21st Century Kosmische Musik

It seems to me that the 1960s German experimental/progressive rock music scene can be split into four basic avenues: 1) those that came out of the free or acid jazz-based rhythm and sound experiments of the so-called Düsseldorf School of Experimental or "Kosmische Musik," like Can, La Dusseldorf, Faust, Guru Guru, and Neu!; 2) those that focused on long jam sessions exploring Eastern instruments, rhythms and sounds, like Amon Düül II, Gila, and Popul Vuh; 3) those that came out of the so-called "Berlin School of Electronic Music," like Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ashra Tempel, Manuel Göttsching, Kraftwerk, Kluster, and; 4) those that grew to try to emulate the spacey, hypnotic psychedelic rock coming out of England like Pink Floyd and Hawkwind--Grobschnitt, Eloy, Neuschwanstein. This page is going to be about the first two groups since the Berlin School became included in what we call the "Progressive Electronic" subgenre and the Pink Floyd imitators became included in the "Psychedelic/Space Rock" subgenre.
     The Kosmische Musik style of music also became known--from those listening, talking and writing about it from outside Germany (particularly in the UK)--as "Krautrock." I consider this later term one of a derogatory nature. The word "kraut" (whose literal translation is "herb" but is most often associated in our Anglo-centric world with the storable fermented cabbage dish known as "sauerkraut") is an offensive slang term used initially by foreign soldiers who were adversaries/enemies of the German nation in World War I and World War II. I am sure that the term arose from a reference to the supposed predominance of sauerkraut in the German diet and as a reference to the strong smell that sauerkraut has as well as of it's common digestive result (flatulence). Likewise, "Krautrock" is a term created and used by non-Germans (originally, mostly British) to refer to a spectrum of music coming out of Germany during the late 1960s and 1970s. I choose to use the term, "Kosmische Musik," as it is the term that some members within the German experimental music scene of the late 60s and early 70s chose to call their own new style and sound of music--and because, in my opinion, it does a much better job of trying to explain the effect and scene of the drug-induced and altered, or "cosmic," states of consciousness that the creators of these hypnotic rhythms and experimentations in electronic sounds were producing--and which they were going for.

There are many people who wonder what it is that separates Kosmische Musik (or "Krautrock") from Progressive Electronic music. After all, they both attribute their origins to the same time and same locations and they both enjoyed frequent crossings over of groups and artists between the two. Where do they differentiate?
     To my mind the difference lies in the use of more live, human played instruments during the performance of a song--as is more foundational to Krautrock music. The electronic scene relies more on computer or keyboard sequenced sounds and rhythms for its sound production. Kosmische musik is often more organic and emotional while Progressive Electronic music is more fabricated and cerebral.

While I, myself, was not particularly tuned into the music coming out of Germany in the 1960s and 70s, I was aware of it. I purchased multiple albums by Kraftwerk, Can, and Tangerine Dream. I enjoyed these albums but I felt no deep passion for the music contained therein. However, the "ambient" and "New Age" scene(s) that followed or, more correctly, that survived from the Kosmische music scene, did suck me in--especially as I came to develop a personal meditation practice and as I came to know and appreciate the phenomenon known as "entrainment" rather intimately. Today, jam bands attract me more and more; it is the more melodically successful and rhythmically hypnotic songs from today's bands that win me over--including some of the music from the bands and albums listed below.
      Though there are very few bands that continued experimenting within the domain of Kosmische Musik during the 1980s through to the Naughties, the subgenre has had a bit of a renaissance in the last 20 years--and not just from Germans. Japan's ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE has been prolifically active since the 1990s. DZYAN, ELECTRIC ORANGE and Russia's VESPERO have each had multiple releases in the last 15 years while several others in the Northern European region have had at least two releases in the past ten years. Here are some of the ones that I know and enjoy:



WESERBERGLAND Sehr Kosmisch, Ganz Progish (2017)

ELECTRIC ORANGE Morbus (2007), Volume 10 (2014),
Misophonia (2016)

ØRESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE The Black Tomato (2007),
Øresund Space Collective (2006)

THE SPACELORDS The Liquid Sun (2016)

CAMERA Radiate! (2012), Remember I Was Carbon Dioxide (2014)

THE SPACIOUS MIND Rotvälta (2005)

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE

MY BROTHER THE WIND I Wash My Soul in the Stream of Infinity (2011),
Once There Was a Time When Time and Space Were One (2014)

VESPERO By the Waters of Tomorrow (2010); Lique Mekwas (2016)

SEVEN THAT SPELLS Superautobahn (2012), The Death and Resurrection of Krautrock: IO (2014)

SULA BASSANA

2014, Part 4: Other albums worth checking out for your selves

Below you will find albums from the hundreds of 2014 releases that I happened to hear that impressed me enough to collect them for possible future review but which, ultimately, failed to hold enough interest for me to want to invest the extra time and effort necessary to write a proper review. Meritorious music should be shared--even if it is not to my own personal stylistic liking. I understand that everyone else has unique and differing likes and preferences to those of mine, thus I "unleash" these albums to the general public with the recommendation that you check them out for yourselves. Good luck! and Happy listening! I hope you find some gems here for your own music listening pleasure!

