2017 Releases, Part 3: Other Highly Recommended Albums

Below you will find a somewhat-ordered catalogue of the album releases from 2017. These are albums that I have determined to be good or interesting enough to recommend to you, the reader, for your own exposure, awareness, and/or exploration; these are albums that were not, in my opinion, good enough to belong on my "Masterpieces" page, but which, I thought, deserved some credit and attention. 

     You will find that some of the albums below are reviewed or commented upon, while many have nothing but cover, artist and title, lineup of musicians and songs list. (Thank you New Prog Releases @ http://newprogreleases.blogspot.com/.) This variance is usually due to a lack of time and a lack of willingness or desire to give each and every album the time and energy necessary to write a review. This is done without any intent of disrespect; the albums have been included because I think them worthy enough to have others try them out and form their own opinions.

ANTOINE FAFARD Proto Mundi

Line-up / Musicians:
- Antoine Fafard / 6-string fretless bass, guitars, composer & producer

With:
- Jerry Goodman / violin
- Gary Husband / synth

- Simon Phillips / drums

1. "Mission Ganymede" (20:21)

2. "The Journey" (20:15)

3. "Empty World" (10:30)

Total Time: 51:04

                        Bonus CD from 2017 edition:

Line-up / Musicians (on bonus disc) :
- Jerry De Villiers Jr. / guitar, synth guitar (3,8,12,14)
- Mark Tremblay / electric guitar (4)
- Scott Henderson / electric guitar (5)
- Gerry Etkins / lead keyboard (9)
- Jerry Goodman / violin (1,2,4,6,7,13,14)
- Jean-Pierre Zanella / saxophone, flute (7,10,15)
- Gavin Harrison / drums (1)
- Martin Maheux / drums (2,4,6)
- Vinnie Colaiuta / drums (3,8)
- Dave Weckl / drums (5,11)
- Chad Wackerman / drums (10,13,15)
- Magella Cormier / drums (12)
- Terry Bozzio / drums (14)

1. Peace for 4 (5:25)
2. Black Light (5:36)
3. Shuffle It! (5:13)
4. Omniabsence (4:51)
5. The Chamber (5:00)
6. Invisible Light (4:34)
7. 13 Good Reason (5:25)
8. D-Day (5:19)
9. Riff & Raft (4:50)
10. Sum of Six (6:16)
11. Phree Motion (5:16)
12. Cape Spear (5:40)
13. Fur & Axes (5:04)
14. Holding Back Time (5:56)
15. Variation (4:41)

Total Time: 79:45

ISULDUR'S BANE Off the Radar

Line-up / Musicians:

- Samuel Hällkvist / guitar
- Mats Johansson / synths (ARP 2600, Kurzweil 2600, Minimoog D, Nord Modular, Oberheim Xpander, Evolver, Pro-One, Roland V-Synth), Mellotron, prepared piano, grand piano, Varispeed, Yamaha CS-80, sound design, composer, co-producer
- Katrine Amsler / keyboards, electronics
- Axel Crone / bass, clarinet & bass clarinet, tenor & alto saxes, synth, guitar, grand piano, co-producer
- Luca Calabrese / trumpet (1,2,4,6)
- Kjell Severinsson / drums (1,2,4), cajón (3,5)
- Klas Assarsson / marimba, vibes, tam-tam, crotales, glockenspiel, shaker, snare, bass drum
With:
- Lukas Wikström / guitar (3,5)
- Christian Saggese / Classical guitar (7)
- Adam Sass / trumpet (2)
- Liesbeth Lambrecht / violin (1)
- Pieter Lenaerts / double bass (1)
- Xerxes Andrén / drums (1,4)
- Pat Mastelotto / acoustic & electric percussion (4-6)
- Leif Jonsson / percussion (4)

1. Drive! Parts 1-3 (7:52) (/15)
2. Off the Radar (4:38) (/10)
3. Under Your New Moon (5:21) (/10)
4. Xenolith (10:05) (/20)
5. Goodbye Berlin (4:31) (/10)
6. Endless Air (5:51) (/10)

Total Time 42:54

EKOS Otra Dimensión

A new release from this band from Mexico City that is PINK FLOYD-inspired without being a straight imitation or too derivative. Lots of atmosphere, familiar guitar sounds, wildly creative keyboard/synthesizer use, and solid, hypnotic rhythm section. Listening to Otra Dimensión, I am actually more reminded of Norwegian band AIRBAG's debut album, Identity.

Line-up/Musicians: 

Ana Camelo - Keyboards and vocals
Jesus Torres - Guitars and vocals
Víctor Juárez - Bass guitar
Carlos Clériga - Drums and percussion

1. "Merkaba" (5:08) truly spacey and mood-setting, though not much in the way of song structure. Still, great sound and atmosphere and great production. (8.5/10)

2. "Gravedad" (4:01) and nice slow tempo rocker putting on display guitarist Jesus Torres's pedal steel talents. (9/10)

3. "Avatar Pt. I" (5:33) a very delicately constructed weave of bass, picked guitar and quiet keyboards that is joined in the third minute by drummer Carlos Clériga's sensitive cymbol play before the song finally breaks into a pretty vocal-led ballad. (8.5/10)

4. "Sublimatio" (3:01) shows off the band's "heavier" side with almost-metal, almost-djenty riffs from start to finish. More like an instrumental étude in metal play. A nice guitar solo in the final minute is ruined by a very cheesy 80s synth bass and end. (7.5/10)

5. Astralis (3:20) opens with piano-based gentle rock lineup before multi-layered harmonized vocal enters around 0:40. Another venture into heavier, metal-riffing at 1:05 throws me off--especially when the incongruous synth solo begins. The lead guitar work in the third minute is nice (despite the support of the rudimentary metal music). (8/10)

6. "Avatar Pt. II" (3:18) opens as a straight-thru bleed from the previous song. Vocals from the getgo with an odd pop electric piano bouncing around in-between the vocals, drums and guitar "power chords." A sudden shift at 1:55 draws me in--floating, panning keyboards in the background with nice electric guitar lead up front. Odd song. (8.5/10) 

7. "Orillas Del Tiempo Pt. I" (4:01) opens very prettily with arpeggiating guitar, cymbol play and tropical jungle keyboard sounds. Vocal enters to calm and space out the scene. Synths, echoed guitar, and fake-echoed drums try to effect a scene or mood. The guitar solo that begins at the end of the second minute is stellar--one of the best I've heard all year--true emotionality of the master, Dave Gilmour. At 3:15 the song kind of devolves into a 1980s power rock song (think Bon Jovi). Despite this, the guitar continues to shred emotionally. (9/10)

8. "Invocación" (4:44) opens with piano and a very familiar guitar sound (Collage, Riverside) while band establishes foundation for a slow rock song. Vocal enters at the end of the first minute and doesn't quite fit. Where is Robert Amirian when you need him! The song evolves quite unpredictably--which is a good thing, for a while--but then ends like a song that should have been on GENESIS's ...And Then There Were Three... (8.5/10)

9. "Espejo" (5:38) opens with a piano and synth sound and style that is starting to feel a bit old. But then at 0:35 everything shifts. A darker, murkier soundscape takes over á la some of the great songs on David Gilmour solo albums. I love that the band chose to sing in their native tongue throughout the album. 

     The synth work of keyboard player Ana Camelo (starting at the 2:00 mark) is the standout performance of this song--and it is wonderful. Richard Wright taken two steps further. The song amps up for the second verse with the return of the WHITESNAKE guitars for the final minute or two. (9.5/10)

10. "Orillas Del Tiempo Pt. II" (5:58) opens with a bit of a New Age feel to it--until the gentle, atmospheric singing enters. At the one minute mark enter bass and arpeggiated guitars, then drums and soloing synth (á la "Welcome to the Machine"). Nice bass and drum play. Throughout. Actually, nice mix aurally and technically. 

      Return of the power chords while the ghost of Richard Wright plays up front with an abandon he never had in life. (Nice work, Ana!) My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)

11. Otra Dimensión (2:01) nice sonic outro with droning synth and meandering Satie-esque piano solo playing out to the end. (9/10)

Total Time 47:00

A band of creative if tempered and influenced instrumentalists have collaborated to create an exciting collection of songs. I see so much potential, so much more, for this band! I, for one, will be watching for future releases! I truly understand the praise and attention this album is receiving from the prog community!

86.82 on the Fishscales = B/solid four star album; an excellent representation of progressive rock music.

CHARLIE CAWOOD The Divine Abstract

Line-up/Musicians: 

Charlie Cawood – Acoustic, Electric & Classical Guitars, Fender VI, Acoustic & Electric Bass Guitars, Sitar & Pipa

Elizabeth Nott – Darbouka, Riq, Frame Drum (1, 11)

Ben Marshall – Oboe & Cor Anglais (2, 3, 4, 5, 12)

Flora Curzon – Violin (2, 3, 4, 5)

Francesca Ter-Berg – Cello (2, 3, 4, 5)

Lucy Brown – French Horn (2, 3, 4, 5, 9)

Ben Woollacott – Drums, Percussion & Cymbals (6, 7, 8)

Wang Xiao – Erhu (6, 7, 8)

Dennis Kwong Thye Lee – Xiao (6, 7, 8)

Diego Tejeida – Piano (6, 7, 8)

Chlöe Herington – Bassoon (9)

Alexandra Petropoulos – Flute (9)

Nicki Maher – Clarinet (9)

Oliver Sellwood – Baritone Saxophone (9)

Josh Perl – Clarinet & Bass Clarinet (9, 12)

Steve Holmes – Piano, Celeste, Minimoog, Bass Synth (10)

Katharine Blake – Treble & Sopranino Recorders (10)

Lucie Treacher – Kendang, Ceng Ceng, Gong, Kempur, Kenang, Klentong, Kempli & Genterak (10)

Hannah Davis – Vibraphone & Glockenspiel (11, 12)

James Larcombe – Piano & Dulcitone (11, 12)

Julie Groves – Flute (11, 12)

1. "Shringara" (3:19) opening with a very Indian sound, the entrance of Western bass and electric guitar over the sitar give this a very STEVE TIBBETTS sound and feel to it. (8/10)

2. "The Divine Abstract: Echolalia" (1:08) a nice, slow orchestral intro

3. "The Divine Abstract: The Earth’s Answer" (3:26) acoustic guitar-based. Strings and winds join in fairly quickly. It has a nice PAUL WINTER or even ANT PHILLIPS feel to it.

4. "The Divine Abstract: Fearful Symmetry" (2:34) acoustic guitar opening joined by orchestral instruments. This one is more up-tempo and WILLIAM ACKERMAN/WINDHAM HILL-like.

5. "The Divine Abstract: The Western Lands" (1:58) pretty strummed acoustic guitar foundation is soon joined by and strings, horns and winds. My favorite movement of the suite.

     Graded as a whole: (17/20)

6. "Earth Dragon: The Golden Flower" (1:56) acoustic guitar, piano and percussion instruments are quickly joined by Chinese string and wind instruments (erhu and xiao) playing at a nice brisk walking pace. Nice film soundtrack music.

7. "Earth Dragon: An Invisible Landscape" (3:30) second movement slows it down to more contemplative or even observational--until the thick electric bass gets involved. Then it feels like it steps up into an elephantine walk--two different paces or courses, one hypervigilant, the other confident and free.

8. "Earth Dragon: Origin Of A New Being" (3:09) picked guitar chords joined by Chinese winds, strings, and electric bass and percussives gives this one a feel as if the walker/palanquin is in heavy pedestrian traffic. Piano interlude and shift gives this one a cool, PAT METHENY-like feel. My favorite piece of this suite--and one of my favorite songs on the album.

      Graded as a whole: (18/20)

9. "Garden Of The Mind" (6:44) a pretty neoclassical folk song not unlike a NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA, PAUL WINTER CONSORT, PHILIP GLASS, or CICADA song. (14.25/15)

10. "The 32nd Path" (6:19) based in pipa (Chinese mandolin) weaving together with several other odd instruments (including Fripp-llike electric guitar arpeggiations) in a very rich, complex tapestry, this one sounds like it could spin off into an aggressive STEVE TIBBETTS or ZHONGYU song, but instead it remains constant (though never boring) and Asian as a RYUICHI SAKAMOTO song. (9/10)

11. "In A Floating World" (3:51) another stellar composition of relaxing world music--this time with flute, bass, tuned and untuned percussion, and guitars playing the most prominent roles in the weave. (9/10)

12. "Apotheosis" (7:15) a slow paced weave of multiple instruments each playing arpeggi together establish a chord progression with more instruments (and different melody lines) added with each round of the progression. When bass line is added in the beginning of the second minute the song takes on a different feel--less minimalistic and more jazzy. (13.5/15)

Total Time – 45:09

86.75 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very nice contribution of cross-cultural jazz-neochamber-folk fusion. A wonderfully enjoyable and pacifying listening excursion--one that I will be returning to many times over the course of my remaining years.

UNAKA PRONG Adult Contemporary

Another fantastic smorgasborg of music from Boone, North Carolina's gift to the music world, this album has me feeling so nostalgic and yet it's all new, fresh, and completely Unaka Prong!

