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 87.50 or whose high points or quality level make it remarkable enough to remain affixed in my memory.
From the Year 2018, you will find below 34 albums releases deserving, in my opinion, of the "near-masterpiece" designation.
4.5 Stars; Near-Masterpieces
(Ratings of 90.00 to 87.0)
(Ratings of 90.00 to 87.0)
25. NOSOUND Allow Yourself
The promotional word is that Giancarlo Erra and company have changed direction with this new collection of songs on the Allow Yourself album. I would concur, as I hear the band moving more into the territory of bands like ANATHEMA, RADIOHEAD, STEVEN WILSON, and even old SIGUR RÓS. However, there remains something bare and spacious--that wonderful vulnerability despite the density of the atmospheric/electronic walls of sound--that they’ve had since the beginning. The songs are shorter, as they were on Scintilla, and the keyboard dominance is noticeable, but there is something very new and remarkable in the lead vocals which I think will entertain and even amaze listeners.
Line-up / Musicians:
Giancarlo Erra / vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Marco Berni / keyboards, vocals
- Alessandro Luci / bass, upright bass, keyboards
- Paolo Vigliarolo / electric and acoustic guitars
- Ciro Iavarone / drums, percussion
1. "Ego Drip" (2:32) opens like a Sigur Rós song before driving drum and bass tracks are faded in. When Giancarlo comes in with his repetitive single line it begins to sound like a trip hop song combined with something Steven Wilson or ANATHEMA would do. With the weave of several other one-line vocal tracks, it finishes feeling very much like something ANATHEMA has been doing over this last decade. (4.5/5)
2. "Shelter" (3:53) opens with a lone organ with spacious electronic drum track. After half a minute, Giancarlo joins in, singing in his new way, with long-held notes. I'm reminded a little of Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips. The tempo and tapestry changes a few times in the background--a few sections sounding almost like 1990s STEREOLAB, THE FLAMING LIPS, or LOBOTOMY BROTHERS. Great song. (9.25/10)
3. "Don't You Dare" (4:00) opens as a vibrant trip hop song--like something Graham Sutton or RADIOHEAD might do--before Giancarlo comes in to sing a more delicate THOM YORKE-like Radiohead vocal. For the first three minutes it reminds me of "Weird Fishes/Arpeggios," then the electronica soloing shifts it into a different RADIOHEAD or COLDPLAY realm. Excellent song! One of my three favorites. (9.5/10)
4. "My Drug" (3:22) shifting electric piano arpeggi over which Giancarlo sings with some lo-o-o-ng held notes. This sounds like an ANATHEMA song or even a little bit of Jónsy singing over the SIGUR RÓS cacaphony. Brilliant music! Kudos to Giancarlo for the vocal strength. (9/10)
5. "Miracle" (3:54) over a synth/keyboard sound palette comparable to THE FLAMING LIPS, Giancarlo alternates singing and soloing on his Fripp-like effected electric guitar. Drums join in for the last 45 seconds. The most "old" NoSound sounding song on the album. (8.5/10)
6. "This Night" (4:30) solo electric piano sets up the melody that Giancarlo sings. At 0:45 a vacillating synth joins before the strings for the echo-voiced chorus. In the third minute ANATHEMA-like military drums enter and slowly rise to the fore as piano bounces between two notes with each drum hit and strings perform their neoclassical quartet-like weave above and within the sound. (8.5/10)
7. "At Peace" (3:12) full rock instrumentation here cannot avoid my ANATHEMA comparisons due to Giancarlo's Danny Cavanaugh-like long held vowels with each word sung. Finishes with some gentle electric guitar plucking. (8/10)
8. "Growing In Me" (3:23) warbling horn-like synths woven within piano and other synths backs Giancarlo's delicate singing--until the chorus. With the chorus, Giancarlo trebles his vocal volume while Sigur Rós-like cymbols crash with some Steven Wilson "Perfect Life"-like electronic percussives. (8.75/10)
9. "Saviour" (2:45) electronic piano with delicate support from strings makes for a stunningly gorgeous sound over which Giancarlo performs his most subtle and nuanced vocal of the album. My favorite song on the album. (10/10)
10. "Weights" (5:04) delicately played guitars and keys slowly form the base of this pretty song. At 1:00 Giancarlo enters with a very breathy TIM BOWNESS-like voice. It's amazing how far he has come in his pronunciation of English since the days of Nol29 and LightDark. My first perfunctory listen through this album led me to search to find out who he had hired to sing the lead vocals because I was so amazed at both the clarity of the English pronunciation and at the new style of singing with long-held vowels. The sudden Post Rock-like build to crescendo in the final 90 seconds caught me by surprise but it works! Great song! (9/10)
11. "Defy" (2:06) another RADIOHEAD- or STEVEN WILSON-like ditty. A top three for me. (5/5)
Total Time 38:41
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of my favorite albums of 2018. Kudos to Giancarlo Erra for continuing to push yourself and grow!
26. METHEXIS (a musical project by Nikitas Kissonas) Topos
Nikitas Kissonas is back with another serious contribution to the evolution of progressive rock music with an all-instrumental set of two "side-long" pieces that are structured much more like symphoies than rock songs.
Line-up / Musicians:
Nikitas Kissonas (Verbal Delirium, Yianneis) - guitars, bass, keys, plucked instruments
With
Theodore Christodoulou - Drums
Nicolas Nikolopoulos - Flutes
Konstantinos Kefalas - Trumpets
Panagiotis Krabis - Grand Piano (2)
1. "Topos 1" (19:28) a spacious, multi-faceted, symphonic creation which relies much less on rock constructs and traditional rock sounds (though they're there) than anything I've heard from Nikitas before. It's as if I'm listening to a combined instrumental performance of 1970s KING CRIMSON with Gabriel-era GENESIS: stark and industrial while still, oddly, pastoral and folk-friendly. This is going to take me many listens to fully appreciate, to fully judge. It's length makes it very difficult to get a grasp on a holistically. (36/40)
2. "Topos 2" (20:52) opens like blending of a Mark Isham soundtrack with Mike Oldfield's Hergest Ridge and a Villalobos guitar concerto. At the end of the sixth minute synthesized sounds take over on every level, then the electronic is woven within the symphonic (or vice-versa). At the end of the ninth minute the introduction of jazz guitar, fretless bass, and more-staccato trumpet play shift the music more into the domain of jazz. At 10:15 5he computerized click track ends and we transition briefly into a Greek folk ditty before returning to a slowed down, bare-bones, note-by-note version of the opening section. At 11:30 a bombastic drum entrance and blaring trumpet solo announce the arrival of a plaintive, "ballad" section. Electric guitar solos in a blues-rock fashion over the piano and slow rock rhythm section. I feel we are building--building in emotion, building in tension, building toward some further explosive exposition. Guitar moves into upper octaves to continue its cries before grand piano does some neat soloing over a very-Mike Oldfield-like section. Again, building and building, slowly, toward some crescendo or dénouement. But no! At the 16:00 mark we stop and switch into an entirely new style, new driving tempo, new sound combination, and melodic theme. The tempos and soundscapes continues to build, shift, clutter and clear, while an eerie space-synth solos in the background. Just shy of the 19 minute mark the lead switches to edgy electric guitar in an angular solo reminiscent of one Robert of Fripp. But then, rather suddenly, at the 20 minute mark, everything shifts into a Latin sound fusion for the finish! Weird! Again, I'm going to have to hear that one many more times in order to get an overall sense of what I'm experiencing. (36/40)
Total Time 40:20
90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of eclectic symphonic progressive rock music.
27. ELLESMERE II - From Sea and Beyond
This one came as a real surprise to me as Roberto and Paolo's previous Ellesmere effort--2015's Les Châteaux de la Loire--was so gentle and bucolic; From Sea and Beyond is full out Neo Prog Rock in the GALAHAD or RIVERSEA vein as opposed to the pastoral Anthony Phillips-like acoustic guitar-based fare of the previous. It's good--with thick, full sound and well-constructed Neo Prog songs.
Line-up / Musicians:
Roberto Vitelli (Taproban): Rickenbacker 4003 Jetglo Bass, Fender “Geddy Lee” Jazz Bass, Taurus Moog I, Gibson Gold Top Guitar, Mellotron M400, Minimoog Model D, Prophet 5, Moog Voyager, Yamaha DX7 II, Kurzweil K2500, Roland JV 1080, Yamaha TX 81Z
Paolo Carnelli: Piano, Electric Piano, Hammond Organ & Additional Keyboards
With
Alan Benjamin (Advent, Mirthrandir): Guitars (2)
Robert Berry (3, Keith Emerson): Vocals (3/7)
Marco Bernard (The Samurai of Prog): Bass (6)
Trey Gunn (King Crimson, David Sylvian, UKZ, Security Project): Warr Guitar (3)
David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator, Osanna): Saxes & Keyboards (4)
Brett Kull (Echolyn): Guitars (7)
Danilo Mintrone: Korg Microkorg (1)
Keith More(Arena, John Wetton): Guitars (5)
Davy O'List (The Nice, Roxy Music): Guitars (6)
Daniele Pomo (RanestRane): Drums and Percussion (2-7)
1. "Tidal Breath" (2:13) a subtle keyboard synth extravaganza over ocean surf sounds. (4.5/5)
2. "Marine Extravaganza" (11:55) nice Neo Prog sound palette but the song never really goes anywhere exciting or unusual (though the walkabout that slurred Rickenbacker bass is on for the first few minutes is very entertaining). It seems a basic structure set up just to allow the individual instruments to each have solo times. The bare bones "strings" and "bass" section in the seventh minute is quite cloying and downright annoying. Luckily the Arp solos take us out of it, and lead us to the best section of the song: the bridge at 7:45. The ensuing drum and Arp lead rhythmic pattern grows very old quite quickly. Even the addition of organ and the return of the slurred Rickenbacker cannot save it (though the awesome 7:45 bridge is repeated twice starting at 9:33). The closing section is just too close to GENESIS Wind and Wuthering. (21/25)
3. "Runaway" (6:01) Vocalist Robert Berry's voice bears a striking resemblance to that of Thomas Thielen. (8.5/10)
4. "Marine Coda" (2:09) a pleasant interlude instrumental whose foundation and David Jackson's song-length saxophone solo are meant, methinks, to conjure up late-night sea journeys on a still, uneventful moonless night. (4.5/5)
5. "The Schooner" (11:02) church organ opens this one before chunky bass, flanged guitars and steady drums enter. When Keith More's lead guitar enters around the one minute mark, everybody pauses as if to give him their full attention. Then the full band rejoins to support and encourage his continued soloing until we break at the 2:30 mark for a solo from the omnipresent church organ. I have to say, the organ-band-and-electric guitar combination in this song really works well--the clean, crystalline organ tone and volume and that of Keith's slightly dirty lead guitar are perfect foils for one another! Even over eleven minutes! The tenth minute gets a little too-IQ-ish but then a return to the church organ as the lead over the final minute restores glory. Well met! (19/20)
6. "Ridge Fanfare (3:21) full, deep and thick Neo Prog soundscape opens this one with gradually ascending arpeggiated chords from moog synth leading the way as the rest of the band follows. Davy O'List's MIKE OLDFIELD-like guitar tone takes on the lead as the song moves out of intro/A section phase to the B section (chorus?) Ends rather abruptly. (9/10)
7. "Time, Life Again" (8:59) a very nice retro-GENESIS Neo Prog sound and chord palette opens this one before the voice of Robert Berry enters at the 1:40 mark. Lots of Arp-y synth strings and chunky 'underwater' Rickenbacker bass permeate every second of this song--it's a nice sound--well done, sounding rather fresh and original and not over-the-top. A break at 5:35 allows the drums to switch to a kind of "Man on the Corner" tom-tom pattern while Brett Kull takes a turn at the lead guitar, soloing with an distorted and wah-ed style and flair reminiscent of some of the stars of the late 60s and 70s--Eric Clapton, to be specific. Excellent job, Brett! A solo that just keeps getting better as it goes--and definitely the best I've ever heard out of you!
I have to admit, this is one of the better Neo Prog songs I've ever heard. (20/20)
Paolo Carnelli: Piano, Electric Piano, Hammond Organ & Additional Keyboards
With
Alan Benjamin (Advent, Mirthrandir): Guitars (2)
Robert Berry (3, Keith Emerson): Vocals (3/7)
Marco Bernard (The Samurai of Prog): Bass (6)
Trey Gunn (King Crimson, David Sylvian, UKZ, Security Project): Warr Guitar (3)
David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator, Osanna): Saxes & Keyboards (4)
Brett Kull (Echolyn): Guitars (7)
Danilo Mintrone: Korg Microkorg (1)
Keith More(Arena, John Wetton): Guitars (5)
Davy O'List (The Nice, Roxy Music): Guitars (6)
Daniele Pomo (RanestRane): Drums and Percussion (2-7)
1. "Tidal Breath" (2:13) a subtle keyboard synth extravaganza over ocean surf sounds. (4.5/5)
2. "Marine Extravaganza" (11:55) nice Neo Prog sound palette but the song never really goes anywhere exciting or unusual (though the walkabout that slurred Rickenbacker bass is on for the first few minutes is very entertaining). It seems a basic structure set up just to allow the individual instruments to each have solo times. The bare bones "strings" and "bass" section in the seventh minute is quite cloying and downright annoying. Luckily the Arp solos take us out of it, and lead us to the best section of the song: the bridge at 7:45. The ensuing drum and Arp lead rhythmic pattern grows very old quite quickly. Even the addition of organ and the return of the slurred Rickenbacker cannot save it (though the awesome 7:45 bridge is repeated twice starting at 9:33). The closing section is just too close to GENESIS Wind and Wuthering. (21/25)
3. "Runaway" (6:01) Vocalist Robert Berry's voice bears a striking resemblance to that of Thomas Thielen. (8.5/10)
4. "Marine Coda" (2:09) a pleasant interlude instrumental whose foundation and David Jackson's song-length saxophone solo are meant, methinks, to conjure up late-night sea journeys on a still, uneventful moonless night. (4.5/5)
5. "The Schooner" (11:02) church organ opens this one before chunky bass, flanged guitars and steady drums enter. When Keith More's lead guitar enters around the one minute mark, everybody pauses as if to give him their full attention. Then the full band rejoins to support and encourage his continued soloing until we break at the 2:30 mark for a solo from the omnipresent church organ. I have to say, the organ-band-and-electric guitar combination in this song really works well--the clean, crystalline organ tone and volume and that of Keith's slightly dirty lead guitar are perfect foils for one another! Even over eleven minutes! The tenth minute gets a little too-IQ-ish but then a return to the church organ as the lead over the final minute restores glory. Well met! (19/20)
6. "Ridge Fanfare (3:21) full, deep and thick Neo Prog soundscape opens this one with gradually ascending arpeggiated chords from moog synth leading the way as the rest of the band follows. Davy O'List's MIKE OLDFIELD-like guitar tone takes on the lead as the song moves out of intro/A section phase to the B section (chorus?) Ends rather abruptly. (9/10)
7. "Time, Life Again" (8:59) a very nice retro-GENESIS Neo Prog sound and chord palette opens this one before the voice of Robert Berry enters at the 1:40 mark. Lots of Arp-y synth strings and chunky 'underwater' Rickenbacker bass permeate every second of this song--it's a nice sound--well done, sounding rather fresh and original and not over-the-top. A break at 5:35 allows the drums to switch to a kind of "Man on the Corner" tom-tom pattern while Brett Kull takes a turn at the lead guitar, soloing with an distorted and wah-ed style and flair reminiscent of some of the stars of the late 60s and 70s--Eric Clapton, to be specific. Excellent job, Brett! A solo that just keeps getting better as it goes--and definitely the best I've ever heard out of you!
I have to admit, this is one of the better Neo Prog songs I've ever heard. (20/20)
90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of refreshing Neo Prog. Roberto Vitelli and Paolo Carnelli definitely have something refreshing to offer Prog World--and a gift for coaxing peak performances out of their guests--even as accomplished guests as these!
With this, the third album release from AltrOck band Not a Good Sign, we see some lineup changes as founder Francesco Zago has moved onto other projects and vocalist Alessio Calandriello makes his final contributions before moving on. Founding members keyboard whiz Paolo "SKE" Botta, bassist Alessandro Cassani, and drummer Martino Malacrida remain, while familiar Gian Marco Trevisan (From a Distance and live performances since 2015) picks up the guitar and some of the vocal duties.