FACTOR BURZACO III

Another confounding yet mesmerizing adventure into the Freak House of avant-garde composer Abel Gilbert, this one does not disappoint. Once again the listener is accompanied by vocalist Carolina Restuccia as your guide through the aural maze that is a Factor Burzaco album. I have to admit the awe and amazement of hearing an FB album has passed over me, but this album for some reason seems more comfortable, more coherent, more cohesive, and more familiar, which then translates into a more comfortable and interesting listening experience than the previous albums. Someday I will do an experiment by listening to all three albums back-to-back-to-back to try to get a feel for the different effects they have on me, but for now, let's suffice it to say that Abel & Co. have done it again: a masterpiece of thought-demanding, sanity-questioning, boundary-pushing music.

NORTH SEA OSCILLATION The Third Day

THE MERLIN BIRD Chapter and Verse

Brilliant concept: combining mediaeval and Baroque vocal and instrumental traditions with the modern prog world, but pulled off with minimal attention to sound engineering and other performance and production details. Chapter and Verse is an album that feels too scattered, unfocused, lacking cohesion and consistency--as well as lacking good production--but I LOVE the concept of blending medieval, Renaissance, and sacred church choral music stylings with both ancient acoustic and modern rock instrumentation while often using prog rock song stylings.
     I wish the singing was of a higher quality. The bands attention to and/or budget for recording/engineering needs great improvement. Many of the songs sound as if they were recorded in one take with the full band and no engineer and then left that way!

Favorite songs:  the anthemic, "Chapter and Verse" (2:56) (9/10); the pretty little instrumental, "In Dreams of Egypt" (1:23) (9/10); the beautiful harpsichord accompanied vocal of Shakira Searle on "Of Night and Day" (4:59) (8/10); the gorgeous Sergio Leone/Mediterranean-sounding instrumental "The Word That Was" (3:30) (9/10); the troubadour style story-song, "Unto Rome" (4:17) (9/10), and; "Another Told Story" (7:17) (9/10).

A band with a great idea and awesome but as-yet-unrealized potential.
  

ARLEKIN Disguise Serenades 


Throughout the listening experience of Disguise Serenade I was flooded with reminders of 1980's one off wonder BABYLON. It's that kind of sound, that kind of engineering, that kind of showman vocals, that kind of musicianship, that kind of naiveté. Like Babylon's eponymously titled album, I like this album very much.

1. "The Lost Path" (8:26) opens with quite a dramatic feel, with the incredible emotion packed into the vocal like Peter Gabriel or Matthew Parmenter or BABYLON's Doroccus. After the vocal opening The music takes over in more of a DISCIPLINE and then PINK FLOYD way. Excellent emotional lead guitar play with perfect band support make this song a sheer masterpiece--that is until the bouncy 80s drum beat and chord progression that takes over at the 6:20 mark. During this section the vocal matches less well. Excellent guitar play almost saves this song. (9/10)

2. "Dance of The Jester" (8:47) has so much of a Peter Gabriel-era Genesis feel to it. The dramatic vocal 'storyteller' presentation is so much like Peter Gabriel's--and Fish's--'in character' approach to performance vocals. However, the song on its own has nothing really new to add to the prog lexicon.(8/10)

3. "Romance" (5:00) is a bare-bones blues-based song almost like a DOORS song--in which, unfortunately, the vocal is rather weak and almost over the top in its dramatic affect. Again this song seems to lack anything new or fresh to make it very interesting. It might even be called dull. (7/10) 

4. "In This Puzzled Roundabout" (15:04) begins very powerfully like a classic DISCIPLINE song with some very simple instrumental support to the dramatic vocal performance. The spaciousness in the instrumental support is perfect for this vocal opening. At 2:05 an awesome instrumental section ensues in which an eerie keyboards solos while the background instruments build in intensity and volume. A minute later the rhythm section kicks it up to overdrive for thirty seconds before a gap of stillness opens the way for a very GENESIS sounding organ-led section. At 5:00 the vocal--now doubled up--returns with a strong melody to mirror the guitar arpeggios preceding and following it. This guitar-vocal cycle repeats a couple times before a brief TONY BANKSian solo bridges the way into a heavier almost BLACK SABBATH-section begins at the seven minute mark. Organ and then very fluid electric guitar solo lift us out of the dirge and back into the more upbeat realm of Foxtrot-era GENESIS--complete with Steve Hackett-like guitar work. Suddenly, at 10:05, a militaristic drum style takes us into a kind of "Get 'em out by Friday" section--except an awesome wah-treated guitar solo plays over the top. Awesome section! All too brief as at 11:52 the organ again leads the listener back into GENESIS/BABYLON land. Definitely my favorite song on the album--an "epic" for the ages. (9/10)

On progstreaming.com the album has a fifth song that is not listed in the liner notes of the official album release. 
  5(??). "Old Father East" (20:02) on progstreaming this song comes up as a 20 minute song but with a six minute gap of silence after the first instrumental song ends at the 3:59 mark, a second song begins at the ten minute mark--and it turns out to be an alternate (demo?) version of song #2, "Dance of The Jester."

