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Norbert 
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506 |
 Posted: July 10 2008 at 13:37 |
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Hopefully the new Willowglass album can be added soon.
Now I'm listening to the PA sample, thiss is very good, especially from a basically "one -man- band". |
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
Posted: July 10 2008 at 14:03 |
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Excellent EriK! Il Bacio Della Medusa sound like a band to add to my Italian wants list along with Y's by Il Balleto Di Bronzo which I have been looking out for lately.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 10 2008 at 15:48 |
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Thanks for your posts Norbert and Nightfly Norbert: indeed, incredible that basically one band succeeds to deliver such a wonderful and lush sound!
Nightfly: yesterday I got a PM by Italian proghead Andrea Cortese because of my two Il Bacio Della Medusa reviews, he's the one who recommended me that mindblowing new lesser known progrock, "multo grazie signori Cortese"!
At this moment I am listening to Don Airey (Colosseum II, Cozy Powell solo and Deep Purple) his new album A Light In The Sky, it sound great and very varied featuring excellent work on the Hammond organ and Grand piano, highly recommended
 Edited by erik neuteboom - July 10 2008 at 15:51 |
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avestin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 18 2005 Status: Offline Points: 12625 |
Posted: July 10 2008 at 17:55 |
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Don't remember if this has been mentioned or not, but Brazilian band Tempus Fugit have released a new album called Chessboard
Also, check out the other bands & albums in that website
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Dirk
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 1043 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 10:45 |
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Good thing this thread is alive once more
 . I failed to pick up the latest Willowglass at the progwalhalla meeting last Saturday, i'll do so at the next meeting. Have you listened to the latest MA album yet Erik? It's a fine album, better than Heart full of sky and much better than Storms imo. More like Classic rock than prog rock though. |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 12:07 |
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Thanks for your post Avestin, I will try to check out new Tempus Fugit album
 Hello fellow Dutchman Dirk, what a pity for you about the new Willowglass album, what a wonderful Mellotron drenched album
I will ask Hans about the new Mostly Autumn, thanks for the recommendation.And now I am going to post in the Progwalhalla thread, I have a bunch of interesting reviews about bands that are (still) not on PA like Don Airey.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 14:09 |
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Finally on PA:
 Symphonic Prog (Studio Album, 2008) 4.00/5 (1 ratings) WILLOWGLASS — Book Of Hours Review by erik neuteboom (erik neuteboom) Special Collaborator Symphonic Prog Expert — 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!
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jimmy_row
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 11 2007 Location: Hibernation Status: Offline Points: 2601 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 14:27 |
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Erik, the new Willowglass album looks interesting; it'll definately be on my list for new albums to get...
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 14:29 |
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OK Jimmy, perfect idea
By the way, take a look on my Don Airey thread in the "Recommended" section ... it's Hammond time!
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Norbert
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 08:32 |
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The new Wilowglass has fianlly arrived to PA.
 
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 08:41 |
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Norbert, I love those Trons on that new album
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 09:37 |
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I have just reviewed the non-PA bands Combination Head (ELP Hammond sound) and Unifaun
(progressive pop Genesis meets 24-carat symphonic rock Genesis with obvious Phil Collins
inspired vocals) for the Dutch version of Progwalhalla, I hope to review these bands for this thread
tomorrow.
Info:
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 13 2008 at 07:30 |
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Here's an update of interesting new progrock bands/albums and some new ones:
NEMEZIS – Nemezis (***1/2)
- Nemezis is a new Polish five piece band that delivers wonderful neo-prog on her eponymous debut-CD: from mellow with twanging guitars, soaring synthesizers and warm female vocals to compelling and bombastic with varied keyboards and beautiful, often Steve Rothery-like guitarwork (many times he carried me away to Marillion’s Fish era). My highlights are the moving guitar solo in Unknown Tomorrow, the exciting interplay between a church-organ sound, guitar and drums in With No Return, a spectacular synthesizer solo in Somewhere In Time and the long final piece The End (more than 12 minutes) that succeeds to generate a lot of excitement: a dreamy intro with warm vocals, piano and soarin gkeyboards, a wonderful part with intense orchestral keyboards, beautiful piano with longing vocals, sensitive guitarplay in a slow rhythm, a mid-tempo with propulsive drums, a long and harder-edged guitar solo (like Steve Rothery at his pinnacle) and a quite mellow conclusion with piano and again that excellent female voice. - So it goes on and on with those strong new Polish progrock bands (from Riverside to Osada Vida) and now we have Nemezis, highly recommended, especially to the neo-prog fans!
