My lesser known and unknown new prog bands thread

- On Omniem I hear a melodic and dynamic mix of classical, rock, symphonic, folk and prog metal in which a wide range of instruments, from organ and guitar to ethnic instruments like the quena (small flute) and charango (between a guitar and mandoline with 5 double strings). At least half of the tracklist contains fluent and bombastic mid-tempo songs delivering sumptuous classical orchestrations and choir, blended with swinging ‘slap’ bass, guitar and soaring flute (Signo De Los Tiempos), with flute traverse, sparkling Grand piano and exciting solos on guitar and and synthesizer  (Epico) and with flute traverse and wah-wah guitar  (El Hombre Del Bosque). But we can also enjoy more dreamy tracks like El Canto Del Noctambulo (bluesy with wonderful Grand piano, followed by a slow rhythm with saxophone and a sensitive electric guitar solo), Jean Jaures (beautiful play on violin and flute and some bombastic eruptions) and Un Sabor Amargo (melancholical violin-section, warm vocals and a mellow saxophone solo). And in some compositions Jinetes Negros plays straightforward rock like in 16 Lirios De Eternidad (fiery guitar) and especially Pagaras Por Mi (intro with choir, then prog metal, a swirling Hammond organ solo and a biting wah-wah guitar). All songs contain powerful and pleasant Spanish vocals except the final track Against The World Again, I think because of the universal message in the lyrics: ”Who Do You Think You Are, Mr. President?”! It starts with twanging acoustic guitar and warm vocals, then a slow rhythm with bluesy guitar and harmonica, blended with the sound of an Inca flute and an orchestra and cloncluded with a sensitive electric guitar solo, accompanied by Grand piano, wonderful!

I needed a few listening sessions  to get into Jinetes Negros their varied sound but then I was delighted, what a stunning new band from Argentina, worth to discover after other sensational Argentine new progrock bands Nexus and William Gray!

 

ECHOES – Rachel (***1/2)

 

- This is a new French four piece band with an additional female player on flute travers. Their debut CD entitled Rachel is an own production and distributed by the known French progrock label Musea.

- Listening to Rachel I presume that the band name Echoes is a kind of tribute to the sound of Pink Floyd their album Meddle but I also hear elements from early Jane and Eloy. Echoes their sound is build upon lots of tension between the dreamy and more compelling parts with lots of organ and sensitive electric guitar. Remarkably is the variety in the instrumentation: twanging guitar and organ in Night The First, sensitive electric guitar and sparkling Grand piano in I Met With Scorn, a sumptuous church organ sound with fiery guitar and vocal harmonies in The Lift, Grand piano and flute traverse with a swelling organ sound in Supermarket Santa Claus and piano with flute and biting wah-wah guitar in Until The Last Shadow Is Gone. One of  my favorite tracks is The March Of Rachel: majestic piano play, then a slow rhtyhm with propulsive guitar work and catchy guitar runs, followed by fragile piano flights and a tight tango rhythm with theatrical vocals, this sounds like a rock-opera!

I had to get used to the English vocals of these Frenchmen (three musicians also sing), especially in I Met With Scorn the accent is a bit too obvious (worse than Frank Bornemann, haha). But I am glad that in general the vocals sound OK although I would have been more pleased with French vocals ( I always prefer native language). My conclusion: a wonderful debut with moving work on organ and guitar that has carried me away many times during the running time of 60 minutes!

 

MASS MEDIA – Criptoidea (****)

- 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!

INTERPOSE+ - Indifferent (***1/2)

 

- To me Interpose+ their eponymous debut album belongs to the All Time Japanese Progrock Albums Top 10, so captivating and dynamic with excellent work on keyboards, guitar and violin. Unfortunately that violin has disappeared and the band also has another bass – and keyboard player.
In general the six compositions on this new album sound fluent and dynamic (at some moments more mellow or compelling) with an omnipresent role for the powerful and often fiery electric guitar with strong jazzrock undertones. The colouring of the songs by the keyboards is very pleasant, from soaring Mellotron or sparkling piano to flashy synthesizer flights or a swirling Hammond organ solo. The interplay between the musicians is awesome and the female singer delivers a decent performance. Although the compositions sound fluent and tasteful with good work on guitar and keyboards, I prefer their debut CD because it sounds more captivating and compelling to me. Nonetheless, Indifferent is a good album that will please the jazzrock aficionados.

BIG BIG TRAIN – The Difference Machine (****)

- This UK formation is making albums since the early Nineties. Their previous effort entitled Gathering Speed (2004) already sounded more progressive than all the other albums but this new CD is a real progrock party, what a captivating music, loaded with interesting musical ideas and .. the Mellotron sounds quite omnipresent, you cannot beg for more!
On The Difference Machine the band has invited famous progrock guest musicians: Nick D’Virgilio (drums/vocals) and Dave Meros from Spock’s Beard and Pete Trewavas (bass) from Marillion/Transatlantic.
The album contains six compositions, three have a running time between 12 and 15 minutes and I can tell you, never a dull moment: from dreamy with violin-Mellotron and compelling with fiery guitar/choir-Mellotron/saxophone to a final part with propulsive guitar and organ in Perfect Cosmic Storm, an inspired contribution by Nick and Pete and great work on keyboards and guitar in the alternating Pick Up If You're There and wonderful choir-Mellotron in the moving Salt Water falling On Uneven Ground. The final track Summer's Lease emphasizes Big Big Train their compositional skills, especially creating pleasant atmospheres and a tasteful instrumentation: first a dreamy climate with twanging guitar, mellow organ and saxophone, then more compelling and lush with Mellotron and saxophone and in the end fragile work on the piano, beautiful!
This new CD is an interesting, tasteful and varied musical adventure that will appeal to many progrock fans, a big hand for Big Big Train!