Overall there is something lacking in the recording/engineering/mixing of this album that is again quite reminiscent of early Genesis and the 1980 Babylon release. Is this intentional? I do not know. But the musician's performances--including the vocals--are quite good and usually quite engaging. The album's two bookends, "The Lost Path" and "In This Puzzled Roundabout" are quite good.

82.5 on the Fish scales = a solid four star album; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

MY BROTHER THE WIND Once There Was A Time When Space and Time were One

This is a more diverse mix of improvisatinoal jams caught on tape than the previous studio album. Unfortunately, several of the songs fail to either engage me from the or else they fail to develop enough during their play to keep my interest (I can only listen to improvisational soloing for so long); the background grooves remain too static or else do too little of interest to gain my notice. (Even with close headphones listening.) The increased use of Mellotron is amazing wherever and whenever it is used, especially on “Garden of Delights,” “Thomas Mera Gartz,” and “Epilogue.”

Song #2, “Song of Innocence, Part 1” opens wonderfully with a guitar sound like THE AMAZING or Jesse Colin Young’s “Get Together”—which continues to wend and weave throughout the duration of the song. The drum play is quite enjoyable but the bass is very boring. This is unfortunately an example of both the strengths and weaknesses of this album: some great tracks are accompanied by some very boring parts.

  

Favorite songs:  the addictively groovin’ “Epilogue” (4:19) 10/10; the hard-driving “Into The Cosmic Halo” (6:40) (9/10); “Song of Innocence, Parts 1 & 2” (8:10), and the title song.   

A nice listen but nowhere as mind-blowing or engaging as I Wash My Soul in the Stream of Infinity. Three and a half stars. 

A SECRET RIVER Colours of Solitude

Colours of Solitude is a collection of melodic, catchy if rather simple, neo prog much in the same vein as 2012's Speak by I AND THOU. The delicate vocals are beautifully rendered by founding member and bassist, Andreas Ålöv. He sounds a bit like David Crosby, Chris Flynn from ART IN AMERICA, and the lead vocalist and creator of THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE. The drums and bass playing are solid, the guitars quite nice (especially the jazzier sounds) but the keyboard work is the most interesting and enjoyable to tune into. Yes, Björn Sandberg is a real find--the "final piece of the puzzle" as the band itself says.

Favorites: the ANT PHILLIPS/MIKE RUTHERFORD-sounding opener, "Blinding Light" (5:59) (8/10); 4. "Colours of Solitude" (5:32) (8/10); the delicate and sensitive, 5. "Are You Coming With Me" (5:14) (9/10), and the pop-jazzy 6. "A Place to Start" (7:41) (8/10).

Nothing earth-shattering or particularly groundbreaking, just nice, pretty music. 3.5 stars.

UTOPIANISTI II

Another submission of quirky avant music that people are allowing to be included into the "progressive rock" genre with similarities to Pingvorinkestern, Humble Grumble, UneXpect, Atomic Ape, Major Parkinson, Knifeworld, and even the modern Univers Zero--though Utopianisti is much more closely aligned to true jazz, if of the avant-garde stylings. All these groups are very talented, very tight, and very entertaining. But, gone are the smooth, slow developing songs--especially the long-playing "epics." Now seems to be the new era of staccato, stop and start, avant-garde and theatric production. It's as if today's bands are trying to pack nine minutes of music, story, and emotion into four minute songs. Is this the new prog?

My favorite songs include: "Pohjola" (8:09); "Bisphenol A" (4:11); "The Sundays of Love and Peace" (5:14);"Kynttiloitakin Vain Yksi" (6:16), and my favorite; "U.L.J.C. The Unnecessary Leftover Jam Compilation" (9:38).

A masterpiece of modern avant-jazz composition and performance. Upbeat, quirky, and unusual. However, this is just not my favorite kind of music.

3.5 stars rated up for quality.

MOE-TAR Entropy of the Century

A collection of quirky, intelligent and delightfully melodic "avant-pop" songs that are, in my humble opinion, distracted from by the highly engaging vocals of the uber-talented singer, songwriter and founder Moorea ("Moe") Dickason. I find it quite challenging to really listen to the music because of the draw of the intelligent song lyrics and their delivery style (which does, however, at times, get a bit repetitive and 'old'). Clearly a group of very talented musicians led by a duo with a clear and mature vision, this is highly recommended as another polished example of this new modern era of "poppy prog."

Favorite songs:  "Where the Truth Lies" (4:49) (9/10); "Confectioner's Curse" (3:02) (8/10); "Entropy of the Century" (2:52) (8/10); "Welcome to the Solar Flares" (3:03) (8/10), and; "The Unknowable" (6:26) (8/10).