MOONRISE – The Lights Of A Distant Bay (****) - This is a musical project by Polish multi-instrumentalist Kamil Konieczniak and singer Lukasz Galeziowskiejo (with that typical Polish melancholical undertone but his vocal contributions are very limited). - The sound of Moonrise is firmly rooted into the neo-prog tradition in the vein of IQ and Pendragon. The 8 compositions are very tastefully arranged with some strong breaks, lots of flowing shifting moods, a pleasant variety, a beautiful and modern keyboard sound and splendid guitarwork, from sensitive, fiery and howling runs to propulsive riffs. My favorite moments on this CD are the intense guitar sound and soaring keyboards in the opener The Island, the alternating Help Me I Can’t Help Myself (intro with wonderful interplay between Grand piano and mellow keyboards and then strong work on guitar and keyboards), exciting guitarplay in In The Labyrinth Of The Dream, a spectacular break during Antidotum and a beautiful build-up with piano and keyboards to a compelling final part featuring howling guitar runs, goose bumps! - I am sure this strong debut-CD will please many neo-progheads! UNIFAUN – Unifaun (***1/2)
- The roots of this Swedish two-piece band (with an additional drummer on two tracks) are a concert by the awesome Canadian Genesis tribute band The Musical Box in 2003: multi-instrumentalist Nad Sylvan decides to post on the Genesis forum and then makes contact with kebyoardplayer Bonamici, the result is the Genesis cover band Unifaun that describes their music as ‘a Genesis soundscape band’. Along the covers the two members also wrote own material, the fans are very pleased with those compositions and beg Unifaun to make an album with that material. In the end the progrock label Progress Records enables Unifaun to make an own CD and in 2008 their eponymous debut CD is released. - After my first listening session I was quite disappointed because I had expected a pure Wind & Wuthering sound but Unifaun delivers a blend of the more commercial sounding A Trick Of The Tail songs, the polished progpop on And Then There Were Three and 24-carat symphonic rock like on Selling England By The Pound, some The Lamb material and Wind & Wuthering, all layared with very Phil Collins inspired vocals (not really ‘my cup of tea’ singer). But after few more turns gradually I started to appreciate their wonderful and elaborate music featuring soms very strong musical moments with a lush vintage keyboard sound, from majestic choir-Mellotron waves to quick ARP Pro Solist synthesizer flights, frequently supported by beautiful abd often sensitive Steve Hackett-like guitarwork. The most symphonic rock inspired music on this CD are during Mr. Marmaduke And The Minister (alternating with a varied vintage keyboard sound), the instrumental Rehacksis (strong break with guitar and swelling keyboards), the long and captivating Quest For The Last Virtue (from dreamy with twanging 12-string guitars and soaring choir-Mellotron to compelling with Hackett-like guitar and Phil Collins-like vocals), the short instrumental Finistere (wonderful interplay between organ and Mellotron) and the beautiful, also instrumental final composition End-Or-Fin (the climate shifts from a more polished ATOTT to The Lamb-sounding pieces because of the ARP Pro Solist sound), the build-up is great and culminates into a compelling 24-carat symphonic rock grand finale featuring very tasteful interplay between guitar, keyboards and the propulsive rhythm-section. - So if you are up to Phil Collins-like vocals and a blend of more polished prog and genuine symphonic rock, this Unifaun debut CD is a very fine album to experience, their website will tell you more. COMBINATION HEAD – Combination Head (***1/2) - This is a new UK progrock formation featuring a keyboardplayer, guitarist/bass player and three different drummers for the nine compositions. Their eponymous, instrumental debut CD delivers fluent and dynamic music with a lush keyboard sound (including a wide range of ‘vintage keyboards’) and great interplay by the musicians. The sound is melodic and very pleasant, I cannot trace weak songs and especially the work on the Hammond organ is outstanding like in Clover RD R.B.C. (captivating and alternating, from dreamy with piano to compelling with a bluesy Hammond sound and an accellaration with fiery guitar) and Devonshire Crescent (swirling solo and splendid drumming). Halfway this CD a mellow, very beautiful classical piano piece is a short mellow interlude but in general Combination Head delivers swinging tracks like the Jeff Beck (Wired-era) sounding The Bonk (flashy synthesizer – and biting electric guitar solo along powerful Hammond runs), the ELP-inspired Clover RD DEF (exciting Hammond – and Moog sound and howling guitar) and the hypnotizing, electronic oriented Fourteen (a slow rhythm with spacey synthesizers). The final song For What? Is a very strong ‘musical goodbey’: a fluent rhythm with fiery guitar and a swinging end featuring a spectacular synthesizer solo and again fiery guitar. Highly recommended! My rating: 3,5 stars IL BACIO DELLA MEDUSA – Discesa Agl’Inferi D’Un Giovane Amante (****)
- 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 say that I have heard tons so highly recommended!
