Immersive, emotive and edgy, 'All the Wars' is a 2012 studio album from The Pineapple Thief, the Bruce Soord-led progressive band whose name has become synonymous with nostalgic rage and indie production values (occasionally), and this fantastic studio album confirms just how excellent of a songwriter Soord is, here joined by keyboard player Steve Kitch, longtime bassist Jon Sykes and now-former drummer Keith Harrison. A collection of nine new songs on the standard edition of the album, 'All the Wars' really takes up some of the aesthetic searchings of preceding TPT releases (especially their 2008 and 2010 albums) and expands them in a way that magnifies the group's scope as well as their progressive pedigree - at parts heavy and relentless, at others vulnerable and intimate, there is a great balance between these two forces that are necessarily at play in most of the band's music. The album is replete with gorgeous art rock anthems that take equal amounts of inspiration from Porcupine Tree and Muse but redirect this creative energy into a lush and stimulating presentation.

Of course, this album also utilizes the strength and profound sonic power of a 22-piece string section as well as a choir, adding a touch of symphonic goodness to the mix, intertwining brilliantly with the alt-rock riffs and the solid rock rhythms of the album. The entire album winds back and forth between gripping melancholia and atmospheric, angular guitars, topped by the always-recognizable vocal delivery style of Soord. And just like almost any other album by The Pineapple Thief, 'All the Wars' sounds very good, the production is excellent and vibrant, and you can discern the contribution of the different instruments. This is a less electronic record than its predecessor, which is probably why it is a little more straightforward, and I do believe that 'All the Wars' generally has greater commercial potential than some of the preceding albums from Soord. Some highlights on here definitely include 'Warm Seas', 'Give It Back', 'Someone Pull Me Out' and the magnificent 10-minute-long album closer 'Reaching Out'. The opening track has a punkier sound, while 'Last Man Standing' and 'Build a World' reflect upon a more existential strife, at least from what one could tell from the lyrics, with the entire album being quite honest, mature and richly emotional. Just an excellent work from an excellent band and a strong step forward towards the consolidation of the band's contemporary alternative-progressive sound.

A talented and young French band , Moonshine Blast has made a quantum leap forward in their short career, as their debut 2018 "Reality Fear" certainly showed a lot of promise, mixing modern progressive workouts with more pop/rock tendencies, a common occurrence with inaugural releases. With this album, the foursome rightfully and confidently shored up and tightened their focus, with a more linear style that, frankly, blew me away on first listen, talk about maturity! The quartet has keyboardist and lead vocalist Nicolas Duke shining throughout , Gabin Rock handling the electric guitar chores as well as backing vocals, all held together by a robust rhythm section of Renaud Lyabastre and the impeccable syncopation of Thomas Zecchinon. Any band getting support help from such luminary legends as Colin Edwin and Pat Mastelotto is a stamp of approval that should never go unnoticed. Obviously, the tracks have familiar influences that jump out at the listener, being easily detectable, so I won't bother mentioning them, just think of a stranded volleyball. A dozen tracks spanning 75 minutes, 'wait for the ricochet'. Note : both Moonshine Blast album covers are absolutely stunning , this one especially so.

The title track sets the tone, the key feature of most prog albums, a four-minute rumble into the intensity of muscular rock music, the guitars and drums in perfect unison, Duke's piano adding a tertiary alliance, giving the moody piece a tremendous amount of throttle and thrust. Gabin's whirlwind solo only accentuates the immediacy of a fantastic chorus, built up by ever-elevating verses that, all combined into a solid mass, just seals the deal. As tasty as that was, wait until you feast your ears on the spectacular "Cruel Immission", a world-class ambiance that spotlights a sure-handed piano and a vocal that would consecrate the 'dread of any empty sphere' (synonym time!). The initially forlorn mood eventually develops into murkier realms, the Gabin fretwork in particular rasping like a turbo charged engine in furious mode. The 7 plus minutes could have gone on much longer, it was that entrancing.

Panting vocals are not always well rendered, but on "Only You", the contrast between the chaotic wordings and the smooth as silk chorus is pure genius. A catchy, in your face, radio-friendly and toe-tapping tune that comes across as a statement of maturity in confidence. It's also to the point and brief.

Influences really step up to the front of the stage on "No Exit", as Nicolas hushed intonations invoke past comfort zones, a no-nonsense 'Pineapple Tree' emotion (ok, so I cheated, sue me), and just when you expect a somber dive into an abyss, the opposite is offered, a breezy and uber-melodic chorus superbly delivered with both verve and authority, Duke is on fire here, proving the case with a delirious multi-layered synth spot.

The two part "Liquid Feels" dominates 8+ minutes, and as such, forms the heavy prog section of the album, I daresay the core, the initial part 1 broods in sonic despondence, with geometrically smooth bass grumbling and some wide guitar slashes , that briefly accelerate into sub-sonic spaces, acting like thrusters focused on vectors. The quartet valiantly tackles tectonic criss-crossing riffs, erupting volcanic beats, and a raging vocal display that will make anyone's blood boil. This then morphs into the second part, acting as an interim instrumental platform , showing off both coherence to the initial mode, as well as intricate musicianship, as we witness the piano and bass lovingly embrace (poetry again), the Gabin guitar acrobatically pirouetting like a lean gymnast and Zecchinon bashing his kit with glee. Simply breathtaking.

It comes as no surprise that a change of attitude is called for , and "Broken Arrow" delivers the goods in spades, a jazzier fragrance within a more conventional format, circular rhythms and melodic lines, easy to follow and simpler to enjoy, with a joyful sing-along quality that shows reverence to past glories of rock music in general (I am thinking along the lines of Traffic), another extensive synthesizer flurry to prickle the ears is most welcome. Loved the audacity to pull this off. Definitely a highlight track among so many!

Get the motor running , head up on the autoroute, "Strangled" has a tinge of punk nastiness, as wrath, frustration and sweat unite to oil up the fretboards, raise the volume on the amps, let Zecchinon beat the living crap out of his skins and Duke yelling like Huw Cornwell in the early days of the Stranglers (coincidence in the title?, non!). A barn- burning rebel scream in the night.

On the thrilling "Fractal" , the rowdy bass guitar takes the concrete lead, blasting moonshine everywhere, a deceptive introduction that will morph into echoing background choirs offering a neo-Gothic cathedral experience, a brusque synthesizer sortie scouring the space between the dome and the arches. The clever detailing is more than welcome, as these four lads sure know how to keep things exciting and adventurous, expertly navigating temper and circumstance, melody and rhythm, a river of constant change within well-defined contextual architecture. Throw in a gloriously expressive voice that never disappoints, and you wave the flag of surrender as far as any potential negatives are concerned. I could stop here and give my 5 stars without hesitation, but there is another 28 minutes of tremendous music left in the tank. Well, seven years is a long time, after all.

"Under Control" emanates a modern sheen that is undeniable, far from retro or cliché, just an insane vocal delivery again with all sorts of electronic accoutrements meant to carefully camouflage the inner rage at the controlling machine, a powerful rejection of the algorithmic dictator that permeates out tools. Fiery guitar sparkles amid mellotron waves can do no wrong.

Now I did warn you about premature climax, as the leviathan 16-minute epic shows up on "The Cell", a piece that you are not allowed to listen to on your phone, as your battery may fry. This convulsive chef-d'oeuvre captures the entire essence of this album as well as the development of the players involved. It possesses all the prerequisites of potential fame in the prog world. Impeccable pacing and preparation, blending all kinds of ingredients into the mix, but at a restrained pace, so as the flavours can permeate both the body and the soul, and creating a composition that encompasses so many prog standards. The entire scope is futuristic, cinematic, organic, eccentric and electronic, unrelenting in its grasp of various hi-tech tendencies, and deadly serious in its deliverance. Urgently passionate, verging on swelling delirium, the arrangement never falters for even one iota, the insistent synths doing nothing else but consolidating the groove. The ambient moments come along as panacea, a medicated form of atonement of past sins, yet still yearning for release. This is one of the finest 2025 epics and we are only halfway through the year. One is completely caught by surprise as the final section enhances a sense of imminent liberation, a breezy, joyful and exuberant vocal and guitar phrasing that throws away the punishing key for evermore. Free at last.

After all the emotional warfare , a bucolic acoustic ballad arrives as a blessing ,"When the Wind Blows" is prettiness incarnate, a ballad of majestic melodic proportions, a vocal duet of crushing simplicity. Mellotron enters only to highlight the chorus, all fragility and swoon. As fine a song as one can hope for.

5 Empires of Options

Secret Oyster's third album fulfills the prog potential and direction that was suggested on their previous two albums.

Side One (The Astarte Suite) (what I call the "German" side):

1. "Intro" (2:10) all keyboard for the first 30 seconds, then flanged drums, electric bass, electric guitar and treated sax enter to give it a futuristic (though now dated) feel. Is this an indication that the band is moving more toward the progressive rock domain? (4.333/5)

2. "Stjernerne pa gaden (The Stars in the Street)" (5:41) veering away from the Popol Vuh-like Kosmische Musik they seemed to be exploring on the last album (especially on the second side), the band is still obviously deeply entranced by the new world of synthesizers and electronic effects. (8.75/10)

3. "Sirenerne (The Sirens)" (5:03) though elements here seem to indicate J-R Fusion, the song really comes across more as a dramatic/cinematic prog song akin to the music being made below the border by bands like The Eloy and Grobschnitt. This flow and constancy of this song is making it seem as if the band is trying to create a suite of Eloy-like space/psychedelic music. (8.875/10)

4. "Astarte" (6:28) the theme/suite continues, here developing into a futuristic smorgasbord of synthetics and odd associates (Moog, sitar, electric guitars, reverb saxophones) over hypnotic drum and bass (though still more proggy than Kosmische/Krautrock). I like the slow and insidious build up of tension and volume over the course of the entire six and a half minutes. (9/10)

Side Two (The "French" Side):

5. "Solitude" (4:07) Side Two starts with a SATIE-like piano piece that is supported by some synth and bass. Obviously we're finished with the single-flow theme that was Side One. Pretty and filled with mystery and uncertainty, even frailty, it's a beautiful piece that serves well as a transitional bridge. (9.333/10)

6. "Tango-bourgeoise" (2:47) an odd piece--like something from Kitaro or Tomita in which the band attempts to render some classical piece via electronics. (8.667/10) 7. "Bellevue" (3:20) more silliness made possible through the use of electronics. Nice funk-rock rhythm track. Inspired by the musical explorations of Jean Michel Jarre? (8.75/10)

8. "Valse du soir" (1:55) accordion music! (Or have I been duped into believing that a synthesizer-generated sound is an accordion?!) I love this type of music (as well as the accordion) but should I be impressed or perturbed that this sits pretty on a supposed-Jazz-Rock Fusion (or progressive rock) album? I guess Yes' seminal Fragile album gave rock artists a lot of license, grace, and leeway. (9/10)

9. "Outro" (5:06) back to the hard-driving ELOY-like space rock. Awesome foundation from the rhythm section--as well as awesome play from them--especially Jess Staehr and Ole Streenberg. The interwoven synths, guitar, and sax solos are nice, too. (9/10)

Total Time 36:37

The least Jazz-Rock Fusion of this band's supposed Fusion output. I've read that the band was literally recording the material for this album at the same time as that for Krakenhaus--sometimes splitting their days and nights between the two! Perhaps that is how/why this album comes across as

B+/four stars; an excellent display of two-sided split personalities: the Germanic Space/Psychedelic Prog of Side One and the ambiguous Gallic themes of Side Two. Definitely recommended to all prog lovers.

There is a new band out of South America, with ties to a couple of other wonderful artists. The new band is Chercán and the drummer was in both La Desooorden and Homínido. Both of these bands offered a wonderful RIO / rock setting, and coming from primarily, Chile, I believe.

Upon listening to this new project, and album, Chercán offers a similar sound, but modern and a bit heavier. Still the traditional format rock band, with saxophone, but this is something VERY special.

The overall sound is quite mature,and very complex, yet remaining completely accessible. Still there is that RIO influence, but this has a lot of heavier, modern rock feel to it. The vocals are sung in their native language, and perfectly fits the music. I basically no longer give 5 stars anymore, BUT! This is 5 star music and deserves the recognition of the highest order.

Bravo, Chercán , Bravo indeed!

It is fair to say that the most unfairly overlooked Black Sabbath album from the seventies is 'Never Say Die!', which is of course the final album released by the classic lineup of Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler in the twentieth century, and their eighth consecutive studio offering. An interesting album by itself, 'Never Say Die!' concludes the monumental first stage of the British heavy metal progenitors' evolution, and in many ways it does so in a beautiful way. After the experimental, flowery and not-so-consistent 'Technical Ecstasy', we have a return to a more discernible heavy sound here, all while the band still dares to play around with some new ideas and experiment with new genres. Sabbath are joined by guest musician Don Airey, who handles all the pianos and keyboards on the album; and yes, much like its predecessor, this record has a lot of piano playing.

Unlike the group's preceding studio album, 'Never Say Die!' has stronger riffs and a more compelling, guitar-driven sound, topped by the really solid vocal performance of Ozzy. Some of the heavier numbers on here and really effective and the pop-sided experiments of preceding releases are neglected for the sake of a harder, punchier sound, and yet this release has several weak spots, which have necessarily contributed to it being seen as patchy and inconsistent over the years. The title track comes first here and is a more standard hard-rocking number with a lot of commercial potential (maybe Sabbath were indeed trying to land a hit song), while their more sophisticated and exciting writing is reserved for the following tracks 'Johnny Blade' and 'Junior's Eyes', the latter being absolutely brilliant, melancholic and richly emotive. We have a return to the progressive ambition of albums like 'Sabotage' or 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', and this is later on confirmed by the jazz-influenced 'Air Dance', a very interesting and really rewarding experiment, and the instrumental 'Breakout', both unusual Sabbath pieces but welcome on this otherwise fascinating album. Other good songs on here include 'Shock Wave' and 'Over to You', where we have a really discernible heavy metal leaning with clean, straightforward sounds and playing.

The entire album is quite good, the cover design by Hipgnosis is excellent, and while the music can get really exciting and unusual, it is true that this is far from the best-sounding Black Sabbath album, with occasional weak moments still present. As an album completely ignored by the band members and later on by many music fans, 'Never Say Die!' has been unfairly treated as the odd one out, while in reality it has several daring moments that redeem its bad reputation.

Camel's Moonmadness. This album places just below CTTE for me, the whole album is an absolute masterpiece, and if you haven't heard it yet, let this be your sign. This album has a eerie, cold, dark sound that is best enjoyed in a thematically matching room. It took me *seven* tries for this album to start to do it for me, but I kept trying to enjoy it because of how much I loved Mirage. I can say with confidence I acquired the taste. I would almost say I forced it on myself, but that's not true, I just had to wait for it to hit. Paying attention to the lyrics helped quite a bit. This is an album you will have to hear multiple times, no excuses. The synth work, guitar, and as a highly unpopular opinion, the vocals (being the best part) are absolutely impeccable. I don't want to dull my point, but this is just beautiful.

Aristillus: This is in my honest opinion, the weakest track of the album. It is completely instrumental, and the sounds don't quite match the rest of the album thematically. Despite this, it is still a very nice sounding track, and contrary to what the thematic discrepancy would have you believe, sets up for the next track well. Not much to say about such a short track. 8.5/10

Song Within A Song: This is after careful consideration, my personal favorite on the album. The vocals are really what do it for me. This is thematically my favorite song ever, you cannot beat being in a dark room with your eyes closed and listening to SWAS. The percussion rides over the slow eerie vocals, the amazing synth work and the climactic jammy instrumental part through the end make this song absolutely amazing, and the reason this is the second review I post. 10/10

Chord Change: This track will really catch you off guard. I chose not to spoil this when I showed it to my friend for the first time. He was indeed surprised. This is a groovy, almost upbeat track. After the trance that SWAS will put you through, Chord Change pulls you right out and yells at you to tap your foot. About halfway through there's a nice pace change, and overall, although not a standout track, it's very memorable, and because of it's surprise attitude in the context of the album, has almost developed a personality in my mind. One that I'm fond of at least. 9/10

Spirit of the Water: Although not particularly memorable, this track is both theme cohesive and defining, and the vocals are once again present, making for a very pretty and slow moving, cold track. another good one to listen to in the dark. I'm not sure why it's so forgettable in my mind, it doesn't really seem to be the fault of the contents of the track itself, as they're awesome even in isolation. The flute work in particular really shines through, and maintains a great sound. Unfortunately, for that lack of memorability, this track will get a small deduction. 8.7/10

Another Night: A return of SWAS like vocals pull you right into that same trance. this time it feels a little less smooth, but it's still awesome. It's actually pretty hard to criticize this track for being sudden or harsh when Chord Change gets off scot-free. I also have to admit, I absolutely love the start, where it slowly fades in, only to surprise you with that amazing riff, foreshadowed by the faded drums. The difference in the vocals from SWAS makes this track feel new and like they're using the same theme, with a new sound to keep you interested. I like it, and the slow breaks are shockingly beautiful. I strongly believe that this track has earned a high rating. 9.8/10

Air Born: This was one of the few tracks that I could tell was special in the first couple listens. It really shows off what Camel did right with the vocals on this album, and I honestly think it's haunting beauty may match SWAS. Like so much of the album, the flute pairs nicely with the synth and ambient sounds. There's really not much that can match the sound of the instruments fading out, before everything comes in at once, leading to another climactic song ending, that is melodically and thematically very pretty. 10/10

Lunar Sea: This track is another absolute banger, the synth and percussion, as well as the guitar make this track a stand out instrumentally for the atmosphere of escaping the darkness, it feels like things might warm up someday, and the bright work of all instruments make this an even more groovy track than Chord Change. Although I think they missed out on the chance to have another beautiful vocal track as the finale to such a wonderful album, it's nothing against this amazing song. 9.5/10

GOMA were a five piece band from Spain who managed to release just this one album in 1975. The title is the date the band was formed, and also the date the album was released, exactly one year later. This is an album with some different styles which is fine, but the production is not. The sound quality is lacking at times affecting my enjoyment. We get four of the guys singing lead or harmonies. And besides the usual instruments we get sax.

