Anekdoten Live in Japan (1998)

Anekdoten is a Swedish progressive rock band composed of guitarist Nicklas Barker, cellist/keyboardist Anna Sofi Dahlberg, bassist/vocalist Jan Erik Liljeström, and drummer Peter Nordins.

Anekdoten is one of those Swedish bands that sparked a kind of new wave of prog in the nineties alongside Änglagård, Pain of Salvation, The Flower Kings, and the metalheads of Opeth and Meshuggah. Those years were very prolific in terms of music and creativity.

But Anekdoten may have been the least popular, creating a unique, obscure, and incredibly original style? a mix of old Mellotron sounds blended with heavy tones. They crafted a kind of old King Crimson vibe with elements of classical music and alternative modern rock.

By 1997, Anekdoten had released two records: Vemod (1993) and Nucleus (1995). Both are arguably their best studio albums, with music that was darker and more haunting compared to their later work.

The band was in a period of reorganization, and it seemed they might consider making music a secondary pursuit. However, after their European tour in 1996, they received exciting news?an important Japanese promoter had invited them to tour Japan, where the band enjoyed surprising popularity. This opportunity breathed new life into the band, giving them a second wind and a chance for a potential breakthrough.

Anekdoten's Official Bootleg - Live in Japan captures the band at their rawest. Recorded in 1997 during their Japanese tour, this live album is an energetic, unpolished collection that showcases the band's intensity and atmosphere, even surpassing their studio sound in some ways.

The setlist is a blend of tracks from Vemod and Nucleus, leaning heavily on the darker, heavier side of their sound. From the crushing riffs and tortured Mellotron of "Nucleus" to the ominous, creeping tension of "The Old Man and the Sea," the band conjures a mood of brooding menace that fans of King Crimson's early '70s era will feel right at home with.

The album's rough, bootleg-quality sound won't win over audiophiles?it's raw, and the mix can feel chaotic. But in the end, the listening experience is more than interesting; the rawness suits Anekdoten's sound, emphasizing the band's urgent energy. You can feel the sweat and intensity of the performance, with the crowd's enthusiasm bleeding into the recording. It's an authentic snapshot of a band at full throttle.

Nicklas Barker's guitar work cuts through with angular, jagged riffs and piercing solos, while Jan Erik Liljeström's bass throbs and snarls, carrying a weight that drives the band's darkest moments. The Mellotron?arguably Anekdoten's signature sound?is a constant, droning presence, wrapping tracks like "Karelia" and "Wheel" in a haunting, oppressive atmosphere. Drummer Peter Nordins is a force of nature, propelling the band with a mix of precision and aggression.

The album is a great listening experience in my opinion, one of the best live records I've ever heard. This record was my entry point to Anekdoten, and even today, I find everything else I've heard from them different and less enjoyable than this album. Don't misunderstand me I think their entire discography is amazing, but the energy displayed on this record is hard to match. That's why this album is so incredible.

While I have a huge appreciation for melancholic music that has a beauty to it, this isn't it. When the music drifts into that depressive state, I'm out. And of course their anti-God stance basically takes away any of that true light that humans are drawn to. This is a negatively dark album, like all of their music. And while I agree this is a huge upgrade over their debut, I'm just not into their cold and empty sound. That debut was extreme all the way. This second release at least has contrasts to that extreme side of their music. Clean guitars and vocals have a place here.

They were a five piece on that debut, but that one guest Martin Powell who added violin becomes the sixth member here on album number two. He also adds piano making him an important part of their change in sound. This record has plenty of violin and piano. We get just under an hour of music over seven tracks. This album is hugely influential. That doesn't mean it's good of course, it just means that a young band at the time like KATATONIA suddenly has new heroes, along with PARADISE LOST who were from this same period. Some bands mention early ANATHEMA as well, again this is all during the early nineties.

So we get lots of slow and repetitive music that has more in common with DEAD CAN DANCE than the Prog Metal going on at this time. I don't think this band could play music that is that technical. They are about creating as depressing a mood as possible. Hopeless music. Pass. A 3 star record in my world.

Astounding sounds prevail on Haken guitar player Charlie Griffiths's debut solo album titled 'Tiktaalika', a crossover prog metal opus with five-star guest appearances, and for some listeners a fascinating marriage between 80s thrash grooves and tech-prog complexity, this album reveals the artist's love of thrash, alternative and technical metal, all abundant here as the stylistic diversity and playing range of Griffiths impress from start to finish - this is a masterful work from a seasoned player who is confident and capable enough to put together such an ambitious project, featuring some of the genre's most recognizable and gifted musicians, namely Thomas Giles, Darby Todd, Jordan Rudess, Rob Townsend, Danïel De Jongh, Vladimir Lalić, and Neil Purdy, while the album has been mixed by Adam "Nolly" Getgood, formerly part of djent outfit Periphery.

The 'Prehistoric Prelude' introduces a ravaging riff that transitions into 'Arctic Cemetery', a technical, brutal and gloomy number with great vocals from Thomas Giles and some awesome guitar playing and production, followed by 'Luminous Beings' and its quirky textures more pertinent to the recent Haken material and their signature brand of prog metal. What comes after are arguably the two centerpieces of the record, the 8-minute tracks 'In Alluvium' and 'Dead In the Water', both of which feature the vocals of Vladimir Lalić. The former is a strong epic with Devin Townsend-esque polyrhythms mashed with a very upfront, modern metal production, a dazzling guitar tone and a ballsy swagger that elevates the piece into a roaring prog metal anthem, while the latter of these is an absolutely killer track replete with gnarly riffing, wacky shifts and hefty sax notes, or else, an in-your-face prog pomp. Another highlight is the instrumental title track (a Dave Mustaine-attempted Dream Theater epic), an all-around prog homage that is equal parts menacing and impressive, the irony aside. Some may also enjoy the gritty technical metalcore of 'Crawl Walk Run', while the closing track works as a coda and provides for a nice framing of the entire album, which is excellent and highly recommended for all enjoyers of the prog metal genre.

This album was originally planned to have a long song cycle on one side and some shorter songs on the other side. The song cycle would be made up of "Behind the lines", "Duchess", "Guide vocal", "Turn it on again", "Duke's travels" and "Duke's end". It wasn't to be, but during the tour that followed the band did play the song cycle as they had originally intended it. It was the absolute highlight of the Duke live shows and the album would have been a lot better had it included the songs this way.

The album opens like the song cycle opens with the excellent "Behind the lines" with its two minute intro leading into the drum machines of the great ballad "Duchess" with its coda "Guide vocal". Then we get three solo compositions with Mike Rutherford's "Man of our times", Phil Collins' "Misunderstanding" (the first song he wrote for Genesis, also the band's first US hit single) and Tony Banks' "Heathaze". Then comes the great "Turn it on again", as far as I know the only single ever with a 13/4 time signature. Then it goes again with "Alone tonight", "Cul de sac" and ". The album ends in a great way again with "Duke's travels" and "Duke's end". Had they left the medley as it originally was (and how it was again on tour), the medley have made it a great Genesis album. But this conversion of pop and prog made some fans lose interest l. This is one of the albums that made die hard Genesis fan to lose interest but I love it. 4.0

Devastatingly beautiful, mellotron-heavy, grief-swollen, and excruciatingly abrasive - this is the sound presented by Swedish band Anekdoten on their 1993 debut album 'Vemod', one of the most significant and far-reaching albums of the progressive revival of the nineties. This is a dark, desperate and melancholic work that exhibits certain qualities pertaining to gothic rock, but at the core of 'Vemod' lies the epic, technical writing that Anekdoten mastered gracefully, jazz-tinted rhythm sections, scorching dissonance with aggressive riffs counteracted by the swirling mellotron soundscapes and gorgeous cello parts, or in a word, a fabulous work of progressive excellence, unique in its style, approach and mood, definitive of its era, and allowing this incredible band of talented Swedish musicians to go on and develop this particular groove of their own, their compelling style that blends progressive rock's complexity and theatrics, with the moodiness and ingenuity of the alternative and gothic scenes.

On 'Vemod', the cathartic musical journey of the Nicklas Berg-led quarter develops swiftly within a dense framework of sounds that harken back to some of those classic mid-70s progressive rock albums, dark and menacing, eager and visionary, and as the band exhibits a taste for King Crimson and Goblin, among others, the listener surrenders himself to an audacious rendition of these classic sounds - heavy, distorted and evidently sorrowful, rendering this debut album a fascinating and important part of the Swedish progressive scene. Manic opener 'Karelia' is a signature piece from Anekdoten, a song that introduces and encapsulates perfectly what this entire album is all about. Followed by the drab and epic 'The Old Man and the Sea', the mellotron-heavy sound dominates the atmosphere, whereas numbers like 'Where Solitude Remains' and 'The Flow' reveal the technical capabilities of each member. Tender and acoustic-driven shorter songs grace this album, too, offering an antidote to the otherwise dense nature of the longer compositions, and how could one forget to mention the pensive and mournful tone of 'Sad Rain'. 'Vemod' is a mesmerizing, hypnotic work with a unique, ominous atmosphere and a recognizable, unique sound, not much more that you can ask for from a progressive rock album.

'Kraftwerk 2', the follow-up to the German band's 1970 debut release, is by far the least characteristic album of their 70s output. Generally continuing the krautrock experiments initiated on the self-titled predecessor, this record is a mish-mash of random noises and instrumental patches sown together in a moderately confusing way, resulting in a work that is above all patchy and monolithic with certain hypnotic qualities, mechanical and lacking a clear direction, especially in comparison to the album coming before it. As the band approach a more ambient domain of sound, the listener gets the least electronic and most abstract work of the group's earliest proceedings.

Ralf, Florian and Conny Plank are once again responsible for the creation of this work, this time lacking a drummer as nobody would be interested in providing a rhythm section to the random swirls of musique concrète, quite ubiquitous on 'Kraftwerk 2', an album that bolsters various effects, tapes and tape echo, molding a palette of unusual sounds from their guitar, flute and violin recordings. 17-minute opener 'Klingklang' is indeed a great peace that goes through different shapes but ultimately ends up being enjoyable enough to be understood, while 'Atem' is simply constructed from recordings of breathing. It is the four tracks on side two that dare to go into a more exploratory direction, and the overall impression is of a poorly conceived bulk of sounds, with occasional glimpses of intrigue and intelligent stitching. This recording is inferior to the debut album, which is why it has been mostly ignored by the band members and critics alike.

Probably the most polarising of the band releases up to that point, the album sees Genesis, now as a trio, trading some of their grandiose, complex ideas for increased pop sensibility. Maybe due to the fact that Collins and co. weren't exactly sure in which direction they want the music to go, ...And Then There Were Three... sits awkwardly in the canyon between progressive rock and pop rock, somehow being neither and both at the same time. While the fusion of the two genres was done better on the next album, Duke, this LP spawns a few very worthwhile tracks (Down and Out, Snowbound, The Lady Lies) in between filler and failed ideas. A classic transition-era album. 4.0 it Is forgotten about sadly.

'Time Requiem' is the 2002 self-titled debut album by Swedish progressive power metal band, Time Requiem. Formed by keyboard player Richard Andersson, the band plays a style very typical of progressive metal, with a strong neoclassical influence, and an emphasis on powerful vocals and fantasy-themed lyrics.

