrored counterparts. It's a bizarro Mars Volta, having beats and melodies that feel like something the band would make, but just off enough for it to be quite the head turner. And honestly, in this context, the album just becomes 10x cooler! It's so Mars Volta to make a Mars Volta album that doesn't vibe like a Mars Volta album.

Initially this album was a 3.5/5, but with each new listen I end up raising the bar a tad higher. Now, at a 4.5/5, I think I now know what to say. The Mars Volta NEVER misses. Sure, some of their releases are better than others, but if you ever ask me if they have any bad albums, I'd tell you no. They have unique, strange, and off putting material, but they do not make bad music EVER. Anyways, listen to Lucro sucio; los ojos del vacio, it's great.

Best tracks: The Iron Rose, Cue the Sun, Celaje, Morgana, Cue the Sun (Reprise)

Worst tracks: Mito de los trece cielos, Detrás de la puerta dorada

"Algorythm" is the third full-length studio album by Canadian, Quebec based technical/progressive death metal act Beyond Creation. The album was released through Season of Mist in October 2018. It´s the successor to "Earthborn Evolution" from 2014. There´s been one lineup change since the release of "Earthborn Evolution" as bassist Dominic Lapointe has left and has been replaced by Hugo Doyon-Karout. Lapointe is a pretty prolific musician on the Quebec music scene having been a member of/or is still a member of acts like Atheretic, Augury, and First Fragment, making an audible impact with his fretless bass playing, so it´s big shoes Doyon-Karout has to fill.

Stylistically Beyond Creation continues the high energy technical death metal style with progressive songwriting ideas of the last couple of albums. The fretless bass provides the music with an audible bass presence and a fluid organic flow. "Algorythm" is in most other ways not organic at all. It´s actually a pretty sterile sounding release and the mellow excursions into jazz/fusion and progressive rock/metal territories do nothing to change that perception of the music. Beyond Creation are incredibly well playing and perform many virtuosic guitar riffs- and leads, the above mentioned technical fretless bass playing, a technical drumming attack, and vocals which shift between deep growling and higher pitched screaming/snarling. To my ears the most valid reference is Obscura, but the aforementioned Augury is another.

The sound production is massive, layered, and detailed, but I´m not blown away by the sound, which for all its well sounding qualities ends up presenting the music in a slightly powerless fashion. So upon conclusion "Algorythm" is a bit more shallow in the songwriting- and in the performance deparments than the band´s earlier releases and paired with a sound production which doesn´t provide the music with the needed boost of power, "Algorythm" ultimately comes off a less accomplished release than the preceding albums from Beyond Creation. It´s still a good quality technical/progressive death metal release, but it´s not exactly among the elite albums of the genre. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

After Methexis, Verbal Delirium, Naxatras, Residuos Mentales and Forbidden Myth, here's another interesting current prog band from Greece named Jupiter Fungus, a studio project featuring Papatriantafillou (keyboards, guitar and vocals) and Fotis Xenikoudakis (flute and tin whistle), it was set up to pay homage to the legendary bands associated with the progressive and classic rock scene of the 1970s, from Jethro Tull and Focus to Pink Floyd and Deep Purple, and other. Band info. "Although essentially just a duo, selected studio musicians were also recruited to enable them to create their debut album Garden Electric: George Papageorgiou (bass, acoustic guitar and glockenspiel), George Emmanuel (electric guitar) and Nick Vell (drums). With the liberal use of a variety of keyboards and flute, augmented by some powerful guitars and a solid drum and bass foundation, the four-track album of just under 50 minutes is brimming with vibrant arrangements and unexpected shifts."

Underdog: The powerful and dynamic foundation in this long composition is a swinging mid-tempo beat, the bass even sounds pretty funky. The music is embellished with swirling work on the distinctive Hammond organ (reminding me of Booker T.), heavy guitar runs, frequent eruptions with flute and rock guitar, some spoken words in English, a dual- guitar sound with Hammond, a sparkling flute - and fiery guitar solo and a spectacular Minimoog solo with pitchbend, wow, what an exciting start by this new band on this debut album!

