NEO-PROG

The gloomy but surprisingly uplifting and even hope-ridden twentieth studio album by Marillion titled 'An Hour Before It's Dark' is a further consolidation of a particular genre-defying sound that they have been developing over the course of the last decade and a half, one that is shaped by strong melodies, defined by a textured production, intelligent writing, and strong evocative messaging - this is the band's latest album in a nutshell. Some would probably dismiss this record whilst refuting its neo-prog credentials, and we might as well remind them that Marillion has moved on and evolved from what they have been some forty years ago. 'An Hour Before It's Dark' introduces some spectral, cinematic, and emotive passages (both instrumentally and lyrically) and is a full-on contemporary rock album that stays true to the band's rather mature, intelligent and mellow music, already familiar to a rather wide audience.

The record ebbs and flows gracefully between ethereal synth-driven soundscapes and waves of orchestrated layers of sound, transmitted by the masterful guitar crescendos of Steve Rothery and the rather astute bass punctuations. The charming jazz patterns of Ian Mosley's drums provide a pulsating and often discrete patches of rhythm to each track on here. The music is elevated by the elegant, powerful and rich singing voice of Steve Hogarth, a charismatic leader of a band of virtuoso songwriters. The eclecticism of the album makes is quite an intriguing listen, while the six actual tracks are made up several shorter interconnected pieces. The album is arranged masterfully and the tracklist has a certain kind of logic that goes through a myriad of moods and styles, from the melodramatic opener 'Be Hard on Yourself' to the heartfelt sounds of 'Murder Machines', followed by the symphonic catharsis that is 'The Crow and the Nightingale', to the genuinely gorgeous closing suite 'Care' - the entire album is a true celebration of the Marillion legacy and a well-constructed release marking a creative peak for the band of veterans.

When is a reunion album not a reunion album? 16 years had passed since the previous Drifting Sun album - On the Rebound, which for my money is probably their best effort of the 1990s - when this new release came out, but only Pat Sanders remains of the line-ups that recorded the band's first wave of releases. So far as I can make out, when the original band fragmented Pat ended up with custody of the name - probably because he was one of the founding forces of the group in the first place - and after taking a long break from the industry he decided to give it another go in the 2010s, putting together a new lineup which made its debut here.

In the long run, this seems to have more or less paid off - a steady flow of albums has come out right to this day, gathering a level of critical attention and listener acclaim that had eluded the 1990s incarnation of the group. (I myself rather like Safe Asylum, and rate Twilight as a bona fide classic.) Trip the Life Fantastic, by comparison, feels more like a warm-up effort - an album put out largely to test out the process of both producing their album and bringing it to market in the online DIY era, with material which is entertaining but not especially ambitious.

It's a light and at points somewhat cheesy affair, and when you know that the band come out with more creative and distinctive material later on it's hard not to suspect they were keeping their powder dry and not putting out their best material on this album just in case it crashed and burned. Alternatively, perhaps this lineup was so fresh that they still needed a bit of time to really gel and come up with solid material, and they jumped to make an album a little before they were ready.

Either way, it's alright, but not really better than "alright" - entertaining enough if you like light, unchallenging neo-prog, but few people are likely to get very excited about this. Maybe, at a stretch, you can imagjne a major Drifting Sun fans from their original 1990s run getting hyped up about this back in 2015 when it came out - but now the band's rebirth has picked up more steam and put out superior material, there's little compelling reason to prioritise this album now. With both the best of the new material and their two 1990s albums being comfortably better, Trip the Life Fantastic falls between two stools.

Asle Tostrup (vocals, keyboards and programming), Henrik Bergan Fossum (drums), and Bjørn Riis (guitars, bass, keyboards and backing vocals) are back with the sixth Airbag album, and this time around are joined by guests Kristian Hultgren (bass on "Dysphoria" & "Tear it Down"), Ole Michael Bjørndal (guitar on "Dysphoria", "Tyrants and Kings" & "Tear it Down"), and Simen Valldal Johannessen (keyboards on "Tear it Down"). I felt they lost their way somewhat with 2020's 'A Day At The Beach', but this is a return to form with an album which is incredibly reflective, using acoustic guitars when the time is right and a great use of space to allow the instruments and vocals to breathe and have the room to fully come into their own. At times both the arrangements and melodies are simple yet brought together in a manner which is sheer beauty and delight. Yet there are others when the music is more menacing and direct in its approach.