THE BLUE SHIP The Executioner's Tale

UNIVERS ZERO Phosphorescence

SWANS To Be Kind

MAJOR PARKINSON Twilight Cinema

This music would probably be very entertaining to see live--kind of like a Sweeny Todd barrel house Broadway musical--but I'm not sure how progressive this is. I guess it's not unlike the work of Humble Grumble or Nemo or even UneXpect, but, I'm unconvinced. More like DeVotchka (which is a great band but not a prog band), or THE CURE in their early years, with a kind of LEONARD COHEN/LON CHANEY as its lead singer (And DIDO for its female counterpart). While there are certainly rock and even prog elements and influences to make this creation what it is, the result, to my ears, is still little more than the recording of a Broadway play. Or the next Rocky Horror Picture Show (which, again, is not considered a prog album.) Interesting how this kind of Euro-creep soundtrack music is creeping more and more into modern progressive rock. Atomic Ape, Utopianisti, Pingvorinkestern, and Major Parkinson are four that I've discovered so far. All very talented, very tight, very entertaining. No epics or smooth, slow developing songs. All staccato, stop and start, avant-garde and theatric. Humble Grumble, UneXpect, It's as if today's bands are trying to pack nine minutes of music, story, and emotion into four minute songs. Is this the new prog?

Favorite songs: "Beaks of Benevola" (4:27) (10/10), "Impermanence" (4:25) (9/10), and the title song (5:44) (8/10).

Cool stuff, lively and entertaining, but not anything I'll come back to--nor deserving, IMO, of a place here on PA.

SLEEPMAKESWAVES Love of Cartography

I've been listening to this one for a while. I've been having trouble pinpointing just what it is that makes me like this album less than their previous release, 2011's ...and so we destroyed everything, which I love. I think I've finally got it.
     Most of the sounds and weaves used in the songs of Love of Cartography are far simpler, far more melody-oriented and less filled with the subtle keyboard and computer generated "layers" beneath and between the main chords and melodies of. The songs on Love of Cartography fall too easily into the bin of "Post Rock for the masses", whereas those of ...and so we destroyed everything each possessed so many delightfully unexpected twists and turns to keep me fully engaged throughout. The band's intimate and idiosyncratic touch to each song of ..and so we destroyed everything was so magical and so interesting that I feel that I could practically feel the joy and enthusiasm these guys were having in the recording and mixing rooms while making that album. I do not feel the same transferral of energy here. As a matter of fact, I feel myself 'tuning out' at some point during almost every song of Love of Cartography. The guitar chords are strummed more aggressively, played with more distortion, and recorded more loudly, and they feel more rehearsed and more methodical, less free-wheeling and spontaneous. Also, what were subtly layered beneath and within the mix before are now right up front and in your face. I can still feel emotion--especially in the solos, but everything else feels so . . . 'by the book.' Are the band members focusing more on composition and the mental side of their music--trying to produce a "perfect, polished" album?
     Is this just an example of the dreaded "sophomore slump" or is this the more mature band exhibiting the "true" direction that they'd like their music to take? Don't get me wrong, this is a collection of fine song. They are incredibly well produced, but they come straight at you more in the vein of a band like MASERATI than that of a synth-generated GYBE as their previous album had exhibited (at least, potentially).
     While ...and so we destroyed everything felt new and fresh--like a new great hope for the potentially for growth and 'progress' within the Post Rock subgenre, Love of Cartography feels like good ole Post Rock. Nice stuff for Post Rock enthusiasts. Nothing very new or exciting for the rest of the world.

Favorite songs:  the gentle trip-hoppy-turns-rock anthem 10. "Your Time Will Come Again" (8:56); the gorgeous yet simple melodies of 9. "Something Like Avalanches" (5:30); the PINK FLOYD- and MASERATI-influenced 4. "Emergent" (8:28); the straight on power of 2. "Traced in Constellations" (4:37), and; 5. "Great Northern" (4:58).
 
3.5 star effort rounded down for disappointment factor.

MONO Rays of Darkness

Companion release to The Last Dawn, Rays of Darkness is really, at 35 minutes in length, almost an EP—though in 1960-70 time it qualifies as a full album. This album is by all admissions and intentions a much darker, more depressing album than its companion. 

1. “Recoil, Ignite” (13:19) unfortunately for these ears, contains a very James Bond-like theme in the main melody of its first section (first seven minutes) which, at this pace and in this style, just doesn’t work for me. The theme gets reconfigured a bit, enough, for the middle section to make the experience somewhat better, but this one still never gets inside me and grabs me. And then the ‘Bond theme’ returns around 9:30 to spoil it all for me again. The heavier eleventh and twelfth minute also do more to distract me with thoughts of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” or “She’s So Heavy” and other stuff. (7/10)

2. “Surrender” (7:41) suffers from identity issues—it never seems sure of who or what it is and/or where it wants to go. I love the presence of the trumpet/horns holding part of the harmonic weave, but, again, it just never seems to establish itself, never seems to gel or congeal. (Maybe that is the point: dis-integration, distress and dis-function.) Disturbing and unsettling. Thanks, Jacob Valenzuela, for the first trumpet in the final two minutes—which stands sadly alone for a spell. (8/10)

3. “The Hand That Holds the Truth” (7:44) has become renowned for the presence of a vocal (Tetsu Fukagawa’s death metal growls). The YouTube video of this is quite entertaining and enlightening as to the group’s individual contributions as bassist/pianist Tamaki Kunishi-Yuasa dons an electric guitar to help produce the three-part weave that forms the second part of this three-part song (intro, weave-building, and climactic main explosion). (8/10)

4. “The Last Rays” (6:39) is an exercise in noise from distortion and atonal string plays. Again, if the theme of this album is the end of the world, then all of the compositions here make perfect sense. What surprises me is the dispassionate, detached feeling of the music—and this from a band that usually seems SO invested in the emotional impact of their songs! Maybe to them the end of the world is so matter-of-fact, such a foregone conclusion that they have decided to present it like this as an exercise in detachment. I commend them for their efforts but have to admit that I much prefer the impassioned efforts of albums like ULVER’s Shadows of the Sun or Nikitas Kissonas’ Suiciety to represent a sad goodbye to human dominion over the planet.

