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Symphonic Prog U.S. Bands with 1 70's Album

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zwordser View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 17 2022 at 16:25
I made a list of Symphonic Prog Rock bands from the United States that had only one or two albums released in the 1970s (or close to the 70's--there were a few bands that formed in the 70's but released an album much later--not listed here). The band, album, release year, location, and any notes are in the table below. 

I'm just sharing the list for those who may be interested.  I made it mostly out of curiosity, but sometimes I like to collect music samples based on specific countries/categories of music style. The list could also potentially provide material for a themed radio show in the future. I've only heard three of the listed albums (from Albatross, Cathedral, and Lift--all of them excellent).

No need to post your own list. Perhaps just comment on: your favorites, any bands/details I may have missed, other things you may know and/or like/dislike about the bands, etc.

Here's the list (alphabetical order):

Band Album Year Location Note
Albatross Albatross 1976 Rockford, IL
Astre Foresight 1981 Tulsa, OK Formed in 1978
Atlantis Philharmonic Atlantis Philharmonic 1974 Cleveland, OH Also have a 2008 recording
Axecraft Dancing Madly Backward 1974 Los Angeles, CA
Babylon Babylon 1978 St. Petersburg, FL Another album in 1981(?, under the name “Helicopter”); couple live albuums too.
Brimstone Paper Winged Dreams 1973 Canton, OH
Cathedral Stained Glass Stories 1978 Long Island, NY (also recorded an album in the 2000's)
Chakra Chakra 1979 Huntington Beach, FL
Earthrise Earthrise 1978 New Jersey (also recorded an album in 2017 after regrouping)
Ethos Ardour 1976 Forth Wayne, IN Another 70's album too, highly rated stuff
Fireballet Night On Bald Mountain 1975 New Jersey Also a 1976 album “Two, Too”, higher rated
Harlequin Mass Harlequin Mass 1978 Portland, OR
Hot Flash First Attack!! They'll Never Take Us Alive 1977 Boston, MA
Jack Intveld I'll Sing Of Life 1978 Minneapolis, MN
Lift Caverns of Your Brain 1977 New Orleans, LA
Load, The Praise The Load 1976 Columbus, OH And another higher rated album in 1977: Load Have Mercy
Netherworld In the Following Half-Light (Netherworld) 1981 ?? Band started in 1975
Quill Sursum Corda 1977 ??
Surprise Assault on Merryland 1977 St. Louis, MO


Edited by zwordser - May 17 2022 at 16:54
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Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2022 at 17:22
These are the albums I know and love from the list:-

Albatross- Albatross
Cathedral- Stained Glass Stories
Quill- Sursum Corda
Surprise- Assault on Merryland

I'm pretty sure I'd like all of the albums on your list though if I had time to listen to them all. Smile


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - May 17 2022 at 17:40
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote King Crimson776 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2022 at 19:41
Albatross - Albatross
Atlantis Philharmonic - Atlantis Philharmonic
Babylon - Babylon
Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories
Earthrise - Earthrise
Ethos - Ardour
Fireballet - Night On Bald Mountain
Harlequin Mass - Harlequin Mass
Lift - Caverns of Your Brain
Quill - Sursum Corda

These are the ones I've heard. Cathedral and Lift are probably the biggest standouts. A somewhat overlooked scene within prog, I think. There is a distinct sound among these bands.


Edited by King Crimson776 - May 17 2022 at 19:46
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zwordser View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zwordser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2022 at 20:21
^

Yeah, I'll look forward to hearing these bands a bit more.  I agree about the two you said standout, though I like Caverns of Your Brain the most.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 02:32
Originally posted by King Crimson776 King Crimson776 wrote:

Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories
Earthrise - Earthrise
Fireballet - Night On Bald Mountain
Quill - Sursum Corda


I know these four and they're really good. Thumbs Up
SURPRISE - Assault On Merryland is also a good album. 



Edited by Cristi - May 18 2022 at 02:37
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote progaardvark Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 03:40
Albatross, Astre, Atlantic Philharmonic, Babylon, Cathedral, Harlequin Mass, and Quill are the ones from this list I know. Quill is my favorite of these. Looks like I have quite a few I need to give a listen.

Nice list and thanks for putting it together. Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote enigmatic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 13:40
Really good, IMO, on the same level with Cathedral, but more eclectic than symphonic:
Mirthrandir - For You the Old Women
Yezda Urfa - Boris, re-recorded later and released on CD format as Sacred Baboon.

Edited by enigmatic - May 18 2022 at 14:04
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 15:03
Originally posted by enigmatic enigmatic wrote:

Yezda Urfa - Boris, re-recorded later and released on CD format as Sacred Baboon.

Änglagård are fans of those guys. I understand that at their stateside debut at Prog Fest '93, their encore was nearly "Boris and His 3 Verses," but they went with "The Musical Box."
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 18:31
Cathedral's 1970s release was a little too dense and serious for me at the time of its release but I really loved the stuff Mattias Olsson got Tom Doncourt to do in the last ten years (before Tom died).

Babylon's self-titled debut release from 1978 is one of my all-time favorite Neo Prog albums (and perhaps one of the very first to earn that subgenre's inclusion. I mean, if one doesn't hear the Peter Gabriel Genesis and Peter Hammill VDGG in those four songs, one doesn't know their "classic" prog!)

Don't think I know any of the others! I've got some work to do! (Oh, goodie!Thumbs Up)

 
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 19:09
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

Don't think I know any of the others! I've got some work to do! (Oh, goodie!Thumbs Up

Don't miss Netherworld!


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 20:43
The original list is missing Mirthrandir, Easter Island, Polyphony, Ram, Pentwater, Yezda Urfa, and maybe a few others. Also, Ethos had two albums in the 70s.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - May 19 2022 at 07:42
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote siLLy puPPy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 21:13
You could have also added

Jeff Wayne
Yezda Urfa
Starcastle
Maelstrom
Chakra
Relayer

https://rateyourmusic.com/~siLLy_puPPy
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zwordser View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zwordser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 22:14
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

The original list is missing Mirthrandir, Easter Island, Polyphony, Ram, Pentwater, Yezda Urfa and maybe a few others. Also, Ethos had two albums in the 70s.


The list only includes bands that are classified as Symphonic Prog on PA; the ones you mentioned are mostly Eclectic prog (but I love Yezda Urfa and Polyphony).

  Ethos having a second 70's albums is already mentioned in the notes column.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote zwordser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 18 2022 at 22:21
Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:

You could have also added

Jeff Wayne
Yezda Urfa
Starcastle
Maelstrom
Chakra
Relayer


None of those bands meet all of the parameters set, except for Chakra, which is already there.

I put the list together by going to the Symphonic Prog section here on PA, and seeing which bands from the U.S. had only 1 or 2 albums released in the 70's.
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