Circles: In the first part a catchy beat with a powerful bass and sparkling flute and Hammond layers, soon joined by the cheerful tin whistle. Then a swirling Hammond solo, sparkling flute work, fueled by awesome rhythm-section, (like 70s Camel with Peter Bardens). Halfway a nice break with spacey synthesizers, a hypnotizing rhythm-section, soaring flute work (the bass work reminds me of In A Gadda Da Vida from Iron Butterfly), subtle electric piano runs and a spacey slightly distorted guitar solo. The final part contains a more lush sound with flute traverse and a moving guitar solo.

Past Ground: First a dreamy intro with Andean flute-like sound, beautiful. Then a swinging rhythm with powerful flute work in the vein of Ian Anderson. Back to dreamy with soaring flute and Hammond, distorted vocals in a catchy beat. Next a short, more experimental part. Then a sumptuous eruption with Hammond, in a catchy beat with heavy guitar sound and sparkling flute, powerful vocals, and a fiery guitar solo, topped with an exciting Hammond solo. The band succeeds to blend obvious 70s prog echoes with a fresh and modern sound and strong musical ideas.

Thoughts of Revenge: This epic final composition is the most eclectic and dynamic one featuring lots of surprising changing atmospheres, the band in its full splendor. From a spacey intro synthesizer and soaring flute to a more polished sound with soulful vocals. From a rock guitar explosion with heavy Hammond and powerful vocals (evoking Pink Floyd) to a flashy synthesizer solo with pitchbend. And from a mellow climate with flute to halfway a slow swinging rhythm with omnipresent flute play. The final part delivers a compelling atmosphere with a strongly built up David Gilmour kind of guitar solo, this is Symphonic Rock Heaven!

What an excellent debut by this new Greek formation, loaded with dynamics, tension, strong musical ideas and exciting soli, and performed by skilled musicians, highly recommended!

'Still the Orchestra Plays' is a 2010 compilation album by legendary cult metal band Savatage. After years of inactivity, this CD package just randomly popped up from nowhere and probably left most fans wondering if it was a sign that anything new was coming. Sadly, that was not the case, as it would be another three years until the band would once more pop up out of the blue with a re-released narrated version of their rock opera, 'Streets'.

But back to this one, and yeah, as you'd expect, this is a fantastic compilation! Two discs full of absolutely top quality music. Sure, there's a few omissions that I feel should have been included, but overall, it's a nice career retrospective, perfect for newcomers to the band, or long-time fans who need a reminder of how brilliant these guys are.

From 'Power of the Night', 'Hall of the Mountain King', 'Gutter Ballet' and 'Edge of Thorns', to the likes of 'Morphine Child', 'The Wake of Magellan', 'Chance' and 'One Child', there's no shortage of Savatage classics here. And three newly-recorded acoustic versions of previous hits are a welcome sign that the band were still trying to somewhat maintain active.

This CD package comes with a bonus DVD, which has the classic 'Japan Live '94' concert on it. Originally released on VHS, it was nice to finally be able to own a copy of this. Granted, the sound and picture are quite dated, but the performances are excellent, and it's just great to be able to see a full concert video of the band.

Overall, this is, quite simply, a fantastic compilation. It's definitely a great starting point for newcomers, but also has plenty of value for fans too. A worthy addition to any rock or metal collection!

While I do understand that this Genesis is not a past Genesis, that's not why I think that Abacab lacked a lot of quality compositions, or consistency for that matter. After the outstanding Duke, there is a drop-off, but it's not the worst album ever. One big difference is the solo works, which this time are limited to one by each; that turns out to be a good thing. Tony Banks' "Me and Sarah Jane" is a rather uneven piece, with some great moments but some rather overdone ones. Meanwhile Phil Collins' "Man on the Corner" (a minor hit), and Mike Rutherford's "Like it or Not" seem routine and somewhat boring, let alone generic; the former two pieces also further Collins' obsession with drum machines.