Line-up / Musicians:
Paolo «Ske» Botta (Yugen, Ske)- Keyboards, Glockenspiel
Alessio Calandriello (La Coscienza di Zeno) - Vocals
Alessandro Cassani - Electric Bass, Vocals
Martino Malacrida - Drums, Trumpet
Gian Marco Trevisan - Electric Guitars, Vocals
With
Fabio «Ciro» Ceriani - Percussions and Sounds (2, 3, 5, 6)
David Jackson (VDGG) - Saxes, Flute (8)
Eloisa Manera - Violin (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8)
Margherita Botta - Toy Glockenspiel, Voice (1, 2)
Marcello Marinone - Timpano (7)
Paolo «Ske» Botta (Yugen, Ske)- Keyboards, Glockenspiel
Alessio Calandriello (La Coscienza di Zeno) - Vocals
Alessandro Cassani - Electric Bass, Vocals
Martino Malacrida - Drums, Trumpet
Gian Marco Trevisan - Electric Guitars, Vocals
With
Fabio «Ciro» Ceriani - Percussions and Sounds (2, 3, 5, 6)
David Jackson (VDGG) - Saxes, Flute (8)
Eloisa Manera - Violin (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8)
Margherita Botta - Toy Glockenspiel, Voice (1, 2)
Marcello Marinone - Timpano (7)
1. "Second Thought" (2:33) opens like a powerful MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA song. Wow! What an album opening! It then turns more avant/RIO at the 1:30 mark. (9/10)
9. "Uomo Neve" (2:32) spacious piano and incidentals open this one before a low chromatic hit of the keys ushers in an eerie, almost creepy section with lots of small-crowd voices flowing beneath the bass, percussives, and keys. Closes out with a return and fading out of the spacious piano from the opening. (4.5/5)
2. "Frozen Words" (7:06) piano and Alessio open this one before the band joins in with kind of spacious ballad-support. The band is using an interesting, very different, recording/effect style on Alessio's voice for this one--making it feel more human, more within the mix than out in front. In the fourth minute the song moves into a more up-tempo jazz-rock instrumental section while plenty of odd vocal and field samples get disbursed throughout. At 5:20 things quiet down again as distant violin and acoustic guitar provide the only sounds--not to last too long as full band and Alessio return for the heavier, up-tempo finale. (8.5/10)
3. "Hidden Smile" (9:08) a rock instrumental that harbors some very familiar NOT A GOOD SIGN riffs within the keyboard, percussion, and guitar performances. I love the shift at 4:25 whereupon the violin gets a chance to shine. The music in the delicate slowdown in the eighth minute is quite lovely. (17.5/20)
4. "As If" (0:58) instrumental flourishes and interludes: something SKE excels at. (5/5)
5. "Down Below" (7:41) what a gift is the voice of Alessio Calandriello! The introductory section is followed by a very solid and engaging instrumental section--and then again by Alessio's wonderfully fitting and perfected vocal performance. Very tightly constructed and performed. A top three song for me. These are the heights that I hoped for when I purchased this album. Interesting "descent" into silence in the seventh minute before the emotional instrumental return for the final minute. (9.5/10)
6. "Truth" (7:13) opening with lots of layers of delicacy and subtlety--especially from the drums and multiple keyboards. Inventive chord progression yields plenty of inspiration for melodic constructs through the first two minutes. Then everything shifts and opens up to a more spacious soundscape to make room for the brief but brilliant lead vocal performance. A VDGG/Canterburian instrumental section ensues over which guitar solos and drums shine. Toward the end of the fifth minute things shift but remain heavy; this VDGG theme and style plays out to the song's end. (9/10)
7. "Not Yet" (1:28) bass, odd percussives, and odd key sounds open this one before the whole band bursts forth in a beautiful melody. This could have gone on! (5/5)
8. "Trapped In" (9:42) again, a VDGG soundscape is employed for the base of this song. Alessio enters with his plaintive voice with female vocalists backing him. The dynamic shifts from loud and heavy to soft and ominous are so well executed. A powerful, peripatetic song! I love the soft interlude in the fourth and fifth minutes--followed by a build up and release for David Jackson's sax. I'm feeling some SEVEN IMPALE here, too! (18/20)
Total Time 48:21
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece from an ever-evolving band of very talented composers and performers. Francesco and Alessio may have left the building but this solid band is still strong and standing tall!
29. EMPEROR NORTON Emperor Norton
Yes-like music with tenor vocals more akin to QUEEN or Andrew Lloyd-Weber's The Phantom of The Opera. The music is quite sophisticated and dynamic in a YES-like way, while the album's unusual, risky, and brave twist comes with the incorporation of and song construction around mega-talent tenor, MATTHEW CORRY. If you haven't heard of him yet, you will. He is a force, a young man blessed with a nearly flawless near-operatic voice (a new Sam Smith?) And Matt is not merely a guest on this project, he has been a committed, integral, and creative member of this band from its inception two years ago.
Line-up / Musicians:
Scott Neumann - Guitars
Marc Green - Keyboards
James Kulmer - Bass
Joe Rees-Jones - Drums
1. "Act I: Portents" (3:39) opens with a very brief little recording of what sounds like an "old" instrumental jam (perhaps earlier incarnations of the band recorded on cheap/impromptu sound equipment), drum sticks clicking together, a laugh, and a pause and then the real music comes in and, surprise! It's very YES-like--especially the Steve Howe-like guitar and keyboard sounds. "Yours Is No Disgrace" comes to mind.
At 2:23 the bass and drums begin to thump together to start a new section while the guitar and keys mirror one another. Then, at the three minute mark, the rhythm coalesces and the keys and guitars go their separate ways--the former into a solo, the latter into a rhythm role as support for the bass and drums. Nice intro! Let's us know where they're coming from. (8.5/10)
2. "Act I: Petrichor" (6:23) opens with arpeggiated electric piano chords before we experience the first introductory appearance of angel-voiced tenor Matthew Corry. His singing style reminds me so much of some lead from an Andrew Lloyd-Weber musical--mostly from that of The Phantom--though there's some Sam Smith and Curt Smith (Tears for Fears) in there, too. The fourth octave stuff is wonderful!
A little engineering critique here: The more full the soundscape seems to get--like in the middle section--the more it seems to squeeze Matt's vocal track into the background and make it a little thin and tinny.
Great guitar work in the solo section--amazingly matching the emotionality of Matt's previous vocal section! I'm so glad these guys chose prog rock as their avenue of expression! BUT I can see them going other directions; they have a LOT of talent and potential (though guitarist Scott Neumann sounds like he could be a protégé of Steve Howe). (9/10)
3. "Act II: Travails" (5:00) in this masterful song I hear a little of KEVIN MOORE/CHROMA KEY, a little of Jem Godfrey's FROST*, and a little but mostly I hear MATTHEW CORRY (though he could be mixed a little more forward with a little more volume in the mix)! What a vocal performance! My favorite song on the album and one of my favorite songs of 2018. (10/10)
4. "Act II: Empress" (3:58) a very theatric, almost churchy song, that reminds me of . My only criticism here is that the vocal and its melody do not always mesh well with the music. (8/10)
5. "Act III: Arrow" (15:39) opens with YES- or KANSAS-like musical stylings and sophistication before the ever-surprising appearance of Matt's dramatic, almost-operatic voice. With the pace slowed down some in the fourth minute, the band sets up a tempestuous, emotional mid-section--starting with Matt's vocal stylings, followed by a very theatric and dynamically fluctuating instrumental section. The section ends with some electric piano supporting Matt's wordlessly lamenting vocalizations.
At the seven minute mark we get a full stop and shift into more low end, heavier, emotion-driven section from both the instrumentalists and Mr. Corry--very powerful. This band is showing such unexpected maturity in the compositional department!
At the 9:40 mark there is drastic shift as the instruments take us on a wild rush through the forest: all instruments running at top speed until the synth takes the lead at the end of the eleventh minute. Things quiet back down at the 11:20 mark before an increasingly speedy synth oscillation fills the sonic void. Matthew enters with quite an emotional vocal, even hitting some very high, fourth octave notes, just before the rest of the band (including b vox) joins in at 12:43. This section sounds very STYX-like--especially the instrumental sound and stylistic choices. The song (and album) ends very softly with some very quiet voicings with minimal instrumental support. Definitely one of the best prog epics I've heard this year! (9.5/30)
Total Time 34:39
A young band that already shows signs of astonishing maturity and originality. Any fan of good symphonic prog will find this album well-worth their time and investment.
90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music (rated down for its brief 35 minute length). Another awesome young band to keep close tabs on for future efforts, but, in the meantime, get this album! You won't be disappointed!
30. MIDLIFE Phase
Disco prog? From Australia, these creative lads have crafted some infectiously entertaining dance music with bass and drum lines that sound like they're coming from the disco era while keys, guitars and vocals are more creative prog pop. Truly engaging! This music inspires the question: What if Robert Wyatt had gone disco?
Line-up / Musicians:
Disco prog? From Australia, these creative lads have crafted some infectiously entertaining dance music with bass and drum lines that sound like they're coming from the disco era while keys, guitars and vocals are more creative prog pop. Truly engaging! This music inspires the question: What if Robert Wyatt had gone disco?
Line-up / Musicians:
Kevin McDowell - Synthesisers, Rhodes, Vocals
Adam Halliwell - Guitar
Tomas Shanahan - Bass Guitar
James Donald - Drums
With
Craig Shanahan - Congas
1. "The Magnificent Moon" (8:52) Prog pop disco! Awesome and catchy. (18/20)
2. "Zwango Zop" (4:49) same beat and pace as song #1 but uses an even cooler Robert Wyatt-meets-Daevid Allen (again) vocal performance. (10/10)
3. "Im Blau" (7:08) disco bass with Steve Miller Band synth and steady drums & percussion opens this one before a heavily treated voice (vocoder?) sings about paradise in a lower octave. The chorus section preempts a return to a high-pitched guitar theme from the intro before synth waves take us back to the verse section--but, surprise! Flute fills the vocal space this time. Synth riffs and percussive noises (glass bottles?) fill the next section. Then electric guitar takes a turn in the lead (while synth washes wave around in the background). Vocalized vocals return in the sixth minute. (12.75/15)
4. "Phase" (6:19) slowed down, jazzy, moody, with synth performing most of the lead work with a variety of sounds. This is like a late night smooth groove--all instrumental. (8.5/10)
5. "Two Horizons" (6:04) No disco here, this is pure electronica-turning into spacey jazz funk. Nice! And instrumental (though wordless voices are used.) (8.5/10)
6. "The Gloves Don't Bite" (6:47) opens with synth play and cymbal and percussives before GEORGE BENSON like jazz guitar starts off a riff over synths and disco beat. At 1:40 everything cuts out but the rhtyhm section while Kevin sings into a spacey echo chamber. This is prog disco! Like a revival of AVERAGE WHITE BAND or TOM SCOTT, WILL BOULWARE, even BOB JAMES. (13.5/15)
Total Time 39:59
89.06 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and definitely an innovative, refreshing fusion of musical styles!
1. "The Magnificent Moon" (8:52) Prog pop disco! Awesome and catchy. (18/20)
2. "Zwango Zop" (4:49) same beat and pace as song #1 but uses an even cooler Robert Wyatt-meets-Daevid Allen (again) vocal performance. (10/10)
3. "Im Blau" (7:08) disco bass with Steve Miller Band synth and steady drums & percussion opens this one before a heavily treated voice (vocoder?) sings about paradise in a lower octave. The chorus section preempts a return to a high-pitched guitar theme from the intro before synth waves take us back to the verse section--but, surprise! Flute fills the vocal space this time. Synth riffs and percussive noises (glass bottles?) fill the next section. Then electric guitar takes a turn in the lead (while synth washes wave around in the background). Vocalized vocals return in the sixth minute. (12.75/15)
4. "Phase" (6:19) slowed down, jazzy, moody, with synth performing most of the lead work with a variety of sounds. This is like a late night smooth groove--all instrumental. (8.5/10)
5. "Two Horizons" (6:04) No disco here, this is pure electronica-turning into spacey jazz funk. Nice! And instrumental (though wordless voices are used.) (8.5/10)
6. "The Gloves Don't Bite" (6:47) opens with synth play and cymbal and percussives before GEORGE BENSON like jazz guitar starts off a riff over synths and disco beat. At 1:40 everything cuts out but the rhtyhm section while Kevin sings into a spacey echo chamber. This is prog disco! Like a revival of AVERAGE WHITE BAND or TOM SCOTT, WILL BOULWARE, even BOB JAMES. (13.5/15)
Total Time 39:59
89.06 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and definitely an innovative, refreshing fusion of musical styles!
31. DAAL Decalogue of Darkness
Italian team of ALfio Costa and DAvide Guidoni are back with what is BY FAR their greatest contribution to prog world. If you get a chance to see the AMAZING video presentations of their music (on YouTube), do so--as a matter of fact, all of the songs sound and feel as if they should companion videos. (Maybe they do!) The band is definitely expressing their curiosity with the dark side of the cosmos. Production levels
Line-up / Musicians:
ALfio Costa (Prowlers, Tilion, Fufluns): Keyboards
DAvide Guidoni (Taproban): Drums, Percussions
With:
Ettore Salati : Guitars
Bobo Aiolfi: Bass
1. "Chapter I" (6:00) with or without the accompanying video (footage from the 1930 Swedish film Häxan) this is an amazingly mature and perfect prog instrumental. It opens with simple arpeggio soon joined by several layers of keys (including Mellotrons) before the drums and bass join in. Even into the second minute we're still in the intro. Around 1:30 we finally get the establishment of the foundational groove--and it's a good one! The full, lush layers of keys and guitars are pretty steady while the bass and drums are very busy. At 3:30 things break down leaving bass, piano and drums to duke it out until the re-establishment of the driving groove. This is awesome! So much to listen to! So many instruments adding their little but important input! Then things stop and the final 35 seconds are spent with a kind of solo bassoon dirge. Definitely perfect soundtrack music! (10/10)
2. "Chapter II" (16:25) opens with household noises before ominous minor key piano, Mellotron and tympani join in with a slow death march. Piano, bass, and Mellotron try to run counterpoint to each other but it just doesn't work for me--the 'tron does a poor job of trying to substitute for orchestral strings. Then fifth minute's near-disturbing controlled cacophony plods along too slowly; this may have worked at a faster pace, or without the militaristic drum backing. Soft, delicately played sections such as the one in the second half of the seventh minute work well--and I love the introduction of 'tron voices in the eight minute--but then the new "upbeat" section at the beginning of the ninth minute is just too incongruous, too inconsistent (though in and of itself it's a section of very nice instrumental performances). Just before the ten minute mark things pause while a Frippertronic guitar holds his notes, then things reconvene to continue the upbeat section with the guitar become more distorted and aggressive a minute later. The fourteenth minute is better, but the brief return of the descending scale chord progression in the sixteenth minute is a disappointment, and the soft single instrument (synth flute) outro (as usual) is anti-climactic.
After a half-dozen listens to this one, I am no more enamored or esteemed of this song than my first lesson. It's just too scattered and lacks engaging melodies and chord progressions. Even the drumming seems odd and often irritating on this one. (24/30)
3. "Chapter III" (4:24) uses two alternating themes throughout, one quite simple and sparse with slowly played notes from piano and guitars, the other a driving groove more lush and full with Mellotrons and full rock instrumentation. There is quite a familiar early-ANEKDOTEN feel to this music. Nice melodies and excellent sound and instrument construction. (9/10)
4. "Chapter IV" (6:07) several rather dissonant instrument lines are woven together for a while before finally coming together at the end of the second minute. The drumming is quite brilliant. There's quite an early-KING CRIMSON feel to this one. The excellent guitar lines are very Frippian, very mathematical--even in the extended bird-accompanied outro over the final minute--and the Mellotron is quite prominent (maybe too much so), but it is the drums that take top honors for me on this one. (9/10)
5. "Chapter V" (4:49) another song that opens with some brilliantly creative sound and instrument choices woven together. It doesn't feel as if it's going to work, as if all of the odd sounds are going to shred the song (or my ears) until drums, bass (fretless?), keys, and guitars finally settle into a groove driven by an eight-note melody repeated well into the fourth minute before things "fall apart" and a post-apocalyptic chaos of disorganized percussives ensues until the final note. (8.5/10)
6. "Chapter VI" (5:04) opens as an emotional grand piano piece, soon accompanied by acoustic guitar arpeggi and soloing electric guitar, but at 1:05 the prog band bursts in, giving us a glimpse of what will soon be established. Lots of Mellotron and Robert Fripp "Book of Saturdays" guitar soloing behind, within, and in front. At 2:45 the addition of steady drums, bass, and a chord-playing electric guitar give the song a heavier sound as a lone synth takes over maintenance of the melody line. Once again, the final section is a quiescent single instrument (lead electric guitar) softly soloing into the sunset. (9/10)
7. "Chapter VII" (4:24) opening with bass, cymbols, and discordant piano chord being arpeggiated while while fuzzy electric guitar chord rises to the fore (this is familiar from previous DAAL songs) but then at 1:14 everything falls away save for flanged cymbol play and a whole new, gentle and pretty theme is established. This is quite beautiful! Mellotron "flutes" in one of the leads as a weave of several instruments keeps this section going until it begins to fracture and fall apart in the fourth minute. Lots of door- or wood-knocking (like someone trying to break out from inside a coffin) filling the background as the discordant opening theme returns and takes us to the end. Cool song! (9.25/10)
8. "Chapter VIII" (8:35) opens with a Russian-like chord slowly arpeggiated by the lower end of the piano (and later by the Mellotron) while cymbols and right and of piano play at something else. This sounds a LOT like Javi Herrera's KANT FREUD KAFKA work on his 2014 album No tengas miedo--especially the songs "Antiesis" and "Hombre." Add Fripp guitar and flute to the slow palate and we still have a KANT FREUD KAFKA soundtrack feel. At 3:05 drums, bass, and guitars condense and Mellotron takes over the lead to create a rather eerie section. Again, great drum play through out this song. At 6:12 the heavy section ends and the piano-based opening section begins to repeat itself--though it shifts this time into acoustic gentle guitar strumming with and Fripp lead carrying us into the final minute and then solo "harpsichord" to finish. (17/20)
9. "Chapter IX" (4:18) pretty piano arpeggio with reverse electric guitar lead playing just beneath open this song. Near the minute mark the guitar drops out and the piano completes a full bridge by itself. When the "verse" picks up again the piano and reverse guitar are joined by keyboard wind section (flute, oboe, bassoon) to weave in an alternate melody. At 3:11 we again get a break for the solo piano bridge but this time no one rejoins him as he plays improvisationally to the song's close. Pretty song. Simple and succinct. Like the second verse the best. (8.75/10)
10. "Chapter X" (10:21) piano and gently plucked electric guitar with symphonic cymbal play cover an almost HARMONIUM-sounding opening three minutes before the full band kicks into a really beautiful, steady, emotional prog instrumental--one in which, again, it feels as if a story is being conveyed. Brilliant stuff; definitely the most melodically engaging song on the album. (20/20)
The engineering and sound production are impeccable--it does NOT get better than this--and the instrument selection and combination throughout the album is creative and compelling, with clarity and distinctiveness to all instruments no matter how many layers DAvide ALfio use in construction. Perhaps there is a little over-use of Mellotron and Fripp guitar noodling.
