VOL 1: SOLAR

There is so much energy and talent out there in today's prog music, but once in a while something really blows your socks off. This debut release from Earth Electric is an absolute stormer, just the heaviest and liveliest 'heavy prog' I've heard in a long time. Big pluses for me are the female vocalist, whose dreamy voice sets off the pounding instruments rather like Julie Kiss of To-Mera, and the extra power injected by the Uriah Heep-style organ player.

This would easily be five stars for me, but for the glaring defect that the album is, at 35:10 mins, only EP length. The group advertise this music as prog, and this is justified by the musical invention, but the longest of the nine tracks is only 5:24 mins. Every song is so excellent they could easily have extended the instrumental sections.

Verdict: More from Earth Electric please!