Nostradamus/BreathingSpace/Nemezis/Moonrise+more!

ALMA – Sobre Fantasias

- 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.

BREATHING SPACE – Coming Up For Air

- Originally this was a solo project by Mostly Autumn keyboarplayer/composer Iain Jennings but after his first eponymous debut album, he founded his own band, started to tour and so the formation Breathing Space was born, including Mostly Autumn background singer Viola Sparnenn.

- During my first listening session I noticed that Iain has made a very good choice to turn Olivia into a lead singer, what a voice! She has an important role in the ten varied, accessible and modern sounding compositions. In the more mellow songs her warm voice matches perfectly with the wonderful dreamy piano sound and the sensitive electric guitar runs. In the more dynamic tracks Olivia delivers a powerful voice that can compete with the bombastic keyboards and fiery guitar like in the opener Coming Up For Air (nice mix of rock guitar and electronic sounding synthesizers), When I Hold On To You (bombastic organ and guitar) and

The Senses (tight mid-tempo with powerful saxophone solos). I am very pleased with the the beautiful songs Don’t Turn A Blind Eye (wonderful  twanging acoustic  guitar and strong slide guitar sound), Searching For My Shadow (dreamy piano and strings and warm vocals along howling guitar) and especially the exciting and alternating final pice entitled Turn Of The Tide: from mellow with twanging acoustic guitars like early Genesis to a compelling atmosphere with dramatic vocals and lush choir-Mellotron).

I am sure this tasteful, varied and professional sounding album will please the Mostly Autumn fans and the fans of modern prog!

(DANNY) BRILL – Better Late Than Never

- Danny his musical story starts while growing up in the suburbs of Cleveland USA), he was exposed to a lot of music at an early age by his parents. Although not musicians themselves, they were great music lovers and this inspired Danny, at the age of 6 he started piano lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music. After 6 years of formal classical trainin, he continued studying classical piano through high school where he also started playing electric organ. During this same time Danny had a parallel interest in popular music, in May of 1971 he saw a mind-blowing ELP show that changed the course of his life and in fact Danny has dedicated his first solo CD, Better Late Than Never, to Keith Emerson for being such a huge musical influence as a keyboard player. He now knew what he wanted to do professionally and musically he had been shown how to combine classical elements and compositional techniques with rock to make what would become later known as 'progressive rock', from Yes, Genesis and King Crimson to Pink Floyd and Gentle Giant. After college he spent several years playing in bands professionally but none got as far as a record deal. After the last of these groups, (Liquide Lighte), broke up in 1976 Danny moved to New York City working at various dead end jobs and playing briefly in several ill-fated bands before finally deciding that he'd had enough of the of the starving artist existence. It had been fun, but it was time to establish something a bit more secure so he founded Keyboard Instrument in New York City, which he still owns and operates. For many years Danny had all but given up playing, but had never quite completely given up on the dream of a career as a recording artist. Finally, in 2004, he began playing a bit and writing some new material, just for his own enjoymenty. But about this same time he got together with his friend, the drummer Michael Sciotto, and played him some of his new material. Mike was so enthused, he convinced Danny to embark on recording a CD, which they co-produced together. Figuring that he wasn't getting any younger, he thought if he was ever going to do anything again with his music, this was the time for a second attempt at a musical career. His resulting debut solo CD is aptly titled Better Late Than Never. In a way it was over 30 years in the making, because a few of the songs have their beginnings that long ago. But most of the material is new or updated, and the result is a contemporary progressive rock sound (abridged version of the biography on Danny Brill’s excellent website).