Edited by erik neuteboom - July 13 2008 at 07:31 |
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Atkingani
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: October 21 2005 Location: Terra Brasilis Status: Offline Points: 12288 |
Posted: July 13 2008 at 08:40 |
Just needing the track listing to add this album, Assaf.
 Anyway, soon I'll have it 'cause I've purchased Chessboard via RockSymphony.  Edited by Atkingani - July 13 2008 at 08:41 |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 13 2008 at 10:28 |
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More interesting bands/albums:
JPL – Retrospectives Volume 1 (***1/2) - This is the fourth solo album by monsieur JP Louveton, guitarplayer of the exciting and acclaimed new French progrock band Nemo. In 1987 he discovered the guitar and taught himself to play on it. Soon he started to write many compositions and playing in several bands. In the booklet of this CD I read that JP wrote lots of material between 1991 and 1997, he has decided to put this on CD, along with two new compositions from and the final part of Extreme Stress/ Décompression from 1995 is also written in 2007. In two of the 12 tracks JP sings, the rest is instrumental. - We can enjoy varied and tastefully arranged songs, featuring a strong rhythm-section and JP with often powerful guitarplay but also more mellow and moving work: from swinging with powerful guitar runs and wah-wah drenched solos in Silence Dans La Salle and Extrême Stress / Décompression and a blend of jazz and funk in No Comprendo (including a ‘slap’ bass solo, inventive keyboard arrangements and again wah-wah drenched guitarplay) till dreamy with twanging electric guitar and fine use of the volume pedal in Loins, a slow rhythm with fiery guitar runs and wonderful classical orchestrations in Cathedrales and two songs with warm French vocals and pleasant twanging acoustic guitar ( Soleil D’Hiver and En Un Clin D’Oeil). My favorite is the composition Du Temps De Louis delivering fluent piano flights and powerful guitarplay, blended with exciting guitar riffs and organ waves, in m y opinion the only song that sounds like his band Nemo. In the final song Au Revoir, A Jamais (swinging bass work and delicate Fender piano play) I trace his appreciation for guitar hero Steve Vai, what an exciting heavy guitar sound. - If you like prog and guitar, this is music to check out, on his website you can listen to samples of all his four solo albums. BRIGHTEYE BRISON - Believers & Deceivers (****)
- This Swedish band was founded in 2000, after the release of the demo 4:am (2001) Brighteye Brison made the CD’s Brighteye Brison (2003), Stories (2006) and this brandnew album (2008). It contains 4 compositions (between 5 and 35 minutes!) with a total running time of almost 70 minutes. Along the five band members you can also listen to two guest musicians on trumpet and ‘spoken voice’. During my first listening session Brighteye Brison impressed me: what a wonderful, in general quite melodic Seventies progrock inspired music (evoking early Spock’s Beard) with obvious references to mainly Yes but also Gentle Giant and Genesis. Their sound is alternating and dynamic with lots of strong musical ideas and a varied instrumentation, from acoustic guitar and saxophone to a wide range of vintage keyboards and even the Theremin.
1. Pointless Living (5:13) : In a swinging rhythm with powerful bass runs the band showcases her appreciation for early Yes. We can enjoy sensitive guitar, varied pianoplay, some Mellotron waves and a flashy synthesizer solo, what a great start! 2. After The Storm (7:36) : After an intro with acoustic rhythm guitar and Hammond organ, a fiery guitar solo follows, accompanied by a Hammond organ sound that evokes Seventies Focus. Then exciting solos on synthesizer and guitar and captivating interplay between Hammond and synthesizer, I love this Seventies progrock oriented atmosphere. 3. The Harvest (20:27) : This long composition starts with a sumptuous church organ sound, then we can enjoy lots of changing moods, accellarations and breaks, the music shifts from mellow with acoustic rhythm guitar and vocal harmonies to heavy with powerful saxophone and bombastic eruptions, layered with the unsurpassed sound of the Mellotron, Hammond and Moog and supported by a strong rhythm-section. The final part contains a strongly build-up guitar solo, a splendid farewell. 4. The Grand Event (34:44) : This ‘magnum opus’ is a tribute to the Classic Prog, from Yes to Gentle Giant and I can tell you that Brighteye Brison didn’t fail to keep my attention during the more than 30 minutes, from dreamy parts with vocal harmonies and soaring flute – and violin-Mellotron or a ‘churchy’ Hammond organ to compelling with howling guitar and bombastic with vintage keyboards like a fat Moog solo and heavy Hammond waves (again Focus comes to my mind). You can hear that this Swedish formation plays together for many years, to me Brighteye Brison sounds tight and the interplay is fluent, especially the rhythm-section is a very strong foundation (like Alan White- Chris Squire in the Seventies Yes years). - After more than 40 years of progrock Brighteye Brison is a dynamic and exciting example that this often nailed music style is alive, highly recommended! MASS MEDIA STARS - Criptoidea (****)
- The Italian progrock formation Mass Media made music in the Seventies but they have reunited because the label Electromantic invited the band to make a new album, the current line-up features three original members.
