My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread

 

                                                       Buon compleanno Claudio  :

 

 

- Did you think Il Bacio Delle Medusa is the best new Italian progrock band in the last five years? Well, check out Italian four piece formation Pandora, what an exciting sound! The band is rooted in 2006, inspired by Genesis, Yes, PFM, New Trolls and Dream Theater. After a serie of concerts in early 2008, Pandora got a record deal with the known Italian label Btf., specialized in progressive rock.
- On their debut album Dramma Di Un Poeta Ubriaco (7 tracks, running time 63 minutes) Pandora is scouting the borders between Classic Italian Prog, symphonic rock, Heavy Prog and prog metal in a very exciting way. We can enjoy lots of bombastic and compelling atmospheres, loaded with heavy guitarplay, sensational keyboardwork (3 members play on keyboards!) and thunderous drumming by Claudio Colombo like Il Giudizio Universale (exciting break, great wah-wah guitar and passionate Italian vocals), the instrumental March To Hell (swirling Hammond organ solo, fat Minimoog sound and obvious Dream Theater elements), Pandora (the piano is wonderfully blended in the heavy sound) and the titletrack (beautiful Grand piano intro and a splendid grand finale with compelling keyboardwork and a very moving guitar solo, goose bumps). But in other songs Pandora also deliver great build-ups like Così Come Sei (from dreamy with soaring keyboards and acoustic guitar to compelling with a strong electric guitar/synthesizer duet and bombastic with furious drumwork and heavy guitar) or mellow like Breve Storia di San George (wonderful blend of acoustic guitar, flute-Mellotron, warm Italian vocals, classical orchestrations, delicate harpsichord runs and a pleasant flute solo in the end). The most elaborate composition is the final track entitled Salto Nel Buio (close to 14 minutes), it sounds very varied and contains lots of captivating, very flowing shifting moods and surprising musical ideas, from a short interlude with acoustic guitar and choir-Mellotron to a piece with prog metal overtones and a jazzy vibraphone solo. The final part is very exciting featuring fat synthesizer flights and propulsive drum beats, slowly fading away, I am in Progheaven!
- My simple conclusion: highly recommended and ... play it loud!

 

 

           This is my second best new progrock album of 2008 (after Pentadelia by Albatros)

 

 

 

 

 

                                   More:

 

- PPRY was formed in Riihimäki, Finland 1993 as a medium for its members to perform musical material. In 2000 they released their debut album Project Forest, in 2002 the album Stolen under the temporary name Project (in 2005 re-released by the Italian progrock label Mellow Records) and recently (late 2008) PPRY has released their third effort entitled Raising The Skeletons Of Fire By Hand, a concept album that tells what really happened in Sarajevo in 1914 (when the archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated), according to PPRY department of research and study.
- PPRY their sound on this new album (six compositions, running time 70 minutes) is varied and often atmospheric: ominous keyboards, twanging acoustic guitar and a final part with a sensitive electric guitar solo in At The Brink Of Madness, lots of flowing shifting moods (from folky to psychedelic) and wonderful vintage keyboards (like Hammond organ and clavinet) in The Procession Forms, from compelling with fiery guitar/lush organ and spacey with synthesizers to a heavy swinging rhythm with flute, synthesizer, Hammond and a fiery (Gilmourian) guitar solo in the alternating For The Presence Of Those Who Are The Sentinel, exciting propulsive and heavy climates with inventive work on guitar and keyboards in The Herald And Their Tiran and again a varied sound with wonderful synthesizer work in A Passage To The Court Prevails. The ghost of the early Pink Floyd era (1970-1973) reigns in the long and alternating composition As A Single Word Sets Forth An Ocean Of Souls: interesting changing atmospheres with compelling work on guitar, Hammond and synthesizers.
- Although the English vocals are mediocre and in some songs the music sounds a bit too fragmentic or lacks direction, I am pleased with PPRY their adventurous blend of several styles that delivers lots of interesting and sometimes very compelling musical moments.

 