- Listening to the 10 compositions on Better Late Than Never means making an entertaining musical journey with lots of changing landscapes and unexpected views. Every song has its own atmosphere and own tasteful colouring with a wide range of instruments but the roots are obviously the Classic Seventies Prog. I am blow away by the creative and adventurous way Danny has blended elements from ELP and King Crimson with his own ideas and the variety he has delivered on this album, for example: a slow rhythm with a catchy beat as the foundation for work on Hammond, Fripperish sounding guitar, xylophone, fat synthesizers and fiery guitar in th einstrumental opener Bakers Dozen, a dreamy climate  featuring warm Grand piano, flute and mandolin in Double Feature, Part 2 –David, a swinging rhythm with spoken words, jazzy piano, distorted Fripperish guitar and bombastic keyboards in Prelude/Demented, beautiful Grand piano arpeggio’s blended with classical orechestrations in the compelling instrumental Images In The Rain, a catchy beat with cynical vocals, a saxophone solo and Honky Tonk piano in the funny Fantasyland and sitar and tablas in the sultry, Ravi Shankar inspired Indjia. But the most original and alternating track is the final one: first a spacey atmosphere with synthesizer beeps and bleeps, then acoustic rhythm guitar and warm vocals, a slow rhythm with strong interplay, a short part with powerful Hammond work, a swinging piano with soft cello and delicate flute and finally bluesrock with a heavy guitar solo, accompanied by a mellow violin-Mellotron sound, unique progrock!

- This album needs a few listenings sessions but if you are up to a musical adventure, Danny Brill his debut CD is worth to discover!

CRONICO – Delirium Room

- This is a Mexican formation that was founded in 2004 by the youth friends

Daniel G. Köppen and Gabriel Eguiluz. They started to make a demo CD and then presented their music on a festival in the capital and during several cultural activities. In 2007 Cronico released thier debut CD entitled Delirium Room as an own production.

- From the very first listening session I was delighted about Cronico their exciting blend of symphonic –  and neo-prog: lots of fluent songs featuring a lush, varied and modern keyboard sound, pleasant female vocals (some in Spanish, most in English) and wonderful work on acoustic – and electric guitars. The 10 compositions deliver many tasteful and captivating moments, from a compelling atmosphere with howling guitar (Long Way), a psychedelic sounding organ solo (Delirium) and an intense guitar solo with volume-pedal  (Without Reasons) to exciting interplay between organ and guitar (Mood Swing), flashy synthesizer flights (Floating, Delirium, Don’t Be Afraid and When I Try) and a sensational blend of lush organ, fat synthesizers and propulsive drums in the final track Intrepid Nightmare, goose bumps! The band also treats us on some mellow moments (with twanging guitar and warm vocals or acoustic rhythm-guitar and sensitive piano) and lots of tension and dynamic by changing the moods from dreamy to compelling and mid-tempo to bombastic like in the highlights Delirium, Without Reasons and especially When I try (breathtaking final part with strong interplay between moving guitar and lush organ).

Again Latin-America has succeeded to deliver a great new progrock band, after Tarkus from Brazil, William Gray from Argentina and R-U Kaiser from Chile, now we can enjoy Cronico from Mexico, I am sure we will hear more from this promising new band!

KRAMER – Life Cycle

- What a coincidence: a few years ago I was talking with a member (in my meory is was Rob De Jong) of the Dutch band Lorian and he told me that he was busy with a new band called Kramer. Well, that was on my mind when Hans gave me this debut CD from Dutch four-piece band Kramer in order to make a review. Kramer is rooted in the Dutch formation Lorian (2001) and since 2004 the new name (with some new members) is Kramer, on this CD entitled Life Cycle you will find nine compositions and the running time is at about 70 minutes.

- During my first listening session I notice that Kramer their sound is melodic, tastefull and alternating and they do their best to make original progrock. The first song Homecoming showcases Kramer their compositorial talents and pleasant musical ideas: an intro with sensitive guitar and piano, then a fluent rhythm with pleasant vocals, propulsive drums and guitar, the band slows down with twanging acoustic guitar and in the end the sound become gradually lush with strong interplay between guitar and keyboards. That element is colouring the other songs on this album very tastefully and I also like the contrast between the warm sound of  Grand piano and the howling runs on the electric guitar, like in the varied Identity and A Farewell, The Final Chord (intens blend of piano and guitar) and the great final piece Life Cycle. My other highlights are the sumptuous final part with classical orchestrations and fiery guitar in Escape Into A Dream and the wah-wah drenched guitar and emotional vocals in

I Believe.