88.93 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near- masterpiece of modern instrumental progressive rock music.
After a half-dozen listens to this one, I am no more enamored or esteemed of this song than my first lesson. It's just too scattered and lacks engaging melodies and chord progressions. Even the drumming seems odd and often irritating on this one. (24/30)
3. "Chapter III" (4:24) uses two alternating themes throughout, one quite simple and sparse with slowly played notes from piano and guitars, the other a driving groove more lush and full with Mellotrons and full rock instrumentation. There is quite a familiar early-ANEKDOTEN feel to this music. Nice melodies and excellent sound and instrument construction. (9/10)
4. "Chapter IV" (6:07) several rather dissonant instrument lines are woven together for a while before finally coming together at the end of the second minute. The drumming is quite brilliant. There's quite an early-KING CRIMSON feel to this one. The excellent guitar lines are very Frippian, very mathematical--even in the extended bird-accompanied outro over the final minute--and the Mellotron is quite prominent (maybe too much so), but it is the drums that take top honors for me on this one. (9/10)
5. "Chapter V" (4:49) another song that opens with some brilliantly creative sound and instrument choices woven together. It doesn't feel as if it's going to work, as if all of the odd sounds are going to shred the song (or my ears) until drums, bass (fretless?), keys, and guitars finally settle into a groove driven by an eight-note melody repeated well into the fourth minute before things "fall apart" and a post-apocalyptic chaos of disorganized percussives ensues until the final note. (8.5/10)
6. "Chapter VI" (5:04) opens as an emotional grand piano piece, soon accompanied by acoustic guitar arpeggi and soloing electric guitar, but at 1:05 the prog band bursts in, giving us a glimpse of what will soon be established. Lots of Mellotron and Robert Fripp "Book of Saturdays" guitar soloing behind, within, and in front. At 2:45 the addition of steady drums, bass, and a chord-playing electric guitar give the song a heavier sound as a lone synth takes over maintenance of the melody line. Once again, the final section is a quiescent single instrument (lead electric guitar) softly soloing into the sunset. (9/10)
7. "Chapter VII" (4:24) opening with bass, cymbols, and discordant piano chord being arpeggiated while while fuzzy electric guitar chord rises to the fore (this is familiar from previous DAAL songs) but then at 1:14 everything falls away save for flanged cymbol play and a whole new, gentle and pretty theme is established. This is quite beautiful! Mellotron "flutes" in one of the leads as a weave of several instruments keeps this section going until it begins to fracture and fall apart in the fourth minute. Lots of door- or wood-knocking (like someone trying to break out from inside a coffin) filling the background as the discordant opening theme returns and takes us to the end. Cool song! (9.25/10)
8. "Chapter VIII" (8:35) opens with a Russian-like chord slowly arpeggiated by the lower end of the piano (and later by the Mellotron) while cymbols and right and of piano play at something else. This sounds a LOT like Javi Herrera's KANT FREUD KAFKA work on his 2014 album No tengas miedo--especially the songs "Antiesis" and "Hombre." Add Fripp guitar and flute to the slow palate and we still have a KANT FREUD KAFKA soundtrack feel. At 3:05 drums, bass, and guitars condense and Mellotron takes over the lead to create a rather eerie section. Again, great drum play through out this song. At 6:12 the heavy section ends and the piano-based opening section begins to repeat itself--though it shifts this time into acoustic gentle guitar strumming with and Fripp lead carrying us into the final minute and then solo "harpsichord" to finish. (17/20)
9. "Chapter IX" (4:18) pretty piano arpeggio with reverse electric guitar lead playing just beneath open this song. Near the minute mark the guitar drops out and the piano completes a full bridge by itself. When the "verse" picks up again the piano and reverse guitar are joined by keyboard wind section (flute, oboe, bassoon) to weave in an alternate melody. At 3:11 we again get a break for the solo piano bridge but this time no one rejoins him as he plays improvisationally to the song's close. Pretty song. Simple and succinct. Like the second verse the best. (8.75/10)
10. "Chapter X" (10:21) piano and gently plucked electric guitar with symphonic cymbal play cover an almost HARMONIUM-sounding opening three minutes before the full band kicks into a really beautiful, steady, emotional prog instrumental--one in which, again, it feels as if a story is being conveyed. Brilliant stuff; definitely the most melodically engaging song on the album. (20/20)
The engineering and sound production are impeccable--it does NOT get better than this--and the instrument selection and combination throughout the album is creative and compelling, with clarity and distinctiveness to all instruments no matter how many layers DAvide ALfio use in construction. Perhaps there is a little over-use of Mellotron and Fripp guitar noodling.
88.93 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near- masterpiece of modern instrumental progressive rock music.
32. THE FLOOD Chamber Music
Though from Germany, this band of pop prog folk artists is inspired to do a whole album based on the works of Irish author, James Joyce. The overall feel here is nice--the band seems to be trying to conjure up some of the fervor for poetry and literature like the Beat poets were doing in the 60s. At times there are song melodies and lyrics that remind me of John Lennon and some of the simple folk artists of the late sixties. The German accent distracts a little from English lyrics, but the German lyrics (translations of Joyce into German?) are effective. Kind of cool. Big respect! Very theatric--sometimes cabaret-like--sometimes a bit too simple. Flute, acoustic guitars, piano, and hand percussion are the most prominent and oft-used instruments here.
Line-up / Musicians:
Michael Kops - Guitar, Vocals
Thomas Stolp - Piano, Organ
Matthias Stolp - Flutes, Saxophone
Heiko Hendrich - Bass
Ruprecht Langer - PercussionThomas Müller - Recitation
Michael Kops - Guitar, Vocals
Thomas Stolp - Piano, Organ
Matthias Stolp - Flutes, Saxophone
Heiko Hendrich - Bass
Ruprecht Langer - PercussionThomas Müller - Recitation
1. "For F." (Part I) (1:46) flute with picked nylon stringed acoustic guitar other helpers. (4/5)
2. "Tilly" (3:36) solo flute playing in lowest registers over which spoken voice recites something in German. Bass and acoustic guitar join in to create a weave before piano, electric guitar and drums join in, amping things up for a freaky-dramatic voice to sing over in English. (9/10)
3. "Strings In The Earth And Air" (1:56) solo piano opens before band joins in to support Al Stewart-like singer. Very nice. (5/5)
4. "Now, O Now, In This Brown Land" (5:43) for the first two minutes this is very much like John Lennon's "Imagine": pretty poetry with recorder and acoustic guitar, but then, when you think the song is over, a male spoken voice recites a literary passage over electrified acoustic guitar. Then, midway through the fourth minute, voice drops off and flute, hand percussion, and strumming guitar intensify toward a frenzy. The coolest song on the album. (9.5/10)
5. "Nightpiece" (7:48) (9.5/10)
6. "What Counsel Has The Hooded Moon" (2:42) the most obviously Beat/cabaret like song on the album. The vocal is so over-the-top theatric--but it works! (9/10)
7. "My Love Is In A Light Attire" (3:57) (9/10)
8. "Another Wonder" (0:35) a little flute & piano dittie before #9. (5/5)
9. "She Weeps Over Rahoon" (2:05) Pure folk. Could be Tim Buckley or Donovan. (8.5/10)
10. "I Hear An Army Charging Upon The Land" (3:43) (8/10)
11. "Winds Of May" (2:32) great music and very theatric vocal performance. (9/10)
12. "Flood" (2:19) piano and whisper/muted almost-spoken voice. Powerful. (8.5/10)
13. "Dooleysprudence" (6:21) dynamic piano over which singer in English and spoken voice in
German cohabit the foreground. Interesting! A little long. (8.75/10)
14. "Alone" (5:24) proggy instrumental. (8.5/10)
15. "For F." (Part II) (1:45) nice flute and piano piece to bookend the album. (4/5)
Total Time 52:12
88.65 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive folk music.
Total Time 52:12
88.65 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive folk music.
33. LA DOTTRINA DEGLI OPPOSTI Arrivaderci sogni
A lineup of all-stars from AltrOck/Fading Records with full orchestral support, start to finish, all conceived and orchestrated by LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO founder Andrea Lotti. The "mature" and "classic" voice of IL TEMPIO DELLE CLESSIDRE vocalist Francesco Ciapica gives this beautiful music an almost classical, operatic feel.
Line-up / Musicians:
Andrea Lotti (La Coscienza di Zeno): piano, keyboards, guitar, mandolin, accordion
With
Gabriele Guidi Colombi (La Coscienza di Zeno): bass
Francesco Ciapica (Il Tempio delle Clessidre): vocals
Paolo Tixi (Il Tempio delle Clessidre): drums
Marianna Brondello: violin
Yulia Verbistkaya: violin
Caterina Alifredi: violin
Manuela Morreale: viola
Chiara do Benedetto: cello
Giorgio Boffa: double bass
Nadia Khreiwesh: flute
Luisella Cravero: clarinet
Luca Tarantino: oboe
Michele Danzi: bassoon
Marco di Giuseppe: contra alto saxophone
Giuseppe Notabella: trumpet
Michele Verra: trumpet
Lorenzo Reina: trombone
Filippo Ruà: tuba
Andrea Ternavasio: horn
Valeria Delmastro: harp
Luca Viotto: percussion
1. "Dove Dio Dipinge Le Nuvole" (3:28) a very pretty predominantly-orchestral instrumental piece that sets a mood for something like a drama/romance. (5/5)
2. "Nero, Grigio E Tu" (9:10) opens with a laid back spaciousness while drum, keys, and percussives slowly play out a theme. In the third minute things shift for a vocal section. It's very theatric, like the opening scene of a stage play. At 3:33 the music bursts forth for a nice chorus before settling back into the piano-based theme for the next verse--which surprises by coming at us with some power and almost operatic feel. By the sixth minute a new theme is established with two male voices singing the lyrical lines together in different registers. The seventh minute sees the arrival of a proggy/theatric jazz instrumental weave. It's okay; it feels too contrived as if for a on-stage dance interlude. At the seven minute mark all stops for a brief, simple piano interlude before the chorus returns one more time. The outgoing final minute is begun with solo piano before Francesco Ciapica's voice is vaulted to the fore in a dynamic finish. (8.5/10)
3. "Equilibrio" (2:31) solo cello and full orchestra alternating themes in a gorgeous, swelling, overture-like Italian love song. (5/5)
4. "Sulla Via Del Ritorno" (5:42) full on Italian prog with rock ensemble, soloing Arp synth in the lead, and orchestra in full support. The unfortunate thing about this song is that fails to hook the listener as well as to develop anything exciting or inviting. (Why did they retain this as an instrumental? It seems ripe for a vocal.) There are a few nice dynamic shifts but the accompanying melodic shifts fail to engage or attract. (7.5/10)
5. "La Riconquista Della Posizione Eretta" (5:22) a pleasant ballad for singer Francesco Ciapica that does more to follow expected formats and predictable choices. (8/10)
6. "Quiete" (2:36) a gorgeous piece of acoustic guitar, human breathing, piano, and synth. (5/5)
7. "Fra Le Dita" (11:09) opens like a Keith Emerson piece composed for the stage, piano and then orchestra. When Francesco's gorgeous vocal joins in in the third minute it's just perfect. At 3:25/3:35 the music takes a big step into BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO territory--piano riff, winds, percussives, and orchestration (instead of or with synths). The music gets drama-big at the five minute mark but then settles down for a slightly more amped up vocal section. At 6:20 there is another shift into a cool instrumental section. Still quite theatric but great melodies throughout. The following vocal section is meant to present the powerful crescendo but it doesn't quite pack the punch one would like to see/hear. Still, this song is easily the high point of the album. (9.25/10)
Total Time 39:58
Unfortunately, the best songs on the album are the brief instrumental interludes while the longer songs seem to meander and refuse to gell or coalesce. So much beauty but such unrealized potential! The sound production is quite stellar, which counts for a lot in this day and age cuz the sound of a record should be pristine and well-spaced, but often it is not.
88.63 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
34. ÁNGEL ONTALVA & VESPERO Carta Marina
The addition of guitarist Ángel Ontalva elevates Vespero out of its rut of competent familiarity back into the level of bands worthy of the end of year Album of the Year conversations. The music is similar but Ontalva adds an exciting new aspect: a frontman. Ontalva plays the electric guitar with the tone and attack of Carlos Santana with the finger dexterity of Robert Fripp and the fretboard deftness of Allan Holdsworth. And his acoustic guitar play is even better.
Line-up / Musicians:
Ángel Ontalva (October Equus) - guitar
Alexander Kuzovlev (Vespero) - guitar
Alexey Klabukov (Vespero) - keyboards, synths
Vitaly Borodin (Vespero) - violin
Arkady Fedotov (Vespero) - bass, synths
Ivan Fedotov (Vespero) - drums
1. "Carta Marina" (12:13) Angel uses a late-era JOHN McLAUGHLIN-like doubled-up synth guitar sound while the Vespero gang slowly build a hypnotic groove. Whereas I was quite intrigued and excited by drummer Ivan Fedotov's sound and style in their first studio album, By The Waters of Tomorrow, I have come to the conclusion that he is no Jaki Liebezeit: he too often stands out, above, or outside of the rock solid rhythmic groove that the song is trying to maintain. Ontalva's work is stellar, often melodic, and often effectively mirrored by violinist Vitaly Borodin. In fact, Borodin is perhaps made better by the challenge of having to keep up with the likes of a virtuoso like Ontalva. The styles Ángel transitions among, so fluidly, are jaw-dropping. One second he's Wes Montgomery, and then suddenly he's Holdsworth or Fripp (or something above and beyond). (9/10)
2. "Sea Orm" (7:35) playing with a very fluid, unstable pitch locator (or heavy reliance on whammy bar), Ontalva makes us feel the sea sickness of being on the water with his lead guitar. A Caribbean, almost-calypso rhythm pattern holds strong for the first 3:35 before everything shifts to an entirely different albeit still Latin-shaped foundation while Ángel and keyboardist Alexey Klabukov take turns in the lead position. (8.5/10)
3. "Giant Lobster Between The Orkneys And The Hebrides" (6:48) lazy Holdsworth-like electric leads alternating with Spanish influenced acoustic and electric guitar work accompany a slow, barely noticeable intensification of tension which then almost anti-climactically dissipates down the drain. (8/10)
4. "Insula Magnetica" (8:51) droning background to Ángel's note-bending soloing--which is eventually matched and mirrored by Borodin on violin. More like soundtrack music. Ivan's drumming is pure brushwork and much beneath the bass synths and lead strings' weaves. Reminds me of John McLaughlin's SHAKTI. (8.5/10)
5. "Sledges Crossing The Gulf Of Bothnia" (6:45) opening with an acoustic orientation, this song gets me right from the start. Borodin and Kuzovlov are at their very best as they are challenged by the presence of master Ontalvo! And this is drummer Fedotov's best track (his play is mixed perfectly within the guitars/violins). And Ángel soars! My favorite song on the album. Plus, the minimalist-math rock structure reminds me of Swiss band SONAR. (9.5/10)
6. "Horrenda Charybdis Near Lofoten" (8:09) opens like I'm about to hear guitar virtuoso Roy Buchanan burst forth with Mitch Mitchell in support! But then it smooths out into typical Kosmische form and sound while Ángel leads from within the mix. Awesome guitar solo in the fourth minute; Ángel Ontalva is so inventive, so quick yet fluid and mercurial! Borodin follows with a nice solo offset by some interesting keyboard sound and arpeggi. (The drumming here is rather annoying.) More great soloing from Ontalva before we switch into wind down/wrap it up mode. My second favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)
7. "Ziphius" (10:04) what starts as if it's going to be a classic blues-rock guitar showpiece becomes pure Kosmische Music by the end of the first minute. In the fourth minute, as Borodin and his seering violin join in, the song shifts into a steady four-chord rock pace. This time it seems as if Borodin has finally topped the challenger, Ontalva, and, as the song slows down and stops at 5:25, the two are left screeching what sound like their dying notes. But then the rhythm section flashes back to life with Fedotov flexing and stretching a little while the pace and energy build. (9/10)
Total time: 60:25
88.57 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
35. MOTHER TURTLE Zea Mice
After dropping the surprise bomb on me two years ago with their amazing II--a Top 10 Album of 2016 for me--I was super excited when Bandcamp notified me of this new release.