- The CD Criptoidea contains 13 songs, four have (Italian) vocals, the rest is instrumental. The music often delivers swinging and fluent jazzrock (echoes from Mahavishnu Orchestra and Brand X) with lots of guitar and Fender Rhodes electric piano (along Hammond organ and synthesizers) and a very adventurous, often propulsive rhythm-section. I am impressed by the musicians their skills and interplay, it’s obvious they are very experienced and know each other very well in musical terms. I am delighted about the parts in which the guitar is supported by strings/ a propulsive rhythm-section and the duels between guitar and keyboards, what an energy. The final composition Suite Del Ringraziamento is a tribute to some classical composers and keyboardists Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. It is recorded live in the studio and contains short renditions of compositions by Bach (Badinerie and Preludio), Mozart (Rondo A La Turca), Bernstein (America), Brubeck (Blue Rondo A La Turk), Copland (Hoedown) and Wakeman (Catherine Howard). We can enjoy sparkling piano and fiery guitar and great interplay between guitar and keyboards, remarkably is the fiery electric guitar in Hoedown instead of the fat synthesizer sound. - I am sure this CD wil please many jazzrock fans, what a stunning band and what an exciting CD! TRICANTROPUS – Recuerdos Del Futuro (***1/2)
- In general I am delighted about the Spanish progressive rock because of the original musical approach, the good craftmanship and the pleasant amount of emotion, my favorites are early Triana, Mezquita, Alameda, Cai , Medina Azahara, Iceberg and more recntly Dr. No, Bijou and of course the sensational Senogul! This review is about the new progrock band Tricantropus from Madrid, the wonderful Spanish capital, hosting the new Spanish football champion Real Madrid and I am proud that so many Dutch players are part of that team! But back to music, Tricantropus is a trio in which every member plays keyboards (along bass and guitars) with additional guest musicians on instruments like drums to rhythm-guitar. - The instrumental debut-CD entitled Recuerdos De Futuro (nice play of words, it means “memories from the future”) contains 11 compositions that mainly alternate beween mellow atmospheres and slow rhythms, often with jazzrock undertones. But to me it never becomes boring or too laidback because of the interesting accellarations and solos like in the tracks Mar De Cristal (fiery guitar solo with fluent drums and an accellaration with powerful bass runs and a flashy synthesizer solo), the alternating Bajo El Sindrome De Koro (lots of howling guitar runs and a swinging bass) and the beautiful and exciting titletrack (including a jazzy piano solo, a swirling synthesizer solo in a mid-tempo with delicate flutework and a strong guitar solo, supported by organ waves). In the 11 songs we can also enjoy excellent, often sensitive gitar play, a pleasant keyboard variety and an adventurous rhythm-section. The tasteful colouring by the guest musicans on flute, violin and piano adds an extra dimension to the music. - After a few listening sessions I started to appreciate this album more and more, the jazzrock fans and lovers of a guitarsound in the vein of Carlos Santana and Andy Latimer will be pleased. I am curious to their development and hope Tricantropus is not just another fine one-shot-band! SENSITIVE TO LIGHT – From An Ancient World (***1/2)
- A few years ago I witnessed this very promising new French progrock band during a progrock festival (also featuring Eclat and Quidam) in Paris. I have to admit that STL sounded a bit less convincing on stage than on their wonderful debut CD entitled Almost Human. But on the other hand the band succeeded to generate a big hand from the crowd because of their compelling music, based upon fiery guitar work (with frequent use of the tremolo arm) and a passionate, almost fairy-tale-like female voice. - On the new CD From An Ancient World again those elements are very important but the music sounds more adventurous and more experimental. In general STL generates a lot of excitement on alternating and surprising compositions like 1st Movement : Ephemeral Past (lots of tension, strong vocals and howling guitar runs), the intricate 4th Movement : Ancient World (great interplay between guitar and keyboards, bombastic parts with propulsive guitar riffs, moving guitar and powerful saxophone) and the ‘maverick’ on this album, the instrumental 5th Movement : Epilogue (strong classical overtones with Grand piano and orchestral keyboards in the vein of early The Enid). But at other moments STL fails to keep my attention because of too fragmentic or too experimental parts. Fortunately those moments are in the minority, in general this is a captivating and quite daring progrock album on which STL does their best to make original music. So check out their site and listen to the samples in order to make a final choice, I hope you will give this interesting new French band (with a slightly changed line-up in comparison with their first effort) the chance they deserve. ALMA – Sobre Fantasias (***1/2)