A good album that is better intellectually—especially when considering the tough subject matter.

Albums that are, in my opinion, over-rated:

IQ The Road of Bones

I own the special edition double CD release of this album, so my review is somewhat slighted by the "overall" impression that this collection of songs has left me. The Road of Bones contains a lot of very polished neoprog. None of it is very sophisticated. Most of it is fairly straightforward and repetitive with the occasional pleasing twist or turn. Peter Nichols' vocals are very clear and easy on the ears yet they lack whatever it takes to get the listener really engaged and excited.
      I find myself most drawn to the keyboard work--which is most often fairly simple though very lush and fully-filling of the aural landscapes. Mostly, I guess I just like the sounds and tones used by Neil Durant.
     The album does have a few gems--and, IMHO, they have improved their delivery from Frequency--though many of the "hooks" used effectively on that 2009 album are again used here. From Disc 1, "The Road of Bones" (8:32) (9/10) is great, beautiful, mature. The epic/show piece "Without Walls" (19:16) and the Wind and Wuthering-like "Ocean" (5:55) are both nice songs but neither leaves me with adrenaline pumping, neither lures me back for the "replay" button push.
      From Disc 2, "Knucklehead" (8:11) (9/10) is the best--offering the most complex and exciting music of the entire collection. Both "Hardcore" (the first half) (10:53) and "Until the End" (12:00) reminds me too much of Frequency's best song, "Ryker Skies." The rest of Disc 2's songs are a step below the offerings on Disc 1. The instrumental, "1312 Overture" (4:18), is engaging but it makes me feel as if the band is going through a rhythmic warmup exercise. The acoustic guitar play on Disc 2 and use of programmed drums gives the music a cheesy lounge New Age music sound. "Ten Million Demons" (6:10) leading the best of the rest. "Constellations" (12:25) sounds like it came right out of Genesis' And Then There Were Three/Duke era--I mean, straight out, sometimes note and sound-for note and sound.

Overall, The Road of Bones is a pleasant listen even if it doesn't excite me enough to extoll its masterpiece status. Still, I do recommend prog lovers give it a listen.

OPETH Pale Communion

This is a good album. The mixes are a bit off--vocals and drums often mixed too far back. Performances are top notch but they feel too often a bit too "heavy prog by numbers." The b vox are less-than inspiring as are some of the leads. And drummer extraordinaire Martin Axenrot doesn't have as many mind-blowing moments as I heard on Heritage. The electric guitar work is solid and shines most in its workman like steady-riffing. I was one of the few who really enjoyed (enjoys) Heritage. The folky, acoustic side of Opeth--like that of "Elysian Woes"--has always been what has drawn me in most to this group. The organ play on the album opener, "Eternal Rains Will Come" make it a pleaser. "Cusp of Eternity" is the one that best showcases Martin's drumming prowess--and feels the closest to the beloved Opeth of "old." The Goblin tribute is awesome. (It's nice to see more people acknowledging the genius of that Italian band). "River" could almost come from a Wishbone Ash album from the 70s. "Voice of Treason" is enjoyable but feels like . . . it's been done. "Faith in Others" is probably my favorite from this album for its dynamic range and the way it showcases the vocal variety of Mikael Akerfeldt. The album's "epic," "Moon Above, Sun Below" just never comes out and grabs me, kind of meanders and morphs around without ever seeming to know where it's going.
    This is a 3.5 star album that I will continue to listen to--though I have the suspicion that it will not hold my interest for very much longer. There's just too much other really good, fresh music that this has to compete with. In my opinion, there is nothing special here!

LUNATIC SOUL Walking on A Flashlight Beam

I was quite surprised at the palpable excitement I felt as I opened this album. I am equally surprised at my dramatic feelings of disappointment as I listened--as each song failed to meet my simple expectations: that Lunatic Soul's fourth album continue to show the signs of growth as the previous three had adequately done. Mariuz Duda's excellent and gifted voice isn't even put to good use until the third song!