Line-up / Musicians:
Kostas Konstantinidis: guitars, vocals, midi guitar, ukulele
George Baltas: drums
George Theodoropoulos: keys and programming
George Filopelou: electric and fretless bass
Babis Prodromidis: saxophone, flute
Alex Kiourntziadis: violin
Guests:
Elpida Papakosma: Voices in "Kukuruzu" and "Vermins"
Aristotelis Mavropoulos: Narration in "Zeitenlik"
Apostolis Georgiadis: Percussion
1. "Zea Mice part 1: Kukuruzu" (6:44) nice work from the saxophone (8.5/10)
2. "Zea Mice part 1: #Cornhub" (8:06) solid foundational music over which several instrumentalists put on a great show: Alex Kiourntziadis' violin, Kostas Konstantinidis' acoustic and electric guitars, George Theodoropoulos' synths. I love the sound of George Baltas' metronomic snare! Marked down for being little more than a smooth jazz jam song. (13.5/15)
3. "Zea Mice part 2: Sea Mice" (6:53) a nice smooth jazz groove over which synths, electric guitar, and violin take turns at the fore. I like the violin solo and the tension of the final third the best. (13.125/15)
4. "Zea Mice part 2: Zeitenllik" (1:21) an ominous soundscape over which an obviously scary narration is performed . . . in Greek. (4/5)
5. "Zea Mice part 2: Vermins" (6:40) seems a continuation of "Sea Mice" with the same (or variation of the same) driving groove. The female vocalise of Elpida Papakosma range in sound from Ofra Haza's Persian "scatting" to Björkian Sugarcube-era sounds. Guitar and violin lead us into a thicker, faster section in the fifth minute. The final minute becomes more spacious and synthed, themed around a kind of James Bond riff. Nice tune. (9/10)
6. "Zea Mice part 2: Fourward" (1:57) North African drumming within which piano and synths sneak intermittent riffs. Cool! (4.5/5)
7. "Zea Mice part 3: Vermins (reprise)" (1:11) a stripped down, acoustic version of the Vermins theme? Pretty but I don't hear the similarity. (4.5/5)
8. "Zea Mice part 3: Nostos" (16:38) excellent hard-driving instrumental prog over a techno-synth rhythm track. (27/30)
It's taken me a long, long time to get up to writing a review of this album--despite the fact that I've owned it for over half the year. There's just a lot of dense music--which is particularly challenging to critique with instrumental music. The quality of performances and "hooks" is high but I really miss the wonderful storytelling that the vocals and instruments did with the previous album.
88.55 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of instrumental progressive rock.
36. FEM Mutazione
After falling in love with 2014's Sulla Bolla di Sapone--an album that appeared out of nowhere and snuck into my Top 10 Albums for that year--I found myself very excited to hear of this new release from these young Italians. And though different, it has not failed to live up to my hopes and desires.
Line-up / Musicians:
Paolo Colombo - guitars, vocals
Alberto Citterio - keyboards, vocals
Marco Buzzi - bass
Emanuele Borsati - drums, vocals
Alessandro Graziano - vocals
Pietro Bertoni - trombone
1. "Il palazzo del chaos" (0:25) an introduction to the chaos that is not to follow!
2. "Io mi trasformo" (6:21) opens with a chord progression that is immediately inviting and engaging--developed by layers of band instruments before backing off to set up an easy going yet fast-driving horn-invested foundation for new singer Alessandro Graziano to put his gifted talents on full dispay. Melodically, rhythmically, harmonically, technically this is a very well-constructed, if theatric and formulaic, song. The chorus section after the fourth minute bass solo is pretty cool. (9/10)
3. "La cura delle cose" (5:55) a tightly-performed GENESIS-familiar song has plenty of twists and flourishes to render it into its own territory. For example, the Broadway-like section in the fourth and fifth minutes is very cool, very engaging. The guitar and trombone-led finale could have been better if the vocal line had been soaring instead of deepening. Still, it is gutsy and unique. (8.75/10)
4. "Musica di vento" (6:35) opens with an emotional piano and trombone section that once again feels so theatric, almost ready for a Broadway or opera aria. Once Alessandro has finished the first verse of his very impressive and emotional vocal a very powerful, beautiful instrumental section opens up and then seemlessly segues back into vocal support for the final to minutes. The chorus melody is so perfect, so professionally constructed and orchestrated, it's sure to melt hearts just like a ANDREW LLOYD-WEBER aria. (9.5/10)
5. "Mai tardi" (6:08) opens with a lone funky rhythm guitar before the rest of the band (including clavinet!) join in to create a fairly complex, jazzy, syncopated song structure. After 90 seconds the song is established well enough to support its first solo: the electric guitar. Separated by carnival sounds, the synth takes on the next solo, then bass in a stripped down section, soon joined by trombone. Fender Rhodes piano provides the foundation for the fourth minute in which thumping bass, multiple track trombones (and/or synth horns) and drums support a spirited electric guitar solo. At the 5:00 mark everybody makes way for the clavinet before a full band horn-blasting section takes us to the end. Quite enjoyable! (9.25/10)
6. "Il cielo di sé" (7:57) Alessandro singing with accompaniment of strummed guitar. In the second verse drums and bass join in. The very-Italian chorus is multi-voiced and with very little instrumental support. How similar this voice is to that of La Coscienza di Zeno's Alessio Calandreillo--in both power, timbre, and style. Synths and keys provide most of the inter-vocal instrumental soli. At 4:25 things quiet down for a softer, more plaintive vocal section. Electrified acoustic guitars, electric piano, and tuned percussion take over before the big dénouement at 5:35 in which power chords and soloing Arp synth. (12.5/15)
7. "Attesa" (2:58) a gorgeous aria based in acoustic instrumental support, this truly borders on something for the theater--either Broadway musical or even lyric opera. (9.5/10)
8. "Mutazione" (4:29) a buoyant, theatric jazz-rock instrumental that has quite a familiar FOCUS feel to it--both melodically and structurally. These guys are good! (9/10)
9. "Se c'è una buona ragione" (10:02) a bit corny for its racing "vox roboto" treatment of Alessandro's voice for the opening three minutes, there is some return to normalcy with the delicate section that starts in the fourth minute with Alessandro's normal voice. The music then re-amps up but not to the pace nor carnival theatricity of the opening. The complex (and quite enjoyable) sixth minute instrumental section is then followed by a solo church organ section. How odd! At 7:06 piano and Alessandro lead us into a new, bass-heavy instrumental section--one that progresses in an "upward" manner in terms of key changes and chord progressions until the final 30 seconds, which are filled with a recording of a female phone voice saying its goodbyes. Such an odd song. There are some really wonderful sections but some really weird tangentially incongruous skids and swerves. (16.5/20)
88.42 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of theatric and intricately constructed and performed progressive rock music. FEM is a band that is firing on all cylinders: all members are working very tightly within some very intricately constructed compositions--plus there are extremely proficient musicians manning all of the contributing instruments (I love the trombone presence). And, Welcome new lead vocalist Alessandro Graziano! You are quite gifted!
37. LOW Double Negative
"Voices under seige" is how Pitchfork reviewer Rich Juzwiak refers to the heavily treated, electronically filtered and manipulated vocal tracks appearing throughout this album--apparently as a metaphor for the intention of the album as a representative of the cold dehumanization occurring to the voices of the average Jan and Joe in this, the Trump Era of American "democracy."
Lineup / Musicians:
- Steve Garrington - bass guitar
- Mimi Parker - backing vocals, percussion
- Alan Sparhawk - guitar, vocals
with:
- Maaika van der Linde - bass flute on "Always Up"
2. "Dancing and Blood" (6:22) odd and ingenious, fresh and deeply engaging, from the rhythms carrying over from the opening song to open, to the odd choral vocal lines in the middle, to the eastern monastic droning vocals at the end, this is a truly original and aurally as well as spiritually impressive piece of human artistry. (9.5/10)
3. "Fly" (5:48) with the eastern monastic vocal drones bleeding over and being wave-formed into a kind of higher pitched bee drone, the song establishes a seamless connection to the previous songs while gradually becoming it's own unique thing as the electro-pop "bass drum" enters and takes over for the bee drone for the entry of a gorgeous breathy higher-pitched voice to begin singing this haunting song. More electronic synths and drones and rhythmic additions enter and leave, some with a sudden edit in, without percussive strike or edited out of their natural decay. (9.5/10)
4. "Tempest" (4:48) like sleeping next to a roaring campfire during a steady windstorm while unwittingly having to listen to someone who is singing through a can of coffee grounds from inside a nearby cabin or tent through. Weird. I'm ambivalent--not sure if it's good or bad much less worth being on the album. I guess the ambient synth horn in the middle raises its stock a little, but it's too short and the following vocal section is even more disturbing for the intentional extreme distorting imposed upon the voice track. (7/10)
5. "Always Up" (5:28) carries forward the melody and chord progression from the previous song while allowing the multi-voice vocals full human definition. Initially, these vocals are in a kind of small folk choir, but then at the 1:47 mark the floating, lilting female voice of Mimi Parker enters as the lone vocalist, singing, for one of the few times on the album, straight-voiced and uneffected over the incredibly sparse single keyboard's spacious notes and minimalist chords. "Choir" vocals return at the 2:30 mark with a low synth drone and breathy bass flute emerging from beneath before Harold Budd-like treated piano takes over, then heavily effected guitar, then electronically sustained single vocal high note which is then "doubled" and harmonized by a synth, until we are left, ultimately, with only the low "organ" drone. (8.75/10)
6. "Always Trying to Work It Out" (3:55) amazing that such distortion of sound and instruments, chords and sound waves, can still produce such gorgeous music--and that's not even considering the lyrics. Mimi Parker's background and vocal harmonies are like something out of a West-bound Conestoga wagon. (9/10)
7. "The Son, The Sun" (3:30) opens with what can definitively be called an "outer-space rocketship burning" sound. Cavernous dreamy, monastic vocals--first what seems to be one, singular voice, later revealing itself as multiple tracks of worshipful or child-in-a-cave-like voice experiments. (8/10)
8. "Dancing and Fire" (4:17) two chords from a softly finger-strummed electric guitar establish themselves as the foundation for this song from the get-go. Eventually Alan Sparhawk's solo voice enters singing in a higher register. In the second verse he is joined by the heavily-cavern-treated harmony voice of Mimi Parker and a few incidental, barely noticeable synths notes and bass play. Mimi's voice notes are played with long after Alan has stopped singing as guitar and bass play out into a slow fade as the music transitions to the next song. Beautiful song. (9/10)
9. "Poor Sucker" (3:35) a gorgeously tragic musical experience as the first two and a half minutes of the song are dished out over one constant, bouncing keyboard chord pulses in a somnambulistic marching rhythm while Alan and Mimi's voices sing in basically one note, using single note drops or rises only for accent at the end of lines or sentences. It's stark, it's mesmerizing, it's deeply disturbing, it's trying to be hopeful. It's haunting. Absolutely stunning; a real gut-punch. (10/10)
10. "Rome (Always in the Dark)" (3:32) opens with a bang--a distorted, static-filled band, but still a band. The hissy vocoder-like lead vocal and heavily reverbed background vocal are propelled along and then, in the instrumental "solo" section (which is such a rare occurrence on this album), by a distorted Neil Young-like electric guitar solo. The lyrics are dark and hopeless, comparing our times to those of the decay and fall of the Roman Empire, despite a call to action to "turn this thing before they take us out." (9/10)
11. "Disarray" (3:52) constructed over an almost-poppy, almost upbeat, bouncy, rhythmic, heavily-distorted electro-pop three-chord progression are sung some beautifully arranged vocal harmonies in which our society seems to be being indicted for creating this wild and crazy (drug-trip-like) predicament. Great, classy vocal arrangements to end--almost as if from a different era--one of more easy-going innocence. But, the distress of the distorted music outlasts the beauty and innocent hippy-ness of the vocals, and that is where the album ends. (8.75/10)
Total length: 48:50
88.41 = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece; a brilliant piece of modern, provocative music that is fresh and innovative, if dense and mysterious, but which is ultimately flawed and inconsistent.
39. ALTOPALO Frozen There
88.41 = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece; a brilliant piece of modern, provocative music that is fresh and innovative, if dense and mysterious, but which is ultimately flawed and inconsistent.
38. PiNioL Bran Coucou
It's all the rave, combining two bands--this time two well-respected avant garde trios from France. The result of all the hype and anticipation is highly entertaining, mind-bogglingly complex, if sometimes a little drawn out and formulaic. I hear a lot of SONAR-like Math Rock in this music, despite the amazingly fun and surprisingly fitting made-up language (a Zeuhl version of Japanese?) vocals. The first half is highly engaging and then it gets a little old.
Line-up / Musicians:
Antoine Arnera (PoiL) - Keyboard, vocals
Boris Cassone (PoiL) - Bass, vocals
Guilhem Meier (PoiL) - Drums, vocals
Anthony Béard (Ni) - Guitar, vocals
François Mignot (Ni) - Guitar, vocals
Benoit Lecomte (Ni) - Bass, vocals
Jean Joly - Drums
1. "Pilon Bran Coucou" (14:02) controlled chaos. It's even melodic and highly engaging! And what musicianship! (27.75/30)
Boris Cassone (PoiL) - Bass, vocals
Guilhem Meier (PoiL) - Drums, vocals
Anthony Béard (Ni) - Guitar, vocals
François Mignot (Ni) - Guitar, vocals
Benoit Lecomte (Ni) - Bass, vocals
Jean Joly - Drums
1. "Pilon Bran Coucou" (14:02) controlled chaos. It's even melodic and highly engaging! And what musicianship! (27.75/30)
2. "Pogne" (7:15) odd time signature with some catchy melodies and wild fake-Japanese-Zeuhl vocals. It's awesome! (14.25/15)
3. "Mimolle" (4:29) avant even math rock in its rhythm section, the tremolo picked guitar in the opening section speaks "Post Rock" a la MONO, but then things go totally Avant Math Rock in the second minute. As it builds and wails into a frenzy, the music just sucks you in (instead of repelling). (10/10)
4. "Shô Shin" (14:37) is this song just a Hamiltonian set up for an American swear word? (MF/WTF) (Who knows if the pseudo-Japanese is also of a similar extraction and meaning?) (25.5/30)
5. "François 1er" (9:11) the bonny king is an historical favorite of mine, so my first listen to this comes with expectations: (It better be good!) Slow, sliding tremolo guitars pan across our listening horizon before synth, basses, and drums enter and establish a slow methodical rhythm track. At 2:30 a guitar steps forward as a "lead" instrument--but it's all SONAR-like Math Rock weave. (Though I hear SEVEN IMPALE and KARNIVOOL in this song as well.) Maybe I've been spoiled by the opening song, but this one feels too sedate or as if it never gets off the ground--they just keep testing the engine and special features/apps. (17/20)
6. "Kerberos" (6:05) the band has gotten too tight and too formulaic--the subtleties and idiosyncracies (other than a few belly laughs and xylophone sounds) are all but absent from this one. (8/10)
7. "Orbite" (12:05) slow and very sparse for the first four and a half minutes, it's not until the nonsense pseudo-Japanaese vocals enter that something really interesting begins to happen--and even then it's minimal progress. At 6:20 we finally get some power, some force, some energy and emotion as bass and guitars bash out some heavy chords and metallic arpeggi. I'm reminded of something from King Crimson's Red/Starless period, but this is a little too drawn out. Still, it is better in the second half. (21.25/25)
88.39 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music. Adventurous as it begins, it becomes a bit too formulaic and predictable.