There are only five songs within the 47 minutes, but nothing overstays its welcome and there is a place for everything. Lyrically they discuss the themes of cancel culture and the rewriting of personal histories, offering a commentary on a world steeped in fear and condemnation. Time and again we return to a simple musical approach which allows the guys to build and take us on a journey as there is plenty of contrast and dynamics contained within. This is not an album to be taken lightly or to be placed to one side after just a few listens as it is only after it has been played constantly that the real beauty and hidden gems make themselves known. It is a grower in the true sense of the word and let us hope it is not so long until they return with the next one.

1. The Opening as a tonic opening with a symphonic sound that goes back to old sounds, those of the 70s, it's beautiful but it lacks pep, it drowns a little in consensual meanders; it's beautiful but! 2. Are You In? a little more nervous and a warm voice that goes to the 80s, well it evolves well; come on a neo-prog metal from the 90s the sound becomes more nervous, I'm here to do the job! in short a well-played sound of déjà vu that makes the time pass faster, 3. Twisted Reality changes tone, Crimsonian air at times, Mathieu's touch that handles the handle well; a Japanese tone also in the background with the keyboard of Indrek, a musician I didn't know but who went to a good school, I learn every day! in short a beautiful variation with a free jazz feel worthy of the soundtrack of the pink panther, nice this piece where I feel the vibration of GENTLE GIANT in addition to KING CRIMSON! the guitar solo is just majestic! The finale goes more into a symphonic-energetic metal line worthy of MORSE, TRANSATLANTIC, SPOCK'S BEARD, very nervous and with prog juice. 4. Restless changes range again, the most of this album; more free electro jazzy with the thunderous bass of Vladislav excellent, it seems like he is playing on a melting anthill; fusion like on the works of ZAPPA in his time who played expansive music outside the drawers; the most this invasive keyboard which stands out from the great keyboards of the 70-80s and which melts the listener and time

5. Walking with You changes course, melodic softness with the synth base and the more lumpy voice reminiscent of another group; Andrus's touch for his fresh and intrusive pads; well I find some Banks from GENESIS 2nd edition there; the guitar solo pours fiery notes 6. Fragile and the regression with an ethereal piece and a religious or almost religious Priidik flute; an instrumental title that can recall the flights of sir Steve HACKETT for the suave, melodic and melancholic side; it is even languorous with the perfect keyboard-guitar association 7. Lord of the Miracles and the epic piece, how can we not think of the long pieces of our believing musician Neal with the clique of what made the bed of prog rock, neo, prog in general: instrumental flights, a keyboard that holds the base and solo, solos galore. It's good but I put a flat we are in 2024 and it is a bit repetitive by lacking personality; to punish me the reverberating mid-course break with these marshmallow synth keys playing the speakers game with a stereo effect like in the good old days. The flute makes you regress even more, the restart makes you doubt my flat note, prog is that even used. We are much more on symphonic rock than on neo let's not be mistaken about everything. (3.5)

I've snatched up every album by this Swiss band now, Hologram being the final acquisition. When an album is fantastic from beginning to end, or close to it, I give that album five stars. When significant parts of an album are top of the line, that is one thing that generates a four star review. Fans of early Marillion would definitely benefit from Clepsydra at large, but note that the first two albums (this one and More Grains) have the original , different guitarist. The dreamy guitar solos on this album are what we live for - reminiscent of the classic 1970s period of prog, but echoing those other groups while not copying them. For the degree of originality, if for no other reason, this is definitely a four star album.

BLIND EGO with the presence of Yogi member of RPWL gives the intensity of progressive drifts, also going towards rock metal by the new singer Kevin of the metalcore group CYANT.

'The Hunting Party starts dark and airy, Floydian guitar solo announcing the color; a medicinal strike, an unstoppable melody on a modern prog rock, juicy with pop rock reminiscences of the 80s. 'The Stranger' for the US- AOR rock ballad; the fresh and catchy guitar to drive on a long route 66. 'Spiders' like a spider web that takes you and does not let go; an electronic up-tempo with the riff of the Scorpions for the bleeding heavy rock piece; a progressive variation where the guitar notes prolong time. 'Boiling Point 0' changes style, an alternative sound struck with a snarling chorus full of enthusiasm as soon as we have accepted and tamed Kevin's voice, erasing the rhythm a bit and putting the solo in the background.