- Aly is a musical project of Alonso Romero, he was born in Mexico (1979), started to study piano when he was 8 and he is playing guitar since his 13th. He has a varied taste: with the band Toccata he released the album entitled Circe (2005) on which he plays guitar in the progmetal vein but he also made a classical album with flute and guitar.
- We can find back this captivating contrast between rock and classical on Aly their instrumental debut album Hypotesis Ubicua. Alonso has invited a wide range of musicians featuring drummer Adolfo Ramundo who recently toured with the new line-up of Italian progrock legend Il Balletto Di Bronzo. On most of the nine compositions Alonso delivers heavy guitarwork with obvious hints of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, fueled by a thunderous rhythm-section evoking Metallica and Opeth, very exciting and I am impressed by Alonso his furious, blistering and biting guitar runs and propulsive fat guitar riffs. The most interesting element of Aly their music is in my opinion the way he blends the sound of varied keyboards with the powerful guitarwork, often this evokes a lot of tension in the Aly sound: dazzling interplay with synthesizers (El Aspecto Sombrío De La Desinhibición and Sirenas Poseídas En La Mente De Omicrón), lush organ waves (Necesidad Ilimitada), dreamy piano work (Instinto En La Nostalgia) and orchestral keyboards (Ocular). Another wonderful contrast on this album is the short track Ocaso Inesperado that contains classical guitar, it sounds very warm. But the highlight is the ‘magnum opus progressivus’ Meh - Lahn - Coh - Lih – Ah, a 25 minutes composition that is divided into six alternating parts: from a majestic violin-Mellotron intro, soaring keyboards with howling guitar runs and an interlude with dreamy keyboards to an exciting wah-wah drenched guitar solo with populsive drums, powerful Hammond organ with heavy guitar work, a bombastic prog metal climate and a beautiful final part delivering acoustic rhythm guitar and a choir-Mellotron-like sound, goose bumps!
- What an exciting debut album, I am sure the progmetal – and Heavy Prog fans and heavy metal guitar freaks wil be delighted about Aly their music!

THE HEALING ROAD – Timanfaya (****)
- This is a musical project by the German keyboardplayer/drummer Hans Peter Hess who has invited several musicians on the three solo albums he released between 2006 and 2008 (The Healing Road, Timanfaya and Tales From The Dream). The name is derived from Rush drummer Neil Peart his book "Ghost Rider - Travels on The Healing Road", it is Hans Peter his favorite one.
- On his instrumental second album Timanfaya (running time 50 minutes) we can enjoy nine varied and very tastefully arranged compositions that range from spacey, electronic oriented and mellow with sensitive electric guitar or Grand piano to bombastic with powerful Hammond organ and spectacular synthesizer flights or propulsive rhythms with fiery guitar and dynamic drums. I cannot trace a weak song but I would like to mention my highlights: an exciting atmosphere with a fluent rhythm, sensational keyboard work and strong interplay between guitar and keyboards in the great opener Devil’s Garden and the alternating Crashing Waves, the sound of Indian tablas and Fender Rhodes electric piano along subtle guitarplay in the strongly build-up Crater Camels, wonderful keyboards (from a swinging piano to a slow synthesizer solo) and varied guitarwork (from a Floydian solo to biting wah-wah) in the captivating Observe And Learn and lots of dynamics, keyboard pyrotechnics and exciting shifting moods in the long Fire Mountains, this is Progheaven!
- I am not familiar with Hans Peter his other two solo albums, if these are at the same level The Healing Road is an excellent new German progrock band to discover!

GERSON WERLANG – Memorias Do Tempo (***1/2)

- Gerson is the guitarplayer of the Brasilian progrock band Pocos E Nuvens, this is his first solo album. The sound is varied but most remarkable is the important role for the warm, frequently intense Portuguese vocals (male, female and duo) like in the shorte songs Colheita De Inverno (wonderful violin), Vozes Outonais (in combination with piano), Ao Pouco Que Resta (beautifully blended with sitar and classical guitar), Do Exílio Voluntário (also twanging guitar and violin) and the final composition Epitáfio (soaring keyboards). The longer tracks sound pretty progressive featuring a lush instrumentation: classical guitar, vibraphone and violin in the very alternating Invocação (from dreamy with flute-Mellotron and twanging guitar to compelling and bombastic or a fluent mid-tempo with fiery guitar and propulsive drums), violin and harpsichord in the also alternating Rosa Mística (frequent sensitive electric guitar runs and a strong grand finale with guitar, organ and vocals) and soaring keyboards, propulsive guitar riffs, bombastic organ and howling guitar in the strongly build-up Saudades Da Serra.
- I had to get used to the contrast between the folky and classically oriented parts with warm and emotional Portuguese vocals and the fluent and bombastic parts with exciting work on guitar and keyboards but in the end I was very pleased with this first solo album by Gerson Werlang.

 

- This Japanese progrock band was founded in 1987 and made 3 studio albums: Circle In The Forest (1988), Brilliant Streams (1990) and Cryptogram Illusion (1993). Then Asturias disbanded but 25 years after their latest effort, here is a surprising return in de original line-up, including members of the other known Japanese progrock formation Shingetsu.
- This new album contains two epic tracks (at about 23 and 27 minutes), both are divided into five parts. The music is, like on their previous albums, strongly influenced by Mike Oldfield but I also notice elements from folk, classical music, jazz and symphonic rock, very well blended and tastefully arranged: the one moment you hear instruments like a twanging acoustic guitar, Grand piano, cello or flute, the other moment bombastic keyboards and howling electric guitar runs. To me this album sounds as a very pleasant and varied musical journey with many interesting ideas and lots of surprising shifting moods. My highlights are the two most progressive rock oriented compositions: the alternating, often very exciting Woods Storm (lush mellotron waves, fiery guitar, a powerful Chris Squire-like bass, an acoustic guitar solo with swinging piano and a swirling Hammond organ solo) and the long Soul Trees (wonderful violin solo, great bombastic eruptions and a beautiful final part with soaring keyboards and warm classical guitar). I also like the final track Dawn featuring sensitive work on Grand piano and electric guitar, a very warm end of a strong and varied album.
- A big hand for Japanese progrock band Asturias with their convincing return after 25 years!