- After their splendid new studio album Perpetuum Karma, several Nexus members decided to deliver solo projects: Lalo, Luis en Lito founded the trio Subliminal (album Limbo) en guitarplayer Carlos Lucena invited Roxana Truccolo (vocals and keyboards), their project is named Alma and their debut CD entitled Sobre Fantasias. - The album has a very lush instrumentation: Carlos on acoustic -, classical – and electric guitar (along bass and programms) and Roxanna on acoustic – and electric piano, harpsichord and organ (along Spanish vocals), the colouring of the 11 (often a bit laidback) compositions is wonderful and varied. I like Roxanna her warm voice, it matches perfectly with Carlos his sensitive guitar sound, the best examples are the tracks Before The Day (slow rhythm with howling guitar runs), Silent Witness (compelling with beautiful interplay between guitar and keyboards), the dreamy Dawn (again howling guitar runs and the sound of the Fender Rhodes electric piano along a guest musician on violin) and the rocking final piece Storm featuring fiery guitar and a propulsive rhythm-section. I am delighted about the two songs Greys Of The Afternoon (delivering warm play on classical guitar and Grand piano) and Elf that contains wonderful interplay between harpsichord and acoustic guitar, the electric guitar halfway reminds me of Mike Oldfield. - I am sure this beautiful mellow album will please the progheads who love a blend of prog with classical and folk music. THIEVES' KITCHEN - The Water Road (****)
- 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, highly recommended! Edited by erik neuteboom - July 13 2008 at 10:29 |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 13 2008 at 16:24 |
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And more interesting new albums/bands:
BELIEVE - Yesterday Is A Friend (****)
- Two years after their debut CD Hope To See Another Day (2006) the Polish formation Believe (featuring guitarplayer Mirek Gil, known from Collage and Satellite) has delivered a second effort with the nostalgic title Yesterday Is A Friend.
- To me the 9 songs (between 2 and 9 minutes) sound as a very pleasant blend of modern progrock and folk with an important role for the sensitive guitarwork and intense violinplay (reminding me of Japanese proggers Outer Limits). From the very first song Believe their music carries me away, it sounds as a ‘warm bath’: in general changing from dreamy with twanging acoustic guitars, violin and flute to compelling with moving electric guitar, at some moments you can enjoy a propulsive beat that contains fiery guitar. I am delighted about the contrast between the violin and the electric guitar, also the fair amount of emotion in the vocals (with that distinctive melancholical Polish undertone) gives the music an extra dimension. The short but wonderful final track Together brings acoustic Led Zeppelin (like on III) on my mind. The role of the keyboards is limited to beautiful pianowork in some songs, only in the track Mystery Is Closer the guest musician Adam Milosz shines on synthesizers and organ. - Gradually Poland turns into a prolific progrock country, after bands like Collage, Quidam, Riverside, Satellite, Osada Vida and Nemezis, here it is Believe that succeeds to make impression, especially the fans of modern progrock with folky elements will be pleased. BEARDFISH - Sleeping In Traffic Part 2 (****)
- Last year I witnessed a Beardfish gig during the first Dutch Symforce festival, the Swedish foor piece band blew me away with their enthousiastic, dynamic, varied and unique progrock. So I was very curious to the successor of Sleeping In Traffic : Part One, simply entitled Sleeping In Traffic : Part Two
- I didn't need much time to get excited about their new album, it even impresses me more than Part One. Beardfish has done their best to deliver varied compositions with lots of musical surprises as you can hear directly in the short first song As The Sun Sets with its electronic atmosphere. Then many alternating and exciting tracks with elements from both Frank Zappa, Gentle Giant and Spock’s Beard as the Seventies USA Classic Rock bands. The omnipresent ‘churchy’ Hammond organ gives a Classic Prog touch and the powerful, often a bit funky bas sound deliver a fat groove to the music, what a delicious melting pot of musical styles. I also like the strong vocals and the fiery guitarplay (with use of the wah-wah pedal). The outstanding ‘magnum opus’ on this CD is the titletrack (more than 30 minutes): the one moment you hear bluesrock with heavy guitar runs or a mellow part with twanging acoustic guitar and warm vocals, the other moment there is a tango with bandoneon, a compelling interlude with violin-Mellotron or swinging rock with lush Hammond organ. The final part contains a bombastic climate with the unsurpassed Mellotron as an important ingredient. - Beardfish is on the way of becoming a known band, if you like adventourus and dynamic progrock, don't miss this album! HOSTSONATEN - Winterthrough (****)
- In 2004 the Italian six piece band Hostsonaten released a compilation CD that contains material recorded between 1992 and 2002. I was very pleased with the music and therefore looking forward to this new studio album, six years after their previous effort entitled Springsong.