And that sax sounds like it was influenced by GONG around 1 1/2 minutes in on the opener, sounding quite silly. This after a guitar led start. After the sax steps aside we get another complete change as the organ leads the way. High pitched multi- vocals join in as well. More silly sax then it gets dissonant. The guitar lights it up before 6 minutes then a calm. It never does kick back in after this.

While the opener was a good track marred by some bad production, the closer which is almost the same length at over 11 1/2 minutes is just simply disappointing. Just not a lot going on for extended periods here.The opening reserved vocals and sound are boring to say the least. Going on far too long. A tough listen overall. Probably my favourite track is "Madre Tierra" and especially later when it turns heavy and the sax gets dissonant. Even the bass is on fire here. Lots of acoustic guitar on this track as well. The other middle track, also about the same length at over 8 minutes impresses more then those long opening and closing tracks.

A good album but that closer drags this down. Even if it was better this would be 3.5 stars at most. The production doesn't help in all of this. Not quite the lost classic I was hoping for.

This is my personal favorite album of all time. It's a drum that's been beat to death, but for anyone deciding whether or not to listen to this? Just give it a try. If you find a dark room, a nice pair of headphones and an open mind, this album--specifically Jon Anderson-- will sing to you. This album features amazing work from all members of the band, and each member preforms at their absolute best on this record. I know my review will get drowned out by the thousands of accompanying 5 stars "This is the best thing ever," but it really is. It is honest to god the best thing ever. Give it a shot and tell yourself what you think.

Close to the Edge: Subjectively the best song ever composed, this is actually on the shorter side for a one side epic. That length is used perfectly however. The quality of the first track cannot be overstated. No, it's not flawless, but I think it's as close as you're gonna get. This song is really what the album is all about. I think if you need cohesive lyrics to enjoy a record, this might not be for you. I think lyrics are an extremely important part of progressive rock music, but I would also argue that the lack of sensible lyrics works to this tracks advantage. Don't let the lyrics scare you away, they're no deal-breaker by any stretch of the imagination. 10/10

And You and I: And You and I has been described before as "the quintessential Yes song" by some commenter on Youtube. While it's always a good idea to take opinions on that side with a heavy helping of salt, it is to some degree really the case. This song is symphonic, beautiful, emotional, and according to my friends stepdad, a ripoff of the people who made Roundabout... brilliant opinion. In any case, this track really shines, and Anderson's usual grand and eerily beautiful vocals make this track another one of my favorites of all time. 9.5/10

Siberian Khatru: This track is really catchy, but it's not the bad kind of catchy. It's the kind of song that sticks with you because it's such a sonic joy to listen to. After the arguably lyrically significant And You and I, this track is a nice break back to the meaningless hogwash of the title track. Unlike the title track, this one really doesn't feel like it's about anything, which is a minor setback, but I don't believe this song was meant to be meaningful, so it won't take too strong a hit in my rating for that reason. 9/10

If you're familiar with the album, and considering getting it on vinyl, I highly encourage this decision. A good copy will run you about $10 at the time of writing this if you stop by a local record shop with it in stock. Even on the old paper thin 70's discs the grooves on this one track well and sound great. I highly encourage grabbing it.

An album that was recorded at Todd Rundgren and Moogy Klingman's "Secret Sound Studio," produced by Miroslav, and released by Arista Records in 1976, quite possibly in November. This was Miroslav's first record made with Arista and perhaps his first encounters with--or, at least, use of, the MiniMoog (via Todd & Moogy's in-studio equipment).

A1. "X Rated" (3:25) a catchy funk-jazz tune with some great musicianship--with the surprise inclusion of the Urszula Dudziak-like wordless vocalese coming from Israeli-born vocalist/keyboardist Rimona Francis. A great, solid song with some wonderful surprises (besides the delightful female vocalese): Lenny White's smooth yet syncopated drumming, Miroslav's funky, soloing electric bass play, the predominance of so many synth sounds, and the smooth yet not annoying sax play of Jaroslav Jakubovic. Yeah, it's Disco, but at least it's interesting--and progressive. (8.875/10) A2. "See You, November" (3:25) a gentle pop-jazz tune with wonderful conga-based music (great work from percussionist David Earl Johnson) and Jaroslav's breathy sax (double tracked--or chorused) played over some pretty extraordinary Latin Jazz bass playing and innovative synthesizer stylings from Kenny Bichel. Not only is it a mesmerizingly soothing, beautiful song, but Miroslav's bass playing is really something to behold. (9.75/10)

A3. "Majesty Music" (4:35) an edgier song that is dedicated to the late, great Duke Ellington (who passed on May 24 of 1974), this one veers more toward jazz and free jazz that has everybody kind of flying around like loose canons despite the fairly solid groove being laid down from Rimona Francis's droning string synth and Gerry Brown's (poorly recorded) drumming. Miroslav and Jaroslav seem to be having the time of their lives. Great musicianship doesn't automatically make for a great, listener friendly song--especially when there are deficiencies in the sound engineering department. (8.875/10)

A4. "New Orleans" (3:20) funky bass--coming from two different bass players, both playing at the same time! and Lenny White's wonderfully smooth and easy drumming supporting more wordless "vocalese" coming from not only Rimona but Miroslav's MiniMoog and Jaroslav's "distant" sax. Miroslav's work on heavily-effected super-funky clavinet and Fender Rhodes are also extraordinary. (9/10)

A5. "Do You, Don't You, Won't You" (3:00) a fun, disco-driving funk song that sounds like something straight out of a contemporary Michal Urbaniak album. Bowed bass, electric bass, layers of synthesizers (including bass notes/chords?), Lenny White's disco drumming, Jaroslav's three different saxophones and flute, all serve to make for a light and freeing little dance tune. The ABBA-like ending is a bit weird. (8.875/10)

B1. "Best Friends" (4:10) high-speed guitar and double bass (both coming from Miroslav) with sensitive and highly- skilled and amazingly-nuanced drums from Gerry Brown, fast-playing congas from David Earl Johnson, while Jaroslav screams out with his tenor sax as if he's some kind of John Coltrane or Pharoah Sanders. Interestingly, the song kind of smooths out--especially with regard to Jaroslav's sax play--for the final 45-seconds. Wow! Let's hear that again! Not necessarily a favorite but such an impressive display of skills and interplay! And it just keeps getting better with each listen! (9.375/10)

B2. "Streams And Fields" (3:04) two tracks of congas from David Earl Johnson with synth and bowed electric bass, Vangelis-like synth strings chord-washes, synth bass, and English boys choir-like vocalese from Rimona, and, later, sax from Jaroslav, this is really a carpeted interlude for Miroslav to play with his electronic effects on his bowed bass. But it is pretty cool! My favorite part is actually Rimona's almost-worded vocalese at the end. (8.875/10)

B3. "Folks" (4:40) Miroslav's pensive electric piano is soon joined by Jaroslav's "Funny Valentine" melody from his alto sax as Miroslav adds some synth strings and, finally, some double bass. But that's just the intro: at 1:20 piano and drums (courtesy of Bobby Goldman) and congas establish a comfortably-paced convertible-cruisin' groove within which the piano and Rimona's uncredited vocalese present melodies before Jaroslav's delay/echoed alto sax enters to finish off the radio-friendly smooth groove. Nice tune. (8.875/10)

B4. "Mount Shasta (Part II)" (3:57) electronic animal and space sounds and Flintstones-like Beatnick drums and congas reads: Star Wars Cantina (though it also reads Michal Urbaniak and Herbie Hancock). Jaroslav's echoed baritone sax gets an increase on its volume in the second half of the second minute, making it the lead animal in the stampede. (8.75/10)

B5. "Requiem For My Mother" (5:04) like a musical ode for a sunrise or sunset, synth strings chords, bass notes, plaintive salivay sax, and piano make this song quite gentle, respectful, and contemplative if not as emotional as I'd expected (from the title). (8.875/10)

Total time: 38:40

An album of very solid, consistent, mature and adventurous compositions of which two stand out head and shoulders above the rest. I love hearing Miroslav branching out: trying more instruments, incorporating more synths and electronic effects, while also showing how he is mastering the Latin and funk styles.

A-/five stars; a full-fledged minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion. Miroslav is moving forward: toward the funk and electronic--and it's working!

Another new discovery, this time from Brazil, band of brothers who have come up with a rather exquisite album. What makes this album particularly beguiling is the fact that there are only five monster tracks, ranging from 23 minutes to 12 and a half. The two brothers is question are actually father and son Gabriel D'Incao (keyboards, synths) and paternal guitarist Pedro D'Incao adding a solid rhythm section (it's always percussive in Brazil) of bassist Fernando Lima and Humberto Zigler on drums. The vocal department consists of Roger Lopes and Kim Chandler on backing vocals. The band explores the distances between silence and sound, diving deeply into the subconscious with organic soundscapes verging on ambient, in essence travelling to the extremes in search of some new definition of progressive music. Needless to state, these musicians do not need to be rushed or forced to hit one between the eyes, believing that anticipation is the greatest form of pleasure.

"Cyclical Night" is the shortest track here, yet it unfolds like a serene staircase that perhaps leads to heaven or maybe even hell, it depends how upside down one may feel. Venturing out from the gate in overtly natural surroundings, the build-up finally arrives at a confluence of intervening sonorities that reek of classic prog rock, such as the harsh guitar slashes, relayed by pounding bass and drum activity, strident synthesizer revolutions and Roger's grave intonations, that can even verge on rage. As the mood settles, Pedro peels of a glittering lead guitar solo, all shimmer and shine, a solitary light glowing in the obscurity, a beacon of a hope that leads one back to the starting point, a comfort of roads already travelled. Gabriel, in fine harmony with his bro, attacks the synth with another simmering solo, just in case. The dense breathing-like atmospherics also waver between hope and dread on "Digital Coma", an apocalyptic digression that is unafraid of tackling the modern-day psychosis of being hooked online, self-bombarded with endless and often useless data, that ultimately hides the fact that the algorithms are spying on you. All it takes is a click, a password and your soul has been sold. Thank you Lucifer.com, Mephistoles.org and Satan.net! The initial industrial foray is hugely experimental, neurotic if not outright chaotic, a soundtrack for a dysfunctional machine that wants to 'put you in a coma with some dirty love' (as Zappa once famously said). Halfway through, pleasant music appears, as if in counterpoint to all the previous confusion, a despondent voice skirting over the serene arrangements, fighting off the apathy and searching for salvation. Like a mechanical version of a welcome to the machine that yearns for some melodic harmony, the piece dives headfirst into sheer beauty, expressed with bombastic exultation and natural rebellion. The sizzling pace gets ratcheted up with some brutal background swells of raging noise, thunderous bass and drum detonations exploding with impunity, as the electronic keyboard undertow suggests some kind of bravery and fight. The finale is sumptuous both emotionally and sonically, this is Modern prog at its finest, daring to span noise and harmony with focused attention, as backing vocalist Kim Chandler does some spirited wailing as if awakening from what seemed like eternal torpor.

The epic nearly 24 minutes of "Violeta's Dream" constitutes the core of this masterwork, an exercise in undisputable restraint, not shying from overt sonic innovation, firm in its inherent originality, and even daring to boldly travel beyond the mundane. As rest meets calm and as peace encounters sleep, eventually the reverie has taken hold, the magic can begin. As biological as experimental music can be, the sounds seek both entrance and embalm, creating that comfort bubble in which only inspiration can be found. Pedro settles into a guitar phrasing that finally attains its goal, exploding into an apotheosis of sound, evocative of early King Crimson, with mellotrons ablaze in rapturous bliss, Roger offering a forlorn voice, and Kim a moody counterpoint. Whatever digital coma you may have been jailed in, freedom now clearly has taken over, free at last to wander the drawers of the mind, where long buried memories, furtive glances, and urgent musical notes await the hungry heart. Gabriel rips off a synth solo that just slays all the inner dragons. Flute patches astound, gentle drum fills rebound, and the whole arrangement steadfastly yearns for a new passage to a promised land. Meeting unexpected resistance, the greying riffs become dark with envious fury, a developing mind storm that can often lead to a gruesome nightmare. It grows into a heavy tempest eventually, making the Bible Black starless. The glaring void reverts to eventual confusion and then silence, back to the beginning and another day at the office. Spectacularly ballsy.

Echoing piano gracefully adorns the redolent "Blue", an alternate method yet same goal: to entrance, charm and subdue any negative after thought that may linger in one's psyche. The bass guitar gathers in the musicians for a hugging huddle, pondering the next move, offering up an almost alternative 80s sound with the deadpan voice and just when you have this pegged, a wild synth rages into the forefront, the bass louder and nastier, like a serpent ready to bite. Definitely the most 'accessible' track here, its azure effusiveness is highly attractive until it detonates into venomous irrationality on the guitar front. The stop and start methodology is flawlessly suited to confuse, stun and then formulate a gothic-like cathedral setting, where the colossal melody can take root and extol its rich virtues on both the believers and the rebellious lot. A spotlight is suddenly aimed at Gabriel's piano, doing a modern-day version of a Liszt etude, all technique and emotion, passive/aggressive in its details. The extended time allotted for him to shine on the ivories comes as a most welcome addition to the ongoing evolution of this piece.

The final epic "Voice of God" has a width of 17 minutes minus a few seconds and concludes the proceedings on another jubilant creation. With its bombastic and overarching symphonics, as well as the insertion of aria vocalizing from Chandler that verges on screaming (hello Clare Torry), the divine piano once again sets up Roger's impassioned vocal delivery. The arrangement gets a heavy-jazz treatment, with assorted tonal complexities that redefine avant-garde, an intensity settles into the confessional, as the higher authority seeks to exert as much dominion as possible, in order to provide ensuing redemption. Naturally, the mood relapses into reverential contemplation, with introspective piano musings that collide with overarching orchestrations. The adamant voice echoes as it fades into the celestial realms, the lead guitar bidding farewell, a final act of absolution. Kim Chandler does her operatic acrobat bit to perfection, soaring mightily into the stars. What a voyage this has been.

Maybe not the absolute best album of 2025, but definitely, without question, the most surprising discovery of the year, by a longshot. The level of creativity displayed here already could put many bands to shame, a consistently evolving creature of compositional extravagance that is defiant and bold. It's a long album that will reward the adventurous listener over, and over, and over?.

5 submersible commotions

There are several alternate editions of this album that include a wide number of different songs that were not present on the original Midnight Sun release. Normally, I ignore these later and alternate versions and go for the original only, but, having happened upon a recording that included the awesome songs, "The Chinese," and the use of English titles for "Kulan," "Jordbruksmaskinen," "Fillins Mignon," and "Vindarnas Madrass" ("Marbles," "Harvest Machine," "Fillet Mignon," and "Air Mattress," respectively) as well as a mess of additional songs that turn out to come from his 1974 release, Janne Schaffer's Andra, I balked! As alluded to above, the problem is that I like them all! But, I will try to do my best to sort through the difficulties.