'In a Blink of an Eye' finally changes in the space that interests us, the prog. Latent, clear start, soft, gripping vocal; the drums bring relief and finally launch the title with an angry Kevin; this hot and cold allows a lyrical flight that is wild before the atmospheric break and the most marshmallow solo there is. Gilmourian emotion claimed for the piece that never ends progressively speaking. 'Breathless' atmospheric-latent entry that excites the ear; it goes straight to a hard riff, we are out of breath, it falls well to listen to this cheerful prog metal with its haunting base. The brave piece that resembles those of 'Voices' where the instrumental is more pleasant in my opinion; riff, rhythm, a captivating heavy melody that unfolds flawlessly. 'When the Party's Over' with the bewitching notes of Oceansize from the famous 'Nurse' in the intro; after that it's an intimate southern ballad with this guitar picking by Kalle. The solo brings back the progressive scents for the feeling, the emotion like the solemn, delicate, introspective finale.

Blind Ego releases an album of alternative heavy rock prog that radically moves away from aging prog, since the time I've been writing it, from metallic trends, AOR, pure musical juice with the cherry of Gilmourian solos. Originally on Progcensor (3.5).

Review Nº 857

Lifesigns is a British progressive rock band that was founded in Leighton Buzzard, UK in 2008. Lifesigns was the brainchild of John Young a veteran keyboardist from Liverpool that had collaborated with some progressive rock bands and artists all over the years, such as Strawbs, John Wetton and Fish, only to mention a few. So, Young had spent the majority of his music career co-writing, playing and touring with those musicians, as well as forming his own band, The John Young Band in 2002. Lifesigns is a new progressive rock oriented project of him wanting to pay a tribute to the classic progressive rock sound of the 70's. Beginning in 2010, Lifesigns set about recording over the next two years their eponymous debut album, featuring some guest contributions from some of the best and most known prog artists.

So, "Lifesigns" is the eponymous debut studio album of Lifesigns that was released in 2013. The line up on "Lifesigns" is John Young (lead vocals and keyboards), Nick Beggs (backing vocals, bass guitar and Chapman Stick) and Martin "Frosty" Beedle (drums and percussion). "Lifesigns" had also the participation of Steve Hackett (lead and acoustic guitars), Jakko Jakszyk (lead and acoustic guitars), Robin Boult (lead and acoustic guitars) and Thijs Van Leer (flutes).

"Lifesigns" offers five long tracks of the finest British progressive rock, which seems to be made of one piece and offer a good balance between song oriented parts and solo parts. Overall, the album is very melodic and the solo parts are integrated in a very project friendly manner. From the opening track to the last, we are treated to an auditory banquet of some of the finest symphonic prog. "Lifesigns" is packed full of modern yet classic progressive rock that focuses on strong melodies and above all the album focuses on songs. And these songs are nicely enhanced by great complex but still accessible instrumental passages and finales. To complete my feelings about it, all songs were written by Young.

About the musicians involved, Young's classical training is evident throughout, and each track is brimful of pleasing harmonies and lilting keys. Young's vocals are clear and convincing, but as a keyboard player, who seems to be clearly inspired by Tony Banks, is where he delivers some fine piano and keyboard sounds. The band's rhythm troupe are the equally convincing Nick Beggs and Frosty Beedle, especially the unmistakable sound of Beggs' Chapman Stick brings a clear distinction to the album. Adding the presence of the contributions of Hackett, Boult and Jakszyk on acoustic and lead guitars and the unmistakable of the flute contribution of Thijs Van Leer on flute, we have the complete picture.

"Lifesigns" has five tracks. The first track "Lighthouse" opens the album full of some excellent keyboards and guitar, with soft drums keeping pace. It's a fine bombast rocker that knows how to convince and inspire with its exciting guitar work and complexity, especially in the second part. The ocean and the seagull sound effects are wonderful. The second track "Telephone" is probably the most pop-heavy track. So, it isn't my favorite. Still, it showcases the qualities of the rhythm duo Beggs and Beedle. It has a wonderful percussion, soft keys, bass, soft drums, and electric guitar, all set to a jazzy 90's beat. The rest is flowing pop rock, with Young's calm and beautiful voice enjoying plenty of space. The third track "Fridge Full Of Stars" is a quiet track full of deep bass at the opening, with soft piano and keys drifting over the dreamy soundscapes. It has a small acoustic guitar solo by Hackett and a more detailed flute solo by Thijs Van Leer, but Young's piano parts are classy. It reminds me of Genesis. Hackett had probably a hand with the arrangements. The forth track "At The End Of The World" is another harmonically perfect neo-prog song where everything is in the right place. One or other solo could be a bit longer. It has great piano, keys, soft drums, and electric guitar. Young's vocals almost mirror Paul Young. It would have fit perfectly well on "The Living Years" of Mike + The Mechanics. The fifth track "Carousel" is clearly the highlight on the album. The tempo, which is otherwise leisurely on the album, is also picked up a bit and weird sounds appear in the impressive solos. Here the soloists once again show their greatness on their instruments and evoke the "Genesis' feeling" of their great golden days. It's the closer and longest track on the album.