1. "Shutting Out The Sun" (8:39) A lot of scratchy old-sounding samples and sounds drawn out offer an overly long development. The final 20 seconds are the best part! (7/10)

2. "Cold" (6:58) again I am disappointed with all of the old samples--including the rhythm box beat. Sounds like an early Kraftwerk song taken over by Alan Parsons Project. (7/10)

3. "Gutter" (8:42) the baseline bass riff is nice though it feels borrowed from a RIVERSIDE song. Awesome work in the fifth minute! And finally we get to hear the full power and talent of Mariuz Duda's voice! And I love the late entry of the keyboard wash at the 7:00 mark. (Why must Mariuz wait to the end of the songs to amp things up?!) (9/10)

4. "Stars Sellotaped" (1:34) is a very cute little spacey "outtake." More of this! (9/10)

5. "The Fear Within" (7:10) is an instrumental based on a simple and repetitive weave of a variety of tuned percussives--glockenspiel, wind chimes, Blue Man Group PVC tubes, to name a few. The stringed instrument that enters at the beginning of the third minute and, a little later, the "distant" industrial synth kind of disrupt the initial feel and mood bringing in an unsettling feel--which may be appropriate considering the song's title. The final two minutes follow the now-established "distant" industrial synth as an picked acoustic guitar plays over the top and, gradually, takes over--until the song's final minute, in which some very eerie synth washes, warbles, wooshes and whispers fill the void. (7/10)

6. "Treehouse" (5:31) begins with an electric piano's very simple chord progression. Mariuz' treated voice begins singing what feels like a fairly straightforward pop song. Straight time rock drum and bass beat joins in. The song often feels like it's beginning to unravel but then it seems to come back together again. Nothing very exciting or ear-catching happens for the first 3:10. Then a quite space with simple acoustic guitar strummed chord progression backs Mariuz dreamy voice--until the rock format returns at the four minute mark. (7/10)

7. "Pygmalion's Ladder" (12:02) opes with an ominous (promising!) guitar arpeggio progression--which is all too soon ruined by some cheap Middle Eastern "horn" (or fuzzed guitar) sound. By 1:30 the backbeat has become more like a classic Tangerine Dream keyboard-led sequence. Were the intermittent appearance by the annoying "horn" sound and it's equally grating melody removed from this song it might be pretty decent! In the fourth minute the foundation falls back to bass and arpeggiated guitar as a good (if typical) Mariuz vocal enters. The "chorus" at the 4:45 mark is a bit of a step down and then it's followed by an odd bridge of alternating synth (choral) chords and a disappointing fuzz guitar solo. Another shift at 6:18 while the Mike Oldfield-like muted fuzz guitar continues to solo. The eight minute shifts again into even more Oldfield-sounding territory. The section beginning around 8:14 is heavier and packs the kind of power and drama that one expects (and wants) from a Duda project. A beautiful little interlude of delicate sounds (arpeggiated acoustic guitar and kalimba) sets up a crashing entry into the near-end crescendo.
     Though this song is in constant forward development with very little thematic recapitulation, it just fails to ever really "get there." (8/10)

8. "Sky Drawn in Crayon" (4:59) is a ethereal vocal sung over finger-picked acoustic guitar and some various and sundry incidentals--playground children noises, midi-keyboard melodies, cyber-computer click/pop noises. This one never really gets anywhere. (7/10)

9. "Walking on a Flashlight Beam" (8:11) is a(nother) dull song until the Robert Smith/Cure guitar riffs of the last two and a half minutes. (8/10)

The antiquated sound samples used here feel so out-dated and simple and could have been so much more sophisticated. Plus, Mariuz' Lunatic Soul project seems hello-bent on taking the ANATHEMA Post Rock approach: taking simple melodies and rhythms for foundations and then slowly--sometimes painstakingly slowly--building over and around them. Unlike Anathema, however, Lunatic Soul's songs never seem to get anywhere--each song ends with me asking, "What was the point? What was the message? What was the intention?"
     As much as I like music like this that develops slowly, using space and time to convey a message with delicate timing, I'm beginning to think that Lunatic Soul lacks the vision to make lasting statements with their songs. Maybe they're tired. I cannot remember the last time I was so disappointed with an album I so highly anticipated.

2.5 stars. Definitely an album I feel deserves the "for collectors only" label.

LOGOS L'enigma della vita

Italian prog rockers have come up with a polished, well-produced album of mature prog compositions. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway/Trick of The Tail-era GENESIS sounds and loud and clear engineering make this, to my ears, more akin to the Neo-Prog vein than RPI. The drums, keys, recording techniques and song structures feel so much like GENESIS 1975.

1. "Antifona" (2:03) (9/10) sets the mood for the album with dark, ominous synths and incidentals before a volume pedal-controlled guitar lays down some nice play. The song then bleeds into song

#2. "Venivo da un lung sonno" (9:09). The addition of bass and drum rhythm section to the opening song's mood gives this a sound and feel like the foundation of "The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging" only with the sometimes lead guitar of David Gilmour. At 3:30 the song goes through a nice little shift with arpeggiated electric guitar notes. At 4:15 the entrance of the vocals of Luca Zerman brings to mind the voices of Ira Davies of ICEHOUSE, BRIAN FERRY, and even a little of THE DOORS' Jim Morrison. At 5:30 it returns to its original instrumental format. It is a very nice, steady and engaging, mostly instrumental song. Nice guitar play and band support throughout. (9/10)

3. "In fuga" (5:41) is a pleasant if straightforward and repetitive instrumental with keys and guitars trading solos throughout. (7/10)

4. "Alla fine dell'ultimo capitol" (9:20) fades in just like a classic Lamb Lies Down on Broadway song--heavy in mellotron and volume controlled guitar. Once the intro has passed and the song enters into its lyric-supporting section it loses a bit of its edge and becomes somewhat "by the numbers" prog. The organ and guitar spurt beginning at 3:28 are "Watcher in The Skies" like for a second before devolving into support for a fairly straightforward blues way-pedal guitar solo. The rather slow straight-time base shifts but continues in a kind of plodding way until 6:32 when a slight shift allows the bass walking and guitar picking to weave and shine a bit. Nothing very compacted or exciting, though, even when the mellotron moves to the front and does a kind of ANEKDOTEN solo.
The final minute is a rather simple synth supported vocal outro. Nothing too earth-shattering here. (8/10)

5. "N.A.S." (7:45) opens with a bouncy almost disco (bass line) rhythm foundation with some 'heavy' electric guitar power chords. At 1:28 the song slows down, settling into an industrial KC Red-like rhythmic foundation while an ARP-like synth solo slides around over the top. At 3:30 two guitars--one a FRIPP-like sustained, the other a light pizzicato jazz plucked--take over the leads. The Fripp-like guitar puts together an interesting, dissonant solo that takes us up to the five minute mark. Such PHIL COLLINS-like ("Supper's Ready/Fly on a Windshield") drumming! At 7:25 the song bursts into a mellotron crescendo of sound as the ARP-synth finishes its long solo. Odd song! (8/10)

6. "L'enigma della vita" (7:24) opens a bit like PHIDEAUX's "Thank You for The Evil" with a low bass line and hard-hitting spacious drum line. The vocals throughout this song sound very much like those of GREG LAKE. A tempo change at 3:40 brings it back into GENESIS/PHIL COLLINS territory. At 6:00 the song almost becomes a disco-fied 70s RPI song--but it quickly switches back to Phideaux/Genesis territory till its end. (8/10)

7. "In principio" (11:27) begins like a classic acoustic GENESIS/RENAISSANCE song with fast paced electronic keyboard arpeggios which then give way to 12-string guitar and synths supporting a male vocal. This vocal is strong--in the truest Italian sense. Nice bass line and steady drum line enter around 2:45 and 3:18, respectively. The shift at 3:45 to jazzy electronic piano keyboard is at first a bit odd but it works! At 8:00 we finally get the start of some action: electric guitar solo (à la TD's "Coldwater Canyon" by Edgar Froese) and interesting drum play. My favorite song on the album. (9/10)

8. "Completamente estranei" (7:06) begins almost like a slowed down version of the song "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" before heavier drums and guitar strums give it a kind of THE WHO/LOVERBOY power rock feel. At 2:35 a confident electric guitar defines an interesting melody.
Another limp vocal ensues to take over for a little while until a dramatic shift occurs at 4:12. Faster, more driven, almost URIAH HEEP-like, until the ARP synth renders a nondescript melody which it then pursues over the heavy rhythm section to the songs end. (7/10)

9. "In quale luogo si fermò il mio tempo" (2:32) is a nice, almost classical, piano solo. It could almost be a composition by CHOPIN, SATIE or some Russian pianist! (9/10)

10. "Pioggia in campagna" (10:28) opens with another GENESIS-like fadein (à la "The Knife"), building beneath several layers of keyboard sounds. At 1:31 there is a key shift, then all stops at 1:46 to make way for a very latin/RPI-like vocal with acoustic Spanish guitar section. Organ and flanged electric guitar add a prog feel to the song until at 2:51 several heavy electric guitar chords present an interesting jazz guitar solo. At 3:42 everything shifts again to a more complex chord sequence and tempo to support a decent 75 second organ solo, and then a minute of echoed- and synth emulated-guitar solo. At 6:18 we get another shift into some bluesy URIAH HEEP sounds before a shift back into the vocal section, this time supported by heavier electrified instruments. A PROCUL HARUM-like organ section appears in the ninth minute. The ARP synth finishes leading the way of this anthemic song for its last 90 seconds. Definitely the band's most complex and mature composition (on this album) but I'm not quite sure what it was intended to accomplish. (8/10)

11. "Il rumore dell'aria" (2:58) presents itself as a soundtrack support to a spoken narration. It is eery and perhaps even scary in an Edgar Allan Poe kind of way. Ties into the album's opening very effectively. (9/10)

A very pleasant listening experience that suffers a bit, however, from some lackluster vocals and rather simple song structures and instrumental performances. Also, the band seems to rely more on the use of a wide variety of sounds and emotion rather than very many impressive or virtuosic soli--which is okay--Pink Floyd got away with it, right?

Without a doubt L'enigma della vita is a solid album of high quality progressive rock music.

Definitely a four star record. 82.75 on the Fish scales = Solid four stars.

PERFECT BEINGS Perfect Beings

Drifting more into the domain of quirky indie pop, Perfect Beings represents quite a refined display of songcrafting and meaningful lyrics. All songs are pleasant and listenable with some clever lyrics and catchy melody presentations. I hear a lot of sounds from the late 70s and 80s, particularly reminiscences of THE BUGGLES ("The Canyon Hill" and "One of Your Kind"), XTC ("Helicopter"), 10CC ("Bees and Wasps" and "Program Kid"), ART GARFUNKLE ("Walkabout" and "Fictions"), YES (STEVE HOWE & RICK WAKEMAN) and Pat Metheny Group ("Removal of The identity Chip"), ABC ("Primary Colors"), and LOVE AND ROCKETS ("Remnants of Shields").