The most prominent aspect of Time Requiem's music is shredding, and it comes in boatloads! Andersson and guitarist Magnus Nordh are absolute beasts on their instruments, furiously ripping up the chromatic scale at every opportunity. It makes for some lavishly flavoured riffs and colourful solos, but sadly it does get a little repetitive after a while.

Most of the songs are very strong and well-written, but also rely on similar tropes. At times, they sound very reminiscent of other bands, such as Symphony X, Dream Theater and Stratovarius. But if you can accept a group wearing its influences on its sleeves, then you might just enjoy tracks such as 'Watching the Tower of Skies', 'Time Requiem', 'Milagros Charm', 'Visions of New Dawn', 'The Aphorism' and the absolutely psychotic instrumental, 'Brutal Mentor'.

'Time Requiem' can be challenging to sit through in one go, especially if you're not keen on the sheer technicality of the music, but perseverance and repeated listens can be rewarding. Over time, the album grew on me, and while the band offers nothing new or unique, this is a very solid debut, and I'm excited to hear where things will go with future releases.

Pink Floyd's 'Atom Heart Mother" made in 1970 is perhaps their most progressive record. The title song suite on the first side could easily be categorized as avant garde-prog. On this track the band enhances its psychedelic song- writing with the soulful guitar of David Gilmour, the beautiful Hammond organs by Richard Wright, a layer of orchestration (mostly copper), a very modern choir performance in the middle section and one of the most psychedelic recording sounds ever. The orchestration by Ron Geesin sounds modern/atonal and fits in perfectly with the abstract sound of the music. Like most epics the songs has a dark/horror section in which a bomb seems to explode. After it the band launches a section of studio manipulations that allows them to create an explosion of parts that are fading in and out. More compelling than any tape manipulations ever done by Zappa. The ending section of the 'Atom Heart Mother' combines the band, the orchestra, the philip Jones brass ensemble and the choir in order to maximize on its main theme; not unlike the beautiful ending of 'Tubular Bells'. Its such a journey to listen to this. This Pink Floyd masterpiece has such a distinct atmosphere that there is simply almost no recording that sounds anything like it. I only used it once as a reference in a review, for the Italian 'Il Paese dei Belocchi' album, which I can also warmly recommend. I also like the fact that not even all Pink Floyd fans seem to like Atom Heart Mother that much, whereas this is not at all like their post-Meddle smooth recordings. Instead, this album is recommended to listener of psychedelic (acid) music, eclectic prog and Avantgarde-prog

"If" is a nice English folk-style song with a hint of Pink Floyd vibes. "Summer '68" and "Fat Old Sun" are also beautiful, sweet melodies that continue to evoke the pastoral vibe of this album. "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" is the worst track on here. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but it's a little tedious and doesn't seem very planned out. Plus, the breakfast noises are sort of off-putting for the casual listener. Anyway, the last track is worthy of existence, but probably not worthy of being on this excellent album. The first four tracks are better than Pink Floyd's first two psychedelic albums, Meddle, Wish You Were Here, Ummagumma, and any post-The Wall albums, mainly because the first four tracks evoke such a unique mood and stick to it. With the last track, it's about the same as WYWH, Meddle, the debut album, and the sophomore album. 5.0 definitely one of their trade mark albums, and along with Animals both are my favorite offerings by Pink Floyd. Lulabelle the third looks like she likes the album too.

I had to put something in print before I review the band's new 2025 release, Focus, as I've known of this album since it was recommended to me back in 2022. Right off the bat I have to take issue with Scott Shreky' suggestion that this band sounds like a cross between the Mahavishnu Orchestra and The Mars Volta. I'm not even sure I would consider this Jazz-Rock Fusion (the category PA has assigned them) were it not for the instrumental jam structures to their music. To me this has more in common with straight rock and blues rock of the late 1960s, early 1970s, and the blues rock revival of the 1980s: Rush, Mahogany Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The sound and technique of the band's dominant instrumentalist, the heavily-distorted electric guitar shredder, sounds to me more like Alex Lifeson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jimi Hendrix than Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. None of these musicians sound particularly virtuosic: they have some skill and speed but very little diversity and variability. Both the drummer and the guitarist, in particular, seem to be locked into one style only--and they do not "mesh" or entrain very well together. The keyboardist has talent but the exposition of his skills and diversity is diminished by the fairly simplistic compositions that he is playing over. I mean: anybody can jam! And I definitely get the feeling that the many instances in which the musicians "spill over" into errant notes has nothing to do with intention or Coltrane- and Monk-like adventures into Debussy scales making; they are simply mistakes. And bass player is there but rarely makes himself distinctive--which can be a good thing--but in the context of these jam-oriented songs methinks his role has been assigned as metronomic companion to the militaristic drummer. As for the music, I don't dislike it but I feel no lasting urge to return to it. My hope is that in the three years the quartet have had to work on their skills and compositional vision the next album (the afore-mentioned Focus) will yield considerable improvements and advancements.

Recorded during the 'YES Epics and Classics' tour in May 2023 (Illinois, USA) as a result of the collaboration between Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks led by Richie Castellano, "Live - Perpetual Change" (2025) is a tribute to the most representative symphonic period of the legendary Yes.

Very respectful of the forms and avoiding 'creative' experiments, the band focuses on the setlist of 1973's "Yessongs", except for "Siberian Khatru" and "Long Distance Runaround / The Fish", replaced instead by the masterful "Awaken" and "Gates of Delirium", with a very solid group performance and with Jon Anderson's voice still in great form more than five decades later.

Without taking sharp turns and following a safe path, the band recreates as faithfully as possible songs like "Yours is No Disgrace", "Perpetual Change", "Close to the Edge", "Starship Trooper" (Chris Clark's keyboards and Andy Graziano's guitars in the final section are superb), or "Heart of the Sunrise" (very good bass by Castellano), which seem to be taken from some seventies concert, and even the acoustic parts of "And You and I" and "Roundabout" with their clean and immaculate guitars, seem to surpass several live versions of those songs performed by Yes in the 2000's...

Something that could have been better? While it was a tour focused on the music of Yes, perhaps including some previews of the excellent album "True" to be released by Jon Anderson in 2024, such as the very progressive "Counties and Countries" or "Once upon a Dream", would have given it an extra touch of freshness and novelty.

But without a doubt "Live - Perpetual Change" is a very good live album, which reaffirms in Jon Anderson's voice the greatness of Yes, and a new and very appreciable opportunity to reconnect with progressive rock itself.

4 stars

So, here we go again. Another IQ album hot off the presses, if not quite hot on the heels of their last album Resistance (as playfully suggested by Peter Nicholls). Unfortunately I was too late to buy the orange vinyl version of the album but hopefully it'll come out again in some other colour or kaleidoscope of colours on vinyl. So I've bought the CD but not content to wait for it to arrive in the post I've also downloaded it onto my phone via Apple Music (a very small price to pay for good music). Now, I have to say, there is some really very good stuff on here, notably for me from Neil Durant, but not alone from him. This is IQ once again doing what they do best. I know that there will be those who suggest that this is IQ by Numbers, going over the same old ground yet again, delivering the same old melodies, the same old guitar solos, the same old chords, the same old stories that have been rehashed and the same old drums. Well, to that I can only say Yes. There certainly is some of that here. Quite a lot of that in fact. But I absolutely love it. This is a great album, once again from the band. I'm now in my mid 60s. And having been following and supporting and loving progressive rock music since I was in my early teens, this is what I want to hear.

So Kraftwerk's prog credentials definitely extend to their earliest period, when the band composed of Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider-Esleben, and producer Conny Plank was experimenting with sounds, structures and effects, resulting in them releasing some of the earliest and most important krautrock albums, preceded only by Can's 'Monster Movie' and Amon Düül II's 'Phallus Dei'. Kraftwerk's 1970 self-title debut album was released in November through Philips Records, and has remained one of the unusual entries of the German electronic mavericks' discography, completely unrelated to their later works and featuring for the most part a very repetitive, drone-like, and experimental sound, with a lot of jamming, memorable grooves, and free form circular washes of noise, all elements of the respective movement as the band had gradually become a part of the local art scene.

Opening up the album is the iconic piece 'Ruckzuck', a template krautrock compositions that has gone on to become one of the more recognizable early recordings of the band, the patterns of snare-heavy drums and punctuating flutes (played by Florian) provide for a fine patchwork of sounds that could occasionally be seen as an anticipation of the techno genre, with its repetitive textures and cold atmosphere. Second track 'Stratovarius' is wild and effective, opening up with a gloomy organ sequence followed by a collage of effects and dissonant sounds. As the drums kick in, the composition takes on a more recognizable form, until it dissolves into a frantic conundrum of sounds and shrieks of wah-wah guitars. We then have a piece with more ambient qualities - 'Megaherz', an interesting piece could be seen as Kraftwerk's "sound design" experiment. The fourth and final track on the album is the most improvisational of them all, a chaotic and disorienting piece that is difficult to appreciate, while containing some fascinating sounds. Of course, this album is far from perfect, as it is sonically challenging and experimental, which is why it is a fascinating piece of music, but it remains a great krautrock album that places Kraftwerk among the earliest and most significant bands of the movement.

Queen prove their extreme versatility and musical chops on this follow-up to "A night at the opera". It may be less adventurous but it still remains a high-quality item in the Queen catalog. The album kicks off with one of their most rock'n'roll sounding number (of course after the rockabilly "Crazy little thing called love"). Its groove goes beyond technical complexity which was then seen in the Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin material Vocal prowess is best heard in "You take my breath away"and the gospel infected "Somebody to love". The latter has a gorgeous and somewhat pompous melody. Queen dabble successfully in the vintage "The millionaire waltz" and a good-spirit "Good old fashioned lover boy" which always give me positive vibes. Apart from the first track, May is represented by the strong and more complex "White man". The last song's key musical message is ambitious and leaves a feeling of being a hymn. I always wondered where these words come from and thanks to Internet, that is Japanese. Because of the album versatility and combined talents of four band members, this is a welcome addition to a 70's prog collection.

Which should we prefer? The 2020s tribute band which happens to call itself 'Yes' (starring Steve Howe), or Jon Anderson's version of the same, which claims to be 'keeping the "true Yes" flag flying'? Based on this double album, and on what I've heard and seen of (fairly) recent Yes (i.e. mainly live clips on YouTube, and the LIVE FROM LYON album), I wouldn't hesitate to award the palm to J.A. and the Band Geeks. It's true that a title like LIVE - PERPETUAL CHANGE smacks of hybris; it reminds me of Tomasi Di Lampedusa's famous statement (in his novel THE LEOPARD) 'If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.' But for an old Yes fan like me it's wonderful to witness Jon's resurrection - and his current band isn't half bad either.

It's true that there are a few misses. The first ten minutes or so of 'Close to the Edge' sag surprisingly, with Jon sounding tired and hoarse in the 'I get up, I get down' section. But this comes after two truly sprightly performances (of 'Yours is no Disgrace' and 'Perpetual Change'), and during the remainder of the set Jon never lets us down - quite the contrary. Moreover, the 'Close to the Edge' climax is nicely done; having two expert keyboardists clearly helps! The opening of 'Starship Trooper' is another slight let-down. Throughout the set, the Band Geeks generally replicate the original studio versions of the tunes (not failing to add pretty little touches of their own) - but where's that prominent Hammond organ we so sorely needed?

