Top Albums from the Year 2016, Part 2: The Near-Masterpieces

 Somewhere beneath the level of timeless masterpiece status lies a group of albums whose quality and merit deserve categorization of something like "near-masterpiece." These are albums that have either achieved a Fishermetric score of between 90.0 and 87.0 or whose high points or quality level make it remarkable enough to remain affixed in my memory.

From the Year 2016, you will find below 22 albums releases deserving, in my opinion, of the "near-masterpiece" designation.  

4.5 Stars; Near-Masterpieces

(Ratings 89.99 to 87.0)

26. YUGEN Death by Water

Francesco Zago's avant baby puts together another amazing collection of experimental/exploratory songs--their first studio album since 2010's wonderful masterpiece, Iridule. Percussionists and a percussion-mindset seem to rule the day with YUGEN work, and Death by Water is no exception. The ubiquitous JACOPO COSTA (NOT A GOOD SIGN, THE LOOMINGS) and Giuseppe A. OLIVINI practically steal the show--though the wind section, piano of Marcus FASOLI (NICHELODEON, NOT A GOOD SIGN, EMPTY DAYS), and rhythm section of Stefano FERRIAN on 8-strings guitar & Chapman stick, Francesco Zago on electric & acoustic guitars, Alessandro CASSANI on electric bass and Matteo LORITO on double bass are the glue that hold it all together.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Stefano Ferrian / 8-strings guitar, tenor & alto sax, Chapman stick
- Francesco Zago / electric & acoustic guitars, 12-strings guitar, mellotron 
- Dalila Kayros / vocals 
- Elaine Di Falco / vocals 
- Alessandro Cassani / electric bass 
- Matteo Lorito / double bass 
- Paolo "Ske" Botta / electric pianos, Hammond organ, ARP 
- Maurizio Fasoli / piano 
- Michele Salgarello / drums 
- Carmelo Miceli / drums 
- Jacopo Costa / vibes, marimba, glockenspiel, zymbalon 
- Giuseppe A. Olivini / percussions, theremin, toy piano 
- Valerio Cipollone / soprano, piccolo & bass clarinet, soprano sax 
- Peter Schmid / tubax, contrabass clarinet, contrabass flute 
- Fedele Stucchi / trombone, euphonium 
- Taiko Lecco / taiko drums ensemble 
Guests: 
- Simone Quatrana / piano (#07, 09) 
- Massimo Dolce / electric guitar (#03) 
- Dave Willey / portuguese guitar (#10), accordion (#05)

  

1. "Clinically Correct" (7:48) This song, from its opening notes, makes me laugh. It is pure Yugen as only Yugen does it. Each musician contributes their individual lines as if to a conversation, a heated debate, a street brawl. Even the 'heavier' stuff that begins at 1:13  serve to move the development of the song along quite nicely. A relatively calm and predictable electric piano based section of about 90 seconds occurs in the third and fourth minutes, but then Dalila KAYROS begins to spit out rapid fire some odd vocal ejaculations (in Japanese?) Wow! That was unexpected! 

      At 5:04 Dalila and Paolo "Ske" BOTTA team up to create a freaky space melody using voice and synthesizer, respectively! Awesome. More! The 'alien' conversation that occurs soon after is so funny--coupled with Dalila's machine gun spray of Japanese-sounding syllables. This is amazing! So creative! I don't know how these guys could/would ever replicate this in concert--it's seems so free form and diverse! They throw every thing at you but the kitchen sink! 

      The final minute or two fall under the sway of the heavier rhythm section while all of the incidentalists throw in their epithets over, under, and in between the flow of the rhythmists. (13.5/15)

2. "Undermurmur" (1:31) is a jazzy excursion in which playful piano, double bass and drum interact before horn hits and synth whizzes are added to the mix. Fun. A song that could be developed further. (4.5/5)

3. "Death by Water" (5:06) is an awesome jazz fusion exhibition--like a PAUL WERTICO-led PAT METHENY GROUP song. I don't which drummer is working this song, Michele Salgarello or Carmelo Miceli, but they do an incredible job with the cymbal play. (10/10)

4. "Ten Years After" (1:12) (4/5) is a brief foray into djenty-heavy metal territory that gradually fades into:

5. "As It Was" (4:58) one of the two showcase pieces for the always precious Fancesco ZAGO-Elaine Di FALCO collaborations. I do think, however, that Elaine's voice is mixed just a little too loudly into the mix on this song. Her sonorous meanderings are a little too dominant, making it sound as if she is above or separate from the band and music. I'd like to hear this song in which her vocal line is mixed in, embedded within, the beautiful, intricately rendered, musical weave. It's still a great song--with an odd vocal melody that stays with you for days. It just . . . could be better! (9/10)

6. "Studio 9" (2:36) is an odd little jazzy piece that sounds like a warmup exercise for a big band lineup from a 1960s jazz combo--or a Broadway pit orchestra warming up at the end of intermission. Fun and funny, loose and impromptu. (4.5/5)

7. "As a Matter of Breath" (9:27) uses the more familiar YUGEN style of experimental jazz "un-forms." Though the drummer keeps a fairly steady rock backbeat for the rest of the instrumental dancers to tip-toe and riff and play over, the song is never what you would call 'danceable' as in social club dancing. These are for professionals! Piano--both grand and toy--have a grand time playing with time and interjection as does synthesizer, while horns play some of the more straightforward riffs--repeatedly. 

     After a choir 'hit' at 5:26, the song takes a turn into a more eerie ambient or soundtrack of the macabre section. At times feeling as if the A Trick of the Tail GENESIS lineup were ready to burst out into the finale of "Los Endos," this song plays out with tremendous pent-up energy, waiting to burst forth, but then, instead, peters out and fades. Weird. But brilliant! (18/20)

8. "Drum'n'stick" (2:12) is little drum and Chapman stick duet with all kinds of ghostly spacey sounds parading around in the wings. Really quite cool! (4.5/5)

9. "Der Schnee" (6:05) is the album's real oddity in that vocalist Dalila KAYROS intersperses the music with all kinds of abrasive and aggressive vocalizations much like a combination of BJÖRK, NINA HAGEN and fellow AltrOck stablemate FACTOR BURZACO's lead singer, Carolina RESTUCCIA. 

     The song opens with an eerie space synth weave over which lower register brass play long notes. Dalila begins throwing her voice around in the second minute. The final 90 seconds are quite ambient, even peaceful--in a 2001: A Space Odyssey-kind of way. Interesting--to say the least! (8/10)

10. "A House" (1:25) opens with acoustic guitars being picked in folk song style as Elaine Di FALCO sings front and center and etheral male and female vocalists whisp and willow in the wings. Quite beautiful! This is one I'd love to hear go on for five or six minutes: the vocal arrangements alone are beautiful and interesting in a Josquin des Pres kind of way. (5/5)

The most curious thing about Yugen productions, to me, is that they are truly the brain-child of visionary FRANCESCO ZAGO, and Francesco is primarily a guitarist, and yet we rarely get to see/hear the guitar showcased! Is that selflessness or is it more attributable to the reality that Francesco is truly more of a conductor than an instrumentalist? Still, there is no doubt that when Francesco and his Yugen-mates get together to create music, they are fearless. On Death by Water the listener is treated to artistic expression of the highest order:  modern in that dissonant, discordant way, yes, but still highly engaging and interesting. I find it mesmerizing.

90.0 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. 

27. THENCE We Are Left With A Song

The mystery of this album--and the reason it has taken me so long to write my review of it (even though I've been loving its songs for several months)--lies in its categorization. Is it Neo Prog like MYSTERY, EDISON'S CHILDREN, Thomas Thelen's T, RIVERSEA, or NINE STONES CLOSE, is it Crossover like TONY PATTERSON, Heavy Prog like KARNIVOOL and VOTUM, Experimental/Post Metal like ANATHEMA and STARE AT THE CLOUDS, Space Rock/Psychedelic like NOSOUND and MEMORIES OF MACHINES, or perhaps even Post Rock? Such is the enigmatic sound that these two guys--yes two guys--create. I think the "Experimental/Post Metal" subgenre that they have been assigned at ProgArchives is the best fit as they really do sound like ANATHEMA and STARE AT THE CLOUDS.

Line-up/Musicians:
Juha Sirkkiä - Vocals, keys, guitar, bass
Erno Räsänen - Drums, percussions

1. "I Burn The Day, The Ghost" (8:18) sounds like the music that would be produced if two of the 21st Century's best bands came together to produce a song, Australia's KARNIVOOL with Sweden's BROTHER APE. The "strings" are mixed a little too loudly, in my opinion, and the voice a little too buried into the mix. Otherwise, a great song. (19/20)

2. "No One, Anyone, Be Someone" (6:06) sounds as if NoSOUND's Giancarlo Erra were singing for MYSTERY or KARNIVOOL. Like the previous song, I feel that the 'strings'--as wonderful as they are (great, lush arrangements)--are mixed too loudly and the vocal too far into the mix--where it is getting buried--which is partly due to volume levels and part to the distortion effect through which it is run. (8.25/10)

3. "Abundance" (6:59) opens with electric guitar strumming what sounds like the same three chord progression that makes up the foundation of one of the COCTEAU TWINS' greatest songs of all time, "Pink Orange Red." A wonderful, heavily-sustained electric guitar lead covers the second half of this two-minute 'intro' section. From there on out the song has a feel of with a great chunky bass, solid drum foundation, and unobtrusive background synth washes over which Juha sings in another heavily-treated vocal (One that is, happily, not drowned out by the collective wall of sound created by the other instrument). The song could easily be mistaken for a great song from RIVERSEA, MYSTERY or TONY PATTERSON. (14.25/15)

4. "It Is Truth That Liberates" (4:24) opens with a little (as it turns out, foundational) computer synthesizer sequence that makes one expect the possibility of a PAUL OAKENFOLD/Ibiza-like electronic trance song. But, no, a heavy prog rock song forms over the top. Great keyboard 'strings' arrangements and a pretty good chord progression and vocal make this a solid and powerful song--though it could use a little more variation and development. (8.75/10)

5. "Pursue" (10:46) sounds like an odd, soft-but angular KING CRIMSON song--especially with the screaming, infinite-sustained, ROBERT FRIPP-like lead guitar throughout. The development, chord structure and vocal/vocal melody are all lacking a bit. Already before the song is half over the music has built, crescendoed and decayed into a soft, spacey piano and synth interlude. A DICK PARRY-like soling saxophone joins in for the seventh minute for a nice two-minute solo while the band joins in again at the seven minute mark. At 8:00 lead guitar takes over for the sax (for an awesome GIANCARLO ERRA-like solo) as the music continues beneath in a gorgeous ANATHEMA way. Great second half . . . can't make up for an average first half. (18/20)

6. "Oars In Our Hands" (7:43) a beautiful Post Metal synthesizer 'strings' arrangement permeates and founds this song and the second half is truly remarkable, but the opening half is less than winning, less than engaging. (13.5/15)

7. "Life Will Get You Eventually" (7:53) the same Post Metal sound and form with the usual gorgeous synthesizer 'strings' arrangements. One of the album's better vocals and some very strong bass and drums supporting the wall of sound up top. Perhaps a bit monotonous (especially after the previous six songs). (12.75/15)

Very solid drumming, very mature and accomplished synthesizer 'strings' work throughout and some pretty good guitar play, as well. The vocals could be better (or less treated) and the often-underdeveloped or one dimensional song constructions could be improved upon, but these guys definitely have a strong future ahead of them. A band to watch!!!

90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and an excellent addition to any progressive rock music lover's album collection.

28. PLINI Handmade Cities

Wonderful atmospheric and sometimes-djenty instrumental jazz-prog fusion from Down Under--composed and performed by Aussie legend and multi-instrumentalist, Plini, with some tremendous help on drums and bass from virtuosi Troy Wright and Simon Grove, respectively. Listening to this work repetedly never seems to shake my tendency to compare this music to that of Canadian father-son fusion artists, Dean and Taylor Watson:  the album starts and ends with more metal-influenced music like Taylor, and is filled with fine jazz-rock fusion in the middle.