1. "Halkans Affär (4:20) a song that feels grounded in some of the great blues-rock/rock 'n' roll chords, riffs, and hooks of the 1960s--Allman Brothers, Buffalo Springfield, early Thin Lizzy, even Paul Revere And The Raiders, etc.--but it's Janne and Bengt's guitar play that are the featured meal here. (As twin guitars is the key feature overall--often harmonizing with each other--I guess it would be appropriate to cite this as a link between The Allman Brothers and Thin Lizzy.) (9/10)

2. "No Registration (6:10) a Larry Coryell-like exercise turns down a few side streets, e.g. with some amped up Ray Manzarek "Riders in the Storm" electric piano, some funky-chunky electric jazz bass, and some great delicate and power-chord electric guitar play (from both guitarists). It's great listening--greatly entertaining and engaging--but, again, it's barely touching that which I consider to be Jazz-Rock Fusion. Still, I like it! Very much! (9.25/10) 3. "Kulan (Marbles)" (4:57) an acoustic start with an Indian feel due to the droning sound coming from Stefan Brolund's bowed double bass, at the end of the first minute the guitar, soft electric piano, and Danny Thompson-like double bass begin rendering something that is more akin to something by THE PENTANGLE or some American artist: there is a sound and feel like an American Western mental-spiritual, mind-wandering balm or desert dream--Janne's solo on the acoustic guitar sounding and feeling like one particular member of AMERICA's guitar sound and style (or perhaps it's how the guitar was miked and recorded). Björn J:Son Lindh's Ray Manzarek electric piano chords and riffs shimmering in the left channel. Beautiful tune! (9.25/10)

4. "Titus" (3:46) electric guitar, bass, drums, tabla (!), and two tracks given to Björn J:Son Lindh's gorgeous flute play make for a very beautiful and interesting folk-tinged Smooth Jazz tune. Janne and company keep hitting it out of the park! (9.25/10) . 5. "Jordbruksmaskinen (Harvest Machine)" (8:10) this song defintely opens with 75 seconds of space music that sounds exactly like something the American jazz-fusion artists who were venturing into experimentations with the new synthesizers and their vast array of artificial sounds in the early 1970s (Herbie Hancock and Lenny White, thanks to Dr. Pat Gleeson, as well as Larry Coryell, Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Zawinul, and Jan Hammer.) But then, at 1:20, the electric guitars and bass interrupt with some jarring power chords that make me think more of some of the early pioneers of "Heavy Metal" music (like Led Zeppelin) and Jeff Beck. But then there is a launch into a jazzy rock guitar Eric Clapton/Jimi Hendrix/Randy California-like passage--which is then quickly interrupted by an odd little "interlude" before coming back with more of an aggressive Larry Coryell funk orientation so that guest Jan Bandel can solo on his vibraphone alongside Björn J:Son Lindh's electric piano while the guitarists play some awesome rhythm funk guitar. In the sixth minute there is another "interlude" slow down into sort-of-spacey music before the band restarts the funk- anchored blues-rock lead wah-wah guitar shredding. The musicianship and sound throughout this is awesome; it's just not my favorite style of rock or fusion. (13.625/15)

6. "Daniel Sover" (0:35) a beautiful little strings trio with Janne, Bengt and Stefan playing all acoustic instruments. (4.5/5)

7. "Did You Ever Love a Woman" (4:42) B.B. King?! It even sounds like B.B singing but that is, no doubt, Janne on electric guitar. Was this like a recording of Janne playing over the top of B.B.'s own recording--like an early Karaoke experience--or maybe Janne's whole band playing over/with B.B.? The horns are all attributed to Swedish musicians-- and the vocal is credited to "Blues singer" Slim Notini, so I guess this really is a re-do/cover! But, still I'm confused! (9/10)

8. "Fillins Mignon (Fillet Mignon)" (3:17) opens just like a Led Zeppelin, Cream, or Joe Walsh song. The twin guitar play and interplay is awesome--especially in the beautiful second minute when one peals off to lead and the other lays back to provide rhythm support--and then they reverse their roles while switching their style and sound like Dr. Jekyll turning into Mr. Hyde (or Jan Akkerman turning into Joe Walsh). (8.75/10)

9. "Vindarnas Madrass (Air Mattress)" (3:34) a jazzy stop-and-go exercise in jerky syncopation being blended, alternatingly, with gentle folk and aggressive hard rock elements. Such creative vision! I just love the superb manifestations of such fresh and innovative ideas! Flutes, vibraphone, congas, funky bass, and, of course, a wide variety of guitar sounds and styles. Awesome! (9.125/10)

Bonus: "The Chinese" (3:18) (alternative on some issues to "Did You Ever Love a Woman") Definitely coming from the rock background and compositional perspective, this song feels like something from one of rock's early melodic geniuses. Great groove with some great riffs to hook the listener in--and the interesting skills flourishes and creative guitar sound production to keep him engaged. (9.25/10)

Total Time 39:31

I guess it's the finesse of the guitarist and the occasional jazziness of Stefan Brolund's electric bass that make people want to categorize this music under the Jazz-Rock Fusion umbrella, but, like a lot of Jeff Beck, this is less Jazz, more rock (and blues-rock), but, yes, there are occasional Larry Coryell-like flashes of brilliance, otherwise it's more like advancing rock 'n' roll--or rock 'n' roll infused with jazzy ideas and techniques.

I do, however, want to give high praise to the amazing sound production, amazing bass creativity of Stefan Brolund, awesome skill and diversity of "second fiddle" guitarist Bengt Karlsson (and Björn J:Son Lindh's flute play!), as well as the solid drumming of Ola Brunkert. Well done, Boys!

A-/five stars; an awesome collection of well-polished and highly-creative songs--a minor masterpiece!--just not sure this belongs in the Jazz-Rock Fusion category. Still, it is a wonderful album that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND for any lover of masterful, creative, eclectic prog-related song crafting and whole-band musicianship--and great sound!

Interestingly, Janne did contribute to a number of certifiable Jazz-Rock Fusion albums in the 1970s, most notably the brilliant Ablution one-off, two Pop Workshop albums, a couple Gabor Szabo, Rune Gustafsson, Putte Wickman, and Mads Vinding Group albums, as well as, later, a couple of prog rock band Isuldur's Bane's albums near the turn of the century, but he (and several of his band mates on this album) may be most famous for their contributions as the studio and live band to Sweden's international pop sensation, ABBA.

I really loved the album. I listened to it with a nice drink, and the music created a truly immersive atmosphere ? one that felt dreamlike and profound. I'm particularly fond of how the music reflects on the theme of time as an inner dimension, something deeply personal and emotional rather than linear. Each track unfolds organically in the "lapse of time" of the album, allowing space for introspection, and the interplay between the instruments and vocals feels thoughtful. You can notice echoes of classic progressive rock ? Genesis in particular ? mixed with an individuality that make this album stand as an interesting addition to the contemporary prog scene. Overall an engulfing meditative experience delivered through music.

This is a curious beast. Even though all the music we see and hear seems to have been recorded in a single day (June 21st, 1974), and even if the gig mostly seems continuous (apart from a few stops and starts), the program seems to have been cobbled together by Ahmet Zappa (who is credited as 'director') from a wide variety of takes, as the original recording circumstances were far from ideal. Nevertheless, the playing usually sounds perfectly smooth to me; I certainly didn't spot any mistakes, except perhaps in one of the greatest Zappa instrumentals of all time: 'Echidna's Arf (of You)', which is included ALMOST completely (but only on the blu-ray, not on CD) and which breaks off abruptly. (What a shame it couldn't have been included on the CDs as well, as total performance time is now considerably less than two hours.)

So what's the music like and do you really need it? If I'm not mistaken, all the crucial bits can already be found - in similar versions - in THE ROXY PERFORMANCES, A TOKEN OF HIS EXTREME and YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE VOL. 2, all of which are seminal Zappa albums, in my opinion. If you're a Zappa newbie, I'd advise you to first explore ROXY AND ELSEWHERE or ROXY BY PROXY (both of which are devoted to much of the same material), and once you've fallen in love with those, you might start considering CHEAPER THAN CHEEP.

If, on the other hand, you're already a devoted admirer of the 1973-1974 band that had George Duke (keyboards and vocals), Napoleon Murphy Brock (tenor sax, flute and vocals), Tom Fowler (bass), Chester Thompson (drums) and Ruth Underwood (percussion) in it, you won't want to miss this - and in addition to the aforementioned you also get Jeff Simmons on guitar and vocals. (Not to mention FZ on lead guitar and vocals, of course.) Everyone involved seems to be enjoying the occasion, although I have to point out that in some of the songs (notably 'Cosmic Debris', 'Montana' and 'Penguin in Bondage'), Frank's singing seems a little 'detached': he doesn't seem to be savouring the lyrics as much as during THE ROXY PERFORMANCES.

The video quality may not be the best (typical 1970s TV-show material, I'd say) and for some reason Zappa has chosen a backdrop of kitchen foil, just like we got in ROXY: THE MOVIE, but the sound on the CDs is superb. You can clearly distinguish every single player, and I found it a delight to hear one of the greatest prog ensembles of all time making their way once again through such superb material as 'RDNZL', 'T'Mershi Duween' and 'Dupree's Paradise'. George Duke's improvised solos on synth and electric piano are magnificent, confirming that he's right up there in the Prog Pantheon with Tony Banks, Chick Corea and Patrick Moraz; Napoleon Murphy Brock never sounded better on sax and flute, and I enjoyed his singing too, even on 1960s Mothers tracks like 'Let's Make the Water Turn Black'. (I could have done without his version of 'How Could I Be Such a Fool', though.) All the other members of the band sound glorious to my ears, and what's more: Frank's lead guitar is very lively and well recorded, it has a special twang to it, and Frank plays with abandon - especially in the second half of the concert.

One final remark: where I live, CHEAPER THAN CHEEP did not exactly come cheap, you have to fork out a lot of money for it, which makes me feel a little cheated, especially since most or all of the material is freely up on YouTube and heaven knows what other channels anyway. Let's just say I'm happy to support to Zappa Family Trust - or whoever currently owns the rights to FZ's oeuvre - especially if they keep coming up with fascinating material like this.

— First review of this album —

Diverse Post Rock Blend

An unusual entry at ProgArchives that has evolved from Neo-Prog to Post Rock with elements of electronica and pop. It almost sounds more like Crossover or Post Rock to me than Neo-Prog, but I've never heard the earlier work from which I assume the band was considered. While my first reaction to them was the confusion that I've alluded to, I actually came to quite thoroughly enjoy this album. There is a lot happening and the net result is a diversity that is quite enjoyable. While a portion of the album exists in the Post Rock realms of rather relaxed rock that flows along building up and ramping down, there are exceptions and twists. The first I noticed was "Daft Nerd" which has this really great descending keyboard run that instantly recalled '80s synth-pop hits for me, stuff like Thompson Twins or Soft Cell. It's completely catchy and will have you boppin' along. The second half of the album takes a darker and more complex turn. The final three tracks in particular seem to be almost homage to Radiohead with somber tones and excellent use of synths, acoustic guitars, and indeed heartfelt vocals. This is a good album that deserves some attention from Post Rock, Crossover, and art rock fans in general.

Rebirth is an instrumental message of hope, love, and renewal, divided into 10 parts. It began between 2003 and 2004 but reached its climax in April/May 2022 due to the war in Ukraine and the forced exit of Antony Kalugin (Karfagen / Solo / Sunchild / Hoggwash) and his family to Poland. This incredible work begins with the title track, REBIRTH. With its futuristic atmosphere, thanks to Mr. Kalugin's keyboards, it invites us to imagine lands of a near future (without wars), completed by the amazing guitar of Max Velychko. Next comes PLANETS, reminiscent of Mike Oldfield's style. The song takes us on a space journey, imagining whether we can live on other lands/planets. It's an experience filled with traveling harmonies between keyboards and guitars. DAYS OF JOY is a cheerful and unpretentious song, breaking the more introspective mood a bit, yet still remaining a beautiful composition. "Joy Is In The Air" ? this is the essence we long for in a rebirth. In WHITE CASTLE, we are greeted by an angelic, serene, and bucolic atmosphere. Its acoustic guitar introduction followed by keyboards brings to mind an image of a land free from wars. As the song "grows," the instrumentation shifts into an oriental melody (perhaps arriving at the TAJ MAHAL?). Changing the dynamic, SOLSTICE has a more festive feel, like a celebration of the good fruits of a harvest. A blessed land. Returning to Mr. Oldfield's influence, NIGHT VISIONS seems to describe the admiration and awe that the images of a sky full of stars brings to us, human beings, and once again evoking a sense of peace. Then comes SKY LINES, which transports us to medieval times with its minstrel-like guitar touch, taking us to a festival within a castle after a wonderful night. We reach BROKEN PROMISES, the eighth track of this fantastic work, with a sadder tone, suggesting frustration or disappointment over spoken words and, as the title suggests, broken promises. In NIGHTS OF WONDER, we find a mysterious and joyful mood, with some passages evoking a Christmas-like atmosphere (nothing more joyful than Christmas), suggesting a time without wars. A unique moment of peace. And finally (what a pity it ends!), we arrive at COMING HOME, marked by Mr. Velychko's incisive guitar, in a rhythm of victory and the triumph of reclaiming the beloved homeland?reborn, after the war, recharged, and beautiful!

REBIRTH is musical poetry expressing the desire for the madness of war to end and to return home, to the beloved homeland. Congratulations to Antony Kalugin and Max Velychko for this sensational instrumental masterpiece. And congratulations also to Igor Sokolskiy for the beautiful illustrations made especially for the CD.

Having met Massimo in Rome a few years ago, I was immediately taken by his resolute focus on his craft, a clear musical vision and the willpower to make it happen. He is definitely a doer and not just a thinker, as purpose and creativity that propel him constantly forward. His debut was met by critical acclaim and last year's live album garnered even more attention. But now comes crunch time, as "The Next Dream" is exactly what the title implies. Julius Caesar may have worn a crown of laurels, but Massimo does not rest on his, getting a wide variety of local and international collaborators to help him with his new endeavour. Moon Letters singer Michael Trew is here, as well as Laura Piazzai, Dominic Sanderson, Kate Nord and Germana Noage along with magical super-lung vocalist Claudio Milano, guitarists Jean-Luc Payssan (Minimum Vital), Peter Matuchniak and Nick Fletcher, saxophonist Rob Townsend and John Hackett whose bloodlines need no introduction, and drum maestro Mattias Olsson are helping Maria Chiara Rocchegiani, Lorenzo Cortoni, Amy Breathe and Marco Ragni (vocals), guitarists Roberto Falcinelli and Luigi Pistillo, Mirko Rovina (percussion), Marco Lo Muscio on church organ, violinist Lisa Green, and cellists Mauro Cipriani and Gianni Pieri to fill out the EXTENSIVE cast. Eleven tracks, some of which were previously released as singles, videos and teasers, are gathered together to solidify the scope of the album. Releasing new material first live and then studio, now that is cool!

"Come Heavy Sleep" arrives as a celestial aria (Rocchegiani) , setting the tone for the musical theater that we are about to witness, Massimo showing his neo-classical/symphonic background to perfection. Both John Hackett's flute and Rob Townsend on sax decorate the arrangement with a very British flair, an adaptation of the Renaissance composer John Dowland fine piece of the same name. What a colossal beginning !

The two part "Creatures of the Night" suite offers the listener a wider and deeper canvas of emotional attraction. Lead vocalist Germana Noage really lays into her expertise with an overwhelming demonstration of control and tone, proclaiming all the lavish rudiments essential to be irrefutable. Decorate that with some tasty Cozzetto fretwork and you've got one hell of a track to linger on. Two colossal tracks form the stuffing of the 4-song suite ,"Get in Line" is an absolute stunner, and it features one of my current pet musicians, namely Warr guitar master Mark Cook, who can do no wrong in my book. I won't dilly dally here, this is perhaps the finest track Massimo has ever composed, as it supplies a complete package of bliss, the vocal duet of Marco Ragni and the already applauded Germana is off the charts dazzling, the orchestrations sensually a propos, an arching bass swirl and the twirling lead guitar finale are both heart stopping. Massimo carved a melody to match, and the end result is celestial. "The Chinese Witch" shows Massimo stretching the progressive level to loftier heights, a tour de force of creativity, concentrating particularly on the vocal harmonics side of arranging, that never wavers along its 7 minute + flight time. Opulent piano settles the foundation on which the female voices (Nord and Rocchegiani) get to build up the melodic tension, telling a story that incorporates a Chinese folk song. It flows majestically along, increasing symphonics elevating the pomp, a vocal operatic masterpiece of the highest order. A perfect and marvelous follow-up to the previous revelry. "I Dreamed of Flying" suggests a gentler approach to eventually finishing off the night. This is a uniquely precious piece, initially a duet with piano and voices (Trew and Breathe) , augmented with some orchestrations. a tune of delicate fragility that cracks open like an eggshell, bursting with excited resonance. An acoustic version will finish off the album later on. The spookier second part of "Creatures of the Night" is a huge highpoint, as the twin guitarists get to let their strings do the singing within a distinctly urban temperament that is quite perceptible, just like when the sun sets and the night crawlers emerge out of their lairs, you just know that there is going to be adventure of some kind to behold. Its raunchier material comes as a most welcome heightening of all the amassed tension. Imaginaerium's Laura Piazzai (another current flavor of mine) belts out her notes like a rocking opera diva, full of power and passion, taking no prisoners. Supremely gifted Nick Fletcher showcases his guitar skills, adding fuel to the vocal fire, bass rumble (Allen), and violin(Green) screech not withstanding.

Just like at the Scala in Milan, the intermission brings down the crimson velvet curtain, time to redecorate the stage and let the audience refresh themselves before tackling the next section.