Line-up / Musicians:

- Mike Welsh / guitar
- Daniel Stevenson / guitar, vocals

- John Hargett / drums, vocals
- Jonathon Sale / bass
- Chris Pope / keys
- Nic Pressley / trumpet

1. "Gadnuk (Breaker of Worlds)" (5:22) a bluesy instrumental very familiar to those who've heard the Margot album. Nice keys and horns; tight drums and bass. (8.5/10)

2. "Fruit Fly" (6:24) silly folk fun that makes me think I'm sitting on a porch on a sweltering hot day in the South. Once the music kicks in, it's more danceable jazz with a kind of Dr. John vocal and a tight musical merengue-like weave. (8.5/10)

3. "Alchemy" (4:26) opens with a bluesy-reggae feel to it before the loose, almost comical "late night drunk" vocal takes the lead. Wonderful organ work on this one! Awesome key changes at 2:45 and 3:20. (8.5/10)

4. "Déjà Vu (0:44) is a gorgeous little piano "étude" in a Joni Mitchell/Bill Evans vein. (10/10)

5. "Run Out (5:05) my immediate and continued favorite song on the album (of course! it has a very odd time signature!) Just hypnotic and gorgeous! Prog perfection--with trumpet! Probably my favorite song of the year! (10/10)

6. "Late July (5:10) a blues-jazzy musical base for a visually descriptive vocal. Again, early STEELY DAN comes up for me ("St. Louis Toodle-oo")--though the playfulness of HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED also comes to mind. These guys are surely having so much fun! Just listen to that fourth minute! And then there's that trumpet, that wonderful trumpet... (8.5/10)

7. "Lurks (6:07) another unpredictable string of themes and styles rendered to perfection as only Unaka Prong can. Though not necessarily needed, the guest vocal of a female is welcomed--and lovely. Do you think John Hargett has fun playing this one! (Bang, bang, bang!) And the rap appearance, again, is always welcome--especially the way these guys do it. Great keyboard work, Chris Pope! (9/10)

8. "Heartburn (6:11) Up taking me out into the realms of the Stones, Radiohead, and even Dave Matthews Band. (8.5/10)

9. "Lake Jam #1 (5:41) pure jazz pop like a Larry Carlton/Joe Sample/The Crusaders tune with the ever clever and happy UP shifts, bridges, and touches. These guys are so creative! Nice guitar rant in that fifth minute, Daniel! (9/10)

10. "Maeng Da (Lake Jam #4) (3:25) opens as a pretty little piano suite before the rhythm'n'blues-backers join in and make it special. Beautiful song. Love the slide guitar and muted trumpet. (10/10)

11. "Narcese (4:27) upbeat, hard-drivin' blues-rock in the Southern bluesy vein. Proficient but not my cup of tea. (8/10)

12. "Fairweather Friend (1:41) a real odd duck--a late night drinking dirge--cute but standing out for it's difference. (7/10)

13. "Highway Drivin' (3:37) U2 did it, Elvis Costello and Mark Knopfler, too, so why not Unaka Prong? Again, I get it, appreciate it, but, it's just not my cup of tea. (6.5/10)

14. "Too Far Gone (5:23) one of those songs that you can loop to replay over and over--especially on a nice summer day on the dock. Gorgeous and maybe as perfect as perfect can get (especially in that it's lyrics/singing are waxing rhapsodic over a girl. Ahh! The joys of life!) (10/10)

15. "As we Agreed (6:58) nothing extraordinary or particularly innovative (despite the Hackett-esque guitar and trumpet effects used in the fifth minute). (8/10)

Total Time 70:41

86.67 on the Fishscales = B/4 stars; a solid, excellent offering of diverse somewhat proggy music.

ROBERT JÜRJENDAL Simple Past/Lihtminevik

If Robert Fripp and Brian Eno were to have teamed up with Jack DeJohnnette or Pierre Moerlin:  ambient jazz (Mark Isham style).

Line-up/Musicians:  

Robert Jürjendal — touch guitars, percussion, keyboards (1, 6, 8, 9), Neunaber effects 

Andrus Lillepea — drums (1–8) 

Lotte — „water drop” samples (6) 

Six — breathing (9) 

1. "No Or Yes" (3:32) a great song with a STEVE HILLAGE/MIKE OLDFIELD "Incantations" meets Mark ISHAM sound and feel to it. One of my three favorite songs on the album. (9.5/10)

2. "Brothers" (3:03) a beautiful little spacey excursion through the atmospheric soundscapes of Robert Jürendal. (9/10)

3. "Kettle" (1:58) uptempo drums and very edgie almost-abrasive guitar "scrapings" and rumblings.Short. Could have been developed or linked/morphed forward. (8/10)

4. "Melting Memories" (3:57) gorgeous PAT METHENY New Chautauqua-like opening over which Fripp-like guitar solos. Don't really like the drum sound or work; the song might actually be better without. (9/10)

5. "Up Up" (4:14) almost sounds and feels like a recapitulation and reinvention of a certain passage from GENESIS's "Firth of Fifth": "Let it be revealed. A waterfall, his madrigal. An inland sea, his symphony." Cool but, again, it could go somewhere. Maybe this is Robert's way of saying that it doesn't have to: that this little passage looped over and over is enough. (8/10)

6. "Old Stories" (6:34) the end sequence of a MERCURY TREE song ("Deep Five"). Cool weave and interplay of TONY LEVIN-like bass (ChapmanStick?) and guitar and keys. The song even builds and fades like "Deep Five." I like the constant soloing of the drumming--it's very cool--but it also shows the drummer's shortcomings. (8.5/10)

7. "Substance" (4:30) very, VERY much like a Mark ISHAM, "Gates of Delirium," or New Age opening. The drum play takes it out of the New Age realm, and the length of ambient jazz away from YES, but the sounds are there. (8.5/10)

8. "Above" (4:24) flows straight out of the previous song with some chorusy synth sound providing foundation for slow bass, drums and multiple guitar play over the top. Nice chord/key change at 0:27--would like to hear more chord and key progressions on this album--probably my chief complaint. This is really the first song to show development and storytelling from start to finish. My third favorite song of the album. (9/10)

9. "More" (4:21) another one-dimensional base track providing rhythm for multiple soaring guitar tracks. Nice study, experimentation but not a finished song (to me). (7.5/10)

10. "Simple Past" (8:58) opens with a very spacey, atmospheric ALIO DIE-like synth wash background sound. In the second minute a second synth comes in high while the lower chord pauses,  fluctuates and becomes intermittent and changeable. Very cool suff! Even rivals Stefano Musso! Odd new sounds are allowed to creep in with the fifth minute giving it a very dreamy, Mark ISHAM soundtrack-like feel. Amazing song! Rivals even BRIAN ENO for mood- and space-altering effect. Maybe this is the type of music Robert should be doing more of. Were it not for the way that the fast wah-ed guitar persists in the last two minutes becomes annoying/grating, this would be a perfect ten-out-of-ten song. Still, another one of my favorite songs on the album. (19/20)

Total time 45:31

The drummer is not anywhere up to the DeJohnnette/Moerlin skill or status that I first felt. Songs #4 & #6 show his limitations and deficiencies and the sound is just not as clean and crisp as that of the old masters. Still, Robert Jürendal is an artist with whom I was unfamiliar. I like his styles, sound palettes, and experimentalism.

86.50 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent collection of atmospheric progressive rock music which I highly recommend to others to check out.

SAMUEL CADIMA Cascata

Having been on a big hunger for electronica--both past and present--it is quite appropriate and fortunate for this album to land in my lap. My first impressions are ones of joy: joy for the fact that another young modern artist is interested in picking up where the masters of the 1970s like Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze, and Manuel Göttsching left off; joy for the fact that this artist wants to use guitars, bass and drums in his creations (over and above the usual use of keyboards/synthesizers); joy that the artist sees the blending of various sections into one cohesive whole as a desirable creative expression; and joy that this artist is quite serious in his study and respect of the techniques and songs that came before him (which allows him inspiration and courage for his own creations).

1. "Cascata" (22:41) opens with bubbling and popping as if we’re at Yellowstone’s “Mud Pots.” In the second minute a slow pulsing electronic buzz begins to repeat about every eight seconds. Then a faster-paced arpeggio joins in from a squishy keyboard. Next a couple or three more keyboard tracks enter weaving together while a spacey warbling high-pitched synth takes the lead in a meandering solo. 

     At the end of the fifth minute a human voice keens a couple of times from the background. The established weave fades out at the end of the sixth minute with bubbling sounds bridging our way into a new soundtrack—this one sounding much more traditional Berlin School with old synth sounds filling the fore- and background and wings. Three tracks begin but are then joined by some more palette-filling synths in the ninth minute. All the while a “harpsichord” like instrument has been playing a nonstop sequence of arpeggi since the bubbles faded away. Mellotron voices and Mike Oldfield-like guitar scream out from the background. Very pretty soundscape. 

     At the end of the twelfth minute a more “soft-mallet” synthesizer sequence takes over providing the foundational driving force as more electro-pops and older familiar synth Berlin School electronic sounds fill in the tracks making the complete weave around it. Nice section with some interesting Kraftwerk-like industrial sounds as well.

     Then, at 17:00, a burbling synth saw cuts through all other sound and shuts the previous section down. Deep electronic bass pulses alternate with saw-like synth “trails” before a sustained though occasionally shifting high pitch eerie synth note steers the aliens on. The jet propulsion drive is the only other sound to let us know that there is life, that there is movement here, otherwise the ghostly single synth note makes us think that we’re awfully alone. 

     At 20:30 a slowly picked acoustic guitar begins leading us through some grounding arpeggi while the alien solo ship continues to fly above. 

     Cool song that takes us on a widely imaginative journey—one that, I feel, will take many listens before a defined path is imprinted. I like the “tour through time” the different sections offer us. (8.5/10)

2. "Calado" (7:21) opens with heavily treated electrified acoustic guitars strumming away before Fripp-like sustained guitar notes join in. Hand percussion is next to join in as the twin Fripp tracks continue to pronounce the melodic theme over the strumming guitars. A second more crazed synth begins to join in in the third minute. It gets pretty psych-crazy in the fifth minute when the music shifts radically into Willy Wonka “Tunnel of Terror” realm. A few droning notes are all that keep us grounded for the two minutes of this ride until the guitar-strumming returns for the final minute. (9.5/10)

3. "Voo Noturno" (8:30) opens with a guitar picked “sequence” “loop” over which synth squeals, squirts, and burbles are interspersed. In the second minute, the presence of a heavily distorted bass “line” tries to make itself known while more synth lines, these more melodic, show themselves over the top, working their way into the weave. I am truly impressed with Samuel’s use of acoustic guitar picking arpeggi to lay down the “sequences” in place of computer-generated ones! 

     At 4:30 there is a HUGE shift as the music established fades and disappears while an “electron wind” bridges us to a section in which a screaming Edgar Froese-like guitar (think “Coldwater Canyon”) solos over computer generated clicks, pops, and voice samples. This continues to 7:10 when the guitar fades out. At 7:30 a cheesy horror movie warbling synth enters over a saccharine electric piano solo. Weird ending. (9/10)  

4. "Meia-Luz" (4:19) opening with pulsing computer-edited midi-ed sound slowly shifting chords over the first minute. In the second minute a distant, lonely, space “slide whistle” enters providing some melodic structure. In the third minute a meandering JOHN MARTYN-like acoustic guitar track is added to the mix. Very interesting but nothing truly engaging or memorable to bring me back to this one. (7.5/10) 

My one suggestion for Samuel, should he wish to continue emulating the Berlin School and electronica masters that have come before him, is to not be afraid to stick with one set of sounds over the long lengths of song—or to more slowly blend less radically different themes or instrumental palettes. For example, the first guitar-based section of Voo Noturno could very easily have been extended to provide the background/base for an entire song of 8-15 minutes; the two radical shifts that occur in the middle and near the end were not necessary. And Meia-Luz would have been improved (i.e. become more engaging), in my opinion if the minimal weave had been thickened and smoothed by two or three more tracks.

86.25 on the Fishscales = B/a solid four star album; an excellent addition to any prog lover’s music collection and an artist to watch. 

ODD OUTFIT ^(Up/Down)

Line-up / Musicians:

Alex Chochinov - Guitar

Jorden Hart - Trumpet

Graeme Leaver - Keys

Karl Manchur - Bass

Adrian Schroeder - Drums

1. "Intervention" (4:29) jazz-rocky rhythm guitar, chunky bass, uptempo drumbeat, trumpet takes the first lead, guitar the second, keys near the mid-point and then everybody kind goes for it, a the same time. Kind of cool, kind of simple in an étudinal kind of way. (8/10)  

2. "Moons Aligned" (3:58) opens with synth background and Fender Rhodes-like right hand lead. Cymbol play makes it feel soundtrack-ish. When Mark ISHAM-like sustained trumpet notes enter and hold (looping, echoing and gradually decaying and ending), it all makes sense. Later the trumpeter (from a background panning position) takes on more of a Kenny Wheeler (early David Sylvian) style and sound. (8.5/10)

3. "It Will Catch Up With You Too" (5:50) despite the chunky fretless bass, syncopated drumming, and keys, this one feels like an old jazz tune--a foundational warmup kind of song. All instruments hum and gel nicely, the repeated chord sequence and melody line get a little old despite the amp up at the end of the fifth minute on to the end. (8.5/10)

4. "No Response Still" (3:52) another interesting brief cadence that gets repeated for an entire song, the trumpet and guitar get to play off each other during the on-and-off chord progressions and pauses. In the second minute, the bass and drums pull the song into more of a continuous groove despite the keyboards maintaining the original patterns. I love how the rhythm structure tries to switch in the last minute but then quickly collapses to the fade-down. (8.5/10)

5. "Roatan Skies" (5:39) Kind of New Orleans jazz meets 1970s Memphis soul/R&B with a Herb Alpert twist on it. (8.5/10)

6. "That 6th Sunset" (1:37) is a slow, moody, cinematic, and very proggy interlude. (8.5/10)

7. "Up/Down" (5:45) opens with a very engaging HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED/HERB ALBERT sound, pace, and feel. My favorite song on the album. Great weave of performances from all of the members on this one; great engineering. Shifts tempo and style mid-song to a more "Low Spark of High-heeled Boys" foundation with several instrumentalists going hog wild over the top. Great song! (9.5/10)

8. "Blue Flower (Leaving The Cabaret)" (5:48) opens with an "Along Comes Mary" type of bass riff over which slowly join and build a beautiful sound palette (one that could have come from a mid-1970s FREDDY HUBBARD or CHICK COREA album). Very cool and beautiful song. Love the multiple tracks dedicated to the treated trumpet and jazzy chords hit by the keys. (9/10)

Total Time 36:58

86.25 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a solid and engaging excursion into jazz-rock fusion which many listeners will enjoy immensely. 