 

                               And from page # 19:

 

RIVERSIDE – Rapid Eye Movement Limited Edition 2-CD (****)

The debut album entitled Out Of Myself by the very popular new Polish progrock band Riverside sounded to me already captivating and exciting but the successor Second Life Syndrome turned me into a Riverside freak, how compelling and loaded with tension and great dynamics! So I was very curious to their new effort and decided to buy this Limited Edition 2-CD, it contains on CD-1 the 9 new albums songs and on CD-2 5 new songs, including 3 EP tracks (02 Panic Room as a remix).

CD-1: At least half of the new material is in the vein of Second Life Syndrome, especially in the exciting opener Beyond The Eyelids (progmetal guitar and drums, interesting keyboard variety like lush Hammond organ and sensitive electric guitar runs in the end), the dynamic Parasomnia (emotional vocals and captivating work on guitar and keyboards) and the long, very alternating and compelling final song Ultimate Trip (varied keyboards, wonderful guitars and a sumptuous final part with swirling Hammond organ). But I also hear songs in which the emphasis is more on creating atmospheres and less on exciting guitars, keyboards and breaks like the hypnotizing Schizophrenic Prayer (fragile work on guitar and piano, intense vocals and a guest percussionist, very moving), Through The Other Side (twanging guitar and almost whispering vocals) and the dreamy Embryonic (beautiful vocals and acoustic guitar with a sensitive guitar solo in the end). And some songs showcase a more accesible and less dark side of Riverside like the dynamic Rainbow Box (fiery guitar eruptions, cynical vocals, bombastic Hammond organ with raw guitar and sweeping drums) and Cybernetic Pillow (tight beat with propulsive guitar riffs, soaring keyboards, melancholical vocals and a final part with bombastic keyboards and fiery guitar).

Riverside has slightly changed its musical direction but their sound remains very distinctive and captivating although I prefer their previous effort as more exciting and more compelling.

CD-2: I only review the first en final track, for the other three: see my EP review. The opener Behind The Eyelids starts with soaring keyboards, then a slow rhythm with subtle work on guitar and electric piano, the sound becomes more lush with powerful Hammond organ and the final part delivers pleasant syntehsizer flights. The instrumental Rapid Eye Movement ( at about 13 minutes) is a great final composition: after a keyboard driven intro follows a strong build-up with a pulsating sequencer sound , fiery electric guitar runs, halfway culminating in a hypnotizing beat with an almost psychedelic atmosphere featuring SF sounds, sensitive guitar and piano runs, what an exciting musical experience in which Riverside is scouting new musical boundaries.

If you don't own the EP 02 Panic Room, it's worth to buy this Limited Edition 2-CD. In case you own that EP only two new songs remain on CD-2 but for me these are excellent and a reason to buy this 2-CD set!

 
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 along 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!

 

NEW TROLLS – Concerto Grosso, The Seven Seasons (****)

I was pleasantly surprised with the news that this legendary Italian formation has released a new album because I still love their 2-LP Searching For A Land (1973), what a great musicians, what a variety and how many musical highlights!

Like the other legendary Seventies Italian reunion bands Le Orme, Banco and PFM, New Trolls showcases their huge qualities and creativiy on this new CD (15 songs, running time at about 75 minutes), what a stunning album!

The songs The Knowledge – Overture (flute like Jethro Tull), Future Joy (with clarinet) and Barocco'n'Roll - allegro Brioso (fat guitarwork) sound like the typical late Sixties/early Seventies blend of classical and symphonic prog featuring a captivating tension between violins and fiery electric guitar with a bombastic and propulsive climate. On the other hand New Trolls also deliver mellow songs like Dance With The Rain – Ballatta (warme sound of twanging guitar, soft flute and violins), Intro And Canone (beautiful classical guitar), Testament Of Time – Andante (melancholical violins along clarinet and warm vocals with piano), The Season Of Hope -Piano Preludio – (sparkling piano solo) and Ethix - Canzona (wonderful ballad with piano, violins and vocals). Very strong are the varied tracks To Love The Land – Adagio (more and more lush and compelling with a captivating contrast between violins and guitar and two sensitive guitar solos), the Queen-like The Ray Of White Light – Rondo (first Grand piano, then a strong build with a rock-opera-like atmosphere with great guitar work) and the captivating Simply Angels – Suite (bombastic and compelling with a lush instrumentation, from biting guitar and vibraphone to a violin orchestra). The final song

So Che Ci Sei (Italian version of Dance With The Rain) is unfortunately the only one in the wonderful and so expressive Italian  language, it sounds warm and dreamy with twanging acoustic guitar, flute, violin and clarinet, simply wonderful!

To me this new album by RPI legend New Trolls sounds impressive, perhaps a bit less rock and more classical but just like their acclaimed 2-LP Searching For A Land very varied and captivating. For me New Trolls are the only trolls we appreciate on Prog Archives!!

 

                                  I hope you like it

 

 

        Wow, this thread is flooded by fellow Dutchmen, fenne gosahs

non-Dutch man Nightfly: I was very pleasantly surprised by Big Big Train their new album, especially the omnipresence of the unsurpassed Mellotron

COMBINATION HEAD – Combination Head (***1/5)

- 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!