EMKOG SAMPLER

Various Artists (Label Samplers)

Various Genres

3.70 | 26 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Evolver
Special Collaborator
Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams

This is why I joined Progarchives in the first place.

A few years ago, at another (non-music) site, I happened to be professing my love for progressive music, and the difficult time I had finding new bands that I could enjoy. Another member poited me here, and the rest is history.

Emkog Records has released this CD to promote their stable of prog rock artists (none of which I had heard previously, and all but one band on the disk are listed here). Man, I've been missing a lot. The music is highly creative, completely original, and, for the most part on this collection, extremely energetic. I hear quite a bit of world music influence in many of the rhythms and melodies, some Middle Eastern, some Spanish flavored. There is also something about the music that reminds me a little bit of Univers Zero.

The one band on the disk that doesn't fit the above description is All Over Everywhere. The first of their songs, Art Of The Earth, sounds like crossover prog to me, maybe like a more interesting Tori Amos style. Their second song on the disk, Gratitude, is a more traditional symphonic prog piece.

The only problem I have with the collection is the production. Now I don't know if it happened in the production of the compilation or the original albums (a few of the songs are different mixes from the albums), but quite a few of the songs have a very muddy mix. Instruments get distorted and lost in the mix, and you can barely hear the vocals in the All Over Everywhere tracks.

If it wasn't for the production issues, I'd give this five stars.

Evolver | 4/5 | 2010-8-18

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