1. "Electric Sunrise" (5:05) opens with layers of acoustic guitars strumming slowly on layers, which are then joined at the 1:10 mark by several electric guitars and bass. What an opening! At 1:44 the music shifts drastically into singular djenty guitar and space. That's it! But then the full number of tracks previously layered together join in for a melodic 'chorus' hook, but then it's back to sparse djenty guitar with a little electric jazz-fusion lead accompaniment (and then takeover). The song gets toward the end it gets a little heavy-handed walls of sound-ish but then it ends with the same opening soundscape. (9/10)

2. "Handmade Cities" (4:45) sounds like an extension/variation on the themes, sounds and styles of the opening song. In the second minute things shift more into 'it's own' territory with some awesome lead guitar soloing. Then, at 2:15, things quiet down temporarily with some slow guitar chord strums, but then the rest of the tracks slowly build up from heavy potential to loud kinetic energy to full-blown djent by 3:15. Lead guitar melody hook keeps it all together in this slightly confusing, cacophonous section. Still, a great song. (9/10)

3. "Inhale" (4:57) a very atmospheric song that immediately won me over and remains my favorite song on the album. Kind of reminds me of ANTOINE FAFARD's great recent stuff. (9/10)

4. "Every Piece Matters" (3:40) more laid back musical foundation with some astounding guitar and keyboard (MIDI-ed?) leads and including some chorale vocalise toward the end. Another top three song. (9/10)

5. "Pastures" (7:34) solid jazz-fusion composition in the style and sound of some of Dean Watson's beautiful music. (13.5/15)

6. "Here We Are, Again" (2:37) opens as a cute little effected guitar and keyboard duet before keyboard-generated orchestra and choir brings it into a Post Rock-like crescendo. (4.5/5)

7. Cascade (6:00) is certainly a song that showcases Plini's guitar prowess, but it also satisfies in the way that it fits modern prog soundscapes and constructs. Great piece! (9/10)

Total Time 34:38

90.0 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; B+; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music, (rated down slightly for it's EP-like brevity). Definitly an album I recommend all prog rockers to check out for the wonderful production and multi-track layering accomplished here.

29. YVES POTIN/JAZZCOMPUTER.ORG Waters

If Pat Metheny ever worked with Paul Hardcastle or Ed Wynne or Lars and Martin Horntveth this is the music you might get. Yves is, like Ed Wynne, a genius at getting synthetic “nature” sounds out of his equipment—which I LOVE. And this is no poor imitator or second rate musician! We’re talking virtuosity! His textures and solos are all so well thought out, so perfectly layered or alternated—all with this amazing percussive foundation (some manual, a lot electronic). 

“Jazz multi-instrumentalist Yves Potin puts lush soundscapes together in a way that might be familiar to lovers of the music of Andreas Vollenveider and Robin Guthrie or even Ozric Tentacles and Paul Hardcastle but where Yves’ music is different from the cited artists is in his exciting and use of percussion, layers and layers of synthetically-rendered musical nature sounds over which he employs  heavily treated guitars and other synths to move the music forward on their melody lines. It’s truly gorgeous music, soul-engaging music.” — from my review of 2017's Forest Stairways.

1. “Lake of Night Ruins” (6:47) slowly picked and echo-strummed guitar over thick, jazzy bass, steady, heavy drums, and water synth sounds sets up a nice foundation over which a Pat Metheny-like synth-horn guitar joins in at the 2:00 mark and slowly, steadily introduces its sound and then starts to really solo in the third minute. Yves definitely has the Metheny sound and style down! This is awesome! In the fourth minute Yves even lets us know that he has the speed and technical chops to further earn the Metheny comparisons! Cool song—definitely more jazzy than electronica—more Ozrics than Alio Die. (13.5/15)

2. “Droplets” (6:40) very catchy melodies in a groovin’ jazz song constructed very much like a soundscape of Ozrics Tentacles. Great lead work over the awesome driving rhythm sections by the electric guitar and synthesizers. (13.5/15)

3. “Oceaniques Part 1” (3:01) computer/synthesizer-generated water sounds open this song before electrified acoustic guitar joins in with chords and arpeggi. Fretless bass and distant “French horn” guitar are added to the mix in the second minute. The song pretty much floats along without much development or meat, as one would almost expect based on the title. (7.5/10)

4. “Swirls” (10:26) opens with more wave-like computer-generated synthesizer sounds behind which slow-attacking electric guitar chords appear about every six seconds. In the third minute a pulsating sound joins in (moving at a time and pace different from the waves on top). Gradually the wave-sounds begin to shift to sound a little more like keyboard chords. Then, at 3:50, a funky bass sequence enters and begins to take over as the pace-setter. By the end of the fifth minute a Allan Holdsworth-like guitar enters and begins to solo in quite an impressive way. He is soon joined by a second guitar lead, this one more synthesized (or is it a keyboard?) The Holdsworth influence (and imitation?) is remarkable. The two go on exchanging the lead in “duel” fashion keeping us interested by each remaining founded in their own melody lines. So cool! Around 7:40 this begins to decay and a spacious, more cave-like airy section of synthesizer washes and percussives enters. At 8:42 an alarm-like keyboard sequence makes itself briefly known before just as quickly disappearing—and alternating (as if in a conversation) with a slower-attack synth playing chords. Then it ends! too soon! I want more of this conversation! Great song! Really interesting! (20/20) 

5. “Crustacean” (6:07) saw synth washes with heavily reverbed guitar arpeggi are soon joined by very cool funky/fretless/computer-popping bass and keys (so psybient like). David Torn-like guitar enters to take the lead at the end of the second minute. This is so Sylvian-esque! (Brilliant Trees Side Two or Disc Two of Gone to Earth!) Awesome! (9/10) 

6. “Oceaniques Part 2” (7:37) Straightforward jazz with heavily treated instrumental sounds and water/wave samples. The scaled down, more spacious third minute is cool—though it makes you anticipate something dramatic to follow. The muted synth washes and fretless bass in this section are awesome! Electrified acoustic guitar play becomes a soloing instrument. Nice! Again, Yves can’t help but show us: he can play! Great musicianship and songwriting skills on display here! (14.25/15) 

7. “Underground River” (7:11) More “real” water sounds used at the opening with large brass metal bells, gongs, and/or cymbals being played over the top. Early in the second minute an electric guitar screams out a single note that slowly decays. Soon, these “outbursts” recur while beneath a bass and drum rhythm line is slowly, almost imperceptibly being established. Two chords of magical synth wash support while a very emotional lead guitar solo takes over in the fourth minute. I’m out of comparisons for this sound and soloing style (maybe Narada New Age guitarist Paul Speers), but it’s beautiful. (13.5/15)   

8. “Oceaniques Part 3” (3:31) water flowing, washing, over which bass, drums, and guitar weave into a little spacious jazz motif. The soloing, like Part !, and the music here just kind of meander without ever really gelling into a concrete direction—flowing aimlessly despite the currents of the ocean. (7.5/10)

For lovers of the more synthesizer dominant release of 2017, Forest Stairways, be prepared: this not the same; there is much more of a guitar and jazz dominance to this album (which is just as amazing as the synth work of FS

I haven’t said this enough in my reviews of Yves music, but this man can set up some amazing bass lines! I don’t honestly know which are programmed and which are played manually but IT DOESN”T MATTER! They’re amazing!

89.77 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and definitely a progressive jazz fusion artist to check out!

30. ULVER ATGCLVLSSCAP

Have I mentioned before that I LOVE ULVER?! I love the creative, adventuresome, unpredictable, ever-evolving spirit that is this band. To me, this is an essential feature of the most creative bands/artists—the willingness and drive to constantly try new things, the curiosity and fearlessness to experiment with new media and new styles and new techniques. I don’t know if it’s driven by a desire to grow, by insatiable curiosity, by envy and respect of other musical styles, or the mental discipline to always try to test oneself, but Ulver seem to constantly reinvent themselves. (Which is one of the reasons that Ulver should be the poster-child for the campaign to get ProgArchves to let go of the system of categorizing a band/artist into one and only one sub-genre—forever and ever—based upon a one-time decision-making process.) While many reviewers of this album are citing a turn in direction toward a German Kosmische Musik influence coming through on this one, I would go a bit further and urge people to consider the influence of the entire career of Holger Czukay—soundscapes and radio sampling being the special focus. Garm and mates must be huge fans. The life-work of ambient music pioneer Brian Eno is also heavily drawn upon here, no doubt.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Daniel O'Sullivan / bass, guitar
- Ivar Thormodsæter / drums 
- Ole Alexander Halstensgård / electronics 
- Kristoffer Rygg / electronics, percussion, voice 
- Tore Ylwizaker/ keys, electronics 
- Anders Møller / percussion 
- Seth Beaudrealt / audiovisuals 
- Jørn H. Sværen / voice

  

1. “England’s Hidden” (7:39) opens with sample recordings of church/cathedral bells ringing (how Brian Eno!) over which an odd glockenspiel arpeggio and some Beatles-esque dissonant string orchestra chords are sustained into slow crescendo. As the strings take the fore and begin playing in real chord sequences, the bells and glock fade away. I am strongly reminded of Eno’s Discreet Music album as well as some of the Fairlight CMI work Peter Gabriel incorporated into his 1982 eponymously titled album (also called “Security”). Truly an awesome, stunning, masterful song. (15/15)

2. “Glammer Hammer” (4:49) opens as a bleed over from the previous song before taking on a kind of X-Files theme played by U2 and THE CURE. Cool, awesome, moving song. The break at the 2:15 mark is so creepy as they engineer the tunings of the sounds/instruments before entering into a heavier rock phase of the song—one that is very familiar to those of us who have heard a lot of Ulver’s discography. Awesome song with some awesome drumming and a great build up to the contrasting pastoral ending. (10/10)

3. “Moody Stix” (6:44) has a kind of Asian feel and sound to it, with many percussives, tuned and untuned, contributing to the mix in the first minute. The arrival of electric guitar power chords, deep heavy bass, and heavily treated psycho-babble from the lead guitar cannot quite offset the kind of circus atmosphere created by the percussives and drum kit—the later of which become more dominant as the song progresses to its end. 

     This could be a great contribution to a soundtrack to a film scene. (12/15)  

4. “Cromagnosis” (9:48) is a two-part, two-tempoed song, the first very psychelic yet engaging in a lilting Kosmiche kind of way, the second more like a driving WHO or MOTORPSYCHO song. It is great. It all works—bongos and all. (18/20)

5. “The Spirits that Lend Strength Are Invisible” (3:16) bleeds over from “Cromgnosis” like an interlude the band need to tune instruments and reconfigure keyboard and computer programs. About 1:40 in some heavily treated percussives and then a little later some pitch-modulated synth sounds play over the base-line mix. Very ENO/Ambient, Apollo era-esque. (8/10)

6. “Om Hanumate Namah” (7:42) is pure Kosmiche Musik complete with awesome chanting, Edge EVANS guitar style, and some great drumming a la Vespero. Awesome and enthralling! (15/15)

7. “Desert/Dawn” (8:34) is dominated by the immense palette of a church organ though simple bass, drum and multiple synths play their weave over the top in a Math Rock kind of way. (16/20)

8. “D-Day Drone” (9:21) has an apocalyptic Shadows of the Sun-like feel to it with multiple synth washes and tympanic-bass laying solid foundation of doom and ominosity for a Holger CZUKAY-like radio sample of some traditional Persian-like instrument played over the top by a synthesizer. During the second half the organ takes over as provider of base/background while radio voice samples take over for the lead instrument. (18/20)

9. “Gold Beach” (4:52) continues the theme of peaceful organ-play over which radio samples are slipped in and out. Don’t know why, but this song really gets me. So cool, so relaxing. In a David SYLVIAN kind of way. Awesome chord progressions used by the organ. (10/10) 

10. “Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen)” (5:56) is a more “normal” song in that it has an ABACAB structure and traditional four-piece rock band lineup. I find the song most interesting for reminding me how much I like the vocal talents of bandleader Kristoffer Rygg. (How does he hold that note for so long in the fifth minute?) More Post Rock in the ANATHEMA-style—though I really like the way the drums are recorded. (8/10)

11. “Ecclesiastes (A Vernal Catnap)” (9:01) is  a treated piano and heavily synthed background over which someone is reading for the first 3:30 in what I presume to be Norwegian while in the second half Garm sings the English version of the New Testament’s famous verses from Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, verses 1-8. Over bongos. Kind of cool but unnecessary (though I love the parenthetical title). (16.5/20)

12. “Solaris” (2:12) is a very odd and edgy ambient piece with a strings-synth chord sequence and female operatic singing providing the background within which a heavily oscillated volume controlled instrument (or instruments?) of undetermined name (drums?) weaves its railroad-like melody into the mix. Fascinating in a Baroque music listening quiz kind of way. (4.5/5)

I have to agree with several of the reviewers who have already made their judgement over this album that it is one of the best Ulver albums I’ve ever heard—certainly one of the most interesting and intriguing. Too early to know if this will be considered one of their masterpieces but we’ll certainly know by next December.

89.71 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.

