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Norbert 
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506 |
 Posted: December 05 2007 at 11:03 |
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Nice pics, very glad to see that you all had a great time.
Impressive collection both in the fridge, both on the shelves!
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 11:14 |
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Great pics, looks like you guys had a great evening. Good Music, Friends and tons of beer. The almost perfect evening, but where are the topless women?
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 12:52 |
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"No topless woman, no cry
!" Indeed Norbert and Paul, it was another great Progwalhalla evening with many Dutch PA members and again it turned out that a beer and prog are a very pleasant combination
 Today I have listened to two very interesting new bands:
From Chile: R-U Kaiser with their wonderful, very symphonic debut album entitled Ocelos: lots of dynamics, strong work on guitar and keyboards and the female vocals reminds me of Nexus their first two studio albums.
 From Ukraine: Krikston Krobak with the debut CD entitled Structura Tortura, a musical project by fellow collaborator Igor (aka Prog-Jester), it sounds very varied, ranging from minimalistic or warm and dark to heavy and bombastic, I am impressed
 Tomorrow I hope to publish reviews about R-U Kaiser and Krikston
Krobak, along with the new Holding Pattern CD and Janos Varga Project DVD
Edited by erik neuteboom - December 05 2007 at 13:00 |
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5865 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 13:01 |
Thanks for your kind words about both my KROBAK and Vitaliy's KRIKSTON works, hope to see a review soon!!! Addition is on its way as well I guess 
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 13:07 |
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Have you done this all by yourself, Igor? It sounds very natural, not that too obvious use of multi-track recordings from bass, guitar, drums and keyboards, done by one person
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5865 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 13:28 |
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Yep, all mine! Except for violin in "Amnesia", which was played by a local violin teacher, whom I knew from my childhood studying in that music school
. My fellow Vitaliy played everything by himself too.
Drum parts were inspired by Daney Carey (TOOL, Adrian Belew, etc) and Bill Bruford (too many bands to name them  ). The whole "Fried Bull's Waltz" thing was inspired by Krautrock movement, this monotonous drummachine beat, heavy hypnotizing riff, and the whole is falling step by step in noisy coda...some kind of freaky madness that creeps invisibly and then BUM! 
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 13:31 |
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Now I have some names for my forthcoming review
But seriously, I am looking forward to make a review about your CD Igor, quite a challenge because it's not the music I have in my collection  .... ! |
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5865 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 14:30 |
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yep, I'm little nervous as well
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 15:42 |
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Because the reviews disappear so quick from the homepage,
here is my review about the new Holding Pattern album:
 Symphonic Prog (Studio Album, 2007) Avg: 3.00/5 from 1 ratings HOLDING PATTERN — Breaking The Silence Review by erik neuteboom (erik neuteboom) Special Collaborator Symphonic Prog Expert — First review of this album —
In general the songs on this new album sound fluent with a very dynamic rhythm-section and strong interplay between guitar and keyboards. The focus is on prime mover and musical brainchild Tony Spada his guitarwork, from howling to propulsive riffs and lots of fiery guitar solos, loaded with biting and blistering runs like in the title track (also featuring a sparkling synthesizer solo with lush Mellotron), Fishbulb (wonderful bombastic final part), Once As One (Seventies Camel atmosphere with mellow organ), Out The Other (exciting climate) and Blaster (catchy rhythm and great interplay). A very good composition is the long and alternating Back To The Tunnels delivering a beautiful part with twanging acoustic guitar and piano and a flashy synthesizer solo, accompanied by propulsvie guitar riffs and powerful drums. But my highlight is the final song Honor Before Glory (live Tokyo 2005): a dreamy first part with Mellotron and sensitive electric guitar play (with hints from Andy Latimer), then a comepelling atmosphere with a great build-up guitar solo with many howling runs, goose bumps! To me this sounds as a very good reunion CD, I am sure it will please many progheads who like more dynamic and bombastic progrock with lots of strong guitarwork. My rating: 3,5 stars. Igor, I hope you sleep well this night
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Rivertree
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions Joined: March 22 2006 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 17627 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 16:11 |
Yeah - I'm just listening to ... |
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5865 |
Posted: December 05 2007 at 16:49 |
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lemme know then...