39. ALTOPALO Frozen There
Working out of Brooklyn, New York, Dillon, Mike, Rahm, and Jesse have been together for a few years, having released an EP and single in 2015 (noneofuscared and "hahsnheads," respectively) but this LP signals quite a drastic turn in direction from the Indie/Proggy pop of those previous efforts to an experimental electro-pop á la James Blake and Sampha. It's quite winning!
1. "Blur" (4:46) opens with electronic sounds and near-whispered vocal, both reminiscent of JAMES BLAKE. Suddenly at the end of the opening minute a treated male singing voice bursts in from the background sounding like JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE in his most experimental (The 20/20 Experience)--and this feeling and similarity continues for the duration of this most excellent and variable R&B song. I like the surprise "folk section" at the end of the fourth minute to finish the song. (9/10)
2. "Mono" (4:42) More JAMES BLAKE-like bare-bones experimental electronica opens this song as Rahm Silverglade sings his wonderfully simple, emotional treated vocals while the deep Hubble-like spaciousness of the sparse instrumental inputs pulls you in. Any band that can make a rhyme in the chorus out of the word "reciprocity" has got my attention and praise. My second favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)
3. "Frozen Away" (2:48) Awesome heavily-processed piano and, later, bass drum, provide the simple, spacious background for Rahm's vocal for the first ninety seconds. Then harp-like guitar, kitchen pots and pans percussion and electronic bass take over for a very different second half in which Rahm's vocals are quite heavily treated. (8.5/10)
4. "Frozen There" (2:29) what seems an experiment with voice muting, speed modulation and distortion treatments are played over treated guitar, piano, percussion, and, later, didgeridoo. Interesting. (8.25/10)
5. "Wikcer" (4:57) another song in which the sound experimentations (this time more with instruments like guitar or autoharp) are on-going, captured live, for the first minute before the instrumentalist can be heard to say, "Ready?" at which time heavily processed strummed chords become sequenced and over which a heavily-processed voice sings softly, delicately. (8/10)
6. "Head in a) Cloche" (4:51) My favorite song on the album. Great electronica, great vocals. I wish the trip-hoppy core/highlight toward the end were a bigger chunk of it. (9.75/10)
7. "Pulp" (3:32) a drawn out experiment in auto-amusement? (8.5/10)
8. "Glow" (3:43) along with "Blur" this is the most complete and fully-formed song on the album. The lyrics actually tell a story. (9.25/10)
9. "Terra" (3:25) a good song made better by 1) the female voice at the beginning, 2) the amazing video made for it, and 3) the trip hoppy section within the final minute. (8.75/10)
88.33 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of experimental pop electronica. The experimentalism is satisfying but I hope there will be more seeking and adhering to the winning melodic and rhythm sections in the future.
A veritable supergroup lays down some gorgeous music in a style reminiscent of NO-MAN, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD, STEVE HACKETT, and even ASIA.
Line-up / Musicians:
Stephen Bennett (No-Man, Henry Fool, Tim Bowness) - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, Bass pedals
Ketil Vestrum Einarsen (White Willow, Weserbergland, Rhys Marsh) - Keyboards, programming and flute
Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, The Opium Cartel, Weserbergland) - Guitar and bass
Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, Necromonkey, White Willow, Weserbergland) - Drums, Keyboards, Bass pedals, Guitars
With:
Akaba - Backing vocals
Stephen Bennett (No-Man, Henry Fool, Tim Bowness) - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, Bass pedals
Ketil Vestrum Einarsen (White Willow, Weserbergland, Rhys Marsh) - Keyboards, programming and flute
Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, The Opium Cartel, Weserbergland) - Guitar and bass
Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, Necromonkey, White Willow, Weserbergland) - Drums, Keyboards, Bass pedals, Guitars
With:
Akaba - Backing vocals
1. "The Voice of Beauty Drowned" (10:42) an awesome opening until 2:33 when all is diminished by an ASIA-like chorus. The song very quickly "recovers" and returns to some gorgeous music not unlike the best of early STEVE HACKETT (Spectral Mornings thru Cured), but that chorus is dreadful! Great keyboard work from the whole band. Nice voice of Stephen Bennett, effected in a similar way to some of those early Steve Hackett albums or 2016's TONY PATTERSON solo project. Drums, bass, and guitars are solid. Love the airy flute. Too bad about that chorus. Weird pause and "transition" in the middle--like it becomes a totally different song. (17.5/20)
2. "The Fallen Angel" (15:35) this one opens sounding like a NINE STONES CLOSE song--full of delicate 1980s sounding guitars and synth strings washes over which a plaintive TIM BOWNESS-like voice sings. The song remains simple in construction and performance through the chorus and bridge--sounding a lot like GENESIS' "Follow You, Follow Me." Mattias Olsson's drum work starts to get exciting behind the second verse. I very much like Jacob Holm-Lupo's guitar solo in the fifth minute--after which there is a tempo and theme change--not quite Canterbury but definitely Caribbean- or Latin-influenced jazz-rock. Nice! This is so fresh! Finally, some inventive, refreshing prog for 2018! (Who's playing the trumpet in the seventh minute? Matthias?) At 7:45 there is another shift into some lush militaristic progginess over which Stephen's heavily-treated voice sings in his Bowness way. Farfisa?! Minimoog ?! in a GENESIS Wind and Wuthering-like instrumental section. The vocal also sounds like THE FLAMING LIPS' Wayne Coyne during this SIMPLE MINDS' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" section. A gorgeous if contrived heart-string pulling section then interludes another return to the Genesis-like theme and the successive same Simple Minds theme.
Pretty cool song despite the stolen sections and sounds. All spliced together into something fresh and unusual. (26/30)
3. "Barbarella’s Lover" (15:17) opens with a sparseness that is reminiscent of something off of a NO-MAN album. Gorgeous. The vocal stylings are so similar to those of Tim Bowness. After 90 seconds the full band joins in with a kind of WESERBERGLAND Kosmische groove--all the while retaining the Tony Banks-ian keys and Bowness vocal stylings. African percussives occupy the fourth minute lull before the groove returns to a panning version of Mattias' Kosmische groove--over which Canterburian and Banksian keyboards alternate. The vocals weaken and the synth solos get a little mundane/boring; the song needs something fresh and explosive (or implosive). Just as I wrote this, at the nine minute mark, all music cuts out to leave a solo guitar coolly squealing away. Bennett sings, the band rejoins with a militaristic beat and Mellotron washes. Then at 10:45 another tempo and theme shift with muted guitar strums and Hammond organ solos. Nice cinematic Latin-inflused chord progression here. It all comes together in the middle of the thirteenth minute with a brilliant drumming pattern combining the Kosmische groove with the militaristic timings over which multiple keyboards and electric guitar bob 'n' weave, and, of course, solo, followed by the "It's one a.m." vocal section to finish. A strange song. It'll take me a few listens to decide if I just like it or love it. In the end it kind of leaves me numbed by the Weserbergland, Tim Bowness, and Genesis "The Knife" similarities. (26/30)
A very nice sounding Neo Prog album with high creativity coming from these musical giants but . . . it could've been so much more. Mattias Olsson's drumming is nothing like the jaw-dropping stuff he used to do with Änglagård. Steve Bennett's vocals are a little too familiar--sounding a little too much like Tim Bowness. Ketil Vestrum Einarsen's wonderful flutes are virtually absent. Jacob Holm-Lupo's inventive guitar sounds and solos are a high point but are too rare and too fleeting.
88.33 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent display of retro-inspired progressive rock music.
41. CELL 15 River Utopia
Very polished, professional Neo Prog from Pennsylvania! Great drumming, great keyboard play, and very full and sophisticated (if somewhat familiar in a kind of LIFESIGNS way but never over-the-top) soundscapes.
Line-up:
Robert S Richardson - Keys & Vocals
Dan MacDonald - Bass & Vocals
Bill Brasso - Drums & Vocals
Shane Jones - Guitar & Vocals
Andrew Coyler (Circuline) - Keys & Vocals
1. "Castle Walls" (7:34) hard-driving techno music like JAN HAMMER's theme from Miami Vice unitl vocals enter. First verse and chorus make this out to be very close to 1980s hard rock like Survivor, Europe, Van Halen, or even Jeff Beck. (13/15)
2. "Streetlights" (9:53) classic 1980s YES or ASIA comes to mind here--even a little RUSH and THIN LIZZY. Stellar keyboard and drum play. These guys are tight, top-notch musicians. (17.75/20)
3. "The Junket" (7:03) programmed synth sequence joined by piano and horn and strings synth banks. Nice easy pace, melody, and sound palette for the vocal section that begins at the one-minute mark. A very memorable (familiar?) song. (13.5/15)
4. "Revolution of the Soul" (5:26) quirky jazzy rock. (8.25/10)
5. "Looking Glass" (7:40) hard-driving Neo Prog start turns gentler for the first vocal verse but then revs back up for the bridge into the chorus and the chorus itself. I like how deeply the band feels into this one. Nice, spacious instrumental section in the middle--yet no sacrificing of the musicians' sharp and precise expositions. (13.25/15)
6. "River Utopia" (10:34) Impressive, sophisticated two minutes of ELP & 1980s Genesis-like intro. Impressive guitar solo in the third minute! At 2:55 the sound bottoms out to chunky bass, spacious drum beat and floating electric piano cords as the singer(s) begins. Nice ALAN PARSONS PROJECT sound and feel here; nice melodies and sound palette. A more dynamic passage begins at 6:10 over which various instruments have the opportunity to solo--some in tandem/duet form! Back to slowed down vocal motif at 7:40--this time building from all around--including in the vocal performance. This is good stuff! The ending could have been a little better (with some vocals or something). (18/20)
As I said above, these guys are top notch musicians with a very tight, cohesive sound; I'm just not a big fan of this kind of "stadium rock" "big" sound. They do not, however, resort to cheap or dated sound for any of their instruments--it's all very sharp and modern.
88.16 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an excellent addition of polished heavy Neo Prog to any prog lover's music collection.
42. ATMOSPHERES Reach
Atmospheric, djenty Prog not unlike bands VOTUM, PROGHMA-C, and KARNIVOOL. Vocals are almost like Tears for Fears' Roland Orzabul . . . without the punch and feeling.
Line-up / Musicians:
Stef Exelmans - vocals, guitar
Mathieu Rachmajda - bass
Bastiaan Jonniaux - drums, electronics
1. "Time I" (2:51) clock ticking and ominous droning synth opens before bass drum and woodblock hit join in. A second eerie synth buzz enters in the second minute before drums sounds start to expand and breathy, airy higher pitched vocals enter. Pretty amazing opening! (10/10)
2. "Time II" (5:41) add djenty guitars and bass and odd time signature drumming and we have a new albeit still unsettling sound. An 80s-effected vocal joins in during a lull then the full wall of sound melds. The vocal almost doesn't work. The best part of this song remains that two-chord synth drone in the foundation. (9/10)
3. "Time III" (1:27) the song's electro-atmospheric breakdown and fadeout. ("Time" should be one continuous song. (4/5)
4. "Nul" (4:26) a great multi-voice chorus almost lifts this one into prominence. (8.5/10)
5. "Mezame" (4:56) a very nice vocal melody in the verses cannot lift this one alone. (8.5/10)
6. "Morph" (5:43) solid but nothing very special here. (8/10)
7. "Gravity" (6:00) love the deep throng of the bass chord dominating the distant vocal during the opening section but, unfortunately, that and a fairly nice chorus melody are the highlights of this one. (8.5/10)
8. "Inertia" (6:20) great MASERATI-like opening riff! Love the slow addition of slow cymbol, synth, and bass before all hell breaks loose! Reprieve for the vocal would work if the vocals weren't so sedate/seem full of indifference. Still, great melodies and the stop-and-start heaviness works well on this one. GREAT fifth minute build and dénouement! (9/10)
9. "Reach" (5:09) the stage-by-stage, levels of development on this song plus the use of "tricks" like the bouncy/staccato female or pitch-altered voice in the second and fourth minutes is what I've been looking for. More! (9/10)
10. "Evolve" (10:00) the magic here is the ear-worm-like melodic hooks in the slow build of the opening four minutes--guitar strums, percussives, rolling bass, and vocal--as well as the neat ambient electronic second half. Brilliant restraint. (10/10)
Total Time 52:33
A collection of underwhelming music that has somehow dug itself deep into my brain. Most of the songs are not very complex; they are long enough to show more development, to include more flash and flourish. This album kind of reminds me of last year's release from GODSTICKS; ATMOSPHERES is a band straddling two different musical genres. Great potential!
88.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of atmospheric djenty prog.
43. GLASTON Inhale / Exhale
Simply constructed instrumental Post Rock songs that receive wonderful embellishment from the extraordinary musicians and songwriters that make up this Swiss band. The piano and/or guitar foundations are simple, but the contributions from guitar, bass, and especially drumming deftly weave magical tapestries out of the minimalist starts. Intriguing and surprising--worth repeated listens.
Line-up / Musicians:
Selina Maisch - piano
Jake Gutzwiller - guitar
Timo Beeler - bass
David Preissel - drums
1. "Game Of Tones" (7:10) great weaves with engaging chunky rock bass line and long sustained guitar notes. The piano chord hits and descending guitar arpeggi in the third minute are sublime. Power chords burst forth at 3:28 before song shifts structure (while retaining drum lines and pace) There is such a theatric melodrama being subtly played out here! (9/10)
2. "Levitating" (5:56) chamber orchestra instruments support the minimalist guitar and piano parts over the first minute. The drums and bass break in at the one minute mark causing a shift into a more jazz (like Hugo Selles' PSYCHIC EQUALIZER album from last year). (9.5/10)
3. "Sunnar" (9:51) nice but nothing exceptional or innovative to add to the lexicon of Post Rock music. (8/10)
4. "Noir" (7:57) a single piano arpeggio holds us in suspense over the course of the song's first two minutes as the band's instruments slowly wend and weave around it. At 2:20 the tension subtly (magically!) shifts to the piano's pounding bass chord. At the end of the fourth minute the two lines are combined to form a more traditional Post Rock build to crescendo--but no! At 4:40 we are brought down to quiessence for the lead guitar to take center stage while bass, piano, and drums do their own thing. Into the seventh minute and I'm still not sure what I'm experiencing--such deft hand offs to other lead components. The final crescendo in the final minute is gentle, pretty, coherent, and insistent, not overwhelming (as is usual in Post Rock climaxes.) Brilliant song! (9.5/10)
5. "This Isn't Happening" (1:36) echoed guitar, background piano and guitar, bass sneaking within. (5/5)
6. "Implosions And Her" (5:53) kicks off with an almost metallic freneticism before settling into a fast-crashing weave. Then, suddenly everybody drops out except chunky bass and drums. Piano and guitars eventually rejoin, but bass and drums continue to be the biggest contributor until the third minute. (8/10)
7. "Mariana Trench Skycrapers" (7:36) simple, almost child-like guitar arpeggio and matching bass line open this, establishing a gentle, fluid pace over which keys and drums find their place--piano even taking over the main melody line so that electric guitar can strum a potentially menacing but ultimately muted power chord progression. I like the slow and subtle development of this one. Again, the way these guys hand off themes and riffs to one another is done so deftly and so subtly. It's ingenious! The nice melodies continue throughout. Even as the guitar power chords amp things up in the fifth minute the piano continues to show restrained and obstinate "childish simplicity." The slow build to crescendo in the final 90 seconds is actually a let down from the controlled restraint of the first six minutes. Too bad. (9/10)
8. "Better Luck Next Time" (3:57) solo piano opens this one--again I am reminded of a slightly more aggressive PSYCHIC EQUALIZER or even some ANATHEMA. The rest of the band's contributions don't really kick in until well into the second minute. Guitar, bass, and drums, but then we return to solo piano again. In the third minute the band starts to gel but then stop to let piano finish alone. Disappointing. (8/10)
9. "Ritou" (9:03) jazzed-up Post Rock with some interesting sudden and quick stop and starts intertwined within. (8.5/10)
10. "In The End" (3:01) gentle piano with slow development and simple, subtle contributions from other band members. An electronica feel to the rhythmic percussion. The melody line reminds me of Corrado Restuci's "Rage and Dust"--one of my favorite songs of the 21st Century. (9/10)
Total Time 62:00
Total Time 62:00
87.89 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the most interesting and subtly loaded albums I've heard in the Post Rock world in a long time.