*Note: There is controversy surrounding the fact that the music produced for this album was culled from many hours of many live concert tapes from the past few years. The tremendous studio time spent producing this album, in my opinion, renders it virtually a non-live album. All of music has been manipulated into states and forms that are new fabrications, new studio versions, of pre-recorded music. Thus, I have decided to include it in my catalog of studio releases.

31. AKT II (Binario) 

I haven't heard from this inventive and unusual Italian band since their wonderfully refreshing album Blemmebeya from 2011--which earned the #9 spot on my Top Albums list for that year. If five years is what it takes to make another masterpiece then I welcome it, for AKT has done it again: it has created a refreshing and masterful collection of songs in their unique and eccentric style and sound.

The band has expanded its membership from the trio of Blemmebeya of Simone Negrini (vocals, drums, keyboards), Marco Brucale (vocals and acoustic and classical guitars) and Alessandro Malandra (acoustic and electric basses) to include Elianto Puro on piano, melodica, Mellotron, and Moog, Achille Ottani on electric guitar and banjo, and Paolo Fiandra on vibraphone, xilophone, and flute. There are so many unpredictable twists and turns on this album and yet there is a commonality of sound basics: lots of techno-computer-generated sounds and sequences are interlaced within the music--often with a percussion/timing effect; lots of gorgeous acoustic guitar work and simple yet central and important bass play, and many unexpected and quite dynamic shifts. And, of course, the unusual yet subtly powerful low tone vocals of Marco Brucale (which are actually used somewhat sparingly on this album).

Line-up / Musicians:
- Marco Brucale / vocals, acoustic and classical guitar
- Elianto Puro / piano, melodica, Mellotron, Moog
- Achille Ottani / electric guitar, banjo

- Simone Negrini / vocals, drums, percussion

- Alessandro Malandra / acoustic and electric bass

- Paolo Fiandra / vibraphone, xilophone, flute

1. "Coincidenze" (5:10) opens with some Avant-RIO sounds weaving together until the familiar almost-whispered deep voice of Marco Brucale enters at the one minute mark. By the end of the second minute we are treated to some pretty awesome full-band sounds with an impressive electric guitar solo. The three minute mark brings a dramatic lull and shift into more abrasive, treated vocals--though the keys and chord structures remain as gorgeous as ever. A weave of shifting arpeggi from multiple instruments provides the foundation for a fretless bass lead with some kind of wooden flute. Awesome song! (9/10)

The end of Song #1 lets you know that this is definitely a concept album as it bleeds straight into song 2., "Stazione" (4:42). The song takes almost two minutes to establish itself as we are familiarized with the train/train station theme with samples and voices before a more ominous full-band song is established. A break at 3:10 leads into a section which presents a kind of sad, upsetting classically-oriented music--that is, at least until 3:55 when all electric hell breaks loose--at full volume--before ending with another radio/PA sample. (8/10) 

3. "II" (9:31) is a cinematic instrumental with many shifts in time and texture and the nice foundational use of congas. In a nine and a half minute song it is again unusual and unexpected that there are no vocals save for a heavily distorted vocal over a 40 second span in the last 90 seconds of the song. This song has no real flaws but it is not as engaging or as memorable as the album's other songs. (16.5/20)

4. "Frenetica dialettica dell'etica" (2:49) opens with a very engaging, friendly Italian feel (the tremolo mandolin?) then shifts down to allow for one of AKT's most delicate and pretty vocals--lead and harmony--spiced up with fuzz solo guitar riffs in between and a "C" part with piano and acoustic instruments weaving together beautifully. Great song! (10/10) 

5. "Convoglio" (5:50) opens with some train and glockespiel sounds that make me think back to Supertramp's Crime of the Century's "Rudy" and Steve Hackett's Voyage of the Acolyte's "Shadow of the Heirophant." Eventually piano, guitar and simple pulsing bass provide background for Marco's quiet, treated vocal. At 3:35, just after the song had built up to full dynamic strength, it stops and totally shifts gears with fast-picking electric guitar, computer-generated fluttering percussion noises, complex drum, bass and keyboard segments before settling into a rather straightforward ballad-like construct for the final minute. Interesting! And unusual! (9/10)

6. "Scambio" opens with Marco's heavily treated voice singing to us in his whispery low tones before acoustic guitars and then strings, congas, and other acoustic instruments of traditional and classical nature (accordion, woodwinds, mandolin) join in. This is just an absolutely stunningly gorgeous song--and Marco's vocal is central and tantamount to this effect. Too bad I don't know Italian! (10/10)

7. "Binario morto" (6:23) is for me the weakest song on the album in that the vocal sounds strained and pitchy, and the music never really grabs me--it never seems to get itself established--just wanders and meanders aimlessly. (8/10)

8. "Passeggero" (12:30) is a gorgeous pastoral epic that has a kind of modern Sergio Leone movie soundtrack feel to it. Chords and sequences of sensitive arpeggiated melodies from acoustic guitars and harmonica, the odd low register singing of Marco and the odd computer-generated sounds in the sixth minute along make for a brilliant first half--but then in the second half the drums, bass, and lead electric guitar joins in to lend the song their magic and we have the makings of a prog classic. Brilliant electric lead guitar work going from beautifully melodic to emotionally unglued! Awesome! (24/25)

89.52 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; A-/B+; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. 

I am so glad to have new AKT in my life! Wonderful, gorgeous, melodic, sophisticated, and unique progressive rock music for the ages! 

32. UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA Mathematical Mother

A welcome arrival! (It's been a while, UTO!) 2017 finds the Spanish Zeuhl masters in fine form, with some very mature, very Zeuhl-styled musical offerings (the first two) and some odd, unsettling, and, ultimately, floundering meanderings in three of the other four.

Line-up/Musicians:

Ana Torres Fraile: Voice 

Antonio Fedeli: Saxophone 

Daniele Valle: Guitar 

Fabrizio Mattuzzi: Keyboards and Piano 

UTO G. Golin: Drums 

Yanik Lorenzo Andreatta: Bass 

With: 

Adriano Vianini: Voice 

Alessandro Andreatta: Guitar (4) 

Francesco Festi: Voice 

Gianni Nicolini: Tabla (3) 

Mirko Pedrotti: Vibes (5) 

Oscar Cordioli: Voice 

Samia Charbel: Voice (3)

1. "Terra Cava" (14:06) I'm especially attached to the piano and voice section in the middle (what an amazing vocalist is Ana Torres Fraile!); it is sublime! The opening section is highly polished, tightly performed, with some excellent guitar soloing. The third section is bass-centric while Indian konokol or 'voice percussion' performs intermittently throughout. (28.5/30)

2. "Codice Y16" (5:21) sounds so much like a Magma opus! Piano, guitars, and voices all performing at breakneck speed with amazingly tight timing. Here we find UTO totally in the pocket, in their element, at their all-time best! Simply INCREDIBLE vocal and keyboard performances throughout, start to finish! One of the best prog songs of the year! (10/10)

3. "Elogio Del Dubbio" (7:54) perhaps a little less Zeuhl-ish while flowing more like a KOTEBEL song--at least until the Arabic vocalizations from guest singer Samia Charbel beginning at the 4:10 mark. Morphing into another stripped down, tabla-based church-like operatic vocal performance by the nearly perfect voice of Ms. Torres Fraile, the song feels suddenly so European and liturgical. Ends with an interesting though tangential instrumental section. (14.25/15)

4. "Architettura Dell'acqua" (11:27) begins with Ana supported only by softly picked electric guitar in an almost-pop performance. This is more akin to the wonderful Neofolk-classical offerings of countrymate Riccardo Prencipe in his CORDE OBLIQUE project releases. In the sixth minute we jump into a full band rock and then prog styled song. An uncharacteristic song from UTO and not my favorite. Still, it is better than 99% of the crap you hear out there. The introduction to the final section (before the guitar solo) is the best part of the song. I much prefer Ana's voice in the full operatic demand. (17/20)

5. "Citta' Infinite" (6:19) opens with a Latin jazzy feel with piano-based combo prepping us for Ana's entry. Vocalise with some scatting is how Ana comes in--and continues to perform for about a minute. Were words lacking, or was this composed with the intention of exploring traditional jazz realms?

      The synth used in the second minute and shift to more rock sounds & stylings (and use of words by Ana's sublime voice) signal that the jazz foray was only temporary. The fourth minute introduces another new style and approach: quiet, low-key singing, unusual non-ethnic musical style--and then we're off to some familiar bass riffing (from The Magus) with some play from vibes, guitar and synths over the top. Solo piano cuts in at 5:30 to end and fade out. Strange song.  (8.5/10)

6. "Mare Verticale" (7:38) surprisingly simple song structures over the first two sections. It's as if the band is having trouble deciding who they want to be and so are playing it extra-conservatively. It's not until 3:25 when we finally get to hear Ana back at her most excellent voce. The music feels old, dated, mired in out-dated rock modalities and stylings. Too much of a mish-mash of mush which seems to have no direction or aim. Scatting @ 6:00 and then back to bland hard rock over which Ana tries to soar. This does NOT work. This song is, to my ears, grating; to my mind, utterly disappointing. (11.25/15)

Total Time 52:45

In summary, the first two songs are so much stronger than the more stylistically chameleonic tapestries that make up the the final three songs; Zeuhl with Ana's powerful operatic approach are their strengths. While The Magus showed flaws in over-indulgences and sound quality issues (in the mixes), this album shows flaws in clarity of intent and purpose. More songs and music like the first two, please. 

89.50 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.

33. ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique III

From Dijon, France, Arnaud Bukwald burst onto the Prog music scene in 2016 with not one, not two, but three La marmite cosmique album releases.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Arnaud Bukwald / composer, performer

1. "From Dusk to Dawn" (3:36) a very cinematic (in a very 1970s B-movie way) piece to start with, but then, surprise of all surprises, it turns into an Emerson, Lake and Palmer piece at the one-minute mark. And a brilliant imitation it is! At 2:10 it pauses to reset before reforming into a ELP-tinged return to the comically-eery opening motif. (8.875/10)

2. "Chimères" (10:57) a very interesting musical piece that incorporates what feels like several completely different motifs into one 11-minute song. As a matter of fact, there are long blank pauses between each of the suite's three sub-sections--as if waving the abuse of song inclusion in our helpless faces. There are themes that are styled in very funked-up-jazzy, jazz-rock, and even Canterbury palettes--and very creatively so, I must admit: this is all quite unusual and unique music despite its odd nostalgic familiarity. Then there's the case of Arnaud's deep basso voice: it is also something quite unusual (perhaps even unique) for Prog World. Rated slightly down for the seemingly random scattering of ideas and themes. (I wonder if Arnaud works with film or video as he creates and edits his music.) (17.5/20)

3. "Serendipity" (1:22) interesting with female vocalise soaring over the top. (4.375/5)

4. "Zebra 3" (3:06) great groovin' 1970s "Black exploitation" soundtrack music. Arnaud is without doubt an expert in these funk styles--and his sound engineering is always flawlessly clear and clean. Heavy on the slap fretless bass, clavinet, congas, and funky alto saxophone. Switch in the second minute into more of a KOOL AND THE GANG/HUBERT LAWS groove Jackson. Sax and Hammond get some lead time over the awesome funk. Another odd ending/departure: kind of just leaving us hanging. (9/10)

5. "Zappo's Grill House" (5:21) opening with a section of awesome 1970s woodwind and Fender Rhodes-led smooth jazz-rock fusion à la Hubert (or Ronnie) Laws, the Jazz Crusaders, Deodato, or even the house of Dave Grusin. The long slow chord and key changes paced by the walking bass line as doubled up by piano and bass are wonderful--like a study in song pacing--while the rest of "the band" add their little idiosyncratic flourishes and riffs. (8.875/10)  

6. "Post-Modern World" (4:45) Amazing space funk that reminds me of Deodato, Parliament, Newcleus, or even Pink Floyd, or, later, KOOP. Space wind break at the halfway point before accelerating again into a funked up Floydian "Welcome to the Pleasure Dome" continuation. Very, very cool! Daevid Allen, Pierre Moerlin, and Ed Wynne would be very impressed! (9/10)

7. "Mandala" (2:24) taking us on a journey into the Indian sub-continent, sitar, tablas, harmonium, violin and a host of other Indian instruments are perfectly mixed and matched to render this nearly-perfect expression of non-European music. Awesome! (9.5/10)

Total Time 31:31

89.50 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; rated down slightly for brevity; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection; highly recommended. 