Still, there's so much to rejoice over that I don't want to sound like a sourpuss... 'Awaken' and 'The Gates of Delirium', two of the highlights in the Yes canon, are carried off with great aplomb. In my view, lead guitarist Andy Graziano actually outshines Steve Howe here, clearly benefitting from a (relatively) youthful attack, which Howe has lacked for many a year. My 'deluxe edition' of the album came with a DVD of the gig, and it's heartening to see with how much respect and pure joy those Band Geeks tackle all the Yes material.

So do you NEED this album? Hmmm, while I cannot call it 'essential', I believe admirers of classic Yes will derive a great deal of pleasure from it. In European classical music, it's common for symphony orchestras to churn out recordings of Beethoven symphonies - and the like - long after the original composer has died, and every year, specialist periodicals will be analysing the latest recordings, pointing out where - for example - the Gothenburg Symphony anno 2025 have the edge over the Berlin Philharmonic anno 1962. Similarly, it's a great deal of fun to check out how the Band Geeks have mastered all those classic Yes compositions. And at the same time I find it uplifting to hear a 79-year old Jon Anderson (mercifully still alive!) pour his heart and soul into his lead vocals. So unless you're a J.A. hater, I definitely suggest you give PERPETUAL CHANGE a try.

3.5 stars. You can almost look at "Mythical River" as a companion album to their previous studio album "Arrival Of The New Elders". The band has shown some maturity on these two records, a more contemporary sound if you will. Songs are more structured, and there's less energy, these two albums are more reflective. While Stale decided to let the electric piano have the spotlight for a change on "Arrival Of The New Elders", he's back with the organ dominating once again, but this is way more laid back than those earlier records.

The album opens and closes with these short spacey atmospheric pieces. I do like the 8 minute title track. The way it builds up to around 5 1/2 minutes, then a calm but also a brighter sound with the keys. "Pretty Among The Stars" is the one track that seems like a nod to the past. At least the energetic, organ led sections are. These are contrasted throughout with other sections. "Chamber Of Silence" is interesting. Headphone music in fact, as there seems to be lots going on despite it being quiet.

"Heading For Desolate Wastelands" is a slow build and very laid back early on. Mellotron on this one. A pretty good final minute with the organ leading the way. I like the first minute of "Star Cluster Detective" where the drums and organ lead. "Caravan Of The Red Lion" has a very interesting opening minute. Experimental is the word, and then it starts to move with the organ leading the way.

I'm not really liking this new direction. I think there is potential though for something special to be created as they move forward in this more conservative style. Still, I also did not see this on many year end lists. Very few in fact. But, I can't wait to spend time with "Catching Fire With Terje Rypdal" where I think a lot of the maturity goes out the window. "Silver Mountain" with Reine Fiske continues to be my favourite ELEPHANT9 album.

While ROY HARPER entered the 1980s with a slicker production, he didn't wholly abandon the attention to detail in his songwriting. "The Unknown Soldier" is practically an equal collaboration between himself and DAVE GILMOUR, with the usual supporting cast of dozens, but it's hard to get into specifics about this because the credits are shoddily expounded upon.

We do know the pair co-wrote half the songs and it certainly sounds like the PINK FLOYD guitarist's melodic style on several tracks. One of these is "Short and Sweet" which appeared on Gilmour's first solo album in 1978, and is one of the highlights here. "You" is a solid collaboration with KATE BUSH, but my favorite here is the gossamer and poignant "Fly catcher", one of Harper's most successful ballads, with kudos to the perennial wisdom of DAVID BEDFORD.

Unfortunately, like many a 1980s album from a 1970s (and early) artist, "The Unknown Soldier" lacks some in consistency and quality, particularly on the lazy lyrics marring "I'm in Love with You", which could have been a centerpiece with reduced apathy; and the final two songs, both stylized and virtually taste-free attempts to modernize. However, "Playing Games" works in a BE BOP DELUXE meets early 1980s CAMEL manner.

This isn't an album I'd go to battle over, but it's still insightful enough to avoid ignominy, even 40+ years on.

It is always a pleasure to listen to any music where Italian creative soul Claudio Milano is featured, because it means it will be a challenging and quite interesting journey, knowing his enthusiasm towards experimental music and arts.

Of course, this time is not an exception, and here, for this record entitled 'Frattura, Comparsa, Dissolvenza', Milano reunited with other 3 minds with no boundaries and of course, with a lot of talent: Niccolo "Whale" Clemente, Teo "Borda" Ravelli, and Alberto Nemo, who made and recorded a performance in 2023 held in a gas station, a not-so- conventional place for a gig. This album shares four tracks and a total time of 43 minutes led by colorful voices, piano and noises. Actually it would be valid if we talked about a split album, because each musicians / singer has their own piece,

It kicks-off with 'Frattura Iniziale', piano alone for a minute and then a voice appears, it is Alberto Nemo the mind behind it, he delivers an spiritual performance where a synergy between his piano and his profound voice embrace the atmosphere. Its rhythm is calm, delicate, and with its repetition I believe the aim is to connect to the listener's minds and souls. Don't expect a change or a explosive moment in this track, just let your spirit be guided by Nemo's charm.

The long tracks begin now with 'Comparsa', which marks the turn of "Whale" Clemente. He, just like Nemo, sits in front of his piano and uses his voice to deliver an experimental momentum, with a strong vocal color that nicely contrasts with the delicate piano notes. This time the journey might be a little bit challenging, with not an actual rhythm, we have to expect the unexcpected. Anyway, the music flows with and without pauses, inviting us to have a cathartic episode where we can close our eyes, take a deep breath and try to go deeper in our innerselves. At half the song there is a loop in the voice, sounding like a meditation or even a religious ceremony, so yeah, I believe it is easier to connect with it if we are involved in spiritual activities.

'Dissolvenza' is the longest track here, almost 19 minutes where the Milano (voice) / Borda (electronics) combo take over. Yeah, since the very first seconds the electronic elements appear and create tension, then Milano's experimental and colorful voice join with some repetitive phrases, and then, starts to play with his powerful vocal chords. The sound is quite different here from the first two performances, and as you can notice, closer to my tastes. This track is not plain at all, it has ups and downs, moments of tension, darker atmospheres, even a bit of craziness, so the couple are able to explore their limits and create with all the freedom they have as experimental artists, which is why we can find a rollercoaster of emotions, textures, passages, sounds. My favorite track here.

And the album finishes almost like it started, with Nemo performing 'Frattura Finale', working as a reprise of the opener.

Yeah, this is a work of high quality, with talented and enigmatic artists, however, I believe this record is not that easy to dig, or at least, I could not connect as I would have wished, but in the end, the experience and the journey is personal, so I hope people give this album a try.

There are no more demons, magicians or symbolism in Uriah Heep's imaginary for their sixth album, 'Sweet Freedom' (1973), replaced instead on the cover by a bland and vaporous image of the musicians blurred in a reddish Martian background, for a proposal that opts for melodic and accessible structures, with a reduced but equally present contribution of the band's hard rock DNA and including some symphonic touches.

And so it is that "Sweet Freedom" unfolds between direct and neat atmospheres, like the restless guitar Funky of "Dreamer", the boogie rock of the active "Stealin'', the glam of the brief "One Day", the compact acoustic/electric ensemble of "Seven Stars", and the unexpected sonorities very close to the bossa-nova of the relaxed "Circus", whose contribution is limited, in my opinion, to the anecdotal and contrasting nature of its inclusion in the album.

But the band also gets 'serious' and dense with Ken Hensley's galloping, intense keyboards and David Byron's singing on the emotive "Sweet Freedom", despite the tiresome and unnecessary repetition of its chorus, with the mesmerising mid-tempo "If I Had the Time" and Hensley's lysergic moog, and finally also with Mick Box's affiliated guitar solos over the excellent sound carpet that Hensley's Hammond builds accompanied by Gary Thain's bass and Lee Kerslake's percussion, in the grandiloquent and epic "Pilgrim", a track that could be considered as one of the first ones that would feed years later on the still budding progressive metal.

"Sweet Freedom" may not carry with it all the magic of the band's previous works, but it manages to pull through because of the sheer quality of its performers.

3/3.5 stars

"Flying Teapot" is the first instalment of the incredible "Radio Gnome Invisible" series, which tells the story of the Planet GonG, a world inhabited by creatures called Pixies whose bizzare method of transport gives the album it's name. For those of you not farmiliar with the Gong Mythology (which is detailed in this series), a brief plot synopsis may be in order.

The story begins when the pig-farming Egyptologist Mr. Tea Being is sold a "Magik Ear Ring" by the enegmatic Antique Tea Pot Street Vendor and Tea Label Collector known only as Fred the Fish. The ear ring is capable of getting messages from the planet GonG via a pirate radio station known as Radio Gnome Invisible. The two travel to the Hymalayas, where they meet (in a cave) the Great Beer Yogi, Banana Andana, a figure who tends to chant "Banana Nirvana Manana" and get drunk on Foster's a lot. Meanwhile, elsewhere on Earth, the protagonist Zero the Hero is going about his everyday business when he experiences a vision which causes him to start worshiping the Cock Pot Pixie (also known as Hashman), one of the Pot Head Pixies of Planet GonG. Zero is distracted, however, by a cat, which he offers fish and chips to. The cat is actually the Good Witch Yoni, who gives Zero a potion which knocks him out, thus concluding the album. Characters in the Mythology can easily be equated to band members: Tea Being is bassist Mike Howlett, Zero the Hero is Allen himself, Didier Malherbe (who met Allen and Smyth in a cave on Majorca) is Banana Andana, and the Good Witch Yoni Gilli Smyth.

Radio Gnome Invisible- One of the stranger tracks on the album, which has strong overtones of the band's earlier releases as well as the subtleties that the group aquires with their musical progression. Flying Teapot- Easily the highlight of the album, this twelve minute piece makes great use of saxophone, piano, spacey effects over a great bass line and solid beat. Pot Head Pixies- One of the more surreal songs on the album. While comparatively short, its idiosyncratic lyrics and catchy tune make it instantly likeable. Octave Doctors- This track is the only major annoyance on the album. Lasting barely longer than a minute, it seems to have been included solely as a link between the third and fifth tracks (and as an excuse for Blake to experiment with his synths).

Zero the Hero- In terms of the plotline, this is the most important track on the album, introducing us to the protagonist Zero. Malherbe's sax playing is excellent here, and the mirific ambiences seen here act as a preview to some of the atmospheres in Angel's Egg, the next instalment of the trillogy. An absolutely amazing song. Witch's Song- Contains good instrumental parts, but Gilli Symth's lyrical parts detract somewhat from the overall quality. However, a good track with a more schizophrenic style than its predecessors, which provides a great end note for the album.

Overall- A great album -hampered only by poor sound quality and slightly weak production- which is definately the base for the success of the later albums of the Trillogy ("Angel's Egg" and "You"). Although one must listen several time in order to get used to the eccentric psychadelia of the album (and the gong Mythology, see above), it is more than worth the effort. The use of jazz-style improv, early synthesisers and a completely unique style make this an excellent addition to any progressive music collection. 4.0 great concept album

Don't be fooled, this is actually the second studio album from Haken guitarist Charlie Griffiths, just under a different name. I really liked his debut record of Tiktaalika, though I did feel like it drew a bit heavily from the original Haken sound. Though, I was quite optimistic going into this record, especially when I heard it focused more on the thrash metal elements that sometimes sprung up from the previous album.