 

 

                                               Good luck with your progrock quest

 

 

 

                                          More interesting new progrock albums:

 

- In 2002 the promising Cuban formation Anima Mundi delivered thier debut album entitled Septentrion, a very pleasant and melodic album that scouts the borders between neo-prog, symphonic rock and progfolk. We had to wait six years at this new album (2008) and I can tell you it was worth waiting that long, very worth!
- On Jagannath Orbit the sound is more in the 24-carat symphonic rock tradition, blended with subtle contributions by guest musicians on clarinet, bassoon, bagpipes and digeridoo. The long and varied first compsoition We Are The Light (close to 18 minutes) turns out to be the way to Progheaven: first mellow with piano and soaring keyboards, then alternating between swinging, bombastic, dreamy and a mid-tempo featuring wonderful work on vintage keyboards (Hammond, Mellotron, Minimoog), wah-wah guitar, Yes-like bass and vocal harmonies and a breathtaking final part with sumptuous choir-mellotron and sensitive electric guitar, goose bumps! The other six compositions (two instrumentals) also deliver lots of excitement like the strong guitarwork (including biting wah-wah) in Toward The Adventure, a majestic church-organ sound, moving guitar and beautiful Mellotron waves in There's A Place Not Faraway, a spectaculair break with guitar and keyboards, again wonderful vintage keyboards and wah-wah guitar in the long and compelling instrumental Rhythm Of The Spheres and splendid Minimoog flights, choir-Mellotron and a Progheaven Grand Finale with fiery guitar and lush keyboards in the final track Sanctuary.
- A big hand for this Cuban progrock formation, these guys have perfectly used the six years between their first and second album, highly recommended!

 

- In 2007 the progrock world was pleasantly surprised with the instrumental debut album Rokus Tonalis by the Russian musical project Aviva, led by Russian keyboard player Dimitri A. Loukanienko who played Grand piano, keyboards, bass, samples and programmed drums and percussion. The music on Rokus Tonalis has strong echoes from bombastic keyboard driven prog in the vein of ELP and Japanese Gerard featuring a powerful Hammond sound, fluent piano runs and flashy synthesizer flights, very spectacular. The song The Valse At The End Of Times delivers a guest-musician on guitar, he gives a very powerful touch to the music with raw and propulsive guitar work. Some tracks sound quite experimental with soaring keyboards and weird voices. That about the first album.
- On his new album Nutracker In A Fury (2008) Dimitri has changed the name into Aviva Omnibus and he is accompanied by two guitarists, a bassist/drummer and a second keyboard player who also plays violin. The sound is similar to his debut-album but even more bombastic and spectacular and the compositions are more elaborate and balanced. I am absolutely delighted about the exciting propulsive rhythms with spectacular work on synthesizer and guitar like in the tracks Overture In Fury (lots of flowing shifting moods, a varied keyboard sound, fiery guitar and sensational synthesizer flights), Dance Of The Tea Giants (very dynamic interplay, sensational sounding keyboard runs and guitar riffs that alternates between prog metal and King Crimson in the Red-era, how propulsive!) and Coda Cold (swinging and propulsive rhythms, ELP-inspired keyboard work and a heavy guitar solo). The track Heavy March includes organ runs that are paying tribute to ELP’s Nutrocker (based upon Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker) and exciting bombastic keyboard play and heavy guitar work, simply sensational! Although it’s obvious that Dimitri is inspired by Keith Emerson, he succeeds to sound original with his varied and modern souding keyboards and the use of many samples (like singing African people, steel drums and lots of voices). Some songs sound mellow like Flower Fever (sound collage) and Apotheosis (great final part with sumptuous classical orchestrations) but in general Aviva Omnibus their sound is bombastic with lots of exciting propulsive rhythms and spectacular work on keyboards and guitar.
- What a thrill to listen to Nutcracker In A Fury, highly recommended, especially to the aficionados of keyboard-driven progrock!