34. THE ARBORIST Acrylic Road

The Columbia Gorge has certainly infused Carson Schnackenberg with some magic; this is an amazingly gorgeous album. With a shoegaze sound base, Acrylic Road sounds like a kind of cross between Neige's ALCEST (without the growls, instead with the vocal styling of Swede Fredrik Larsson) and France's KLONE.

1. "The Fifth Acre" (5:15) is an instant classic, shoegaze with excellent vocal and upbeat sound and pacing. One of the best songs of 2016!! (10/10)

2. "Acrylic Road" (4:59) opens with heavily treated almost oriental-sounding piano chord progressions providing the song foundation before Carson's airy vocal joins in. The song begins to have a kind of STEVEN  WILSON feel to it. Later piano soloing, COCTEAU TWINS' Simon  Raymonde-like rolling bass play, and brief guitar soli, all mixed into a frequently morphing, fluctuating flow make for a very pleasing listening experience. (9/10)

3. "The Lost Continent of Mu: Part 1" (3:19) features an instrument sounding like the Japanese shamisen in the lead role for the first two minutes as the orchestral sounds eventually and gradually swell around. The final minute redirect toward a kind of harp-supported orchestral build and crescendo. (9/10)

4. "The Lost Continent of Mu: Part 2" (8:01) nice post rock structure and sound--at times quite similar to Japanese band MONO. (12/15)

5. "Aphonic" (7:44) is built on a simple Harold Budd-like treated piano chord sequence. It starts quietly but then breaks through at the 2:30 mark to make its impact. The problem comes with trying to sustain interesting music over the course of a long 7:44. (13.5/15)

6. "The Valley Beneath the Waves" (featuring Yala Rhone) (9:58) starts off kind of generic neoclassical--not unlike the piano-based work of Taiwan's Jesy Chiang's CICADA project--but the airy vocal takes it in a whole different direction--kind of OWL CITY-like. At 1:27 it begins to slowly build in variations and intensity. Nice work from co-vocalist (Yala Rhone?) in the third minute. Nice lead guitar work in the seventh and eighth minutes and then a gorgeous ambient outro over the the final two and a half minutes. (18/20)

It is difficult to find flaw with this album. I'm not sure if it's "proggy" enough, but it is. On a par with and above--way above--many other one man self-produced projects.

89.375 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; B+; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.

35. COLIN TENCH PROJECT Hair in a G-String (Unfinished But Sweet)

Colin is feeling nostalgic!

Line-up / Musicians:
- Colin Tench / acccoustic & electric guitars, piano, synthesiser (3,7,9), drum programming (3), percussion (6,10,12), vocals (10), arranger & producer

With: 
- Peter Jones / lead vocals (1,6,7,14), clarinet (6), saxophone (1), piano & voice actor (15) 
- Phil Naro / lead vocals (2,3,12,14) 
- David Knokey / rhythm guitar (13) 
- Steve Gresswell / keyboards (1,3,7), piano & orchestration & percussion (1) 
- Marco Chiappini / piano (2), keyboards (10) 
- Stef Flaming / keyboards (3), bass (13), percussion (1) 
- Pasi Koivu / synthesisers & organ (8) 
- Kelly Brown / keyboards (12) 
- Ian Beabout / flute (9) 
- Petri Lindström / bass guitar (1,3,5-8,12,14) 
- Gary Derrick / bass guitar (2,10) 
- Stephen Speelman / stunt bass (3) 
- Angelo Hulshout / fretless bass (7,14) 
- Victor Tassone / drums (2,10), percussion (10,12) 
- Oliver Rusing / drums (3,7), percussion (3) 
- Jay Theodore McGurrin / drums (6,14) 
- Robert Wolff / drums (8) 
- Gary Hodges / drums (12) 
- Sean Filkin / tambourine (8) 
- Gordon "Gordo" Bennett / orchestration (strings, horns, basses) (5-8,14), triangle (14), full orchestra arrangements & orchestration (16) 
- Tina Sibley / violin (12) 
- Kirsten Weingartner / violin (12) 
- Ned Horner / violin (12) 
- Aleksis Zarins / violin (12)

1. "Hair in a G String (The Opening) Part 1" (6:25) is a very dramatic opening (an overture?) with quite theatric music supporting Peter Jones' eventual narration singing drawing us into the story (album). It's like the narration of the experience of writing and listening to a concept album 'show.' How self-aware is this writer/narrator/composer/performer! One of my three favorites from this album. (9/10)

2. "Can't See It Any Other Way" (4.36) a little in the countrified vein of the early EAGLES or GEORGE HARRISON/BEATLES-like tune. A well-recorded and -constructed homage to the music of the past but a little too over the top for me. (7/10)

3. "Hair in a G String (The Hairy Part) Part 2" (6.04) continues the "suite" theme that began with the album's opening song. This one feels very cinematic, like a lot of the Corvus Stone stuff. Very Spaghetti Western like (except for the drums--which are rather lame) with at least three distinct parts, the third of which is completely old-school SANTANA. (8/10)

4. "The Mad Yeti" (2:54) is a guitar instrumental with at least three or four tracks devoted to acoustic guitars. Not far from an Anthony Phillips piece. I like to imagine Colin sitting by a fire in the fireplace while recording each of these tracks. (8/10)

5. "The Sad Brazilian" (7:20) This happens to be one of my favorite songs on the album--as much for the wonderful use of orchestra and piano as for the wonderfully cinematic soundscapes painted herein. Even Colin's electric guitar flourishes are contained and restrained, yet they pack the perfect punch. (9/10)

6. "And So, Today" (4:12) is a beautiful tribute to four rock'n'roll greats that passed away in 2016. Great encrypted lyrics delivered with such beauty and respect from singer Pete Jones. Another of my three favorite songs here. (10/10)

7. "Hair in a G string (I'm Going Down) Part 3" (10.09) opens like a classic ROY BUCHANAN song, orchestra and all. Then, at 1:10 the guitar sound choice shifts into sustained overdrive to give it a more modern sound. At 2:25 there is a shift in mood to more Southern Rock--over which the theatric vocals of Pete Jones are delivered. The dreamy "feels so good" part at the five minute mark is pretty--as are the guitar and keyboard solos that follow. Accordion's presence gives the song a little beer hall feel. The song is starting to feel more PINK FLOYD/DAVID GILMOUR-esque here in the seventh and eighth minutes. 

     Unfortunately, I find the premise that trimmed pubic hair is more desirable than the alternative to be a sad reflection of our paranoid, over-sanitized, youth-obsessed first world society. (/20)

8. "Lisa Waltzes Back In With No G-String" (3:53) is a solid instrumental with another Spaghetti Western cinema feel to it--(this time especially the drums). (8/10)

9. "Lisa's Entrance Unplugged" (3:09) An oddly titled song for such a beautiful medieval folk song. One of my three favorites.  (10/10)

10. "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed" (7:32) The title here refers to the many themes from old classic rock songs that Colin here borrows and varies, including the BEATLES-esque opening upon which the song is founded. (As I said in the opening to this review: "Colin is feeling nostalgic.") To my ears, it is the Eagles, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles that are most represented in the collection and juxtapositions of the riffs I hear. Quite probably Colin means this as another tribute to the recently deceased heroes of rock history. Colin puts on display some wonderfully emotional guitar and melodic wizardry in his expression of these familiar themes. (9/10)

11. "La Palo Desperado (5:54) is pure Spanish guitar play--as if King Henry VIII's court with his first wife, Isabella of Spain. Nice concert material--though perhaps a bit drawn out. (8/10)

12. "A Beautiful Feeling" (5:58) sounds like a hit crossover song from the mid-70s--could be from Glenn Campbell, Charley Rich, Leo Sayer, Ronnie Milsap, the early Eagles or even The Greatest American Hero or Grease. Actually a pretty good song! Let's get it some AM radio airplay. (9/10)

13. "Dnieper Summer Day (1:38) is a multiple acoustic guitar piece that though essentially Spanish in its feel, purports to have something to do with Russia--though it's really a variation on The Eagles' "Hotel California" chords and melodies. (8/10)

14. "Part 4b (7:56) is stable rock set up for a humorous vocal drama between musicians, composers, lyricists, and singers. They really do camp it up! IT sounds like it could come out of a music studio version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For the first three minutes it's quite fun, then it gets weird/silly in a Tim Burton-kind of way (despite Colin's excellent guitar soloing). Then, at 5:28 it threatens to become a heavy metal song, only it doesn't. The vocals disappear and Colin goes on doing his bluesy electric lead solos (in multiple channels/tracks). The orchestra joins in at the end in a kind of Quadrophenia kind of way as the narrator brings the comicopera to an end. Entertaining! (9/10)

15. "Part 4b Redux (0:23) is a brief dance hall version of the chords and comedy of the previous song.

There is so much nostalgia present in this album I wonder what Colin is going through (on a personal level). I appreciate his commitment to and reverence of these heroes and influences of his. Where Colin's music here lacks in comparison with his last Corvus Stone albums is in the up-front show of virtuosic flair in the electric guitar department. The man is an electric guitar god, so why not exploit it! I mean, there are only so many albums that one can put out in a lifetime (unless you're Buckethead, Sun Ra, John Zorn, or the Acid Mothers Tempe), so let's flaunt it! For posterity! 

     One last thing:  While I get Colin's rather clever pun-manship with potty humour topics, I'm not necessarily a big fan:  There's always a little too much implied misogyny (or male locker room attitude) involved for my comfort. Still, the man is nothing short of a genius! And a mega talented one, at that!

89.29 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.

36. GADI CAPLAN Morning Sun 

Eclectic fare from world traveller guitarist Gadi Caplan. Some songs are folk, some world (Indian), some pop, some jazz, a little infusion of Canterbury style, a lot of instrumental, several with pleasant vocals. A very pleasant journey. I found myself thinking of Roy Harper's Stormcock throughout my first listen to this material. Successive listens have slowly revealed the surprisingly wide diversitty in sounds and styles covered on this album--though throughout Gadi's electric guitar sound choices are always unusually clear, crisp, and concise--kind of like those of Roy Buchanan or Blue Öyster Cult's "Buck Dharma" Roeser in the 1970s.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Gadi Caplan / Guitars

     With:

- Danny Abowd / 

1. "Hemavati" (3:42) is a wonderful horn-backed soft rock instrumental with beautiful, sensitive guitar play performing the lead in a way that is, to me, reminiscent of blues legend Roy Buchanan. (9/10)

2. "Island" (5:33) is a gorgeous little folk song in the style of 1990s STEVEN WILSON/ PORCUPINE TREE--one that makes you appreciate more the genius of SW in that time period. (9/10)

3. "Good Afternoon" (2:25) the only song on the album that I don't absolutely love, it's more in an acoustic blues style though quite reminiscent of some of HARRY NILSSON's songs, it continues to dsiplay Gadi's extraordinary skills in vocal arrangements, lead guitar play, and production. (7/10)

4. "Vivadi Swara" (5:39) opens as a pure ROY BUCHANAN song with acoustic guitar and synth providing sparse background support for the sensitive lead electric guitar work. At 1:38 the song opens up with strummed acoustic guitar, full band support and Gadi's whispery, jazzy lead vocal. I hear a little George Harrison in this one. Such stellar songwriting and production! A true gem! (9/10)

5. "Morning Sun" (4:14) a sparsely constructed folk song that truly feels like it came out of the mucis catalog of 1970s HARRY NILSSON or the introspective side of ROBERT WYATT or JEFF BUCKLEY. Extraordinary and beautiful! I love the wooden flute play, too. (10/10)

6. "La Morena" (5:46) opens gently but with vocals joining in almost immediately. The vocals are very beautifully executed--quite like Coldplay's CHRIS MARTIN. I love the BEATLES-like contribution of the violin and Gadi's finishing vocalizations. (9/10)

7. "The Other Other Side" (5:14) from my very first listen this song has been my favorite. A bit more dynamic and electric than the previous six songs, this one also has a little more diversity in way the accompanying instruments are presented. Sounding slightly PINK FLOYD-ish, slightly Hawaiian, though mostly Harry NILSSON and STEVEN WILSON-ish, this one has the gift of an extraordinary vocal and an awesome bluesy guitar solo in the final minutes. (10/10)

8. "Lili's Day, Pt. 1" (2:49) opens with quite an different, synth-dominated trip hoppy sound and feel--here bringing to mind some of the work of some of the early Post Rock bands (like Tortoise and Bark Psychosis). Great groove! (10/10)

9. "Lili's Day, Pt. 2" (2:28) continues the Post Rock sound with its great guitar weave while adding a Dick Parry-like breathy sax to take the lead. (9/10)

10. "Lili's Day, Pt. 3" (1:50) sees a shift in the music starting with the eery militaristic drumming, minor chord synths, and more sustain-effected guitar lead. (8/10)

11. "Lili's Day, Pt. 4" (2:37) shifts into a more straight rock mellow outflow with the violin and strings synths taking the dominant lead in presenting the melodies. (8/10)

89.09 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. This is a type of clear, clean, simply constructed song production I wish there was more of in this day and age. Beautiful. Do check it out:  Highly recommended.