This is a pretty good improvement from the debut I'd say. Gods of Pangaea really showcases Charlie's dynamic metal knowledge to new heights, with a bigger focus on old school thrash metal, mixed with an iconic progressive metal sound. The album has a very Voivod-like aura to me, which I quite enjoy, creating a sound that has a mix between the surreal and goofy nature of prog, with more serious aspects to tighten things together. Crack treated seriously, if you will.

Also, like the former album, Gods of Pangaea is a concept album, exploring the supercontinent of Pangaea, as well as the life that lived there. It's noticeably a tiny bit looser than the prior album, as the songs aren't quite linked up to form one big movement, which I do think was quite a missed opportunity. Imagine listening to the title track and through its segway you hear the foreboding bassline from The Forbidden Zone. I think that'd be pretty awesome. Shame that didn't work out in the end.

I also noticed some groove metal elements sometimes, which I think makes the sound more original. Again, my problem with Tiktaalika was that it felt like it drew too heavily from the Haken sound, and while the album does sometimes still carry that band's progressive metalisms, the added elements makes the proggy sound much more dynamic and interesting. I haven't really delved into the groove metal genre outside of Gojira and a Disembodied EP, but the groove elements here are really well done, especially in the bass work. Charlie and Conner Green are both really good at the bass, and they work well with each other, especially on The Forbidden Zone and Lost Continent, my personal favorite tracks on this album.

Though, perhaps it could benefit with some more technical and wackier elements than it already has. I think its big downside is that God of Pangaea sometimes can feel like a pretty straight laced heavy metal album. Obviously not on some of the longer tracks, but it does get kind of 'textbook definition' in terms of metal on here. Obviously, I am not expecting Charlie to reinvent the wheel here, but I do wish some of the tracks stood out a bit more, like Tyrannicide and Give Up the Ghost. Essentially while the prog is more dynamic, the metal has become a bit stagnant.

I think Gods of Pangaea is an overall improvement from Tiktaalika, with its more original sound that Charlie is more thoroughly playing around with, though it does still have some issues. All that aside, I am pretty optimistic for whatever Charlie has in store next, because I bet it'll be pretty good, if not better than this new album.

Best tracks: The Forbidden Zone, Lost Continent

Worst tracks: Tyrannicide, Give Up The Ghost

— First review of this album —

Energetic Pop/Prog Sunshine

DUEMILA12 is the longstanding musical collaboration of guitarist Roberto Bulgarini and vocalist Gianluca Fineo. The two friends share a lifelong passion for all music, and their work together began in the early 1990s. After some years of musical training and professional work, they recorded their debut Musical Elements in 2012. The music ranges from modern symphonic to crossover/art rock with an ear toward pop melody, but with extended and often luxurious arrangements and good performances. While this will be on the tame side for many hardcore RPI fans, it should appeal very much to fans of accessible, melodic Italian prog.

Made in Italy is the second full-length release for the guys. Not finding any deep bio information, I believe this second album is strictly the same two gents handling all vocals, guitars, keyboards, and percussion. They describe their sound as "pop rock songs and instrumental songs often with an inclination towards progressive rock, our fundamental goal is to transmit with our music relaxing and at the same time stimulating emotions for the fantasy of the listener." I would concur with that. They are a bit closer to the pop-rock side of things, but it comes with obvious nods to keyboard-laden prog rock.

I have a strong affection for the many truly obscure modern RPI bands that have continued since the '90s wave. Duemila12 reminds me of other such symphonic-friendly bands like Mindflower, Mellonta Tauta, Aton's, Cooperative Del Latte, and Mario Cottarelli, projects that utilize some pop elements without shame, and artists who may be just as inspired by post-Duke Genesis as they are by the earlier stuff. Their songwriting, vocals, and guitar/keyboard shadings are all quite strong here. As with the first album, there is a thinness to the production that detracts a bit, but it is not a dealbreaker by any means. I just wish I could hear the bass better, and I wish the rhythm guitar tone had more variability and umph. Roberto can certainly wail though on the leads when he grabs a solo.

Another notable impression of the dozen tracks of Made in Italy is the truly optimistic vibe of the songwriting and performances. While I don't understand the lyrics, this music is upbeat and smile-inducing for sure. If you enjoy the sunnier side of the deep RPI bench, definitely look for Duemila12 where you get your digital releases. To my knowledge, there is no physical product. In the years since the second album, Roberto Bulgarini has released many interesting individual tracks on YouTube, but I've not yet found an actual solo album from him. They appear to move slightly away from pop and more toward the progressive rock side. Hopefully he will bundle these singles and release a new album one day.

Listening to IQ music is always a challenge to me.

"Dominion" opens with a long piece, 22 minutes, and well, this is not what I feared, the composition is well written, the voice of Peter Nicholls is emotional, good, and a bit sad as always. To get right to the point, IQ is always doing the same album, for 40 years.

The record is well done, everything is controlled, but to me, the aesthetic is too wrong. Their way to impose their chords-plaster, all along the album, is boring me up. To me, it's the worst Banks/Genesis use of chords, with Mellotron voice and so on, melted with some metal riffs. It's the opposite of progressive music. It doesn't show something new, or some subtlety to the compositions. They always go to these enormous chords-plaster. It's a nightmare to me, especially the keyboards. It's always a variation of Genesis' s special part of a song, a variation of "Apocalypse in 9/8" for example. "No dominion" embodies perhaps the most what I dislike in IQ music, the big chords-plaster.

But to be positive, they master their world. The mix is great, the sound is good, and the composition is well done. So if you like IQ, you will love this album.

But to me, it's not what I'm searching in progressive music. I search something delicate, that surprises me, adventurous and inventive, and this music doesn't bring me that. It's seems that with that kind of album, the progressive world is lost. But don't get me wrong, I think that this album is a good album, in it's own way. But I feel so desperate with that kind of album. So I'm looking around, searching "outside" of the prog world. Tigran Hamasyan for example.

So, fair enough, I wish a good listen to those who love this kind of music. There's nothing wrong. It remembers me of Marillion. In a same way, Marillion is always doing the same album, in a rhythmic perspective, and with the guitar. I love Marillion, but I feel that they are stuck in their way to compose music. And IQ is stuck too. But they improved their own language, so in that perspective, it's good.

I just listened Yes 50 live, and compare the songs that are the same, "Close to the edge", "Awaken", "Yours is no disgrace", "Rounabout" and "Starship trooper". And the observation is, Jon Anderson and the band Geeks are going back to something that is right. Ok, it's not Yes, but the interpretation is amazing, made with energy and precision.

I feel that this interpretation of the Yes catalogue disqualifies the current Yes, yes it's clear. With Yes 50, the keyboards of Geoff Downes don't work, especially "Close to the edge" and "Awaken" The dynamic within the songs are quite lame, and sometimes they don't play well together. Steve Howe seems to struggle with his own part. And the singer Jon Davison struggles, and delivers some inadequate parts

To me, it was important to have this in mind. Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks is not Yes, but their interpretation of the Yes catalogue goes back to what is was. The energy, the complexity of composition is in front of us. To me, it's an interpretation of Yes, but close to Yes. They try to duplicate the sounds of the studio albums, and the avantage is that they understand how the composition is written. The musicians are amazing, and the keyboardist Chris Clark doesn't suffer the comparison with Rick Wakeman (what Geoff Downes does). The choice of the sounds, with Robert Kipp are more accurate than the current Yes. And the bass, delivered by Richie Castellano is just amazing, big, and gives a good rendition of what Chris Squire was to the band, an extraordinary locomotive.

Jon Anderson and the band Geeks delivers something right to the Yes heritage. Not to mention that Jon Anderson has still a wonderful voice.

So if you're a Yes fan, you will love this. And I will always thank The Band Geeks to give us the opportunity to listen to Jon's voice again, at 80 ! They worked so well, they are the new interpreter of Yes music, like all these people in Classical music.

(written by a french guy, pardon my English)

Secret Treaties (1974) definitely reminds me of the best of Deep Purple's early albums, with engaging riffs and diversity between the tracks. It's hard to believe this album was released just before the more pop rock Agents of Fortune (1976).

The first track, Career of Evil, is an excellent introduction to the album, allowing each instrument to shine. Through a catchy chorus and more virtuosic passages, the band creates a captivating dynamic that highlights the complementarity of the different members. Next comes Subhuman, with more restrained riffs, which serve as an excellent transition into one of the album's best tracks, Dominance and Submission. In this piece, you can truly feel the band's intensity. The song is evolving, speeding up, and features the voice of Eric Bloom, which is used almost like an instrument of its own. Then, ME 262 is a very fast track with little respite in terms of pace. I see an interesting connection with Highway Star, which relates to a frenzied car race, while ME 262 focuses on the intensity of a fighter jet in mid-battle. Cagey Cretins is certainly a change in style, with a more pop vocal approach and a very progressive sound. Then, we return to a more jagged and symphonic rhythm, even psychedelic, with Harvester of Eyes. It's worth noting that the title is as mysterious as the end of the track, which directly bridges into the superb Flaming Telepaths, featuring a great chorus and riffs that fill the entire musical space.

Finally, the masterpiece that is Astronomy. I'm one of those who first heard this track through Metallica's cover. Metallica's version succeeds in capturing the essence of the original while adding much more bite. It results in a solid version with a hint of progressive rock. As for the original, the balance between all the instruments is emphasized with a lot of subtlety, creating a mysterious atmosphere that perfectly sums up the complexity of the album. The crescendo in this track brings the album to a powerful conclusion. An excellent album, with no real low points, offering an interesting blend of riffs, solos, and, above all, an incredible voice from start to finish.

Klaatu has remained an obscure band, which at first was rumored to be an "undercover Beatles", which I never quite understood, as it's really a sound in itself. But, then again, they also rumored a thing like that about Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan's Stealers Wheel's. It was more like wishfult thinking, I guess. Where I'm concerned Canadian band Klaatu really has delivered an absolute pop-highlight with their "Hope" album. The title-song's lyrics I have often refered to in my Internet contacts when hope was to be defined.

But the song "The loneliest of creatures" must be about the most underrated song of the world, whereas it should be mentioned in one breath with "Bohemian Rhapsody". A great classic rock song with strong chorus and climax building. Once it did grab you, it'll undoubtedly never leave you, as will not "Hope". 4.5 strong Beatles vibes

Of their early albums, Hawkwind's Hall of the Mountain Grill ends up being their most -- dareIsay -- mature. As a result, it took me several listens to warm up to it (because of my own pathological brand of immaturity!). Tracks like "Wind of Change"/"D-Rider" are more placid and swooshy than the full-tilt psychedelic spaceship explorations found on Doremi Fasol Latido or Space Ritual. But this attention to detail, definitely lacking in their earlier studio output, makes this album a worthy entry in their early discography. The live cuts "You'd Better Believe It" and "Paradox" bring some of the energy and menace found on Space Ritual and don't sound all that out of place next to the album's other studio-gestated cuts. Overall, this album flows better than their earlier efforts though it lacks anything as amazing as "Brainstorm" or "Master of the Universe." Though I prefer this album's successor, Warrior on the Edge of Time, Hall of the Mountain Grill has plenty to offer fans of Hawkwind and psychedelic/space rock. 4.5 its one of the best entries from these great space rockers.