Just like Massimo to keep the pedal on the accelerator (he drove me around Rome a few years ago, and I was well strapped in because he drives, well, ?like a Roman =pazzo). On the utterly lyrical "Alone", the American duo of Cook and Matuchniak nevertheless match the theme with instrumental prowess of the highest quality. Solitude in an ocean of humanity can be quite the hard pill to swallow.

Michael Trew takes the microphone eagerly on "The First Time We Met", a genuine recollection of those wonderful first impressions that can never be forgotten, the voice smooth as silk, as if hushed in hallowed respect. Perhaps the most accessible song on the set list but, it's just perfecto! Lest we forget, Italy has an ingredient found in all of their cuisine that consolidates its reputation : amore. The romantic in me is fulfilled. A superb song with scintillating piano work, in particular . Grazie maestro!

The longest piece here is the title track, "The Next Dream" and it features Dominic Sanderson, prog's new wunderkind by all accounts, on both intense and despondent lead vocals, sharing the duties with Kate Nord, who can also belt out with the best of them, in a gigantic section of music that travels through various sonic regions, from the romantic and adventurous to the tumult of big city angst and bombast. Cook shows up again with his stringed monster, supported by the legendary Mattias Olsson on the drum kit, they both steal the show instrumentally, with a delirious performance, and a torrent of blistering notes and fills.

Showing the impressive ability to concentrate on of prog's most well documented weaknesses, the vocals on this album are perhaps some of the finest anywhere in 2025. Expertly composed, arranged, produced and delivered by Massimo Pieretti, it is fair now to boldly state, that you have arrived , amico mio! Capolavoro!

5 subsequent visions

Recorded in Stockholm 5-11 August of 1974 at Marcus Music AB and produced there by Måns Groundstroem but not released by Love Records until December.

1. "Aurora Borealis" (12:56) a very unusual sound and stylistic palette for a song dedicated to an atmospheric phenomenon. (I just would have never conjured up a borderline-funk-jazz-rock tune to do the deed.) Jukka is climbing further into the jazz-rock lexicon for his musical expression with even greater commitment to jazzy horns and the latest funky-jazz technologies in electronic keyboards. The second movement of the suite is quite cool, starting out in the second minute of the tune, it tests out the infusion of new synth sounds and low-end horn arrangements within his piano-and-bass jazz-rock mainline. Then there is a brief return to the first movement followed by another go round the second motif that lasts until the end of the fourth minute before the music seems to devolve and fall apart, but, no! This is just a clever "bridge" into the third movement, which starts at about the 4:50 mark: it is two-chord vamp in which even more new funky techniques and new synth sounds (one that is a bit familiar to all lovers of Kool And The Gang's "Summer Madness"). This movement is even a step higher in terms of listener enjoyment, thanks to the great synth play of Esa Kotilainen and amazing space-sax play of Jan Kling on tenor sax and the perfect support from Jukka's piano, Heikki Virtanen's awesome bass play, and Esko Rosnell's very cool drumming and percussion work. Even when this motif switches into a funkier variation with Heikki's ramped up bass play and Jukka's excellent rock guitar with Esa Kotilianen's clavinet joining Jukka's piano it remains at such a high level of musicianship and engageability. I love songs like this in which it just keeps getting better and better the further you go. Though I don't like the title (it doesn't feel fitting to me) I love this song--especially those last two movements! (23.5/25)

2. "Starfish" (6:17) a very full rendering of this audience-pleasing composition with a full-scale horn section arrangement, jazz rhythm guitar, and multiple variations on a very catchy melody establishing a very sophisticated multi-layered orchestra-like composition that reminds me quite often of the perspective that composers like Bill Conti (Rocky OST) and Burt Bacharach. (10/10)

3. "The Sea" (8:22) another amazingly rich, mature, multi-layered orchestra-sounding song that sound like an all-time favorite Adult Contemporary hit from a French romantic film soundtrack. That two-chord piano riff! (As if stolen from Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Hart, and Bobby Weinstein's song "Hurt's So Bad" which became such a big hit for Little Anthony And The Imperials in 1965 and Linda Ronstadt in 1980.) If I didn't know better, I'd say that young Jukka is destined for greatness as a composer for orchestral music--or even as a orchestra conductor. Absolute beauty and awesomeness! (19.5/20) 4. "The Hook" (8:36) now we get a big-band sounding R&B motif--with accordion and all the horns (including the low end pulsing bass ones)--and some great guitar work, acoustically, rhythmically (both acoustically and electrically--with wah-wah), and in the lead tracks. Is Jukka trying to go for the Billy Cobham/Herbie Hancock kind of iconic bass- anchored stuff of Spectrum and Head Hunters with a little Also Sprach Zarathustra thrown in there for good measure? This is definitely a pretty radical shift from the previous three songs, though Jukka continues the masterful display of thinking of songs as lush tapestries of multiple threads of sophisticated and melodic particles and waves all woven together into an awesome work of art. (18.25/20)

5. "Together" (3:15) a return to simple, gentility, though with the time and key shifts to denote masterful songwriting skill: a duet with hissself between his piano and his Roy Buchanan-sensitive skillful guitar play. Nice finish to a great album. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:26

As stated above: I think this might be the breakout album that proves Jukka's extraordinary talent for sophisticated orchestral-level arrangements.

94.12 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a full masterpiece of amazingly layered compositions rendered beautifully by Måns Groundstroem for the world to cherish and uphold for all time! One of my favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion albums I've heard from the Scandinavian worlds--maybe even one of my favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion albums of all-time! Certainly one of the most unique and creative!

Another shot at this new Jazz-Rock Fusion thing from this supergroup of Danes, the material for the album was recorded July 4-7, 1974, and mixed September 16-19, 1974, all at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen, but then released from Holland on Cramps Records.

1. "Oysterjungle" (2:57) a very cool song that moves from jazz-rock to cool space funk to space prog and then back into fusion with the addition of orchestral elements. This reminds me a lot of the sound and mood of Klaus Doldinger music at this same time: the sound engineering is really excellent! (10/10)

2. "Mind Movie" (9:14) bluesy guitar over Bach-like electric piano and clavinet arpeggios and weird Moog and/or organ sounds. Definitely cinematic while also presenting a kind of Jimi Hendrix/Eric Clapton/George Harrison-like bluesy wah-wah electric guitar thing from Claus Bøhling as the lead (though it is cleverly mixed within the sonosphere). Cool music and great guitar play from Claus. Though Claus's guitar solo ends up being no more than a modernized rendition of George Harrison's "My Guitar Gently Weeps," this is still a song that could/should stand up beside anything in the pantheon of iconic blues-rock guitar songs. (18.875/20)

3. "Pijamamafia" (6:07) after a surprisingly long and meandering intro (two minutes), a song with whole-band form finally does emerge from the mass of molten Earth elements: one that gives us an interesting take of both funk and jazz. To me this sounds like a populated forest of small animals running crazily willy-nilly among the undergrowth as a few small predators (think foxes if you like) run amuck this way and that with the crazed sense of urgency governed by their hungry little bellies. (8.75/10)

4. "Black Mist" (3:40) another sophisticated and highly creative rock-leaning motif that supports some nice sax and guitar soloing but really presents a very team-focused expression of macho control. (9/10)

5. "Painforest" (5:40) another intricately constructed song that has serious cinematic potential--not unlike the music of German Kosmische Musikians POPOL VUH. Nice--I like the intricacies and subtleties--but, in the end, it's really nothing much to write home about. (8.875/10)

6. "Paella" (8:23) another foray across the border into the realm of the Krautrockers--even venturing to the mesmerizing walls of the Berlin School of Electronic Music--then veering off into the territory of early Vangelis. Interesting! (17.5/20)

Total Time 36:01

The music on this one, despite sounding incredible (great job Cramps Records and Rosenberg Studios!), turns out to move from solid, melodic Jazz-Rock Fusion into cinematic Krautrock.

A-/five stars; an excellent collection of well-constructed, performed, and engineered songs straddling a fence between Jazz-Rock Fusion and Kosmische Musik. (Taking in the songs of bonus material that was left off the original vinyl release one might be more inclined to place this album in the Krautrock bin.)

Recorded in March of 1973 (5th through 10th) and then released in June by MPS (advertised as "Most Perfect Sound" but actually an acronym for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" [due to its location in Villingen], Germany's premier producer of jazz music--comparable to the USA's Blue Note label). Despite band leader and chief composer Volker Kriegel's name atop the marquee, the album turns out to be a collaborative effort between an international lineup of superstars, with representatives from the UK, Poland, and Germany.

1. "Lift!" (6:54) a mellow song to open the album leaves me curious about Volker's intentions here in 1973. There are some elements of this countrified song that feel inspired by some of the other softer Jazz-Rock Fusion masterpieces already floating around in the Jazz-Rock Fusion world--most specifically those of Chris Hinze and Michal Urbaniak. Nice melody expressed by Zbigniew Seifert at the end of the second minute before giving way to Volker's acoustic guitar solo. There is also a spirit of American jam band in this song--like something from the Grateful Dead or the Allman Brothers, even the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, but mostly Michal Urbaniak (minus Ula's vocalese). The band speeds up the tempo for the closing as the song is faded out as if through a building's air ventilation pipe system. (13.25/15)

2. "Three Or Two In One" (6:07) bearing some melodic similarities to some of the smoother songs of the early J-R F masterpieces: like Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Michal Urbaniak, Caravan, and Hatfield and The North, the stripped down and laid back conga foundation and Eberhard Weber bass play give this a quite accessible feel despite its harmonic and chordal intricacies and jazzy electric guitar and electric piano performances. John Taylor's electric piano performance is akin to something Herbie or Chick might accomplish at this stage of their development (and sound palette explorations) and Zbigniew and Stan Seifert's play also definitely put them into the jazz department despite the easy listening friendliness of this music. (8.875/10)

3. "Forty Colours" (3:26) the first of three compositions attributed to Eberhard Weber (who plays a beautiful bowed cello as well as the electric bass on this), it opens with Volker's acoustic guitar and Zbigniew Siefert performing a plaintive melody together over John Taylor's soothing electric piano and John Marshall's delicate cymbal work. Volker is quite impressive with his speed runs on the acoustic as I hear a lot of similarities to songs by Michal Urbaniak and Jean-Luc Ponty. (9/10)

4. "A Piece With A Chord From A Yorkshire Terrier" (6:05) a cookin' if slightly mellow instrumental palette definitely qualifies as ramped up post bop with Eberhard's jazz virtuosic double bass play, John Marshall's solid drumming and John Taylor's space-filling electric piano work. Volker is really bringing it with those speedy blues runs in the first half with Stan Sulzman's sax and Zbigniew's violin providing main melody check ins every so often, and then Eberhard's amazing bass solo in the second half. What a great Jazz-Rock Fusion piece! (9/10)

5. "Electric Blue" (8:55) Eberhard's second song contribution makes me wonder, Which came first: this album and song or Italian band AREA's Arbeit Macht Frei? (The latter didn't come out until September--which means the Volker & Company's influences had to come from another funky source--perhaps Michal Urbaniak.) The best, funkiest, hardest rocking, most Power Jazz-Rock Fusion song on the album. Everybody is giving their absolute all to this one--especially Eberhard, John, and Stan. Great jazz musicianship! (19/20)

6. "The Lame Donkey" (2:40) the final composition credited to Volker's bassist, this is pretty much a little comfort piece involving bass guitar, gentle piano chords, and acoustic guitar playing beneath a repeating melody coming from what sounds like a synthesizer (which is uncredited but probably coming from John Taylor's right hand). (It turns out it's Eberhard playing an ocarina through some kind of reverb effect.) Volker's acoustic guitar lead work is rather sublime: so smooth and fluid. (9.125/10)

7. "Between The Seasons" (4:38) back to the gentle side of song construction with a palette of instrumental sounds that could easily spawn a BOB JAMES or Smooth Jazz album. Nice, enjoyable, if surprisingly easy and rather simplistic. (8.875/10)

8. "Blue Titmouse" (3:55) exploiting a couple of very 1960s pop rhythm tracks (think The Mamas & The Papas and The Carpenters), here everybody gets to lay it out like an instrumental practice for a Motown or soft R&B hit, especially Stan, Zbigniew, Eberhard, and Volker. Volker's Motown-like rhythm guitar is impressive for fitting this type of song in a "Shaft" and Junior Walker & The All-Stars kind of way. Eberhard can play some great Soul/R&B bass, Volker some cool, melodic and unobtrusive lead guitar. If John Marshall's drums were recorded better I might also enjoy his input. (8.875/10)

Total Time: 42:40

It turns out that this collection of songs is far more collaborative than some of Volker's more dynamic guitar-centric albums (thus the addition of the "and Friends" in the title--as noted on the album's own liner notes) which makes for some interesting, more spread out and "full" music palettes and outcomes.

A-/five stars; an excellent if slightly mellow minor masterpiece of gorgeous Jazz-Rock Fusion collaborative work. I love the way the spotlight is shared and how the quality and accessibility of the overall song is the top priority of each song outcome.

"Cognitive" is the debut full-length studio album by multi-national progressive rock/metal act Soen. The album was released through Spinefarm Records in February 2012. Soen was formed in 2004 by drummer Martin Lopez (Opeth) and guitarist Kim Platbarzdi, but it wasn´t until 2010 when lead vocalist Joel Ekelöf (Willowtree) joined, that the band became active. The quartet lineup is completed by the omnipresent bassist Steve Digiorgio (Death, Testament, Iced Earth, Sadus..etc.).

Stylistically the material on "Cognitive" is in a melodic, melancholic, and rhythmically heavy and syncopated progressive rock/metal style. Tool/A Perfect Circle are the most obvious influences and sometimes also a bit too obvious. Soen are a less experimental act though and most tracks are vers/chorus structured and relatively easy to follow. The big soaring choruses are one of the greatest assets of "Cognitive" along with the emotional singing and strong voice of Ekelöf. With the instrumentalists involved it´s no surprise that the instrumental part of the music is well performed too. It takes a few listen to remember the tracks and not all of them stick, but I have to mention closing track "Savia" because of the absolutely stunning melody lines. They are incredibly well constructed and performed.

"Cognitive" features a professional, detailed, and well sounding production job and upon conclusion it´s a promising first release by Soen. I think they wear their influences a bit too much on their sleeves on this album, and it does slightly drag my rating down, but in all other departments "Cognitive" is a high quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

A fantastic album from the legendary Banco, once again embracing their flair for transposing literary masterpieces into progressive music. "Orlando: Le Forme dell'Amore" brings back the band's classic musicality, enriched with fresh arrangements and a theatrical sensibility. I especially loved the narrative dimension of the tracks ? each one unfolds like a chapter in a musical tome, blending poetry, drama, and virtuosity. The album captures the spirit of classic Italian prog while daring to reinterpret it with modern textures and depth. While, of course, some tracks are less interesting than others or do not succeed in their "experimentality" the quality is very high. It's a bold and elegant work, full of nuance, that conveys a great emotional immersion and represents an important addition to the band's record.

4.5 stars. "Surya Namaskar" was released in 2014 and in my opinion this is where Budjana's albums started getting really good. The previous six albums to start his solo career were more traditional sounding, more in that jazz mentality of keeping things in check as it were. That period ended with 2013's "Joged Kahyangan" which even Dewa suggests is in that smooth jazz style. That at least prompted him to let his hair down and go into that Fusion area more with "Surya Namaskar". From using distortion on his guitar on one track only on "Joged Kahyangan" to pretty much using it all the time here. And this Fusion style will continue with his next four albums, not counting the one he did with guitarist Tohpati Hutomo.

The lineup here is basically a trio of guitar, bass and drums with five guests adding their talents to one track each. Besides Dewa on guitar we get Jimmy Johnson on bass, and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. Now thats' a trio! I love the story Steve Vai tells about Vinnie being given a black page by Zappa in the studio. This was the early eighties. Everyone is watching as Vinnie puts the black page to his right and his plate of sushi to his left and proceeds to play. At one point he grabs a piece of sushi with his left hand, puts it in his mouth, continued the riff with his left hand and feet then pushes his glasses up, and then played the remaining part of the bar. Vai says it was the sickest thing he has ever seen. Frank threw the papers that were in his hand in the air and walked away, Bozzio turned around and walked out of the studio while everyone else was laughing in astonishment.

The liner notes for this album were written by the late John Kelman and it's like a short story. He is such a good read and there's so much information provided by him about the sessions for this album and beyond. I should mention that the five guests here add synths, electric guitar, vocals, Sundanese harp and Sundanese violin. And the synths are provided by the great Gary Husband on the opener. The title "Surya Namaskar" means "prayer in motion" or "salute to the sun". I work with this beautiful Indian girl and when I showed her the cd cover she right away put her hands above her head in prayer mode, face up to the sun, and starts to move. Go on.