37. AISLES Hawaii

This true 21st Century band releases its fourth studio album: a double album conveying a rather dour and emotional perception of the chaotic, slow demise of our planet, our species, the band's home country of Chile, as well as for the band and perhaps some of the individual members of the band (especially the Vergara brothers). 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Sebastian Vergara / vocals
- Rodrigo Sepulveda / guitars
- German Vergara / guitars
- Juan Pablo Gaete / keyboards
- Daniel Baird-Kerr / bass
- Felipe Candia / drums

Voice actors on "Club Hawaii":

- Matthew Baxter / Newcomer 

- Sebastián Vergara / Club Regular 1 (spoken & sung)

- Germán Vergara / Club Regular 2

- Rebecca Bell / Announcer

- Sebastián Vergara / Steward

• 
  

1. "The Poet Part I: Dusk" (10:06) a solid construct--complete with the band's now familiar impeccably-woven sophisticated multi-layered instrumental construction. I'm not so fond of the hard-drivin' straight-forward rock rhythm choices nor the multi-voice approach to lead vocals. (17.5/20)

2. "The Poet Part II: New World" (4:18) gorgeous melodies created by Sebastian Vergara over this surprisingly simple (but adequate) song construct. Great drumming. Not sure Daniel Baird-Kerr's bass playing style is the best fit for the band. Not the most polished or best engineered song the band has produced, but it's still a winner. (9/10)

3. "Year Zero" (4:36) nice dreamy two-guitar, two channel foundation with solid bass presence and background drumming over which Sebastian sings in a high pitch (and frail-sounding) voice. (Is he sick? Is his [heretofore amazing] voice failing?) Nice Berlin School-like synth patterns takes over in the third minute, at first supplanting the two guitars while Sebastian sits back on the sidelines, later re-introducing the two guitars for a bit before they yield to the piano that finishes the song. Interesting! (8.875/10)

4. "Upside Down" (4:53) piano with bass and delicate drumming open this before guitar strums and big tom-tom hits signal the entry of double-tracked lead vocals (both Sebastian, I believe) mirroring the piano. It's like a stage musical's central aria. It's okay, just not the Aisles we all (in the prog community) want to here Still, the topic expressed in the lyrics is quite heavy and, therefore, appropriately expressed with serious passion. Nice solos from the two guitarists and synth player in the fourth minute. (8.6667/10)

5. "CH-7" (12:33) oddly sparse and simple music behind a rather passionate vocal performance by Sebastian Vergara. Unfortunately, Seb's voice (which is surprisingly lacking any melodic "hooks" to gain our interest and enjoyment) is not enough to carry the song all by itself. (I swear: On this album it feels as if Sebastian's voice is failing--this despite his sincere passion behind many of the messages he's trying to convey.) But carry it he does: for over six minutes--and when the musicians begin to offer more to the soundscape it still feels thin (though it does, admittedly, take a noticeable amount of pressure off of Seb's performance). The musical construct beneath the song's instrumental passage in the ninth minute is rather laughable for its syncopation minimalism--despite everyone's participation. When everybody kind of congeals in the tenth we finally feel a bit of the inviting warmth that I've come to associate the band with. Finally! This section persists into the twelfth minute before taking a turn down a faster-paced downhill street. Unfortunately, the sound palette chosen throughout this song is one that never quite wins me over. Too bad! That instrumental finish was almost worth it. (21.875/25)

6. "Terra" (8:03) nice gently-picked acoustic guitar with fluid fretless bass and sustained volume-controlled pedal steel guitar chords open this one giving the listener quite a relaxing, almost lullaby-like setting. Sebastian's voice enters matching the angelic music with great delicacy, amazing vulnerability. Gorgeous. At the four-minute mark a "sonic boom"-like noise enters--as if signaling the event of some disaster. At 5:40 the vocalist (not Seb?) enters with an almost-operatic tenor, amping up the tension and drama of the song. He is soon joined by Sebastian and multiple other voices in harmonized choral form while the piano and strummed acoustic guitars keep time and the drums, bass, and odd synth noises create a very unsettling chaos--at first in the background, but then usurping the soundscape for the finish. A song of lament and regret? on behalf of the planet? Interesting and unique. This is the kind of creative song creation that keeps me coming back for Aisles music. (13.5/15)

7. "Pale Blue Dot" (9:53) tick-tocking percussion with layers of guitar and synth play over which Sebastian eventually joins--singing his long-held notes in a clear, frail, high register. The music that bridges to a new variation at the three-minute mark is a bit circus-like, while the next motif is more of a standard rock musical experience with Sebastian singing more in front of the mix (with his melodic flow feeling a bit forced and even, at times, incongruous with the musical landscape). Still, there is something not quite right with the musical coherence here: as if the Sebastian and the rest of the band are on two different, diverging paths of musical vision. In the final quarter of the song, there are even several instances in which Seb tries reaching for high power notes and fails to achieve pitch accuracy. (17/20)

8. "Still Alive" (4:46) an emotional radio-friendly song that does a great job at expressing the insecurities and unknowns of daily life in these frail "three-minutes-to-midnight" era of human existence. (9/10)

9. "Nostalgia" (2:11) Perfectly understandable considering the flow and concept behind this album. We all want to feel the security of nostalgic escapes to past memories or past art forms. This song conveys this rather effectively while still expressing the underlying tension (pace) rushing us through a process of escapism. (4.66667/5)

10. "Club Hawaii" (7:22) a very interesting, entertaining, and effective theatric musical play. Quite brilliant--and emotional! (14.5/15)

11. "Falling" (2:11) solo piano over which Sebastian sings in a very high, delicate, almost feminine operatic way. With progress into the song, Seb's vocal definitely expresses more masculinity--though of a very vulnerable emotionality. (4.5/5)

12. "In The Probe" (6:53) interesting and, yes, a bit depressing with a single destabilized guitar occasionally strumming some disharmonic chords and a very sparsely-employed drum machine rhythm track serving as the only two instruments, but, again, it is very effective considering the psychological and emotional goals of the band on this album. I'm very much reminded of the stark soundscapes of TALK TALK's TIM HOLLIS as well as the delicate vocal abilities of Marillion's Steve Hogarth. Very effective. Thank you, Sebastián. You have served commendably. (13.33333/15)

Total time: 77:45

Despite the space of three years since the band's last album, a lot of the music on this album feels forced--as if the idealistic fire that was present in 2009 (on In Sudden Walks) is flickering. However, knowing the cynical space the band was in during its making--about their native Chile, about the planet, about the future of Sebastián's participation with the band--I can better understand (and forgive--as well as learn to grow with) the often sparse, stripped-down soundscapes employed in their musical expressions here. 

89.01 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an admirable and quite emotional ride through a band's cynicism and decay. A listening experience that requires attention but then, after several listens, can be truly and fully enjoyed for the artistic expression it is. Highly recommended to any prog lover. 

38. DISEN GAGE Snapshots

Awesome instrumental prog from Russia from this band of seasoned veterans and their guests. This is a very eclectic album in that, as the title infers, each and every song incorporates a completely diverse style. It's like you mixed the Eastern European folk-filled good humour of FARM MARKET with the funky side of VESPERO. Oft times one hears music themes that sound quite cinematic, with others riding the pulsating groove of a kind of Jamaican Krautrock ("Memories"), or a purer representative of the Kosmische Musik tradition ("Trip"), while others are flavored with the bounce of folk traditions ("Foolery" and "Me"). Throughout this album the bass play is a standout for its thick and melodic funky-jazzy grooves, while the drums are tight and supportive, and the guitar work skillful and expressive. The contributions of the guests (vibes, synths, saxophone, voice) are notable and helpful (like VESPERO's Arakady Fedotov on spacey synths during "Trip")

Line-up/Musicians:

Konstantin Mochalov: guitar

Nikolai Syrtsev: bass 

Eugeny Kudryashov: drums 

Sergei Bagin: guitar and synth (1, 2, 7, 8) 

With:

Feodor Amirov: synth (1) 

Vladimir Rusinov: guitar (3) 

Kamille Sharapodinov (The Grand Astoria): guitar (4) 

Gini Ruggero: sax & voice (6) 

Arkady Fedotov aka Ark Vespero (Vespero): synths (7) 

Alexander Kuzovlev: guitar (7)

1. "Me" (5:27) plays as if Carlos Santana or Jeff Beck played on a Russian folk song--at least until the nice little bass solo at 2:40--which then sets up the great explosion into heavier jazz rock territory. Quite fun, creative, and well done. (9/10)

2. "Them" (10:45) is perhaps the most cinema soundtrack-sounding song on the album--even through it's several shifts and turns. Bass play, fuzzy, distorted guitar leads, and xylophone-like keyboard are standouts. (18/20)

3. "Chums" (5:09) opens with a Spaghetti Western distorted guitar riff and sparse drum play. Then solo lead guitar enters presenting a kind of CHET ATKINS sound. The rolling guitar strums at the two-minute mark bridge to an out and out Country-Rock fusion in which two guitars-one clean and Atkins-like and the other dirty and -like--are kind of loosely dueling while also masterfully supporting one another. Great song! Some nice, familiar melodies in that second half. (9/10)

4. "Memories" (5:15) displays a bit of a Rastafarian side to the band--mostly in the bass line--while the drums and guitars are more rock n roll. The song gets more psychedelic and spacey as it travels with two guitars soloing against each other at the same time in the end. (9/10)

5. "Foolery" (4:49) has a corny, folk-like beat with an incongruous fuzzy guitar and chunky bass. The weakest song on the album--though fans of Eastern European folk might really dig this one. (8/10)

6. "Equilibrium" (7:05) sounds like a jazz & funked up Math Rock tune in which the bass play is its most adventurous though it may stand out a bit at times from the rest of the band's weave. Sax and male voices humming are featured in the second half. (13.5/15)

7. "Trip" (8:06) is the true Kosmisches song on the album as guest Arkady Fedotov's space synths steer us into distant galaxies start to finish despite the influences and suggestions of the others. Great job by drummer Eugeny Kudryashov in keeping the ship on course. There is even a little uncredited trumpet (sample? synth?) snuck into the journey in the seventh minute. (13.5/15)

8. "Hangover" (1:55) is an awesome little weave of complex bass play, melody-establishing fuzz guitar and syncopated hard hits of piano chords to seal off the album's end. Nice! (4.5/5)

Total time 48:31

88.95 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 star album; great performances on solid compositions throughout this near-masterpiece of instrumental music.

39. GRAVITY SAYS_I Quantum Unknown

An awesome blend of electronica and folk traditions coming out of Greece. Nikitas Kissonas and I agree--this is one of the most interesting and enjoyable--even hypnotic--musics coming out of the Peloponnese.

1. "More Than A Matter Of Instinct" (6:18) opens the album with some sonically manipulated synth sounds and organ. Rolling bass lines (two!) accompany the Tangerine Dream like music that forms as the Brendan Perry/Dead Can Dance-like voice of Manos Paterakis enters and lulls us into hypnotic submission--as does the music that fills the spaces between the vocal verses. Nice use of horns/trumpet in balance tandem with santur and synths for a three-way solo weave during the instrumental section of the song's final two minutes--and then the excellent electric guitar work in the final minute. Great song! (9/10)  

2. "Of Woe / Migratory Birds" (9:45) opens with santur and a little VANGELIS/Blade Runner-like soundscape before the soothing voice of Manos Paterakis enters. Around 1:30 the whole band joins in to establish an interesting rhythm over which Manos and other instruments play. Cool shift at the 3:12 mark establishes multiple layers of both instruments and voices. Guitar solo in the mid-section. I love the santur base. Another shift at 6:12 leads to a more Post Rock sounding section over which trumpet solos until things speed up and the electric guitar takes over. At 7:30 things revert to 1980s techno-pop synth sounds over which Manos (in layers) sings. Interesting song! I'm not sure if the unusual flow really works, though. (16.75/20)  

3. "Dowser" (3:16) simple droning synth with syncopated hand clapping form the base for the heavily treated voice of Manos Paterakis to sing over. After the first verse the music shifts, filling with more sounds from a few more instruments (synthesizer/keyboards). After the second verse multiple tracks of both guitars and trumpets join in. Cool effect! (9/10)                                

4. "An Ivory Heart" (5:16) opens with a brisk pace in an almost Latin style of horn-supported music. A quiet interlude sets in before an interesting drum rhythm pattern sets up for Manos' doubled-up vocal track. Man this guy sounds like Brendan Perry! Fun upbeat song with neat instrumental section in the fourth and fifth minutes. (9/10)                       

5. "Every Man" (6:11) opens with acoustic classical guitar solo which is joined at the 0:40 mark by other acoustic instruments and strings. It almost has a Greek folk feel to it--but the lyric "every man for himself" seems a bit out of character with a folk song. I love the piano-guitar duet in the middle. Unfortunately, the vocal and lyric seem to bring the song down a bit. Could be so much more powerful. (8/10)                            

6. "Quantum Unknown (Riveted Eye)" (9:46) opens kind of experimental ambient soundscapes in the vein of RYUICHI SAKAMOTO in his collaborations with sound engineers CHRISTIAN FENNESZ and ALVA NOTO but then turns into a kind of low key DEPECHE MODE song--complete with DAVID GAHAN-like vocals--at least, that is, until the 4:25 mark. Then we return to spacey synthetic soundscapes with some cool throbbing bass lines over which the exotic sounds of the santur eventually solo. The final two minutes revert back to very cool, very eery computer-manipulated synth sounds. Definitely my favorite song on the album. (20/20)

88.75 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. This one has such a refreshing and near-perfect blend of traditional folk instrumentation with modern computer-synthesized technologies. Definitely worth checking out! Highly recommended.

40. VESPERO Lique Mekwas

Finally, Vespero gets back on track to fulfill the amazing potential that they had shown through the Naughties with their Liventure live albums and especially through their wonderful 2010 studio album, By the Waters of Tomorrow. Every move the band makes here shows maturity, confidence and sensibility. Great melodies, great changes of pace--even in the middle of songs--not as much reliance on the psy-reggae rhythms of the recent past. It's a long disc coming out at 75 minutes but it is very rewarding listen--no fluff, all substance and intrigue--and with an awesome story being told in concept album form. Guitars, keys, bass, sax and violins are all strongly present with the prominently featured creativity of master rhythmatists, Ivan Fedotov and Alexander Timatov. This could be a masterpiece. Let me get to know it better.

Line up/Musicians:

Ivan Fedotov – drums, percussion, wave drum

Alexander Timakov – percussion, wave drum

Arkady Fedotov – basses, synths

Alexander Kuzovlev – guitars, electric piano (1, 4)

Alexey Klabukov – keys, synths, noise box «Cacophonator» (1)

Vitaly Borodin – violin

   With

Pavel Alekseev – tenor saxophone

1. "The Course Of Abagaz" (16:18) opens with bass rapid harmonics play which quickly turns into some awesome rapid firm bass and rhythm guitar lines to support soaring sustained guitar notes performing the leads for the first three minutes. Tenor sax takes front and center over the next two minutes before giving way to more electric guitar. 

     The awesome rhythm section sustains its breakneck speed throughout the first seven minutes of this long song--it sounds kind of like a SANTANA jam--which could be a problem in monotony were it not for the various soloists performing their interesting expositions.

     At the seven minute mark all instruments stop save for the spacey sounds produced by keyboards and flanged and other treated instruments. What sounds like a Mellotron (but is more likely a heavily treated violin) and Reggae-ish bass establish themselves as the new leads in this cool, slowed down section. PINK FLOYD and HAWKWIND come to mind here--especially as the synths take more of the foreground presence. Violin, guitar and sax solo at the same time, weaving their melodies into the spacey soundscape. What a trip!

     At 13:36 the music slows and a guitar signals a return to the SANTANA-like jam of the opening. Distorted keyboard has the first solo before echoed sax takes a brief turn, but it is the keys that carry it home to the end. Great song. (27/30)

2. "Ras Dashen" (9:31) opens slowly, establishing a nice laid back groove with bass and congas and other hand percussives, with some HACKETT-esque volume pedal controlled soloing over the top for the first two minutes. Violin gets the next turn as guitar and keys establish some spacey weave beneath. Then its tenor sax in the fourth minute. Pause in the middle of the fifth minute allows a recalibration and then return to original pace only this time with full drum kit, staccato bass play and muted guitar chords providing that foundational weave for first keyboard solo and then violin. Drums get to shine a bit in the final two minutes. Probably my favorite song on the album. (18/20)

3. "Oromoo’s Flashing Eyes" (10:00) opening with a nice little moving groove within which spacey synth noises and violin get to weave their sounds. In the third minute the song stops and restarts with drums and rhythm section establishing a new somewhat polyrhythmic direction (syncopated drum beats) over which tenor sax takes a turn. By the time the screaming electric guitar takes over the lead in the fifth minute the whole-band rhythm has again congealed into an insistent and unified thrum. Violin and guitar take turns with soli as the foundational music massages and hypnotizes the listener. (18/20)

4. "Abyssinian Ground" (8:20) is perhaps the odd song on the album as the folk melodies and odd rhythms and unorthodox time signatures force one to wake up and take notice. Who said Russians don't concern themselves with rhythm or time? Vespero are here proving them wrong. (18/20)

5. "Isidore’s Prophet" (10:23) long and steady but not enough change, development or nuance. (17.25/20)

6. "Follow The Fitawrari" (8:49) has nice development with sax, violin, synths and incredible bass play. There is an awesome spacey section in the sixth minute. The seventh minute puts some PERCY JONES-like bass play beneath the jazz guitar lead. (18/20)

7. "The Emperor’s Second Self" (11:39) has a very nice slow pace and development from the eerie, spacious opening to the end of the sixth minute. Up to that point all instruments seem to be floating around in their own daydreams. Then the instrumental threads congeal and weave into a cohesive expression. By the 8:00 mark the music is beginning to sound like a meditative/breathworks jam intended to take both listener and musician into altered states of consciousness. Beautiful and awesome! (18/20)

Overall, an awesome excursion into the spacey, rhythmically massaging world of Kosmisches Musik--done in a jazz fusion style!

88.67 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of prog rock and an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.

41. UNAKA PRONG Margot

A fascinating journey through funky, bluesy, jazzy, yet progressive rock music from Boone, North Carolina. Trumpeter Nic Pressley is so fun to listen to! And I love how the rest of the instruments are recorded to sound as if you are among them, on stage. Awesome! Chris Pope's vintage keyboards are gorgeous and always up front and center. The vocals are awesome and hilarious in a kind of Robert Wyatt way. The dual guitars of Mike Welsh and Daniel Stevenson are so nicely constructed--as if Paul Weller was playing with Radiohead or . . . Paul Weller! The drums are recorded so warmly that you might as well be sitting in drummer John Hargett's lap.

Favorite tracks:  4. "Crunch Berries" (6:16) (10/10); 3. "Clifford" (4:54) (9/10); 7. "Hella (for Coleman Christopher)" (6:15) with its rap (9/10); the jazzy instrumental opener, 1. "PTB" (4:52) (9/10); the hilarious and memorable ALLMAN BROTHERS-like 2. "Road Rash Blues" (4:50) (8/10); the awesome Canterbury styled epic, 8. "Little Animal" (11:14) (20/20); the STYLE COUNCIL-like jazz funk of the instrumental 9. "The Truffle Shuffle (featuring Cameron Cook)" (7:35) (12/15); 5. "Anxious Summer" (3:45) (8/10), the funk-bluesy jazz instrumental  6. "Lake Jam #2" (5:08) (8/10). 

88.57 on the fish scales = a very solid 4.5 star effort for this group of newbies; a highly recommended contribution of eclectic/crossover progressive rock music. One of the great things about this album is that it's a real grower:  it gets fresher and more fun with each and every listen. I can't wait to hear how what direction(s) they choose to develop.

42. AMPLEDEED BYOB

A band inspired by prog rock tradition, Ampledeed are three young men schooled in art schools of California who have an undeniably rich and creative connection. While this album, their second, shows tremendous growth it also shows tremendous potential. There is some greatness ahead if these guys choose to continue to work together and hone their skills (especially on the sound/engineering side). And this "criticism" is of a truly wonderful, memorable album!

Line-up / Musicians:

- Aaron Goldich / Vocals, Keyboards

- Max Taylor / Vocals, Keyboards, Bass 

- Luis Flores / Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals

With: 

- Isaac Watts / Drums, Vocals 

- Aaron Munoz / Bass 

- Allie Taylor / Vocals 

- Lisa Vitale / Vocals 

- Colin Kupka / Tenor Sax 

- Cody Farwell / Bass

1. "Triple Cancer Moon" (6:45) opens with the weird sound effects that might accompany a classic Canterbury song but then opens, musically, with some awesome TOE-like Post Rock weave, but then just as quickly shifts with three layers of vocals (two female, LISA VITALE and ALLY TAYLOR, and one male) and several more shifts in tempo and style. Awesome! My favorite section is the third minute with its syncopated band play and the interesting male vocals that preceed the return of the two dialoguing females. At 3:45 we are then treated to the introduction of a must seductive hook in the form of a moving synth arpeggio (not unlike several of Tony BANKS' portamentos on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadaway). Curiously, the sixth minute becomes quite prog-like before it slows down to some very King Crimsonian ending. Amazing opener! (15/15)

2. "My Plane" (3:29) sounds like it could come straight off of an ECHOLYN album. The organ play in the third minute is the highlight for me. (8/10)

3. "You're a Libra . . . and She's a Bitch" (5:42) is very prog symphonic in the CIRRUS BAY vein with awesome faux British vocal (biting sarcasm!), guitar, drums and piano, but the song puts up front and center the band's need to grow in terms of engineering and keyboard/computer sound choices and effects. (8/10)

4. "Garden Gnomes" (4:24) opens like a lost GENESIS song, but then turns out to sound most like BILL GILLIAM's wonderfully melodic, keyboard-led work with CIRRUS BAY. Great electric guitar work from Luis Fiores but one of the weaker, less dynamic constructs on the album. Also, the weakest vocal/lyrical-musical match on the album. Still, these guys have so much potential! (8/10)

5. "Monolithium" (7:10) opens with some Russian-sounding solo classical piano play. Cymbals crash and bass joins in before the male voice(s) join in. Despite the song's slow pace it has a very comfortable, engaging harmonic and melodic construct. At 2:30 the tempo increases in a kind of TOM POWERS way before settling into another pleasant BILL GILLIAM/CIRRUS BAY-like instrumental groove. The little Latin rhythm incorpration at 4:30 is clever (and could go further, IMHO) as is the gradual bridge used to slow the song back down at 5:20. The final minute reminds me a lot of THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE. Nice job. Definitely memorable. (13.5/15)

6. "I Will Not Wait" (3:34) with lead vocals handed off to ALLY TAYLOR sounds very much like a song from a THIEVES' KITCHEN album. Ally's AMY DARBY-like voice is quite impressive; no wonder she has a burgeoning solo career launched and on its rise. (9/10)

7. "On My Mind the Gap for Kids " (1:18) is a nice electric keyboard solo. (4/5)

8. "Steve Lied" (2:52) sees the band fall back into a little Echolyn-tinged Neo Prog. It's nice. Pleasant. Melodic. Has Interesting vocals and lyrics. But somehow misses. (8/10)

9. "The Space between Your Face" (5:10) is one of my favorites. It reminds me of 2014's FREDDEGREDDE release. Man these guys can sing! Such buttery voices! And I LOVE the HOMUNCULUC RES-like Casiotone-like synthesizer keyboard used on this one. Great piano, bass, and drums weave! Man these guys have talent and potential. (10/10)

The totally funked up Canterbury-oriented, 10. "The Greatest Gatsby" (9:46) is awesome! An instrumental of epic proportions with great work on piano and other keys (bass, too), drums. Great construction, complex but not mind-bendingly so. (18/20).

11. "Muffin Man" (6:59) sounds like it is intended to be a tribute to America's only other true Canterbury band, The Muffins. The song has VINCE GURALDI-like chord progressions and nice vocals and drum work--and even some special effects worked into the song (beneath Luis's nice HACKETT-esque guitar solo in the sixth minute)--giving it a kind of GENESIS feel to it, before it returns to solo piano chord play for the final 45 seconds (which lends further confirmation to my notion that the true leader and backbone of this band is its keyboard player, AARON GOLDICH). A song that really grows on you. (13.5/15)

I like the complex weaves the multi-instruments create throughout the album and I especially like the diverse approaches to styling the male vocals. I am very excited to follow these talented young musicians as their talent is undeniable. I think that more experience with the sound/engineering side and even more time together will serve these artists very well. The future is incandescent for AMPLEDEED!