44. MANNA/MIRAGE Rest of the World
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse (The Muffins, Diratz) / keyboards, saxophones, percussion, woodwings, doumbek, bass drum, accordion
- Billy Swann (The Muffins) / double bass (8), bass (8)
- Carla Diratz (Diratz) / vocals (3)
- Bret Hart (Diratz) / guitars (8) ebow (8)
- Sean Rickman / drums (1-5,7)
- Mark Stanley / guitars (1,4)
- Jerry King / guitars (2) basses (2) lyrics (2) NS bass (3)
- Forest Fang / violin (3)
- Derek Higgins / bass (5)
- Guy Segers (Univers Zero) / bass (7)
- William Jungwirth / drums (8)
- Greg Segal / bells (3) tiny cymbals (3) klickety klack (3)
- Michele King / vocals (2)
1. "Catawampus" (7:32) multiple winds herald the opening of this song (and album) before moving bass and tight drums kick in to support the song's establishment. At 1:10 a baritone sax synth buzzsaw interjects its two notes into the equation (as the chorus?). Jarring but interesting. After the second "chorus" the song downshifts into a looser, more laid back pace within which electric guitarist Mark Stanley has a chance to show their chops. Then Dave shows off a more subdued organ solo before acoustic guitar and keys finish it off over decaying drum play. Interesting with new sounds and combinations but, overall, nothing too exciting or revolutionary. (8/10)
2. "Zed He Said" (4:22) Jerry King's simple, arpeggiated acoustic guitar chord sets the scene for Michele King's multi-tracked singing. Very nice melodies, friendly, inviting pace and structure, the instrumental mid-section is quite engaging and pleasant with some great melodies from the winds over the Vince Guraldi-like music. (8.5/10)
3. "Alchemist In The Parlor" (3:56) odd Beat-like song structure (to match the 1964 era of singer Carla Diratz's story?) turns mini-big band as the horns and keys bank together for the "chorus" sections between and after Carla's recitations. Fun music and song--kind of Jim Jarmusch-ish. Interesting story. (8.5/10)
4. "30 Degrees Of Freedom" (7:18) long introduction of keyboard rumbling and rolling as cymbols play turns into a smoother, more laid back and melodic piece at the two-minute mark. From that point on it is a very melody-oriented, two-chord groovin' song with drums and multiple horns and organ playing at complex harmonic chord play. Wailing electric guitar floats behind, panning around for a minute, before settling into a note-bending solo display in the sixth minute. Sounds really cool when the full ensemble of horns, bass tones, and keys are playing in full clutter behind. Sean Rickman is a madman! He must claim Keith Moon and The Muppets' Animal as influences! (9.25/10)
5. "Gonzalo's Paints" (2:42) very laid back, melodic, even bucolic full-band start eventually wends its way into very rich, cool, multi-track harmonies with a few instruments breaking off to solo here and there. Just a very cool, very rich tapestry, start to finish. (10/10)
6. "Miracle Walking" (3:14) three tracks (and later, more) of Dave's saxes weaving a kind of short-time rondo into chords. At the 90 second mark one sax veers off to go after a crazy free-jazz solo before returning to the fold just as the accordion makes it's debut. Nice construction! (8.5/10)
7. "Mini Hugh" (4:44) opening drum vamp as bass and, eventually, horns establish themselves. By the half-minute mark all have gelled into a steady jazz structure while the drums continue to be on full display. Sean Rickman can play! Organ, horn banks, and individual solos from alto sax, electric piano, fuzzed up bass guitar, and--all the while Sean keeps travelling over his kit as if he were on some kind of unmapped-yet-urgent walkabout. I hear some John Coltrane, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Garrison in this music. (8.5/10)
8. "That Awful Sky" (4:49) kind of DAVID TORN (or ROBERT FRIPPertronics) and MAX ROACH/PAPA JO JONES meet STEVE REICH and PETER GABRIEL. Very cool, mesmerizing, haunting song. (9/10)
Total Time 38:37
87.81 on the FishScales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of jazz fusion/progressive rock. The music on Rest of the World is interesting--especially rhythmically, harmonically, and in its sound palette. It is diverse, melodic, deeply harmonic, and full of fun and even tongue-in-cheek jocularity. I know that Dave Newhouse is a school teacher; he must be a math teacher cuz every song he pens seems to be the expression of a mathematical possibility--an étude. Highly recommended!
45. SYNDONE Mysoginia
Nik Comoglio's Turin scene of RPI pumps out yet another high-quality symphonic album using another cast of all-star collaborators--including none other than Yugen and AltrOck founder Francesco Zago to conuct his orrchestra. Also of note is the presence of my favorite choir in Italia--the same one that played such a integral role in Latte E Miele's stunning remake of Passio Secundum Mattheum--Coro dei Piccoli Cantori di Torino. Quite an appropriate and timely topic--especially with the Elena Ferrante phenomenon spreading like wildfire through the home nation (which might be why there is such a large proportion of women on board to create this album).
- Riccardo Ruggeri / vocals, vocoder
- Nik Comoglio / keyboards, Hammond, Minimoog, Roland Juno synth, composer, orchestration, producer
- Gigi Rivetti / acoustic & electric pianos, Minimoog & clavinet (8)
- Maurino Dellacqua / bass, Taurus pedals
- Martino Malacrida / drums
- Marta Caldara / vibraphone, xylophone, percussion, composer
With:
- Luigi Picatto / clarinet (3)
- Luigi Finetto / oboe (3)
- Vittorio De Scalzi / flute (3,5)
- Viola Nocenzi / vocals (5)
- Luigi Venegoni / electric guitar (8)
- Cecilia Bacci / violin (8,9)
- Coro dei Piccoli Cantori di Torino / chorus vocals
- Carlo Pavese / choir conductor
- Budapest Scoring Symphonic Orchestra
- Francesco Zago / conductor
1. "Medea" (3:38) Out of a chaotic symphonic opening comes a great prog rocker! (9.5/10)
2. "Red Shoes" (4:00) what also starts out rather chaotic in an avant symphonic way, turns into a piano and organ based blues rocker over which Riccardo Ruggeri really stretches himself out. Not my favorite. Interesting strings arrangement and weird, awkward ending. (8.25/10)
3. "Caterina" (6:38) woodwinds in a gorgeous slow chromatic weave opens this one before piano and a very theatric Riccardo take over. Quite an operatic song--even down to the strings arrangement. Riccardo's performance seems a bit excessive, but, then, since it's being sung in Italian and it's meaning is, therefore, a bit obscured from my comprehension, I'm hardly in a position to comment. (8.75/10)
4. "12 Minuti" (6:00) solo piano opens this one creating a foundation for a very operatic/cabaret-like performance from S. Ruggeri. There's quite a bit of Queen/FREDDIE MERCURY in this performance: incredibly theatric and yet quite possibly tongue-in-cheek comedic, as well. After three minutes of this, a vampy piano bridge takes us to a brief fast-paced section before dumping us out into a dreamy psychedelic place. Here gentle vibes and bass dominate--to the end. (9/10)
5. "Evelyn" (4:22) Riccardo and piano give us another jazzy smoky-lounge start. Then singer Viola Nocenzi joins Riccardo to make this an impassioned duet. Flute and xylophone come to the fore when the singers disappear. I like the male-female duet part the best. (8.75/10)
6. "Mysoginia" (2:58) Female choir and cymbals open this one, chanting the song's title, before organ and jazzy rock band come together for a rousing run through the streets. At 1:30 we slow down for an urban passage through a rough neighborhood with the female choir announcing their displeasure at our presence--and Signore Ruggeri singing as if he's running afraid before leaving from whence he came. Weird song but effective. Another instance in which I felt like I was in Billy Joel's bar. (8.75/10)
7. "Women" (3:49) more jazz-inflected piano rock with xylophone and Riccardo Ruggeri as its two lead instruments. Has a very macho Gino Vannelli-like sound and feel to it. (8.5/10)
8. "No Sin" (6:33) solo Fender Rhodes yields to a very GINO VANNELLI-like vocal performance and soundscape. Vibes agin become the lead solo instrument of choice (until Roland Juno takes over). Once the full band joins in for the second verse the GINO VANNELLI feel is only continued and perhaps even amplified. Even the instrumental passage in the fourth minute feels as if Gino, Joe and Ross are pulling all the strings. The successive orchestrated passage is very cool--very creative--before yielding back to the lush smooth jazzy-scapes of Vannelli-land till the close. Cool song. (9/10)
9. "Amalia" (5:59) solo violin opens this before yielding to solo piano. Orchestra strings join in after the piano's fist exhibition--as it establishes its cinematic "love theme." At 2:42 we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a church with Riccardo singing some kind of Italian ode to "Amalia." Then we finish with a =Billy JOEL solo pinao ening. (8.5/10)
Total Time 43:57
I'm quite unconvinced that this type of jazz-cabaret music was the right choice for a serious treatment/discussion of the topic of how men have formed the norms for the treatment of women.
87.78 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent album of theatric lounge prog attempting to address one of the big issues of our times.
46. JACK O'THE CLOCK Repetitions of The Old City, II
The busy and genius mind of Damon Waitkus and friends follows up the late 2016 release with a new masterpiece of unusual "Prog Folk." This may be my favorite Jack O' The Clock release with some truly memorable songs and the usual level of high quality composition, performance, and recording exceeding all previous levels. My one complaint of Damon's work remains the often "closed" or impenetrable nature of his lyrics due to the extremely personal nature of the subject matter of his stories.
Line-up / Musicians:
Damon Waitkus - vocals, acoustic, electric, baritone and piccolo guitars, hammer dulcimers, banjo, mandolin, ukelin, keyboards, guzheng, flute, percussion, wine glasses, car horn, field recordingsEmily Packard - violin, baritone violin, viola, melodica, car horn
Kate McLoughlin - bassoon, vocals, recorder, car horn
Jason Hoopes - bass, voice, piano guts, car horn
Jordan Glenn - drums, percussion, vibraphone, marimba, bells, melodica, car horn
Thea Kelley - vocals
Ivor Holloway - tenor saxophone, clarinet
With
Art Elliot - pipe organ (1)
Darren Johnston - trumpet (2)
Dave McNally - piano blizzard (2)
Sarah Whitley - samples (2)
Cory Wright - clarinet (8)
THE BLIZZARD
1. "Damascus Gate" (2:20) a dream-like weave of electric, acoustic, and field recording sounds within which an effected collection of voices is warbling the preface of the story that follows. "What do you remember?" The Blizzard of 1978 must have burned some powerful memories into Mr. Waitkus. (4.5/5)
2. "Miracle Car Wash, 1978" (13:41) a mercurial musical journey used to take us through a chunk of Damon's recounting of a snow storm, the masterfully composed and rendered music, unfortunately, makes the most sense to it's composer, often leaving us out on a lurch, wondering "Why this twist?" "Why this turn?" (25.5/30)
3. "Island Time" (5:26) a song that stands out for it's totally different stylistic approach--both constructively and vocally--from any previous Jack O' The Clock song I've ever heard. The male vocal performance here is amazing. (Damon performing in a more choir-classical style?) (9.5/10)
4. "Errol at Twenty-Three" (3:58) Damon and a guzheng open this as the story of the Blizzard of 1978 continues. Multiple voices join in with several other folk instruments and percussives in a theatric/stage-like fashion. I imagine a stage performance of this song with costumes and fast-moving sets while the music is played from an orchestra pit below. Gorgeous, complex, genius, worthy of a Tony nomination! (9.5/10)
5. "Whiteout" (1:10) a multi-track looping of voices, percussives and electric instruments. Not sure how this concludes the blizzard story. (4/5)
2. "Miracle Car Wash, 1978" (13:41) a mercurial musical journey used to take us through a chunk of Damon's recounting of a snow storm, the masterfully composed and rendered music, unfortunately, makes the most sense to it's composer, often leaving us out on a lurch, wondering "Why this twist?" "Why this turn?" (25.5/30)
3. "Island Time" (5:26) a song that stands out for it's totally different stylistic approach--both constructively and vocally--from any previous Jack O' The Clock song I've ever heard. The male vocal performance here is amazing. (Damon performing in a more choir-classical style?) (9.5/10)
4. "Errol at Twenty-Three" (3:58) Damon and a guzheng open this as the story of the Blizzard of 1978 continues. Multiple voices join in with several other folk instruments and percussives in a theatric/stage-like fashion. I imagine a stage performance of this song with costumes and fast-moving sets while the music is played from an orchestra pit below. Gorgeous, complex, genius, worthy of a Tony nomination! (9.5/10)
5. "Whiteout" (1:10) a multi-track looping of voices, percussives and electric instruments. Not sure how this concludes the blizzard story. (4/5)
INTERLUDE
6. "Guru On the Road" (5:51) A percussion-led instrumental with lots of string and wind/woodwind instruments playing into the weave. Not unlike a Markus Pajakkala (UTOPIANISTI) song. Beautiful! Even the inclusion of the laugh and studio end comment, "That's such a wild card." (9/10)
ARTIFACTS OF LOVE AND ISOLATION
7. "My Room Before Sleep" (2:10) Damon duet with a hammered dulcimer. (4.5/5)
8. "Into the Fireplace" (6:55) opens with "tuning" strings and winds before bursting into a thick, heavy, proggy weave at 0:45. What a delicious surprise! The singing versus return to the more sparsely orchestrated opening theme, but the thick wall of sound reappears with enough frequency to keep me on edge. the complexity of the overall weave of many instruments (and many voices) is also quite impressive, engaging, and beautiful. What a masterpiece of composition and collaboration! (15/15)
9. "Unger Reminisces" (1:27) a dreamy soundscape with commensurately dreamy effected vocals from multiple tracks of Damon. (5/5)
10. "I’m Afraid of Fucking the Whole Thing Up" (5:47) a strangely out-of-place story of an insecure, underconfident youth being told to do something useful--like going downtown to get a job. For a while I thought this second half of the album was the continuation of the Blizzard story. Musically this is more straightforward folk rock with a bluegrassy jazziness to it. (8.5/10)
11. "Double Door" (1:32) odd cacophony of instruments, voices, and field recordings. To what purpose? (3/5)
12. "A Sick Boy" (9:44) a song that has trouble hooking us both musically and lyrically--the story, and its accompanying music, are just not that engaging--are too personally projected from Damon's memories. If this is a concept album, then this is a disappointing lowpoint on which to end the album. Too bad! (16/20)
87.69 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition of jazzy progressive folk music; masterful songwriting and performances that somehow keep the listener at an arm's length due to the highly personal nature of the stories they represent. What an awesome display of collaboration from a large and wide variety of instrumentalists in some quite complex compositions!
ARTIFACTS OF LOVE AND ISOLATION
7. "My Room Before Sleep" (2:10) Damon duet with a hammered dulcimer. (4.5/5)
8. "Into the Fireplace" (6:55) opens with "tuning" strings and winds before bursting into a thick, heavy, proggy weave at 0:45. What a delicious surprise! The singing versus return to the more sparsely orchestrated opening theme, but the thick wall of sound reappears with enough frequency to keep me on edge. the complexity of the overall weave of many instruments (and many voices) is also quite impressive, engaging, and beautiful. What a masterpiece of composition and collaboration! (15/15)
9. "Unger Reminisces" (1:27) a dreamy soundscape with commensurately dreamy effected vocals from multiple tracks of Damon. (5/5)
10. "I’m Afraid of Fucking the Whole Thing Up" (5:47) a strangely out-of-place story of an insecure, underconfident youth being told to do something useful--like going downtown to get a job. For a while I thought this second half of the album was the continuation of the Blizzard story. Musically this is more straightforward folk rock with a bluegrassy jazziness to it. (8.5/10)
11. "Double Door" (1:32) odd cacophony of instruments, voices, and field recordings. To what purpose? (3/5)
12. "A Sick Boy" (9:44) a song that has trouble hooking us both musically and lyrically--the story, and its accompanying music, are just not that engaging--are too personally projected from Damon's memories. If this is a concept album, then this is a disappointing lowpoint on which to end the album. Too bad! (16/20)
87.69 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition of jazzy progressive folk music; masterful songwriting and performances that somehow keep the listener at an arm's length due to the highly personal nature of the stories they represent. What an awesome display of collaboration from a large and wide variety of instrumentalists in some quite complex compositions!
47. AESTHESYS Achromata
High quality classically-influenced jazzy Post Rock from Russia!
Line-up / Musicians:
Sasha Coudray — bass guitar
Victor Krabovich — electric guitar, keys
Eldar Ferzaliev — electric guitar
Nik Koniwzski — violin, keys
With:
Maximilian Maxotsky — drums
Jamie Ward — mellotron, additional synths
1. "Grauer Wald" (5:17) great insistent keys and rhythm section behind lead violin. Burst at 2:35 into full force but then takes a long time to do anything more dramatic. (I kept waiting for the violin or somebody to really take off, but it never happened.) (9/10)
2. "Filis Aureis" (4:26) my least favorite song on the album; just too dull and repetitive. (8/10)
3. "Marea" (5:16) opens like a very familiar Post Rock song from either GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT or MONO. Building, the drumming gets a little annoying, before a break at 2:30 allows a neat little "hammered dulcimer" section to unfold. Slowly drums, piano, guitar, and violin join in and build to a MONO-like crescendo at the end. (9.5/10)
4. "Himmelbarn" (7:10) again opening with riffs familiar from other Post Rock songs (EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY come to mind), the song soon shifts gears into a more jazz-classically challenging section before everything quiets down at 2:07 into a peaceful mellow reset and start over. The soundscape begins to expand in the fourth minute as violin joins the guitars, drums and bass. Then, at 4:07, another shift into that higher octane rapido section recurs with heavy guitars power-strumming away while the violin tries to stay afloat above the turbulence. (13.5/15)
5. "Melanocardia" (6:33) too repetitive, getting stuck in one gear for about two minutes in the middle with absolutely nothing new happening but fast driving chord striking, and then the follow up is rather anticlimactic. (7.5/10)
6. "Sapatha" (5:39) drums and keys are the key to the success of this one. (9.5/10)
7. "Apogeion" (6:22) agains drums, piano, and bass make this such a solid foundation upon which to build and soar. (9.5/10)
8. "Eosfyllon" (5:44) starts slow and quiet before bursting into a wonderfully melodic and diverse song. (9/10)
Total Time 46:27
87.64 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
48. JOHN HOLDEN Capture Light
A Cheshire cat has emerged from years in a monastery as a progressive rock artist--at least that what the gorgeous music on this debut release feels like! His ideas and sounds have apparently been so winning that he was able to enlist the support and contributions of a veritable Who's Who of modern Prog World! Some of, if not THE, best singers in the Anglo Neo Prog world! (All of whom just happen to possess those extraordinary voices that seem to come out of church choir training.)