I had to laugh at Budjana talking about all the charts, clicks and sequencers he sent to both Jimmy and Vinnie, and how Jimmy studied them to the point of knowing them, while Vinnie he says may have looked at them once(lol). Dewa mentions that Vinnie complimented him on both his playing and compositions more than once during these sessions in LA. Budjana also relates the story of meeting his hero Allan Holdsworth at his home then in San Juan Capistrano with Leonardo Pavkovik(Moon June Records) and a few of Dewa's Indonesian friends. They spent a few hours with Holdsworth that Dewa describes as an emotional meeting for him. The song "Capistrano Road" came to him after this meeting and this song is dedicated to Holdsworth.

I haven't even talked about the music yet, but five of the eight tracks are killer. I mean high end Fusion tracks. The hair is down. Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 are my favourites. There's so much joy on that title track. How about the bass after 3 1/2 minutes! I was reminded of Holdsworth on "Lamboya" but my favourite track might be "Kalingga", the longest at over 9 minutes. I like the guest harp and violin. Guest wordless vocals as well. The rhythm section is beyond impressive on that opener.

So I'm bumping this one up, and while I prefer "Mahandini" which will be released four years after this one, this is like 1b, almost as good.

A very strange release. The initial 23-track version from 1994 was (to be honest) just poor, nothing more. Sounded like Mr Phillips tried to do smth in the vein of 1984 (his unique 'prog disco' album released in 1981) but what came out was in fact a sort of instrumental Invisible Men (do you remember that shameful 'chef d'oeuvre' from 1983?). Now, the expanded version is out. The stuff is 23 original tracks, plus 3 additional tracks from the 2010 UK reissue, plus 15 bonus tracks including studio outtakes and some remixes. What to say? No idea why the artist chose one of his weakest studio albums ever for expanded reissue, usually studio outtakes are expected to be OK if the material originally accepted for releasing is good or very good. But this time the result appears otherwise. The initial album sounds as bad as back in 1994, remastering didn't help and couldn't help. But the boni are quite nice. No not genuine Anthony Phillips guitar dominated 'fairy-tale' prog, far from that. The same... what's it called... synth-pop, yes? - as on the CD1, sometimes just musical sketches without start and end, but more dreamy, heartfelt and inventive. Even the remixes sound better than the previously released 'definitive' versions. I'd say it would be better if back in 1994 the artist abandoned those 23 tracks collected for the album, and released the 15 bonus tracks instead. A really nice Sail The World could have turned out then. In brief, while the CD1 is as rubbish as thirty years ago (two stars the highest), the CD2 is very listenable and even enjoyable (four stars). So, three stars as the average? Whatever, it's alright.

DREADNOUGHT are a four piece from Colorado who formed in 2012 , releasing their debut in 2013. I just reviewed their sophomore album "Bridging Realms" from 2015, and "A Wake In Sacred Waves" is the followup to that from 2017. And there's not a lot of difference between these two albums, although I feel they have decreased the flute, piano and sax this time, while increasing the extreme vocals. So yes I do prefer "Bridging Realms" but both of these albums are so well done.

I like that this band is a little different with those female harsh vocals from the guitarist. She adds clean vocals as does the female keyboardist. The bass is either buried in the mix or just meant to follow along quietly. The drumming is good, and he adds sax. We get four long tracks at just under 52 minutes. My biggest surprise was discovering that this band is under Eclectic here at PA. I just thought that metal based bands would be in one of the three metal based sub-genres. This still surprises me. They are associated with the Doom Metal scene and we get down-tuned guitar on here along with those growls. Not your typical Eclectic band.

I'm not going to say a lot about the music. I do like the atmospheric sections where they just seem to trip along. I like the wordless clean singing. The growls just aren't my thing here, and with them becoming even more prominent, I have to give back to back 3 star ratings for the only two albums I own by this band.

Hora Prima

I'm not going to name influences, because there are many and I know this album won't be well received by this community, since it doesn't bring anything particularly new. Rather, it comes from the same roots as classic Italian prog, which I've always loved. So, for me, it's an extraordinary album and easily one of the best of 2025.

Hora Prima, the band from Genoa, returns with their second studio album after L'Uomo delle Genti in 2020. Now, in 2025, their self-titled work dives into the purest, heaviest forms of progressive rock. Without trying to reinvent the genre, they follow their instincts and deliver one of the finest retro-style prog albums I've heard in years.

Winners of several national contests and featured at the Veruno Festival, Hora Prima presents a concept album made up of six long tracks and a bonus reinterpretation of Le Roi Soleil. The album explores deep themes: the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on creativity, the human relationship with religion and modern myths, and a return to physicality, awareness, and authentic presence challenging the illusions of consumerism and the idea of a "shelf life" existence.

Another classic prog album from Italy, a new gem for this great year of progressive.

Finnish guitarist Jukka Tolonen takes another turn as band leader, rendering here more of his folk-tinged ideas into beautiful prog-pop songs.

1. "Wedding Song" (4:50) more beautiful anachronistic folk-tinged music from Jukka (like "Mountains" and "Wanderland" from his 1971 debut solo album). (9.5/10)

2. "A Warm Trip With Taija" (8:45) borrowing a bit from The ZOMBIES "She's Not There" in the way of guitar chord progression and poppy hippie feel, Jukka sets free his buddies Pekka Poyry and Erik Danholm on flutes as well as bassist extraordinaire Heikki Virtanen and bongo-percussionist Reino Laine. It's as if Blood, Sweat & Tears were merged with German prog folk band EDEN! (18.875/20)

3. "Impressions of India" (5:27) funny how Jukka's impressions of India start out with some Andalusian-sounding classical Spanish guitar! Having the tabla-sounding Moroccan clay hand drum enter in the second minute helps give it a little more Indian, but the Flamenco guitar and Western flute melodies don't help. He's trying to reach Indian melodies but just keeps missing. Still, the performances are all excellent. And one simply can't fault a young idealist for trying! (8.875/10)

4. "Thinking Of You In The Moonshine" (6:28) this dude is such a romantic! How can one not love him?! Though this song drags a bit like a New Orleans funeral march, the prominent presence of the trombone almost gives this a chamber-classical feel. In the fourth minute everybody seems to drop out, leaving only guitar and then a Damon Albarn-like hand drum pattern which is quickly joined by a variety of jazz-rock instruments, including the wah-wah guitar, electric bass, trombone and flutes, and full drum kit. Jukka delivers a Mark Knopfler-caliber guitar solo over this ensemble to fill out and finish the song. (8.875/10)

5. "Summer Games" (5:25) bass, drums, piano, and percussion are joined by flute and alto sax and, later, trombone, giving this bossa nova-like song a Burt Bacharach sound and feel. In the second half of the second minute, Paroni Paakkunainen gets the first true solo, on his flute, which is then followed by Jukka on the piano, Pekka Poyry's alto sax, more piano (or is it a Moog?), before trombone and horn section return us to that Burt Bacharach world--all the while Jukka's acoustic and electric guitars contribute to the rhythm tracks below. Very upbeat and cheery song. Me like! (But then, I'm a sucker for anything Burt Bacharach-like.) (9.3333/10)

6. "See You (Missing My Crazy Baby)" (3:36) another beautiful Prog Folk tune that could accompany many a wedding party. (9/10)

Total Time: 34:31

I have to admit to being quite surprised at how little flash and flare Jukka exposes us to on this album that comes from his guitar. I think he is content to let his compositions speak for his talent and skill rather than his virtuosic guitar skills. I like this dude! At the same time, this is not an album that I could ever deign a Jazz-Rock Fusion album; it's more Prog Folk, World music, or Crossover prog to my ears and mind.

Is there something about Finnish technology or economy that prohibits their music artists from pressing anything on vinyl that is longer than 17-minutes per side? Just wondering (as so many early rock, jazz, and prog albums I review that come from Finnish record companies seem to have that brevity in common).

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Crossover or Pop-Folk-oriented Prog; definitely an album of finely crafted and beautiful and soothing music (though by no means what I'd consider "Smooth Jazz").

Recorded in Helsinki in October of 1971, Jukka leads his Wigwam friends through an awesome folk- and jazz-informed representative of his unique and definitively progressive ideas.

1. "Elements - Earth/Fire/Water/Air" (8:06) a song that sounds as if The Grateful Dead were being joined by a classically-trained Bluegrass/Folk band. Very interesting--and very invigorating. Great play from everybody involved: especially Jukka himself (on acoustic guitars, wah-wah guitar and piano and spinet!) and Pekka Pohjola on bass (melodic, as usual). The uncredited flute player deserves some flowers as well. I think they did it: they covered all four of the elements! Excellent suite--comprised of four equally great sections. (14.75/15)

2. "Ramblin" (9:02) soprano sax starts off up top while Jukka and bassist Heikki Virtanen set up the semi-funky R&B, semi jazz-rock motif for further soloing by both Pekka Poyry and Jukka. This bass player is impressive! (Perhaps as much for how forward in the mix he's been placed.) Jukka is also very impressive: using both technical skills and effects as needed/desired. Still, he does show that he's young and has more to learn--especially in the isolated solo he has in the third minute. His jazz Django-like strumming is also pretty advanced though I expect he'll get cleaner with experience. His work behind the sax, within the rhythm corps, is almost as impressive: that sixth minute is pretty amazing! Mr. Poyry does, however, manage to crawl out from beneath his leader's shadow in the seventh and eighth minutes. Very nice! (And you all know that I am not a sax man.) The song's final two minutes sees everybody gelling into an even-keeled ensemble, which is nice. Evenso, Jukka can't stop impressing me with his virtuosic instincts and displays. (19.25/20)

3. "Mountains" (6:35) slow guitar chord strums (one chord) while "distant" horn plays sentimentally behind. This goes on for 130 long, Rodrigo/"Aranjuez"-like seconds before the sax fades away, replaced by a couple of Mike Oldfield-like mandolin- and 12-string-sounding guitars for a little less than a minute before the original motif is brought back for a round of melodic repetition. Then the two motifs are cleverly melded into one interesting weave. I love creativity like this! Excellent song. Excellent emotional conveyance. (9.25/10)

4. "Wanderland" (5:02) Pekka Pohjola, Ronnie Österberg and multiple tracks of multiple instruments devoted to Jukka's guitars, acoustic and electric, spinet, and piano make for a great tune that reminds me of the instrumental sides of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Comus, The Strawbs, Gryphon, and other anachronistic prog and folkie pop artists; just a sweet, nice folk AMERICA-like tune (recorded a month before America was to release their Amazing first album). (9.25/10)

5. "Last Night" (Live at Tavastia-Club) (3:26) full on, ear-splitting (high volume) rock 'n' roll--complete with electric everything and rollicking organ to boot. This shows Jukka and the gang's rock/prog rock proclivities. (8.625/10)

Total Time 32:11

My verdict is that, while Jukka is definitely a jazz-trained guitarist, like so much of the output coming from the Wigwam family of musicians, this is not as much a Jazz-Rock Fusion album as an album of wide-ranging progressive rock: there's rock, folk-jazz, prog, and folk-pop music (sans lyrics) and a little creative/experimental Jazz-Rock Fusion (before it really existed as its own musical domain). With technical skills and creative instincts like those presented on this album, I look forward with great anticipation to hearing and reviewing all of Jukka's 1970s output!

A/five stars; a masterpiece of creative and wide-ranging folk- and jazz-infused progressive rock music. I would not, however, call this a proper representation of Jazz-Rock Fusion. HIGHLY recommended! Especially if you like really creative, inventive song palettes and song constructs.

P.S. I would rate this down for its unseemly brevity, but it's just too likeable--and too fascinating.

Brian Smith is gone! Carrying over from Ian's Roots release from the previous year are guitarist Jocelyn Pitchen and bassist Roger Sutton, while blues-rock pianist Gordon Beck returns after a one-album hiatus. But Ian's long-time collaborator and partner in crime, Brian Smith, has moved on.

1. "In Procession" (2:54) opens with a cool groove: a variation of sorts of an early Herbie or Mahavishnu riff (one that will also be borrowed and mutated by Weather Report in the next few years). This one has multiple expressions of the main melody coming from several sources--including two horn players! (9.333/10)

2. "The Addison Trip" (3:58) another cool motif in which the keys and bass are following one melodic theme while the horns and drums and percussion seem to be on a different course--but the two woven together work! But this is short-lived as the song quickly devolves into a bass and drum show (with some support from keyboards and horns. The very sudden ending--as if the tape were just cut at some random point in the players' play--is quite disconcerting. Wish the opening 30-seconds could've continued . . . forever. (9/10)

3. "Pastoral Graffiti" (3:33) a flute-led piece that feels quite . . . pastoral. I love hearing the spinet/harpsichord sound among the support instrument for this rondo weave--and the joinder of Ian's smooth flugelhorn and everybody else's gentle contributions. (9.25/10)

4. "New Life" (7:07) my favorite song on the album for the sake of its powerful bass-driven motif and great trumpet and sax performances (and arrangements!). Nice drumming, too. I could have done without the major tempo and motif shifts at the halfway point but am happy to have been treated thereafter to some of my favorite Ian Carr trumpet soloing: great melodies, accented by electric piano and wah-wah-ed electric guitar. (If I'm not mistaken, Ian, himself, plays with some wah-wah effects in this historic trumpet solo.) (14.125/15)

5. "A Taste Of Sarsaparilla" (0:44) solo trumpet with chorused electric piano in support. Pretty melody--played with Freddie Hubbard-like sensitivity! (4.5/5)

6. "Theme 1: Sarsaparilla" (6:47) building, of course, on the brief melody introduced in the "A Taste of ..." predecessor but quickly becoming something like a Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass motif that's been elevated to the next highest level (thereby disqualifying it for game show theme song honors but keeping it well within the realms of highest-level Jazz-Rock Fusion). An odd pause in the third minute results in a return to the main theme (with all its power and vigor) while Gordon Beck takes us on a ride with his electric piano. At the end of the fourth minute there is another slow down where the band seems to get lost--discombobulated--while Bob Bertles solos on an alto sax, but then everything turns right again as Roger and Bryan zip back into the fast lane. It's pretty cool when Ian joins Bob in the soloing department to kind of challenge one another but actually do their own thing, and then they come together for a recapitulation of the main theme before extraneously flying into their awesome ending flourishes. Cool! (13.75/15)

7. "Theme 2: Feast Alfresco" (6:02) slowed down, the band joins Roger and Bryan with a slowed-down "choral" recitation of the Sarsaparilla main theme for a minute or so. Then everybody but guitar, bass, and drums clears out to give Bob Bertles room to lay into his baritone sax, keys and percussion providing some support accents. Then one of the guitarists is given the spotlight while Gordon and Geoff riff and run between he and the rhythm section. Weird to hear no horns for such a long patch of an Ian Carr/Nucleus song, but they reappear as a horn section to remind us of the main themes toward the end of the guitar and Fender Rhodes duel soloing that occurs in the song's final two minutes. (9/10)

8. "Theme 3: Rites Of Man" (10:00) wandering, meandering electric pianos with distant horn blasts--some echoed, some spewed--are eventually joined by bass, drums and percussion--coercing the keys to step in line. Long notes from the horn section are accented by the two Rhodes and by wah-wah-ed electric guitar riffs and rhythms. Settling into a pensive, repetitive vamp-like mode, over which the trumpet and saxes solo while drummer Bryan Spring and Gordon Beck as percussionist ramp up their inputs. Sounds very Miles Davis-like. Bryan is given some clear solo time in the seventh and eight minutes, the result being more impressive than I expected: he has a bit of the ability to make his solo drumming melodic like Billy Cobham does. Bass and electric piano return toward its end with horn section doing its Miles melody/theme reminders before sax and electric guitar (I believe this one is Jocelyn Pitchen) get some solo time (at the same time--briefly, just before the end). Weird ending as it feels as if the musicians just walk away from the song . . . and studio--and just leave it empty. Weird. What has all this to do with Sarsaparilla? Still, quite a well- formed, well-performed, if weird song. (18/20)

Total Time: 41:05

I feel as if I connected to Ian & Company's highly-skilled yet intermittently loose renderings of some very mature compositions on a deep yet easy level. For once it feels as if Ian himself was the one musician that reigned supreme even when he wasn't the spotlight performer. (I still wonder why so few musicians stay with Ian for very long.)

A-/five stars; a most excellent, most mature display of top-quality rendering of top-quality compositions. Definitely a minor masterpiece of peak era Jazz-Rock Fusion.

Recorded in NYC, Blue Rock Studio, June 16, 1974, but only released in 1976 as both Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny's stars were rising. Drummer Bruce Ditmas became infatuated with the electronic, synthetic, and machine- and computer driven drum technologies and even found himself living in Italy for a number of years, performing with Italian bands there as well as occasional stints with Gil Evans and Broadway productions, which is perhaps why his name never became the household known that the others achieved. All songs on this album were composed by either Paul Bley or his ex-wife, Carla, save for the final little ditty, "Blood" which Paul credited as coming from the pen of Annette Peacock.

1. "Vashkar" (9:54) a song that I'd always attributed to Tony Williams because of its significant presence on the landmark Lifetime album, Emergency! but I here find out that it was a Carla Bley composition all along! Kudos, Carla! The performances by the young trio, here acting under the guidance and leadership of veteran Paul Bley (Carla's ex- husband), are spry and exuberant, as one might expect from such youth, while Paul's domineering presence on electric piano seems to be the calming glue needed to keep everybody together--as well as to encourage adventure and experimentation. I'm not sure why Pat Metheny A) chose the muted guitar sound he is using throughout the song or B) why he is mixed rather low in the final mix, but his contributions are often overpowered (and, thus, overshadowed) by the other three. He's there (much more so than on the fourth song, "Vampira," where he's like a fly in the room), but his skills and creative talents are almost lost by these choices. Still, this is a pretty awesome version of Carla's song--one that has quite a few goose-pimpling highlight spots. (18.5/20)

2. "Poconos" (1:03) more of an interluding pastiche made from one wild bass riff, two single electric piano notes, and some appropriately reactive drumming. Interesting! (4.5/5)

3. "Donkey" (6:28) This one opens up with some very dynamic (and impressive) drumming over what starts out to be a fairly normal walking bass line with Paul Bley's electric piano acting as the lead instrument. Some of Jaco's patented bass chords and machine gun sprays begin escaping from his "fairly normal" walking bass line, Bruce reigns in his drumming (though still breaking out from time to time with wild outbursts) as Paul plays. It's not until fourth minute, after Paul has finished his soloing, that I can even hear anything being contributed by Pat Metheny's guitar--and when he does his sound and style sound a lot like early John Abercrombie. Meanwhile, Jaco just keeps strutting along, but Paul and Bruce rise to meet Pat's build up of speed and prowess with some bursts of crazed play, eventually supplanting Pat altogether. There are many times that I find myself wondering if the four are each operating in their own bubble-verse, but then they keep coming back together, keep falling back upon Jaco's easy-going, self-absorbed path down la-la-lane. The song may not be engaging or very melodic, but the performances are virtuosic and fascinating! (9.125/10)

4. "Vampira" (7:17) Pat Metheny playing "Shaft"-like rhythm guitar?!! The song seems to be built over Pat and Bruce's driving yet quite methodic rhythm tracks (at least, until the end), with Bruce acting much more controlled--as if he knows his role is to drive the song along a straight and narrow--but Jaco's machine gun burst of notes is jaw-dropping and mind-numbing--and yet, he, too, is sticking to a very straight and narrow pathway, embellishing very little within his repetitious rounds (not even needing any time to reload!). It is Paul Bley on his electric piano who adds the spice and dynamic crazitude to the song--performing at such a reckless pace and ever-shifting trajectory as to make Jaco seem tame and civilized (though we all know he is not). And all the while there is Pat Metheny, playing rhythm (and lead) guitar from the backdrop, with so much to say--so many comments added to the conversation--but muted to such a degree as to render him but a mosquito whispering in the room. The finish is when Jaco devolves into stroked chords. Another amazing display of dynamic virtuosity--from all four musicians--but, man! Paul Bley is on fire! (13.75/15)

The next five songs flow each into the other: as if tuning, warm-up, and jam all line up in one single taping but the producers decided to separate and title each part. Were I to rate it as one song, as it should be, it would probably earn a score of (17.5/20).

5. "Overtoned" (1:43) another weird little interlude. More like Jaco running scales while Bruce and Paul check the tunings and sound levels of their respective instruments. Sometimes it's even hard to give these any credit--and they're always a question mark as to why the band/producer thought this necessary to include on the album (though I get it: Jaco is amazing).

6. "Jaco" (3:30) and here we go: after the little tuning intro of "Overtoned" we launch into a "song" that still feels like Paul is still tuning his instrument and its levels while Bruce is now trying to team up with Jaco while the bass virtuoso is still half practicing, exploring, checking out new and spontaneous ideas, occasionally checking in to fall into sync with Bruce or Paul. All the while, Pat is just sitting in the background watching, amused and enjoying the action in front of him, occasionally pulling some ideas from his effected wah-wah-ed electric guitar (8.667/10)

7. "Batterie" (5:05) a continuation from the previous two songs that shows Paul, Pat, and even Jaco kind of backing off, perhaps taking breaks or playing with the settings on their instruments, while Bruce plays around with several rhythmic ideas on his "batterie"--eventually synching up with Jaco in the third minute (more like: playing support animal to Jaco's continued explorations). Bruce's play isn't particularly dynamic or diversified, but it does offset Jaco in a Jack DeJohnette kind of way. Pat and Paul join in during the final minute--both sounding as if they are practicing/prepping for the recording sessions that would produce "Vashkar" and "Vampira." (8.75/10)

8. "King Korn" (0:30) is a continuation of the play through on the practice pad toward "Vashkar" and "Vampira."

9. "Blood" (1:25) a very interesting song for its whole-band power-performances of Annette Peacock's odd chord progressions. Otherwise it is just the finale of the play-through of the practice of what would later become "Vashkar" and "Vampira." (4.5/5)

Total Time 36:39

A-/five stars; an excellent capture of a pretty historic recording session. Even the practice "Vashkar" and "Vampira" practice flow that engineer Jan Rathburn recorded and producer Paul Bley decided to publish is fascinating for both its music, instrumental virtuosity, and lesson in how a studio recording session flows.

P.S. This is NOT a Jaco Pastorius album! It is really a Paul Bley album (and should be filed/categorized as such). The young pups Paul invited to New York to record with him at Soho's Blue Rock Studio were by no means yet leaders much less composers to the level that the 42-year old veteran keyboardist had achieved. Please re-file accordingly: give credit where credit is due!

Review Nº 901

Marillion is a British prog rock band formed in 1979 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. The band was formed under the name of Silmarillion, using the title of J.R.R. Tolkien book. The name was shortened to Marillion due to legal copyright of Tolkien's work. Their career is normally divided into two phases, separated by the departure of their front man Fish and the arrival of Steve Hogarth in 1988. With this change, the band changed their musical direction and style.

"This Strange Engine" is the ninth studio album of Marillion and was released in 1997. The album is more acoustic than the band's other albums, but it also has a bit of everything from their previous works, resulting in some radio tracks, mainstream rock tracks, some clever and organized songs in similarity to material found in "Afraid Of Sunlight". Steve Hogarth is very interpretive as always and his voice continues to match the songs perfectly well. Steve Rothery shows why he is considered in general a great guitarist with moving solos, but also providing tough riffs and great rhythmic approaches. Mark Kelly uses many different keyboard effects, in addition to having top notch progressions. Finally, Ian Mosley and Pete Trewavas are as cohesive as ever, offering dynamic performances with a lot of precision. Maybe it's not as long-lasting as some other albums of theirs, but even so, in a balanced way, it can provide good moments of fun.

The lineup on "This Strange Engine" is Steve Hogarth (lead and backing vocals, keyboards and percussion), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (backing vocals and keyboards), Pete Trewavas (backing vocals and basses) and Ian Mosley (drums and percussion). The album had also the participation of Charlton & New Bottle School Choir (chorus), Tim Perkins (balalaika), Paula Savage (trumpet) and Phil Todd (saxophone), all are here as guest artists.

"This Strange Engine" has eight tracks. The first track "A Man Of A Thousand Faces" nobly introduces the album. It's a strong opener at the start, but then turns into a brilliant finale. This is a straightforward track with a memorable chorus and good melodies and where the instrumentation is formed mainly by acoustic guitar, organ and piano. Although not very progressive, I like it very much. The second track "One Fine Day" tends in the same direction as "Beautiful" from their previous album. It's a peaceful, contemplative track about Carpe Diem, with sensitive piano playing and singing and after a classical intermezzo with "synthetic violins". Rothery has his guitar solo for the first time, actually. The third track "80 Days" is the ideal track for a single's release. The chorus in particular hits your ear straight away and won't let you go that quickly. It's acoustically a tinged airy summer radio song, which unfortunately for them, it didn't make it there. It's thematically similar to "Splintering Heart" of "Holidays In Eden". The fourth track "Estonia" is one of the most powerful tracks on the album. This is a gorgeous and deep feeling ballad. It's quiet and carried by the very soulful vocals of Hogarth. This is one of the highlights on the album. It brings to us, more or less, the atmosphere of "Easter". The fifth track "Memory Of Water" is a kind of interlude to the next song "An Accidental Man". It's a short song that has been sparsely arranged with synth strings. This is a kind of a Celtic folk song that continues the melancholic tone of the album. It's almost an a-capella track and it's very beautiful. The sixth track "An Accidental Man" is a rocker, the only rock song on the album. The keyboard interludes are rather experimental and the lyrics are very postmodern. This is a very nice track that does sound much like The Police. The vocals of Hogarth remind me of Sting, not necessarily the voice, but the way he sings. The seventh track "Hope For The Future" returns the album to a more calm, bluesy and acoustic atmosphere before becoming something altogether funky and different. I must admit that I'm not a great fan of this track. It's a very fun song with its Caribbean style, but it's definitely a silly song to Marillion, a song that we never expected to hear in a Marillion's album or any prog work. The eighth track is the title track "This Strange Engine". With its almost 16 minutes proves that Marillion is a prog rock band. Quiet parts alternate with heavy ones. The song is in the beginning rather similar to the quieter parts of "Brave", but in an early part some more rocking portions can be heard. The rather chaotic, but seemingly the emotional ending of the track, indicates that Hogarth cares about the lyrics.

Conclusion: "This Strange Engine" is a surprising album. Overall, it's not their best, but not their worst either. It's not very progressive really that at times they sound like Simple Minds or The Police, but on the whole I found it rewarding with very good melodies and a lot of variation across the tracks and that should contain something for everyone. Modern is a good word to describe the sound on "This Strange Engine", a bright and serious work with some high moments and very few disappointing ones. The only real disappointing moment here is "Hope For The Future", but even this song isn't without its merits. So, Marillion is therefore far from being an old-fashioned band for me. It's a solid work, very varied and with enough strength to warrant a recommendation, especially for the long-time fans of Marillion.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

— First review of this album —

"Em9t2ness of Van2s1ing / V34ish6ng 0f Emptiness" is a compilation release by Finnish death metal act Demilich. The compilation was released through Svart Records in September 2018. It´s a more or less a re-release of the January 2014 compilation album "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" minus the material from the 1993 "Nespithe" album and featuring a different tracklist order. So, "Em9t2ness of Van2s1ing / V34ish6ng 0f Emptiness" contains the material from the four Demilich demos recorded in the 1991-1992 period and the three tracks from the 2005-2006 "Vanishing Sessions".

Right from the first one-track demo "Regurgitation Of Blood" from April 1991, it´s obvious that Demilich were on to something special (on this release the track "Uncontrollable Regret of the Rotting Fles" from the demo is placed last on the tracklist). The material on the second demo "The Four Instructive Tales Of Decomposition" from July 1991 saw great growth and a more mature band, but with the May 1992 third demo "...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness...", Demilich found their abstract, angular riffs and twisted harmonies and leads, laid-back groove laden, and burbing growling death metal style and further cemeneted that sound and approach on the August 1992 "The Echo" demo.

The "Nespithe" album is of course missing from this compilation and it´s the missing piece to understanding Demilich story, but Svart Records have still opted to include the material from the "Vanishing Sessions", which for the most part are older material, which Demilich didn´t record until 2005-2006. Other than the fact that "Em9t2ness of Van2s1ing / V34ish6ng 0f Emptiness" is a limited edition clear vinyl release, which pretty surely is a collector´s item, there is no reason to get this compilation when the "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" exists. The latter features all recorded material by Demilich (including the material from "Nespithe"), so that´s the compilation to purchase if you want to experience all recorded material by Demilich. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

An anomaly for the fact that Norwegian artists finding success on the global scale was not as common a phenomenon as it is in the 21st Century, Jazz-Rock Fusion combo Moose Loose add a violin to the ensemble for this, their sophomore studio album: an artist known as Trond Villa, who had been well established on the folk music scene in Sweden for several years. They've also seen a change in lineup with phenomenal drumming sensation P'l Thowsen having left, here being replaced by Espen Rud, and keyboardist H'kon Graf replacing former keyboard master Brynjulf Blix.

1. "Funky Way" (8:19) a steady, somewhat funky song that definitely promotes newcomer Trond Villa, whose sound and playing style here sound remarkably like those of Jean-Luc Ponty. The rhythm section is still tight though the sound levels of the various instruments in the mix are a little out of balance. Guitarist Jon Arild Eberson stands up well, often going toe-to-toe or opposite the band's newcomer. (17.625/20)

2. "Trees" (10:25) a slow, melancholy melody is introduced on Trond's violin, soon joined by Jon Arild's gentle electric guitar arpeggios and then spacious bass and drums. In the third minute Trond's melody line is doubled and enriched by H'kon's electric piano and swirling organ. Beautiful. In the fourth minute, then, Trond steps out to allow for a transition into a bit of a slow funk from P'l and Espen beneath an aggressive, percussive solo from H'kon's Corea-like piano. But then, at 4:40, Trond and Jon Arild return with their haunting guitar-supported melody--all the while you can tell that Espen is bursting to hold back, wanting to let loose and get more dynamic--which he begins to do a little more in the seventh minute. At 6:40, H'kon's swirling organ crescendos as a bridge to a new funk section with clavinet and funkier bass over which Trond solos with more vim and vigor on his electrified violin. He is soon replaced by Jon Arild's fiery electric guitar for a couple more minutes of funkiness. (It's really not very good funk: very simple and ) Overall, I don't see how the two alternating motifs fit with one another: heart-piercing melancholy and fiery pseudo funk? (17.75/20)

3. "Ballad for My Little Girl" (1:56) feels like a variation on Trond's plaintive melody and style that made the previous song so powerful, only here he is supported by H'kon's piano instead of guitar. Filler? Is the band already so desperate for material in order to get to two 20-minute length sides? (4.25/5)

4. "Filet" (1:23) yet another slow, sappy violin melody (sounding to me like something coming out of a scene from a movie set in the old American Wild West) here supported by electric piano and a little acoustic guitar. It works as a practice/warmup for the next song. (4.375/5)

5. "White" (11:38) more odd, almost forced jazz-funk used to bolster up some fair but by-now-repetitive violin soloing. (Trond is no master at fiery dynamic violin play; he is more of a master of emotional melody.) Around the five-minute mark the band clears out for a spacious somber section in which the band just kind of mulls around (like some kind of In a Silent Way/Bitches Brew studio scene) while Trond and Jon Arild take turns trying to find something worth playing, some kind of inspiration, some kind of melody to possibly excite the audience with. Jon Arild's fire begins to show and catch on in the eighth and ninth minutes, elevating the performances of his cohorts nicely, but then his own inspiration and skill seem to peter out as mistakes and lulls and failures get in the way despite a growing intensity coming from the three rhythmatists (I include H'kon in this reference, of course). A bridge of dynamic showmanship at the ten minute mark signals the end of Jon Arild's time in the spotlight as well as the return of Trond. There are some good parts but as a whole this song just fails on so many levels. It even ends badly!(17.375/20)

6. "Graf" (5:01) finally a song that feels as if it's been thoroughly worked through--to the point at which every musicians' part has been thoroughly mapped out, as if each musician has been given meaningful purpose to every measure of their presence in the song. This is what I've been missing from this album's music: direction, purpose, and cohesion! While it's not a great song, it is a mature composition that has been attentively rendered. (9.125/10)

Total Time: 39:10

Despite the wonderful tones and melodies brought to the band from Trond Villa's violin, the music of Transition feels much less insistent, much less inspired and necessary than the fare the original band produced for their self-titled debut. That band was on a mission! This band feels as if they're trying to imitate or live up to the standard set by the first band (and album). Too bad! They really had such a good thing going! (And drummer P'l Thowsen really was a force!)

B/four stars; a fairly nice collection of Jazz-Rock Fusion songs that could, in my opinion, almost all have used more work, more development, more commitment to fulfilling the potential of each and every musician throughout the course of each and every song. Nowhere near as delightful as the band's self-titled debut.

Originally put out in the 40th Anniversary Henry Cow boxed set before being repackaged as a standalone release (and as part of the Box Redux), Beginnings offers a fascinating look at Henry Cow recordings from prior to LegEnd. The sound quality is impressive, since the set draws extensively from Peel sessions for radio that the band participated in, and finds the group very much influenced by Canterbury. The main influence is the more avant-garde end of what Soft Machine were doing at the time - there's some very Softs-esque rumbles and buzzes here and there - but Came To See You offers a glimpse of a gentler Cow, with the sort of soothing territory of Caravan visible. By the end, hints of their future more challenging direction become apparent.

"Bridging Realms" is album number two for this four piece from Colorado. An interesting setup here with the two females leading the way on vocals but they are also the soloists playing guitar, keyboards and flute between them. The guys are the rhythm section and the drummer adds sax, while the bassist adds mandolin. The key here is that we get extreme female vocals at times from the guitarist/flautist, along with that down-tuned guitar making me think of early KATATONIA. This is contrasted well with the mellow sections where often the piano, flute and clean vocals lead the way.

It's interesting that there's another DREADNAUGHT on the site here, but yes spelled slightly different but also from the USA, and also under eclectic. That band released an album called "American Standard" that is impressive to say the least. This DREADNOUGHT gives us four tracks worth just under 53 minutes. Yes, they stretch things out and contrast styles well. The opener "Ode To Ether" is a great track to sample because it incorporates everything that this band is about. The atmosphere, flute, piano, clean and harsh vocals, down-tuned guitar. I like the drumming too when it gets heavier after 7 minutes.

There's a lot of trippy music on "Odyssey" and it is the longest at 14 minutes. It also contains all the things I mentioned on the opener. I do prefer both "Minuet De Lune" and "Transpiration" which are back to back before that closing title track where the harsh vocals return. I can handle the vocals and I've heard extreme female vocals before, I just am not a big fan of them. This band released their debut in 2013 and they continue to this day, having released five studio albums in the process. They have their fans. I wish I was one of them.

A group of musicians with varying degrees of experience who met and formed a band through associations at the University in Rosario, Sintesis came from pre-military regime Argentina, a promising band of adventurous, even visionary creatives, whose progress and development was brought to a sudden end by the 1976 military overthrow of the Péron regime in Argentina and the successive "Dirty War" in which thousands of Argentines were killed, disappeared, and/or subjected to torture during a period of military oppression and authoritarian rule. The military junta engaged in a campaign of violence and repression against suspected political opponents, including left-wing activists, students, intellectuals, and even artists. Though the band members of Sintesis were able to avoid violence by fleeing to other places on the globe, some may recognize the name of violinist Sergio Polizzi for his contribution to BUBU's 1978 release, Anabelas.

1. "Lo Obvio Según Yo" (3:50) obtuse and angular music of high degree of difficulty, especially in terms of shifting, changing time signatures and suddenly-changing stylistic modalities. Though this still feels like some rudimentary whole-band practice exercise, the skill levels on display--especially in the first motif, are quite remarkable (even in the bluesy second motif, the longest, but more in the final one). (8.75/10) 2. "Sin Nada" (5:26) this one adds violin and flute to the mix, resulting in something much more jazz-classical in sound and nature--like something from Québecois band CONVENTUM, American band HAPPY THE MAN, Japanese proggers KENSO and MR. SIRIUS, or even some of AFTER CRYING's 1990s material. Again, the band has chosen to merge three different motifs into this one "song"--most of which really puts on display Sergio Polizzi's violin prowess, though flutist Oscar Tissera's talents are also to be noted. Guitarist José Migoya has the last turn in the spotlight but doesn't quite wow me as much as the previous two. (8.875/10)

3. "La Necesidad De Amar...A Veces" (3:42) a great song to display the talents of (and dispel my previous low estimation of) drummer Julio Cusmai and bass player Juan Ricci. Here the saxophonists (Chachi and Mariano Zarich) do a remarkable interweave of their two dynamic and soloing instruments: definitely the song's highlight and one of the more impressive displays on the album. (9.125/10)

4. "Algunas Maneras De Expresarme" (3:27) a guitar-centric song on which José Migoya gets the chance to "show off." Nice drum work in support by Julio Cusmai but my favorite parts are the interplay (and feeding off one another) of bass player Juan Ricci with José. (8.875/10)

5. "Todo Lo Necesario Para Lo Necesario" (2:21) a cool little centerless avant garde tune with bass, two saxes and clarinet opening the song before drums and, later, guitar join in. Several time shifts lead to different feeling motifs, all of which are pretty fascinating for the three-part weave being enacted over the top. (4.75/5)

6. "El Final" (8:02) in interesting start evolves into a song motif that sounds as if it came from a 1960s Beatnick-turned- Rock 'n' Roll band. The solos from sax, flute, and guitar are good--they almost succeed in distracting the listener from the very rudimentary rhythm tracks, but in the end it's just a two-chord vamp existing solely for as a vehicle for the veterans to show off their At 4:10 there is a little bridge that tries to get the listener's blood going which serves to make a break for the electric guitar to take a turn with a distorted fuzz sound. At 5:20 there is a stoppage to all rhythm instruments to allow for a two-flute and bass trio. At 6:05 drums and sax rejoin, making for a nice weave with the flutes and bass before falling into a 1960s game show theme song and then an uncalled-for (and, frankly, undeserved/unearned) drum solo to bridge us into yet another 1960s game show theme song. (13.125/15)

Total time: 27:13

7. "Reminiscencias" (bonus track on 2016 CD release) (5:30) a smoother, more groove-oriented and different, more synthesized and modern sound palette than the band's other pieces (which might explain how and why this song was not among the songs on the original release: it's more of a Smooth Jazz vamp over which guitarist José Migoya was able to play around on his new guitar synthesizer. Sounds more like something from the experimental period of Allan Holdsworth's SynthAxe period in the 1980s. (8.875/10)

An album of boundary-pushing creativity by a band of highly skilled, highly-disciplined musicians who had a musical vision that ranks among the greatest creatives in the world. The bass and drums are well-skilled, they are definitely not in the same league as the lead instruments. One of my problems with this collection of songs is how each and every song sounds as if performed and recorded by a totally new ensemble: some have violin, most don't; some have sax, some don't; some have guitar, some don't; none have keyboards(!); some songs feel free and loose, some feel restricted and like someone pushed "record" during a practice session. Most of the songs feel disconnected from one another

I do have to comment on the fact that other music reviewers before me have praised this album to what I think are rather excessive ends; I do not think that the products on this album stand up next to any level of top tier albums or songs from the lauded and honored Masters of J-R F, Avant/RIO, or prog, and nor do I think that any of the six songs on this 27-minute long EP (32:43 if you count the seventh song, "Reminiscencias" that was tacked on to the end for the 2016 CD re-release from BlueArt Records) represent polished or "finished," much less fully-developed, songs: they all could use a ton more work before they rise out of the "demo" level into public release level renderings. Yes, these are talented, spirited and ambitious men--especially the two seasoned veterans (flute player Oscar Tissera and sax player Mariano Zarich), but think about it: if music was really in the blood of these men, don't you think we would have heard more from more of them in the years after stability and artistic and intellectual freedoms were restored to their native country?

B-/3.5 stars; an intriguing albeit brief album of unfinished, unpolished songs that leave the listener wondering, "What if?" Rated up for pure, unrealized potential but then demerited for brevity--and for the temerity of trying to sneak in a "late addition" "wringer" in order to pad its legitimacy. If the music were as good as others would have us believe, I'd be more forgiving.

Legendary eclectic indie pop duo is back with their their 27th album, and just keep going with their own unique brand of quirky musings, strange beats, and off-kilter melodies. I guess I just don't get it, because on this newest release the mind-numbing repetitiveness and monotony of the lyrics and melodies becomes quite tedious very quickly, resulting in a torturously unlistenable mess. If they had kept their quirky sound bites short and sweet (like 1-2 minutes tops), it might have been fun, but dragging these highly repetitive 'songs' out to 3-5 minutes each is just agonizing. Please make it stop. Rating: 2

OK, I was quite perplexed by this album. I had never heard of this band until last month, when this album by what seemed to be a metal band that incorporated other genres, hit #1 on the Billboard charts. Although not a metal fan, I thought I should check it out. After the first few tracks, I had to check to make sure I had the right album, because what unfolded was not metal, or even a rock album, but basically a slick modern pop album, and even a sappy boy band pop album, albeit with occasional (but quite sparse) bursts of cosplay metal riffs and heaviness added on top, though not very well-incorporated into the songs. It seemed to be more comparable to Imagine Dragons or One Republic than any metal band. Which is OK, if you like that sort of thing, but not at all what I was expecting, or what I would think metal fans would appreciate. Maybe that's why it has done well on the charts, because it is basically a pop album, but it is still confusing because it doesn't seem the metal intrusions would be popular among pop fans, or that the sappy pop production would be tolerated by the metal and rock fans, but evidently it appeals to many. I guess I just don't get it, but then I am not the intended audience for this. For me, this is mediocre pop masquerading as something heavier and more profound. Rating: 2.5

Good, solid album from this Neo-Prog band from the U.K., their 10th. Quite enjoyable listen, while you are listening to it, with good songs, good musicianship, nice instrumental passages, nice vocals. However, I find that as soon as the album is over, I can't remember anything about it, not one song, not one melody or theme. It just is not very memorable for me. So, that's my analysis, after listening to it three times through. Good, enjoyable, but nothing stands out and is just not very memorable. Quite good, all well-done, but just a bit too standard-sounding Neo-Prog. Rating: 3

Surprisingly mellow and personal album from this vocalist-guitarist best-known from his work with King Crimson and Robert Fripp, but who also has played with The Tangent and Level 42, and collaborated with many others as a session musician. On this solo release (his 6th), there are some lovely tunes and autobiographical lyrics that create a nice atmosphere, but also occasionally veer a bit too much toward 70's soft rock. Quite pleasant, but doesn't pack much of a punch, or create a lasting impression. Best tracks are the very personal and extended track, Son of Glen and (Get a) Proper Job. Rating: 3

Stereolab, the unique Anglo-French avant-pop band led by guitarist-keyboardist Tim Ganes and vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Laetitia Sandler returns for their 11th album, but first new studio album in 15 years. Their sound combines old and new elements, taking their song style from early 60's French and European pop, with soft-spoken female vocals over jazzy pop (even some bossa nova, etc.), and mixing in modern elements from Krautrock and electronica for a uniquely retro-futurist sound. Kind of like those old visions of the future from the 1960's, combing futuristic elements with 60's kitsch. Best Tracks: Electrified Teenybop!, Transmuted Matter, Aerial Trouble, Flashes From Everywhere. Rating: 3.5

Dynamic, vibrant, piano-driven eclectic instrumental Prog Trio from the U.S. (Cleveland) delivers a rousing album of heavy melodic prog with jazzy overtones. Beautiful keyboard passages punctuated by bold aggressive attacks and driving rhythms. Although at times their desire to be heavy and super percussive intrudes upon the flow and feel of the songs, weighing them down a bit (such as on Neon Rain and Mosaic Mind), but overall, strong melodies and powerful dynamics make a compelling listen. Vocals on one song only (Catalyst) provided by Ross Jennings and other guests. The Jupiter Suite, with whispery vocalizations (from guest Esper) is reminiscent of the sounds from the great Pat Metheny Group in the 80's and 90's. Best Tracks: Jupiter Suite, Catalyst, Natsukashii, P.L.O.N.K.. Rating: 3.5ó

Nad Sylvan is best known these days as the vocalist with the Steve Hackett band and his Genesis Revisited shows, and his vocal similarities with Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, but he has been around for quite some time as part of other bands (Unifaun, Agents of Mercy) as well as a solo career (5 albums). With this album, Nad takes another step forward with this strong album that provides a great mix of Prog and mainstream rock. The songs have a solid rock feel, but are filled with clever arrangements and proggy instrumental breaks that keep them always interesting and vibrant. Nad's diverse and chameleon-like vocal style change to fit the style and mood of each song. Features contributions from many big name guest artists, including Tony Levin, Randy McStine, Jonas Reingold, Joe Deninzon, Lalle Larsson, Marco Minneman, etc. that really fill out the sound and quality of the production. Best Tracks: Monte Carlo Priceless, Secret Lover, Make Somebody Proud, Monumentata. Rating: 3.5

You never know what will be next from this dynamic chameleon band who seem to just look at different genres and say, 'Yeah, we can do that'. This albums finds them building on some song structures similar to last year's Flight b741, with some breezy, upbeat psych rock with mixtures of blues, jazz, and folk-rock, but the twist with this album is that they have added orchestration, so plenty of strings, winds, and horns here to give a fuller, lusher sound, as this is basically their orchestral album. But the songs still have a light, spacey charm, with some infectious grooves and melodies, lifted to additional textures and sounds with the added orchestration. At times sounds a bit like a hipper, brighter, catchier, drug-free Grateful Dead, with orchestration. Overall, a fun album with engaging songs and styles and rich textures. Best Tracks: Deadstick, Eternal Return, Panpsych, Spacesick, Sea of Doubt, Grow Wings and Fly. Rating: 3.5

In the gates of Kiev

When an artist appropriates another's work with such mastery and respect that you end up believing it's their original creation, well, that's what happens to me with Emerson, Lake & Palmer's live version of Pictures at an Exhibition.

The piece was originally composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874 as a piano suite in ten movements, plus a recurring and varied theme from Promenade. Inspired by the work of his friend Viktor Hartmann, Mussorgsky created one of his most enduring works.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer began performing their rock version of the suite live in 1970 after Keith Emerson, inspired by an orchestral version, proposed the idea to Greg Lake and Carl Palmer. Both agreed and added their own interpretations to the piece. Although the band first filmed the suite in December 1970 at London's Lyceum Theatre, they were dissatisfied with the result. They opted to re-record the performance at Newcastle Town Hall on March 26, 1971, a venue known for its excellent acoustics and the presence of a pipe organ. The band funded the recording, determined to produce a version that lived up to their vision.

The band's version uses only four of Mussorgsky's original ten movements, along with variations on the Promenade theme. To connect them, the trio composed new sections, fusing classical motifs with blues, hard rock, and synthesizer-driven soundscapes. The result feels like a single, cohesive suite, performed without interruptions. Highlights include Lake's medieval-style acoustic piece "The Sage," Emerson's wild Moog solos and pipe organ interludes, and the powerful finale, "The Great Gates of Kyiv," transformed into an emotional rock anthem with added vocals and stagecraft.

Initially, Greg Lake was hesitant about releasing the album, fearing comparisons to Emerson's previous band, The Nice, and concerned about the commercialization of such a classically inclined work. Atlantic Records struggled to categorize the album (rock or classical) and even considered releasing it on its classical sub-label, Nonesuch. Plans for a budget release were blocked by the label, and the album was shelved. However, following full airplay on New York's WNEW-FM and an avalanche of fan requests, Atlantic finally agreed to release it at full price. The UK price was higher than the band had intended, but demand was strong enough to justify it. They had originally considered a double LP, combining Pictures with the early Trilogy sessions, but decided the suite deserved a space of its own.

Pictures at an Exhibition was originally intended to be the band's debut album, but Greg Lake wanted to shelve it in order to release original material first. Still, this album stands as another great release during ELP's most creative years, between 1970 and 1973, a period in which they released their most iconic works. And with all due respect to the Russian composer, this cover is a knockout: it's bold, explosive, and far better than the original. In my opinion, it's one of the best covers ever made.

That's it. No other band could have pulled it off like ELP.

I am still waiting for a promo from the new album, when I checked this prog website I noticed only two reviews of the former album, released 4 years ago, so here is review #3.

An explanation by the band for the weird name: "Baro Prog-Jets is the name referring to Italian multi-instrumentalist Baro's dreams of his own progressive rock compositions taking flight!" Website info. "Baro (born Alberto Molesini) started to play in the mid-Seventies, inspired by the progressive music from Genesis, King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP and Frank Zappa. He took up playing musical instruments, and eventually founding the formation La Sintesi that would perform in Verona, before disbanding at the end of the Eighties. But even at that early age, Baro was writing and recording, via rudimentary means, the first versions of ambitious concept works, although these would remain uncompleted for some time yet... Fast forward to now, and the artist has finally completed several of his once only dreamed-about works, in 2019 released in a special double-CD edition entitled Lucille A Giada. It is a forty-four minute, multi-part suite in the classic and grandiose vintage RPI manner, and Topic Würlenio is comprised of shorter political and social themed songs, but both discs offer a varied and colourful collection of lavish progressive rock music. And now in 2021 Baro Prog-Jets has released a new album named Utopie, as a duo with drummer Gigi Murari, along guest musicians on piano, guitars and bass."

Listening to this album I notice that Seventies Yes is an obvious inspiration, due to the vocal harmonies, growling bass and Steve Howe-like guitar play. Especially in the two strong Old School Prog epic compositions Utopia (lots of flowing shifting moods, excellent interplay, a fluent and dynamic rhythm-section, embellished with vintage keyboards like the Hammond and Minimoog) and my highlight Runaways (tension between dreamy and bombastic, awesome Hammond and Minimoog sound, omnipresent piano and fiery guitar runs).

The short Non Sento (only track with Italian vocals) delivers a powerful, often swinging mid-tempo, pleasant vocals and hints from Yes and Frank Zappa (jazzy and eclectic touch).

The song Phase contains a slow rhythm with a tight beat with spacey synthesizer flights, blended with sparkling jazzy- oriented piano, the final part is bombastic, lots of fine musical ideas.

The mid-long Phase II is another good example of the interesting musical ideas Baro Prog-Jets presents on this album: the one moment obvious Yes or Frank Zappa, the next moment (as here) a pretty original sound. After a short but majestic Mellotron violin intro and dreamy (slightly theatrical) vocals the music becomes more bombastic, the atmosphere is a bit ominous, coloured with guitar and keyboards, finally a dreamy climate.