88.46 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of refreshingly new progressive rock music.

43. ANTOINE FAFARD Sphère

He's back! Bassist extraordinaire Antoine Fafard returns with another stellar Jazz Fusion album--this time using drumming legend GARY HUSBAND (LEVEL 42, ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, JOHN McLAUGHLIN), along with long-time collaborator JERRY DE VILLIERS, JR on guitar. Though I truly appreciate the creativity in the song performances coming from such virtuosi of their respective instruments, the album does come up a little short of the heights of Antoine's previous album, Ad Perpetuum (2014).

1. "Reminiscence" (5:56) is a nice, even paced song quite reminiscent of Antoine's last album, Ad Perpetuum, except for the more open turn-taking of the bass solo. Nice keyboard solo from Gary Husband in the fifth minute. Not a bad song, just not anything really new. (8/10)

2. "Renaissance Man" (5:16) starts out sounding like a slowed down version of the previous song. The title may refer to Gary for his dual role as percussionist and keyboard track artist. He is truly extraordinary at both. (8/10)

3. "Facta Non Verba" (5:51) a commendable song for Jerry's attempts at going outside his usual style and breakneck speeds. The stop-and-start rhythm construction is okay for a while, but it gets old. (8/10)

4. "Fur & Axes - Part II" (5:05) opens with some sounds and chords that hold a lot of potential--unresolved angst. The band manages to retain some of this tension over the opening discourse, and even into the first shift, but then at 1:30, when everything quiets down, it is lost; it becomes soft and pretty, even comforting; the tension cannot be regained--even despite Jerry's best efforts in the third and fourth minutes. Still, I'd like to hear more songs like this one. (9/10)

5. "Still Invictus" (7:58) my favorite song on the album. It has great variety shifting right and left, using multiple paces and chord foundations. I get quite a thrill hearing the opening and then following all of the instruments throughout the course of this great song. (15/15)

6. "Cherishing" (4:33) ventures into more atmospheric jazz a la EBERHARD WEBER. This is the kind of variety that I like to here more of from Antoine. Really nice drum and piano work from Gary. I especially like the feeling that the drum is not the rhythm keeper but a lead instrument--really cool! (10/10)

7. "No-Brainer" (5:19) is a little more laid back, world music/jazz oriented (I like the Latin AL DI MEOLA feel to it) though the drumming feels like the same old same old. Excellent fretless bass play (and soli!) with some really nice JAN HAMMER-like synth soloing as well. Even Jerry's Holdsworth-like solo is welcome (cuz it comes late in the song--and cuz it duels with Gary's synth), but the key to this success is, IMO, due to Antoine's restraint on the bass in the second half of the song. (9/10)

8. "Celestial Roots" (6:00) has an edgy, bluesy, almost raunchy CORVUS STONE-like feel to it (though the drumming is, once again, same old same ole). Even Antoine's solo in the second & third minutes is 'different'--more earthy. Solid song but nothing that leaves me wanting more. (8/10)

9. "Bubonic Groove" (6:06) opens with a polyrhythmic weave of syncopated arpeggi similar to KING CRIMSON Discipline music. The rhythm guitar strums that enter after 30 seconds sound like Andy Summers (THE POLICE) and then Jerry De Villiers' guitar--and, later, Gary Husband's synth soloing--takes one out of KC thinking altogether and back to jazz fusion world. I feel as if I am listening to Jan Hammer, Jean-Luc Ponty's long time bass player (Ralphe Armstrong comes to mind but it could've been Randy Jackson), and Allan Holdsworth together. The song fails to rise to the heights that the beginning of the second minute seems to promise. It seems that the breakdowns in song flow or group weave in order to make room for soloists--which is the traditional jazz way--works against Antoine's music for some reason. Great bass solo at the end of the fourth minute/beginning of the fifth. (9/10)

Where Sphère comes up short is in fresh sounds. As amazing a guitarist as Jerry De Villiers is (I think he is better than the man to whom he is most compared, Allan Holdsworth), one begins to become innured to his one guitar sound. (I have the exact same problem with Allan Holdsworth.) I am thankful for his attempts to temper and vary his sound and style but I think the music misses the counterbalancing inputs of the keyboards and saxophones that Antoine's previous album had. Gary Husband is a great drummer--a great drummer--but, let's face it, any drumming would be a let down when compared to Vinnie Colaiuta's drumming of the last album--which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest whole-album performances by a drummer that I have ever heard.

88.42 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music.

44. THE MOULETTES Preternatural

A highly creative and original band and sound crossing over the pop, avant, techno/New Wave, and Kate Bush-like proggy band comes back with their fourth album reelase. 

Line-up / Musicians: 
Hannah Miller - Cello, vocals, guitar
Ollie Austin - Drums, guitar, piano, vocals
Ruth Skipper - Bassoon, vocals, autoharp, synths
Jim Mortimore - Double bass, guitar,  vocals
Raevennan Husbandes - Electric guitar, vocals, percussion 

With:
- Anja McCloskey / piano
- Fred Kinbom / pedal steel guitar (4)
- Campbell Austin / vocals (8) 

1. "Behemooth" (4:07) very cool low strings opening followed by old radio clip of man talking about the "monsters" of Nature. The band kicks in, in full song development, with Hannah in the lead vocals. It's quite a little heavier than what I might have expected--conjuring up comparisons to some of QUEEN's more aggressive and angular pieces--especially with the big voice choral chorus and instrumental jags between. (8.666667/10)

 
2. "UnderWaterPainter" (3:22) such an unusual sound palette with covering a BRITNEY SPEARS-like song style. Rated up for the fact that it has several earworm riffs that stick with you. (8.75/10)

3. "Coral" (4:13) sounding like a cross of LORDE and TOM TOM CLUB. (8.75/10)

4. "Hidden World (Halicephalobus Mephisto)" (4:47) Hannah singing in her smoothest voice inside a reverb cave of fairy dust and leprechaun percussives. At the two minute mark the music goes tip hop/Massive Attack. Impressive sound imagining--on a par with Björk. (9/10)

5. "Pufferfish Love" (4:57) more rhythm-focused techno pop music with Hannah with her calm voice in the lead vocal position. Cool music. Much more pop oriented and smooth than I was expecting from HMoule & Company. (9/10)

6. "Patterns" (3:43) more techno-New Wave drums cello, bassoon with interesting JANE SIBERRY-like vocal weaves over the top. For some reason I'm also reminded of Canada's GANG OF FOUR. (8.75/10)

7. "Rite Of Passage" (3:41) now these are the complex quirky multi-voiced vocal arrangements I was expecting. (8.875/10)

8. "Medusa" (3:51) more LORDE-like vocals over some music that reminds me more of DEAD CAN DANCE. Gorgeous, inventive, and refreshing. (8.875/10)

9. "Parasite" (3:39) another odd but interesting and creative  pairing of instruments: bowed double bass, 1980s techno-New Wave drums, BRITNEY SPEARS' "Toxic"-like. (8.66667/10)

10. "Bird Of Paradise (Part II)" (3:38) some nice vocal arrangements set to more QUEEN-like music. (8.666667/10)

11. "Silk" (4:46) KATE BUSH musical creativity with Katharine Blake's MEDIÆVAL BÆBES' vocal sass, skills and sensibilities. (9/10)

Total time 44:44

Not as proggy as I was hoping but very high quality songwriting and even higher quality sound rendering. Even the lyrics are of a very high level--and you know how impervious I am to words and their meanings when they are sung or put into verse.

88.18 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent, highly creative pop-crossover album--one to fit into the realm of bands coming from modern youth such as Bent Knee, iNFiNiEN, and even black midi.  

45. ANAKDOTA Overloading

An album of refreshing, theatric, acoustic piano-driven, GENTLE GIANT-like songs delivered in a Broadway musical-like style with a male lead vocalist who sounds and styles like XTC's Andy Partridge (or THE GABRIEL CONSTRUCT's Gabriel Lucas Riccio) and a female lead that sounds like Amy Darby (THIEVES' KITCHEN) and Amanda Plummer (AXON-NEURON)! Exceptional songwriting here is met by musicians who are every bit up to the task. The song constructions are deceptively complex while the sound engineering and production are among the best you will ever hear. Unfortunately, I thing this one sailed under everyone's radar because it was released so late in 2016 (mid-November by AlrOck Productions).

Line-up/Musicians:
Ray Livnat - Vocals
Ayala Fossfeld - Vocals

Erez Aviram - Keyboards

Guy Bernfeld - Bass

Yogev Gabay - Drums

  With:

Yoel Genin - Guitar (4)

1. "One More Day" (7:03) The first half is like an Andy Partridge song gone Broadway! The second half is so gorgeous and life-affirming. It's full of amazingly engaging pop-jazz melodies and sound and construction that sound as if they've been lovingly borrowed from those of the great songwriters of the 1940s like Gershwin and Porter. (14.25/15)

2. "Different Views" (5:42) with its great drumming/percussion work. (8.5/10)

3. "Late" (4:20) reminds me of a HUMBLE GRUMBLE song. (8/10)

4. "Mourning" (5:28) is definitely the prettiest, most emotional song on the album. It's mostly a piano song with lead singing from the eminently capable female lead, Ayala Fossfield. Highlight: Ayala's duet of wordless vocalise with the piano. This is the song that most bears the comparisons I've read to Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin's work together. (8.5/10)

5. "Overloading" (7:08) is quite the piano dominant, though Ray Livnat's voice, Guy Bernfeld's bass, and Yogev Gabay's drums get their turns to shine as well. (12.75/15)

6. "Staying Up Late" (8:24) opens with Yogev's bass but it's really the vehicle for the beautiful, thoughtful vocal stylings of Ayala Fossfield. This is a great song--my favorite on the album--that sounds a lot like a THIEVES' KITCHEN (Amy Darby) or AXON-NEURON (Amanda Plummer) song done in a GENTLE GIANT way. The jazzy electric piano-led excursion mid-song (3:55 to 6:35) is especially sweet--even when it gets "dirty" with distortion--but it is the return and finish of Ayala's part that is most welcomed. (19/20)

7. "Girl Next Door" (5:01) has a Vince Guraldi-like piano with DEREK SHULMAN-like singing (8.5/10)

8. "End Of The Show" (5:58) the album's finale is an end-of-Disney-movie sound-alike (8.5/10)

Total Time 49:04

A bit of an acquired taste--kind of like GENTLE GIANT and HUMBLE GRUMBLE were for me, and yet the STEPHEN SCHWARTZ-like theatricity of it is quite interesting and, if you give it a chance, engaging.

January 2017 re-assessment: The remarkably clean production, complex, proggy composition style, virtuosic performances, and thoroughly enjoyable melodies kept drawing me back to this one despite the flurry of other activities (and albums) of 2017--leading me to totally revamp my ratings and assessment. This is a masterpiece of progressive rock music--one that should be heard by anyone who professes themselves a prog lover.

88.0 on the Fishscales = a solid four star album; B; an excellent addition to any prog rocker's music collection.

46. iNFiNiEN Light at the Endless Tunnel

iNFiNiEN is back! This new release, the band's third album, comes from Philadelphia quartet iNFiNiEN. Thanks to the leadership of experienced torch singer, CHRISSIE LOFTUS--who took some time in the early 2010s to try other genres of music (including a solo album of piano-based soft-jazz vocal covers, Young Hearts)--and guitarist/songwriter Matt Hollenberg, what we have here is another jazz-leaning, progressive rock album from eminently creative and competent instrumentalists in the vein of JEREMEY POPARAD's AXON-NEURON and the funky jazziness of North Carolina's UNAKA PRONG. This a much better produced album than both their 2006 debut, How to Accept, or their eponymously titled 2009 album. Though the debut has a bit of that raw, excited sound that is so often captured in an album of fresh energy of a new collaboration, this one has some of that raw AMANDA RANKIN-like force in it. The band membership has remained fairly solid over those ten years with only virtuoso bass player, Jordan Berger, not being in the lineup for the first album.