Take me to your Leader shows that Hawkwind are actually a phoenix. Before this album Hawkwind appeared on their last legs, Spacebrock was a poor outing and the band hadn't released anything truly worthwhile for a long period of time. Take me to your Leader however, shows not just signs of rebirth, but also of new growth for these venerable veteran space rockers

To say that this is entirely a Hawkwind album would be a little bit of a lie, instead this album is dedicated to Hawkwind and friends. Take me to your leader containing a rather large list of additional members, all of which only appear on a track or two.

Take me to your Leader starts off with a remake of the track 'Spirit of the Age', which originally appeared on the Quark, Strangeness and Charm album. In a bizarre twist of fate, the new track might actually be superior to the old one with its modern sounding cracks and pops. The lyrics to this new track are slightly different to the old one, showing either adaptability or a mild case of musical dementia. However, this new track is much faster paced and flows a lot better. Matthew Wright does Robert Calvert proud with his take on this track.

But "Take me to your Leader" isn't a case of Hawkwind retracing old ground in an attempt to find greatness, the album instead grabs a machete and begins to hack its way through the undergrowth on a path of freedom. Tracks like 'Out Here We Are' are much slower and thoughtful, they contain an excellent mix of both drumming and synthetic styles, which sound much more modern than anything Hawkwind had done before. With five years between this and Spacebrock, it is clear that Hawkwind spent much of this time researching new ways to make music. Some of the best parts of this album are when Saxophonist Jez Huggett joins the fray, his excellent work bringing the band to whole new heights.

Hawkwind bring a lot more style with them on this record, and this album does contain a fair share of influences, both old and modern. Songs like 'Digital Nation' would sound at home on a Radiohead album, whilst other parts sound similar to music released from post-rock artists. Take me to your Leader happens to be the most consistent Hawkwind album released in years, and some of the tracks sit at the high-end of anything released by the band. 'Sunray' is a musical wonder, with Arthur Brown's distinctive voice going perfectly with the band's upbeat sound.

The final track 'A letter to Robert' brings home something that Hawkwind have always had an issue with; feeling. It is a conversation between Arthur and deceased vocalist Robert Calvert, a man who suffered painfully for his greatness. As you listen to the ramblings of Calvert, you gain a sudden sense of realisation. This album isn't about Hawkwind, this is a dedication to one of their most important members, with Take me to your Leader, Robert Calvert sings once more.4.0

Jacob ROBERGE releases his debut album, a sound inspired by Porcupine Tree, Styx, Harmonium, Pink Floyd, Rush, and Yes. A versatile musical prodigy. His participation in the TV show Star Académie solidifies his profile as a young prodigy.

"The Long Way Home" features a solemn piano arpeggio highlighting Jacob's voice; acoustic guitar, classical orchestration with its strings; a crystalline piano break before the wild finale; the guitar solo filled with emotion; the grandiloquent side of Barclay James Harvest at the crescendo. A rock ballad addressing the themes of homelessness and the precariousness of the future. "Empty Traces, Pt. 1" features a chilling piano arpeggio; the melting vocals exude emotion, beauty at its peak on a warm slow song. The Western guitar exudes a drop of emotion before the soaring. An emphatic guitar solo throws the audience into disarray before giving voice to the reverberating guitar. "Garden of Souls" syncopated pad over a juice of melting notes; the distant vocal is ethereal, languid, and nostalgic, somewhere between a ballad and a nursery rhyme from the ends of the earth over a volley of violins. The vocal carries the listener to an overdone melodic track where her suave voice floats; backing vocals and the heavy riff make this piece explode. The soft, warm keyboard, the heavy riff with the organ in the background, a pure moment of regression. "Petrichor" solemn piano and majestic vocal, definitely a plus; a jazzy air that evolves into an Andalusian mid- tempo. Slowness and redundancy in a form of musical wandering. The solo trumpet with voiceovers is unsettling; a minimalist piano break, acoustic guitar releasing concentrated emotion, eyeing the captivating lines of MEER. The soaring vocal finale with the guitar solo provoking reflection and contemplation. "Empty Traces, Pt. 2" warm piano, a departure from SAGA's "Generation 13." Jacob inundates us with his distinctive, angelic voice. A syrupy ballad launching the admirable guitar solo, then the progressive variation via a pad. The chorus builds to STYX, and the guitar resumes, rising higher, shivering. An ethereal, solemn, and icy finale with Mercury-esque piano.

"The Passing" begins grandiloquently, solemnly, and symphonically; I find the soul of a Genesis-esque ANGEL, the orchestral sound worthy of DREAM THEATER, the madness of Neal MORSE with his brilliant fingering of the guitar solo for the transition from life to death. The five-minute intro holds the stage, the best of the year. The ambient space arrives, the vocals laid over BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST again, a musical moment between classical and rock, a warm passage full of emotion before the explosion. The bass break with neo-classical violins and cellos. You have to reach the first third to have a semblance of a chorus followed by a progressive drift with the drums as a catalyst. The jazzy space with the piano, the fat guitar solo then the explosion, everything is melancholic, ethereal, everything is majestically interpreted. These five stages of mourning navigate between classical, heavy rock and musical maestra with diverse rhythms and styles. The last third takes a Yessian turn with this grandiloquent detour, a Crimsonian passage with WETTON's voice before going on to fleshy heavy rock that would make many prog metal bands shudder. The solemn finale with southern western guitar, the soaring string instruments finish hitting the listener. The track of the year. We'll talk about it again in December.

Jacob ROBERGE, thunderous classical music supercharged with energetic rock; a classical-rock fusion that takes us far into varied symphonic spaces where twists and turns follow one another seamlessly. A very good album, easy to access and gradually captivating.

Of their Lemmy-era records, Warrior on the Edge of Time features the best production and finest instrumental craftsmanship. It is anchored by the longer tracks, most notably the suite of "Assault & Battery" and "The Golden Void," "Opa-Loka," and the fantastic "Magnu," which sounds like a flying saucer crash landing. The lyrics are still loaded with fantasy adventure sci-fi concept album nonsense courtesy of songwriter Michael Moorcock, but they are never really a distraction. Though the record lacks the scuzzy-psychedelic propulsion of Doremi Fasol Latido or Space Ritual, it improves on the direction found on Hall of the Mountain Grill. This would be bassist Lemmy's final hurrah with the group before departing and forming his own band, Motörhead. Fans of early Hawkwind will find themselves liking it despite its move away from the psychedelic proto-punk found on their earlier records. 5.0 probably in the top three of their discography.

MAGNESIS, a screenplay based on a short story by Frederic Przybyl, an apocalyptic event spelling doom for Earth, with a select few chosen to regenerate the human race in the kingdom of Oceanea?you get the plot.

1. Opening after the typical French narration, the music kicks in; it's beautiful, it's marshmallowy with the French vocals; me, who's trying to protect this magnificent language, no, it doesn't work for the prog world, that's just how it is; paradoxical, in short, a good, well-placed melodic opening that's had its day; the melodic instrumentation even borders on electronic music; in short, the finale with pads is worth it, the vocals stand out, making the French scene seem funny, which is certainly why it's not recognized. It's unfortunate since many French bands singing in English are often less well-off musically speaking; Yet the musicians are struggling in the right direction. 2. Le Royaume D'Océanéa continues, a big, heavy riff on a fat, velvety keyboard, it starts off well; the vocals deflate everything despite the real desire to do well. The question is, was GENESIS better for having better integrated its vocals, was it just as simplistic, or did Peter have a different charisma? Here, a bit of THRESHOLD and Karl GROOM from the 80s trying to do like the majors; a brief, pompous piece with a beautiful final crescendic momentum. 3. Le Guide, with the same progressive atmosphere; beautiful piano, expressive pad rolling, and the voice that fits well in a small, remote room in a small French village but doesn't go any further, thanks to VOLTAIRE. The desire to do well is obvious, the bass spurts just right, but this phrasing, this narration brings us back to earth and avoids flying away. a bit silly because the guitar solo is worth its weight in prog gold; the keyboard variation with its GENESIS 2nd period choirs is worth the detour, we finally leave; the second, more melancholic, reassures me about my analysis: it's beautiful, fine, moving and if the recognition hasn't happened, it's not by chance, only ANGE, LAZULI and MANSET were able to make prog without the voice acting as a brake; the final riff in the distance, then present there in front of you, well we're off to ANGE version 'Vu d'un Chien', very good this passage; bitter observation, very good orchestration and theatrical vocals that hit and brake for the journey; not a question of voice, just habit or musicality 4. On Les Ruines D'Un Monde Ancien could have been named on the trail of the big blue, so much do SERRA's notes resonate from the intro; It's beautiful, and we wish it wouldn't end. Look, the distinctive, theatrical voice on "ANGE" actually, still my paradoxical resistance to this language. Yes, I love France, or what's left of it, and prefer T-shirts tagged in French. The Oldfield-esque bells and then the fluid synth solo make me feel guilty.

5. Les Songes De Darius for one of the two radio edits where the voice is highlighted; for the prog, it passes for a radio track; it's a bit cloying, says my girlfriend, a hit expert. It's hard to contradict her, given the popularity of the track, which, with its expressive pad, has a beautiful progressive touch. The final guitar solo is worth its weight in gold, but why hasn't this band received its recognition? 6. The Temple of Poseidon as an encore, instrumentally it's really moving, I hear a number of very beautiful reminiscences, this time with a breathtaking keyboard solo on the edge of the reborn GENESIS 7. Abysses and 6 minutes of intro that are enjoyable, well it's long too; it starts halfway through with an electro electronic music break, yes it's long; we have a monotonous atmosphere that sets in with a reverberating piano and we arrive at the 15' mark for the assault of the waves; the fusion of genres makes us take off and go into interstellar space, astounding and bluffing; this instrumental could be played by a fan base of Klaus SCHULZE and TANGERINE DREAM, well constructed. The final guitar solo screams with joy over a tearful sound, revealing a hilarious side of this band. 8. A melodic, symphonic finale that would have been praised during the 80s for its grandiloquence; there are times when one may not have been born at the right time, with solemn trumpets closing this aquatic odyssey.

Review Nº 884

"The Best Of Jon & Vangelis" is the debut compilation album of Jon & Vangelis and was released in 1984. As we know, Jon & Vangelis was a musical project between the front man and the founder member of Yes, Jon Anderson and the ex-member of Aphrodite's Child, Vangelis Papathanassiou, in the 80's. They had already collaborated with Anderson's vocals on Vangelis "Heaven And Hell", harp on "Opera Sauvage" and vocals on "See You Later". This compilation has songs from Jon & Vangelis first three albums, "Short Stories", "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" and "Private Collection".

As we all know, Jon Anderson left Yes in 1979 and was absent of the band between 1979 and 1983. During this hiatus of time, the musical collaboration between him and Vangelis reached its maximum peak. Both recorded together three studio albums between 1980 and 1983, "Short Stories" released in 1980, "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" released in 1981 and "Private Collection" released in 1983. In 1991 the duo released another third and last studio album, "Page Of Life".