- In  my opinion Kramer has delivered a strong debut CD but I don’t rate higher than 3,5 stars because at some moments they have to mature in writing, I am sure the next effort will be rated with four stars, that a fine challenge for this promising Dutch progrock band!

- Italian 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!

- 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!

NEMEZIS – Nemezis

- 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!

NOSTRADAMUS – Testament

- In 2007 the rhythm-section of the legendary Hungarian progrock band Solaris founded Solaris Fusion and released the mini-CD Mystica (2 compositions). In 2008 this Hungarian formation changed their name into Nostradamus with almost the same line-up (only a new fluteplayer) but another musical direction, I would like to describe it as a Heavy Prog version of Solaris. On this album it’s obvious that most musicians are classically trained, the interplay is awesome and especially the compositorial skills of keyboardplayer Valeria Barcsik are great, this turnes listening to Testament into a captivating musical experience.

- I am excited about the tension between on one hand the heavy rhythm-section, propulsive guitar riffs and powerful guitar and on the other hand the sparkling flute and sumptuous keyboards, it sounds like “classical meets progmetal”, great! My favorite moments on this CD are Solarissimo (bombastic and dynamic with swirling flute, fat synthesizer flights and sensitive electric guitar runs, the Spanish undertones are strong), Divine Comedy (between Heavy Prog and progmetal with fiery guitar, sparkling flute and orchestral keyboards), the enervating and dynamic titletrack (omnipresent flutework, warm Grand piano, propulsive guitar riffs, a strong organ solo and excellent interplay), a beautiful build-up in Emotion (from dreamy with twanging guitar to a compelling grand finale with howling guitar) and warm interplay between classical flute and acoustic guitar in Secret In Hand. A bit of a maverick is the short song African Cotton Typesetters In Ireland that blends African singing and Irish folk instruments, very special! The bonustrack My Emotion is a strong conclusion, it starts mellow with dreamy vocals and soaring keyboards and ends bombastic with howling electric guitar.

- What a stunning debut CD this Hungarian formation has delivered, it deserves worldwide atention, progheads alert!

 

Info: http://nostradamus-zenekar.hu/news.php

 

 

                                                                 

 

 

PROGRESSION – The Dream Of Cecilia

- Last month I noticed a parcel from Finland in my mail box, a further investigation revealed that it was send by the Finnish band Progression. Perhaps they were inspired by other Finnish band Mist Season because I have written reviews about them on the Internet.

- On this CD the band describes her music as ‘groovy jazzrock’, influenced by Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham and John McLaughlin. In the 9 meledic, mainly swinging compositions I hear elements from Mahavishnu Orchestra, Al DiMeola and JL Ponty, played very energetic and convincing: an adventurous, often propulsive rhythm-section, powerful dual-guitarwork, sparkling violinplay and some songs contain keyboards, it sounds fluent and exciting, what a band! The only mellow song is Bright Light From High featuring dreamy work on acoustic – and electric guitar and a sitar-like sound. But in general Progression indeed delivers ‘groovy jazzrock’ with strong interplay and cascades of solos on guitar (in almost every song fiery work by the two guitarplayers, in some songs dual guitarwork like in Nightmare and Hyperactive Games), on violin (swirling in Nightmare, Gansta Race and Mental Activity) and on keyboards (swinging Fender piano in the titletrack and spectaculair synthesizer fights in Bright Light From High, Hyperactive Games and Little Confusion).

- To me this album sounds as a splendid tribute to the Seventies jazzrock, highly recommended to the jazzrock aficionados!