The final piece is Iron Garden (a 'bonus track Runaways edit'). First dreamy, featuring Mellotron violins and sensitive Howe-like guitar runs, lots of tension, then a slow rhythm with a hypnotizing atmosphere, blended with bombastic eruptions, and vocal harmonies. The dark sound of Relayer by Yes comes to my mind.

To me this music sounds as interesting blend of Old School Prog and varied own musical ideas.

My review 3, star.

"20th Adversary Of Emptiness" is a compilation release from Finnish death metal act Demilich. The compilation was released through Svart Records in January 2014. "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" contains all material recorded by Demilich during the period 1991-2006. That means all material from the four demos recorded in the 1991-1992 period, the full 1993 "Nespithe" full-length studio album, and the at the time three unreleased tracks recorded in 2005-2006 titled "The Faces Right Below The Skin Of The Earth", "Emptiness Of Vanishing", and "Vanishing Of Emptiness". The latter mentioned tracks didn´t see an indiviual release until 2021 when the Dissonant Tapes label released the "Vanishing Sessions" EP featuring the three tracks.

Lead vocalist/guitarist Antti Boman had been working on a compilation of all recorced material by Demilich since 2006, but he wasn´t able to finish the project until Svart Records stepped in with a helping hand. "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" is a great idea though, as all material featured on the compilation is worth the price of admission. Right from the first one-track demo "Regurgitation Of Blood" from April 1991, it´s obvious that Demilich were on to something special. The material on the second demo "The Four Instructive Tales Of Decomposition" from July 1991 saw great growth and a more mature band, but with the May 1992 third demo "...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness...", Demilich found their abstract, angular riffs and twisted harmonies and leads, laid-back groove laden, and burbing growling death metal style and further cemeneted that sound and approach on the August 1992 "The Echo" demo.

Almost all the material on "Nespithe" are re-recorded versions of tracks which had already appeared on "...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness..." and "The Echo". But the tracks feature a more professional studio sound quality and there is a reason why "Nespithe" are often mentioned among the seminal Finnish death metal albums from the early 90s. The last part of "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" are the three tracks from the 2005-2006 "Vanishing Sessions". All high quality material and at least "Emptiness Of Vanishing" and "Vanishing Of Emptiness" are older material written between the releases of "The Four Instructive Tales Of Decomposition" and "...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness..." which Demilich didn´t record and put out back then.

"20th Adversary Of Emptiness" is upon conclusion the perfect way to be introduced to the strange and abstract death metal world of Demilich. Fans of "Nespithe", who haven´t listened to the preceding demos and the material from the "Vanishing Sessions" owe it to themselves to give that part of "20th Adversary Of Emptiness" a listen. The quality of the material and the performances are high throughout. A brilliant compilation this one and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

I'm a little puzzled why this is labeled Canterbury since there is nothing close to that musical genre on this album. This is a mellow but catchy record with elements of R&B and pop. It's very smooth, well produced and played, but the only songs that sound somewhat like prog are "(Get A) Proper Job" or "Son of Glen", which is the highlight for me. If mellow pop is your thing, there is a lot to enjoy. Nice vocal harmonies, good musicianship, and the production is nice. It's a very safe upbeat decent album. Far from Canterbury. I recommend you stream this before buying.

Out of the ashes of Burning Red Ivanhoe, Hurdy Gurdy, and Coronarius Dans (or maybe just leasing the house next door) comes Danemark's wildest and most inventive psychedelic jazz-rockers.

1. "Dampexpressen" (4:24) slow entry of a space-psychedelic keyboard before the whole band joins in rather explosively; it feels as if I'm listening to a freak out jam from an early rock band like The Who, The Yardbirds, or The Moodies. Alto sax and electric guitar eventually emerge as the two leaders, trading solos before merging into one. Kenneth Knudsen's electric piano tries to step into the spotlight a couple of times but is nearly washed out by its low volume. Surprising and inventive. (8.875/10) 2. "Fire & Water" (5:34) another psychedelic jam that opens like a drug-induced jam on "The House of the Rising Sun" but then suddenly leaps into third gear to run out of the intro gate into a motif that presents a rather hypnotic psychedelic weave of bass, drums, electric piano, and organ backing Claus Bøhling's heavily-effected lead electric guitar, soloing on all parts of his guitar. Even when Karsten takes a turn in the lead on the organ Claus' crazy squealing/sizzling electric guitar commands all the attention. Crazy and fresh if not really jazzy: more like stoner rock. (9/10)

3. "Vive la quelle?" (8:50) structure! Some crazy that reminds me more of early avant-garde/RIO music from Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, The Who, or early Jeff Beck Group. The drums are the real star of this show and kudos to Bo Thrige Andersen for holding it together with all eyes on him (at least, for the first five minutes)! The rest of the band eventually rejoins Bo with a very hypnotic four-note weave over which Kenneth Knudsen bangs away on his electric piano while Bo continues banging away underneath on his batterie. Claus takes over at the end of the seventh minute with a hard-rockin', less effected solo that plays right into the crazily disturbing weave until the ninth minute when the band revisits the disciplined structure that was the song's beginning. Quite remarkable! (18/20)

4. "Blazing Lace" (4:45) the band open with a clever and quaint little three-bar jazz-rock motif that they circulate over and over while individuals step out of the weave to solo: first Karsten vogel with his saxophone, then Claus Bøhling with an abrasive rock guitar that sounds like Alvin Lee, then Kenneth Knudsen's electric piano as the music is faded out. Interesting and once again displaying the band members' commitment to disciplined song construction. (8.875/10)

5. "Public Oyster" (10:46) percussion play (mostly cymbals) and repetitive/hypnotic electric piano play that plays out over the first 2:30 before fading away and being replaced by hypnotic bass riff and vacant drum play with more hypnotic background electric piano and "distant" electric guitar scratchings for a minute until the "dirty" electric piano becomes established as the de facto lead instrument (despite the creative echo-guitar noodling going on in the background). The creative echo-guitar noodling supplants the electric piano in the sixth minute as the drum and bass foundation thicken a bit with harsher play on the drum kit. At 6:15 soprano sax emerges out of nowhere to lead/solo, seemingly floating around in an ethereal dimension somewhere above or around the rest of the band--which gets even crazier when Claus rejoins with his guitar noodling--nearly matching, for a while, the cat-like screaching of Karsten's sax, note for note! Mads Vinding's note play becomes chord strokes, gaining in aggression and volume as we finish the cat-fight solo and return to some electric piano, briefly, before watching Claus step back into the spotlight with a highly-effected wah-wah-and-other-effects guitar solo in the tenth minute. The rest of the song sees Claus' "failing" guitar lead the band into a petering out until it all comes to an end in the eleventh minute. Weird but, I've got to be honest: creative! (17.5/20)

6. "Mis(s) Fortune" (1:28) bass and mellowed-down electric piano duet. Could be inspired by a classical music piece but really goes nowhere--serves no purpose unless as an étude. (4.375/5)

7. "Ova-X" (4:56) super spacey synths, sax, cymbal play, and electric piano play opens this rather chaotically for about 90 seconds before the band forms around a Herbie Hancock Mwandishi/Weather Report-like groove for a bit before devolving again into primordial cosmic soup. Interesting composition by Karsten Vogel.! It's as if Dr. Patrick Gleeson were in the house for this one! I like it! (8.875/10)

Total Time 40:43

B+/four stars; an excellent, highly creative, and surprisingly well-synchronized and cohesively consistent album that I might, someday, feel inclined to elevate to "minor masterpiece" status for its delightful uniquities.

27-year old guitarist Volker Kriegel had proved himself in the crossover band, The Dave Pike Set, and had even experimented with the creation of an album with his name on the headline (with jazz veteran and virtuoso violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris), now it was time to take his considerable ideas, composition and guitar skills to the next level: as a band leader of his own band. Two of the members of this album's lineup of musicians would stay with Volker for the next few albums, keyboardist John Taylor having helped launched the guitarist's solo career on the Sugarcane Harris collaboration.

1. "Zoom" (7:00) congas, sitar, bass, drum kit, bluesy flourishes from an electric piano, and multiple guitar tracks all enter, one at a time, merging into a Herbie Hancock-like synthesis with some great lead guitar, sitar, and electric piano soloing along with some very fine sound recording (with great definition given to each and every instrument in the mix). A very enjoyable J-R Fusion jam song. (13.75/15)

2. "So Long, For Now" (3:55) definitely an offering that sounds like (and may have inspired) Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Blue Collar": great jazz guitar with perfect accompaniment from Peter Trunk's double bass play, John Taylor's electric piano. Peter Baumeister's drumming sounds a little stiff, like rudimentary jazz drumming 101 run through for the first time. (And it's mixed a little too loudly in the right side of center, sometimes distracting me from hearing/enjoying the other instruments--all of whom are much better, much more interesting than his.) Volker's play, crossing several stylistic lines within the course of the song with ease, even exuding confidence, is wonderful. (8.875/10)

3. "More About D" (9:14) a song that opens full of latencies and potentialities--much like a Joni Mitchell or Eberhard Weber song! Once the full band links up and launches into the meat of the song, there is some Return to Forever-like chords and Larry Coryell-like wildness as Peter Trunk, Cees See, and Peter Baumeister hold down a fairly-constantly moving rhythm track over which Volker solos in his jazz guitar with some of the freedom and reckless abandon that Larry, Sonny Sharrock, or Chris Spedding were doing about the same time. In the fifth minute everybody lets loose-- lets go of time and structure for a bit of joyful chaos--but then they come back to support John Taylor's electric piano solo much in the same syncopated herky-jerky forward-moving way they did Volker in the first verse. This is a fairly good keyboard solo as far as keyboard solos go, but it is highlighted by the percussion--and-psychedelic guitar supported bass solo that follows. Peter Trunk impresses! The closing is satisfying for its psychedelic folk extension beyond the standard jazz close. Great tune! Very creative and adventurous. (18.75/20)

4. "Suspicious Child, Growing Up" (4:00) this one sounds like something straight out of The Haight, 1966 or 1967. Multiple tracks used by Volker for his acoustic and electric guitars while minimal electric piano, percussion, bass, and drums support him. I love how well Volker plays off of his own alternate tracks: making it seem and feel as if he's dueting/duelling with someone else sitting next to him in the same studio in Austin, Texas. A very cool, enjoyable song--and I'm not even a fan of this type of music! (9/10)

5. "Instant Judgement" (3:45) Volker's distorted guitars are played over this Rockabilly-like tune with considerable aggression and psychedelic effect. Not necessarily a great or memorable song but certainly representative of the day-- where sound experimentation was all part of the game and almost de rigueur. How is that drummer Peter Baumeister can impress on this and feel so weak on "So Long, For Now"? (8.75/10)

6. "Ach Kina" (5:14) gently performed solo jazz electric guitar opens this before Volker launches into the real melody-- one that is quite emotional and melancholy (but played very effectively to convey these "sad" emotions). Support comes from a jazz trio of bass, brushed drums, and second guitar playing rhythm chords. Very nice! And at times achingly heart-wrenching (especially in the fourth minute when Cees See's congas join in and Volker starts to take turns soloing between both of his two guitars). (9.25/10)

7. "Strings Revisited" (7:20) this one sounds like a thinned out, scaled down song from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew: dreamy, floating Fender Rhodes, percussion front and center, independent and adventurous double bass play, and, of course, electric guitar. As a matter of fact, also like Miles' revolutionary record, John Taylor's Fender Rhodes play takes on quite the same sound and mystique as those of Chick, Joe, and Herbie (though, of the three, perhaps more the latter). Volker's jazz guitar stylings, however, sound far more akin to those of Geroge Benson than Johnny Mac. Drummer Peter Baumeister is, unfortunately, nowhere in the same league as the Bitches Brew drummers. (13.375/15)

Total Time: 40:28

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of early and experimental Jazz-Rock Fusion--perhaps even beyond the early ventures of Bitches Brew participants Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, and Chick Corea! (But not John McLaughlin.)

The highly respected, highly-professional journeymen hornsmiths return with their second effort to lead a band and man! do they gather together an ensemble of all-stars!

1. "Keep It Steady (Brecker's Bunp)" (6:24) funk at its finest from the very first notes, with choral vocals (courtesy of the young and unknown Luther Vandross and Patti Austin) and plenty of really tight and crisp play from the horn section. There is a lot of similarities here to the music of Average White Band and Earth, Wind & Fire, only a level more sophisticated (which is what you'd hope for, even expect, from these amazing musicians)--until you get to the solos: Steve Khan's awesome guitar solo first, then a sax solo that I'm going to assume comes from co-composer David Sanborn, all the while the Brecker brothers keep things very tight, funky, and, yes, steady. Pretty awesome song (though it could have developed a little differently--with more great solos or even some more horn interplay). (9.333/10)

2. "If You Wanna Boogie.....Forget It" (3:56) Bassist Will Lee really gets into his vocals (though they are supposedly arranged by Luther Vandross), while, at the same time, he's playing the funk out of his bass as the b vox and horns engage with great activity and enthusiasm (both). This is, however, a song that really is oriented toward the vocals: meant to be a dance/R&B radio friendly tune. While it may succeed as such, I'm really looking and hoping for more Jazz-Rock Fusion stuff. (8.75/10)

3. "Lovely Lady" (6:16) now moving into the domain of laid back, late night seduction songs, brother Randy leads us into and through this one (with the help of co-composers Allee Wilson ["September," "Boogie Wonderland," "Neutron Dance"] and singer Charlotte Crossley). There are suitable background soul vocals from the lovely, delicate voices of the esteemed array of singers the B brothers have employed, but it's really the Smooth Jazz music and performances of the musicians that are on display here--especially Randy and keyboard maestro Don Grolnick. (8.875/10)

4. "Night Flight" (6:14) early or pre-disco of the Kool & The Gang funk-type fused with an attempt at a kind of big band approach to some dynamic Mahavishnu Orchestra-level music. The layers of activity are excellent and each quite interesting in their own rights: keyboards, bass, percussion, horns, and composer Michael Brecker's lead saxophone. A very entertaining and admiragble song, even if it does enter the realm of that which will become stereotypic Dave Sanborn-style music. Some pretty wild effects used on the horns (especially Randy's trumpet) as well as the synths. (9/10)

5. "Slick Stuff" (4:46) now Randy's turn to express himself through his own composition, a fast pace with full horn and percussion complements, some very funky bass, synth bass, and clavinet play, a bit of the disco beat, and some cool use of Michael's flute play for some of the leads (alternating with some saxes). Randy's solo seems to arrive in two parts: the first quite dynamic, the second (flugelhorn?) more smooth and melodic, and then back to show-off dynamic. Then brother Michael steps in to take a turn on his tenor sax. (I much prefer the trumpet.) Very tight both compositionally and performatively. (9.125/10)

6. "Dig A Little Deeper" (3:58) back to radio-friendly funk, this time laid back and lyrically entertaining like something from Kool & The Gang or Parliament, this is another composition coming from outside the Breckers: from singers Allee Wilson, David Lasley, Don Grolnick, and lead singer/bassist Will Lee. The vocal arrangements (courtesy of Luther Vandross) are quite sophisticated--and excellent--and the song is certainly funky and heavily horn-accented, but, ultimately, it does little to engage me, personally, as I am looking for the jazz elements, less the R&B. (8.75/10)

7. "Grease Piece" (5:46) another funky instrumental song that has great performances everywhere one looks, and grooves with some syncopated AWB-type funky jazz-rock but then suffers from the alternating motif of what I call the Dave Sanborn generic pop instrumental jazz (too repetitive and marred by those multi-track multiple saxophone riffs. (8.875/10)

8. "What Can A Miracle Do" (4:14 ) a song that is composed by Don Grolnick and Luther Vandross turns out to be a very easy-going Pop-Soul vehicle for Luther (with some very piano/keyboard dominated music backing him). A little medieval fanfare-like horn play (trumpet) fills the spaces between the verses, but this is really a mostly-hornless song. Still, this is quite an engaging, likable, and even memorable song. (9/10)

9. "I Love Wastin' Time With You" (6:32) Michael teaming up with Allee Wilson and Charlotte Crossley to compose this jazz-rock vehicle for vocals (with Will Lee and Allee covering the lead vocals). The jazzy parts of the music feel a lot like STEELY DAN and even a little of THE DOOBIE BROTHERS' Michael McDonald era. The finish feels like a jam on the Saturday Night Live theme or something from Dave Letterman and Paul Shaffer's World's Most Dangerous Band. (8.75/10)

Total Time 46:06

My overall impression from this album is that the Brothers are excellent composers, have hired an ensemble of top notch musicians to help them realize their visions for these songs, but that they're a little too spread out with as many/more songs aimed at pleasing the Funk/R&B audiences as the Jazz-Rock Fusion (and even less toward the Jazz lovers). The opening song had me so very excited but the rest of the album, for me, failed to live up to the same high standards of J-R Fusion.

B+/four stars; an excellent Funk-R&B-dominated album of Jazz-Rock that falls a little short of qualifying as a true Peak Era Jazz-Rock Fusion album.