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 08:50 |
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Hello fellow progheads, here are four interesting bands:
JANOS VARGA PROJECT – Live The Wings Of Revelation (***1/2) - Janos Varga is the founding member and guitarplayer of the legendary Hungarian progrock formation East that made several albums in the first part of the Eighties, their LP Hüség (1982) is considered is their best effort. Then Janos was very active in several musical projects and in the late Nineties he founded the Janos Varga Project. He released the albums The Wings Of Revelations I (2000) and II (2002) and in 2003 the Janos Vargo Project DVD entitled Live The Wings Of Revelation - For more than 70 minutes of running time we can enjoy a good band (including a Stick player and two keyboardists) and very varied music (from rock and blues to New Age and symphonic prog) with, of course, the focus on Janos Varga his guitar: a tight beat with rock guitar and a spectaculair guitar-synthesizerduel in Fight Of Mind, soaring keyboards and sensitive guitar with volume pedal in Prayer, a bit sultry climate with twanging guitar in Mysterious Stars, propulsive guitar riffs with fiery guitar in Welcome To The Jungle, warm classical guitar in the alternating Our Long Dance, howling guitar runs in Power Of Love, Our Long Dance, Islands (wonderful percussie sounds) and All I Can Give. The two keyboard players often deliver exciting solos on especially the synthesizer (with frequent use of the pitchbend) and the interplay with Janos is outstanding, like the rhythm-section. My highlight on this tasteful and varied DVD is the final composition Memento, it has a very good build-up: first a spacey intro, than a part with swinging Stick bass, then the music becomes more and more lush and compelling with fiery and raw guitarplay, a propulsive rhythm-section, the psychedelic undertone fits perfectly to the WW II horror images on the screen, very captivating and impressive how Janos succeeds to blend music and visuals! This is an interesting DVD, it will please the guitar minded progheads with a varied taste. KRIKSTON/KROBAK Split – Structura Tortura (***1/2) - This is a musical project by fellow collaborator Igor, aka Prog-Jester, (playing guitar, drums, computer, head, heart, hands, feet, that sounds like a perfect blend of techniques, body and soul!) and a Russian friend Vitaliy. He send me this CD as a promo because he knows I am willing to write about lesser known and unknown progrock and I am also very curious to musical projects by fellow collaborators.
- On this CD (from 2007, running time 60+ minutes) we can enjoy seven compositions (first 3 by Igor, other 4 by Vitaly) featuring varied musical landscapes. The emphasis is on creating atmospheres rather than odd and complex time signatures, dazzling solos or awesome interplay between guitar and keyboards. Most of the tracks sound dark and atmospheric with dreamy climates and slow rhythms like Amnesia (melancholic violin and fiery wah-wah drenched guitar), The Diary Of The Missed One (hypnotizing with fine pianoplay and lots of distorted guitar), Fly In A Glass (gradually more bombastic and compelling like Radiohead), the wonderful After A Rain (very warm climate with twanging guitar) and Come With Me On Wires (a sound collage). In the song The Fried Bull’s Waltz we hear a raw and propulsive sounding guitar in an ominous atmosphere, then the music turns into more and more compelling with strong hints from the ‘organized choas’ by early King Crimson, the final part delivers a beautiful strings sound. The most alternating composition is Art Saves/Kills, from atmospheric and dreamy with twanging guitar to bombastic with powerful drums/guitar riffs and propulsive with thunderous drums, very dynamic!
Congratulations Igor (and Vitaliy), a strong and promising effort! R-U KAISER – Ocelos (****) - This five-piece band comes from the Northern part of Chile and is rooted in 2002, it took a while before they got the opportunity to release this debut CD on the new Chilean progrock label Watcher Records.
This CD is a concept album about the experiences of the phases into the band, it contains four movements.
To me this sounds as a very strong debut CD. You can hear that this band plays together for many years. If you are up to the often thin and high-pitched, ‘angelic’ Spanish female vocals, this will be an excellent symphonic prog experience! And here are some MP3 files:
Demo Dioscuro : http://200.72.128.38/dir/demo1.mp3
Demo Letargia : http://200.72.128.38/dir/demo2.mp3
Demo Semjases : http://200.72.128.38/dir/demo3.mp3
Demo Ocelos : http://200.72.128.38/dir/demo4.mp3
 - This is an USA one-shot-band that made their one and only album entitled New Horizons in 1996. Hobson’s Choice their sound is rooted in the Seventies prog like Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd but this band is not a clone. Within a few listening sessions I started to appreciate this album very much, the seven alternating compositions sound melodic and pleasant with a tasteful colouring by the varied keyboards and frequent, quite powerful guitarwork
1. Raging Sun 6:40 : After a spacey intro we can listen to Tony Banks inspired organ runs and mellow vocals, then a slow rhythm with bombastic keyboards and flowing guitar , a wonderful start! 2. Procession 7:05 : This instrumental song contains beautiful interplay between electric guitar and keyboards (lots of Hammond organ) and many shifting moods and breaks, from dreamy or soaring with synthesizer flights to compelling or an accellaration with an unp-tempo featuring fiery guitar, powerful organ and fluent synthesizer flights, what a lush keyboard sound! 3. Passages 8:41 : Another instrumental, this one delivers a dreamy climate with wonderful strings and sensitive electric guitar. Then a fe accellarations with sparkling piano, strong interplay between organ (lots of Hammond) and guitar, the final part is dreamy with piano and strings, it sounds like a ‘warm bath’. 4. Steps Of Eight 8:27 : After a mellow part with vocals, piano and strings, a slow rhythm follows with a fiery guitar solo, in the end we can enjoy fragile work on the piano. 5. Jan In E Moll 3:55 : In this track the opening is by tanging acoustic guitar, soon blended with piano and mellow keyboard layers, a wonderful dreamy atmosphere. 6. Size Of It 7:35 : First a ‘keyboard-Heaven’ with Hammond and synthesizer flights, then a fluent rhythm with strong interplay by guitar and keyboards, the build-up towards a climax with a guitar solo and organ waves is great. 7. New Horizons 8:40 : This final track contains a fluent rhythm witch vocals and synthesizer flights, then sensitive guitar runs with floods of organ, followed by a synthesizer solo. The final part delivers lush keyboards and a fiery guitar solo, I love it! What a wonderful album but what a pity that Hobson’s Choice belongs to the vaults of progrock history!