- You can divide the ten compositions on this CD in seven shorter pieces (between 1 and 4 minutes) and three longer songs (between 6 and 13 minutes). The shorter songs are very tastefully coloured with a wide range of instruments, from frequently twanging acoustic guitars and assorted percussion to electric guitar and – piano, vintage keyboards and woodwind – and brass instruments. The climates change from dreamy and compelling to mid-tempo (Snowstorm with a strong final part delivering choir-Mellotron and moving guitar work) and a fluent rhythm like in the short but exciting Outside in which we can enjoy Minimoog flights, choir-Mellotron and Moog Taurus bass pedals, like Wind And Wuthering Genesis, I love it! The 3 long compositions deserve to be described separately, first Entering The Halls Of Winter (10 minutes): the first part sounds like a bolero with tender Grand piano and then slowly other instruments (like soft drums and bass, violin-Mellotron and brass), followed by heavy choir-Mellotron waves and a compeling part with howling guitar and propulsive drums and finally wonderful interplay between piano, clarinet and choir-Mellotron, culminating into a grand finale with a French horn. The track The Crystal Light (almost 7 minutes) starts with lush choir-Mellotron, then a slow rhythm that turns into a dreamy interlude with twanging guitars and a clarinet solo, concluded with an exciting final part featuring fluent drums, powerful Hammond and spoken words. The long final composition is my highlight on this new Hostsonaten album: first a slow rhythm with sensitive guitar and then splendid parts with breathtaking interplay between Grand piano and violin-Mellotron and sumptuous moments with synthesizers, organ, choir-Mellotron and howling guitar, this is Progheaven! - I needed a few listening sessions to get into this new Hostsonaten CD (also because I am not a fan of woodwind – and brass instruments) but now I am carried away by this wonderful and pleasantly arranged blend of Seventies inspired symphonic rock, classical and folk, a big hand for Hostsonaten! TRION — Pilgrim (****)
- In 2003 the Dutch trio Trion (an abbreviation of the words trio and Mellotron) released their debut CD entitled Tortoise, a wonderful symphonic prog album layered with beautiful Mellotron samples. It was received very well by the press and progrock fans and soon Colossus (Finnish Progressvie Rock Society) invited Trion to contribute to the 2-CD The Spaghetti Epic (featuring progrock bands from all over the world). Trion was OK and delivered the epic Frank. This composition can be found on this new CD (in a re-arranged version) while originally Trion was only founded to make one album! - Listening to Pilgrim I notice a huge progress in comparison with their first effort, way more dynamic and alternating, also due to the more varied vintage keyboard sound. That variety is very present in the first song Pilgrim: a violin-Mellotron intro, a piece with Fender Rhodes piano and a sensitive guitar solo, a compelling rhythm with Hammond organ runs and propulsive guiar riffs, a mid- tempo with fluent synthesizer flights and a final part with first fragile Grand piano/Mellotron and then organ, Mellotron and slide guitar, wonderful! In the other tracks the atmospheres range from dreamy to compelling with echoes from Seventies Camel, Genesis and Focus. Especially the interplay between organ and Mellotron with the electric guitar is beautiful and moving, like in Silence of the Universe, Giant Man, The Deep Ocean and Out There Somewhere. In between we hear interludes with warm play on classical - and acoustic guitar like in How We Used To Go (solo piece) and Reveal The Mystery (wonderful interplay between organ and Mellotron). Also worth to listen to are the tracks The Book (majestic church organ sound aling slide guitar and Mellotron) and the mellow A Dream (warm sound of the Grand piano and fragile acoustic guitar). But the absolute highlight is the final composition Frank: it begins with twanging 12-string guitar (like early Genesis) and violin-Mellotron, then lots of shifting moods (with moving guitar, beautiful Mellotron), a captivating duel between fiery guitar and fluent synthesizer runs and a compelling grand finale delivering a long and moving guitar solo, supported by mellow organ and strong drums, this is Progheaven! - What a wonderful album, I am glad Trion decided not to remain an one-shot-band! Edited by erik neuteboom - July 13 2008 at 16:25 |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 14 2008 at 14:05 |
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Here's an update of interesting DVD's:
APOCALYPSE – Live In Rio DVD (***1/2) - Not very long ago I wrote a review about Brasilian five piece band Apocalypse their live CD from the same concert (Rio, 2005) as on this DVD (that contains the same track list as the CD plus two bonustracks). Here’s my review in order to get an impression from that concert. - The concert starts with Floydian inspired guitar work but then it’s mainly early Marillion as the main source of inspiration, especially the English vocals are mighty close to Fish his distinctive vocals like in the songs Cut and Tears. Most tracks sound fluent and catchy featuring a strong rhythm-section, lots of flashy Minimoog flights and powerful guitarplay with many howling licks. I am impressed by the crafted musicians and the tasteful and dynamic compositions but some songs tend to sound a bit too similar. My highlights are Refugee (wonderful flute play, sparkling keyboards, powerful Hammond organ and expressive vocals), Waterfall Of Golden Waters (pleasant work on Hammond organ and Minimoog), Tears (alternating with beautiful intro featuring twanging guitars and choir-Mellotron and flashy synthesizers and fiery guitar) and Coming From The Stars Medley (from compelling to propulsive with howling guitar, again strong work on Hammond and Moog and a warm band presentation). So what aobut the DVD? Well, it’s nice (and sometimes a bit hilarious) to watch the singer (he also plays decent flute) who is so obviously inspired by Fish: his voice, his gestures, a black-and-white mask, his enthousiastic attitude and his warm interaction with the crowd, this man’s looks like the Brasilian twin-brother of the huge Scottish neo-prog hero! The lightshow and sound are OK and Apocalypse looks inspired and playing with their soul. The extra’s on the DVD are backstage shots, an interview (via the menu you can use the programm for English subtitling), a photo gallery, a biography and finally a discography, a good service to the progheads.