NEXUS En el comienzo del Topos Uranos

Lalo Huber and company are back again with another collection of top notch prog songs in their hard-driving symphonic style.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Carlos Lucena / guitars, backing vocals

- Lalo Huber / keyboards, vocals
- Jorge Mariño Martinez / bass
- Luis Nakamura / drums
With:
- Roxana Truccolo / backing vocals (2)

1. "El Ultimo Dia" (6:13) nice, tight performances and some okay melodies wasted on a song with too little substance or purpose. (7.5/10)

2. "La Casa Del Invierno" (5:18) nice neoclassical piano opening turns sappy, syrupy at 0:45. Guitar entry is welcomed and nice. Unfortunately, the syrupy melodies and feel continue. At 2:02 there is an awesome key change that opens the door for some nice synth-midi soloing before everything cuts out leaving a very spacious soundscape for the whispery voice of Roxana Truccolo. The instrumental section that follows sounds like pure CAMEL--even the key/chord changes. At 3:53 we're back to the instrumental chorus section--which builds into a very full (classical piano flourishes in the background!) soundscape before it all ends. (8.5/10)

3. "Un Cristal Bajo El Agua" (7:42) piano and Mellotron open this song briefly before a lively organ establishes a NEXUS sound. Things slow down as drums and bass keep pushing us forward while piano, guitar, and organ take turns soloing. Nothing so extraordinary yet. Begins to feel familiar like a circus chase scene soundtrack. Things slow down in a bombastic way in the fourth minute with wild synth soloing coming somewhat from the background (behind the drums and bass). The drumming drives me to distraction--I just can't enjoy the other instruments. (7.5/10)

4. "En El Tercer Planeta" (4:46) driving spy soundtrack theme opens and propels this one from the start. Various synths and electric guitar carry the melody and power over and above the rhythmatists. Dynamic shift in the third minute allows for an emotional electric guitar solo to shine. At 3:15 it really breaks down to basics with pounding piano and then chunky bass before gearing back up into third gear for an organ solo. Soloing synth takes us to the end. (8/10) 

5. "Huellos" (2:49) Organ! Church organ! This is cool! But, no! Lalo fades into the void so that Carlos can do a classical piece on his acoustic's nylon strings. Very pretty but I would have loved to have heard more of Lalo's organ--with or without the guitar. (8.5/10)

6. "Soplo De Vida" (9:10) as in the third song of the album, this one opens up with guns firing at full speed. There's a bit of a RUSH-like sound and feel to the bass lines in this one. Meanwhile guitars and synths are screaming at and over one another for two minutes before there is a short break. We soon return to the speed limit, this time in an odd time signature as synths and guitars continue their trailblazing.  At 3:30 we again switch time signatures until everything falls into a brief drum-and-bass-less lull (recharging their batteries, no doubt) before returning to the opening pace and cadence. This is really a masterfully constructed and performed piece of prog complexity. The true lull in the sixth minute has a kind of meditative, clandestine feel to it--as if we temporarily ran into a church for some peace and solace. As we break back out into the sun the hero feels depleted, as if the pace of the first two third has taken its toll and now, despite brief flourishes into action and adventure, the pace is much more proscribed, controlled, yet still steady, still driven. Excellent prog epic! (18/20)

- Bonus Tracks :

7. El Color Que Cayo Del Cielo (7:02)

8. Heliotropo (5:17)

9. Los Sacerdotes Malignos (7:24)

Total time 55:41

 I'm not sure why the bonus tracks are separated in the credits even though they are included in the "total time" calculations, as the 36-minute body of the main six are a little shy of a full album. Still, the band has pulled it together again. But I have to admit, they're feeling a little old (especially in the drums but overall).

85.83 on the Fishscales = B/Four stars; a nice addition to prog world from some seasoned masters. 

HIMMELLEGEME Myth of Earth

Here is a band that is new to me--from Norway--whose mundane blues-rock sound is uplifted throughout by nuanced performances of all instrumentalists, great sound engineering, and, most of all, by the tremendous talent and instincts of lead vocalist Aleksander Vormstrand. Definitely in the running for newcomers of the year, Aleksander may be deserving of vocalist of the year!

Line-up / Musicians:

Aleksander Vormestrand - guitars and vocals
Hein Alexander Olson - lead guitar
Lauritz Isaksen - keyboards
Erik Alfredsen - bass
Thord Nordli - drums

1. "Natteravn" (4:55) grungy, dirty, dark, dank, and haunting in a Post Rock/ULVER kind of way. The singer here sings not unlike Ulver's Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg. Powerful but could use more development and nuance (like the vocal screams in the final minute). (7.5/10) 

2. "Hjertedød" (3:55) Wow! What a voice! Reminds me of the late Robby Wilson (AUTUMN CHORUS). To go from a haunting, almost folk/religious sound and feel into the stoner rock that it ends up in is remarkable. (8.5/10)

3. "Myth Of Earth" (5:21) lots of spacey background sounds droning away in support of the organ and slowly played drums in the opening 45 seconds leads to a spacious foundation over which that amazing voice of Alexsander Vormestrand sings (and then sits back whilc Hein Alexander Olson takes over and wails away his bluesy lead guitar tones.) Vocal and music here sounds a bit like countrymates SEVEN IMPALE or Finnish wunderkind Petri Walli, from KINGSTON WALL, slowed down by heroin. Simple enough song construction raised up by some great individual contributions!  One of my favorite three songs on the album. (9/10)  

4. "Breathe In The Air Like It's Fire" (5:26) simple, basic opening which builds into a pretty chord progression over which Aleksander issues forth another magical vocal performance. Both the verses and the chorus have some absolutely beautiful technical and melodic conveyances. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)

5. "Kyss Mine Blodige Hender" (3:53) with a bit of grungy, distorted edge to it, this song could fit well onto an album by DUNGEN or MOTORPSYCHO. Different vocal approach by Aleksander here, as he sings in a lower octave than previously and warbles his long notes in a way that is kind of reminiscent of early ELIZABETH FRASER (Cocteau Twins). Nice song. (8/10)

6. "Fish" (3:42) all blues, this one, with piano and echo-percussions and classic blues guitar sounds before Aleksander enters. Then, after his first verse, the band bursts out into a kind of ERIC CLAPTON/YARDBIRDS/LED ZEPPELIN chorus section. Organ joins in as Aleksander raises the bar of force and emotion ten notches. Aleksander definitely the power of a great blues rock singer like ERIC BURDON. (8.5/10) 

7. "Fallvind" (10:15) in spite of its proggy length, this song happens to be the proggiest song on the album. Post Rock guitar, folk keyboard flute sounds, John Wayne sample at the opening, and folkie ROBBIE WILSON-like vocal, the song develops into a great prog epic--one of my favorites of the year! My final top three song. (18/20)

Total time: 37:27

85.71 on the Fishscales = B/Four stars; a wonderful addition to any prog rocker's album collection--and a band (and individual) to keep your eyes and ears on. What potential!

ULVER The Assassination of Julius Caesar

The reincarnation of Depeche Mode and New Order? Great collaborations, and Garm's voice has NEVER been better!

Line-up / Musicians:
- Tore Ylwizaker / keyboards, electronics

- Kristoffer Rygg / synthpads, pedalboard, percussion
- Jørn H. Sværen / wind
With:
- Ole Alexander Halstensgård / electronics
- Stian Westerhus / guitars
- Anders Møller / tambourine, shaker, congas
- Daniel O'Sullivan / guitar, bass, keyboards
- Nik Turner (Hawkwind) / sax (2)

1. "Nemoralia" (4:10) How can you not love this one! "Nero lights up the night (eighteenth nineteenth of July)" and its dedication to Diana Spencer! With an awesome pop hook. Sounds like a YAZ song. By far my favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)

2. "Rolling Stone" (9:26) could be a great New Order or OMD song--even down to the background chorus girls. It not only rocks, it throbs. Great "A Day in the Life" crescendo ending! (9/10)

3. "So Falls the World" (5:57) piano base with awesome synth flourishes throughout. This one sounds very much like an Ulver song. (9/10)

4. "Southern Gothic" (3:40) a little too much like an ABC, PROPAGANDA, THE THE, or YAZ  song (though it's so nice to hear!) The vocal sounds like DEPECHE MODE's David GAHAN They've certainly mastered the style! (8.5/10)

5. "Angelus Novus" (4:07) synth washes break for Garm's echoed and, later, doubled voice. At the one minute mark the full musical arrangement joins in. Nice long-held vocal notes. Never becomes the engaging, melodic song you hope for. (7.5/10)

6. "Transverberation" (4:30) more synth and guitar floursishes and riffs á la ABC and other 80s synth bands that I'm not pegging. Nice but could have used a little more shifting and transgressing. The closest we get is the TEARS FOR FEARS/early SIMPLE MINDS/DEPECHE MODE shift at the 3:00 mark. (8/10)

7. "1969" (3:59) more synths, this one more bouncy in a ABC/PSYCHEDELIC FURS/SPANDAU BALLET-like way. I do like the female background vocals used on this one and "Rolling Stone." For 60s buffs, the lyrics are full of 1969 references. See if you can pick them all up! (8/10)

8. "Coming Home" (7:50) interesting MOBY-like vocals with MASSIVE ATTACK/PAUL OAKENFOLD-like music. Out there, experimental; I'm not sure I like it. The second half with its house/rave-like synth beats and solos becomes more engaging. Okay, I like it. It's cool. (9/10)

85.625 on the Fishscales = B/Solid four stars; an excellent representative of retrospective progressive rock from the bravely chameleonic and unpredictable wolves from the north.

MAJOR PARKINSON Blackbox

Despite displaying very little instrumental flash, nuance, or virtuosity, Major Parkinson continues putting out interesting poppy prog goth noir--this one their fourth.

Line-up / Musicians: Inside the Blackbox:
Jon Ivar Kollbotn: lead vox, piano (track 3)
Eivind Gammersvik: bass, backing vox
Lars Christian Bjørknes: piano, synth, organs, programming, notation, backing vox
Sondre Sagstad Veland: drums, perc, typewriter, backing vox
Sondre Rafoss Skollevoll: guitars, backing vox, microKORG (track 4)
Øystein Bech-Eriksen: guitars
Claudia Cox: violin, backing vox
Also featuring:
Linn Frøkedal – lead vox
Carmen Boveda – cello
Jonas Flemsæter Hamre – saxophone
Joar Lemme – trombone
Gunleik Gisletveit – tuba
Logan Arndt – french horn
Andreas Hesselberg Hatzikiriakidis – trumpet
Nataniel Hjønnevåg – xylophone
Thomas Rolland aka Lip Shaw – whistling
Megan Kovacs – backing vox
Female choir by Volve Vokal:
Thea Meidell Sjule

1. "Lover, Lower Me Down!" (4:47) drums and, of course, vocals/lyrics on display here despite it being 70% instrumental. (8.5/10)

2. "Night Hitcher" (5:46) the synth/keyboard work is my favorite thing about this song. The chorus is so out of a 1980s film soundtrack! Something by John Hughes or Pump Up the Volume. Again, the percussion/rhythm work is remarkable and there is a rather wonderful buildup and synth chord sequence as it approaches its end but, otherwise, there is nothing so extraordinary about this song--nothing that draws me back to listen to it repeatedly. (9/10)

3. "Before the Helmets" (1:25) melodic piano with incongruous singing voice. (3/5)

4. "Isabel - A Report to an Academy" (9:41) (8.5/10)

5. "Scenes from Edison's Black Maria" (1:46) minimalism!? (4.5/5)

6. "Madeleine Crumbles" (5:06) upbeat pop noir! with nice performance from female singer Linn Frøkedal. A modern, goth noir take on The Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way." (9/10)

7. "Baseball" (10:20) prog cabaret! entertaining! All we need are the Cirque du Soleil acrobats.(8.5/10)

8. "Strawberry Suicide" (2:57) classical/Kurt Weill/Leonard Cohen! (8/10)

9. "Blackbox" (5:48) 80s underground synth pop! I do like it better when the band alternates a female vocalist with that of the melodramatic atonal voice of Jon Ivar. (9/10)

A little too simple and repetitive, musically, and, being deaf to lyrics, the lyrical messages are lost to me, this is just not what I'm looking for in progressive rock music. But I can see how some might like it.

Four stars; an excellent addition to any adventurous prog rock music collector.

85.625 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any adventurous prog rock music collector. 

GODSTICKS Faced with Rage

One of the best collection of Prog Metal songs I've heard all year: tight, concise, well-composed and -performed with competent skill (though all-too little flash) and incredible clarity of sound (especially considering this is prog metal--a typically muddy and murky sub-genre of music). My main complaint is that the music is sometimes too conservative and too simplistic--soft around the edges--especially for djenty prog metal.

Line-up / Musicians:
Darran Charles - Guitars, Vocals, Keys, Synths

Tom Price - Drums
Dan Nelson - Bass
Gavin Bushell - Guitar, Synths

1. "Guilt" (4:31) musically a nice start, but then the singing, verses and horrible chord progression for the chorus enter into play. Some of the things going on within the music are interesting--until they get too repetitive and old. (8/10)

2. "Hard to Face" (6:10) "simple" prog metal or heavy metal--a song that would get a lot of play on XM/Sirius's Octane station. (9/10)

3. "Open Your Eyes" (5:04) nothing very new or exciting on this standard heavy prog song.(7.5/10)

4. "We Are Leaving" (6:49) opens like a delicate ANATHEMA song, drums and bass joining in during the second verse. The song then goes into KARNIVOOL realms with Ian Kenny-like vocal. It evens tells the sci-fi like story of leaving (the planet?) Things amp up (slightly) at 4:35 while never getting too crazy (or even crazy at all; it's very restrained). Pretty but nothing very special. (8.5/10)

5. "Angry Concern" (6:34) a little edgier, djentier sounding, despite some nice solos, the song never really develops into anything better than an ALICE IN CHAINS b-side. (8/10)

6. "Avenge" (3:56) solid but too straightforward with no unexpected moments, none of the nuance surprises that feed my soul. (8.5/10)

7. "Revere" (4:24) opens in a cool almost-rehearsal way before turning into a radio-friendly ALICE IN CHAINS/KLONE song. Still, the sounds, weaves, melodies, and vocals are all perfectly matched. This is a heavy pop song that I would request and replay. (9/10)

8. "Unforgivable" (5:56) Finally! some thick, heavy bass and guitar chord play. Nice subtlety touches within the music--with and without the singing. I just wish there were a few twists or turns--and a little more exciting soloing. Still, a top three song for me. (9/10)

9. "Everdrive" (8:02) A song that feels like a true prog metal song with its djenty staccato time signature changes and full-on band soundscape explorations. One of the few songs in which the music attracts my attention over the vocals. And they even take a few surprising turns along the way. More of this, please! (9.5/10)

10. "Fame and Silence" (5:03) almost feels a personalized take on LED ZEPPELIN's "Kashmir." Very nice lead guitar solo in the third minute. Gets a little more dense, heavy, and full toward the end, but still leaves me disappointed. This could be so much more! (8.5/10)

Total Time 56:51

85.5 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very good contribution of progressive rock music, one that is worth checking out by all prog lovers.