John Holden - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Programming
With
Oliver Day - Guitars, Lute, Mandolin (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8)
Emily Dolan Davies - Drums (2, 4, 5, 8)
Julie Gater - Vocals (2, 7, 8) Backing Vocals (4, 6)
Peter Jones (Tiger Moth Tales) - Vocals (8), Backing Vocals (6), Saxophone (6 & 8), Flute (6)
Gary O’Toole (Steve Hackett) - Drums & Backing Vocals (7)
Jean Pageau (Mystery) - Vocals (4)
Joe Payne (The Enid) - Vocals (1, 3, 5)
Billy Sherwood (Yes) - Guitar solo (2), Bass (6)
Oliver Wakeman - Piano & Keyboards (1, 3, 7)
Marc Atkinson (Riversea, Nine Stones Close) - Backing Vocals (4)
Lee-Anne Beecher - Backing Vocals (4)
Max Read - Backing Vocals (5)
1. "Tears From The Sun" (9:06) opens with a long instrumental section in which virtually all of the sounds and instruments used conjure up, for me, the musical traditions of the Christian churches I spent time in during my youth. When Joe Payne's angelic voice(s) enters after the church organ in the third minute I am lost, won over by the brilliance of this new composer. And one cannot say enough about the genius of Joe Payne (who I know better from his work with Nikitas Kissonas' METHEXIS project than The Enid). I fear I'm not going to say enough about the contributions of guitarist OLIVER DAY while reviewing this album. Oliver Day. Keep that name in your mind--you'll be hearing more from him in the not-too-distant future, of this I am certain. My lack of appropriate praise will, no doubt, be due to the fact that I can get confused with the work that composer John Holden himself is doing, but this multi-instrumentalist (Oliver Day) is such an important part to all of these songs. His ability capture that sacred feel of Christian-inspired compositions from all eras of the past is uncanny. And nice work from Oliver Wakeman on keys. (18/20)
2. "Crimson Sky" (5:53) a fairly simple, straightforward rock song that is uplifted by the excellent guitar work from Oliver Day, John Holden, and Billy Sherwood--as well as by the soothing voice of Julie Gater. (8/10)
3. "Capture Light" (7:26) takes us to church--or is it that the church is being brought to us through prog music? This song is inspired by the art of Sixteenth Century Venitian painters Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto. The use of lute by Oliver Day is brilliant! And, once again, the contributions of Oliver Wakeman on multiple keyboards is outstanding and not to be ignored. A top three song for me. (13.5/15)
4. "Ancient Of Days" (7:52) again, I this music, this song, makes me feel as if I'm at a church revival! It's so beautiful, so theatric, so uplifting! Nice drum work by Emily Dolan Davies and awesome prog choir from Jean Pageau, Marc Atkinson, Lee-Anne Beecher, and Julie Gater. (12.75/15)
5. "One Race" (6:11) containing a wonderful vocal from Joe Payne, this song mixes up styles and tempos to seemingly take us on a little biographical journey of 1936 Olympic hero, Jesse Owens. I love the jazz guitar flourishes in the fifth and sixth minutes as the story's tension mounts. Awesome song! One of my top three songs from the album. (9.5/10)
6. "Dreamcatching" (7:04) an instrumental inspired by Native American traditions that John decided to employ some spoken word clips from the creation story of the dreamcatcher. The music of this one falls a little more into the category of New Age/World Music. Nice contributions from Peter Jones. (12/15)
7. "No Man's Land" (6:13) inspired by "green therapy" and the disharmonizing psycho-spiritual effects that city life can create due to its disconnect from nature, John tried to incorporate a jazzy feel to this song to represent the city perspective. Julie Gater's soothing, healing voice must surely represent that of Mother Earth/Nature. Gorgeous singing, gorgeous lyric, gorgeous song. (9/10)
8. "Seaglass Hearts" (5:09) yet another absolutely gorgeous song with great performances from Emily, Julie, Peter, and, of course, John himself. Though the choice is difficult, this is probably my final top three song from the album. (9/10)
Total Time 54:54
I'm a sucker for anything with a religious tradition behind it--music composed out of sincere devotion and positive inspiration--and John has certainly delivered this in fullness. I also appreciate tremendously the clarity and spaciousness of the sound production. Great job! And I can't say enough about the talents of Joe Payne, Oliver Day, Oliver Wakeman, and Julie Gater!
87.38 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
49. STEVE HAUSCHILDT Dissolvi (2018)
I'm backtracking: I was blown away by Steve's fresh approach to electronic music with his 2019 album Nonlin. I had to give Dissolvi some space before I could respectfully dive into it for its own effects--without the aura of Nonlin tainting my judgments.
My first reaction is that I'm listening to a modernized version of 1980s Windham Hill artist Mark Isham's solo work (before he started touring with David Sylvian and David Torn)--or what Isham might have attempted had he first appeared in the 21st Century. I'm also hearing the influences of Jean-Michel Jarre, Kitaro, and Tangerine Dream as well as the computer pop and glitch experimentalists of the late 1990s and early 2000s. But, in the end, this is really fresh music--really great, engrossing, satisfying listening music.
Favorite songs: the modern computer jazz overdub to a Vangelis tune in 5. "Arold" (5:32) (9.25/10); the clicky, upbeat, 1. "M Path" (4:49) (9/10); the Isham-eque, 4. "Alienself" (7:00) (13.75/15); the dreamy 3. "Saccade" (4:09) (9/10); the beautiful spacey soundscapes over muted trip hop of 7. "Lyngr" (4:32) (8.75/10), and; the title song, which kind of synthesizes all of the above (6:26) (8.5/10).
87.21 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very nice, refreshing synthesis of new and old electronica--one that, I hope, points the way to future possibilities for Prog Electronic artists.
Special Warning to all Prog Lovers: There is dance music here!
My first reaction is that I'm listening to a modernized version of 1980s Windham Hill artist Mark Isham's solo work (before he started touring with David Sylvian and David Torn)--or what Isham might have attempted had he first appeared in the 21st Century. I'm also hearing the influences of Jean-Michel Jarre, Kitaro, and Tangerine Dream as well as the computer pop and glitch experimentalists of the late 1990s and early 2000s. But, in the end, this is really fresh music--really great, engrossing, satisfying listening music.
Favorite songs: the modern computer jazz overdub to a Vangelis tune in 5. "Arold" (5:32) (9.25/10); the clicky, upbeat, 1. "M Path" (4:49) (9/10); the Isham-eque, 4. "Alienself" (7:00) (13.75/15); the dreamy 3. "Saccade" (4:09) (9/10); the beautiful spacey soundscapes over muted trip hop of 7. "Lyngr" (4:32) (8.75/10), and; the title song, which kind of synthesizes all of the above (6:26) (8.5/10).
87.21 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very nice, refreshing synthesis of new and old electronica--one that, I hope, points the way to future possibilities for Prog Electronic artists.
Special Warning to all Prog Lovers: There is dance music here!
50. YUKA & CHRONOSHIP Ship
Very well-recorded and produced heavy Neo Prog with a symphonic flair from Japanese prog keyboard player Yuka Funakoshi and her posse.
Line-up / Musicians:
Yuka Funakoshi - Vocals, Keyboard, Piano
Takashi Miyazawa - Guitar
Shun Taguchi - Bass
Ikko Tanaka - Drums
With:
Sonja Kristina (Curved Air) - Vocals (1, 11)
Hiroyuki Izuda - Vocals
The "ARGO" Suite:
- 1. "Tears Of Figurehead" (1:55) Sonja Kristina sounds old. (4/5)
- 2. "Ship Argos" (6:30) tightly performed Neo Prog with a crisp, heavy edge. The electric guitars are well played if stereotypic for the modern Heavy/Metal prog sound. Yuka's keys and wordless vocals are the highlight of this song for me. (8/10)
- 3. "Landing" (5:49) standard heavy Neo Prog with some really great keyboard and rhythm guitar work and some really loud, in your ear kick drum work. Quite a little common ground with Lalo Huber's NEXUS band. (8.5/10)
- 4. "Golden Fleece" (5:04) nice set up--reminiscent of URIAH HEEP or even PROCUL HARUM and FOCUS only heavier. Nice organ and lead guitar work. (8.75/10)
- 5. "A Dragon That Never Sleeps" (7:09) opens with chunky bass, soon joined by fast pacing drums (in straight time). Nice bass playing and lead guitar work. Best diversity and instrumental displays of the suite. (13.5/15)
- 6. "Islands In The Stream" (3:54) opening with nice acoustic guitar play, bass, drums and vocalise soon join in. Great feel, great mix, great melodies. (9.5/10)
- 7. "Return" (2:04) has all of the bombast of a rock opera intro/outro. Nice endpoint. (5/5)
8. "Air Ship Of Jean Giraud" (6:17) a mild tempoed song that tells a story instrumentally, even broken up into "chapters" with shifting themes and dynamics. Quite nice. A show piece for guitarist Takashi Miyazawa fine work. (9/10)
9. "Visible Light" (8:02) Lyrics! Yuka singing! In Japanese! It's good! The "Mellotron" is a bit dated within this mix but it's a good song! Very nice work from drummer Ikko Tanaka and the rhythm guitarist. (13.125/15)
10. "Old Ship On The Grass" (5:01) acoustic guitars (ukelele?) and a bit of a down-home rhythm section over which Yuka's organ plays an almost-polka sound. Kind of hokey but Yuka's piano and scatting in the second half make up for it. (8.25/10)
11. "Did You Find A Star" (9:06) opens with piano and "flute" in a slow, somber pastoral set up. Vocalist Hiroyuki Izuda opens up the singing showing quite some talent and aplomb. Flute gets the next verse before Hiroyuki joins in again. They lose a little momentum during the chorus as Hiroyuki has to resort to "na-na-nas" to complete the space in the melody. A long, soft interlude breaks the song up halfway through before picking up and continuing Sonja Kristina is supposed to be present somewhere here but I can't hear her. (17.5/20)
The Argo suite has the feel of seven songs sequenced together instead of one prog epic. The instrumental work is excellent--especially the keyboards and guitars--but the composition and engineering are a little too much like Arjen Lucassen's prog-by-the-numbers. Also, I can't decide if this is Heavy Prog, Neo Prog, or Symphonic Prog. I think the music suffers from always being played in such straightforward rock time signatures.
87.19 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.
51. COSMIC GROUND IV
The latest Berlin-School-styled space music from Electric Orange's keyboard maestro, Dirk Jan Müller--this time with more "short" songs and only one long epic.
1. "Possessed" (7:38) like a soundtrack to a creepy movie scene around railroad station, tracks, and sounds. The first of Dirk's interesting sound studies--this one an industrial mélange. The entrance and stay of a horn-like organ in for the final two and a half minutes is a bit incongruous. (12/15)
2. "Stained" (11:30) a slow sequence with octave-spanning bass-line establishes itself from the opening and proceeds to slowly rise and morph over the first four minutes. At 4:30 the sequences shifts into a higher octave while the rhythm and bass line remain constant. In the seventh minute, new sounds and tension dynamics enter making this more interesting. Very Tangerine Dream-like! The more sustained notes of the arpeggiated chords in the thick of the ninth minute are very cool, but then everything quiets down as Dirk begins the process of unravelling his Berlin School weave. (17.5/20)
3. "Obscured" (7:25) pure TANGERINE DREAM! Even sounds like part of its tracks come from a 1970s TD classic (while the rolling bass line sounds like bass and rhythm guitar tracks on PINK FLOYD's "Run Like Hell" from The Wall). (13.5/15)
4. "Greasy" (12:29) opens with spacey strings synth and deep bass note to match--almost church organ-like--changing chords every 20 seconds or so. In the fourth minute the "space organ" disappears and a cool percussive computer synth sequence establishes itself--seeming to continually "rise" for over a minute before slowly reversing, seeming to "decompose." By the end of the eighth minute we are left with just the quiet bones of the sequence. (21.25/25)
5. "Progeny" (20:21) nicely echoed and flanged groovin' sequence over and under which synth and organ washes rise and fall. Very smooth, calming, and hypnotic. (36/40)
6. "Plains" (9:02) opens with on long-held full board synth chord that slowly builds as internal components seem to rise and fall. (Or do they?) This single chord is sustained for over three minutes while very subtle elements get slight rises or falls (e.g., a single pounding piano chord in the background). When singular elements "disappear" it is amazing to suddenly hear a component that you had not picked up before. This is like an aural test! Name those sounds, instruments, and chords contribution to this melange. Fascinating! I find myself liking this super simple song/étude more and more the longer it plays. (19/20)
7. "Deep End" (9:57) distorted and mishapen echoes of percussive sounds. Again, a fascinating study in sound manipulations. (16.5/20)
Let's face it, folks: Herr Müller is a master at this stuff. If you're looking for a collection of masterful, pleasing Berlin School songs with excellent sound mastering, you need look no further than this album.
87.14 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very nice addition to prog world--especially interesting for fans of Berlin School music and especially the experimentations of Tangerine Dream.
52. OUR SOLAR SYSTEM Origins
Pyschedelia bordering on Kosmische Musik from this young, rather large Swedish ensemble . . . (or is it Kosmische Musik bordering on Psychedelia?) Like a cross between BRAINTICKET and AMON DÜÜL or MIDDAY VEIL and ELECTRIC ORANGE.
Line-up / Musicians:
Anders Naess - acoustic guitar
Anna Juhlin - percussion
Anna Myrsten - piano
David Svedmyr - bass
Hampus Lindblad - synthesizer, percussion
Johan Svedmyr - drums
Mattias Gustavsson (Dungen) - bass
Joel Öhlund - oud
Mikael Lennholm - electric guitar
Martin Fogelström - electric guitar
Karin Engquist - organ
Säde Huhta - clarinet
Maria Arnqvist - saxophone
Lisa Isaksson - flute
Johanna Hessel Siims - violin
Josefina Pukitis - percussion
Simon Svedmyr - percussion
Linnea Svedmyr - percussion
the bird (4)
1. "Vulkanen" (20:57) opens with lots of layers of deep, apocalyptic thrums and hums before drums and bass anchor it into a song-like flow. Tons of sonic experimentals thrown in while chain saw guitar and horn synth keep it moving forward. Brief slowdown, sounddown in the fifth minute is followed by a renewed commitment to the established groove with more experimental sounds thrown in over the drums, bass, keys, and guitars. This reminds me of music like Kosmische revivalists ELECTRIC ORANGE/COSMIC GROUND/Dirk Jan Müller. In the eighth minute there is another downstripping leaving only saws and howling wolves. This relative quietude continues for several BRIAN-ENO-esque Ambient Music minutes while piano and guitar, synths and percussives, bass and voices make small contributions to a rather minimalistic rhythm and soundscape. In the twelfth minute organ and synth begin making more prominent contributions. This is then followed by flutes, female voices, and slowly picked guitars taking over as the predominant instruments. By the time the fourteenth minute has passed, this is all of the sound being created. Eventually, ever-so delicately, organ, tuned percussion, synth, bass, begin to make themselves known. A very GENESIS-like flute melody begins at the 15-minute mark--just before a chaotic "explosion" of cacophonous sound breaks out. Bass, drums and a few other support instruments begin laying down another hypnotic Kosmische weave as the cacophonous contributions of myriad others continues to fill the post-Big Bang soundscape. Heavily distorted voice begins narrating a volcanic picture of what's going on. I've got to admit: This is a pretty cool song--one that took me on a pretty engaging and entertaining journey. (45/50)
2. "Babalon Rising" (5:55) plays out like a BRAINTICKET or MIDDAY VEIL song--especially due to the two vocal styles used by the female vocalist(s). Nice treated piano and sax play in the second half. (8.75/10)
3. "En Bit Av Det Tredje Klotet" (3:42) with its synths and driving rhythm groove, this one sounds very much like a song by L.A. psych band PERPLEXA. Mostly a setup for synth experimentation over Kosmische groove. (8.5/10)
4. "Naturligt Samspel" (2:56) hypnotic, sedating acoustic percussives with bird tweets. (4/5)
5. "Monte Verita" (8:21) a Kosmische jam that builds very slowly over a single bass riff and some percussives and rapidly oscillating organ chords. Heavily effected track of vocal choir enters at the four minute mark followed by horns. Single voices gradually begin to be added to the weave with their own individualistic contributions as rolling bass, guitars, and more subtle instruments are also added. The vocals become extra-trippy for the final minute. (16.5/20)
Total Time 41:51
87.10 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Kosmische-oriented progressive rock music.