- If you want to watch a pleasant DVD by a lesser known neo-prog band, this is one to discover!
JANOS VARGA PROJECT – Live The Wings Of Revalation (***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 Revalations I (2000) and II (2002) and in 2003 the Janos Vargo Project DVD entitled Live The Wings Of Revalation - 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 WWII 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. SALEM HILL – Mystery Loves Company – Live (***1/2) - Many progheads on Prog Archives were positive about USA progrock band Salem Hill their latest studio effort entitled Mimi’s Magical Moment (wonderful alliteration) from 2005 featuring lots of guest musicians including Neal Morse. - This DVD is recorded in 2005, just before the release of that album en Salem Hill played two songs that would appear on Mimi’s Magical Moment namely The Joy Jem and The Future Me. The difference between that acclaimed album and this DVD is that Salem Hill plays in the original four piece formation (including two band members on guitar and keyboards and all members on vocals) with the emphasis a bit more on melodic rock than symphonic prog. This resulted in frequent duo-guitar work like in the fluent starter January (sensitive guitar solo), Children Of The Dust (propulsive guitar riffs and dynamic duo-guitar play), Peculiar/So Human (very swinging guitar rock with powerful bass and a pleasant synthesizer solo) and the final track Invisible (fluent with a fiery guitar solo). We can enjoy more variety and more prog elements in the compositions Between The Two (organ intro, flashy synthesizer flights and an atmosphere that ranges from dreamy to mid-tempo with a strong break delivering a heavy guitar solo), The Joy Jem (from mellow to bombastic like the early Kansas sound featuring great keyboard work) and The Judgement (alternating with lots of interesting musical ideas, howling guitar runs and tasteful keyboards, from sparkling piano to slow organ waves). The set also contains an acoustic part with the band members on acoustic guitars, acoustic bass and piano, it sounds beatiful and very warm. The ‘bonus features’ are an interview and the Salem Hill Acoustic Set surprisingly featuring not four but three band members, one on the toilet? Anyway, the Grand piano play is wonderful. - Although this DVD delivers less progressive moments than their latest studio-album, you can enjoy the very melodic, accessible and pleasant blend of rock and symphonic prog with hints from Rush (dynamic interplay between guitar, bass and drums), Kansas (keyboards) and Glass Hammer (vocal harmonies and accessible sound). TARKUS – Ao Vivo Em Niteron DVD (****) - This is a Brasilian six piece band rooted in 2000, they have released two studio albums: A Gaze Between The Past And The Future (2002) and Mundus Novus (2006). In December 2006 Tarkus also released the live CD entitled Ao Vivo Em Niteron (2005, Brazil). This DVD contains 12 composition (including the ten CD tracks and two extra songs), the running time is at about 1,5 hour. We can enjoy many camera positions and lots of solo shots, the lightshow is no more or less than tasteful with wonderful red, blue and green colours, the excellent musicians play very enthousiastic and the female singer sounds warm and passionated. - From the first moment I listened to Tarkus I was carried away by their wonderful symphonic prog compositions featuring a lush keyboard sound (two members are keyboardist), strong and warm female Brasilian vocals (at some moments similar to Bacamarte), a dynamic and fluent rhythm-section and a crafted guitar player (from acoustic rhythm guitar to propulsive riffs and sensitive soli). The most remarkable element is the sound of the Minimoog, the music contains lots of spectacular soli with strong hints from Seventies Rick Wakeman. The climates on the ten compositions shift very flowing from dreamy to often bombastic and some songs deliver solo pieces on classical piano (very sparkling) and classic guitar (with flageolets that remind me of Steve Hackett). My highlights on this very compelling CD are O Portal (pleasant changing climates and a great build-up that culminates into an exciting ‘grand finale’’ with Minimoog flights in the vein of the final part of Starship Trooper by Yes), Vida Nova (warm intro with classical guitar and piano, then lots of shifting moods and again exciting Minimoog runs and sensitive electric guitar) and A Danca Escolhida (wonderful twanging guitar, than first a dreamy atmosphere and then a strong build-up to a bombastic final part with powerful organ waves and propulsive guitar riffs). The final track Ensaio Dos Ventos delivers a pleasant atmosphere with a rock element (swinging piano, R&R guitar and powerful vocals) but it ends with a symphonic prog finale that delivers sparkling piano and sensational Minimoog flights, goose bumps! The two extra songs are also worth listening, “no fillers, all killers”! First No Campo, a solo piece on the Takamine acoustic guitar, the atmosphere reminds me of Steve Hackett his composition Horizons, emphasized by the use of flageolets in the end. Then the wonderful and very compelling Vale Magico, it starts with a majestic church organ sound, then a slow rhythm with a captivating electric guitar/sitar (on keyboards) duel and a grand finale featuring lush keyboards, this is Progheaven!