I find it interesting that Johannes Luley has given up the vocal reigns cuz he has a very nice voice--and Perfect Beings collaborator-vocalist, Ryan Hurtgen, sounds an awful lot like Johannes.

Favorite songs: "Bees and Wasps," "Walkabout," "Remnants of Shields," and "One of Your Kind."

It's not my favorite album, nor do I really consider this prog--prog-related or maybe Crossover, but it is interesting. 3.5 stars rated up for quality and variety and for the fact that I recommend others try this for themselves.

GANDALF'S FIST A Forest of Fey

More eclectic prog than perhaps straight Neo Prog, but very retro sounding.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Luke Severn / lead (5) & backing vocals, composer
- Dean Marsh / lead vocals, guitars, manolin, bass, keyboards, composer & story concept
- Chris Ewen / bass
- Stefan Hepe / drums
With:
- Melissa Hollick / vocals
- Dave Oberlé / vocals & bodhrán (10)
- John Mitchell / vocals (11)
- Dying Seed / backing vocals
- Jennifer Pederson / backing vocals
- Alicia Arthur / voice actor
- Matt Stevens / ambient guitar (8,11)
- Troy Donockley / Cumbrian bouzouki (6,10), low whistle (2,3), tin whistle (2,7)
- Clive Nolan / synth solo (8)

1. Childhood Ghosts (2:23)
2. Gardens of the Lost (6:03)
3. "A Forest of Fey (including Wisdom of the Reptile and the Lament for a Silent Verse)" (8:34) (16.5/20)
4. The Figure Speaks (0:44)
5. The World We Created (5:43)
6. The Circus in the Clearing (including The Fanfare for the King's Tournament) (4:44)
7. Blood for a Royal Pardon (1:37)
8. Drifter on the Edge of Time (6:38)
9. Forest Rose (Coming Home) (4:36)
10. Return from the Tournament (2:05)
11. Stories Old and Stories Told (Of Children Brave and Children Bold) (6:05)
12. A Poison Tree (2:38)

Total Time 51:50

Despite a cast of prog all-stars as guests, this album is formulaic "prog-by-the-numbers." There is nothing new hear, despite an admirable blending of styles (folk, metal, symphonic). The electric guitar chord playing is especially disturbing as it plays out in almost every song as if a studio musician is playing the same heavily-distorted guitar, chord by chord, as if from orchestral street music. No flare, no flourish, no soul. Several of the vocals are interesting, especially Melissa Hallick on the opener, "Childhood's Ghost"--I have to admit she and that first song got me hooked in enough to give this album a thorough listen. My other favorite, as predictable as it is, is "Drifter on the Edge of tIme." This and the other folk instrumental, "Forest Rose" are, to me, the album highlights.
     Troy Donockley (of IONA, not NIGHTWISH) adds some nice touches with his wind instruments--though I wonder on songs like "Garden's of the Lost" whether band leader Dean Marsh asked him to do his best IAN ANDERSON/J TULL impression (unless that's someone else on C flute). Clive Nolan and super guitarist John Mitchell's vocals-only contributions are negligible to the over all effect. In the end there is nothing new here. There is already too much of this kind of prog out there--Neo in the extreme. As pure as Dean's intentions were, this is the kind of album that has turned me away from the Neo-Prog sub-genre. For me, prog must keep its music evolving, not merely repeating old masters and old styles.

THE D PROJECT Making Sense

Like Stephen Desbiens' previous albums this album is all over the place. Some might call it 'eclectic' I just call it unfocused and too chaotic. Virtually every sub-genre of prog--of music--seems to be covered here--sometimes within one song! Too many radical and disruptive changes in directions; too many styles. The sound production is different--thanks to Andy Jackson--but I'm not sure it's better. I've always felt that FLOYD's The Division Bell was a bit too stark, too polished, lacking some of the dynamics that are natural to microphone-recorded music--and that's how I come away from each song from this album. It's just a little too Gilmour-esque for me (though Stephen and his mates may be better musicians than Floyd's).

DELUGE GRANDER Heliotians

Once again Dan Britten has created an admirably ambitious album that falls short due to its astoundingly horrible sound recording, engineering, and reproduction. I don't know why I seem to be the only one who complains about the constant track isolation and too-quiet sound level mixing that Britten uses on all of his projects but it really detracts and distracts from my listening experience. I am always straining to hear the intricacies and subtleties of Dan's very interesting and minutely layered and detailed song structures. "Turn up the volume!" you, the reader may be screaming at me, but that doesn't work--it doesn't solve the muddled-static ness of the sound mix.
    Also, Heliotians seems to display a weakness of Dan's that I am not familiar with in his previous work: there are many instances in which a particular instrument is played (or recorded) with such an economy of effort as to feel almost rudimentary, amateurish, over-simplified to such a degree that it almost feels unfinished or a demo run of that track. Weird album.