I Recommend...

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   For some reason it slipped my mind to mention two (of the many) favorite bands of mine. 
I'll start with the band I discovered earlier and the second one I'll keep for next time.
The band is WHITE WILLOW. To date they have released 4 albums and they have enetered to the studio to record their fifth on 3/3/06. They are from Norway, and they play this melange of folk, symphonic and lately more hard edged prog rock. Their first album Ignis Fatuus released in 1995 is actually a collection of songs recorded between the end of 1992 and September 1994, recorded by several musicians involved in the band. White Willow is undoubdebtly lead by Jacob C. Holm Lupo who writes most music and lyrics and plays acoustic, electric and bass guitars and keyboards and does some vocals. He is responsible for the many lineup changes in this band. On Ignis this band reveals itself mostly as a folk rock band which creates mellow, slow music with much acoustic guitars, synths and some flutes and violins. Sara Trondal is the main vocalist backed by Eldrid Johansen. Her voice is beatiful while his is more suitable as a background not the main as is the case in "THe Withering Of The Boughts." The songs are all based around a main theme woth diversions from it or additional motifs added to it or there is shifts in the diredction of the music as can be expected from a prog song. But there is no jamming, no pointless playing around, they come and develop their ideas and pass on what they want to portray in this song.
Memorable tracks from this release are "Snowfall", "The Withering Of The Boughts", "Now In These Fairy Lands", "Cryptomenysis" and "John Dee's Lament". 
Cryptomenysis is the best track and most proggy here. An instrumental which starts very low with an organ sound opening and then the rest join them with the guitar leading the way for the rest of the song.
This is a very relaxed and melodic album, very good to sit and relax with in winter nights.   
The second album is Ex Tenebris released in 1998. It is considered their weakest album, but I do not subscribe to this. This album is also in the folky vein, however it is more focused the its predecesor and shorter. Memorable songs are "Leaving the House of Thanatos ", "Helen and Simon Magus" and "A Dance of Shadows". Here again the songs are slow, melancholic and don't often get loose and there is a feeling of restraint in the songs, as if the band doesn't want to lose control over them, which leads to a maybe too conservative feel to it, but still a good effort in my book. Again there is no needless experimentation here. This album is the first with Sylvia Erichsen, which was their singer until their latest release. She has  abeatiful voice and it is presented at its best when she sings loudly and even screams a bit as she does in later releases. 
The third release, Sacrament, is IMHO their best and their most prog release. In this album the production is made thus that you have to adjust the volume constantly because there is a constant shift from very low to medium and then to loud and back again. But be careful as this album contains many shifts in the songs. I'll give you two songs for example. The first " Anamnesis" starts very quiet with Sylvia singing with an acoustic guitar a tune that at 4:34 changes a bit with an orgue like synth and then at 5:12 the music bursts out with a big energy (do listen to it loud for the correct effect to take place) and the rest of the song continues in this way and with additional layers of music added to the main tune and Sylvia singing aloud, half screaming. Excellent track. Second example is the third track called "The Crucible" which starts with an acoustic guitar and a folk like tune with flute accompanying it. They play with each other and then the synth joins in and gives the music a gloomy feel to it and then the melodica joins for the final melancholic touch. Then at 3:21 the music changes aournd completely and comes in a beatiful ebergetic tune with the flute leading the way.
So you guessed these two are memorable tracks, But so is the two last tracks "Gnostalgia" and "The Reach". Gnostalgia is very relaxed and shows Sylvia performing a beatiful part on her behalf. THe reach starts with the nursery rhyme (ring around the rosies) and develops to a quite heavy prog song. In this album you can hear the start of the sound found in their following release - A heavier sound of guitars and more focused songs based around an idea that either develops and is added more layers to it. 
Their last album to date is Storm Season. This is definitely heavier in rock sound. However, the music is still slow, melodic and of course gloomy. I haven't read the lyrics thouroughly but this is a concept album, but I am not faniliar with the details. Here Sylvia really shines. Here also joins Lars Fredrik Frøislie on all keyboards and he is from Wobbler. Memorable tracks "Chemical Sunset", Soulburn", "Insomnia" and "Nightside of Eden". The last one opens up almost like a metal song but proves to be an excellent track. 
All in al,l it may not be the most original of bands they are not too complex music wise, but they do deliver beatiful music with much emotion and they play it very well.
BTW Jimbo, I know you don't like this band too much. I'm not saying they are geniuses but they do make very good music. 

As I said above, they are currently recording their fifth album. Sylvia is no longer with them if memory serves me right. Anyway, I think it is a band worth checking out, and if folk music does not atract you, then I suggest to listen at least to Sacrament and maybe even to Storm Season.
Goodnight / Good day to all PA community.

Edited by avestin