Conclusion: "Lifesigns" is a very good album, a well-advised, high quality, but also a well calculated album. It offered to me some very special insights into the amount of care and dedication which goes into to crafting music of such intrinsic beauty and complexity in the progressive rock music in our days. With this album Lifesigns made an incredibly impressive debut album that I can recommend to anyone who is interested in modern, very accessible and yet highly complex classic progressive rock. But, beyond that, this album will also give to Young the long overdue recognition he so deserves. This is a once in a lifetime album for any musician. Having the right people around you to make it happen it's also a huge plus. So, all in all, "Lifesigns" is far way of being a masterpiece but represents a very honest work of the melodic progressive rock in our days. Besides, it has an impressive amount of great musicians, some of the classic era.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

IQ have two live releases from their 20th anniversary live tour - there's also a recording of a London show from a few months before this. But the London release is primarily a DVD, and if you don't put a high priority on the visuals and just want the best sound I'd say this has the edge on the London show, in part because that was a Christmas show and found the band in a rather merry mood which was good for positive energy but perhaps not conducive to the most technically polished performance. Here, by contrast, they nail every note of every song.

I have to start off by saying that I am an absolute sucker for the searing lead guitar playing of Mirek Gil--and have been since I first heard his play on COLLAGE's Moonshine. Though it is my opinion that Mirek has never achieved the gut- wrenching adrenaline highs of that album, I can and will never stop listening to his music--always in hope for another fix of those Icarus-like soaring solos. And so here we have another Believe album. It's their seventh since peeling off of the Satellite wagon in 2006 but first in seven years--and yet another lead vocalist. They've all been good (I particularly loved Łukasz Ociepa from 2017's Seven Windows) but Jinian Wilde might be the most complete one they've had.

1. "Hold On" (21:22) opens with a very catchy two chord motif that is performed as by a string quartet. For three and a half minutes--even when new singer Jinian Wilde joins in--remains really engaging, really enteresting. Then, at 3:30 the rock band bursts forth with a typically-awesome Believe motif: great chord progression with Mirek Gil's signature lead guitar wailing away out front but everybody else sticking close by in a rich/lush weave. Man! Has prog ever generated a warm, comforting sound better than this! Jinian does a wonderful job with creating those great vocal melodies one expects from Mirek Gil songs but also with the layered harmony and background vocals. At the 12-minute mark there is a complete break and restart from the previous motif, this time a little heavier with ominous church organ chords and deep thick bass notes that are balanced by mandolin-like picked arpeggi up top. Here Jinian tries to go fiercer with his vocals, alternating his assertive delivery of the lyrics with some of Mirek's signatory electric guitar flash-leads. After a long instrumental slow-build and vehicle for some nice Mirek Gil soloing, the music drops down at 19:30 to an acoustic guitar-plus-"strings" variation of the opening two chord motif. This is what plays out to the song's end. What a gorgeous ride! I'd do that again in a hearbeat! There are no real innovative or truly astonishing high points, but the overall quality and enjoyability definitely counts for something. (37.5/40)

2. "Wicked Flame" (11:44) I'm not sure what happened here but the mixing of Jinian's vocal track is both muted and far farther back than I would ever have expected. On the positive side, the recording/engineering and mix of all of the other instruments are incredible: Satomi's violin rarely gets this kind of forward presence or crystal clarity--though it still sounds perfectly set within the mix of the other instruments. Jinian's performance feels a bit forced and, therefore, false in the fourth and fifth minutes, but then an acoustic guitar strumming section bridges the music over into some fine string-woven heavy prog--almost string quartet-like even though some of the instruments in the weave are electric. This is by no means a bad song it's just got some flaws (besides feeling not-fully-polished). The cool instrumental groove that picks up at 6:40 is nurturing my soul, though the ensuing Mirek Gil guitar flourish falls a bit flat, but the following vocalized section feels like Jinian's best part of the song. (17.75/20)