Lineup/Musicians:

Jordan Berger: Electric and Upright Bass, Background Vocals, Additional Percussion
Tom Cullen: Drums and Percussion

Matt Hollenberg: Guitars, Bulbul Tarang, Tabla, Moog Minitaur

Chrissie Loftus: Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Organ and Additional Percussion

1. "Brand New" (5:48) a pleasant, very melodic, tempo-shifting song with orchestral support that puts on display from the very start the band's foundation in intricately layered, well composed and executed jazz rock. Lead vocalist Chrissie Loftus uses a softer, breathier approach on this one than on most of the other songs here. It's very sexy. Me like! Awesome song! (10/10)

2. "AYA" (6:47) a funky (clavinet), almost RUFUS-like song that has an unmistakable similarity to the vocal stylings and musical eclecticism of Courtney Swain and BENT KNEE for its first half. The second half goes heavier like Moorea Dickason MOE-TAR feel and sound to it. (13.5/15)

3. "Oasis" (3:01) there's almost a BASIA joy and feel in the vocal here as well as some very pretty melody-making over some very complex constructed and performed music. (9/10)

4. "Off The Tracks" (7:41) despite the great Tony Levin-like bass play here and some truly incredible instrumental performances, this song seems to be a rehash of old music. (12.75/15)

5. "Bottom Of The Food Chain" (5:57) a gorgeous song with another powerful vocal from Chrissie.(9/10)

6. "Light At The Endless Tunnel" (9:17) opens almost Klezmer then turns quirky world (Indian)  metal. (17.333/20)

7. "Love For Yourself" (6:11) a very jazzy, piano-based AXON-NEURON-like avant song with some very odd and eclectic stylings pulled into one song. I hear Brazilian samba, Jefferson Airplane, STEELY DAN, Amanda Rankin, Rikkie Lee Jones, and so many more. Love the final chorus and end! Very cool! (9.5/10)

8. "Worth The Wait" (2:48) an instrumental that opens with almost Richard Clayderman-sounding piano play before some really superb guitar, bass, drum, and flute work join in. Kind of like FOCUS meets JOE SAMPLE. (8.5/10)

9. "If I Were A Song" (1:39) opens with Chrissie singing with an orchestra as her only accompaniment. Déjà vu Linda Rondstadt 1984. (4/5)

10. "If You Were A Song" (7:50) flowing out of the previous song, the Latin-tinged jazz-rock ensemble joins in while preserving the Cole Porter torch song feel. Nice! I can really understand the BENT KNEE comparisons with this one. The uptempo instrumental section in the middle almost has a YES-like quality to it, while the final three minutes remind me more of THE MARS VOLTA if it were led by a female vocalist. (13.5/15)

11. "Existence" (4:47) opens with an upbeat bass-led jazzy pace and sound. When Chrissie's voice appears it reminds me of some kind of Afro-beat pop music. (8.5/10)

Total Time 61:46

87.88 on the Fishscales = 4.5 stars; B+; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. This is an album of songs from some true song master craftsmen--musically, lyrically, instrumentally. A must hear!

47. SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO Work in Progress

Very cool psychedelic electronica from a young trio of very creative, multi-talented musicians from Poland.

1. "Zanim" (3:37) is an odd little ditty with a kind of pop circus feel to it with multiple keyboards and drums seeming to wander each in their own directions beneath the vocal (in Polish) of Przemysław Piłaciński--which is the thread that holds the whole piece together. Kind of like AFTER CRYING meets FIVE-STOREY ENSEMBLE. Przemysław has a very nice voice--not unlike that of DEAD CAN DANCE's Brendan PERRY. (8/10)

2. "Korkarlen" (5:58) is a kind of cinematic avant-RIO instrumental with shifting and tempos and moods. (8/10)

3. "Entropia" (15:26) opens like a of an Indian raga with a drone sound providing the background foundation for the solo saxophone and solo synth that alternate over the top. in fact, it's not until the 4:35 mark that a percussion instrument or bass line join in. The song continues to maintain an Indian vibe though much more in the German Kosmische style of psychedelic expression and albeit a very eerie, almost disturbing expression. (Thus the title!) At 8:50 the third section begins over which another very pleasant vocal from Przemysław Piłaciński ensues. Again I am reminded of AFTER CRYING's vocal delivery style (Tamas Gorgenyi?). 

     This is truly an excellent song that would stand head to head with the best of its 1960/70s inspirateurs even if it is not very upbeat or hippie-happy-go-lucky. (27/30)

4. "Duchy Elektrycznosci (remix)" (4:11) has a very early-1980s feel and sound to it--as if some early English or French techno band were getting together with KRAFTWERK. The organ, electronic drums and rolling bass line get me! (9/10)

5. "Ludzie-muchomory" (11:35) opens with spoken word over throat vocals and organs which gradually play out to make way for a long, slow, hypnotic organ, synth and rolling bass-based Kosmisches jam. (18/20)

87.5 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. A very cool album of refreshingly ecclectic music that I highly recommend to y'all progheads.

48. MYRATH Legacy

Awesome metal from Tunisia. Accessible, bombastic, passionate, skillful, well-produced, this music will definitely get you pumped up! Constructed a bit like a Broadway show (it even opens with an overture-like instrumental), it has the plus of being totally energizing and very well polished. At times the performances get to feel as if they're a little SPINAL TAP-over-the-top--especially in the vocal department--but the many instances of Middle Eastern music inputs really add something to awesome to this music--making it very engaging. The rock/metal foundations of the music (drums, guitars, vocal stylings) can get a little cliched in a 80s "hair band" kind of way. In fact, it's the orchestral-like keyboards and traditional Middle Eastern sounds and stylings that make this album as good as it is for me. Singer Zaher Zorgatti is uber-talented--singing in both the English language with its rock/metal traditions as well as in other languages (probably Arabian) with their vocal traditions' stylings. His lyrical pronunciation is impeccable and very much appreciated. If there is a weakness in the album it is probably in the unwavering high energy of the music. Even the gentler side of the band as expressed in songs like "Through Your Eyes" and "I Want to Die" (two of my favorite songs) are often so "big" and bombastic in their production as to be quite overwhelming. Listening through the entire album in one sitting is a taxing, draining experience; the constancy of their musical approach is a bit numbing and, eventually, disengaging. Plus, there is the afore-mentioned undeniable sound and style similarity to 80s hair bands like Guns'n'Roses, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Faith No More.

Favorite songs: 6. "Through Your Eyes" (5:37) (10/10); 4. "Nobody's Lives" (5:43) (10/10); 8. "I Want To Die" (4:39) (9/10), and; 2. "Believer" (4:32) (9/10).

87.27 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection; an album that is interesting for the influence and input of Arabian sounds and stylings.

49. BENT KNEE Say So

As I feared, Bent Knee's previous album, 2014's Shiny Eyed Babies--a masterpiece for the ages and one of my all-time favorite albums (#3)--has made it difficult for any future Bent Knee efforts to compare much less exceed the standards they set previously.

1. "Black Water Tar" (3:29) a top three song from me and a real grower as one listens repeatedly. (9/10)

2. "Leak Water" (4:41) the first of three or four consecutive songs that use a rather annoying violin/guitar scrape/pluck to establish a stark soundscape as well as a straightforward metronomic time signature. The song is good, the lyric interesting, but Courtney and crew may have taken this one too far (length, that is.) (9/10)

3. "Counselor" (5:51) this song has the impact, intensity and compositional cleverness that I expected to come from Bent Knee's "next" project. All band members are working at their highest capacity, full potential, on this one. And the lyrical content is uncomfortably edgy-awkward--just what I expect from Ben and Courtney. Fresh and innovative. Awesome! (9/10)

4. "Eve" (9:12) just never gets up and going--or takes too long to do so. BK's first attempt at an epic is a disappointment. (16.75/20)

5. "Transition" (0:49) is an awesome Dave Fiuczynksi-like guitar exercise in Asian microtones.

6. "The Things You Love" (6:12) seems to have some structural foundation in what feels like Chinese or SE Asian (Cambodia?) melodies--which is, to me, very much its strength. The gentler side of Courtney's voice matched with the strength of the large chorale work is an awesome trick--though the sections in which Courtney sings in her delicate voice are perhaps a bit too long. (9/10)

7. "Nakami" (5:20) contains a story and melodic sense fitting for stage and screen. A very welcome change of pace and style. I love the Japanese instrumental and melodic choices that are foundational to the song's first three minutes, but I LOVE the shift that occurs at 3:15 to the song's end. Stupendous! (10/10)

8. "Commercial" (3:44) represents the title quite well. There are lots of rapid fire bytes and bits, micro-tones, and discordant, chaotic, disruptive, disturbing--things that are so inherent to the basic fabric of modern society. (8/10)

9. "Hands Up" (5:40) is lyrically quite clever yet musically quite straightforward and rather unexceptional (by Bent Knee standards. This song reminds me of the songs from their debut album--trying to do much but somehow just not hitting the mark, not synchronized or hitting on all cylinders). (8/10)

10. "Good Girl" (6:43) is a slow, grungy, methodical, and spacious song which highlights the amazing musical chemistry and sympathy between Bent Knee co-founders, guitarist BEN Levin and vocalist CourTNEY Swain--and the work in the mixing room by VINCE WELCH is nothing short of astounding. This band is so talented! (13.5/15)

Some of my general impressions after listening to these songs over the past few weeks are conjuring up some of the (few) negative comments I've read by reviewers of Bent Knee's previous work, particularly the reference to the dynamic rollercoaster that the band subjects the listener to: it is sometimes difficult to stay with the band with such frequent and sudden vacillations between extreme loud and extreme soft; it requires a listener to be a) myopically focused on the music (to no other distraction) and b) incredibly tolerant of such dynamism. Whereas with Shiny Eyed Babies it is almost natural and joyful to remain so focused, with this album it is . . . more work; the journey that Shiny Eyed Babies took me on was so engaging, so exciting, so energizing, emotional, and authentically personal that it has never been an issue to tune in, give my full attention, and stick with it. I want to. I can't help myself. From start to finish. This album offers no such pull, no consistent bond of affection and awe--well, maybe some awe, but not the excitement and empathic connection.

Awesome album cover and design!

Later addendum (7/31016):  It's been a couple months now that I've spent with Say So. My appreciation and enjoyment of all of the songs have increased however I will not change any of my ratings for I am of the same opinion as to their place among the scale. This album, while polished and intricately detailed in its construction, is not the shocking, bare-bones masterpiece that Shiny Eyed Babies was.

87.14 on the Fish scales = B/four stars; an excellent example of modern progressive rock music.

 The Rankings of 2016

1. VANETA Antimemory

2. MOTHER TURTLE II

3. GHOST MEDICINE Discontinuance

4. THE GHOSTS OF JUPITER The Great Bright Horses

5. IAMTHEMORNING Lighthouse

6. MICE ON STILTS Hoping for a Mourning

7. PROMENADE Noi al dir di di noi

8. UTOPIANISTI The Third Frontier

9. AXON-NEURON Metamorphosis

10. MEER Meer

11. LOST WORLD Of Things and Beings

12. JACK O' THE CLOCK Repetitions of The Old City - I

13. STARE AT THE CLOUDS This Clear Divide

14. DUNGEN Häxan

15. MANTRA VEGA The Illusion's Reckoning

16. 

LA BOCCA DELLA VERITÀ Avenoth

17. SHAMBLEMATHS Shamblemaths

18. TONY PATTERSON Equations of Meaning

19. THE MERCURY TREE Permutations

20. INGRANAGGI DELLA VALLE Warm Spaced Blue

21. ILL WICKER  Untamed 

22. STEVE HAUSCHILDT Strands

23. KAYO DOT Plastic House on Base of Sky

24. STARSABOUT Halflights

25. ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique

26. MOTORPSYCHO Here Be Monsters

27. YUGEN Death by Water

28. THENCE We Are Left With A Song

29. PLINI Handmade Cities

30. YVES POTIN Waters

31. ULVER ATGCLVLSSCAP

32. AKT II (Binario)

33. UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA Mathematical Mother

34. ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique III

35. THE ARBORIST Acrylic Road

36. THE COLIN TENCH PROJECT Hair in a G-String (Unfinished but Sweet)

37. AISLES Hawaii

38. GADI CAPLAN Morning Sun

39. DISEN GAGE Snapshots

40. GRAVITY SAYS_I Quantum Unknown

41. VESPERO Lique Mekwas

42. UNAKA PRONG Margot

43. AMPLEDEED BYOB

44. ANTOINE FAFARD Sphère

45. MOULETTES Preternatural

46. ANAKDOTA Overloading

47. iNFiNiEN Light at The Endless Tunnel

48. SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO Work in Progress

49. MYRATH Legacy

50. BENT KNEE Say So

Honorable Mentions:

WHALEPHANT KaMMA

SEVEN IMPALE Contrapasso

AMOEBA SPLIT Second Split

NOSOUND Scintilla

RESINA Resina

ZHONGYU Zhongyu

MATTHEW PARMENTER All Our Yesterdays
LOST KITE Remains

THE WINSTONS The Winstons

HELMUT RÓBOT Kowloon . . . Ciudad amurallada