My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread

— First review of this album —

Because of the lush Mellotron sound on Willowglass their wonderful eponymous debut CD (2005), I was very curious to this new album that was released in 2008. Well fellow symphomaniacs, again this is Vintage Keyboard Heaven with frequent use of the unsurpassed Mellotron and analogue synthesizers like the Minimoog (and the ARP Pro Solist?). During my first listening session I already conclude that multi- instrumentalist and prime mover Andrew Marshall has matured in writing compositions during the 3 years between his two CD’s, in my opinion the five compositions (between 4 and 17 minutes, running time around 50 minutes) sound more elaborate and varied than on the first CD. I like the contrast between the bombastic keyboards and the warm twanging 12-string and classical guitar and the flute, in the alternating piece The Maythorne Cross you can even enjoy a medieval sound. In the titletrack the Hammond sound evokes the early Procol Harum, wonderfully blended with a classical guitar (in the vein of Steve Hackett) and the Mellotron and Grand piano. My highlight is the long final song The Labyrinth: an intro with warm classical guitar in delicate interplay with the violin-Mellotron, then lots of shifting moods (featuring an impressive church-organ sound, sensitive electric guitar, majestic choir-Mellotron and fluent synthesizer flights), culminating in a splendid final part with a slow rhythm that gradually changes into a bombastic atmosphere delivering very compelling 24-carat symphonic rock with bass pedals, choir- Mellotron, pitchbend driven Minimoog runs and sensitive electric guitar, I am in Vintage Keyboard Heaven!

What a beautiful symphonic rock, highly recommended to all vintage keyboard aficionados and symphomaniacs!

I had never heard of this UK formation when I got Thieves’ Kitchen their new album entitled The Water Road, the fourth studio album since their debut-CD Head from 2000 and their latest effort Shibboleth from 2003. Well, listening to The Water Road the music often reminds me of Anglagard because of the frequent powerful Hammond organ runs and the abundant violin-Mellotron eruptions. When I read the booklet I discovered the reason: two guest musicians Thomas Jonson (keyboards) and Anna Holmgren once they joined ... the legendary and highly acclaimed progrock band Anglagard, what a pleasant surprise! Along those King Crimson inspired bands like Anglagard and Anekdoten, we can also enjoy mellow parts with classical overtones (flute, hobo, cello) and dynamic jazzrock featuring a guitar sound in the vein of Daryl Stuermer and an omnipresent Fender Rhodes electric piano.

This great musical variety is very present in the epic first composition The Long Fianchetto (over 20 minutes) delivering a wonderful piano intro, strong interplay between electric guitar and Fender piano, bombastic Hammond and Mellotron work, fiery guitar runs, dreamy parts with beautiful female vocals, flute and acoustic guitar and a compelling final part with lush keyboards, fiery guitar and a propulsive rhythm-section. The frequent shifting moods sound very flowing and I am delighted about the tasteful keyboard arrangements, often in strong interplay with the guitar. Next the instrumental Returglas, an exciting blend of folk, rock and prog that contains lots of interesting musical ideas, a big hand for Thieves’ Kitchen! Then the dreamy Chameleon with a lush instrumentation (from saxophone and hobo to Hammond organ) and a beautiful grand finale featuring majestic violin-Mellotron and howling guitar. The track Om Tare (lyrics in Sanskrit) sounds like swinging ‘symphonic jazzrock (evoking Colosseum II) with excellent keyboardplay and sensational guitarwork. The long, violin-Mellotron drenched composition Tacenda For You (close to 10 minuts) alternates between mellow (with flute and cello), compelling and catchy with again great keyboard variety and strong guitarwork (from Fripperian to a powerful jazzrock sound). Next the the song When The Moon Is In The River Of Heaven: first a moving atmosphere with sensitive guitar, violin-Mellotron, warm vocals and Fender piano, then mighty Mellotron waves and a dreamy climate that gradually turns into more lush and compelling featuring delicate Fender piano, flute and the unsurpassed Mellotron. Then the short, to me a bit too fragmentic track Plaint. The final composition is the long The Water Road, mainly quite laidback (in the vein of the beautiful Italian ‘pastoral’ prog like Celeste and Apotheosi) with a dreamy sound of flute, cello, hobo, halfway followed by more powerful work on Hammond, Mellotron and Fender piano. Then the music slows down but in the final part the music turns into bombastic and compelling with fiery electric guitar, fluent drum work and lush violin-Mellotron, a splendid goodbey!