"The Best Of Jon & Vangelis" has nine tracks. The first track "Italian Song" is a song originally released on their third studio album "Private Collection". "Italian Song" is a beautiful and celestial song, and represents an absolutely perfect and majestic combination, between Jon Anderson's magical voice and the beautiful and floating Vangelis' keyboard sound. This is really a good and relaxing song. The second track "I'll Find My Way Home" is a song originally released on their second studio album "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo". "I'll Find My Way Home" is clearly a commercial song, but however, it's a great song, melodic and beautiful and it has also fantastic musical performances by both artists. This is, in my opinion, one of the highest points on "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo". The third track "State Of Independence" is also a song originally released on their second studio album "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo". "State Of Independence" contains good digital rhythms and percussions and a nice saxophone work. It's a song influenced by the World Music and has a nice but short jazz rhythm introduction. The song ends to be a little bit repetitive and vulgar and it hasn't anything more than that to show to us. The song on this compilation is the single edited version. The fourth track "One More Time" is a song originally released on their debut studio album "Short Stories". "One More Time" is a simple song with beautiful and charming atmosphere created by Jon Anderson's voice. It's the type of the song that in the future would be adopted by the duo. The fifth track "A Play Within A Play" is also a song originally released on their debut studio album "Short Stories". "A Play Within A Play" is a sublime and dreamy song that represents with "Curious Electric" and "Far Away In Baagad" the three highest moments on "Short Stories". It's a song that starts slowly, it grows until reaches the climax and in the end it returns and dissipate slowly again. The sixth track "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" is the title track song that was originally released on their second studio album "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo". "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" represents a great moment on "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo". It's a funny and fine piece of music too, worthy of being part of a soundtrack for a "B" class American film noir of the 30's and 40's. Despite be a commercial song and surely isn't a masterpiece, it has enough to can be considered a good musical piece. The seventh track "Outside Of This (Inside Of That)" is also another song originally released on their second studio album "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo". "Outside Of This (Inside Of That)" has soft vocals and calm music. It's a bit repetitive and vulgar song that doesn't represents one the best moments on "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo". The eighth track "He Is Sailing" is also a song originally released on their third studio album "Private Collection". "He Is Sailing" is a good song with good rhythm, more in the vein of their album "Short Stories". Here we can see some effort and some complexity on the structure of the composition of this song, made by Vangelis. The song on this compilation album it's the single edited version. The ninth and last track "I Hear You Now" is also another song originally released on their debut studio album "Short Stories". "I Hear You Now" is a love song, beautiful and melodic and it's also delicate and vibrant at the same time. This is a song that represents the perfect harmony between the two musicians which is, in my point of view, the main hallmark of all "Short Stories".

Conclusion: "The Best Of Jon & Vangelis" is a good compilation album with songs from their three albums released in the 80's. It's representative enough with three songs from "Short Stories", four songs from "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" and two songs from "Private Collection". About those albums, "Short Stories" is definitely in another dimension. While "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" and "Private Collection" are two albums with some nice and fine moments with few great moments. But, with "Short Stories" it's another story. "Short Stories" is the only album where the communion between the incredible voice of Jon Anderson and the beautiful music of Vangelis is almost perfect. So, returning to "The Best Of Jon & Vangelis", I can say that it's a nice introduction for those who aren't familiar with Jon & Vangelis music. However, I really think that their second compilation album "Chronicles" is better and more complete than this one is.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

KATATONIA have been releasing albums for 30 years now, and I feel they have three distinct periods when it comes to their style. The first two albums from '93 and '96 used extreme vocals and this was a band who were huge BATHORY fans, along with that British scene that included ANATHEMA's early stuff, along with PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE. I have a hard time with the early stuff, even if Mikael Akerfeldt guests on that second album "Brave Murder Day".

The next phase includes "Discouraged Ones" from '98, "Tonight's Decision" from '99, "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" from '01 and "Viva Emptiness" from '03. The extreme stuff is gone, this is just sad, beautiful music. "The Black Sessions" is a mini box set consisting of two cds, both over 68 minutes long. The music is from those four albums. A cool idea to focus on this period, and we also get a DVD from a show they did for Krakow TV in Poland, in April of '03. So two cds in their slip cases, a DVD in it's slip case, plus thick liner notes.

The liner notes are mostly the lyrics plus Travis Smith's incredible art work. Just a great package if your a KATATONIA fanboy. Each disc has 15 tracks all from those four albums, plus four songs from the two EPs they released during this period called "Tonight's Music" and "Tear Gas", both from '01. Two tracks from each of those two EPs are included by the way. The longest track is called "Black Session" at 7 minutes, and it's the only previously unreleased track on here, taken from the "Viva Emptiness" sessions.

This has been sitting on my shelf with my other KATATONIA cds for many years. Good to finally talk about it. While I'm not big on compilation albums, this one has merit with the four tracks from the two EPs and that unreleased song, plus the DVD. This would be great for someone new to the band. That period before they went into more of a Prog Metal style. I prefer "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" from the '98 to '03 era, but my favourite is "The Great Cold Distance" from 2006, the first of those Prog Metal records.

This Dutch band started out in 2000, as their debut 'Square the Circle' (and I have reviewed here) unanimously impressed the community with a high scoring, rather delightful opus that made melodic vivacity, impeccable playing and creative arrangements paramount features of their craft. Though labelled Neo surely due to the staggering number of hooks presented, comparisons to the other mainstays of the genre are misplaced childhoods, as closer analysis reveals a subtlety that is rather uncommon and will permeate their ongoing work. Their previous album «Safe Ground » was a complete mind blast, a phenomenal , now fully instrumental prog album of the finest order, with four gifted players, who have now stayed together for a quarter of a century with no line-up changes, a trait worthy of applause. Forever comprised of Martijn Paaschens on keyboards, superb guitarist Roland van der Stoep and the rhythmic duo of Jan Willem Verkerk on bass and percussor Paul van der Zwaal , "Se7en" announces the departure of Martijn for greener pastures in the USA, so the remaining trio each took on keyboard duties and magnificently so, may I add. As one can guess from the title, seven well sized tracks are offered, and take us into an hour-long expedition of blissful pleasure.

The title track sets the mood with an abundance of various mellotron settings (strings, choir and flute, never a bad thing) with brooding bass synths, pugnacious percussive syncopations and Roland showing no paucity of savoir- faire (another classic Dutch word like maréchaussée and paraplu), carving a wide palette of tones from his galvanizing electric guitar, with seemingly effortless passion. The mood is thus set.

Demi van der Stoep plays warbling flute to open up the nearly 10 minute "The Tree", a perfect example of how non neo their style really is, as Triangle are bold in the experimental side as well, repeatedly hinting at Rush-like prowess and atmospheres that verge on the extravagant. Let us plant some foundations right now: this is no nonsense primo progressive rock without any sub label embellishments required. Verkerk shows off immaculate skills as his plowing bass digs deep into the ground, spreading the roots in all directions, as van der Zwaal branches out with flair and precision. Roland then applies a wide diversity of leafy guitar tones that defy description. The brilliance of "Red Sand" maintains the charm by canalizing (another classic Dutch trait) interesting variations that sound almost inspired by Southeast Asian cultures (Indonesia was once a colony), tingling acoustic sounds merging with breezy melodies as if transported briefly to Bali. Before long, the peaceful arrangement morphs into more synthesized orchestrations, laced with sizzling electric leads that gleam in the night sky and an impulsive chiaroscuro sense of mystical sonorities colliding in complete harmony. The acoustic revisit is breathlessly beautiful. Convincing soundtrack music in the finest progressive rock sense. The choppy rhythmic waves splash against the breakwaters on "Inconvenient Lies", again suggesting a subtle arrangement with tons of intertangled keyboard resonances, ultimately bullied by hurricane-sized mellotron and string orchestrations. The composition is laden with oblique guitar splinters, tick-tocking percussives, a constant ebb and flow, the whole becoming an entire masterclass in controlled sonic confusion. Absolutely no amount of neo here, an engrossing symphonic assault on the senses becoming the norm. Pinocchio has fallen.

Flipping the intensity switch , "Pyrrhic Victory" reboots the feistiness this band can unleash at will, a stinging, biting and snarling stream of glitter prog, both ultimately liberating and reflective, showcasing the futility of pride in any battle, as the exertion needed takes a brutal toll on the victor as well as the vanquished. This is why war (a subject I have sadly studied for half a century) is a game played by tyrants at the expense of countless innocent lives. This theme is thoroughly examined as the piece transitions from violent ligature to serene surrender and acceptance. The flute adds to the melancholic, deeply regretful guitar lines that plead for understanding and compassion. A gorgeous melodic piece of music once again.

The symphonics are preserved on "Exit Way Back", perhaps where the tag neo plays a large role as this starts out as a neo-classical keyboard orchestration that sounds immediately familiar, equally grandiose and dramatic, the unshackled bass navigating the tight flume, the gleaming guitar shining the path ahead, and the pace reverential and impulsive, eventually revving up into full throttle, before dipping back to acceptable levels of departure. I knew from the get-go that the epic was left for last, that had me secure in the thought , that the band would give us something to drool over as a finale and of course, they do not disappoint. The ultra cinematographic "Sign" clocks in over 15 minutes and perhaps best encapsulates the entire album, as all the intrinsic details described above come out to the front of a stage and take an extended series of bows and genuflections, tossing in a few fist pumps for good measure. Densely choreographed, the experiment in restraint is immediately apparent, an absorbing musical passage from river to the sea and then perhaps the oceans beyond, all very deliberate and controlled. No technical showing off needed, the pristine simplicity of the playing only enhancing the desirable effect, each musician dedicated to elevating the intensity, a sudden transition into a watery expanse of piano reflections, windswept strings, rudder bass directives and propelling drum helixes. It is meant to extoll the virtues of tranquility, the fundamental sign of internal peace one possibly could hope for. In a world that knows no silence and reflection , just go-go-go , this comes as sensorial panacea. The finale is magic.

In the end, Triangle has morphed into a symphonic prog band of the highest quality. A more than worthy follow up to the magnificent "Safe Ground" and an album that showcases the competence to consistently maintain quality works of music, 25 years and going?.The triangle is now in 3d.

5 Geometric trios

I must confess that when Mike Oldfield recorded his initial trilogy, I didn't understand it. My love for Yes, ELP, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Tangerine Dream, VDGG, PFM, and classical music made me lose sight of these magnificent works, whose revisiting the pandemic allowed me to do. Hergest Ridge seems to me to be the most evenly matched of the three. Plus, today we have the demo, which includes a few new features as interesting as the final album. I'm going to commit the sin of ranking them side by side: 1) Ommadawn, Part 1 is my favorite; 2) Tubular Bells, Part 1 follows; 3) Hergest Ridge?except for the riff at minute 12 of the second part?is the most even and valuable overall; 4) Tubular Bells, Part 2 is somewhat worse; and 5) Ommadawn, Part 2 seems downright poor to me. I don't want to go on too long. I simply wanted to come and pay my belated homage, an admiration that has now expanded into later works (Incantations, The Wind Chimes, etc., etc.

With the relative success of "HQ" and an equally celebrity infused guest list, HARPER resumed his urban Canterbury fancies on "Bull-in-a-Ming-Vase", which exists mostly as a modest buildup to the "One of those Days in England" suite. That leviathan includes some of his best Floydian call outs, but I am even more taken with "Watford Gap", his rare slice of country rock meets fish and chips style. It's all solid folk rock otherwise, with the possible exception of "Cherishing the Lonesome" marred as it is by Harper's failed vocal acrobatics which perhaps gave rise to the album title. While attaining neither the excitement nor the aggression level of its predecessor, it's still a bull by the horns effort around the 3.2 star level.

it seems we are living in a luxuriant period for the Italian progressive rock scene. Il Castello di Atlante is standing tall since 1974, Cherry Five released a new studio album after 40 years and Spettri have confirmed to be here to stay after their resurrection in 2011, originally formed in 1964 but fallen in hiatus during 1975. Lately RPI lovers have really been given many reasons to be elated. Someone up there is still feeling generous then, because Maxophone have just released their sophomore effort, a good 42 years having passed after the cult classic self-titled album was released.

Only two members were part of the founding line-up but, though there are definitely some key differences in sound, the Maxophone spirit is intact. For the genre, the songs aren't very long but they can still count on rich and eventful songwriting. Every instrument (voice included) has something to offer, harmoniously joining in a very focused sound in which Maxophone's trademark relatively heavy guitar-driven moments are seamlessly intertwined with bittersweet sections where melancholic vocals and keyboards lead the dreamy way. All of which is at times drifting to a symphonic flavor, supported by the presence of two keyboardists -on occasion also switching to acoustic guitars- and by the violin playing of the drummer. It's a sound that, as catchy as it can get, never leaves any doubts about the musicians' maturity and craftmanship.

The major change is the external influences from which the band draws from. On Maxophone there was a certain jazz vein which is now absent, traded for an overall gentler approach (no more swirling saxophones, sadly). In fact, La Fabbrica delle Nuvole is an album that can get quite intimate and folk-sounding in places. Furthermore the lyrics were penned by recently defunct poet Roberto Roversi, and are recited with notable emphasis giving birth to strong hooks. The shift in sound is adequately supported by an organic production job, making La Fabbrica a pleasure to listen to. The neat duration of 45 minutes just works as icing on the cake for an album this tight and memorable.

To say that Maxophone fans will surely like it too could be a little rushed because, even if the genre-bending attitude is there, it's a different beast. Familiar elements however are present, from the vocals to the reflective mood and incursions of cutting guitar riffs. Maxophone simply evolved and tried to adapt to the times, striking a good balance between old and fresh, creating something that's as progressive as it is accessible. Trading jazz for folky and poppy influences that better fit Italy of 2017. I recommend 4.0 great comeback after 42 years !

after having listened to their Zoldar and Clark LP I had to listen to this one eventually, just out of curiosity. After a spin or 2...I like it. Both the Jasper Wrath and Zoldar and Clark LP's are very appealing to my ears. So, we come to what is basically the 2nd album in the series, once again with a new band name. What we get is another evolution of the sound. Whereas Jasper Wrath was a Psychedelic LP with prog elements, Z&C was a proggish LP with more modern 80's tendencies. On side 1 of this at least, we get a couple 80's sounding pop-wave clunkers and a couple decent AOR rockers. Side 2 is much more a late 70's proggy sound closer to the vein of Zoldar and Clark with a dose of Horn/Downes era Yes in the mix (don't let that scare you). That makes me think this includes leftover tracks from different eras and would not surprise me on a tax scam label. Based on my tastes, I'd give this a borderline 4.0 for S2 for some over the top pompous space-synths and nice guitars on the longer tracks and a 3.0 for S1, and thus we split the difference on the whole affair at a 3.5 but after giving it more listening I'll give it a 4.0 One point to make here though, is that both of those aforementioned LP's are growers. These guys could definitely write a hook and a song, regardless of style.4.0 but leaning towards 3.5

Under The IQ Dominion

A music album is good when you don't have to listen to it multiple times to decide if it's good or bad. Most of the time, you either like the music or you don't right from the first listen.

IQ, one of the biggest prog bands, has released Dominion, an absolutely great record possibly one of the best the band has ever put out.

Like an oasis in the middle of nowhere, Dominion stands as one of the few truly great albums released by established bands in recent years. Classics or not, Dominion is the best record from a major band in this era. Think of Marillion, Yes, Jethro Tull, or Steven Wilson they've all released albums in recent times, but many of those efforts have left much to be desired in terms of quality.

IQ, on the other side of the fence, isn't trying to prove anything or discovering the fire . They're just smarter they simply made something good, something that follows the style they've been refining over the last two or three albums. And to be honest, it worked. In the end, Dominion is truly outstanding and goes beyond expectations.

Dominion is a kind of concept record, open to different interpretations, but it's a snapshot of what's happening today. The album touches on war, authoritarianism, life after a pandemic, and a society that refuses to be beaten or give up its consumerist lifestyle. The record is deeply emotional it moves every fiber of your soul. Dominion is about the worlds we create for ourselves our personal domains and the control we believe we hold. We are the dominant species.

The album opens with "The Unknown Door," a 20-minute-plus epic that perfectly embodies IQ's signature sound while leaning heavily into an ambient and atmospheric orientation. The track flows through intricate movements, blending haunting keyboard work and emotive guitar solos, capturing the essence of IQ's unique style. The song's expansive structure tells a compelling story, drawing you into the album's immersive world.

"One of Us" is an acoustic folk-influenced piece wrapped in IQ's unmistakable sound. The melancholic yet hopeful atmosphere feels like a gentle companion throughout the journey of Dominion. It's a reflective moment, offering a beautiful balance of intimacy and emotional simplicity with sophistication.

The lead single "No Dominion" leans into a more atmospheric and ambient vibe. While it's a great song, it's perhaps the least striking on the record?mainly because the rest of the album is just so exceptional. The song's brooding mood and immersive production make it memorable, but it doesn't quite reach the emotional heights of the other tracks.

"Far From Here" is the standout track my favorite on the album. It's a deeply emotional journey that showcases IQ at their absolute best. The emotional coda, soaked in deep feelings over a soft bed of pianos and synths, features Peter Nicholls touchingly recalling the passing of his mother two years ago. The song masterfully balances dynamic shifts, with brilliant keyboard work, an incredible vocal performance from Nicholls, and a seamless flow of complex arrangements. It's more than 12 minutes of pure captivation?an emotional masterpiece that may just be the band's finest song ever. Time will tell.

The album closes perfectly with "Never Land," a track that feels like the culmination of all the emotional weight carried throughout Dominion. It starts gently before building into a powerful, cathartic finale. This song embodies everything great about IQ?beautiful melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and a dramatic flair that wraps up this marvelous record on a high note.

According to Peter Nicholls, "Never Land" has nothing to do with the Neverland of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Instead, Nicholls has explained that the focus is on a couple "who lived their life and did not give any thought as to how this would end."

The band sounds better than ever. Peter Nicholls' vocal performance is the best I've heard from him?his lyrics are truly outstanding, and his unique writing style remains extraordinary. Michael Holmes sounds fantastic here; his guitar skills have only improved over the years, and after a 44-year career, he's undeniably one of the great guitar players today.

Neil Durant, the "new guy" since his debut on The Road of Bones in 2014, has changed the band's sound in subtle but significant ways. He's an extraordinary keyboard player?more adventurous than his predecessors Martin Orford and Mark Westworth. Tim Esau, who played on IQ's first albums until Are You Sitting Comfortably?, returned to the band on The Road of Bones to fill the space left by the mighty John Jowitt. Esau's mastery not only fills that role but improves on it. Paul Cook remains one of the greatest drummers around, though heavily underrated. Here, he sounds clean and precise this might be one of his best work so far.

The production, handled by Peter Nicholls, is pristine and clear. Every instrument and detail is treated with care, as if under a magnifying glass nothing feels out of place.

The cover art of an old man with the sunset in his soul represents dominion?maybe because we are the owners of our destiny and believe our domains are eternal.

Dominion is a great record. To my ears, it's sentimental, dark, very personal, and atmospheric, with moments of instrumental brilliance great keyboards and guitar solos, outstanding drumming, and stellar vocals. It may not be the greatest IQ record ever, but it's definitely one of their best. Dominion feels good and surpasses everything done by established bands in recent years. Once again, IQ saves the day, and everyone is happy again.

Recently I shared my excitement about Kyros' latest studio album 'Mannequin', which to my ears and senses is an outstanding record, and I am excited that I will see them in concert in a few days at the Cruise to the Edge festival.

That same excitement has led me to play their music on repeat, including this two-track (or four-track) mini EP which is so far their latest release (Nov 2024), and that according to their notes, marks a switch of eras in the band's history. In this 14-minute (or 28-minute) release this UK quite talented band gives us 'Fear & Love', a short but great catchy song that gathers different musical realms, like 80s synth pop, alternative rock, or modern 2000' prog rock. This song is a step forward to the band's new cycle, so it is like an introduction to their incoming music, maybe to what would be their upcoming full-lenght album.

And the epic 'Duchess Desire' marks the farewell of their 'Mannequin' era, so it is like a tribute to themselves and a form to thank and respect all the process and work they did in the past years, working their asses off to produce that amazing album. Here they deliver another excellent song where we can appreciate their endless creativity and, of course, their amazing skills as performers. I like a lot how they sound so refreshing, so actual in spite of their intrinsic 80s essence.

Yeah, those are the two tracks, however, they morph into four, because Kyros also shared the instrumental versions for both songs, so go, click to listen and enjoy.

— First review of this album —

When it comes to introduce a band, I would start with a studio album, maybe their most representative, maybe my favorite; or I'd rather recommend some tracks from different albums, it might work. However, there is another not-so- typical way to introduce a band: to listen to their whole discography.

This is what 'We Blame Chicago' is about, a compillation (5-LP album) that gathers every single song released by 90 Day Men, a quite interesting band from the US (yeah, from Chicago, you can guess) whose first steps were given 30 years ago in 1995 and whose last studio album saw the light in 2004. Maybe an underground act that belongs to a certain niche.

This release's title is actually a song taken from their third studio album named 'To Everybody', which is also to my ears, their best work. But... what do 90 Day Men play? It is an interesting mixture because through their track you will find some hints of post-rock, alternative rock, progressive rock, experimental, psychedelic music, they belong to all and to none of those genres at the same time, which is part of what makes them an enigmatic act. There are lyrics, there are moments to sing, there are purely instrumental tracks or passages, a colorful journey, indeed.

So yeah, though this release would be aimed for their die-hard fans, I believe it might be a good fit for people who barely know them and want to explore what their music is about. Not for everyone, though, but to my ears and judgement, worth it.

— First review of this album —

Satiating Bread

Dick Hudson is a group of longtime friends from Messina, and Bolo is their debut recording. They describe the concept as follows: "Every track is a soundtrack to a trip. The title track BOLO is a three-part suite were we follow a piece of bread in its fantastic journey through the human body." So they do have a sense of humor. Musically this is definitely heavy and dense math rock instrumental music. It rarely lets up from a frantic pace that pushes hard, exploring different nooks and crannies. The mood of the music is slightly to the darker side, aggressive, industrial, gritty, at times even Crimsonesque. One of their main goals when they began recording was to make a very live-sounding album, so they self-produced to have total sound control, and they recorded always in the same room with no headphones and very few overdubs. All of the attention to detail worked swimmingly because this is one ferociously live-sounding album. Bolo is impressive, and yet the music is something that I appreciate occasionally more than I enjoy frequently. Still, it's certainly one to check out if you enjoy heavy math rock or instrumental rock with plenty of gutpunch. Since this album, three more singles were released through their Bandcamp page in 2018 and 2019. Hopefully this points to a forthcoming second album as these singles sound even more diverse and gonzo than Bolo. Cool band!