Edited by erik neuteboom - December 06 2007 at 15:34 |
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5865 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 09:13 |
 Thanks a lot, Erik, but some editions should be taken. I've send you a PM 
edit: you're faster than me!!! Thanks again!!!Edited by Prog-jester - December 06 2007 at 09:14 |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 09:21 |
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Thanks Igor and good luck with the addition to Prog Archives, fully deserved for you and Vitaliy |
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5865 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 10:36 |
wow, that would be marvelous!!! Promo is promised I guess
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jimmy_row
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 11 2007 Location: Hibernation Status: Offline Points: 2601 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 12:43 |
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nice job reviewing as usual Erik; I now have another batch of new prog bands to "search and destroy" before the new year. Igor: great to see one of our own throwing their hat into the ring. Best of luck to you with your project
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Signature Writers Guild on strike
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 13:02 |
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Igor: because of my flamenco/Prog Andaluz passion I have taken a serie of flamenco guitar lessons 10 years ago, now I can play a little bit flamenco guitar, I want to blend this with a vintage keyboard sound (like the Mellotron, Hammond, Minimoog and Solina string-ensemble), lots of ideas but in fact I have too many hobbies, I also like drawing/painting and writing (like a novel about a very artistic schizophrenic young man who becomes more and more victim of his disease while at the same moment his paintings start to sell worldwide) so it's often difficult for me to focus on one hobby and that's necessary for the right motivation!
Jimmy: thanks Now I am listening to new Spanish progrock band Neverness, very dynamic with lots of good guitar and keyboard work and emotional vocals, highly recommended
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005 Location: Love Beach Status: Offline Points: 5865 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 14:44 |
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Jim, thanks for your kind words!
wow...a real talent is usually a sum of talents
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dalt99
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 23 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 454 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 16:05 |
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Hello fellow proggers!
Is anybody else as impressed with the CD by Oaksenham like I am? This music is fantastic!!!!! It's like a cross between Gentle Giant, Anglagard, Gryphon (circa "Red Queen..") and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The musicianship is amazing! Everything from great organ to emotional acoustic and electric guitar. Added to the mix is plenty of classical instruments such as flute (awesome by the way especially in the fantastic song called "Water Sports"), cello, violin, oboe and clarinet.
My friends this is REALLY what "symphonic" prog rock is all about. It's progressive, rock, AND very symphonic with classical instruments and movements. Amazing work! 4.5 stars! Edited by dalt99 - December 06 2007 at 16:07 |
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Best of 2006 that I've heard:
PFM-Stati Di Immaginazione Zenit-Surrender (Best "unknown" album) Oaksenham - Conquest of Pacific 2007: Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon La Torre Del Alchimista - Neo |
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glass house
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 16 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 4986 |
Posted: December 06 2007 at 16:08 |
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Heard some Oaksenham at Erik's place, sounded really good.
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My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread
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erik neuteboom wrote:
The title of this new album matches perfectly with the fact that it’s more than 15 years ago that USA progrock formation Holding Pattern made an album (in 1991), it was entitled Majestic and released as a CD on LP size, wonderful but quite expensive to order from Holland! So now we can enjoy this ‘Holding Pattern reunion album' as the band stated on their wonderful website (with lots of MP3 files, very welcoming). The cover art is by Paul Whitehead who became known as the artist who made the covers of early Genesis albums Nursey Cryme and Foxtrot and recently he has designed for Italian progrock bands like Le Orme. The current line-up features most of the original members and drummer Robert Hutchinson plays on the live bonustrack (Japan, 2005) Honor Before Glory.