I am impressed by the alternating sound of Thieves’ Kitchen on their new album The Water Road, this is very interesting new progrock!

P.s.: After writing this review I noticed that this album is categorized in Neo-Prog. Well, Neo-prog haters (I know many are around here on PA), don't look the other way because The Water Road obviously scouts the border between symphonic rock and jazzrock, there is not a single 'neo-prog note' on this new Thieves' Kitchen CD!

This new Italian Heavy Prog band was recommended to me by my Italian PA friend Andrea Cortese. During the first two songs on this album I got heavy doubts, “perhaps Andrea had sipped too much red Italian wine” I thought cynically: mainly hardrock inspired songs with raw Italian vocals, biting guitar, propulsive guitar riffs and a thunderous rhythm-section. But from the third song Il Bacio Della Medusa started to deliver exciting Heavy Prog: parts with dreamy acoustic guitar and flute, heavy with propulsive guitar riffs, fiery vocals with powerful flute, acoustic guitar with emotional vocals and a part with sparkling flute, fiery saxophone, a jazzy bass and heavy guitar in Scorticamento Di Marsia (Part I/IV), a warm sound with an omnipresent harmonica, the Latin-American charango, emotional vocals and a final part with heavy guitar and fiery drums in Il Vino (Breve Delirio Del Vino) and from mellow with flute and acoustic guitar to heavy with fiery guitar and a propuslive rhythm-section in Cantico Del Poeta Errante (Part I/III). But my highlight is the final track Cantico Del Poeta Errante (Part I/II): it is built around a swinging rhythm in which a flamenco rhythm is blended in a very captivating way and we can enjoy lots of captivating shifting moods and a lush instrumentation, from organ and biting guitar to folky mandoline and exotic conga’s, great!

This is not very easy prog but if you are up to an exciting musical adventure, Il Baccio Della Medusa is yours! My rating: 3,5 stars.

Four years after their promising eponymous debut album the six piece band Il Bacio Della Medusa has released their second album entitled Discesa Agl’Inferi D’Un Giovane Amante in 2008. Meanwhile the saxophone player has been replaced by a violinist and the drummer/keyboardplayer has extended his array of keyboards, especially the distinctive Hammond organ is omnipresent on this new album.

The 12 tracks on this concept story album sound more elaborate and refined than on the promising debut CD, what a tension, dynamics, captivating breaks and changing climates, strong solos on guitar and keyboards and what an inspired Italian vocals! A very strong element in Il Bacio Della Medusa her sound is the ‘Holy Trinity’ of fiery guitar, swirling flute and powerful Hammond organ, especially in Ricordi Del Supplizio it sounds like a hot Heavy Prog jam session featuring Jon Lord and Ian Anderson, splendid! Another strong point is the tension between the mellow parts with flute, acoustic guitar, Grand piano, violin and warm vocals and the heavy interludes with bombastic keyboards, harder-edged guitar and raw vocals like in Nostalgia, Pentimento E Rabbia and Nosce Te Ipsum: La Bestia Ringhia In Noi. From a musical point of view the music delivers lots of variety, from Grand piano with violin and pleasant vocals in Confessione D’Un Amante and a duet with saxophone and fiery guitar in E Fu Allora Che Dalle Fiamme Mi Sorprese Una Calda Brezza Celeste to wonderful interplay between Grand piano, violin and choir in very the moving Corale Per Messa Da Requiem (I had almost tears in my eyes, what an emotion this song evokes) and warm work on flute and Grand piano in the final track Epilogo.

To me this album sounds as one of the best Italian progrock CD’s I have heard in the last ten years and I can tell you, I have heard tons so highly recommended!