Anthemic, catchy prog rock with pop sensibility - this is what Yes was all about during the 1980s, and yes, Jon Anderson is a necessary prerequisite for a successful Yes album. '90125' is, of course, the iconic and divisive 1983 Yes release, one of the band's commercial successes, and an album packed with universal radio hits that are still in rotation nowadays. Beloved for its sing-along choruses, great melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies, and despised by angry prog snobs who are only willing to pay attention to an eighteen-minute-long flute solo or concept albums about spaceships and dragons, this recording remains definitive of its age, exemplary of musical fads and above all a very strong studio exercise that had ultimately produced an excellent collection of accessible songs that are sufficiently intricate to keep even the most pretentious listeners attentive for all the playful, quirky little details sprinkled all over.

This is the album where Trevor Rabin jumped on board and completely "shattered" the Yes world, in a good sense that is, while Trevor Horn took up all production duties, chiseling the excellent ideas of Anderson, Squire and Kaye, resulting in an album that is equally impressive, enjoyable and memorable, packed with great playing and generous, vivid musical ideas, equal amounts rock and pop tropes and having just the right amount of that prog pomp, definitive of all previous releases by the band. Needless to mention the influence and scope of great songs like 'Owner of a Lonely Heart', 'Changes', 'Leave It' or 'It Can Happen' as these songs have been firmly embedded into the collective memory of the extravagant and unpredictable history of pop music during the eighties. Less popular but no less interesting offerings like the instrumental 'Cinema' or the epic 'Hearts' grace the second side of the LP, and we could only conclude that the then-new pop-oriented direction of Yes only expanded their vocabulary and affirmed that this group of musicians are among the masters of songwriting, production and melodic gutsiness.

Nekropolis is the artistic pseudonym of Peter Frohmader, a German electronic music composer who started out in the late 70s, releasing his debut album 'Musik aus dem Schattenreich' (or 'Music from the Darklands') in 1981, a recording that combines Frohmader's fascination with Tangerine Dream and Black Sabbath most of all, and while this album is a bit of a latecomer to the world of German electronic music, it offers a unique blend of influences that is rarely heard, and serves as a gritty soundtrack to one's horrid nightmare visions. The music is quite dark and has a strong gothic edge to it, full of washes of grizzly electronic hatches supported by a fascinating and ominous rhythm section, and while this goes to define most of Frohmader's work, it is this debut album that remains the most innovative and significant work of his.

The two sides of the original album are thematically divided as "scamper-cycle" and "night-cycle", but the entire LP is replete with nightmarish visions and sways of electronic horror, definitely containing some of the darkest electronic music of this decade, with significant amounts of eclecticism as Frohmader dares to experiment and anticipate drone music, gothic rock and dark ambient. The album starts off with this cold parade of sounds and effects, which is prevalent on the first two tracks, until one gets to the surprisingly groovy 'Unendliche Qual', featuring the drumming of Rudi Neuber, the only musician credited alongside Frohmader. The ghoulish soundscapes are extremely evocative and disconcerting, the entire atmosphere of the record is haunting and unnerving, and this is taken up by the 9-minute piece 'Krypta', an almost 'Zeit'-like composition. The second side is completely drab, metallic, and claustrophobic, the washes of sound are incredibly cold, and the album cover is perhaps a brilliant representation of the music composed by Frohmader here. Subsequent reissues reveal bonus material, which is much in the same vein but expands the overall sonic image of this lesser-known but vivid, haunting and audacious musical experience that is 'Musik aus dem Schattenreich'.

Jarrod Gosling is a chameleon of sorts when it comes to music. The man has been part of the Metal world, Electronic, Indie, Pop, Alternative and probably more. He's one half of the commercially successful I ROBOT, and part of a related band SKYWATCHERS. In 2013 he made a splash into our style of music with his first REGAL WORM offering "Use And Ornament" and also "Men Singing" by HENRY FOOL, a band he was asked to join. Lets just say Jarrod and his M400 mellotron got a good workout on these two albums.

And "Use And Ornament" is a mellotron album, with the 'tron on every track, and he uses all nine of the mellotron sounds on this album, a rare thing. He bought his mellotron in 2005, and it was originally owned by PALLAS. Gosling has a ton of analog equipment at his disposal, and that year he went crazy buying keyboard related stuff. Jarrod also plays bass, guitars, drums, recorder and on and on. He really doesn't need any help, but he has ten guests adding their talents. Two female singers and a male vocalist are included in this, but also violin, a lot of horns and more.

We get nine tracks over 61 minutes including a lot of short pieces complimented by the two 13 and 26 plus minute tracks. Gosling has a twisted sense of humour which you can see for yourself if you look at his discography here, with the track and album titles especially. That 26 plus minute piece is called "6:17PM The Aunt Turns Into An Ant" after death of course, as we get this dramatic story line of her entering her new life in the ant colony. The closer "Klara Till Slutet(Main Title Theme) is a short instrumental that is Zappa all the way.

The opener is a short 1 1/2 minute atmospheric piece that gets quite powerful. Followed by "Cherish That Rubber Rodent" that hits the ground running with good contrasts and chunky bass. The next three tracks are my favourites. "The Mardi Gras Turned Ugly In Seconds", "Apple Witch" and "Morning Sentinel". "Apple Witch" especially was an immediate favourite, while this album as a whole was a grower for me. It's just different I suppose, but man this is an album I highly recommend. Probably closer to 4.5 stars. I'm not sure if he can top this.

— First review of this album —

There is definitely an argument to be made that Christian (Dr) Koch's band are probably the finest psychedelic/krautrock rock band in Germany and have held that crown for more than 30 years. During that period they have released 22 studio albums, countless live albums, singles and EPs. 'Live At Finkenbach 2015' made it to No. 2 on the official German vinyl sales charts and 'Live At Rheinkaut Festival' stayed for several weeks in the Top 20 of the German CD sales charts. They have been releasing tracks on FdeM since 2009, covering bands such as covers of classic 60s tracks, including Can, Pink Floyd, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly and H.P. Lovecraft. This brings together many of those songs, but after the decision had been made regarding this collection, Christian went back to the band's original recordings and remastered them for the first CD, and then compiled a second CD comprising previously unreleased live recordings of some of the tracks from the first disc as well as more 60's covers from the massive Vibravoid back catalogue.

There is certainly an argument to be had that "Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun" is the finest version ever, outside of the Floyd original, and they also approach "A Saucerful of Secrets" in. wonderfully respectful manner. However, the highlight for me is not those, but that we get two versions (the 2016 studio version plus a previously unreleased live recording from the Film Museum, Dusseldorf, 2017) of the mighty "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" and I am incredibly pleased that even the shorter version is still more than 10 minutes long. Also, any band who dares to record "Hole In My Shoe" will always be a hit in my book, as surely it is the pinnacle of psychedelia. This double CD is a wonderful trip down a psychedelic memory lane and is a wonderful introduction for those who are frightened of such a vast catalogue.

I am not sure what there is left to say about Tony Levin, except that he is one of the most highly regarded bass and stick players in the world, which is why he managed to get the following involved with his first solo album since 2007: Robert Fripp, Vinnie Colaiuta, Earl Slick, Mike Portnoy, Steve Gadd, Jerry Marotta, Gary Husband, L. Shankar, Pete Levin, Jeremy Stacey, David Torn, Pat Mastelotto, Larry Fast, Steve Hunter, Manu Katche, Alex Foster, Dominic Miller, Markus Reuter, Chris Pasin, Collin Gatwood, Josh Shpak, and Don Mikkelsen. The vast number of guests only play on one track, although his brother Pete plays on a few more while Jerry Marotta and Gary Husband are also involved more than the rest. The booklet is wonderful, a collection of photos and text as Tony talks about his friends, the instruments, what has happened to them and what tracks he uses them for on this.

Tony also provides vocals on the tracks which have them, and this is where his sense of humour really shines through on songs such as "Side B / Turn It Over" which is primarily multi-tracked vocals and a tiny section of bass which is not what one would necessarily expect. Having heard numerous albums involving Tony in recent years where he has been allowed to provide full voice to his talents, what I found most interesting on this one is that he has reined himself in somewhat so it is not as experimental as one might expect, although there are certainly elements of that, and he has consciously released something which is far removed from Stick Men for example. The bass is normally a foundation instrument providing support for others, but here Tony has brought it out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

He may be approaching eighty years of age, but Tony has lost none of the dexterity and style which has seen him play on excess of 500 albums with some of the most challenging artists around. It may not be as improvised as some of those, or as layered as others, but the result is something which shows the many different possibilities of the instrument as he shifts through different styles and approach and that is what this album is all about.

Oh Wow! only one review on this classic Japanese jazz-fusion album. what an incredible start for this multi-talented group. bright blue, red and purple - great fusion album with some amazing guitar and basslines. the album is full of nice melodies and unlike a lot of fusion it's not overly abstract. aka it just sounds nice. the guitar really shines on songs like "midnight rendezvous" and "swallow" and the basslines are always great. i went in to it expecting a bit more funk though. this is a great fusion LP I can see where Nintendo could take inspiration from this for the Mario kart OST's. 4.0 great bass

Here we have the fifth album from Tim Morse, and the fourth which I have reviewed (I missed out on the last release, 2022's 'Awaken' which was released under the band name Parallels). I first came across Tim in 2006 after the release of the debut, 'Transformation', but his solo albums until now have always included other musicians, yet here he has decided to embrace his full talents as a multi-instrumentalist and done everything himself, including vocals. Morse says, "There were no rules about the music itself, so Soundtracks is a diverse, eclectic mix of styles and genres. On this album you'll find a Beatles homage ('Blueberry Way'), instrumental electronic music ('Cityscape'), a ballad ('Lullaby'), and so much more. It was a blast to roll out of bed and think, 'I feel like recording bass this morning?' and not depend on anyone else to complete the project. It brought out a fun aspect of experimentation, especially with instruments I'd never played in the past."

The result is an album which is pleasant to listen to, firmly staying in the middle of the road, but its quality should not necessarily be negated due to that. There is the feeling that this will be used more as background music than actually listened to, but there are certainly some enjoyable moments within this and there is a lightness and Summery feel which is refreshing. One can certainly imagine some of the music being taken and used within films, and the cover photo certainly fits very well with what is taking place inside, as if Morse felt something needed more keyboards, or guitars, or even banjo then he delivered. There is not a lot of percussion, which leaves room for space, and it certainly works in this setting. It is not as progressive as some of his material, but there are times when he reminds us, he has written a highly acclaimed book on Yes. A nice way to wind down from some of the more intense music I listen to.

I do not believe that Tim is a relation to Neal, but again we havea Morse who is producing exciting and interesting prog music. Tim may be better known to some as an author of a best-selling book on Yes, so it is probably not surprising that there are a few Yes nods, but these are rare. This is all about the bringing together of Tim (mostly keyboards, plus some lead vocals and guitar) with Mark Dean (all other instruments) and then adding in the vocals of Richie Zeller. This is very much a prog album, with layers of keyboards and piano, but at the same time, it is also inherently a melodic rock album with plenty of guitar. It may be Tim's name above the door, but this is very much a group sound and not a keyboard workout. They have taken some Floyd, some Hackett, even some Kansas, that little bit of Yes, and thrown it all together and boy does it work. This is extremely polished, with enough time changes and little bits and pieces in the mix that brings a smile to the face. Richie appears to be approaching his vocals much more from a rock area than 'normal' prog (whatever that is), which gives the band a different flavour ? it is reminiscent in some ways of the approach of Damian Wilson, but these vocals are much earthier, with more balls. This is one that progheads and even melodic rock lovers will not want to miss.

Originally appeared in Feedback #86, Feb 2006