MELANGE Viento Bravo

ORPHEUS NINE Transcendental Circus

Line-up / Musicians:

- Jason Kresge / keyboards, lead vocals
- Matt Ullestad / guitars
- Tony Renda / bass, vocals
- Mark DeGregory / drums, vocals 

1. Of Zygotes And Grace Notes (1:18)
2. Eightfold Way (6:47)
3. Fetish (8:31)
4. Hand Of Make-Believe (5:33)
5. No Illusions (4:24)
6. Age Of Rhyme And Reason (6:27)
7. Transcendental Circus I: Barcarolle Of Bedlam (5:31)
8. Transcendental Circus II: Hallowed Playground (4:14)
9. Transcendental Circus III: Intergalactic Clown Festival (3:00)
10. Transcendental Circus IV: Swimming In Our Four O'Clock Tea (2:51)
11. Transcendental Circus V: Not Within The Memory Of Elephants (3:01)
12. Transcendental Circus VI: Freak Tent Mausoleum (2:55)
13. Reaper's Carousel (3:47)
14. Sandcastles (6:01)
15. The Fall Of The House Of Keys (10:45)

Total time: 75:05

IL CHERCHIO D'ORO Il fuoco sotto la cenere

Great Neo Prog of the vintage RPI kind--sounds, voices, constructs, all fit into the bombast of RPI symphonic prog. 

THE LIGHT AFTERNOON The History of Mr. Puffin Man

Gorgeous symphonic prog not unlike the vein that Bill Gillham and his female vocal-featured CIRRUS BAY project have graced Prog World with over the past ten years. I'd say vocalist Annette Appleton is a bit more operatic and/or theatrically-oriented than Bill's vocalists, but the RENAISSANCE-like feel is common to both. 

Line-up: 
Steve Newland - Guitars, Keyboards
Annette Appleton - Vocals

1. "A Boy On A Farm" (6:19) 
2. "The Lord Of Amber And Grey" (6:12) 
3. "Solstice I Named Her" (7:31) 
4. "The Buffer Zone" (5:53) 
5. "Mystery Plays" (16:32) 
6. "Coal Iron Crops & Tea" (8:10) 

Total time 50:37  

 

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD Microtonal Banana

The prolific Aussie jam band is experimenting with Middle Eastern microtonalism.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Stu Mackenzie / vocals (1-4,7,8), microtonal guitar (1-8), piano (1,5,9), synth (2,3,8,9), microtonal bass (2,8), percussion (1-3,9), zurna

- Joe Walker / microtonal guitar (1,3,4,6,8,9), microtonal bass (5), vocals 6)

- Cook Craig / microtonal guitar (1,3,7), microtonal bass (4,6)

- Ambrose Kenny-Smith / microtonal harmonica (1,4,7-9), vocals (5)

- Lucas Skinner / microtonal bass (1-3,7)

- Michael Cavanagh / drums (1-8), bongos (3-5,8,9), percussion (9)

- Eric Moore / drums (1,3), bongos (9)

1. “Rattlesnake” (7:48) run-of-the-mill, straightforward lyrics-driven rock. (12/15)

2. “Melting” (5:27) hypnotic SANTANA-like music. A top three song. (8.75/10)

3. “Open Water” (7:13) interesting and engaging in a MOTORPSYCHO-kind of way. The insidious repetition runs the chance of boring me musically until the guitars cut out at the 4:15 mark and then a very interesting ADRIAN BELEW/TALKING HEADS section begins. Cool! My second top three song. (13.25/15)

4. “Sleep Drifter” (4:44) good modern psychedelic rock with some classic “Southern” rock chord structures and soundscapes. I like the pause and slow restart at 2:40—it really sets apart the microtonal inputs that everyone talks about. There’s a little CAN-like Krautrock feel to this, as well. (8.5/10)

5. “Billabong Valley” (3:34) same CAN-like beat and pace from the previous song with the unusual singing voice of a female(?) The song slows down in the second half and then the presence of the zurna makes it interesting. (8.5/10)

6. “Anoxia” (3:04) Here the zurna feels like it’s coming from its own separate universe while the pretty standard rock music supports the guitar-and-choral vocal approach the band used to use a lot back in 2014. (8.5/10)

7. “Doom City” (3:14) odd slow blues riff opens before it switches to New Wave-like rhythmic styling. Zurna and choir take the band down the slow blues riff for the choruses. Very strange! Stu’s untreated voice, sung in the mid-range, sounds so unusual. (8.25/10)

8. “Nuclear Fusion” (4:15) Very interesting, curious, yet catchy soundscape and weave. A top three song for me. (8.75/10)

9. “Flying Microtonal Banana” (2:34) an instrumental with congos, djembe, and marimba with guitars and multiple tracks of zurna. Eventually they create a kind of chorus out of the chorus riff from Jesus Christ Superstar song “The Temple.” Whereas the rest could come from PETER GABRIEL’s Passion Sources. I have to say, when these guys choose to do instrumentals, they do them well. My favorite song on the album. (4.75/5)

Total Time 41:53

85.53 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice excursion into KG&TLW’s excursion into Middle Eastern-influenced psychedelia. Recommended for your own exploration—especially if you’re into following this band’s evolution.

L'ALBERO DEL VELENO Tale of A Dark Fate

Proficient instrumental prog that is not as well well engineered as one would hope--especially with the acclaim it's been receiving. The fact that this music is being marketed as "horror" "soundtrack" music is quite surprising to me as the songs are mostly very pretty, even calming. The tempos and time signatures are fairly laid back and straightforward and the the musical arrangements are quite simplistic and often feel too bare or sparsely populated. The beginning of "Phantasos" was the first time I felt any kind of eeriness or feelings of uneasiness, and even this gets nowhere near as heavy as, say, a KARDA ESTRA song from the Naughties. It is also my opinion that this music is really screaming out for lyrics--for its story to be told in more than saccharine symphonic prog music. The drums are recorded raw and untreated (no gating!)--which is nice--but something is off-feeling about them--as if the equipment is too loose or cheap. Still, the drumming is, for me, often a highlight (especially on "Phobetor," "Clotho," and "Lachesis").

Line-up / Musicians:

- Lorenzo Picchi / guitars
- Nadin Petricelli / keyboards, synth
- Marco Brenzini / flute
- Jacopo Ciani / violin, viola, strings
- Michele Andreuccetti / bass
- Claudio Miniati / drums
With:

- Cesare Valentini / choir arrangements

1. Prelude - The Poison Tree (1:20)
ACT I (Hypnos)
2. Morpheus (6:14)
3. Phobetor (3:18)
4. Interlude I - Momus (1:22)
5. Phantasos (5:50)
6. Interval (0:14)
ACT II (Thanatos)
7. Clotho (7:09)
8. Lachesis (4:08)
9. Interlude II - Ananke (3:48)
10. Atropos (5:37)
11. Postlude - Moros (4:55)

Total Length 44:04

Favorite tracks: 9. "Interlude II - Ananke" (3:48) (8.5/10); 3. "Phobetor" (3:18) (8.5/10); 7. "Clotho" (7:10) (though it runs a little long) (8.5/10); 5. "Phantasos" (5:51) (8.5/10); 8. "Lachesis" (4:09) (the second half) (8.5/10); 10. "Atropos" (5:36) (8/10), 2. "Morpheus" (6:15) (8/10); and; 11. "Postlude - Moros" (4:56) (held back by the computer-generated piano) (7.5/10).

3.5 stars; a good album from an artist whose progress and growth I will eagerly watch. Listening to this album I am reminded of the first BATTLESTATIONS album I heard back in 2011. Great ideas, great sounds, great potential, room to grow!

KILLER CORTEZ Maquiladora

Fine collaboration of the music of Socrates Cruz with the excellent drum work of Peter Bartash as epitomized on the song "Pine Ridge Peltier". To my ears, their music sounds and feels like a kind of a combination of Italian band MOONGARDEN or Poland's RETROSPECTIVE with the foundational sound of Britain's RADIOHEAD. Definitely a band (or composer) to keep an eye on.

SCHNAUSER Irritant

Part XTC and ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS, part FARMERS MARKET and HOMUNCULUS RES, this band of blokes from Bristol make complex, upbeat, quirky, humorous music over which are sung quite clever, humorous lyrics in many forms and styles. 

1. "Spiele mit Katzen" (4:21) (8.5/10) 

2. "Chinese Brainworm (Tænia Solium)" (4:48) with a country-Kavus Torabi twang. (9/10)

3. "Re-Mortgaging the Nest of Hairs" (4:12) a mid-tempo instrumental (8/10)

4. "Sorry, You Were Out" (1:24) reminds me of 80s indie-quirk-band IT'S IMMATERIAL. 

5. "Have You Got PPI" (4:44) continues from the previous song with an account of a kind of phone telemarketing call. Fun vocal and nice instrumental contributions. (8.5/10) 

6. "How Bout a Kiss" (4:06) So XTC-ish! Uncanny! (8.5/10)

7. "Fail Better" (6:35) cool synth octave lead in gives this one an early 70s Canterbury feel. The slow pace and BEATLES-esque vocal arrangements make for an interesting, pretty song. Would've fit nicely on last years THE WINSTONS' debut. (9/10)

8. "Hypertension" (4:15) So many cool quirky-jazz, Canterbury-style things going on this instrumental. Could fit nicely into a HOMUNCULUS RES album. My favorite track on the album. (9/10)

9. "A New Atmosphere" (8:23) klezmer like in opening instruments and rhythm structure, but the B-part goes more prog-Canterbury. Alternates back and forth like this for the first minute before it  morphs a little to support a multi-voice vocal--kind of like an early Brit-pop "flower power" band (or very early YES). At the end of the sixth minute it switches into a slow, plodding speed over which a spoken poem is delivered in a NIGEL TUFNEL way. Meant to be funny? I'm sorry, I can't help but laugh. (9/10)

10. "The Monday Club" (7:44) definitely a piece of fusion--fusing jazz, pop, folk, psychedelia, and some proggy sounds. The chorus reminds me of Devon's MAGIC BUS. Love the HOMUNCULUS RES-like instrumental frenzy in the sixth and seventh minutes. Kind of a "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting" outro. (9/10)

11. "Speile-Jangle" (2:17) strange filler-like song to end the album!?! (7.5/10)

85.0 on the Fishscales = B/solid four star album; an excellent album of upbeat, quirky prog pop in a somewhat Canterbury style. Recommended for your listening explorations.

GENTLE KNIFE The Clock Unwound

Quite an improvement in skill, polish, sophistication, and sound from the band'd self-titled debut three years ago. My favorite part of this band is its use of a broad array of eclectic musical instruments. My criticism is the "oldness" of many of the sounds and sound styles preferred by the band.

Line-up / Musicians:
Astraea Antal - Flutes, bagpipe chanter, alto saxophone
Pal Bjorseth - Keyboards, flügelhorn, trumpet, viola, alto recorder, backing vocals
Odd Gronvold - Bass
Thomas Hylland Eriksen - Tenor saxophone
Veronika Horven Jensen - Vocals
Hakon Kavli - Vocals, guitars
Eiving Lorentzen - Guitars, synths
Charlotte Valstad Nielsen - Alto and baritone saxophone
Ove Christian Owe - Guitars
Ole Martin Svendensen - Drums, percussion
Brian M.Talgo - Mellotron samples, vocals

1. "Prelude:Incipit" (3:21) low classical piano opening is joined by distant synth voices and then trumpet solo. Nice song, nice intro. Quite cinematic. (9/10)

2. "The Clock Unwound" (15:58) opens with a heavy Scandinavian prog metal sound before settling into a more proggy shifting song. Muted male vocals precede a nice section of extended synth soling. Vocals at the end of the fourth minute, this time female, before being rejoined by the original male. Nice together! 

     At 6:18 everything crescendos and disappears leaving chant-like choral "aaahs" before the song switches melodies and speeds to go a different direction. Nice! Electric guitar lead is quite nice. Another quiet break at 8:15 leads into a slow, spacious, ominous section with a nice pastoral flute solo over the top. Very "Court of the Crimson King"-like but not too imitative. Very nice male vocal performance here followed by another, more-sensitive electric guitar solo and then tenor saxophone.  With two minutes to go the pace quickens and the sound palette fills with electric guitar and synths soloing madly over the top as the drums and pace continually speed up. The best work I've heard from this band yet! (27/30)

3. "Fade Away" (7:25) opens with a series of odd electric guitar chords played in slow arpeggi before date synth wash and trumpet join in. Male tenor voice enters to tell his tale in a Leonard Cohen-like style. Enter Veronika to make it a duet. Decent instrumental mid-section, then amazingly sudden shift back to opening themes, sounds, and pacing. Odd song. (7.5/10)

4. "Smother" (8:49) opens with a sound strikingly similar to that of THE REASONING's 2009 album The Awakening before turning Broadway musical at the end of the third minute. Awesome band cohesion in the seventh minute; weird key change at 5:45 followed by another odd jazz trumpet solo (8.5/10)

5. "Plans Askew" (9:22) opens with a few electrified guitars playing a nice little weave before male vocal enters. Reminds me of some Shulman singing. The next section is full of bombast of the "classic rock" era of the 1970s and 80s. At 3:25 the mix finally feels full, pretty. TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA comes to mind. Then at 4:40 we are suddenly brought back to pastoral folk earth. Nice flute and baritone sax play. (8/10)

6. "Resignation" (10:16) interesting and engaging though a little too monotonous for glowing reviews.Spoken word sounds a lot like the voice and approach of another Scandinavian oddity, MAJOR PARKINSON. (8.5/10)

Total Time 55:11

84.17 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a solid effort of progressive rock music worth recommending to others. If this band continues to grow as they have their releases may soon be nearing masterpiece level. 

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR Luciferian Towers

Though intellectually I feel that I should like everything that GY!BE does, I do not. I know I should be impressed with the musicianship, with the technical and theoretical mastery on display in their compositions, I am not. When I listen to GY!BE I feel as if everything is a slowly shifting muddle of sonic mud. It seems as if every wave in the sonic spectrum, 20 to 20,000 is full, that the band leaves no space left for anchoring contrast. And for those of you who know me and my musical tastes, I like space. It has only taken me ten years, with this release, to discover why it is such a struggle for me to listen to and review GY!BE music. I am sorry that more simplistic, less accomplished compositions rate higher on my lists of enjoyable Post Rock, but that's the way it's going to have to be. I am just not wired to like this music. The more I read, the more I feel guilty for this for obviously these guys know what they're doing and work hard to accomplish their lofty goals.

1. "Undoing a Luciferian Towers" (7:47) opens with a pulsing, vibrating weave that reminds me of a more sophisticated version of a SWANS song ("The Seer Returns"). With additional instruments (winds) joining in and adding to the mix, and a few key/chord shifts, the sound becomes cacophonous and almost overwhelming to me while maintaining that SWANS-like feel to the end. (8/10)

2. "Bosses Hanging (Pt. I, II, & III)" (14:42) strummed bass, tremoloed other stringed notes, precede the melody-presenting distorted electric guitar--until the 2:09 mark when drums and other instruments join (viola/violin) to present us with a kind of military funeral march. Kind of cool! At 3:13 more electrified stringed instruments (mostly guitars) join in in the higher registers, bringing a kind of plaintive urgency to the music. But this is only temporary, as at 4:22 everything drops away leaving a single guitar to play its two note arpeggio ad infinitum while a fast tremolo violin note accompanies. Gradually a plethora of other stringed instruments join in--all bringing with them their own two-note arpeggio to form quite an interesting TERRY RILEY-minimalist weave. When drums rejoin mid-seventh minute, the pace and complexity of the weave begins to build to a minor frenzy--kind of like the end violin solo in THE WHO's "Baba O'Riley." Halfway through the bass returns to strumming as the near-military drumming returns. Then the music stagnates and shifts, stagnates and shifts, several times over the next two minutes--including a couple of key/chord changes. At 11:25 the speed of these shifts quickens and a new upper register violin melody is added giving the song a little feeling of hopefulness. It's all here: death and destruction, chaos and confusion, as well as hope and optimism--this latter expressed beautifully (intentionally?) with the ending melody from (or a variation on) THE BEATLES' song "With a Little Help From My Friends." This song makes me appreciate GY!BE's genius. (9/10)

3. "FamFamine" (6:44) opens with some loosely conjoined one-and two-note droning from a variety of stringed instruments. Gradually the weave tightens and forms into a kind of FRIPP-ENO edgy-ambient thing. Interestingly, I would have liked this one had a JOHN LENNON/BEATLES sound and melody not appeared and moved to center in the fifth and sixth minutes (the same melody from the opening of the album's opening song). (8.5/10)

4. "Anthem for No State (Pt. I, II, & III)" (14:41) opens in a quiet simplistic way that I should like, but the use of the pedal steel (or "infinite guitar," saw, dobro, or whatever that whining, droning, incessantly sustaining sound is caused by) is not to my liking. Also the heavily fuzzed guitar doing most of the lead work is just to fuzzy for my tastes. The Country Western simplicity is maintained for six full minutes before bagpipes and distorted guitar strumming take over and turn the song into a SWANS-like emotional release. (Who came first, SWANS or GY!BE?) With four minutes left the song finally achieves full development. Nice drumming behind the weave of electrified stringed instruments. At 12:30 the song finally reveals a melody worth noting, worth remembering--which plays out with the song's finish. (8/30)

83.75 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very good work of Post Rock that is recommended for others to check out for themselves.

BAROCK PROJECT Detachment

Barock Project is:

Luca Zabbini – piano, keyboards, acoustic guitars, lead vocals

Eric Ombelli – drums

Marco Mazzuoccolo – electric guitars

Francesco Caliendo - electric bass
Peter Jones - Lead vocal on "Broken" and "Alone" 

1. "Driving Rain" (1:03) piano-based opening could be an opening for an adult contemporary jazz song.

2. "Promises" (5:05) taking the same arpeggiated melody from the opening "introduction" and moving it to a synth bass and speeding it up, the band bursts into a very complex (all instruments working furiously to keep up with the others) symphonic beginning, the song settles into a STYX-like driving rhythm with way more complexity to it. This is truly an amazingly constructed and performed song! The cynical lyric is also quite interesting--what if it's really too late to recover from the damage we've inflicted?! (9.5/10)

3. "Happy to see you" (7:37) slowing the pace down a bit and using some computer-sequenced synth rhythms a la IQ gives the opening of this song a familiar feel to it. The Arabic themes put forth from the synth "violins" gives the instrumental parts of the song a bit of a OFRA HAZA or YOSSI SASSI sound and feel to it. Nice organ, nice hand percussion, nice acoustic guitar play in that dynamic fourth minute. Things then slow down into a PHIL COLLINS-feeling section (gone are the Arabic flavors). Excellent guitar work in that Mellotron-drenched sixth minute. Gorgeous! Then we return to the Middle Eastern themes and sounds for an up-shifted key for the final minute. Nicely constructed song. (9/10)

4. "One day" (7:23) opens with some flashy solo acoustic guitar soloing before strums at the 50 second mark set up a fabric for the joining in of 12-string, keys and singing. A bit ANTHONY PHILLIPS, a bit Eastern European. The amping up with electric guitars and medieval sounding instruments in support at the three minute mark cause me to back away and lose interest. Then, with the start of the fifth minute, we're off to the races (anybody else here the similarities here to the work of THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE?). (8.5/10)

5. "Secret therapy" (5:37) way too poppy in a 1980s kind of way for my tastes. Nice, clear sound mix in the very middle. (7/10)

6. "Broken" (feat. Peter Jones) (9:10) bouncy, upbeat, almost-classical feeling piano-based start with Peter Jones' recognizable voice to lead us into a dynamic symphonic section that could have been taken straight from a MARTIN READ-era BIG BIG TRAIN song (an era of BBT that I LOVE--and like much more than this song/sound). (8.5/10)

7. "Old Ghosts" (4:07) opens with eerie reverse synths over which a MARCO GLUHMANN-like voice talk-sings in a low voice. At 0:45 the song shifts into a very Spanish-sounding Spanish guitar-based weave. For the first time, lead vocalist LUCA ZABBINI's English singing voice sounds accented. The song flounders a few times, losing my attention and interest (even through repeated listenings). I get the musical choices that fit with the title/subject, but... (8/10)  

8. "Alone" (feat. Peter Jones) (3:14) piano-based story sang by PETER JONES (TIGER MOTH TALES, COLIN TENCH PROJECT) (8.5/10)

9. "Rescue Me" (4:55) muted-strummed electric guitar portends something far more aggressive. Meanwhile, somewhat muted, distant vocal opens the story. When FIXX-like rhythm guitar sets us up into a new section (for the chorus) we're given both CY CURNIN vocal melody and synth sounds. Interesting! Weak keyboard and guitar play in the third minute instrumental section. A disappointment. (7/10)

10. "Twenty years" 6:06 for the first two-and-a-half minutes this is stripped down, fast-picked acoustic guitar story told by Luca with some "strings" in support, but then a different course is chosen: a fast, breakneck paced full-band production with a Gary Richrath/REO Speedwagen-like guitar solo played over the top. Then synth-derived strings do the soloing before the song finishes with a cool section of vocally-harmonized acoustic guitar flourish. (9/10) 

11. "Waiting" (5:43) accented voice sings in English over synth arpeggio. DEPECHE MODE/TEARS FOR FEARS programmed drum sound plays in second section. Piano in the third. Chorus section is more rocking but melodies or lyrics aren't very engaging for me. Love the sound of the organ & harpsichord solo at the end of the third minute before Russian piano and accordion duet take over. Nice drumming and synth solo in the next section. Then multiple-voiced choral section takes over--unfortunately, over a synth sound that feels/sounds so 90s. Interesting outro. (7.5/10)

12. "A New tomorrow" (7:39) drums, synth and piano open before very pleasant singing voice and chord and melody choice draws me into this one. Great up to the 1:10 mark when the chorus starts. The second verse uses some really awesome multiple-voiced vocal harmonics (not unlike a Simon and Garfunkle efffort). AT 2:20 things amp up quite a bit with electric guitar power chords and Farfisa-like organ providing an interesting contrast to the previous sections, but also diminishing the song's overall feel to more of the early 1970s URIAH HEEP-kind of sound. Great section of vocals in the fifth minute before everything breaks down to a nice section of piano and bass. Almost JOHN TOUT-like! Then back to the GRAND FUNK/early Wakeman hard rock section. (8/10)

13. "Spies" (7:23) opens with an inviting weave of guitars, bass, drums and nicely-effected PETER MURPHY-like voiced vocal. Very engaging if poppy and more simple in construction and performance demands than previous songs. A break of silence at 3:13 makes one look to see if the song is over, but then a spoken voice comes in over a kind of cabaret piano. Heavier section soon ensues with effected male voice (not Luca?) singing. Then everything drops away again leaving a soft weave of piano, synths, guitars, bass and percussives (both live and computerized). It's very nice.

     Keeping the title of this song in mind, one can come to grips with all the twists and changes in directions this song takes. The final minute is even, engaging, and sublime. Interesting! (8.5/10)

When compared to so many of the modern Neo Prog releases of this decade, this is an extraordinarily well engineered and produced album. The acoustic guitar sounds, bass, keys and vocals have clarity and separation and yet the mixing gives all instruments a blended feeling of "togetherness" which is so often absent from the over compressed, over neutralized tracks of other releases. Mega kudos, Luca! The compositional quality here is often right in the top tier of prog song-making but often falls back into old used and often tired sounds, riffs, and styles. And you have quite a capable and talented group of musicians to draw from and challenge. Still room to grow, Barock Project!

84.84 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very nice addition to the world of modern progressive rock music, one that I recommend to all prog lovers.

AGUSA Agusa

I like this sound of these songs and their slightly more sophisticated, dynamic music than that of their previous release, 2015's Två, which was more like two long, continuous, side-long jams. 

Line-up / Musicians:

- Mikael Ödesjö / guitar
- Jonas Berge / organ

- Jenny Puertas / flute

- Tobias Pettersson / bass

- Tim Wallander / drums, percussion

1. "Landet Längesen" (10:29) pretty instrumental jam prog using vintage instrumental sounds and based upon stolen folk melody. But it works! (17/20)

2. "Sorgenfri" (5:00) this one sounds like a 1960s folk rock song (electric guitar chords are lifted straight out of some blues-rock jam) over which flute, organ, and electric guitar take turns soloing. (7.5/10)

3. "Den Förtrollade Skogen" (8:33) opens with a lot of spacey spaciousness: distorted guitar squealing over organ and tuned percussives. After about a minute a plodding tom-and-kick drum supports another familiar folk melody coming from the flute. After a round or two, drums, bass, and strummed electric guitar join in to create a slow blues-folk song. A break at the halfway mark allows bass, hand percussion, and wah-ed electric guitar strums and simple organ to establish a kind of Rasta/Afro-pop variation. Okay song. (15/20)

4. "Sagor Från Saaris" (9:20) uses a raunchy 1960s West Coast sound from the opening, over which flute enters to plays its folky melodies. Foundation sound and structure sound almost like classic rock song "House of the Rising Sun." When second section crashes in with fuzzy bass and swirling organ soloing over drums and hand percussion, it becomes a little more blues-rock and even grungy. The return to the flute-based melodies always bring it back to a proggier folk sound, though. A spacious clear out in the fifth minute is different--allowing for some more whole-band experimentation with their individual sounds. Cool! Even the way it amps up into a crescendo of sound is cool and unexpected. (16/20)

5. "Bortom Hemom" (10:19) quiet organ and gentle, breathy flute open this one up before guitar strums and arpeggi from organ and cymbal play begin a slow build to the point in second minute when everybody steps up and settles into a nice, engaging foundation over which organ is the first to take its turn soloing. Nice melody set up by the strummed acoustic guitar chord progression. My favorite song on the album. (18/20)

Total time 43:41

83.0 on the Fishscales = B-/four stars; a nice contribution of folk-blues Kosmische jams.

KAPRECKER'S CONSTANT Fate Outsmarts Desire

A surprise arrival from this collective of British prog veterans, the sound is pristine and well-mixed and effected, the music very easy on the ears, kind of like TONY PATTERSON or MANTRA VEGA with the British historical passion equal to BIG BIG TRAIN.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Al Nicholson / acoustic guitar, classical guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, keyboards
- Nick Jefferson / bass, fretless bass, electric guitar, keyboards
- Mike Westergaard / keyboards, piano, backing voices
- Bill Jefferson / voices
- Dorie Jackson / voices
- David Jackson / saxophones, flutes, whistles, bell
- Phil Gould / drums, percussion, djambe
- Paul Gunn / spoken voices

1. "Hors d'Oeuvre" (3:28) opening with a passionate male voice singing a cappella, the song soon progresses into a well-woven tapestry of straight-timed folk rock for the telling of a story about. Love the background flute, organ, and sax play in the second and third minutes. Interesting choral bridge to the piano-based, "orchestra"-drenched finale. (8.5/10)

2. "Bluebird" (17:53) a musical expression for the telling of the story of Malcolm Campbell and Parry Thomas chasing the world land speed record back in the 1920s. The song is peppered throughout with interjections of recorded radio quotes from the era's headlines. GENESIS-like drum play and multi-track guitar picking coupled with a very pleasant, catchy melody make this easy listening part of the song (the first six minutes) my favorite on the album. Instrumental section in the seventh and eighth minutes contains some lackluster electric guitar and saxophone soli before we are returned to the narrative with news of Parry Thomas' death while trying to race his speeding "Babs" to a new world record. Dull, sad lyrics follow. Bluebird's return the next year is announced, followed by a "fanfare"-type of full-band instrumental section. The achievement of a new record initiates another pretty, more upbeat singing section. The multi-instrument soloing here is almost jazzy. Nice multi-voiced vocal section follows--another outstanding section--which progresses with a steady buildup into a prolonged final section--one that rivals anything BIG BIG TRAIN has conjured up. (9/35)

3. "Pearl Of The Lake" (5:10) a pretty ballad that would have fit perfectly on the 2016 MANTRA VEGA release. Nice sound, soothing, but nothing very exciting or noteworthy here. (7.5/10)

4. "Hallsands" (14:18) a song that tells a sea story with lead singer's IAN ANDERSON/DAVE COUSINS-like voice taking the stage, front and center, for the majority of the song. A switch into acoustic folk traditional music at 5:36 is fun--though the electric guitar power chords sneaking into the background are, in my opinion, unnecessary. But this is all for naught as there is a quick switch back into storytelling mode with a new, orchestral-sounds-supported slowed down section--a section that is, unfortunately a little too monotonous despite the gradual buildup with additional instrument tracks filling the soundfield. At 8:30 the music switches into an interesting instrumental section in which seems imitative of Genesis' "Apocalypse in 9/8" Just before the ten minute mark this ends and some medieval acoustic instruments give the song a new mediæval feel before settling into more of another ballad-support combination--this one far more traditional British folk-oriented (until the electric guitar solo at 11:42). Flutes and Mellotron-like synthesizer washes support. Organ and electric guitar re[place the vocalist to carry the main melody forward from the end of the thirteenth minute to the song's end. I like a lot of this music--and it seems perfect for the support of another historically-based story, but the story and lyrics are lost to me. (I just don't absorb the meaning of the words of song lyrics. A disability of mine, I believe.) (8.5/30)

5. "Four-Faced Liar" (4:24) a song based in acoustic instrumentation (even the keyboards seem to be trying to make the sound of acoustic orchestral instruments), another story is being told with lots of radio samples incorporated beneath and between the singing and music. Something about Boston and gold. The lead vocal here is rather pitchy. (8/10)

6. "Houdini" (21:26) the third and final epic-length song of the album, opens with atmospheric sounds supporting the long introductory reproduction of an old loudspeaker speech--perhaps an original recording of Houdini? At the end of the second minute the speech ends and the music switches to bring electric guitar arpeggi and some nice flute play to fore while female voice(s) enter before a lone female voice takes over the lead. With the second verse drums, bass, and more layers of keys and guitars and saxes join in. Very nice sound and construct. The succeeding sections of instrumental and lyrics support are nothing extraordinary--even tread a disappointing line between predictability and lackluster. In fact, the plethora of old radio samples are by far and away the highlights of the song. I like Kate Bush's tribute better. (8/40)

Total Time 66:39

The keyboard master does a great job arranging keyboard-generated orchestral sounds and textures but, in the end, they're a weak point because they're still just keyboard generated representations. The vocalists have pleasant timbres and stories to tell but their performances lack passion and fire. The most interesting parts of their music are the tapestries woven by the combination of acoustic instruments, though even these seem to disappoint in their frequent lack of invention and/or prog-by-the-numbers product.

82.5 on the Fishscales = B-/four stars; a nice piece of pastoral, history-oriented story telling--a celebration of one of the niches progressive rock music has carved for itself.

THINKING PLAGUE Hoping Against Hope

New avant/RIO from the Colorado-based masters is always nice. Elaine sings and plays accordion!

Line-up / Musicians: 

Mike Johnson: guitar, samples, midi instruments

Mark Harris: soprano and alto saxes, B-flat standard and bass clarinets, flute

Dave Willey: bass, drums (5), accordion (2, 6)

Elaine di Falco: voice, accordion, piano

Robin Chestnut: drums, percussion

Bill Pohl: guitar

     with:

Adriana Teodoro-Dier: piano (2, 5, 6) and toy piano (2)

Simon Steensland: bass (5)

Mike Boyd: drums (2)

Kathryn Cooper: oboe (4)

1. "The Echoes of Their Cries" (6:37) opens with a high pitch drone before single notes from four other instruments join in. By the end of the first minute bass and drums have kicked into an odd-time groove over which Elaine de Falco sings in her chromatic way before woodwinds attack. A creepy lull-section ensues over which Elaine, winds, and electric guitar take turns leading. Dynamics shift back and forth every 30 seconds or so between soft, lull and loud, in-your-face. Elaine's singing in the fourth minute stays nearly within two of her lower range notes before switching in the fifth minute to the use of wordless vocalese while accordion and piano supporting her along with the rhythm section. (9/10)

2. "Thus Have We Made the World" (5:44)

3. "Commuting to Murder" (4:44)

4. "Hoping Against Hope" (10:06) (/20) 

5. "The Great Leap Backwards" (4:01)

6. "A Dirge for the Unwitting" (13:45) (/30)

HERD OF INSTINCT Drone Priest

Line-up / Musicians:
Mark Cook  (Spoke of Shadows) - Warr Guitar, Fretless Bass, Fretless and Fretted Guitars, Keyboards, Samples, and Beat Construction.
Bill Bachman (Spoke of Shadows, Neil Morse) - Drums
Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet) - Mellotron, Moog, Hammond, and Guitar
Bob Fisher - Flute and Sax
Adam Holzman (Miles Davis, Steven Wilson) - Moog, Piano, Rhodes, and Ring Modulator
Marco Machera (EchoTest) - Bass
Mike McGary - Rhodes, Synth, and Vibes
Rick Read - Chapman Stick
Ross Young - Cymbals

1. "Fragments Of A Portrait" (2:46) opens like an old song from the Doors or Animals before breaking down to allow slow simple structure with guitar arpeggi and bass before Steve Hackett-like volume-pedal-controlled guitar lead plays. At the 90 second mark things have shifted again, as the rhythm section picks up the pace establishing a more standard jazz-fusion up-tempo pace over which a Fripp-like guitar solo plays till the songs end. (8.5/10)
2. Cosmos (4:17)

3. "Drone Priest" (5:29) opens with slow emergence of Middle Eastern hand percussions as Fretless bass and WarrGuitar fill the atmospheric sound palette. At the two minute mark bass settles into an almost Rastafarian groove while percussives and WarrGuitar continue before female vocal chanter and heavy guitar chord play begins. Fripp-like guitar solo enters followed by KC-like bridge before all music cuts out leaving synth drones over which strings play an almost classical foundation over which muted fretless guitar lead solos in an almost Indian sitar fashion. (9/10)

4. "Slow Current" (3:56) a slower, spacey, almost bluesy song that reminds me of something from the late 60s or early 70s. Until the Warr Guitar plays.

5. "Orphan" (4:25) bouncing along in odd tempo with jazzy Fender Rhodes until it shifts into a funkier jazz-fusion sound. 

6. Filament (4:23)
7. "Count To 5" (4:32) opens with a 1980s techno pop spring to it before the band settles into a steady "Green-Eyed Lady" kind of groove while first Casio and then Fretless Guitar take turns on lead solos. After a stop and restart into a new groove around the two minute mark, a Moog is up next in the lead with Mellotron situated right up front and almost-djenty guitars in the back. At 3:15 there is another shift, into a slower, more spacey section still in an odd time signature to the end--a rather sudden and unexpected end. (8.5/10)

8. Zero Point Flow (4:45)
9. Soft Glow (6:20)
10. Almost Transparent Blue (4:42)
11. The Blood Jet Is Poetry (6:23)

Total Time 51:58

SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT One With The Universe

Typical well-recorded, well performed heavy blues rock from these boys who were, unfortunately, born in the wrong era. They make great music . . . that all sounds like modernized jam versions of old music from the late 1960s. GREAT album cover!

NICK PROL & THE PROLETARIANS Loon Attic

Here's an interesting modern project from one Nick Prol and many, many friends and collaborators that seems to try to revive the sound and stylings of 1980s PETE SHELLEY (founder of the BUZZCOCKS) with a little CARDIACS and even MAGMA thrown into the mix--fits very well into the quirky, theatric sub-category that I like to call Prog Cabaret--though it could also be called Post Punk. 

1. Main Titles (0:59)
2. Welcome (0:27)
3. Carvings On The Wall (4:08)
4. 8th Wonder (2:02)
5. Treacle (2:27)
6. Shiny And Round (2:12)
7. Box Of Flies (3:04)
8. Marry Annette (1:58)
9. Thumbs (3:02)
10. Madame Spider (3:14)
11. Reprise (0:49)
12. Bubble And Squeak (2:28)
13. A Myriad (1:37)
14. Nameless (1:42)
15. Under The Bed (0:18)
16. Magazine Reader (3:09)
17. Cheesecake (1:32)
18. Another Groan (1:39)
19. Wastebin (2:07)
20. It Bodes Well (2:47)
21. Saturnine Showers (1:49)
22. Beekeeper's Suit (4:10)
23. O Merry Land (2:17)

Total time 49:57

Line-up / Musicians:
Nick Prol - Vocals, Guitar, Misc. Cacophonous Calamity
Ben Spees - Bass, Misc. Aural Alchemy
Connor Reilly - Drums
Dave Newhouse - Woodwinds
   With
Evyenia Karapolous - Lead Vocals (2), Backing Vocals (3, 14)
Charlie Cawood - Bass, Guitar (3)
Moe Staiano - Glockenspiel, Marimba (3), Percussion(5)
Dave Willey - Accordion, Bass, "Cruddy Mandolin" (4)
Paul Sears - Drums (4), Percussion(10)
Bob Drake - Lead Vocals, Voice of "Filligrew"(7)
Mohadev - Guitar Solo (4, 7)
Thymme Jones - Drums, Trumpet, Moog (6)
Oliver Grant Campbell - Bass  (6), Screams (20)
Michael Dawson - Flute (8)
Carla Diratz - Lead Vocals (10)
Matt Lebofsky - Keyboard (15), Mellotron & Piano (17)
Dominique D'Avanzo - Backing Vocals, Bass Clarinet (13)
Emanuele Sterbini - Backing Vocals (13)
Nathan James - Backing Vocals (3)
Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth - Drums (18)
Anthony Garone - Guitar Solo (18)
Rob Crow - Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (22)
R Stevie Moore - Acoustic Guitar (Chords by Tim Burgess), Humming, Sad Trumpet, Harpsichord, Scatting (22) 

CLOUDS CAN Leave

The resurrection of an old Neo Prog project of THOMAS THELEN (T) contains nice songs that probably have meaningful lyrics if I heard them but otherwise offers nothing very fresh or innovative.

MOON MEN Amazing Science Fiction Stories

Line-up / Musicians: 

Bret Hart

Jerry King

Dave Newhouse

William Jungwirth

1. "New Moone" (3:55) nice, catchy foundation over which someone pulls off a pretty amazing Fripp-like guitar solo in the second and third minutes. The alto sax solo that follows is pretty awesome in a Mell Collins/Dick Parry kind of way. (8.5/10)

2. "Stem 1" (0:54) restrained craziness with a jazzy intention. (8/10)

3. "Locus" (3:10) opens sounding like a modern-day excursion into John Coltrane territory. Unfortunately, it never gets into second gear--just floats along as if Eumir Deodato could never get his band to shift out of the intro/beginning of "Also Sprach Zarathustra." (8.5/10)

4. "Bam! Bam!" (4:06) has a very cool foundational groove (fretless bass?) with odd percussives and background electric guitar play. (8.5/10)

5. "Little Person" (6:38) (/10)

6. "Hillbilly Moon" (2:02) (/10)

7. "Stem 3" (1:12) (/10)

8. "Dismal" (4:35) (/10)

9. "Women Are Marching" (3:45) (/10)

10. "Stem 2" (1:40) (/10)

11. "Horrible Circus Experience" (4:52) (/10)

12. "Manic" (2:46) (/10)

13. "Stem 4" (2:03) (/10)

14. "Fork Eye" (5:58) Best song on the album. In a Fripp/Belew/Frith/Zappa way. (9/10)

Total Time 47:36

PATRICK GRANT A Sequence of Waves (Twelve Stories and a Dream)

Nice classically-founded avant jazz/RIO from NYC.

Line-up / Musicians:
Patrick Grant: guitar, bass, viola, piano, keyboards and percussion
John Ferrari: drums, mallet instruments and percussion
Nick Didkovsky: guitar solo on “Primary Blues"
Dan Cooper: 7-string electric bass
Lynn Bechtold: violin
Dan Barrett: cello 

1. Lucid Intervals (3:56)
2. Driving Patterns (5:24)
3. Prelude I (2:37)
4. Alcohol (2:46)
5. Tobacco (3:02)
6. Firearms (2:51)
7. Seven Years At Sea (4:54)
8. Breaking Butterflies Upon A Wheel (4:26)
9. Lonely Ride Coney Island (6:33)
10. Primary Blues (4:32)
11. Prelude II (2:24)
12. To Find A Form That Accommodates The Mess (5:40)
13. One Note Samba (4:22)

Total Time 53:27

WHITE WILLOW Future Hopes

It's been quite a wait since 2011's Terminal Twilight but we are quite fortunate to have professionals of the caliber of these seasoned veterans collaborating together once more. Multi-instrumentalists
Jacob Holm-Lupo, Ketil Vestrum Einarsen, Mattias Olsson, Lars Fredrik Frøislie, team up with bass guitarist Ellen Andrea Wang and new singer (familiar to OPIUM CARTEL fans), Venke Knutson, along with the boon of a Roger Dean album cover to create this wonderful collection of pure prog.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Venke Knutson / vocals
- Jacob Holm-Lupo / guitars, synthesizers
- Lars Fredrik Frøislie / keyboards
- Ketil Einarsen / flute
- Ellen Andrea Wang / bass
- Mattias Olsson / drums & percussion
With:
- Kjersti Løken / trumpet (1)
- Hedvig Mollestad / guitar (3, 5)
- Ole Øvstedal / guitar (4)
- David Krakauer / clarinet (6)

1. "Future Hopes" (4:30)
2. "Silver and Gold" (4:04)
3. "In Dim Days" (11:04) (/20)
4. "Where There Was Sea There Is Abyss" (1:59)
5. "A Scarred View" (18:16) (/40)
6. Animal Magnetism (CD/Digital bonus track) (7:15)
7. Damnation Valley (CD/Digital bonus track) (3:16)

Total Time 50:24

IL TEMPIO DELLE CLESSIDRE Il-ludere

Line-up / Musicians: 

Francesco Ciapica: vocals
Giulio Canepa: electric guitar, classical guitar, backing vocals
Elisa Montaldo: keyboards, backing vocals
Fabio Gremo: bass guitar, classical guitar, backing vocals
Mattias Olsson (Anglagard, White Willow, Necromonkey): drums, percussions, keyboards, processed sounds

   With

Anna Holmgren (Anglagard): flute (7)

Andrea Montaldo: percussions (10)

Tracklist:
1. Le Regole Del Gioco (1:50)
2. La Parola Magica (4:54)
3. Come Nelle Favole (5:10)
4. Dentro La Mia Mente (7:21)
5. Spettro Del Palco (4:52)
6. Prospettive (6:37)
7. Manitou (5:22)
8. Nuova Alchimia (4:35)
9. "La Spirale Del Vento" (8:43) (/20)
10. Gnaffè (bonus track) (6:19)

Total Time 55:43

ALIO DIE & AGLAIA Opera Magnetica

1. "Shape of the Wind" (16:00) great sound, peaceful and yet with a little edge to keep it interesting. Could use a little more development. (25.5/30)

2. "One Second Before Dark" (18:12) (/35)

3. "Wake of A Silver Water" (22:07) (/45) 

PERIDONI Jade

Melodic, tightly performed instrumental jazz fusion from Cincinnati, Ohio. The music is heavily electrified yet squeaky-cleanly recorded. It is quite reminiscent of some of the albums from AL DI MEOLA, JAN HAMMER or even JEAN-LUC PONTY from the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Line-up / Musicians:

Cory Donnini
Kaleb Perrin
Ben Steinkamp
Kevin Harris
Jamebo Corsini-Lights

1. "Fission" (4:26) Tight! (8/10)

2. "Follow Thru" (6:52) Nice melodies and use of programmed drums. (12.75/15)

3. "Pendulum" (9:00) A song that is demerited for its cheesy electric piano but is then saved by its hip mid-section and synth and guitar soli. (17/20)

4. "Jade" (7:27) Vocals! Androgynous sounding due to the heavy use of effects, but very psychedelic in a Steve HILLAGE way, but, ultimately, there's nothing new here. (10.75/15)

5. "Prisma Color" (5:15) sounds like a series of looped or sequenced arpeggi. Guitar is really drawing comparisons to (7.5/10)

6. "Shimmer" (4:35) nice foundation ruined by really cheesy synth for first solo. Nice guitar work, both in mirroring keys and soloing. (8/10)

7. "Are You There" (5:09) Acoustic guitars! Acoustic drums! Less-adulterated Steve Hillage/Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros) voice! Nice lyric! Nice synth solo and bass play! Favorite song on the album. (9/10)

8. "Static Array" (5:44) cool ambient/experimental guitar and synth interplay--with and without drums & bass. Could go on forever... (9.5/10)

Total Time 48:28

82.5 on the Fishscales = 4 stars, B-; a very good album. Definitely a young band with promise!

 NON NEWTONIAN MAN Clouds

Dynamic keyboard-dominated heavy prog from Italy with a GINO VANELLI-like voice coming from singer Antonio Curedda.

Line-up / Musicians:
Antonio Curedda - Vocals
Luca Corradi - Guitars
Andrea Ruzzenenti - Guitars, Vocals
Simone Cavallaro - Bass
Michele Curedda - Piano, Keyboards
Davide Ruzzenenti - Drums
   With
Lucia Tozzi - Violins
Alessandro Quattrino - Percussions (6)

Emanuela Carretti - Vocals (8)

1. Overwhelming (8:10) (8/10)
2. Beyond The Door (4:43)
3." Pawn" (9:18) (8/10)
4. In Search Of Courage (1:36) (/5)
5. Shelter (5:37)
6. "Olandese Volante" (14:52) (25.5/30)
7. From Here... (6:11)
8. "Biomechanical" (16:21) (27/30)
9. Queen (3:59)

Total Time 70:47

LEPROUS Malina

Ever dangerous due to exceptionally talented musicians and one of the best voices in modern prog, these Norwegians, unfortunately, come up short this time. Too much pop diversity and deviation from the sound that made them great.

Line-up / Musicians:
Einar Solberg - Lead Vocal, Synth
Tor Oddmund Suhrke - Guitar
Øystein Landsverk - Guitar
Baard Kolstad - Drums
Simen Daniel Børven - Bass

1. Bonneville (5:28) Interesting and unusual foundation (9/10)
2. Stuck (6:48)
3. From The Flame (3:51)
4. Captive (3:43)
5. Illuminate (4:21)
6. Leashes (4:09)
7. Mirage (6:48)
8. Malina (6:15)
9. Coma (3:55)
10. The Weight Of Disaster (6:00)
11. The Last Milestone (7:30)

Total Time 58:48

DOWN WITH THE GYPSIES Kassiopeia

From Deutschland and Österreich (I'm not quite sure how they do that), this is a creative modern psychedelic band who manage to put a refreshing creative bent on old sounds and styles. The music herein is both nostalgiac and fresh. The instrumental contributions are nice, competent, often quite melodic, if also sometimes simple, but lead singer Gaba Wierzbicka has something special. Still, even on songs that do not feature or spotlight Ms. Wierzbicka the music is eminently enjoyable.

Line-up / Musicians: 
Gaba Wierzbicka - Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Melina Tzimou Weis - Guitar
Mitja Besen - Bass
Philipp Reiter - Flute, Clarinette, Percussion
Tom Schneckenhaus - Drums, Saz

1. "Intro" (6:24) "distant" vocals and opium-den-like flute, organ, bass and drum music made special by the obvious talents of the vocalist. (9/10)

2. "Sky Full Of Cars" (8:57) Here, in the straightforward bluesy song structure, Gaba's voice is recorded in a way that makes it sound like a cross between Pearl, Cassidy and Winehouse. I bet she is a force to experience in the setting of a live performance! Good song, the first five minutes, just not as proggy as I'm looking for. Plus, not the most inspiring lyric. BUT the second half of the song with its folk instruments and eerie synth sound like a spaced-out cosmic entourage of the very sub-race that the band's title proclaims they're "down with." Kosmische in a AMON DÜUL II or ASH RA TEMPEL way--or even POPUL VUH. Interesting but not enough to salvage it. (15/20)

3. "Ikarus" (10:01) back to prog-land, this one--beginning with the heavily wahed guitar chords and deep bass-like "clavinet" Rhodes. When Ms. Wiersbicka's vocalise joins in the keyboard rhythm and chords begin to sound and feel like MOBY's "Strange ways" (theme to the Bourne Identity movies.) I have to admit, it's pretty cool. In the fourth minute the keyboard cuts out and Ms. Wiersbicka returns with her soulful, blues creaning. Then the pace changes with a flourish of flute and fast disco bass drum rhythm setting the new pace pace. The sound and performances are a little on the cheesy, rudimentary side--like blues rock 101, but it's interesting--you want to listen to hear where the band might take (surprise) you next. (17/20)

4. "Jamonem" (4:29) opens with a bass line that sounds like it came out of an early COCTEAU TWINS or THE CURE song. Drums join in, then Gaba, then flute takes the lead. Not bad flute playing. The way lead instruments are mixed kind of "back-center" is odd and yet interesting. The little pause, quite section for the guitar to have a little attention is interesting, as is the rejoinder of the rest of the band--with Gaba's "ooos" and some nice bass play pulling it all to center. Lyrics are in English, by the way. (8.5/10)

5. "Alejandro" (4:51) opens with a WestCoast bluesy almost Jamazican sound while Gaba sings an English lyric with another blues torch singer approach. Her performance is great, it's just that the song, again, is not very proggy. More poppy. I'm reminded of Nina Hagen's second and third albums with the attempts at African Rasta and drug-psych sounds ("African Reggae" and "Cosma Shiva" come to mind--though Nina was much better.) (7.5/10)

6. "Marsz" (9:01) again, straightforward rock chords with some nice drum, flute, vocal, and, later, Farfisa organ performances. (That fifth minute is the best, tightest, most proggy section of the album.) The DEEP PURPLE-like finale is fun but not original enough. (17/20)

Total Time 43:43

When this album finishes it feels as if it has flown by--or that it's short--and yet it's about 45 minutes long! I like this music, I like their sound, I love the vocal talents of singer Gaba Wierzbicka, but I think the band has a ways to go before they produce a true prog masterpiece. 


81.67 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 to four stars; a good album that many people will enjoy. A band to watch for future development.

KAIPA Children of the Sounds

With an excellent lineup of experienced, confident, virtuosic instrumentalists it'd be hard to create "bad" music. My usual problem with KAIPA, the vocals, seems a non-issue here as I like this music. Yes, the vocals are often a bit over-the-top classic rock like STYX or , but the instrumental work by these amazing veterans can even make these slights pale. Keys, guitars, bass, and drums are wonderful throughout! plus, excellent sound production. If it weren't for the fact that this is Neo Prog, this might be a contender for Album of the Year. (Neo Prog, unfortunately, implies an innate use and supposed exploration of older styles and sounds.) Still, this is way better than IQ or recent MAGENTA efforts.

Line-up/ Musicians: 

Hans Lundin: Keyboards & vocals

Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry): Electric & acoustic guitars

Morgan Ågren: Drums

Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic): Electric basses

Patrik Lundström (Ritual): Vocals

Aleena Gibson: Vocals

   With

Elin Rubinsztein: Violin

1. "Children Of The Sounds" (11:31) excellent lead guitar work soloing over and between some very standard, unexceptional Neo Prog sound. I'm reminded of 1980s hairband LOVERBOY on more than one occasion as well as Roine Stolt's THE FLOWER KINGS (the early years). The serious commitment to good sound and solid, tight performances on this one outweigh the weakness of lack of originality. (17/20)

2. "On The Edge Of New Horizons" (17:10) Something more interesting about this beginning--slightly angular arpeggi and chord progressions? Jonas being let out of his cage? Drums feeling a part of the mix instead of separate from? The scaled down vocal section after the more dynamic instrumental introduction section also sounds cool. The vocal has the tendency to go over the top but the unusual melody lines keep me interested. In the fifth minute an electric piano-based section takes over and builds, leading to some nice electric guitar and gtr/kbd tandem soloing. Another cool melodic choice in the vocals at the end of the sixth minute--kind of GINO VANELLI-like. The next odd tempo-ed, jazzed up section has some nice band interplay beneath a soloing guitar. The vocal that eventually joins in during this section kind of loses me, but the bass, organ, and acoustic guitars keep me engaged. MOTH VELLUM comes to mind during this section--before the instrumental section at the end of the ninth minute. Organ and mandolin-sounding acoustic guitar make for a nice folk melody section (though the background power chords from the guitar are a distraction). Nice guitar solo in section that follows (eleventh minute) (drums, too). Break in action for syncopated hits from various instruments leads back into a YES-like section of constantly dancing chords all synchronized among keys and background guitars, multi-voiced vocals and electric guitar taking turns in the lead. Nice section. I'm glad they chose to draw this one out. And I must point out the chance that the drums have to shine throughout. With about two and a half minutes left, things quiet down while Jonas moves into the higher octaves of his bass and the multi-voiced singing continues making it's STYX-like contributions. The best song on the album. (9.25/35)

3. "Like A Serpentine" (12:52) a slow, simple opening three minutes plods and disappoints in a kind of MOTH VELLUM way as it never seems to go anywhere. Until the fifth minute when the wonderful lead guitar brings us into a new place. Despite this performance, the song wants to drag on and drag out its opening pace and structure. Not even the folk-pop violin-led section or the participation of Aleena Gibson in the lead vocal seat can save it. (18.75/25)

4. "The Shadowy Sunlight" (6:57) opening like a 18th century masqued ball song intrigues and interests this music lover. But then things go folk rock with violin and drums entering and bringing us into the 21st Century. It sounds a lot like IONA here! The music then falls away leaving us with pulsing bass and bass drum and synth washes setting an ominous scene. Aleena's whispered voice sounds just as unsettling. But then she starts to sing as the music beneath her becomes more insistent and emergent. Electric guitar tries to steal the show again but Aleena and the rest of the band remain steadfast, slowly building momentum. (12/15)

5. "What's Behind The Fields" (9:31) organ dominated full-band chord sequence opening this song sounds a lot like old URIAH HEEP. Electric guitar lead enters to inform the song with some melodic noodles to cover the chords. Then things fall away and become very familiar. It's MOON SAFARI! Blomljud! With these odd instruments it makes me realize for the first time how have refrained from letting/making Jonas Reingold's fretless bass play dominate the music mix. I actually have to search to pick out his work. 

     I find myself disappointed that the original chord sequence and vocal melody built over the top of it have been chosen to dominate this song. The vocal here is almost grating in the same way that MIKE RUTHERFORD's friend NOEL MCCALLA could do on Smallcreep's Day. A fair song but not great--despite the excellent guitar shredding over the top in those final minutes. (15/20)

Total Time 58:01

81.50 on the Fishscales = B-/low four stars; a nice contribution to prog world--especially to the Neo Prog lexicon.