3. "Shadowland" (11:21) opening with Jinian in the lead role, his vocal and melody choices are okay. The keyboard music beneath gets more and more interesting as they careen through the second minute, but then they coalesce into a full-band motif for a bit before cutting out and leaving a droning spaciousness for Jinian to try again. The progression into the heavy prog instrumental motif is this time almost perfection: great keyboards, great upper register electric violin, great supportive electric guitar and bass staccato chords, great drum punctuation. This is one of Believe's more interesting (and, for them, unusual) song constructs I've heard in long time. The instrumental section plays out for a few minutes with some nice violin soloing, electric guitar riffing, and doubling up by the two. At 6:40 we return to another sparsely-(synth-)supported vocals--which then takes an unexpected turn at 7:30. There's an overall very STYX- like feeling to this music--to this song. I think it's due to both the vocal and the unusual keyboard sounds used (which I really like). And then, as if on cue, a piano solo! Again, it's not a great song, but there's not much else as good out there today. (I always have this gnawing feeling that if some great producer were able to get involved with these artists they could easily produce one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all-time.) (17.875/20)

4. "By My Tears" (11:17) the first minutes of this song are very bland, almost flat, and definitely not very engaging or exciting. It just sounds like every NeoProg band of the last 15 years. In the fifth minute, however, the introduction of some great background vocals and fiery Satomi violin play lift the song from boring mediocrity to a different level. Mirek's superheated guitar begins to join in, to try to lift it even higher, but then the music steps back into a more Prog Folk palette and then, shockingly, at 6:45, into a symphonic/theater-like bridge of staccato chords progressing toward something crescendo like--which Mirek Gil tries to fill (but, once again, never quite reaches the mountain top). The weave that surrounds, supports, and lifts Mirek up over the next minute is awesome--and works to a degree as Mirek seems to come flying out of the melée like Tom Cruise out of a perilous situation. Wow! Now that I was not expecting. Another song that is really tough to rate. (17.75/20)

5. "Shine" (7:28) a very nice NeoProg song with somewhat simple and oddly incongruously mixed sound palette that happens to hit on several awesome ear-candy riffs and motifs. I do, however, feel compelled to rate this down slightly for "uneven" or even "layered" mixing. (13.375/15)

Total Time 63:13

New vocalist Jinian Wilde is quite talented, his highs very high, though he has some weaknesses that, hopefully, will be improved upon, I really enjoyed his workings of the background vocal arrangements. But the real revelation of this album comes from Satomi! Her keyboard play (and sound choices) are so creative. And it's so wonderful to hear her violin not only so distinctly but also moved forward into prominence in the mix. On previous albums' songs there were many, many times that I felt the violin was completely buried in the mix.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of quite enjoyable progressive rock music. The first song is the best but each of the others are close behind. The Wyrding Way definitely offers a refreshing reboot of the Believe sound and way.

"The Gates of Never" is the second full-length studio album by Russian progressive rock act Apple Pie. The album was independently released in April 2013. It´s the successor to "Crossroad" from April 2007. So it´s been 5 years almost to the date since the release of "Crossroad" and only lead vocalist/guitarist/keyboard player Vartan Mkhitaryan and drummer Andrey Golodukhin remain from the lineup who recorded the debut album. Maybe a bit of an eye catcher Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Planet X, Yngwie Malmsteen...etc.) guests on keyboards.

Stylistically Apple Pie still play a progressive rock/metal style which is greatly influenced by Dream Theater but also by American progressive rock/metal artists like Spock´s Beard and Thought Chamber. "The Gates of Never" is however decidedly heavier and more metal oriented than "Crossroad", and even features some growling extreme metal vocals. Apple Pie construct pretty complex songs, featuring many different sections, and the material on the album is generally very well composed, featuring both heavy and more melodic pop/rock oriented moments. As mentioned it´s the heavier side of the band´s sound that we hear the most on "The Gates of Never" though.

The album features 7 tracks and a total playing time of 45:14 minutes. In reality it´s actually only 4 tracks as the "Letters of a Deadman - Part I-IV" are connected and form an almost 25 minutes long track. Album closer "Strange Feeling Called Love" features a total playing time of 15:25 minutes, so Apple Pie generally compose long tracks. It´s fully warranted though as the compositions are intriguing, ever shifting, and interesting throughout.

"The Gates of Never" features a professional, clear, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly, and the musical performances from all involved are also top notch. Mkhitaryan (who is the main composer) has a strong voice and an emotional and skillful delivery and the instrumental performances are tight and technical as this kind of music demands. So while the material on "The Gates of Never" perhaps isn´t the most unique in sound and style, the album as a whole is still a high quality product, and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.