My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread

erik neuteboom wrote:                              I would like to dedicate this post to the visitors of this thread                 My favorite (new) progrock albums in 2008:   1)      Albatros – Pentadalia (exciting Heavy Prog from Spain) 2)      Il Bacio Delle Medusa – Discesa .. (the best from Italy since many years) 3)      Simon Says – Tardigrade (mindblowing vintage keyboard sound from Sweden) 4)      Keith Emerson Band Featuring Marc Bonilla – Same (what a return) 5)      Nostradamus -  Testament (splendid heavy version of Solaris) 6)      Aviva Omnibus – Nutracker In Fury (sensational keyboards and guitars) 7)      Willowglass – Book Of Hours (Trons and Moog Taurus bass pedals, hmm) 8)      Survival – Crusader (excellent new Dutch band with wonderful keyboards) 9)      Don Airey - A Light In The Sky (so exciting) 10)   JPL – Retrospections Volume I (dynamic guitar-oriented eclectic prog)

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Agree with a lot of this. i'll list comments in the order you've put them...

1) I have listened a few times to the Albatros album and yes it's pretty good.  I have to listen more to know precisely but it makes a very good impression on first listening.

2) The Bacio album ill  get shortly from Hans, i expect it'll be pretty good.

3) Tardigrade is a magnificent album indeed, i'm a bit surprised really you put it so high on your list since i haven't heard you so much about this album. I'ts really a killer.

4) I'm sure Keith has made a good album yet again.

5) As  i said earlier,  it's great. For people who like Solaris i'd like to add it sounds more like Nostradamus than Mars chronicles. My very personal idea is Solaris-Nostradamus is best, than comes the Nostradamus album itself together with Solaris's Mars chronicles. In the end it doesn't matter, if you're into Solaris you can't miss this and if your'e not either you shouldn't be reading this or you should be heading to the next (internet) shop where you can get this +all the Solaris albums. I'm a bit annoyed btw that Nostradamus is not listed here on the site. I can easlily see that not every new band can be listed immed but Solaris is pretty well known to lovers of Sympho and it's reasonable to expect that an offshoot of this band get's incorporated on the archives asap. If a biography is needed i'm willing to do some work here.

6) Don't know it

7) Yes it's good, a bit better than their first album. I have the album, copied it to my mp3 player, after this album  Hypnos's Eclectic measure comes. Bad luck for Willowglass, initially i played them in two's, i quickly learned that while Willowglass's album is certainly not bad i constantly returned to the Hypnos album. While there's no relation between Hypnos and Willowglass in itself it says something about the degree of exitement that is generated. Where is the Hypnos album in your list btw Erik? i know you love them too but maybe too well known already?

8) Just as Albatros first listen today, amazing good keyboards with very good compositions. Where i liked Albatros on first listen i liked this band maybe even more. Really great.

9) I'ts on the list, so i'll get it from Hans (Progwalhalla shortly).

10) A magnificent record which i got from the master (Jean Pierre Louveton, guitarist of Nemo) himself at the Progfarm concert. For me it's more easy to listen to than a Nemo record which takes me some more time to appreciate.The music goes back to for instance basic Jazz rock more than Nemo records which have more influences all together. In the end the verdict for me is clear, you have to get all the Nemo albums and all the JPL albums. Once you start on their discography you'll know what i mean.

I remember you recommended Mindfurniture once, also on a Progwalhalla meeting.There weren't too many takers then, it's a pretty good album just the same, maybe not a total masterpiece but especially the first ~20 minute piece the trial is great to listen too. It's certainly better than some other symphonic prog bands that're listed on this site. I never regretted picking up this one...



Edited by Dirk - December 04 2008 at 18:00

 

 

Paul, Albatros is one of those bands that succeeds to sound pretty unique and that is an achievement after more than 40 years of progrock  and Taifa and Nostradamus are also bands that dare to scout the borders between different categories

Erik, just ordered the new Nemo Barbares special edition.  Laser CD here in the states said he got precious few copies of the limited and I think I had to be one of the first to order so I hope I get it.  Will post first impressions once it shows.  Will also check into your new top ten.  Looks like some good ones in the bunch.

I heard some songs of the new JPL on myspace and they didn't resonate.  May have to listen again. 

I do have Tardigrade and wrote a review for PA.  Four stars, good stuff.

Thanks


Edited by johnobvious - December 08 2008 at 19:19

I agree fully with the assessment of the Albatros album, i could write a long convoluted post why i think the album is so spectecular. Played it over 15 times already in a very short time. Suffice to say that i agree with Erik it's the best album i've heard this year together with Hypnos 69's Eclectic measure that i found stunning too. Antennas got the album too btw and she's very enthousiastic about it as well.

^Erik, i'll try but not sure since i'll have day off tomorrow already. Reason is the Lazuli/Riverside concert tonight in Paradiso. Are you there btw?




Edited by Dirk - December 10 2008 at 07:18