- I can only conclude with “highly recommended”, in my opinion Tarkus deserves worldwide attention, what a performance! ERIK NORLANDER & FRIENDS – Live In St. Petersburg (****) - As a fan of Erik Norlander his outstanding keyboard work, I was very curious to this DVD featuring a live gig in St. Petersburg in 2004 (my version has also a bonus CD with a similar tracking list) and a documentary entitled The Road To Russia. You can divide the live concert into three sections. - Section 1: This one contains the first and final part with Erik Norlander & Friends as a trio (bas, drums, keyboards). We can enjoy tasteful and varied symphonic prog, from fluent and bombastic with fat synthesizer flights and a propulsive rhythm-section (Neurosaur) to virtuosic, often sparkling classic piano (Dreamcurrents). The song One Of The Machines delivers spectacular work on the synthesizer, fiery electric guitar and powerful vocals by the bass player in a pleasant slow rhythm. - Section 2: A guitarist enters who makes impression with sensitive play and lots of howling runs. I enjoyed the strong version of Procol Harum their composition A Salty Dog with emotional vocals, great dynamics and subtle synthesizer play as an extra dimension. The track Sky Full Of Stars contains a spacey intro, then howling guitar, wonderful piano and sensational synthesizer sounds. But my highlight is the compelling Mariner, a kind of ‘symphonic blues’: a slow rhythm with sensitive electric guitar, marvellous violin-Mellotron waves, a bit raw vocals and slow synthesizer runs, GREAT! Section 3: It’s time for Erik Norlander his wife singer Lana Lane who has a warm and inspired presentation and a powerful voice. The music turns into more harder-edged and polished (towards early Rainbow) but I was delighted about Alexandria (excellent, a bit sultry violin-Mellotron waves, propulsive guitar riffs an da biting wah-wah guitar solo) and Beware The Vampires (wonderful church-organ arpeggio’s). - This DVD also contains a documentary entitled The Road To Russia featuring interviews with Erik Norlander, some humorous off stage scenes and 3 live songs: In The Court Of The Crimson King from the Cal Prog 2004 (majestic choir-Mellotron samples and captivating classical pieces on the huge 3-part modular Moog synthesizer through a keyboard) and the two songs from the European tour 2004 Sky Full Of Stars (Erik Norlander freaks out on his Moog with spectacular use of the pitchbend button) and my favorite composition Mariner (even better rendition than the St. Petersburg version!). A nice extra is From Russia With Love, a new studio recording with video montage. - I am impressed by Erik Norlander & Friends, what a great band and how enthousiastic they preform! At some moments the music is a bit polished for me (like the Lana Lane section) but in general I enjoyed this DVD with Erik Norlander delivering excellent keyboard work! - In fact this is a great keyboard driven live DVD, not to be missed by any serious keyboard aficonado and ELP proghead so I would like to end with: Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends, Ladies And Gentlemen: the Par Lindh Project, highly recommended!
Edited by erik neuteboom - July 14 2008 at 14:06 |
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Norbert
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 13:54 |
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About a month ago I saw János Varga and his company. They were very impressive!
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Norbert
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 14:20 |
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I just realized that Yesterdays is in the database!
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avestin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 18 2005 Status: Offline Points: 12625 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 14:31 |
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Update from Syrinx:
NEW ALBUM RELEASE : OCTOBER 2008 Hi ! Listen to the beautiful new track they've put on their Myspace.
Highly anticipating this album!!!
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My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread
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avestin wrote: