My Favorite Albums of 2023
(In some semblance of order)
***Author's note: Below you will find two different rankings for this year's albums.
The first list consists of a Top Fiftty albums with a following list of "Honorable Mentions." These are my favorite albums of the year, that is, the albums to which I have formed the greatest emotional attachments.
The second list consists of The Reviews. These are ordered according to my more 'objective', yet still personal, judgment as to their quality, that is, the "best" albums of the year. Here I have ordered the albums reviewed according to a metric determination--my own numerical rating system--which I call the "Fishscales". These help me determine what the "best" albums of the year are from a more critical, qualitative, and quantitative viewpoint, that is, without as much emotional attachment as "My Favorite" albums.
I have been able to listen to over 155 new releases from 2023 from which I have posted reviews of 113 (so far).
According to my calculations, we are fortunate to have 2023 presenting Prog World with four (4) "masterpieces," 30 "minor" masterpieces, and 36 other excellent "near-masterpieces"! I do feel that 2023 has been a great year for progressive rock music--perhaps even the best of the 21st Century; as I look over my list of Top 50 I see that I consider all 50 albums to be essential to my music collection--a number I definitely cannot report for any of the 23 previous years of this century.
***Author's note: Below you will find two different rankings for this year's albums.
The first list consists of a Top Fiftty albums with a following list of "Honorable Mentions." These are my favorite albums of the year, that is, the albums to which I have formed the greatest emotional attachments.
The second list consists of The Reviews. These are ordered according to my more 'objective', yet still personal, judgment as to their quality, that is, the "best" albums of the year. Here I have ordered the albums reviewed according to a metric determination--my own numerical rating system--which I call the "Fishscales". These help me determine what the "best" albums of the year are from a more critical, qualitative, and quantitative viewpoint, that is, without as much emotional attachment as "My Favorite" albums.
I have been able to listen to over 155 new releases from 2023 from which I have posted reviews of 113 (so far).
According to my calculations, we are fortunate to have 2023 presenting Prog World with four (4) "masterpieces," 30 "minor" masterpieces, and 36 other excellent "near-masterpieces"! I do feel that 2023 has been a great year for progressive rock music--perhaps even the best of the 21st Century; as I look over my list of Top 50 I see that I consider all 50 albums to be essential to my music collection--a number I definitely cannot report for any of the 23 previous years of this century.
The Rankings
(My "Favorites")
(My "Favorites")
1. OIAPOK OisoLün
2. AISLES Beyond Drama
3. EARTHSIDE Let the Truth Speak
4. BILLIE BOTTLE'S TEMPLE OF SHIBBOLETH Billie Bottle's Temple of Shibboleth
5. HOMUNCULUS RES Ecco l'impero dei doppi sensi
6. MOTORPSYCHO Yay!
7. VESPERO De ludo globi
8. JACK O' THE CLOCK The Warm, Dark Circus
9. THE MERCURY TREE Self Similar
10. KARMAMOI Strings from the Edge of Sound
11. MICE ON STILTS I Am Proud of You.
12. OK GOODNIGHT The Fox and the Bird
13. BATTLESTATIONS Memoirs of Once
14. AMOEBA SPLIT Quiet Euphoria
15. LAZULI 11
16. STEFANO PANUNZI Pages from the Sea
17. ZOPP Dominion
18. AGUSA Prima Material
19. CARAVELA EXCARLATE III
20. DOMINIC SANDERSON Impermanence
21. NE OBLIVISCARUS Exul
22. DEPOSED KING One Man's Grief
23. HANIA RANI Ghosts
24. KARNATAKA Requiem for a Dream
25. EYELESS OWL Murmurations
26. AVKRVST The Approbation
27. ATSUKO CHIBA Water, It Feels Like It's Growing
28. THE FILIBUSTER SALOON Going Off Topic
29. RASCAL REPORTERS The Strainge Case of Steve
30. ADVENT HORIZON A Cell to Call Home
31. FISH ON FRIDAY 8mm
32. SEVEN IMPALE Summit
33. AVIATIONS Luminaria
34. OZRIC TENTACLES Lotus Unfolding
35. ISOBAR III
36. ACTIONFREDAG Turist i eget liv
37. AGLAIA Existentialism
38. CAIRO Nemesis
39. ULTRAPHAUNA No No No No
40. SEQUENTIA LEGENDA Alcyone
41. SONAR (with David Torn and J. Peter Schwalm) Three Movements
42. CROWN LANDS Fearless
43. MANNA/MIRAGE Autobiographie
44. SWANS The Beggar
45. AETHER Aether
46. SQUID O Monolith
47. SUNCHILD Exotic Creatures and a Stolen Dream
48. LARS FREDRIK FRØISLIE Fire Foretellinger
49. SINGLE CELLED ORGANISM Event Horizon
50. MYSTERY Redemption
Honorable Mentions:
ISPROJECT The Archinauts
ENSLAVED Heimdal
UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope
THE GREAT WIDE NOTHING Hymns for Hungry Spirits, Vol. II
KATATONIA Sky Void of Stars
BARONESS Stone
ARNAUD BUKWALD La marmite cosmique 7 - Uncle Bizarre
THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN The Songs & Tales of Airoea, Book I: The Tale of Father Robin (State of Nature)
NINE SKIES The Lightmaker
MONIKA ROSCHER BIGBAND Witchy Activities and the Maple Death
COSMIC GROUND Entropy
JEF BEK Distant Starlight
Special Mentions:
ÓLAFUR ARNALDS Live from Hafursey, A Cercle Production
HOLY WAVE Five of Cups
PAT METHENY Dream Box
FRENCH TV A Ghastly State of Affairs
IO EARTH Sanctuary
BOYGENIUS The Record + The Rest (EP)
The Reviews:
The Masterpieces
(Ratings of 100 to 93.34)
*****Album of the Year for 2023!*****
1. VESPERO De ludo globi
The Russian Kosmische Musik jammers are back with their 14th studio album release since their debut in 2006.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ivan Fedotov / drums, percussion
- Arkady Fedotov / bass, synth, noises, sampler
- Alexander Kuzovlev / guitars
- Alexey Klabukov / keys, synths, sampler, trumpet, winds arrangement
- Vitaly Borodin / violin, kalimba, sampler
With:
- Alexey Esin / tenor sax, soprano sax, flute
1. "De ludo globi - Pars una" (20:05) cool opening with. a weave of kalimba, glockenspiel, trumpet, breathing saxophone, and electric guitar single notes, all processed to give it a swirling, dreamy feeling. More percussion instruments, violin, flute, bass, and, ultimately, lead Ernie Isley/Ray Gomez-like electric guitar join in during the second minute before some of the other instruments step out. Alexander "Ernie" Kuzovlev leads the way for a bit before an array of spacey synths, rolling guitar chords, tom-toms, and bass form a nice rondo-like weave for a minute or so until the tuned percussives and violin take on the responsibility of holding the entire song fabric together, Then, at 4:30, starting with Ivan Fedotov's snare play and taking off with brother Arkady's Caribbean bass line, the band moves into a very OZRIC TENTACLES-like jungle-space jam. At 4:45 the band steps up and morphs the music into a very with Alexander Kuzovlev's electric guitar taking the first extended solo. I'm not sure how to explain this, but this section is so 1970s jazz-rock fusion and yet at the same time, somehow, symphonic, cinematic, beautiful, and more "classic" jazz. I am entranced.
A bridge at 6:25 moves us into a completely different rhythmic structure for the foundation while Alexander's electric guitar turns more aggressive John McLauglin- or LARRY CORYELL-like while violin, trumpet, and synths retain the OZRICS/GONG-like spacey sound palette. The next extended section reminds me of some of my favorite "smooth" melodic jazz-rock fusion from the 1970s--JEAN-LUC PONTY and LARRY CORYELL. (I love the fully-drenched Mellotron low end!).
From the mid-tenth minute, over the next seven or eight minutes, a beautiful violin- and guitar-led symphonic "Mellow Mahavishnu" motif is extended and explored: the melodies here are so beautiful--so very very similar to CARAVAN's timeless mid-section ("Pengola/Backwards") from their 1973 song, "L'auberge du Sanglier/A hunting we shall go/Pengola/Backwards/A hunting we shall go (reprise)" from Girls Who Go Plump in the Night--the inspiration from which I welcome into any modern prog artist's repertoire of "things to explore." I just love how the drummer, horns, and bass hold sacred the space for Alexander and especially, violinist Vitaly Borodin, while Alex and Vita tug at the listeners' heart-strings with their wonderfully melodic soaring and soloing.
At 15:35 the band stops and allows the single-note sounds of multiple instrumental dronings to fill the gap before the next motif starts up--but, no! There is no "next motif"! This is it: a long, prolonged weave of sustained-but-shifting single note drones, forming different chords with each instrument's note change, all the way to the song's end! Well, that was unexpected! (I love it when a band can do that to me! Even with my fifth and sixth listens I find myself unable to "see the plan" or "expect the unexpected" as I approach that sixteenth minute!) I can not see (or hear) a flaw within this song. It's just so magical and unexpected! I think I'm listening to my favorite prog epic from 2023! (39/40)
2. "De ludo globi - Pars duo" (20:23) opens as if its own entity, building slowly like an old jazz (or new FROGG CAFÉ) fusion suite. The horns are very prominent from the opening--trumpet, sax, and electric guitar all eventually teaming up to carry the melody line forward as the rhythm section beneath morphs and shapeshifts. In the third minute the rhythm section's groove is set and its time for some solo play above: flute, saxes, electric guitar, synths, violin--everybody seems to get a turn. The background horn play in the fifth minute is great as the percussive synths carry forward the tune's center. At 5:19 Alexander's guitar steps into the front to issue some impressive pyrotechnics. As the support crew maintains its flow of slow chord progression I find myself reminded of both Antoinio Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Ketil Vestrum's last two WESERBERGLAND "symphonies": 2020'S Am Ende Der Weltand 2022's Sacrae Symphoniae no. 1, but then the tempo changes in the eighth minute, Alexander's guitar play stops--as does the accompanying flute and horn play--as a slow "unwinding" of space synths occurs over the next minute. Midway through the ninth minute a new, slower pace from the rhythm section is rejoined so that saxes and synths can solo a bit, until 9:40 when the drums and bass doubletime (with some very interesting snare and cymbal play from drummer Ivan Fedotov) while the rest of the band continue to develop a kind of big band sound. At 11:30 there is yet another spacey crash and decay/delay. When the instruments pick themselves up again it is with a very cool violin-led Jean-Luc Ponty-like jazz-folk motif. More solo ED WYNNE-like electric guitar wailing in the fifteenth minute while Ivan continues to get the most out of his batterie--all while the bass player maintains a calm, steady, slowly rhythmic melody beneath all of the cacophony going on over him. In the seventeenth minute it is Arkady Fedotov's slow and steady bass line that powers the music forward as individual horns and synths continue to throw in their melodic riffs like marshmallows and moths to a campfire. (Great sax and synth work here, btw)
At 18:00 suddenly everybody (very sneakily) congeals to issue forward one single whole-band SEVEN IMPALE-like melody while the Fedotov brothers hold everybody together from beneath. (You go, Ivan! I haven't heard this interesting drumming from you in quite a while!) The full band continues to build upon and carry forward the short jazzy melody line with many individual instruments going off script to add their own independent harmonies and melody embellishments as the army progresses insidiously to a very mysterious and sudden 10-second pause--from everybody!--at 19:36. Then, at 19:47, as suddenly and unexpectedly as the pause, arises a quick re-entry to the cacophonous crescendo--as if nothing whatsoever had occurred to interrupt the flow of time (and history). the full band comes back playing another couple of rounds of the same exact theme as before, and then, it's done! Weird! But wonderful! (37.5/40)
Total Time 40:28
It has taken me a while to get to know this wonderful album (longer epics and mesmerics are like that), but I'm so glad to have this one in my music collection. I'd fallen off the Vespero bandwagon after their wonderful 2020 release, The Four Zaos, and, though I really came into this with little or no expectations, it's really nice to hear a band still performing at such a mature and highly creative level. There aren't many modern prog bands whose core membership remains stable and committed, but this is not the case with these now-veteran collaborators of Vespero--and I think it has really showed in the steady development of this band into creators of continuously more creative, sophisticated, and engaging musics. And to see how far the individual instrumentalists have come in both skillfulness but also the ability to work collaboratively within the collective weave and cohesive goal of a "finished" end product. Marvellous!
Though I love the first 15 minutes of the opening epic, I am equally enamored with the final nine minutes of the "Pars duo." Definitely an amazing album--and definitely my favorite performances by each and every one of the amazing band members. Mega kudos to The Brothers Fedotov, Alex "Guitar" Kuzovlev, keysmaster Alexey Klabukov, reed marvel Alexey Esin, and violinist extraordinaire Vitaly "Battle of" Borodin! You have definitely given us a masterpiece for the ages!
95.625 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a true masterpiece of sophisticated and original (though nostalgic) instrumental jazz-rock fusion; an essential addition to any self-proclaimed "prog lover"'s music collection.
2. OIAPOK OisoLün
Pierre Wawrzyniak, bass player of CAMEMBERT and SKE repute, is back with a new band--one in which he is in full leadership as both principle composer and bass player.
1. "OisoLün" (2:21) ethereal female vocal breath-singing in French over a gentle weave of acoustic instruments. This results in an unusual, oh-so-French (I can picture the Gainsbourgs walking on the beach--in black-and-white, of course) and oh-so-beautiful song. (10/10)
2. "Summer 19" (6:46) the few straight-forward measures of 4/4 beats in the opening minute take me by such surprise that I notice them! But then, after two minutes of introductory slow-build, the funked-up bass comes in. It feels quite a bit like it has the melodic sense of James Jamerson despite the un-Jamerson characteristic of being so effected and forward, (it's mixed far in the lower front--as if Pierre is standing at your table with the rest of the band back on the stage). In fact, the bass takes over as the most dominant instrument despite so many other things going on beneath, behind, and around it: the other instruments become more staccato and syncopated--even the delivery of Mélanie Gerber's airy vocals. Some of the other background instruments in the weave (harp, muted trombone, flutes, xylophone) seem to be providing an almost Japanese melodic element with their arpeggiated note deliveries. The rest of the song is highlighted by the brief appearances of banked CHICAGO-like horns (trombones) and lots of dynamic shifts, loud and soft, smooth and truncated. Unfortunately, the ending comes rather suddenly and unexpectedly (every time I listen to it!) The highlight of the song, for me, comes in the infrequent and fleeting instances in which the entire ensemble come together to generate these "big chords" and full band sounds. (13.25/15)
3. "Les grands équipages de lumière" (6:04) hypnotic tuned percussives and sensitive cymbal play support what sound like a male choir singing a church-like Beach Boys-like harmony (singing in French). In the second minute, more confirmational evidence that the electric bass (Pierre Wawrzyniak--the Ghost of Pierre W-Cheese) is fully in the lead with this group comes as the instrumental field widens and fills. The jazzy bass takes the lead in the second minute and never lets go--despite the integration of the choir (singing in the background) and the arrival and continual presence of the wonderful harp and horn section (all trombones?). Wonderful segue into Motown-ness 2:50-3:00 before returning to the choir's theatric homophonic ejaculations--all the while, the bass continues to present his infectious funk lead melody lines. This is the first song that reminds me of the crazy unpredictability that Pierre's CAMEMBERT project presented with their two masterful albums (2011's Schnörgl Attahk and 2017's Negative Toe). I actually really like this ever-morphing choral vocal style--it has something in it that reminds me so much of our Western heritage: from monasteries to church cathedrals to school choirs to Burt Bacharach. (9.5/10)
4. "Le concierge" (7:29) Mélanie at her breathiest singing up front and center in her heavily-accented English while being accompanied only by harp and some tuned percussion. Then, at the end of the first minute, bass notes, rhythmic hits from background trombones and some keys and more tuned percussion fill more of the sonic field. The musical tapestry somehow produces a "What's Going On?" field effect while Mélanie singspers and the harp, vibes, and trombones interject their intermittent epithets and outbursts. In the second half the trombones, vibes, bass, and harp come forward to present a Zappa-ish chord and melody structure using lots of layers of staccato notes played within a regulated syncopy. In the fifth minute the trombone takes the lead, mirroring the bass, while Motown rhythm guitar and vibes offer their support. Mélanie takes up with the horns and bass for the sixth minute, using their melody line to deliver her own vocalized words, but then she is left rather starkly among minimal instruments to carry the song forward in the seventh minute (now singing in French). Militaristic snare drumming and return of horn section arrive at the end to relieve Mélanie and take us out. The melodies of this song alone are enough to keep me under its spell but the vocal treatment and arrangement for Mélanie and company elevate it to even greater heights. Simply wonderful! (15/15)
5. "Frogs Might Disappear" (8:42) a journey of collectively gorgeous melodies and chord structures--a journey of such utter and sheer delight that I find my mood elevated every time I listen to this. There are just so many amazing, individualistic lines and sounds being woven into the fabric of this loose crochet--but it still works to embrace, envelope, and comfort us like an afghan shawl on a cool summer night. And, there are so many amazing motifs presented, interspersed, recapitulated, and rewoven into and out of the rainbow weave. I am simply astounded, mesmerized, befuddled, and over-joyed at the number of twists and turns this nine minute journey takes me on. It's like driving in the narrow, twisting and turning streets and alleys of an ancient mediæval city: every few measures (seconds or meters) a totally new and surprising view, smell, soundscape, and or temperature might be encountered, enriching yet confusing and often overwhelming until one has to simply let go and enjoy the ride in a fit of unbridled laughter and screaming! Definitely one of the most amazing, joyful emotional experiences I've had in a long time! Amazing what music can do! Amazing what the future of music and art can hold! (19.75/20)
6. "So Empty It Looks Real" (7:16) acoustic guitars and soloing bass are soon joined by trombone and whistle to present a Celtic-like melody and soundscape. Again, such an unusual spectrum of instruments for "this" "type" of music. I know Pierre has a method behind his vision and boy! do I want to hear it. Harp, acoustic guitars, Irish flutes, breathy female vocalist, trombones, funky electric bass, and lots of tuned percussion all make for something quite new and unique and yet so perfect, so fulfilling, so "full-spectrum" and holistic! The most disparate song on the album but it's still gorgeous.
Unfortunately this song seems to be about the ruination of our planet and our own living spaces--an uncharacteristically cynical and condemning lyric to close out this album of otherwise overwhelmingly positive and uplifting music. (13.25/15)
I can see why Pierre and the band decided to describe this music as "futuristic" as it definitely has very little in common with the musics that have come before--except that I have to admit that it feels linked to French Beat poetry scene of the 1960s and the soulful jazz of 1960s and 1970s American R&B.
One Bandcamp commenter posted their personal comparisons of OisoLün's music to: "Yes, Jaga Jazzist, Sigur Ros, Stereolab, King Gizzard." To this list of esteemed referents, I would add Ryuichi Sakamoto, Inner Ear Brigade and Frogg Café, and Motown's James Jamerson. Would that I knew more about French musical traditions because I feel that there is much to be owed to the French pop and lounge scenes of the 1960s.
Once again the sound engineering and reproduction is totally deserving of all superlatives (thanks to the supreme talents of both Paolo Botta and Udi Koomran). Such a joy to listen to!
95.0 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; 2023's first masterpiece--and a wonderful look into a future that I very much want to be a part of.
I can see why Pierre and the band decided to describe this music as "futuristic" as it definitely has very little in common with the musics that have come before--except that I have to admit that it feels linked to French Beat poetry scene of the 1960s and the soulful jazz of 1960s and 1970s American R&B.
One Bandcamp commenter posted their personal comparisons of OisoLün's music to: "Yes, Jaga Jazzist, Sigur Ros, Stereolab, King Gizzard." To this list of esteemed referents, I would add Ryuichi Sakamoto, Inner Ear Brigade and Frogg Café, and Motown's James Jamerson. Would that I knew more about French musical traditions because I feel that there is much to be owed to the French pop and lounge scenes of the 1960s.
Once again the sound engineering and reproduction is totally deserving of all superlatives (thanks to the supreme talents of both Paolo Botta and Udi Koomran). Such a joy to listen to!
95.0 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; 2023's first masterpiece--and a wonderful look into a future that I very much want to be a part of.
3. AMOEBA SPLIT Quiet Euphoria
Who is not excited for the release of another AMOEBA SPLIT album? The Galician (Spain) band's previous two albums--2010's Dance of the Goodbyes and 2016's Second Split--have been nothing short of masterpieces of Canterbury-inspired modern Jazz-Rock Fusion. And now, after a seven year gap, they release this, their third studio album. I am SUPER excited!
- Alberto Villarroya López / bass, guitars, keyboards, compositions
- Ricardo Castro Varela / piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, arrangements
- Iago Mouriño / piano, electric piano, Moog, Hammond organ
- Fernando Lamas / drums & percussion
- Pablo Añón / tenor saxophone, alto clarinet
- Dubi Baamonde / soprano saxophone, flute
- Rubén Salvador / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Israel Arranz / vibraphone
1. "Quiet Euphoria" (7:18) what starts out a little bland (with slow lower register piano note play for the first minute) suddenly breaks into quite the jazz classic--with almost a big band feel, thanks to the horns. The bass, drums, and vibraphome really get a groove on over the second two-thirds of the song. I LOVE it! (And I love that vibraphonist Israel Arranz has not been promoted to a full band member.) The sound clarity given each and every one of the instruments is nothing short of astonishing. And I marvel as I listen to the unusual, "old" effected synths, bass, and keys. And thank you, THANK YOU, for recording the drums without that horrible gated effect! This is the way drums are supposed to sound! Even the kooky, laughter filled ending is both fitting and engaging. (14/15)
2. "Shaping Shadows" (5:20) Opening with a Japanese shamisen-sounding instrument, the song graduallly morphs into a very cool, gently relaxing vibe. Then, at 1:30, when the horn section joins in, the music takes on an almost like an old BURT BACHARACH lounge jam feel (if Burt, in fact, ever jammed, that is). I love the heavily-effected "old style" sound of the keys and guitars as the trumpet solos. And, me, such a sucker for the trumpet: I am in heaven! Great Latin drum stylin', too! Like our favorite comfort foods, this one just has a great feel to it. In the fourth minute I hear a little relaxed DAVE STEWART-like sound coming from the keys while the synth and drums go native. Then the PAUL DESMOND "Take Five" horns bring us back to center for the finish. Magical! (9.333/10)
3. "The Inner Driving Force" (5:59) Despite the horns above (which open the song soloing as if in a processional for some mediæval king), and the initial MILES DAVIS Sketches from Spain feel, I hear a kind of combined CHICK COREA-VINCE GUARALDI piano foundation to this song. Great interplay between the soloists in the fourth minute. (8.875/10)
4. "Divide and Conquer" (3:02) opening with an odd high-pitched electric-horn-like synth squeaking, the drums and band enter with a very SOFT MACHINE-like sound palette. As the musical groove gets established I'm hearing things that remind me of early British band NUCLEUS, THOMAS DOLBY, and even HOMUNCULUS RES (the Casiotone soloing). Nice weave. Very cinematic. (9/10)
5. "Thrown to the Lions" (7:23) Very pleasant modern Canterbury sound and feel to this one--not unlike some of DAVE NEWHOUSE's recent songs, or even a little bit of old MILES DAVIS. That rolling bass play coupled with the Fender Rhodes keyboard is killer! Reminds me of 1970s DEODATO. When things settle into a more laid-back combo format in the fourth minute, they sound more like Devonshire band MAGIC BUS's releases of the 2010s. I love the flute play and then the band's dynamic interplay with the horns. Man! The bass and drums are so synched in! Cool flute and wah-ed Fender Rhodes interplay in the sixth minute! (Weird ending: as if the drummer got caught in the springs beneath his snare!) (14.25/15)
6. "No Time for Lullabies" (11:05) The opening two minutes of this one sound almost like a piece of classical music.. Such poise and deliberation! Then, beneath the alto clarinet, the piano begins to roam and flourish a bit--signalling a move into the realms of jazz. Electric guitar and synthesizer noises are companioned by the drummer's play on his kit's tom-toms before tenor saxophone joins in as the lead instrument. Do I hear some Coltrane riffs at the end of the fifth minute? Vibes join in with more prominent bass play as drums add cymbal play and synths continue to add their subtle magic. Synthesized trumpet and flugelhorn play off one another over ominous pipe organ cords in the seventh and eighth minutes. This is nowhere near the kind of music I was expecting--though there is something here that seems to tap into not only both John Coltrane's and Miles Davis' end-of-life albums but also the spirit of those early SOFT MACHINE/ROBERT WYATT albums.
Just when I thought the song was winding down--with some lullaby-like percussion instrument playing alone, a gentle piano and flute duet starts back up and then takes us out with an eerie sonic "sound-check overload" type of synth sound. Weird!
Though this was not what I was expecting, I definitely love it; I find myself totally in awe of the unusual avenue of expression explored here. (19.5/20)
Total Time 40:07
Total Time 40:07
I love the fact that the band has been able to keep the exact same lineup of members since their 2016 release, Second Split. It is, in fact, nothing short of amazing. Though the music here feels more rooted in old, classic styles of the lounge and early jazz-rock fusion jazz movements, I am impressed with the courageous use of odd synths and stylistic shifts within each of the songs. In fact, I am blown away by the subtle integration of old styles and sounds into these very original yet-familiar (and comforting) feeling compositions.
93.697 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a full-blown masterpiece of original Jazz-Rock Fusion--one that feels as if it is paying homage to many of the key shakers and movers of the 1960s and 1970s jazz-rock fusion movement.
4. NE OBLIVISCARUS Exul
One of Australia's most popular and ground-breaking Metal bands is back with another album straddling the fence between black metal and symphonic prog.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Xenoyr / harsh vocals
- Tim Charles / clean vocals, violin, viola, keyboards
- Benjamin Baret / lead guitars
- Matthew Klavins / guitar
- Martino Garattoni / bass
- Dan Presland / drums
With:
- Emma Charles / additional violin
- Alana K / additional vocals
- Dalai Theofilopoulou / cello
1. "Equus" (12:13) Danny Carey (TOOL)-like drumming opens this before being joined by bass, guitars, and violin. Tim Charles has a GREAT voice--one that compares to all of the greats. And the play of bassist Martino Garattoni is moving'! The music here is tremendously engaging and melodic, smoothed out by the wonderful presence and arrangements of the orchestral instruments, this is a song that I could listen to quite happily, quite regularly.
I love the way Tim's screeching violin plays off of Xenoyr's death metal growls, sometimes serving as a mirror of Xenoyr's passion, sometimes serving as a calming counterbalance. The electric guitar solo in the tenth and eleventh minutes is amazing: it seems to bridge that gap between technical metal shredding and old-fashioned bluesy prog styles. Awesome!
I don't think I'm going to hear many songs better than this one this year--especially coming from the metal persuasion; not even the "harsh" vocals can disturb or dissuade me. My favorite song on the album. (25/25)
2. "Misericorde I - As the Flesh Falls" (7:33) opens with an early-Opeth-like wall of sound with Xenoyr screaling away over the first minute. The drummer and bass player are going machine gun crazy as Tim Charles joins in with his "clean" vocals and then in the third minute when Tim rosins up his bow for some pyrotechnics. Great dynamics. Amazing bass and drum play--especially in the foot pedal department. Pace shift in the fifth minute as Xenoyr takes the lead back precedes a spacious patch around the five-minute mark in which Tim's violin adds to the percussive sparsity. By the end of the sixth minute we've ramped back up to full power, this time with Tim singing the lead with those long notes. The strings again contribute hugely to this section, making it quite melodic and engaging despite the wild staccato of the drums and guitars and the vocals. Around the 7:30 mark all metal aspects drop out leaving strings and piano to establish a slow-paced "Great Gig in the Sky"/cabaret/lounge sound. Stéphane Grappeli anyone? A top three song. (14/15)
3. "Misericorde II - Anatomy of Quiescence" (9:22) The classical chamber motif established at the end of Misericorde I continues, offering Tim a chance to show a different side of his violin prowess. (Do I hear some "Larks Ascending" riffs in there?) Bluesy drums, bass, and guitar slowly join in, slowly filling the soundscape before launching the bluesy-rock guitar machinations of Benjamin Baret in the third minute. The rest of the band ramps up into metal ballad land as Ben's STEVE VAI-like guitar shredding begins to send sparks and shrapnel out of my speakers. Then a pensive, militaristic passage establishes itself, plodding irresolutely along as the strings play like their on the deck of the sinking Olympic (Oops! I mean "Titanic"). This music is so accessible, so engaging that I'm quite reminded of the spell that FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM creates on me. Another song that surprises and wins me over; I'm really hard-pressed to find any faults within this song. Another top three song. (19.5/20)
4. "Suspyre" (10:09) the mood of the music here is quite well matched to the undead topic indicated by the title--even when the classical guitar palette is introduced at the 4:30 mark. The guitar sound thereafter sounds a bit dated--like 1990s Death or VOIVOD--and then this section is transitioned into the monster-like growl section of Xenoyr--which is capped off with some absolutely demonic violin play. Still not a fan of this guitar sound used beneath Tim's singing about (im)mortality. Bass and drums are great, however, and Tim's next violin solo--paired with another great, if brief guitar solo by Benjamin Baret--are great; they lead perfectly into the chaotic final crescendo. (17.5/20)
5. "Graal" (8:53) more metal that sounds so much like the dark/black metal music that flourished in the 1990s--except for Tim Charles' "clean" vocals--and the frenetic violin play (which adds so much). A shift in the music at the end of the third minute helps to usher in a spacious acoustic guitar passage over which bass player Martino Garattoni gets to show off his chops. As screaching lead guitar cuts Tim and Martino off, the full band reignites their ignition and quickly moves into overdrive, eventually returning to that 1990s death metal sound as Xenoyr screamowls away. Re-enter Ben and we get some more very 1990s-familiar technical metal shredding. Nice interplay between the insidious bashing of the metal music coming from the rhythm section while Tim and the other strings players play their own classical thing at the same time. Cool finish! (17.75/20)
6. "Anhedonia" (3:43) brings the album to a close with a rather stark, Arabian/desert religious feel as Tim's wordless voice soars around the desert air while piano chords keep we observers grounded. Shankar/Vaughan Williams like violin also plays a major role first soaring as Tim's voice had done--even alongside Tim's vocalise--but then closing out the song with some frenzied play within a loose weave of other strings keening away. (9/10)
Total Time 51:53
These songs are so accessible, so engaging (I think due to the "clean" vocals, violins and other symphonic orchestral elements)--despite the presence of "harsh" death metal vocal growls--that I'm wont to call this "Easy Listening Prog Metal" or, at least, Symphonic Metal. Tim Charles' voice--doing the "clean" vocals--is extraordinary: he can hold his notes for so long!
93.41 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and perhaps my highest rated and favorite metal album of all-time! Definitely a must to check out for any and all prog lovers!
The "Minor" Masterpieces
(93.33 to 90.0)
5. OK GOODNIGHT The Fox and the Bird
Exciting female-fronted NIGHTWISH-like prog metal from a Boston-based group of Berklee College of Music grads, this is the band's third album release since 2018 (their second one, 2020's Under the Veil, was a 4-song EP)--their first with a now-stable fit for the bass position as well as some help for lead vocalist Casey Lee Williams in the form of former background-vocalist-only, Elizabeth Hull.
Lineup / Musicians:
Casey Lee Williams - Lyrics, Lead Vocals, SFXMartin Gonzalez - Guitar, Mandolin
Martín de Lima - Keyboards, Guitars, Mandolin, Orchestrations, Backing Vocals
Augusto Bussio - Drums, SFX, Backing Vocals
Peter de Reyna - Bass
Elizabeth Hull - Lead vocals on "The Bear" and "The Mountain", SFX on "The Nightmare"
1. The Drought (2:57) opens the album with some eerie, brooding deep synth waves sounding like something sinister brewing in a future post-apocalyptic landscape. When the full band bursts out of the slag and molten metal, lead singer Casey Lee Williams is right there with them from the first note--kind of MARS VOLTA style--albeit with a treated voice. The stop and go, widely shifting dynamics of the song again mirror The Mars Volta quite closely. Great opener. (9.25/10)
2. The Fox and the Bird (4:40) acoustic instrumentation just sounds so odd for this band--almost EAGLES or GOO GOO DOLLS-like. Then add a breathy, ethereal, NORA JONES vocal style from Casey Lee and we're definitely finding the band branching out into new musical territory. I like it: there is much more room for instrumental nuances and song subtleties here than in the power metal stuff. (8.875/10)
Martín de Lima - Keyboards, Guitars, Mandolin, Orchestrations, Backing Vocals
Augusto Bussio - Drums, SFX, Backing Vocals
Peter de Reyna - Bass
Elizabeth Hull - Lead vocals on "The Bear" and "The Mountain", SFX on "The Nightmare"
1. The Drought (2:57) opens the album with some eerie, brooding deep synth waves sounding like something sinister brewing in a future post-apocalyptic landscape. When the full band bursts out of the slag and molten metal, lead singer Casey Lee Williams is right there with them from the first note--kind of MARS VOLTA style--albeit with a treated voice. The stop and go, widely shifting dynamics of the song again mirror The Mars Volta quite closely. Great opener. (9.25/10)
2. The Fox and the Bird (4:40) acoustic instrumentation just sounds so odd for this band--almost EAGLES or GOO GOO DOLLS-like. Then add a breathy, ethereal, NORA JONES vocal style from Casey Lee and we're definitely finding the band branching out into new musical territory. I like it: there is much more room for instrumental nuances and song subtleties here than in the power metal stuff. (8.875/10)
3. The Raccoon (and the Myth) (4:58) again, the acoustic guitars surprise me. Again, Casey Lee is given a foundation for a much more MOSTLY AUTUMN/IONA-like Prog Folk delivery. What a gorgeous vocal performance! (What a beautiful voice!) Then to go five minutes without an electric instrument, without the djenty bass and electric guitars and machine gun drumming, it's just … unexpected. (8.875/10)
4. The Journey (2:09) piano, synths and female vocalise provide a dreamy opening to this but then it starts to chug down the tracks with the djenty bass, guitar, and machine gun bass drum. At 1:20 everybody backs off a bit for the electric guitarist to go off on a very tasteful, mature, and creative solo. (It reminds me of early Eddie Van Halen!) (4.75/5)
5. The Snake (3:42) Could be a NIGHTWISH or SCARDUST song with its wide dynamic shifts. A great, Noa Gruhman-caliber vocal performance by Casey Lee. There is a "calm before the storm" piano interlude at the 2:30 mark that builds into a torrent of metal chaos. This is one powerful song! (9.25/10)
6. The Nightmare (3:00) another interesting instrumental opening which morphs into a kind of Latin-Arabian riff-off--before, that is, the chugging and scratching guitar play takes over. The keyboard orchestration that offsets the djent is pretty amazing! Kudos to Martin de Lima. (9.75/10)
7. The Falcon (6:12) Pat Metheny-like acoustic guitar opening soon becomes part of the straight-forward GHOST MEDICINE-like sound palette as Casey Lee sings another one of her crystalline vocals. The constantly shifting dynamics and myriad variations on the main rhythmic theme in the middle and second half are so exciting and brilliant--definitely lifting the song into another dimension! (9.25/10)
8. The Dream (1:50) a nice dreamy instrumental break from the torrent and chaos of some of the other threads. Nothing extraordinary, though. (4.333/5)
9. The Bear (5:05) It's not often you hear a female vocalist pull of death metal growls, but apparently Elizabeth Hull can do (and does). Now exactly what I was expecting from a guest vocalist of the female persuasion: to make a metal band's metal music heavier! Good death metal song. (8.75/10)
10. The Crocodile (5:12) Heavy and raw, then jazzy and delicate, the band and Casey Lee Williams can do it all so seemlessly, so perfectly. (9.5/10)
11. The Bird (3:07) gentle solo acoustic guitar play opens this one before Casey Lee comes in sounding even more like Nora Jones or one of the Indigo Girls than ever. What a performance! (10/10)
12. The Mountain (5:30) Knowing that Elizabeth Hull had contributed to the writing and performance of this song, I was prepared for the death metal growls that arrive at the end of the second minute. The softer musical section with the lightning fast electric guitar arpeggi lying in wait beneath the space and beneath Elizabeth's growls is amazing. The music continues to impress with all of its shifts and changes (despite the consistently wild drums beneath) until 3:48 when Casey Lee returns and the music straightens out a bit, softens, then bursts into a very cool, almost classical final 30 seconds. Wow! Great song! The musicianship and compositional skills are through-the-roof amazing--reminding me a lot of Québec band UneXpecT that appeared (and then disappeared) in the late Naughties. (9.5/10)
13. The Rain (3:17) gently feather-touched piano chords open this one before Casey Lee joins in with an extremely airy-breathy voice (more than Sarah McLachlan or Delores O'Riordan). In the third minute strings and reed instruments take over for a gorgeous 20-second finish before the sounds of gentle and hard rain fill the soundscapes. (5/5)
Total Time 51:45
One of the strongest female voices in Prog World today coming out of Casey Lee Williams is curiously met by the tremendous variety of incredibly technical metal music accompanying her--but it works; the marriage of the Beauty and the Beast! The death growls of former backup singer Elizabeth Hull brings a new element to the band's tapestry-making, playing an important role in amplifying the sometimes-menacing metal music beneath--but more, she adds an stronger metal edge to the two songs to which she contributes. The musicianship and compositional skills are so amazing. I so look forward to everything and anything these guys do in the future!
93.12 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a veritable masterpiece of progressive rock music coming from a metal foundation but covering/bleeding into many other subgenres. Definitely a must for any and all prog lovers!
6. EARTHSIDE Let the Truth Speak
Line-up / Musicians:
- Jamie van Dyck / guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
- Frank Sacramone / keyboards, backing vocals
- Ryan Griffin / bass
- Ben Shanbrom / drum, backing vocals
With:
- Sandbox / percussion (1)
- Keturah / vocals (2, 7)
- Pritam Adhikary / lead vocals (3)
- AJ Channer (Fire From The Gods) / lead vocals (4)
- Larry Braggs (Tower of Power) / lead vocals (6)
- Sam Gendel / tenor saxophone (6)
- VikKe / vocals (7, 8)
- Duo Scorpio / harp (7)
- Gennady Tkachenko-Papizh ("Russia's Got Talent") / vocals (8, 9)
- Daniel Tompkins (TesseracT, Skyharbor) ) / lead vocals (9)
- Baard Kolstad (Leprous) / drums (10)
1. "But What If We're Wrong?" (4:30) what is basically a two-chord song is transformed as if by magic by the ingenious layering of very active instruments above and around the core. It's as if the band turned something one dimensional and linear into something four-dimensional and subatomic! Awesome! (9.25/10)
2. "We Who Lament" (8:44) presenting one of those rare vocalists from the Layne Stayley, Ian Kenny, Einar Solberg class: a female vocalist named Keturah (Allyson), who is from Malawi. Here Earthside present one powerful, impactful, and refreshing song. It is a rare thing to behold to find a song that is driven so completely by the drum kit--and in a creative, melodic, and intrepidly multi-dimensional way that I am even more astounded as I listen to it each and every time! The section between 5:10 (or even 4:30) and the song's end is one of the most dynamic, creative, virtuosic sections of progressive rock music that I've ever heard! Ever! The band seems to create something that flits in and out of three, four, and, at times, five dimensions! And I absolutely love the choral shouts in the background over the awesome djent music of the final 90 seconds! Pure prog perfection!
Easily the best drum performance that I've heard of all year. (Mega Kudos, Ben Shanbrom!) And bassist Ryan Griffin's djenty bottom-dwelling salvos stick with Ben all the way. Amazing synchornization! And Keturah's vocal performance is definitely one of the best on the album (and this is an album of phenomenal guest vocal performances). (20/20)
3. "Tyranny" (8:39) I love djent! the way those bass chords hit me in the chest! This song presents a little more of the piano-djent heard from France's KLONE and even Denmark's VOLA. Despite an opening motif that is perhaps a bit too drawn out, this song has excellent flow, development, shifts and (in the second half) melodic themes with impassioned play and vocals--a refreshing and nearly flawless song that gives so much more with each and every listening. I don't like the fact that it's not until the fourth minute that we, the listener, get to hear the true power and talent of freelance vocalist Pritam ("Pritzz") Adhikary. As a ballad singer, he's good, but as an enraged metallurgist, he is one of the best I've ever heard.
Again the way this band mysteriously creates such engaging melodies with such a "big" and multi-dimensional sound is astonishing. There is a big shift, stylistically, at 4:40, into a gorgeously spacious, intensely atmospheric (almost Dream Pop) soundscape of guitar and bass arpeggi accompanied by Pritam's airy, floating, upper register vocalise. But then at 5:58 Pritam and the band break back into the heavy palette of the prog metallists while, somehow, retaining the conveyance of absolutely heart-wrenchingly gorgeous melodies. Miraculous! (As is Pritam's sincerely heart-felt performance in those final minutes.) Not even KARNIVOOL, VOTUM, or THE CONTORTIONIST have ever done it so fully, so perfectly, so effectively! One of the best progressive metal songs I've heard since this year's Ok Goodnight and Nw Obliviscaris albums hit my ears. (19.75/20)
4. "Pattern of Rebirth" (4:40) a more standard Prog Metal vehicle for vocalist AJ Channer (FIRE FROM THE GODS, Austin, TX). The keyboard parts are my favorite--reminding me of one of my all-time favorite Prog Metal tunes from Portland's THE MERCURY TREE, "Deep Five." I love the rap in the final 90 seconds with other voices woven over the three-range djent chords. (8.875/10)
5. "Watching the Earth Sink" (11:46) opening with some solo electric guitar play, classical guitar style like MAUDLIN OF THE WELL do. Guitarist Jamie van Dyck, one can tell, has had some serious classical guitar training (and commitment). In the third minute bass, rim play, and a second guitar track are added before Ben Shanbrom offers his toms. Tensions rise as the weave builds in the second half of the fourth minute, but then at 4:15, Ben's drums hit third gear and the rest of the band follows suite. In the sixth minute Ben's kick drum turns insistent metronome, leading the band into some awesome NEIGE/ALCEST-like walls of Shoegaze-metal with Ryan Griffin's awesome djent chord bass play right there with him. These guys are so tight! Jamie steps in with his screaming lead guitar to take us even higher before things calm down for a bit in the seventh minute while Ben and Jamie seem to "talk" to one another through their instruments. At 8:15, then, comes the real calm before the storm as Frank Sacramone's slow-playing descending Fender Rhodes arpeggi provide a wonderfully eerie pause while we wait for the ultimate dénouement (we all know it's coming)--which arrives slowly in the tenth minute, ushered in by Ben's driving tom and roto-tom play, while Jamie's guitar chords start to scream with increasing urgency. Some distant background vocals, big bass chords and low end fillers join in as chaos ensues. No lyrics or guest singer here. Just pure instrumental heaven (though not quite as creative or multi-dimensional as the opening three songs). Still, an awesome song. (22.25/25)
6. "The Lesser Evil" (10:59) vocalist Larry Bragg (TOWER OF POWER) leads this one over some excellent, layered keyboard work. Though not as Soul/R&B as one could expect with Larry's pedigree, there is definitely a completely different side of Earthside on display for the first 3:20 of this. Horn blasts and very deep chunky bass enter and (bass) take over as Larry's vocal definitely gets more R&B-familiar (not unlike a cross between Jeffery Osborne and Phillip Bailey). Incredible vocal performance. Hard to believe this is happening on a prog metal album! Amazing saxophone solo/work (and vocal) in the ninth minute! Mega kudos to these artists for not only taking a chance on this odd chemistry but for making it work! And work it does! This is one heck of a song (and Larry Bragg is one heck of a singer!) (18.75/20)
7. "Denial's Aria" (5:26) Welcome ViKKe (and, in a supproting role, Keturah) as well as harpist Dua Scorpio. With harp, keys, deep bass thrums, and infinity guitar notes, the vocalists here wow and entertain with an incredibly innovative and creative weave of theatrical storytelling. Not really a full metal song, but incredibly powerful in its entirely unique and laudatory creative delivery. Heavy and emotion-packed. Who knew Soul/R&B could mix with metal? (9.5/10)
8. "Vespers" (2:41) more excellent keyboard work painting a lush, dreamy, even jungle-like soundscape within which several voices and vocalists (including ViKKe and Russian nature-singer sensation, Gennady Tkachenko-Papizh). I love this song! (5/5)
9. "Let the Truth Speak" (10:47) Daniel Tompkins (TESSERACT, SKYHARBOR) takes the lead vocals this time with Gennady Tkachenko-Papizh playing a supporting role within this very thick walls-of-djenty KARNIVOOL-like sound. Very impressive vocal performances but the music is surprisingly "straightforward" for a djent-metal song--sounding a lot like some of LEPROUS's dirtiest songs (like "Slave" or "Coal")--no dancing string-theory multi-verse circles around the quantum core. (17.5/20)
10. "All We Knew and Ever Loved" (9:19) a cinematic prog homage to bands like GOBLIN and MIKE OLDFIELD that employs the value-added services of long-time LEPROUS drummer, Baard Kolstad. (In the video of the recording of this session, the two are seen split-screen duelling, synching, and weaving within and around one another in really entertaining ways.) Frank's heavy church organ is awesome throughout but truly essential to that magnificent crescendo at the end. (18/20)
Total Time 77:31
One of the most creative, progressive rock albums I've heard in a long time. The engineering feats achieved here alone constitute no small miracle of sound production: music that many times feels as if it goes beyond three dimensions, taking the listener beyond the confines of space and time.
93.05 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a total masterpiece of progressive rock music in the truest sense of that which is "progressive." Definitely an album that belongs in every "prog lover's" music collection. For metal heads I should think those first three songs alone would make the price of admission worth it. All hail to these torchbearers of the progressive spirit of "progressive" rock music!
7. MICE ON STILTS I Am Proud of You.
Master songwriter Ben Morley is back with his first album since 2016's masterpiece, Hope for a Mourning--an album that has steadily climbed my list of all-time favorite albums to where it has lately been sitting at number 81. Ben has apparently been going through a lot of tough times--much of which are reflected in the music and lyrics of this album.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Benjamin Morley / vocals, guitars
- Robert Sanders / drums & percussion
- Sam Loveridge / guitars
- Charlie Isdale / strings, winds, backing vocals
- Tim Shacklock / bass, cello
- Guy Harrison / piano, synths
- CJ Isdale / piano
- Andrew Isdale / ambient guitars
- Jasmine Balmer / vocals, backing vocals
- Tim Burrows / synths
3. "Devotion Decline" (5:21) this one reminds me so much like the vocal story-telling talents and musical delivery approach of Bristol (England)'s late great singer-songwriter, Nick Talbot (of GRAVENHURST). heavily orchestrated, this one definitely feels like a chamber collaboration as piano, picked acoustic guitars, keening cello, drums, strings synths, and multiple background "choir" vocals all contribute to the thick, lush soundscape used to carry the story. It all builds and builds until the end of the fourth minute when everything cuts away until cello and piano are the only two instruments supporting (and weaving in and around) Ben's voice. Great instrumental finish. Great composition. (9.25/10)
4. "Grey Diving Bell" (3:40) beautiful melodies and singing supported by folk guitar and, later, as the song develops, piano, double bass, cello, horns. Ben and his record company released a version of this one back in December of 2021 but I'm glad they chose to include it on this album. (9.125/10)
5. "When Will We See the Day?" (3:53) another song that opens with just Ben singing over his gently-picked acoustic guitar. Strings and simply-brushed drum kit join in during the second minute. Saxophone and full drums move forward during the instrumental second half while strings continue to lay down a beautifully flowing background. Beautiful! (9.25/10)
6. "National Radio" (7:25) the early release "hit" of the album. Again, the Nick Talbot comparisons are definitely warranted as there is a creepy feel to the sparsely percussive piano and drum support given Ben's vocal for the first 2:25. Then full band with banked horns join in--until 3:28 when everything cuts out to make way for a kind of chamber strings-and-piano interlude. The second half of the song proceeds as if a kind of jam for sax, electric guitar, drums, and Ben's vocalizations. Very cool! A top three song for me. (9.333/10)
7. "Ranges in the West" (5:16) picked acoustic guitar and Ben open this one; ben's lilting vocal so heart-wrenchingly beautiful--reminding me, again, of the kind of vocal melody choices that the late Robbie Wilson would make. Cello and background female vocal joins in for the chorus before giving way to a chamber strings bridge back to the next verse. Piano, bass, and distant background vocals are much more prominent here. What amazing key and melody shifts! And I love the cello, violin, and Uilleann pipe additions. Such a masterful composition--I feel as if I've just been witness to an Alfred Hitchcock film. Definitely a top three song for me. (10/10)
8. "Through the Kauri" (4:33) female torch singer Jasmine Balmer opens this one, singing over gentle piano accompaniment with synth and vocal incidentals contributing in the background. At 1:20, Ben and the rest of the band take the reins over, full drums at 2:20. By the time the fourth minute rolls around, a wailing violin-sounding electric guitar has entered and taken over the lead, taking the song almost to its EBERHARD WEBER-like end. Very cool song. Another top three for me. (9.333/10)
9. "Jigsaw Legs" (7:23) strummed acoustic guitars and jazzy double bass open this one giving it an almost BRUCE COCKBURN feel. But then Ben enters, singing in a lighter, higher register. A more quirky song than is typical, the lyrical content and vocal delivery, however, only serve to amp up the eerie-creep factor. Masterful in the same way Nick Talbot could sing a beautiful melody and tone to deliver a song about pyromania or other odd and disturbing mindsets. Amazing! And then there's the off-kilter instrumental finish: 90 seconds of odd reverb, space, and detuned string twangs and reverse electric guitar sounds. Brilliant! (14.25/15)
10. "Anxiety Baby" (6:08) bleeding over from the previous song definitely sets this one up for an eerie, disturbing start. And it really delivers. The music and vocal opens as if being performed by someone who's unhinged (perhaps a recollection of a suicide attempt or imagined suicide?) The music expands richly over the monotonously pounding drum and bass play with with dancing synths and layers of strings until at 5:08 the drums, bass, and organ launch into a very heavy, if brief, instrumental finale. (9/10)
11. "To Somewhere Else" (4:33) contemplative solo piano is joined by Ben's plaintive voice singing as if looking back on a life retrospectively. Background "ooo"'s and "eee"'s with floatacious flute and discombobulated strings join in for support and effect during the second minute. I guess this must be the entry to Heaven. During the third and fourth minutes, then, the music all gels a bit into some smoother, more seemless textures before dropping off and giving way to cricket sounds. Again, masterful song-structuring. (9/10)
Total Time 60:42
8. JACK O' THE CLOCK The Warm, Dark Circus
Line-up / Musicians:
- Damon Waitkus - vocals, guitars, hammer dulcimers, piano, flutes, etc.
- Emily Packard - violin, viola
- Jason Hoopes - bass
- Jordan Glenn - drums, accordion, synth
- Kate McLoughlin - bassoon
- Thea Kelly - vocals
- Victor Reynolds - guitars, recorders, harmonica, vocals, etc.
- Ivor Holloway - saxophones
- Jon Russell - clarinets
- Keith Waters - baritone saxophone
- Karl Evangelista - electric guitar
- Art Elliot - piano
- Josh Packard - cello
- Ben Spees - microtonal guitars
- Myles Boisen - pedal steel
2. "Division Blues" (2:22) Microtonals! (Ben Spees!) Wow! I was not expecting this! A hard rocker! So creative and fresh! Pure genius! Great lyric and awesome vocal performance. (10/10)
3. "Stuck Inside of Elvis" (4:45) John Zorn-like in its horn-led syncopation and angular melody lines, Damon manages to make it all work together with a rather amazing vocal performance. Astonishing! (9.25/10)
4. "Sage's Song" (0:49) pretty little atmospheric interlude.
5. "Dürer's Rhinoceros" (12:55) a gentle, dreamy opening is filled with beautiful nuances all softly muted or while Damon sings softly to set up the scene. (And, as we all know, Damon's lyrics all tell very visual stories.) The second motif has European and Asian musical traditions interwoven beautifully as Damon and special guest Thea Kelly adds a "female perspective"; it sounds very 1980s Peter Gabriel ("San Jacinto" and Birdy). By the time the fifth minute comes around we've entered another, more dynamic and "daytime" motif (meaning there is a spirit of working, laboring here--like a smithy's craftshop). I love the industrial percussives with walking fretless bass and assorted strings (including microtonal guitar). Multi-voiced choral vocals take over in the eighth minute before Damon leads us into an eery passage ("the storm"--in Buffalo--as from the great tale about the great Blizzard of 1978 in Buffalo from Repetitions of the Old City, Part II ). Some amazing melodies--both vocally, harmonically, and instrumentally--in the rest of the song--making this one of my favorite epics of 2023 (23.75/25)
8. "...And Who Will Tell Us?" (8:21) the title indicates that this song should be considered a continuation of the previous one. Very mellow weave of early GENESIS-like acoustic guitars (and dulcimers?) set a peaceful, pastoral setting for Damon to sing over (sometimes with multiple tracks given to his own voice). This reminds me a lot of the sound presented by WOBBLER's "This Past Presence" from their wonderful 2011 release, Rites at Dawn, minus the Mellotron and piano. Nice melodies established by the third minute as the instrumental content of the weave increases and amplifies. Then, halfway through the third minute, there's a development into a kind of YES feel to the music. This continues for about 90 seconds before a palette of metal-percussion joins in and slowly takes over despite the resistance of rock guitars and power chords jumping in and out. Around 5:30 this coalesces and morphs into a smooth rock palette before an awesome piano- and electric guitar-supported motif supports a dulcimer solo. At the end of the seventh minute the rock instruments begin to back out, subdued by a gentle wave of acoustic stringed instruments woven together to serve as buoyancy for Damon's ethereal voice, which then closes out the song. (18.5/20)
9. "Snowman on a Ledge" (3:31) gorgeous solo hammered dulcimer work sets the stage for Thea Kelly to sing over starting around the 1:20 mark. And that's pretty much it: Damon's dulcimer with Thea's gorgeously emotive vocal. (9/10)
Total Time:
Bergen's finest young band presenting its third album since 2013, their first since 2016. Have they finally realized their potential?
Line-up / Musicians:
- Stian Økland / vocals, lead guitar
- Erlend Vottvik Olsen / guitar, vocals
- Håkon Vinje / keyboards, vocals
- Benjamin Mekki Widerøe / tenor saxophone, flute, vocals
- Tormod Fosso / bass, cello
- Fredrik Mekki Widerøe / drums & percussion, banjo, vocals
1. "Hunter" (10:33) delicate chromatic piano play opens this (as the hunter patiently hides from his prey). As the music and story progress, we are find ourself fully in the realm of the music of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR; comparison to the familiarity of the great epics of City of the Sun are equally unavoidable. The chaotic, multi-voice cacophony of the frenetic motif in the fifth and sixth minutes is a bit off-putting. And then there is the VDGG syncopated, oddly-time-signatured passage beyond that--before the weird Hawai'ian guitar and Santana-like "Oye Como Va" organ notes break open the even darker, heavier, thicker motif to follow. Man! The harsh Norse/Viking life-threads are still very much alive and ... proliferating (if not well). And they end on this note! What doom and gloom! And, I'm sure, they LOVE this! Powerful and masterfully complex--which I appreciate intellectually (and respectfully)--but it's just not my cup of tea. (17.5/20)
2. "Hydra" (10:34) this scaled-down Änglagård treatment seems so tame and accessible when compared to the previous spectacle. The choral almost-monastic vocals are quite interesting when paired and contrasted against the rather tame music below chugging away in a very straightforward 1980s lower tier metal (which reminds me of Peter Schilling's international hit, "Major Tom [Coming Home]" from 1983). As the saxophones and keyboard arpeggi take over the drivership we're enjoying the easy ride, but then, suddenly, at the seven-minute mark the band switches lanes and turns off onto a dirt road to speed through the countryside. The thick organ chords at the end of the ninth minute seem to connote the intrusion or competition of another entity--perhaps another vehicle on the same road--but then the music seems to flow and drift off into a dreamy finish, so perhaps the organ power chords denote the accident--the end of the road, and the successive loss of consciousness and, presumably, life. Interesting and, by and large ... likable! (18/20)
3. "Ikaros" (9:26) rhythmically quite sophisticated, this song seems quite difficult to sing over as the vocals have a hard time enmeshing within the dense, often angular music. The rather wild and often-chaotic journey this song takes the listener on may, in fact, reflect the storyline of the famous tragic hero of the Greek myth. That does not, however, make it great. (17.5/20)
4. "Sisyphus" (13:22) more melodic and sensitive straight off the starting blocks, the pseudo-baritone singing voice that enters at the end of the first minute truly takes one by surprise--almost makes one laugh. But the vocalist remains committed and serious, so I am bound to give him a chance. The staccato and smooth instrumental passages between the vocal sections provide quite an interesting contrast with one another. The second foray into a vocal section is smooth, spacious, and jazzy while the vocalist now sings in a more familiar upper register before a pause that unleashes the full kinetic force of all band members--even the multiple voices singing the "higher" lyric. The chaotic Crimsonian release that occurs again as the protagonist has lost his boulder and it tumbles and rolls to the bottom of the mountain is intense and amazingly evocative of the frustration Sisyphus must feel. But he recoups, comes to terms with his sentence, and returns to the base of the mountain to take up his task once again. I can sense the resignation and futility in his spirit through the music--and then his utter resolve as he puts his shoulder to the boulder and begins pushing with his legs once again. As always, there is always a glimmer of hope: "Will this be the time? Will the gods finally have mercy?" In the ninth minute this all comes to a head as he approaches the summit with newfound hope and optimism (even an attempt at staying hidden--maybe sneaking in "under the radar" of the gods' notice). Excellent music. Excellent job of conveying the emotions and of this tragic "hero's" repetitious, circuitous existence. Full marks, Seven Impale! You've finally achieved/realized the potential we all saw in that astonishing debut album of yours! (30/30)
Total Time 43:55
Line-up / Musicians:
- Mikael Ödesjö / guitar
- Roman Andrén / keyboards
- Jenny Puertas / flute, voice
- Simon Ström / bass
Line-up / Musicians:
- Lars Fredrik Frøislie / keyboards, drums, vocals
- Nikolai Hængsle / bass
1. "Rytter av dommedag" (16:56) I haven't heard this keyboard sound in a long time--since PETER GABRIEL circa 1982! The song moves into a EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER/RENAISSANCE-like vamp motif for the second minute before unravelling for a delicate vocal supported by the above-cited "ancient" electric piano. This motif and music sounds almost mystical, magical, or mythical--as if we're hearing the musical presentation of the life of a mediæval wizard or alchemist. In the fifth minute we move back into a variation of the ELP/John TOUT motif before turning off into a more public/confessional sounding vocal passage still using full ensemble support. The keyboard solo in the seventh minute is, again, quite Keith EMERSON-like (with John CAMP-like bass support). I have to admit: Lars (like his Wobbler band mates) excels at the replication of classic 1970s sounds and motifs. With repeated listens it happens to be Lars unusual vocals that interests and entertains me the most: he feels as if he is truly the embodiment of the classic "magician" stereotype: ambiguous, suspicious, perhaps even unknowable. The song's construction and execution is strong--perhaps even flawless--though, as suggested, very closely mimicking the music of the past (which makes it challenging to rate). (32/35)
2. "Et sted under himmelhvelvet" (6:53) harpsichord arpeggi and "flute" (synthesized) open this before Mellotron and Lars enter to sing a vocal in Lars' native Norwegian that sounds quite a bit like a lot of the current Italian progressive rock artists in its bombast and melodic sensibilities. Nilolai Hængsle's chunky bass is quite the attention-grabber in the third minute as a fairly long instrumental passage begins. Lots of fine keyboard display from vintage sounds. At 3:49 we get a stoppage out of which flows some peaceful Hammond organ play in which is entwined with more fo the "flute." At 5:13 Lars returns to the previously used vocal motif, leading again into the very RPI-rich keyboard motif which closes the song in a rather quick fadeout. (13.3333/15)
3. "Jærtegn" (6:27) the launch into fast-paced organ-rich prog sounds so much like a blend of KEN HENSLEY/URIAH HEEP, KEITH EMERSON, and ALLAN "TAFF" FREEMAN (NEKTAR) and yet is also steeped in the older stylings and sounds of ROD ARGENT, BRIAN AUGER, JON LORD, and even MATTHEW FISHER. The rest of the RPI-like styling is nice, the vocal only fair, yet this piece is a very nice tribute to the Hammond. (8.75/10)
Total Time 46:52
Line-up / Musicians:
- Daniel Kriffel (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizer, drum programming)
- Dominique Király (guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals)
1. "First Light" (2:06) great atmospheric opener--setting the album's mood for the listener extraordinarily well. (4.75/5)
2. "Caves" (6:10) opens sounding like LUNATIC SOUL before morphing into RIVERSIDE (no stretch of the imagination) and then becoming Post Rock for a couple of minutes with high density Math Rock chord progression followed by more delicate, spacious, floating/brooding instrumental interplay. I love the slow rise of the heavily-treated programmed drums during the fifth minute, but then everything cuts out and we're left with contemplative guitar arpeggi interspersed with electronic percussives. Great song. (9.5/10)
4. "Path of Forlorn" (7:46) this one opens with a folk-troubadour/Pagan folk feel to it--even as it moves into the singing portion (for the opening two-and-a-half minutes). The next section feels more psychedelic bordering on stoner rock but by the time the sixth minute rolls around it's transitioned to full on metronomic Kosmische Musik, but then at 5:53 it quite suddenly switches to laid-back late-nite lounge jazz with all acoustic-sounding instruments (over the lush synth washes)--all reverbed to the max.
5. "Half-Light" (8:59) Buddha Lounge electronic chill opens this one--even into the second minute--while the sedate guitars lurk in the background, dripping full with potential energy--seemingly ready to leap out into the fore with whatever compulsion they're feeling on a moment's notice.
6. "Fading Shadows" (7:10) more atmospheric prog on the mellower, more melodic side: again, with the piano play, I'm reminded of more recent ANATHEMA and PSYCHIIC EQUALIZER; it's not really NeoProg yet contains elements that are familiar, almost retro (such as the electric guitar strumming). In truth, these young men are doing an excellent job of creating their own original music. The mellifluous mood is familiar, comforting, relaxing, but the means to creating these feelings is totally unique.
7. "Sirens of the Sun" (2:49) more cinematic, on-the-verge-of-being-electronic, prog. I'm rather amazed at how real the drums sound.
8. "Ceasing to Exist" (9:24) opens like a NO-MAN song: very simple chord progression repeating over and over with Daniel's treated-voice singing Tim Bowmess-like over the top. I love the thick bass and wailing guitars in the instrumental second motif. Then growls! Wow, I did not see that coming! Gentler music and then heavier prog to come, before a bluesy psychedelic motif sets up after the four-minute mark. Things settle down again in the sixth minute before giving way to solo upright piano and tuned percussion to bridge us over to a brief calm flute passage before all Hell breaks loose again with some heavily distorted electric guitar chords patterned over bass and drum counterpoints. Then, in the ninth minute, the heavy motif just stops and the void is slowly filled with spacey synth washes and gently soloing heavily reverbed electric guitar slowly soloing. Kind of scattered and disjointed but, given the song's title, I think I get it. (18/20)
9. "Last Light" (5:11) more ambient-like mood music created to match the title. I guess in Daniel and Dominique's ontological view, life after death is quite peaceful and, shall I say it: beautiful (if still emotion-filled). Again: very modern-ANATHEMA-like. (9/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Benjamin Morley / vocals, guitars
- Robert Sanders / drums & percussion
- Sam Loveridge / guitars
- Charlie Isdale / strings, winds, backing vocals
- Tim Shacklock / bass, cello
- Guy Harrison / piano, synths
- CJ Isdale / piano
- Andrew Isdale / ambient guitars
- Jasmine Balmer / vocals, backing vocals
- Tim Burrows / synths
1. "Edge of the Garden" (7:30) nighttime nature sounds precedes the entrance of Ben's guitar and voice. This is a patterns that we're going to see a lot on this album: an opening and first verse of acoustic guitar play as lone support for Ben's plaintive voice. Cello, piano, flute, and female and male harmony vocals join in during successive verses, each coming and going in unpredictable fashion. At the end of the third minute there is a coming out party for an instrumental section as low drums, cello, flutes, synths, and bass all join together to fill the auralsphere--and they stay as Ben & co. return to sing more chorus-like vocal lines. Then at 5:05 we return to the bare-bones acoustic palette of the opening minute for a spell--until at 5:38 the drums finally lay down the law with a willful pattern that encourages the joinder of electric bass, electric guitar, organ, and solo trumpet. Awesome! (13.75/15)
2. "The Wreck of the Wahine" (5:00) two picked guitars playing off one-another open this one, creating a beautiful weave, over which Ben sings a quite strong, forward vocal. What a voice! Another one of those singers who makes unpredictable and unusual note choices as he creates his melodies (reminding me of the uber-gifted chanteuse from iNFiNiEN, Chrissy Loftus). Ben's incredibly emotive voice also reminds me of the late great Robbie Wilson of AUTUMN CHORUS.
The music continues to build in a Post Rock kind of way to its conclusion. (No, Ben did not really lose control.) (9.25/10)
3. "Devotion Decline" (5:21) this one reminds me so much like the vocal story-telling talents and musical delivery approach of Bristol (England)'s late great singer-songwriter, Nick Talbot (of GRAVENHURST). heavily orchestrated, this one definitely feels like a chamber collaboration as piano, picked acoustic guitars, keening cello, drums, strings synths, and multiple background "choir" vocals all contribute to the thick, lush soundscape used to carry the story. It all builds and builds until the end of the fourth minute when everything cuts away until cello and piano are the only two instruments supporting (and weaving in and around) Ben's voice. Great instrumental finish. Great composition. (9.25/10)
4. "Grey Diving Bell" (3:40) beautiful melodies and singing supported by folk guitar and, later, as the song develops, piano, double bass, cello, horns. Ben and his record company released a version of this one back in December of 2021 but I'm glad they chose to include it on this album. (9.125/10)
5. "When Will We See the Day?" (3:53) another song that opens with just Ben singing over his gently-picked acoustic guitar. Strings and simply-brushed drum kit join in during the second minute. Saxophone and full drums move forward during the instrumental second half while strings continue to lay down a beautifully flowing background. Beautiful! (9.25/10)
6. "National Radio" (7:25) the early release "hit" of the album. Again, the Nick Talbot comparisons are definitely warranted as there is a creepy feel to the sparsely percussive piano and drum support given Ben's vocal for the first 2:25. Then full band with banked horns join in--until 3:28 when everything cuts out to make way for a kind of chamber strings-and-piano interlude. The second half of the song proceeds as if a kind of jam for sax, electric guitar, drums, and Ben's vocalizations. Very cool! A top three song for me. (9.333/10)
7. "Ranges in the West" (5:16) picked acoustic guitar and Ben open this one; ben's lilting vocal so heart-wrenchingly beautiful--reminding me, again, of the kind of vocal melody choices that the late Robbie Wilson would make. Cello and background female vocal joins in for the chorus before giving way to a chamber strings bridge back to the next verse. Piano, bass, and distant background vocals are much more prominent here. What amazing key and melody shifts! And I love the cello, violin, and Uilleann pipe additions. Such a masterful composition--I feel as if I've just been witness to an Alfred Hitchcock film. Definitely a top three song for me. (10/10)
8. "Through the Kauri" (4:33) female torch singer Jasmine Balmer opens this one, singing over gentle piano accompaniment with synth and vocal incidentals contributing in the background. At 1:20, Ben and the rest of the band take the reins over, full drums at 2:20. By the time the fourth minute rolls around, a wailing violin-sounding electric guitar has entered and taken over the lead, taking the song almost to its EBERHARD WEBER-like end. Very cool song. Another top three for me. (9.333/10)
9. "Jigsaw Legs" (7:23) strummed acoustic guitars and jazzy double bass open this one giving it an almost BRUCE COCKBURN feel. But then Ben enters, singing in a lighter, higher register. A more quirky song than is typical, the lyrical content and vocal delivery, however, only serve to amp up the eerie-creep factor. Masterful in the same way Nick Talbot could sing a beautiful melody and tone to deliver a song about pyromania or other odd and disturbing mindsets. Amazing! And then there's the off-kilter instrumental finish: 90 seconds of odd reverb, space, and detuned string twangs and reverse electric guitar sounds. Brilliant! (14.25/15)
10. "Anxiety Baby" (6:08) bleeding over from the previous song definitely sets this one up for an eerie, disturbing start. And it really delivers. The music and vocal opens as if being performed by someone who's unhinged (perhaps a recollection of a suicide attempt or imagined suicide?) The music expands richly over the monotonously pounding drum and bass play with with dancing synths and layers of strings until at 5:08 the drums, bass, and organ launch into a very heavy, if brief, instrumental finale. (9/10)
11. "To Somewhere Else" (4:33) contemplative solo piano is joined by Ben's plaintive voice singing as if looking back on a life retrospectively. Background "ooo"'s and "eee"'s with floatacious flute and discombobulated strings join in for support and effect during the second minute. I guess this must be the entry to Heaven. During the third and fourth minutes, then, the music all gels a bit into some smoother, more seemless textures before dropping off and giving way to cricket sounds. Again, masterful song-structuring. (9/10)
Total Time 60:42
Due to my love of the band's previous two albums, this one arrived with rather high expectations. One of the most notable observations of my listening experience with this album was how damn fast each song passed! Nothing drags despite the slower tempos and occasionally morosely heavy music and lyrics. The music often starts out with a sparse, folk-like atmosphere--usually Ben and one other instrument--making the music feel very similar to that of Nick Talbot's final Gravenhurst album, 2012's The Ghost in Daylight, but then they build with the gradual--or sometimes sudden--addition of other stringed and wind instruments. This is not so different from the songwriting styles as expressed on previous Mice On Stilts albums, it just that the bare bones of each song here feel much more acoustically pronounced--even the embellishing instruments feel more "acoustic" than electronic (though I have the feeling that there is quite a bit of the latter throughout the album--disguised for the fact that they are doubling up real, acoustic instruments in the foreground.
92.96 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of emotional Chamber-Folk prog. Highly recommended for any music lover who has the patience and time to sit and be immersed in emotion-packed beauty.
East Coast Prog Folk artist Damon Waitkus is back with his ever-expanding Jack O' The Clock ensemble, here showing us with this amazing album his ever-expanding vision of eclectic, folk-anchored progressive rock music.
- Damon Waitkus - vocals, guitars, hammer dulcimers, piano, flutes, etc.
- Emily Packard - violin, viola
- Jason Hoopes - bass
- Jordan Glenn - drums, accordion, synth
- Kate McLoughlin - bassoon
- Thea Kelly - vocals
- Victor Reynolds - guitars, recorders, harmonica, vocals, etc.
- Ivor Holloway - saxophones
- Jon Russell - clarinets
- Keith Waters - baritone saxophone
- Karl Evangelista - electric guitar
- Art Elliot - piano
- Josh Packard - cello
- Ben Spees - microtonal guitars
- Myles Boisen - pedal steel
1. "The Ladder Slipped" (7:27) Wow! What a surprise! A song that starts out as a solid, great Jack O' The Clock song turns to heavy prog! Awesome! (14.5/15)
2. "Division Blues" (2:22) Microtonals! (Ben Spees!) Wow! I was not expecting this! A hard rocker! So creative and fresh! Pure genius! Great lyric and awesome vocal performance. (10/10)
3. "Stuck Inside of Elvis" (4:45) John Zorn-like in its horn-led syncopation and angular melody lines, Damon manages to make it all work together with a rather amazing vocal performance. Astonishing! (9.25/10)
4. "Sage's Song" (0:49) pretty little atmospheric interlude.
5. "Dürer's Rhinoceros" (12:55) a gentle, dreamy opening is filled with beautiful nuances all softly muted or while Damon sings softly to set up the scene. (And, as we all know, Damon's lyrics all tell very visual stories.) The second motif has European and Asian musical traditions interwoven beautifully as Damon and special guest Thea Kelly adds a "female perspective"; it sounds very 1980s Peter Gabriel ("San Jacinto" and Birdy). By the time the fifth minute comes around we've entered another, more dynamic and "daytime" motif (meaning there is a spirit of working, laboring here--like a smithy's craftshop). I love the industrial percussives with walking fretless bass and assorted strings (including microtonal guitar). Multi-voiced choral vocals take over in the eighth minute before Damon leads us into an eery passage ("the storm"--in Buffalo--as from the great tale about the great Blizzard of 1978 in Buffalo from Repetitions of the Old City, Part II ). Some amazing melodies--both vocally, harmonically, and instrumentally--in the rest of the song--making this one of my favorite epics of 2023 (23.75/25)
6. "This Is Just What It Seems" (3:30) singing in a very delicate, vulnerable voice (amplified by the frail warble in his voice), Damon sings over an assortment of acoustic instruments. There is a rural, old-timey feel to the sound palette and style choices here. Very pleasant and inviting. The music gradually builds beneath Damon and harmonizing vocalist Thea Kelly, introducing new instruments, even replacing ones that the song started with. A very nice song. (8.875/10)
7. "How Are We Doing..." (13:16) wind, distant flutes, and continuous stream of some news show on the television open this one before some psych guitar arpeggi and industrial drums enter and take over. Horns of a variety of sounds and styles arrive together as the drums get a bit unruly presenting a kind of UNIVERS ZERO-like "controlled chaos." Into the fourth minute and it's still all instrumental, but guitars and basses have arrived and come forward to add their muscle. Next tuned percussives take a turn at the fore before strings, reed instruments, and raunchy electric guitars (MIDIed?) take over the presentation of the nontraditional (chromatic) melody. The chromatic minimalist weave continues without rock rhythm section as chorus voice bank enter to present the word and melody. The rotation of instruments is of such a wildly wide variety that it feels as if we're on a merry-go-round or carousel. I don't know if this effect (and its metaphoric significance) are what Damon & Company have in mind, but it's amazing! Plus, there is such a mix of familiar and totally unfamiliar sounds and riffs bombarding us (thanks Ben et al.!) Enter a spoken vocal muted by a horn and yet coming from the derriere, followed by another set of television speakers (including Noam Chomsky), culminating in a fairly cohesive bass-dominated passage with the choral vocals clearing the way from within. Overall, this is an astonishing, awesomely inventive song that seems to bend and reshape time from the linear to the circular but suffers slightly from a lack of engaging melodies: the experience is invigorating and intellectually fascinating but ultimately not as emotionally pleasing to make me want to come back with any great frequency, thus my less-than-stellar rating. (26.75/30)
8. "...And Who Will Tell Us?" (8:21) the title indicates that this song should be considered a continuation of the previous one. Very mellow weave of early GENESIS-like acoustic guitars (and dulcimers?) set a peaceful, pastoral setting for Damon to sing over (sometimes with multiple tracks given to his own voice). This reminds me a lot of the sound presented by WOBBLER's "This Past Presence" from their wonderful 2011 release, Rites at Dawn, minus the Mellotron and piano. Nice melodies established by the third minute as the instrumental content of the weave increases and amplifies. Then, halfway through the third minute, there's a development into a kind of YES feel to the music. This continues for about 90 seconds before a palette of metal-percussion joins in and slowly takes over despite the resistance of rock guitars and power chords jumping in and out. Around 5:30 this coalesces and morphs into a smooth rock palette before an awesome piano- and electric guitar-supported motif supports a dulcimer solo. At the end of the seventh minute the rock instruments begin to back out, subdued by a gentle wave of acoustic stringed instruments woven together to serve as buoyancy for Damon's ethereal voice, which then closes out the song. (18.5/20)
9. "Snowman on a Ledge" (3:31) gorgeous solo hammered dulcimer work sets the stage for Thea Kelly to sing over starting around the 1:20 mark. And that's pretty much it: Damon's dulcimer with Thea's gorgeously emotive vocal. (9/10)
Total Time:
It's taken me a while to get to know this album because it is so full of layers, nuances, and innovations. I am so glad to have this album in my possession as it is truly a creative masterpiece of modern prog fusion (that is, a fusion of many, many elements from many disciplines and sub-genres contributing to and informing the progressive rock genre of music.
92.79 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a refreshing masterpiece of eclectic progressive rock music from this formerly-folk-rooted ensemble. Definitely a top 10 album for 2023.
92.79 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a refreshing masterpiece of eclectic progressive rock music from this formerly-folk-rooted ensemble. Definitely a top 10 album for 2023.
9. SEVEN IMPALE Summit
Line-up / Musicians:
- Stian Økland / vocals, lead guitar
- Erlend Vottvik Olsen / guitar, vocals
- Håkon Vinje / keyboards, vocals
- Benjamin Mekki Widerøe / tenor saxophone, flute, vocals
- Tormod Fosso / bass, cello
- Fredrik Mekki Widerøe / drums & percussion, banjo, vocals
1. "Hunter" (10:33) delicate chromatic piano play opens this (as the hunter patiently hides from his prey). As the music and story progress, we are find ourself fully in the realm of the music of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR; comparison to the familiarity of the great epics of City of the Sun are equally unavoidable. The chaotic, multi-voice cacophony of the frenetic motif in the fifth and sixth minutes is a bit off-putting. And then there is the VDGG syncopated, oddly-time-signatured passage beyond that--before the weird Hawai'ian guitar and Santana-like "Oye Como Va" organ notes break open the even darker, heavier, thicker motif to follow. Man! The harsh Norse/Viking life-threads are still very much alive and ... proliferating (if not well). And they end on this note! What doom and gloom! And, I'm sure, they LOVE this! Powerful and masterfully complex--which I appreciate intellectually (and respectfully)--but it's just not my cup of tea. (17.5/20)
2. "Hydra" (10:34) this scaled-down Änglagård treatment seems so tame and accessible when compared to the previous spectacle. The choral almost-monastic vocals are quite interesting when paired and contrasted against the rather tame music below chugging away in a very straightforward 1980s lower tier metal (which reminds me of Peter Schilling's international hit, "Major Tom [Coming Home]" from 1983). As the saxophones and keyboard arpeggi take over the drivership we're enjoying the easy ride, but then, suddenly, at the seven-minute mark the band switches lanes and turns off onto a dirt road to speed through the countryside. The thick organ chords at the end of the ninth minute seem to connote the intrusion or competition of another entity--perhaps another vehicle on the same road--but then the music seems to flow and drift off into a dreamy finish, so perhaps the organ power chords denote the accident--the end of the road, and the successive loss of consciousness and, presumably, life. Interesting and, by and large ... likable! (18/20)
3. "Ikaros" (9:26) rhythmically quite sophisticated, this song seems quite difficult to sing over as the vocals have a hard time enmeshing within the dense, often angular music. The rather wild and often-chaotic journey this song takes the listener on may, in fact, reflect the storyline of the famous tragic hero of the Greek myth. That does not, however, make it great. (17.5/20)
4. "Sisyphus" (13:22) more melodic and sensitive straight off the starting blocks, the pseudo-baritone singing voice that enters at the end of the first minute truly takes one by surprise--almost makes one laugh. But the vocalist remains committed and serious, so I am bound to give him a chance. The staccato and smooth instrumental passages between the vocal sections provide quite an interesting contrast with one another. The second foray into a vocal section is smooth, spacious, and jazzy while the vocalist now sings in a more familiar upper register before a pause that unleashes the full kinetic force of all band members--even the multiple voices singing the "higher" lyric. The chaotic Crimsonian release that occurs again as the protagonist has lost his boulder and it tumbles and rolls to the bottom of the mountain is intense and amazingly evocative of the frustration Sisyphus must feel. But he recoups, comes to terms with his sentence, and returns to the base of the mountain to take up his task once again. I can sense the resignation and futility in his spirit through the music--and then his utter resolve as he puts his shoulder to the boulder and begins pushing with his legs once again. As always, there is always a glimmer of hope: "Will this be the time? Will the gods finally have mercy?" In the ninth minute this all comes to a head as he approaches the summit with newfound hope and optimism (even an attempt at staying hidden--maybe sneaking in "under the radar" of the gods' notice). Excellent music. Excellent job of conveying the emotions and of this tragic "hero's" repetitious, circuitous existence. Full marks, Seven Impale! You've finally achieved/realized the potential we all saw in that astonishing debut album of yours! (30/30)
Total Time 43:55
92.22 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of truly modern progressive rock music with at least one song that would indicate the start of the fulfillment of the promise that City of the Sun seemed to announce ten years ago. Definitely highly recommended for the true prog lover--but only if you're ready to hear/see the progression of progressive rock music, not if you're looking for repetition, glorification, and tribute of and to the past.
10. AGUSA Prima Material
Veteran Norwegian instrumental progmatists release their fourth studio album since their 2014 debut.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Mikael Ödesjö / guitar
- Roman Andrén / keyboards
- Jenny Puertas / flute, voice
- Simon Ström / bass
- Nicolas Difornis / drums, percussion, voice
1. "Lust och fägring (Sommarvisan)" (14:30) great opening motifs, conjuring up reminders of CAMEL, CARAVAN, KHAN, and even THE DOORS. Then we move into the blues-jazzier side of the band's stylistic preferences with a VAN MORRISON/J TULL-sounding motif. When things speed back up I'm reminded more of CARAVAN or SANTANA. Then, at 8:25, we slide into a more contemplative groove--albeit one that is cruising along while the guitars and flutes up top mesmerize us. All the treble instruments build in collective volume to form a weave that coalesces with some BEATLES-like wordless background vocals singing beneath the CLAPTON-like guitar shredding. At 11:00 we turn left at the Y and start a steady race down the dirt road toward the river-side hippy commune, jamming some pop-jazzy Latin melodies along the way (especially on that sexy flute)--until we've arrived (or thought we had: the music fades as if we've descended into the woods out of view but then returns in a cool continuation and finish of the drive). Excellent, cheerful, very entertaining jam. (29/30)
2. "Under bar himmel" (10:19) a familiar Billie Joel melody ("New York State of Mind") gives this CAMEL opening an oddly comforting Golden Gate Park Hippie feel--just another day playing and partying on the grass in the golden California sun. Int he fourth minute the speed shifts and we find ourselves fully engaged in a KHAN-CARAVAN romp through the park--probably on bikes. The soloing lead guitar makes me believe we've crossed the Bridge to the other side and are cruising on motorcycles on the country roads of the Marin County Headlands--perhaps on our way to Black Sands Beach. Definitely catching a vibe as we languish on the Beach, enjoying the lazy afternoon and hazy hallucinogen-enhanced campfire cookout. A nearly perfect day! (18.5/20)
3. "Ur askan" (10:28) opens with organ and full band in CAMEL-sounding weave. In the second minute an odd klezmerish motif takes over, trying to be rhythmed Latinly or maybe Reggae-ish. Not my favorite passage as I am not much of a fan of either klezmer or Reggae music. At 3:25 there is an odd syncopated bridge that takes us into a more Eastern European/Finnish motif (which is not far away from the previous klezmer/Reggae one). I like this motif much better. At 4:50 then we seem to be going in a heavier SANTANA direction, but then we suddenly go back to the klezmer/Reggae motif and then back to the Eastern European motif at the end of the sixth minute. A solid song--and well-composed--just not my favorite types of musical styles. At the seven-minute mark the music dies off and we're left with a Gamelan-sounding echo-bass continueing the chord progression from the previous motifs while flutist Jenny Puertas sings in a somewhat-operatic voice (in Spanish) before the band returns with some PROCOL HARUM/CAMEL/KHAN instrumental sounds and soloing from the electric guitar and organ. (17.5/20)
1. "Lust och fägring (Sommarvisan)" (14:30) great opening motifs, conjuring up reminders of CAMEL, CARAVAN, KHAN, and even THE DOORS. Then we move into the blues-jazzier side of the band's stylistic preferences with a VAN MORRISON/J TULL-sounding motif. When things speed back up I'm reminded more of CARAVAN or SANTANA. Then, at 8:25, we slide into a more contemplative groove--albeit one that is cruising along while the guitars and flutes up top mesmerize us. All the treble instruments build in collective volume to form a weave that coalesces with some BEATLES-like wordless background vocals singing beneath the CLAPTON-like guitar shredding. At 11:00 we turn left at the Y and start a steady race down the dirt road toward the river-side hippy commune, jamming some pop-jazzy Latin melodies along the way (especially on that sexy flute)--until we've arrived (or thought we had: the music fades as if we've descended into the woods out of view but then returns in a cool continuation and finish of the drive). Excellent, cheerful, very entertaining jam. (29/30)
2. "Under bar himmel" (10:19) a familiar Billie Joel melody ("New York State of Mind") gives this CAMEL opening an oddly comforting Golden Gate Park Hippie feel--just another day playing and partying on the grass in the golden California sun. Int he fourth minute the speed shifts and we find ourselves fully engaged in a KHAN-CARAVAN romp through the park--probably on bikes. The soloing lead guitar makes me believe we've crossed the Bridge to the other side and are cruising on motorcycles on the country roads of the Marin County Headlands--perhaps on our way to Black Sands Beach. Definitely catching a vibe as we languish on the Beach, enjoying the lazy afternoon and hazy hallucinogen-enhanced campfire cookout. A nearly perfect day! (18.5/20)
3. "Ur askan" (10:28) opens with organ and full band in CAMEL-sounding weave. In the second minute an odd klezmerish motif takes over, trying to be rhythmed Latinly or maybe Reggae-ish. Not my favorite passage as I am not much of a fan of either klezmer or Reggae music. At 3:25 there is an odd syncopated bridge that takes us into a more Eastern European/Finnish motif (which is not far away from the previous klezmer/Reggae one). I like this motif much better. At 4:50 then we seem to be going in a heavier SANTANA direction, but then we suddenly go back to the klezmer/Reggae motif and then back to the Eastern European motif at the end of the sixth minute. A solid song--and well-composed--just not my favorite types of musical styles. At the seven-minute mark the music dies off and we're left with a Gamelan-sounding echo-bass continueing the chord progression from the previous motifs while flutist Jenny Puertas sings in a somewhat-operatic voice (in Spanish) before the band returns with some PROCOL HARUM/CAMEL/KHAN instrumental sounds and soloing from the electric guitar and organ. (17.5/20)
4. "Så ock på Jorden" (7:17) acoustic guitar strumming (recorded from a microphone--which I love) is accompanied by whole band singing in wordless vocal weave with a little organ helping out. Then, at 1:05 a very bluesy, rudimentarily constructed PROCOL HARUM-like organ motif is launched. Flute eventually accompanies and mirrors the melody lines being played by the Hammond. As this motif develops its folk melody lines are eventually built-up with a very JETHRO TULL-like instrumental palette. The flute melodies that move forward in the fourth minute are, as are often the case on this album, quite Andy Latimer-like--even when the music turns more ALLMAN BROTHERS/JIMMY WEBB/ Midnight Cowboy-like in the fifth minute--a motif that continues with some variations pretty much to the song's end. I like a lot of this song. (13.25/15)
Total Time 42:34
Total Time 42:34
92.06 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of instrumental retro-prog rock that has, based on the excellent song structures and whole-band performances on three of the four songs, suddenly become my favorite Agusa album. Highly recommended for all prog lovers!