53. MONNAIE DE SINGE The Last Chance
What I love most about this album is the simple music used to help deliver the POWERFUL messages of the songs' lyrics. They're singing about something real! They're singing about Collapse, the self-destructive, suicidal practices of the soon-to-be-extinct human race.
Though the music is more straightforward heavy rock, not very proggy, the musicians are all competent and never flashy to the detriment of singer Anne Gaëlle Rumin's performances. The rhythm section is especially strong, giving Anne perfect support and impetus throughout. Anne has a strong voice with very good pronunciation of the English lyrics she sings, but it is the conviction with which she sings that make her performances so powerful.
Line-up / Musicians:
Anne Gaëlle Rumin - vocals
Philippe Glayat - vocals
Serge Combettes - bass
Philippe Chavaroche - keyboards
Eric Farges - drums
Christophe Laporte - guitar
Jean-Philippe Moncanis - guitar
01. "I AM" (6:36) a solid rock song to support the delivery of a powerful and unique message. (9/10)
02. "Seven billions dreams" (5:24) heavy prog with a heavy feel to it as Anne delivers a very provocative message in an almost-Madonna-like voice! Great melodies. Very powerful. (8.5/10)
03. "Emergency" (7:17) solid heavy song with multiple background vocal tracks, catchy melody, nice electric guitar work in the solo C section, and a fairly constant build of tension to crescendo. My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)
04. "Earth" (6:14) another perfectly supported musical composition for a very heavy, depressing message. A top three song. (9/10)
05. "The Last Chance" (6:46 ) opens with a little more help from computer techno sounds and effects. Anne comes in singing in a lower register--almost SIOUXSIE and the Banshees. The song kicks in for the chorus with its great melody and drumming. Ominous computer voice and angular electric guitar noises bridge to the second verse--this time with the band performing at high octane. Great guitar chord progressions for the chorus section, great vocal. Reminds me of Brittany's CHILDREN IN PARADISE. Another top three song for me. (9/10)
06. "Not under 50" (5:38) a kind of men's anthem for this album's theme, with Philippe Glayat doing the lead vocals. The music has a simplified "demo" sound and feel to it with stripped down sound palette and one singular distorted guitar strumming away. The lyric is quite powerful, asking whether or not it's appropriate to keep planning a future when things look so bleak for the planet. (8/10)
07. "December 3003" (2:42) another song quite reminiscent of 1980s SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES or THE THE with Anne Gaëlle back in the vocal delivery seat. Astronaut space chatter fills the background throughout this brief one. (8/10)
08. "Magic tree" (4:47) starts out as a continuation or variation of the previous song. Anne's spoken singing is backed by electric guitar and electric piano arpeggi until the third minute when a nice full-band groove takes over driving the music very strongly forward. Simple, corny chorus using only the title. I really like the dynamic shifts and underlying feel to this song but am disappointed in the sound and chorus. (8.25/10)
09. "Lucky Star" (5:36) computer clicks and slow piano arpeggi open this before an awesome single electric guitar chord injects a base for Anne's voice to enter. The song develops a little too simplistically, with very basic rock guitar sounds, power chords, and sequencing. The more spacious, delicate third minute is awesome but then we jump back into the power chords for the chorus support. The effected vocal section of the fifth minute is awesome, Anne's desperation sounding authentic. A bare-bones run through the chorus makes the following amped up run more tolerable. (8.5/10)
10. "Happy Birthday" (5:57) a tongue-in-cheek sarcastic message as the finale to this provocative album is quite appropriate. The song starts out fairly perfectly and then loses a lot of its initial charge once the Mellotron and final flow are established. Still, this is my favorite song on the album. (9.25/10)
87.0 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection--and one with a very cogent and important message for our species.
NEEDLEPOINT The Diary of Robert Reverie
Folkish crossover prog from Norway with many similarities to 1960s THE BEATLES with some distinctive Canterbury sounds and stylings.
1. Robert Reverie (4:13)
2. On The Floor (4:50)
3. All Kinds Of Clouds (4:54)
4. Will It Turn Silent (3:01)
5. In My Field Of View (3:13)
6. Grasshoppers (3:37)
7. Beneath My Feet (3:20)
8. In The Sea (3:48)
9. Shadow In The Corner (3:11)
Total Time 34:07
Line-up / Musicians:
Bjørn Klakegg : vocals, guitars
David Wallumrød : keyboards
Nikolai Hængsle Eilertsen (Elephant9): bass
Olaf Olsen : drums
JULIA HOLTER Aviary
Despite it's incredible craftsmanship and creativity, the adventurous 2018 double CD release from Californian experimental Indie artiste Julia Holter will not be for everyone. These are not pop hits (though many of them are radio friendly--nay, should be required playing on the radio) but they are so educational in terms of the creative potential of the human spirit. Part JONI MITCHELL, part JANE SIBERRY, part PHILLIP GLASS, part POLYPHONIC SPREE, part JOHN LENNON
- Line-up / Musicians:
Julia Holter -- co-producer, music, writer, vocals, guitar, cello, piano,organ, analog synthesizer, drum machine, harmonium,Moog, keyboards, vocoder, field recordings, background vocals, samples
with:
Corey Fogel - drums, chimes, timpani
Devin Hoff - double bass
Dina Maccabee - viola, violin, background vocals
Andrew Tholl - violin
Sarah Belle Reid - trumpet
Tashi Wada - bagpipes, analog synthesizer
1. "Turn the Light On" (4:16) we jump straight into a harp and full orchestra banging and clanging and crescendoing away in what seems to be mid-decay of the end of an symphony or musical (/10)
2. "Whether" (2:58) (/10)
3. "Chaitius" (8:10) (/20)
4. "Voice simuli" (6:34) (/10)
5. "Everyday Is an Emergency" (7:45) (/20)
6. "Another Dream" (6:07) (/10)
7. "I Shall Love 2" (5:18) (/10)
8. "Underneath the Moon" (6:49) (/15)
9. "Colligere" (6:11) (/10)
10. "In Gardens' Muteness" (6:36) (/15)
11. "I Would Rather See" (4:51) (/10)
12. "Les Jeux to You" (6:18) (/10)
13. "Words I Heard" (6:39) an extraordinary modern chamber orchestra piece of music within which are set some extraordinary vocal performances--both of which belong to Julia. The opening piano based piece is sung in a way that seems to intentionally challenge the listener to catch the sounds in their syllabilic fragments and then put the puzzle pieces together all the while an orchestra of multiple Larks Ascending strings put Ralph Vaughn Williams masterpiece to the test. (15/15)
14. "I Shall Love 1" (5:09) (/10)
15. "Why Sad Song" (6:07) (/10)
Total length: 89:48
Special Mention:
RACHEL FLOWERS Going Somewhere
1. Going Somewhere (5:20) one of the thre proggy songs (9.5/10)
2. Can't Stand Still (4:57) (9/10)
3. Time for the Prize (6:32) the most proggy song on the album (9.25/10)
4. Sailing (4:15)
5. Time (4:26)
6. You Know I Love You (5:03)
7. In the Middle of the Night (4:33)
8. Night and Day (4:07)
9. Free (5:17)
10. Here to Stay (5:57)
11. Will You Remember Me (9:19)
12. At Night (6:04)
13. Better (5:53)
Total Time 71:43
A brilliantly composed and performed album of songs all created in tribute to some of Rachel's favorite artists, including: Kirk Franklin, Talking Heads, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, and Prince.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Rachel Flowers / all instruments & vocals (except below)
With:
- Brian Hutchison / guitar solo (7)
- Rachel Flowers / all instruments & vocals (except below)
With:
- Brian Hutchison / guitar solo (7)
1. Going Somewhere (5:20) one of the thre proggy songs (9.5/10)
2. Can't Stand Still (4:57) (9/10)
3. Time for the Prize (6:32) the most proggy song on the album (9.25/10)
4. Sailing (4:15)
5. Time (4:26)
6. You Know I Love You (5:03)
7. In the Middle of the Night (4:33)
8. Night and Day (4:07)
9. Free (5:17)
10. Here to Stay (5:57)
11. Will You Remember Me (9:19)
12. At Night (6:04)
13. Better (5:53)
Total Time 71:43
STOP MOTION ORCHESTRA Lightworks
Brilliant instrumental chamber prog from Austin, Texas, some very melodic and beautiful, some very abrasive and technically sophisticated. Composer/leader Mohadev is an absolutely brilliant guitarist!
Line-up / Musicians:
Alden Doyle - Violin
Leila Henley - Saxophones, Vocals
Sam Arnold - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Banjitar
Charlie Duncan - Drums, Percussion
Henna Chou - Cello, Keyboards
Mohadev - Guitars, Synths, Piano
Phil Davidson - Bass Synth (2)
1. "Serafini's Cat" (6:10) angular and irregularly rhythmed in an avant/RIO way. Like Spirogyra with an attitude. Nice weave in the third minute followed by some delightfully melodic whole-group chord ascensions--which is then followed by the descent. Charming and simpler interplay for the following minute. These guys can really play! They're really working hard to be together--and it's working masterfully! I am truly impressed. Great stuff! (9.5/10)
2. "Way To Sarov" (8:45) opens with a similar sound palette and style, rhythm and even melody to the previous song, but then things get a little heavy/abrasive and then alternating with banjo (banjitar?) sections. Impressive instrumentalism, timing, and cohesion, but there are lacking melodic hooks and other accessible elements. The wordless vocalizations added in the fourth minute are one such attempt. It almost works. (8.5/10)
3. "Nerve Hurdle" (4:56) Wow! this guy can play guitar! And the drummer can lay down some interesting, amazing beats. All instruments seem to be playing the subsidiary support role to the drum and bass--in order to set up the foundation for the seething guitar in the second minute and the seering guitar for the rest of the song. (10/10)
4. "Metal Pants" (2:28) violin and sax playing off the bass and drums--as if they are playing in each others' spaces--for the first minute. Then the band gels and fills the spaces together--guitar and bass stepping in to help this. Could use more melody (more than Middle Eastern/klezmer twang). (8.5/10)
5. "Oceano De Leche" (7:00) gorgeous neo-classical chamber post rock for seven minutes (not "11:26" as posted), except for brief passages, the instruments are all gelling and melding for the smoothest, most melodic run of the album. Nice piece--especially the smooth second half. (9.5/10)
Thus, this album is not 33 minutes long, as posted, but 29 1/2 an EP's worth of songs. Too bad: This is definitely one of the best albums I've heard this year!
Total Time 33:45
92.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music downgraded for unacceptable brevity.
ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique menu no. 4
Frenchman Arnaud Bukwald is back with this year's (first) installment of La marmite cosmique and, as usual, it's a rollercoaster ride through nostalgic prog styles. With only two songs over three minutes long, it serves as a bit of a challenge to get a grip on what the master of imitation is trying to accomplish, but the one 14-minute epic makes it all worthwhile--and is sure to end up on my year-end list of favorite prog epics.
1. "brats" (2:11) stage piano and female voice make this one sound like a setup for a vaudeville song, but Arnaud's Frank Zappa-like voice and the quirky anti-pop song that develops says otherwise. A lyric Frank would be proud of. (4.5/5)
2. "gravelax de spleen" (14:16) another one of Arnaud's masterpieces that crossover several subgenres of prog rock. With the atmospheric, spacey opening section (0:00-2:30) I thought I was in for some Kosmische Musik, but the it goes full Jazz Fusion (both Canterburian and a little avant garde) (2:30-5:06) before seguing into a gorgeous, slow, emotional, SOFT MACHINE section (5:07- 7:11) (with some lovely flute playing) before returning to the faster, upbeat Canterbury music of Section II (8:01- 9:50), cycling back to the slow, emotional themes and styles of Section III (9:52- 11:57) (I love the Hammond, brush play on the drum kit, and the upright bass!) and then ending in a kind of Stefano Musso/ALIO DIE tuned percussion display for the final section (12:00-14:16). Awesome and beautiful song! One of my favorites of the year (so far)! (30/30)
3. "bromridrosis" (2:28) stylistically and lyrically this sounds like a FRANK ZAPPA song though there are elements that remind me of MAJOR PARKINSON, too. The vocal contributions of female singer Geneviève Palley are quite welcome. Definitely the funky side of Frank Z.... (4.5/5)
4. "polymorphous roach" (2:44) a "horn"-supported jazz set up for ancient keyboard exposition (Hammond, Fender Rhodes, and synths). (4.5/5)
5. "mont de venus" (1:53) opening with a bit of a circus/carnival music sound, the title suggests Anaïs Nin while the music weaves more into a PHILLIP GLASS spiral--though the odd second fade out of xylophone soloing catches one off guard. (4/5)
6. "rumpology" (6:42) The study of rumps. Cute. Though this song opens up much like the B horror movie "soundtrack" music of bands like ATOMC APE, the music turns, in the second minute, into an experimental Berlin School type that I never really particularly enjoyed (Todd Rundgren played in this way a lot, as well): fragments of noise and sound experiments strung together in a seemingly random way. Perhaps this music represents more the study of toilet flushing. (7.5/10)
87.5 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a wonderful collection of very well produced songs that any prog lover would love to hear for its great sound, compositional genius, and nostalgic effect.
Still, 30 minutes of music is a bit short to be considered for album of the year.
JANELLE MONÁE Dirty Computer
| 1 | Dirty ComputerFeaturing – Brian Wilson | 2:00 |
| 2 | Crazy, Classic, Life | 4:47 |
| 3 | Take A Byte | 4:08 |
| 4 | Jane's Dream | 0:19 |
| 5 | ScrewedFeaturing – Zoë Kravitz | 5:03 |
| 6 | Django Jane | 3:11 |
| 7 | PynkFeaturing – Grimes (4) | 4:01 |
| 8 | Make Me Feel | 3:15 |
| 9 | I Got The JuiceFeaturing – Pharrell Williams | 3:47 |
| 10 | I Like That | 3:21 |
| 11 | Don't Judge Me | 6:01 |
| 12 | Stevie's Dream | 0:47 |
| 13 | So Afraid | 4:04 |
| 14 | Americans The Rankings for 2018 1. UNAKA PRONG Salinity Now! 2. MONOBODY Raytracing 3. ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF Dead Magic 4. ALL TRAPS ON EARTH A Drop of Light 5. TOBY DRIVER They Are the Shield 6. SEVEN REIZH L'albatros 7. IVAR BJØRNSON & EINAR SELVIK Hugsjá 8. GLEB KOLYADIN Gleb Kolyadin 9. SEQUENTIA LEGENDA Renaissance10. RICHARD WILEMAN Veil 11. BUBU El eco del sol 12. MIDAS FALL Evaporate 13. REGAL WORM Pig Views 14. VAK Budo 15. KEOR Petrichor 16. HYPNO5E A Backward Glance on a Travel Road: Alba - Les Ombres Errantes 17. GALAHAD Seas of Change 18. DEWA BUDJANA Mahandini 19. STARVING DAUGHTERS Strange Valleys 20. DEAD CAN DANCE Dionysus 21. STEVE ROACH Molecules of Motion 22. JOSÉ MARIA BLANC La herencia de Pablo 23. SONAR (with David Torn) Vortex 24. KOENJIHYAKKEI Dorhimviskha 25. HOMUNCULUS RES Della stessa sostanza dei sogni 26. NOSOUND Allow Yourself 27. METHEXIS Topos 28. ELLESMERE II - From Sea and Beyond 29. NOT A GOOD SIGN Icebound 30. EMPEROR NORTON Emperor Norton 31. MIDLIFE Phase 32. DAAL Decalogue of Darkness 33. THE FLOOD Chamber Music 34. LA DOTTRINA DEGLI OPPOSTI Arrivaderci sogni 35. ÁNGEL ONTALVA & VESPERO Carta Marina 36. MOTHER TURTLE Zea Mice 37. FEM Mutazione 38. LOW Double Negative 39. PiNioL Bran Coucou 40. ALTOPALO Frozen There Honorable Mentions: GALASPHERE 347 Galasphere 347 CELL 15 River Utopia ATMOSPHERES Reach CANTURBE Flotteur JOHN HOLDEN Capture Light MONNAIE DE SINGE The Last Chance MANNA/MIRAGE Rest of the World Special Mention: STOP MOTION ORCHESTRA Lightworks ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique, menu no. 4 JULIA HOLTER Aviary CATU KUÁ Que Vengan los Párajos | 4:07 |
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