The rest of the album? The title track is a great composition, but Banks tends to overdo the synths and drown out everything else, a sign of what you'll hear for the entire album. "No Reply at All" is one of the couple gems here, a pop radio staple augmented by the same horn section from Earth, Wind & Fire and great bass work by Rutherford. "Keep it Dark" is not a bad song, but again I fault Banks for being too heavy with the keys. "Dodo/Lurker," the other long track here, is the other truly good piece; it likely has the best lyrics on the entire album, and Rutherford gets a chance to shine some on the six-string. I don't need to comment on one of the worst Genesis pieces ever, "Who Dunnit?" for every other review echoes my comments on that song. "Another Record" closes, which is somewhat bland, but at least Banks' piano is near its best for this album.

The eponymous follow-up would be a nice rebound for me (if that proves that my problems aren't because of Genesis' identity), but I found Abacab to seem rather run-of-the-mill and not easy to get into.

3.0

The band's most recent album, it saw them take what they have previously achieved and take it to it's absolute zenith. Being their 7th album out of a mostly flawless discography, on this it is very much a diverse palette showing off everything that makes the band brilliant, with great detail to every aspect of their sound. While each song has its own unique characteristics, the album showcases the bands secret weapon, guitarist and songwriter Charlie Griffiths who contributed a large amount to this album, especially with the epic penultimate song Elephants Never Forget, which possibly may be the finest track they've ever produced. A real gem in the age of current progressive metal.

Great album perfectly recorded

That was the first work of the band I had a chance to listen to after being very impressed with Bjorn Riis' solo album Fimbulvinter. Right from the start, All Rights Removed gave me clear vibes of Porcupine Tree, with passionate, crying- like solo guitar work reminiscent of David Gilmour. The vocals sound strikingly similar to Steven Wilson, adding to that haunting, melancholic atmosphere.

The lyrical themes revolve around inner struggles, heavy emotions, and a sense of loss, which is perfectly complemented by the introspective nature of the band's music. While the chord progressions stay in the realm of classic rock or post-rock simplicity, the long, immersive song structures shift the album closer to epic progressive territory.

The production is nothing short of stunning. Every chord, every cymbal hit is rendered with pristine clarity, showing the engineer's meticulous attention to detail. There's a cinematic feel throughout the album, as if each track tells a slow-burning emotional story.

All Rights Removed is a sad, but incredibly beautiful work. It's a deeply immersive experience that fans of atmospheric progressive rock will truly appreciate. This album has certainly made me want to explore more of Airbag's discography. 4/5

High quality

Fimbulvinter by Bjorn Riis is a deep, haunting, and melancholic album that showcases his signature atmospheric soundscapes. Tastefully composed and performed effectively with both acoustic and electric instruments, the album draws listeners into an introspective journey. The track "She" stands out for its sincerity and emotional depth, highlighting Riis's ability to convey raw feelings through subtle arrangements and heartfelt melodies.

The title track, "Fimbulvinter," is probably the proggiest piece on the album. It starts off with heavy prog rock energy, transitions into a melodic passage, and then masterfully combines both elements. This progression expands into other musical forms reminiscent of Pink Floyd's ambient textures and late Opeth's emotional dynamics. Riis's skill in blending these influences while maintaining a unique voice is impressive.

Overall, Fimbulvinter is a very satisfying listen for fans of progressive and atmospheric rock, offering both emotional weight and musical sophistication.

4.4/5

Released in 1973, Solar Fire stands as one of Manfred Mann's Earth Band's most daring and cohesive works, merging progressive rock with cosmic themes and electronic experimentation. The album opens powerfully with "Father of Day, Father of Night"?a haunting rework of a Bob Dylan tune?setting the tone for a journey through mythology, astronomy, and human evolution.

Highlights include the hypnotic title track, a swirling Moog-driven instrumental, and "Saturn, Lord of the Ring / Mercury, the Winged Messenger", an epic prog suite blending classical influences with rock energy. While less commercially successful than later hits like "Blinded by the Light," Solar Fire remains a fan favorite for its ambition, atmosphere, and musicianship.

A must-listen for prog enthusiasts and 70s rock fans, this album proves Manfred Mann's Earth Band was far ahead of its time.