11. LARS FREDRIK FRØISLIE Fire Foretellinger
The first solo album by long-time keyboard genius of Norwegian band WOBBLER. It's about time(!) as unsung hero and perhaps greatest prog keyboard artists of the 21st Century, Lars has also served as a full member of the bands TUSMØRKE, HOLON, IN LINGUA MORTUA, WHITE WILLOW, WESERBERGLAND, THE OPIUM CARTEL, and CALIGONAUT!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Lars Fredrik Frøislie / keyboards, drums, vocals
- Nikolai Hængsle / bass
1. "Rytter av dommedag" (16:56) I haven't heard this keyboard sound in a long time--since PETER GABRIEL circa 1982! The song moves into a EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER/RENAISSANCE-like vamp motif for the second minute before unravelling for a delicate vocal supported by the above-cited "ancient" electric piano. This motif and music sounds almost mystical, magical, or mythical--as if we're hearing the musical presentation of the life of a mediæval wizard or alchemist. In the fifth minute we move back into a variation of the ELP/John TOUT motif before turning off into a more public/confessional sounding vocal passage still using full ensemble support. The keyboard solo in the seventh minute is, again, quite Keith EMERSON-like (with John CAMP-like bass support). I have to admit: Lars (like his Wobbler band mates) excels at the replication of classic 1970s sounds and motifs. With repeated listens it happens to be Lars unusual vocals that interests and entertains me the most: he feels as if he is truly the embodiment of the classic "magician" stereotype: ambiguous, suspicious, perhaps even unknowable. The song's construction and execution is strong--perhaps even flawless--though, as suggested, very closely mimicking the music of the past (which makes it challenging to rate). (32/35)
2. "Et sted under himmelhvelvet" (6:53) harpsichord arpeggi and "flute" (synthesized) open this before Mellotron and Lars enter to sing a vocal in Lars' native Norwegian that sounds quite a bit like a lot of the current Italian progressive rock artists in its bombast and melodic sensibilities. Nilolai Hængsle's chunky bass is quite the attention-grabber in the third minute as a fairly long instrumental passage begins. Lots of fine keyboard display from vintage sounds. At 3:49 we get a stoppage out of which flows some peaceful Hammond organ play in which is entwined with more fo the "flute." At 5:13 Lars returns to the previously used vocal motif, leading again into the very RPI-rich keyboard motif which closes the song in a rather quick fadeout. (13.3333/15)
3. "Jærtegn" (6:27) the launch into fast-paced organ-rich prog sounds so much like a blend of KEN HENSLEY/URIAH HEEP, KEITH EMERSON, and ALLAN "TAFF" FREEMAN (NEKTAR) and yet is also steeped in the older stylings and sounds of ROD ARGENT, BRIAN AUGER, JON LORD, and even MATTHEW FISHER. The rest of the RPI-like styling is nice, the vocal only fair, yet this piece is a very nice tribute to the Hammond. (8.75/10)
4. "Naturens katedral" (16:36) a song that seems to work hard to replicate a scale of keyboard bombast that was only ever really used/identified with KEITH EMERSON, Lars here even goes as far as to try to imitate the vocal timbre and style (and bass sound/style!) of GREG LAKE as well as the drumming style of CARL PALMER. A true tribute to (one of) his hero(es). I'm actually quite impressed with how well Lars (with his doubling-up technique) manages to "duplicate" Greg's vocal style and sound. It's a very different vocal sound than what was present on the previous four songs.
The instrumental passages of the fourth and fifth minutes--with their occasional choral vocalise in the background and rich bass and Mellotron presence--are straight out of the classic RENAISSANCE soundbox. But then we go into a much more ominous Hammond-driven passage that makes me think more of classic Rock Progressivo Italiano music (like that of GOBLIN or LE ORME). Next is the stripped down harpsichord section. While I don't associate the harpsichord with any one band, the prolonged display in the tenth and eleventh minute flows into a passage that sounds and feels as if it comes straight out of the heavy psychedelic craziness that is IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO's 1973 classic masterwork, Ys. Great stuff! (As is the original.)
As we rise out of the RPI maelstrom and into the fifteenth minute we return fully to the realm of the jazz-rock stylings of the great Keith Emerson for a penultimate theme which then morphs into yet another passage in which Lars seems to be paying tribute to the great mainstay of progressive rock music: the Hammond organ. Well done! Though never a raving fan of ELP or Keith Emerson, I love how Lars packaged this tune as what feels like a tribute to how good Keith Emerson might have been. (29/30)
Total Time 46:52
If retro-prog (i.e. the faithful replication of the sounds, styles, and motifs of the "classic era" of 1970s progressive rock music) is what you love, then you'll probably love this product. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard so nice a memorial to the great prog keyboard masters as this one!
92.04 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a wonderful contribution of classic keyboard-oriented progressive rock from one of the true modern-day masters of the prog keyboard. Thank you, Lars!
12. DEPOSED KING One Man's Grief
A band I would have never discovered were it not for the glowing reviews of a couple of my peers on ProgArchives. (Thanks Thomas and Steve!) It's the band's debut; they're from Hungary!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Daniel Kriffel (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizer, drum programming)
- Dominique Király (guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals)
1. "First Light" (2:06) great atmospheric opener--setting the album's mood for the listener extraordinarily well. (4.75/5)
2. "Caves" (6:10) opens sounding like LUNATIC SOUL before morphing into RIVERSIDE (no stretch of the imagination) and then becoming Post Rock for a couple of minutes with high density Math Rock chord progression followed by more delicate, spacious, floating/brooding instrumental interplay. I love the slow rise of the heavily-treated programmed drums during the fifth minute, but then everything cuts out and we're left with contemplative guitar arpeggi interspersed with electronic percussives. Great song. (9.5/10)
3. "Endless Hours" (6:14) spacey PINK FLOYD-like ambience over which heavily-reverbed vocal (on multi-tracks) sings amplifying the Dark Side of the Moon feel and effect. I'm reminded of Poland's AMAROK and Norway's GIANT SKY. The slow path down the ANATHEMA-like discofied second half is surprising and quite clever--and it works! (9.5/10)
4. "Path of Forlorn" (7:46) this one opens with a folk-troubadour/Pagan folk feel to it--even as it moves into the singing portion (for the opening two-and-a-half minutes). The next section feels more psychedelic bordering on stoner rock but by the time the sixth minute rolls around it's transitioned to full on metronomic Kosmische Musik, but then at 5:53 it quite suddenly switches to laid-back late-nite lounge jazz with all acoustic-sounding instruments (over the lush synth washes)--all reverbed to the max.
These guys are so creative and adventurous. I love it! (14/15)
5. "Half-Light" (8:59) Buddha Lounge electronic chill opens this one--even into the second minute--while the sedate guitars lurk in the background, dripping full with potential energy--seemingly ready to leap out into the fore with whatever compulsion they're feeling on a moment's notice.
Vocal sample appears briefly at 2:47 (sounding a bit like a chill Barak Obama) and then again a few times in the fourth minute, but, surprisingly, the otherwise-instrumental song stays modern chill, start to finish.
Hugo Selles (the man behind PSYCHIC EQUALIZER) should collaborate with these guys! Very enjoyable ride! Even those very cinematic final three minutes. (18.25/20)
6. "Fading Shadows" (7:10) more atmospheric prog on the mellower, more melodic side: again, with the piano play, I'm reminded of more recent ANATHEMA and PSYCHIIC EQUALIZER; it's not really NeoProg yet contains elements that are familiar, almost retro (such as the electric guitar strumming). In truth, these young men are doing an excellent job of creating their own original music. The mellifluous mood is familiar, comforting, relaxing, but the means to creating these feelings is totally unique.
The vocals (in English) are accented but gentle and very easy to understand--as well as being quite melodic--practically like another atmospheric instrument added to the weave. (They remind me a bit of Chilean band AISLES.)
Nice guitar solo in the sixth minute--kind of Steven Wilson-like: understated yet totally on the mark--but then it really gets cooking in the seventh minute. I love how the repeated vocals never feel the need to strain or scream to get their message across. (13.75/15)
7. "Sirens of the Sun" (2:49) more cinematic, on-the-verge-of-being-electronic, prog. I'm rather amazed at how real the drums sound.
Very cool how it all slows down in the second half, leaving you ascending toward the sun--like rising in a hot air balloon--or rescuing an otherwise-edited scene from Interstellar. (9/10)
8. "Ceasing to Exist" (9:24) opens like a NO-MAN song: very simple chord progression repeating over and over with Daniel's treated-voice singing Tim Bowmess-like over the top. I love the thick bass and wailing guitars in the instrumental second motif. Then growls! Wow, I did not see that coming! Gentler music and then heavier prog to come, before a bluesy psychedelic motif sets up after the four-minute mark. Things settle down again in the sixth minute before giving way to solo upright piano and tuned percussion to bridge us over to a brief calm flute passage before all Hell breaks loose again with some heavily distorted electric guitar chords patterned over bass and drum counterpoints. Then, in the ninth minute, the heavy motif just stops and the void is slowly filled with spacey synth washes and gently soloing heavily reverbed electric guitar slowly soloing. Kind of scattered and disjointed but, given the song's title, I think I get it. (18/20)
9. "Last Light" (5:11) more ambient-like mood music created to match the title. I guess in Daniel and Dominique's ontological view, life after death is quite peaceful and, shall I say it: beautiful (if still emotion-filled). Again: very modern-ANATHEMA-like. (9/10)
Total Time: 53:49
Despite its 21st Century Dark Side of the Moon (post-pandemic) vibe and sound palette, there is quite a bit of 21st Century ANATHEMA here, as well as STEVEN WILSON. A story/concept/arc that I really enjoy and appreciate. Better this than some doom metal death-screaming thrash crap.
91.96 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of atmospheric progressive rock music. I can see that this album may not be exciting or dextrous enough for many prog lovers, but it will satisfy all those seeking the balm that albums like Dark Side of the Moon and more recent ANATHEMA albums have give us.