 

- This is a musical project by Dutch keyboard player Jack Langevelt, a huge fan of the Seventies symphonic rock and the late keyboard wizard Rick Van Der Linden. Between 1981 and 1997 Survival existed in its first line-up, then disbanded but fortunately Jack didn’t give up and now we can enjoy the Musea release of his first album entitled Crusader (2008).
- From the very first moment I listened to this instrumental album, I was carried away to Vintage Keyboard heaven, what a wonderful and often compelling keyboard driven symphonic rock: a tight rhythm with a lush and powerful, Jon Lord-like Hammond sound, fiery guitar and propulsive drum work in The Holy Land, orchestral keyboards in the melancholical Lamentation, a long and swirling Hammond solo and howling duo-guitar in the titletrack, a slow rhythm with pitchbend driven synthesizer work and lush Hammond organ (like Procol Harum) in I Cried For You, sparkling piano, exciting Hammond and synthesizer play and splendid Gilmourian guitar in Exceptional Friend, majestic church organ in The Knights Templar, sensational interplay between keyboard (including a choir-Mellotron sound), guitar and rhythm-section with lots of great solos on keyboards and guitar and a compelling duet between synthesizer and guitar in the long Montsigard and a dreamy final track entitled After All featuring beautiful interplay between warm piano and soaring keyboards. It's a subtle conclusion of an often bombastic and compelling sounding album that frequently reminds me of Trace and Japanese progrock band Gerard (but I wonder or Jack has ever heard of that Japanese progrock band).
- Anyway, a big hand for Dutch formation Survival and big alert for the vintage keyboard aficionados!

 

- I just finished my review about Loonypark their debut CD Egoist and now again I am writing a review about a new Polish band, incredible, what a fertile progrock ground!
- On their modern sounding debut album One the Polish quintet Mindfields starts with the alternating composition In This Life, from mellow with piano/strings and a tight mid-tempo rhythm with fiery guitar and lush organ to a wonderful part with piano and orchestral keyboards and strong solos on guitar and synthesizer. Every song (the albums contains 8 songs, running time 50 minutes) is followed by a short instrumental track featuring beautiful classical guitar (the final one also soaring keyboards). The other three compositions deliver lots of variety: a spacey intro, Hendrix-like wah-wah guitar, Floydian inspired guitar runs and an exciting duel between guitar and synthesizer in Ready To Live, lots of shifting moods and tasteful work on guitar and keyboards in Home and a compelling final part with heavy guitar, lush organ and powerful drums beats in the highlight Nobody’s Dream.
- To me Mindfields sounds as a very promising band, I am looking forward to their next album!

LOONYPARK – Egoist (***)

- The blossoming current Polish scene delivers another fine new band, this time the six-piece formation Loonypark with their debut CD entitled Egoist (8 compositions, running time at about 50 minutes). Apart from the mediocre English vocals (next time in Polish please!) by female singer Sabina, I enjoyed Loonypark their simply structured but pleasant and modern (neo) progrock. The strong point in their music is the warm and tasteful colouring by the keyboards and guitar: bombastic organ and propulsive guitar riffs, a howling guitar solo and a slow synthesizer solo in the compelling Time, lush keyboards (from an orchestral sound to flute-Mellotron) and powerful and sensitive guitar in the strongly build-up titletrack, a fluent synthesizer solo and wah-wah guitar in Hope, a dreamy piano intro and a moving guitar solo in Hello and a splendid final part delivering fiery guitar runs and soaring keyboards in the final track The City. Simply beautiful.

 

- In 2006 Also Eden released their acclaimed debut CD entitled About Time, if I take a look at my review I read “I am delighted about their pleasant sound and the flowing shifting moods and accellarations”, “The singer has a strong, quite distinctive voice with a melancholical undertone”, “As references I would like to mention IQ and Marillion but with a more modern sound” and “If you are up to neo-prog, this is a band to discover!”.
- Well, listening to their new album (2008) I quickly conclude that it is in the vein of their first CD. To me it sounds like a very tasteful ‘neo-prog-stew’ with Pendragon and Pallas as the most obvious ingredients, especially in the long first composition Star (from dreamy with warm vocals to powerful with propulsive guitarwork and bombastic with choir-Mellotron eruptions) and the alternating and compelling final track Photographs (a kind of “early Marillion meets Pallas”). All seven songs sound melodic with a wonderful colouring by the guitar and keyboards, pleasant vocals and interesting shifting moods and musical ideas like the sumptuous break featuring fiery guitar and powerful organ in the romantic Artificial Light and the strong build-up from mellow to compelling in the cpativating Skimming Stones. The ‘magnum opus’ on this CD is the long A Widow's Eyes (close to 13 minutes) in which we can enjoy Also Eden in its full splendor, from dreamy with twanging guitars to propulsive with Mellotron waves and synthesizer flights, check out this promising neo-prog band!

 

                          On the brink of 2009 one can say that new progrock is alive