CELLAR NOISE Alight

A Fabio Zuffanti find, this young Italian band is making very nice neo-GENESIS prog. Poor sound production (a consistent Zuffanti trait, in my opinion), the band members have a great sense of melody and drama and are truly on their way to mastering the challenging shifts and turns of symphonic prog. The music reminds me of BABYLON's eponymous 1980 album with less noticeable drums. Nice incorporation of classical instrumentation into their mixes. They will certainly be a band to watch in the future. 

Line-up / Musicians:

- Eric Bersan / drums, percussion

- Loris Bersan / bass guitar, classical guitar

- Niccolò Gallani / grand piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron, synthesizer

- Francesco Lovari / lead and backing vocals, percussion

- Alessandro Palmisano / lead and rhythm electric guitar, acoustic guitar

With:

- Chiara Alberti / cello

- Luca Tarantino / oboe

- Giulia Zanardo / flute

1. "Dive with me" (9:32) modernized "Watcher of the Skies" opening. Too derivative. Piano and acoustic guitar duet section that follows is awesome--soon joined, slowly, by the rest of the band. A little too bombastic and simple--though nice keyboard/synth work. Again, too much like a study in mid-70s GENESIS music. (16/20)

2. "Underground Ride" (8:03) opening section of acoustic guitar and voice, later joined by Mellotron, is nice. Electric guitar solo is sufficient. Vocal suffers in next verse. Melodic sophistication and harmonic support are rather simple, one-dimensional. Charlie Chaplin-like spoken section in fifth minute is nice. Following Genesis build and Tony Banksian solo are good. Best guitar solo on album screams right after. Poor ending. A top three song for me. (12.75/15)

3. "Embankment" (6:29) nice slow, soft opening section. It's the bigger, fuller, electronic sections that gets oversimplified. Too much senseless meandering. (7.5/10)

4. "Temple" (8:24) inviting acoustic guitar opening followed by slow-build of heavy organ. Song then resets into slow, calm storytelling mode. A little RUSH-like but the instrumental bridges and codas are quite simple--like Prog 101. Acoustic guitar return is quite welcomed. Nice singing here and succeeding use of oboe. (16/20)

5. "Blackfriars" (3:27) kind of "Get 'em out by Friday" opening with theatric vocal. Competent instrumental performances and better than average composition. (8/10)

6. "Move the Stone" (5:45) nice piano and voice NeoProg opening with awesome use of bassoon (too low for oboe, nicht wahr?) Another vocal over piano section with oboe solo following. Enter soloing electric guitar just after the three minute mark. Nice key change at 3:40. Sensitive and engaging. Best song on the album. (9/10)

7. "Monument" (8:52) has a true GENESIS sound and feel to it--kind of like Nursery Cryme's "Fountain of Salamacis." The piano and voice section is nice--vocal reminding me of Doroccas from 1970s Ft. Lauderdale band BABYLON. Followng section is nice GENESIS/GLASS HAMMER section using formula from Prog 102 class. (16/20)

Total Time 49:13

81.43 on the Fishscales = C+/high three stars album; nice addition to prog world. A band who is working hard to emulate the basic sounds and structures of 1970s GENESIS but whose gifts really lie in their most simple, acoustic supported vocal arrangements. A band to watch!

DRIFTING SUN Twilight

One of the better sounding/produced Neo Prog albums of the year. 

Line-up / Musicians:
Peter Falconer - Vocals
Mathieu Spaeter (Franck Carducci) - Guitars
Pat Sanders - Keyboards
Manu Michael - Bass
Will Jones - Drums 

1. "Twilight (The Other Side Of Life)" (9:25) some refreshing and creative constructs and vocals using familiar sounds in the instrumental tapestry. Lead singer Peter Falconer has an okay voice which takes some getting used to, but I must give him credit for his courage and creativity. (17/20)

2. "Wings Of Hope" (5:13) piano intro sounds quite a bit like the previous song's melodies and chord construction. I like the variation in vocals as rendered by the engineering. It turns out the delicate, flighty opening is only an intro as a blues-rockin' song bursts out in the third minute. Again, I like the multi-voiced vocal constructions. (8.5/10)

3. "Mystery Of Lies" (5:46) spoken muted voice and sustained lead electric guitar single notes open this one before the full band enters at the end of the first minute. The following nylon string-supported soft vocal is rather sudden and incongruous. Piano-base and choir-like vocals pop in for a moment before we return to the previous guitar-and-voice theme. Odd song. I'm not sure it works.(8/10)

4. "Soldiers" (7:23) the vocals and melody in the opening section don't work on this one. Too simple, despite the lyrical intent. The light, sophisticated multi-voiced "choral" work in the middle is awesome--which is then followed by a "heavy" section replete with disappointing standardized Neo Prog sounds and that were popular in the early 1990s (COLLAGE). (12/15)

5. "Summer Skies" (10:49) Great vocal performance over 1990s keyboards (again, the Polish Neo Proggers COLLAGE or SATELLITE come to mind). Still, this one is fresh enough to make it one of my top three. Even when it amps up for the choruses it still has an engaging sound and feel. Piano interlude is pretty though nothing special--better served when the multiple delicate voices join in. Yea, I can even disregard the dated keyboards for this one. (18/20)

6. "Remedy" (5:19) feels like a continuation, musically, of the previous song, though it's vocal stylings and melodies are different. (8.5/10)

7. "Outside" (5:24) this one could come from a 80s/90s metal/hair band: vocals, power chords, solo electric guitar, and song construction all sound and feel like it. (7.5/10)

8. "Remain "(8:11) another song that feels like the continuation of the precious three opens with a spoken "Twilight" passage All of this fits into that aforementioned metal/hair band early 90s genre/period/sound. Nice keyboard solo over an odd kick drum sound. Finale with calypso drums sound? Weird. (12/15)

Total time 57:30

81.25 on the Fishscales = B-/low four stars; a decent and often clever and creative Neo Prog contribution to prog world. 

KARFAGEN Messages from Afar: First Contact

One of Antony Kalugin's 2017 releases. Apparently it's a companion to a soon-to-be-released SUNCHILD album.  

Line-up / Musicians: 
Antony Kalugin - keys, vocals, percussion
Max Velychko - electric and acoustic guitars
Kostya Shepelenko - drums
Oleg Prokhorov - bass
Olha Rostovska - vocals, additional keys
Michail Sidorenko - alto saxophone

1. "First Contact" (7:14) a trip-hoppy David Gilmour song?! That's exactly what the opening music and vocal sound like. After the vocals have played out and the vast instrumental mid-section takes over, it sounds a little more original with some nice non-Gilmourian guitar work from Max Velychko. The chunky fretless-sounding bass throughout is nice. (8.5/15)

2. "Foreign Land" (7:23) bass and sax are the featured instruments over the first ninety seconds of this one as the rest of the band supports by helping to create a kind of spacey, jazzy PINK FLOYD sound. This is even more strongly developed as the song goes on, as the electric guitar solo screams and wails. At the end of the fourth minute things quiet down so that a flute can solo. But then the guitar takes over again and everybody amps up their volumes in support. Unfortunately, nothing very special happens here--save for the Pink Floyd reminders. (7.5/15)

3. "Curious Talk" (3:30) nice easy listening lounge adult contemporary jazz music; nothing very proggy or barely even NeoProggy here. (7/10)

4. "Volcano Rabbit & The Frog" (5:33) some cool IQ-like keyboard sounds and synth work here but that's really what the song feels like: a straightforward set up for supporting showy guitar and keyboard solos. (8/10)

5. "Faces In The Clouds (3:08) spacious slow music that helps support some nice synthesizer and guitar work--probably my favorite sounds and feels, both in the solo instrumentation as well as the support tapestry. I haven't heard this wonderful guitar sound since PAUL SPEER was using it in the 1990s. Piano opening with synth "violins" joining in for the intro before drums and bass jump in and the music falls into line like an good World Music/soft jazz/New Age song from the 1990s. The overall weave and sound palette here is actually quite nice, quite workable. (9/10)

6. "Vale Of Dreams (8:34) virtually a continuation of the previous song with synth-created orchestral and vocal instruments joining into the weave. Again, the Paul Speer guitar sound is used--which I can't seem to help enjoying. Max actually does some really nice soloing here in that second minute. Tempo shift and disco bass at the 2:30 mark should derail my enjoyment but it doesn't. The FIXX-like work in the fourth minute is a bit odd but they make it work okay. Frequent returns to the guitar-led, synth-choral supported melody helps keep me engaged, to be sure. Definitely a brain worm of a melody. The sax in the final two minutes is tolerable. (Not a sax fan.) (18/20)

7. "Golden Fields Of Rye (2:15) bleeds over from the previous song, carrying the main melody, but using a piano and more sparsely instrumented base for support. Pretty enough. (8/10)

8. "Riding On A Rainbow (2:53) the same melody of the previous two songs shifted over to a different group of instruments and woven in with harmonizing second and third instrumental tracks. I'm glad Antony realized that he had, in fact, created quite a nice melody--enough so to try it in a variety of settings and soundscapes. I suppose the listener should have been notified of the "suite" nature of the past four songs. (8/10)

9. "Constant Flow (15:45) multiple tracks weaving together variations on a nice melody. At times in the first few minutes there is a very familiar feeling and sound here--like it's from Todd Rundgren's UTOPIA's "The Ikon," but then it switches to more GENESIS territory (despite the heavy use of "horns" sounds). Again, I wish these compositions weren't so familiar sounding, that they had more fresh, innovative energy to them. Pure Neo Prog if only because of the use and imitation of old sounds and styles. Nothing very special here. (22.5/30)

Total Time 56:15Antony's projects are always pleasant and sophisticated. My biggest complaint is the use of what feels and sounds like 1990s equipment and sound standards and rarely creating songs that sound innovative or boundary-pushing. 


80.55 on the Fishscales = B-/low four stars; an album that lovers of old sounds and Neo Prog will probably really enjoy. 

RETROSPECTIVE Re:Search

A Polish band that I stumbled upon with the amazing music in their free downloads offered from their initial EP debut release back in 2007, the band has, in my opinion, never quite lived up to the tremendous potential of those first songs. They are good, they are polished, they have a formula, but their sound production and creative ideas have not progressed commensurately. Nice to hear a strong female vocalist in the mix, and lead singer Jakub Roszak has the gift of a distinctive voice but it just hasn't been used to its potential--he does not let loose and impress like he did on "Regret and Frightened Child" and "Enemy World Vision."

Line-up/ Musicians: 

Jakub Roszak - lead vocal

Beata Łagoda - keyboard, backing vocal

Maciej Klimek - guitar

Łukasz Marszałek - bass guitar

Robert Kusik - drums

Alan Szczepaniak - guitar

01. Rest Another Time" (5:04) Standard heavy prog opening turns interesting when all but bass and drums drop out while Jakub sings. Nice vocal. I just wish the heavier sections would do more, present more subtleties and flourishes. Choral vocals in third minute. Best part of the song is the extended bass focus in the fourth minute followed by Jakub's long vocal notes and some nice keyboard support. More of this, please! (8/10)

02. "Right Way" (4:51) piano and synth open this one, before drums and bass join in (with a disco beat!) almost giving it a Post Rock feel. Nice to hear Beata's female voice in the background--and, later, being used in some lead capacity. Some nice melodic lead guitar in the fourth minute followed by Jakub finally stretching out his voice. (8/10)

03. "The End Of Their World" (4:49) Jakub's laughs over the crystalline keyboard and the following semi-growls make this song slightly better than a standard heavy rock emission. (8/10)

04. "Roller Coaster" (5:04) nice piano base with brushed drums over which Beata sings a relaxed lead while Jakub backs her. Unfortunately, the lead melody in the verse sections sounds like Lisa Stansfield or Des'ree. The choruses with Jakub's emotional lead are good. (8/10)

05. "Heaven Is Here" (5:44) high octave guitar arpeggio is used for the first 30 seconds to start and found the song. When Jakub starts to sing at the end of the first minute, his whispery warble sets up nicely over a simple rhythm section and synth wash base. Guitar arpeggi return to the mix at 1:45, and then Beata takes turns alternating lead and background with Jakub. Nice atmosphere if fairly simple. The song ultimately fails due to its development being too much like metal by numbers--again, the power chords are too straightforward, too predictable, too simple. (7.5./10)

06. "Look In The Mirror" (4:47) opens with drums, bass and piano providing the foundation before Jakub enters at 0:35. Amazing how similar his voice/singing style are to that of URIAH HEEP's first vocalist, David Byron. Nice guitar solo toward the end. (7/10)

07. "Last Breath" (4:23) starts out as perhaps the heaviest song on the album, more in the vein of the sound that this band started with. 90 seconds into the song and nothing very interesting has happened--and then Jakub does some talk semi-growling with his own background track as the music stutter steps, and, later, creates some space for a background tremolo guitar solo to flit around. Return to the heavier section. Again, I keep waiting, hoping for Jakub to do something extraordinary (as I know he can). (8/10)

08. "Standby" (4:19) rock backbeat with piano and guitar interplay creating a melodic weave before Jakub enters. Piano is the dominant chord and melody holder here. Beata takes over the lead for the chorus. Nice! I like this one! Nice piano work. She even gets the song's solo--with her piano. Nice! (8.5/10)

09. "The Wisest Man On Earth" (7:32) a long, slow development of foreboding sound builds and marches through all obstacles for four and a half minutes before it relents in lieu of a slower, more spacious and atmospheric section. Guitar solo in the fifth minute builds into something more in the seventh minute. The crescendo of sound in the final minute is great followed by a nice, long 15-second decay. Best song on the album! Dark, Gothic, heavy prog as it should be. Reminds me of the FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM. (13.5/15)

Still so much unfulfilled potential. Take more risks! Be not afraid to experiment, to make mistakes!

80.0 on the Fishscales = B-/C+/3.5 stars; a well made, nice sounding contribution to the heavier side of progressive rock but recommended only to those with specific interests into the Heavy Prog or Gothic Prog subgenres.