Chile's 21st Century prog stalwarts are back with yet another lineup change. Founding members guitarists Germán Vergara and Rodrigo Sepúlveda are still with the band as is drummer Felipe Candia. 2012 addition Daniel Concha is back on bass as is keyboard player Juan Pablo Gaete (2014), but the band has had to find a new vocalist. Israel Gil has been brought in to try to fill Sebastién Vargara shoes.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Israel Gil / vocals
- Rodrigo Sepulveda / guitars
- German Vergara / guitars, vocals
- Juan Pablo Gaete / keyboards
- Daniel Concha / bass
2. "Megalomania" (6:25) styled very much like a KARNIVOOL or LEPROUS song (the main melody is practically lifted from the Aussie band's "We Are"--one of my favorite songs of the 2010s), the instrumental palette/soundscape is far too weak and thin to pull it off (as is the voice of lead vocalist Israel Gil), and yet the imitation (borrowing) of the afore-cited Heavy Proggers continues. Still, I do enjoy the slap and percussion styles used on the guitars and bass as well as the drum exhibition around the six-minute mark. (8.75/10)
3. "Thanks to Kafka" (4:18) Pleasant but not very memorable (other than the lyrical line of literary homage). At this point in the album my jury is still out on Israel; here he's impassioned but the vocal isn't mixed well into the mix of the song (it's buried too much in the mix--behind the bass and lead guitar). I do, however, appreciate the lyrical intent. (8.6667/10)
4. "Disobedience" (7:18) I love the set up and rhythmic foundation of this one: fast-moving drums with thoughtful phrasing from the bass and keys with great vocal deliveries. Reminds me of early PAATOS. And the reach for heaviness really works on this one. I love the FIXX-like chords used for the awesome chorus motif. Great tune! Definitely a top three song. (14.25/15)
5. "Time (A Conversation with My Therapist)" (6:40) quite a melodically captivating song. Once in, you're stuck--but it's such a nice, soul-balming place. I think I could stay here forever. (Aisles has always the ability to do that to the listener with their music.) A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
6. "The Plague" (11:06) opening with those delicate, virtuosic guitar notes is so magical--so much of what I think of when I recall Aisles. (Which makes me think that this song may have been carried forward from a long time ago.) I love the atmospheric soundscape established to back Israel's MARCO GLÜHMANN-like (Sylvan) vocal delivery. As a matter of fact, the whole song to this point has a LOT in common with the music of SYLVAN. The chorus starts out a little blandly but then Israel and Germán (and others) come forward to win the day. Great drumming, keys, and thrumming bass beneath the lead guitar solo in the fifth minute. Then begins the echoed guitar chord play that feels signatory to this band. Very powerful use of choral voices in the sixth and ninth minutes (reminding me of MOTORPSYCHO). Great, emotional song. Almost a top three song. (18.5/20)
7. "Surrender" (6:44) a beautiful piano intro is soon joined by the rest of the band with such mature subtlety. What a gift is this band! Israel enters with an equally delicate vocal, but then everybody amps up for the brief chorus preview (with some awesome lead guitar riffing). Man the bass sounds so great on this album: I love how forward and full those notes are coming from Daniel Concha. Just a beautifully constructed, performed, and engineered song. My only complaint is that the drums aren't as forward as the bass. (Felipe is also such a master of subtlety in his drum play.) The instrumental passage in the fifth minute is good, just not as blow-me-away good as the rest of the song (though the drums come through a little better). The vocal delivery sounds so heartfelt--even from German on background vocals! My favorite top three song. (9.75/10)
8. "Needsun" (2:09) fades in as if coming from a previously recorded song--a sentimental salvage job by the band. (It's gorgeous--with great drumming and powerful vocals--so I can see why.) (4.5/5)
9. "Game Over" (6:28) melodic yet using an industrial sound palette to get its syncopated CRIMSONIAN ideas across, this was one of the band's last single releases before completing and compiling this album. It's interesting--and very much like the condensed style of Jem Godfrey's FROST* releases of the past decade--with some great electric guitar playing (also in a John Mitchell style)--but I find myself missing/wanting Israel/the band's vocals! Fortunately, the song just keeps getting stronger as it goes along--until it wins you over! Impressive! (9/10)
Total Time 55:46
14. ZOPP Dominion
Line-up / Musicians:
- Adam Benjamin / Vocals
- James Knoerl / drums and percussion
- Sam Harchik / guitars
- Eric Palmer / guitars
- Richard Blumenthal / piano
- Werner Erkelens / bass
1. "Prelude" (3:10) gorgeous New Age keys open this one before acoustic guitars and hummed choir vocalize a melody and chords to match the guitars. At 2:27 delicate, heavily-effected voice sings a single line before the band bursts into a spaciously spaced series of pounding chords to close. Powerful opener. (9.5/10)
2. "Cradle" (7:25) symphonic yet metallic and very HAKEN- and NATIVE CONSTRUCT-like music supports Adam Benjamin's vocals. The total sound palette reminds me of KARNIVOOL and THE CONTORTIONIST. The melodic and rhythmic paths explored here are so fresh and unpredictable that I find myself quite engaged--even mesmerized. Impressive and practically flawless. A top three song, to be sure. (14.5/15)
3. "Safehouse" (5:00) Great KANSAS-like vocals with very sophisticated syncopated instrumental constructs seemlessly sewn together, I am here reminded of the Australian band STARE AT THE CLOUDS as much as THE CONTORTIONIST. I live the microtonal guitar work, djenty low end, perfectly synchronized drums and surprise high-speed piano. Another top three song. (9.5/10)
4. "Legend" (6:02) more djenty low end with off-tempo drum hits and muted/background guitar and piano arpeggi support some growl and Freddie-Mercury-like vocal acrobatics. The full-on sprint at the end of the second minute is interesting--I'm finding myself feeling more in the territory of bands like UNEXPECT and old OPETH. Then there's the weird crazy Franz LISZT piano solo over some of the heaviest grunge in the fifth minute before the return to QUEEN-like heavy prog and then technically extreme djent. I get the innovation here but it is not exactly easy on the ears. Wow! What a wild, weird ride! (9/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ed Wynne / guitar, synth, bass
- Silas Wynne / synth, keyboards
- Brandi Wynne / bass
With:
- Saskia Maxwell / flute
- Tim Wallander / drums
- Paul Hankin / percussion
1. "Life Lines" (26:26) quite the NeoProg lite production--even bordering on religious rapture--compositional sophistication with excellent musicianship and great sound production throughout. The first reminds me of MOON SAFARI and THE FLOWER KINGS. From the seven-minute mark to 10:50 I'm reminded of KNIGHT AREA (and The Flower Kings). From the 11-minute mark to there's a EDDIE JOBSON quality to it, but then the vocals in the 14th minute make it slide back into the psuedo-religious MOON SAFARI feel of the opening section with some elements reminiscent of Mark Truek's UNITOPIA. The "heavier" motif of the sixteenth minute has some Focus and even Eloy elements but then the Hendrix riff of the seventeenth minute takes us into a vocoder voice and Yes harmonized vocals before some Rick Wakeman melodies and riffs. The motif of the 19th minute is rather late Pink Floyd-like. The calm of the 20th minute feels so TFK--even leading to one of Roine Stolt's signature low-key conspiratorial vocal sections (which is also very like David Gilmour's singing/vocal style). I love the accordion in any prog song but the brief appearance in the 22nd minute feels to contrived--as if the band is making a Mike Oldfieldian effort to throw every instrument available into the song--simply for the sake of saying it's there. Luckily, it reappears in the 23rd minute, albeit in the background. Overall, this is a very likable, inoffensive, well-put-together epic. Unfortunately, lyrically (and, somewhat, musically) it feels almost too imitative of The Flower King's 59-minute masterpiece, "Garden of Dreams," from their 1999 release, Flower Power. (45/50):
- a) Timeless Motion
- b) Wings of the Storm
- c) The New Day Dawning
- d) In the Garden of Hope
- e) Beautiful Creatures
- f) Crimson Queen
- g) The Tide
2. "Northern Skies" (14:14) electric piano backs Antony's David Gilmour/Roger Waters voice impressions before more computer keyboard generated sounds work their way in. At the very end of the second minute the full rock band jumps in as female vocalists lead in the chorus. It's almost too beautiful (like a saccharine Christian rock song). Nice guitar solo from Alexandr Pavlov. Strong, soulful female vocal in the lead during the fifth minute. I like the HARMONIUM-like ("Dixie") saloon piano in the sixth and eighth minutes. The melodies and singing style begin to feel as if borrowed from the American band AMBROSIA. The nine-minute mark marks a return to the opening motif only, cleverly using treated electric guitar arpeggi in the fore instead of electric piano. Again, this is a very likable, inoffensive, well-put-together epic--even if it does plod along a bit. There are elements of this song (like the eleventh minute and female vocals) that I like better than anything in the album's other epic, but then there are some that feel rather common and banal. (27.5/30):
Line-up / Musicians:
- Stefano Panunzi / keyboards, piano
With:
- Nicola Lori / guitar & bass (1,2)
- Mike Applebaum / flugelhorn (1,9)
- Luca Fareri / drums (1,4)
- Fabio Trentini / bass (1,3,6,11)
- Jakko M. Jakszyk / vocals (2,7,10)
- Sunao Inami / electronics (3)
- Alessandro Inolti / drums (3,5,10,11)
- Peter Goddard / vocals (4)
- Giacomo Anselmi / guitar (4)
- Fabio Fraschini / bass (4,5,7,8,9)
- Robby Aceto / vocals & piano & guitar (5,8)
- Peter Dodge / trumpet (5)
- Cristiano Capobianco / drums (6,9)
- Pat Mastelotto / drums (7)
- Stefano Petrocco / double bass (10)
- SiRenée / vocals (11)
- Markus Reuter / Warr guitar (11)
1. "Which Truth?" (5:50) I really like the sound palette here: the guitar, bass, drums, and Mark ISHAM-like flugelhorn work together so perfectly--like a STICK MAN ("Scarlet Wheel") or DAVID TORN/DAVID SYLVIAN or even NO-MAN song. The keyboard palette is definitely rooted in the Smooth Jazz/Prog Jazz Fusion of 1980s. I don't know how they mix that bass so far forward without loosing some of the balance at the high and low ends. Awesome! One of the coolest songs I've heard all year! (9.5/10)
2. "Not Waiving, but Drowning" (5:30) the first of the three songs on which Jakko Jakszyk lends his vocal talents to, it's a nice prog vehicle in the vein of DAVID SYLVIAN or PHIL COLLINS's early solo material. (Are these Steve Jansen/Phil Collins-like drums programmed?) I love Nicola Lori's Mick Karn-like fretless bass and his Daryl Stuermer-like guitar play. What a talent! (9/10)
3. "The Secret" (5:16) Sunao Inami's electronic programming hits a chord straight on, then the music slips more into the realm of Torn/Sylvian/Levin. Very nice bass play (and sound) from Fabio Trentini--and nice drum play from Alessandro Inolti. (9.25/10)
4. "The Sea" (6:24) Peter Goddard on lead vocals with a lot of FRIPP-like sustained infinity guitar play beneath over what could very well be a very pleasant, lush TONY PATTERSON-like music and soundscape. (9/10)
5. "You and I" (4:37) this time Robby Aceto's gravelly voice leads the lyrical delivery over some more awesome Isham/Sylvian/Torn/Levin music. Robbie Robertson's self-titled album from 1987 also comes to mind--especially the proggier songs. Also early TALK TALK. Though a bit too-radio friendly, this is my favorite song on the album. (10/10)
6. "Steel Wave" (6:03) Wow! Am I hearing someone trying to replicate JOHN MARTYN's "Big Muff" Echoplex soundscape?--and then taking it further: modernizing it with some AMAZING keyboard work. Awesome! Great drumming from Cristiano Capobianco. As much as I LOVE this song, at the same time, it makes me appreciate even more the genius of John Martyn. (9.5/10)
7. "Every Drop of Your Love" (6:19) Jakko's second lead vocal. (He sounds so much like a cross bewteen Janis Ian and David Sylvian!) Pat Mastelloto's drumming is definitely an overkill--a detriment to the overall feel of the song--which is fueled by some really beautiful melodies. The uncredited wah-guitar also feels a bit out of place. There is something weak in either the lyrics or Jakko's vocal delivery. (8.666667/10)
8. "Swimming to Sea" (6:14) I hear and feel a little kinship to T's Thomas Thelen in this music, in Robby Aceto's vocal performance here. Beautiful sound and instrumental palette molded into a very dreamy, comforting listening experience. Big kudos to the mixing and playing of Fabio Fraschini's bass. This song makes me realize how much T might benefit from making his long, dense, and meandering songs into shorter forms. (9.25/10)
9. "I'm Feeling So Blue" (5:49) a very pleasant instrumental romp through the countryside with multiple keyboards driving, fueling, and providing the carriage for the trip. My favorite instrument present, however, is Mike Applebaum's sublime "Adult Contemporary Jazz" flugelhorn. Unfortunately, I'm a sucker for lush, melodic Smooth Jazz. (9/10)
10. "Those Words (Words Are All We Have)" (5:16) another smooth, melodic vehicle for a Jakko Jakszyk vocal. Here he sounds surprisingly like Kenny Loggins. (8.75/10)
11. "An Autumn Day" (5:32) a fuller, more potent song than the previous four, Markus Reuter's Warr guitar and vocalist SiRenée make their mark quite overtly. I find it interesting the Stefano gives more space for Markus' guitar solos than for SiRenée's voice. Other than the interesting shift in motifs at 3:55, this is nice but there's nothing too extraordinary here. (8.75/10)
12. "The Sea Woman" (4:23) another gorgeously cinematic opening (reminding me of some of Ennio Morricone's more soothing pieces). Programmed drums enter after half a minute as layers of synth washes and, later, piano join in. The piano becomes quite dramatic (and domineering) at the 1:45 mark but then backs off to let the layered synth strings do their majestic magic. I'm reminded of my Buddha Lounge CD collection--many of the artists of whom came from Italia. It's really a great song; I'm just not sure that it's really prog. (9/10)
Total Time 67:13
New Canterbury-tinged Jazz-Rock Fusion from a Norwegian "supergroup" that includes members who have played with the likes of Jordsjø, Panzerpappa, Tusmørke, Lupa, Meer, and Chronicles Of Father Robin. These are experienced professionals.
1. Pönk på svenska (5:50) right out of the gate this driving instrumental sounds like an expanded-band format of a MOTORPSYCHO song. Great melodies coming from multiple noodlers, including electric keys, guitars, and saxophone. They all provide a very tight but surprisingly straightforward music---especially when compared to the other songs on the album. (8.875/10)
2. En behagelig durakkord som sier noe om hvordan det er å se uten å bli sett (6:21) a powerful and, at times, quite theatric prog song. The vocalist--and some motifs--feel very close to the sound and effect of countrymates SEVEN IMPALE--especially in the buildup during the awesome second half. I like the Northettes-like background vocals in the fifth minute. (8.75/10)
3. Gadgetry cum dystopia (6:33) opening with a "Larks Ascending"-like solo violin before soft, jazzy keyboards join in and lead into a new, contemplative and classical- and folk-tinged instrumental section, it's not until 2:10 that the real style is revealed with the entry of a heavily-effected psychedelic vocal, but this is only a minor element in the song's overall, overarching span; the delicate and sometimes-dynamic, shifting, instrumental weaves are the true star here--as evidenced by the outburst of a quite dark and heavy section at 4:10. But this then fades into distant memory when, at 4:50, we return to the more colloquial folk themes and instrumentation. A very interesting, condensed, story-like musical vehicle. Almost a top three song for me. (9/10)
4. Peaches en Ulven (4:09) despite a spacious, syncopated introductory opening minute, this little instrumental turns into something fast and dense (again reminding me of both Motorpsycho and Seven Impale) yet it expresses quite the Canterbury energy and spirit. Vocal scatting join in during the end of the second minute mirrors the light, upbeat melody lines being expressed by the keyboard for about a minute until the music flattens out a bit later in the third minute to again conjure up comparisons to Motorpsycho, Then at 3:10 there is a stop-and-restart with lovely Amanda Parsons-like vocalise accompanied solely by a bank of low brass-sounding chords and, at the end, harp. Really nice tune! A top three to be sure. (9.25/10)
5. Jesus i min bod (7:19) This one has quite a little GENTLE GIANT feel to it, if a bit heavier and darker. A lot of angular chord progressions explored through staccato instrument play with both female and male vocalise taking turns within the mix. The stop gap in the very middle is interesting, while the jazz motif picked up at the end of the fifth minute is quite striking for its similarity to the music on this year's wonderful OIAPOK album, OisoLün. Lovely stuff with its long vocal notes held over shifting chord and key changes beneath. I LOVE this! The closing 20 seconds are quite spacious, dreamy, while remaining jazzy. Brilliant! My favorite song on the album. (14/15)
6. Ensomhet er bare en følelse (9:17) great start with some variable weaves of great melodies. The vocal is a bit unexpected--especially as its melody lines feel as if contributing yet another harmonic counterpoint to the rest of the instruments. (I love that the band sticks to its own native language for its singing and song titles.) (18.5/20)
Portland's gift to Avant Prog releases their seventh studio album and first in four years! And good news: The microtonal, polyrhythmic pioneering continues! And just look at that lineup of guests (as if the amazing core power trio alone weren't enough)!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ben Spees / voice, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards
- Connor Reilly / acoustic and electronic drums
- Oliver Campbell / bass, voice
with:
- Damon Waitkus (Jack O' The Clock) / voice, acoustic guitar, hammered dulcimer, psaltery, tongue drum (tracks 4, 9)
- Nick Prol (The Proletarians) / voice (6)
- Gabriel Riccio (The Gabriel Construct) / voice (7)
- Tom Shad / piccolo bass (7)
- Deja Indigo Yerger / electric guitar (7)
2. "Similar Self" (5:43) this one opens like it came out of the techno-pop scene around 1984. Ben Spees' vocals are heavily-treated as many of the vocalists in the mid-80s were, but even the supporting instruments seem to have a quirky 80s vibe to them--like The Cure or Talking Heads. But then, at 2:06, the music becomes more like The Smiths meet The Clash cum The Specials. A lot of the woven riffs remind me of black midi as well, but the vocals continue to trumpet out like early BONO. Cool! (9/10)
3. "Dreamwalking" (4:16) brilliant smooth singing over quite syncopated and polyrhythmic (even African sounding) music. I like the introduction of the Who-like keys in the third verse followed by Ben's dreamy (and then raunchy) singing. (9.25/10)
4. "Recursed Images" (6:22) psychedelic echo-vocals with straighforward time signatures within which microtonal and "old standard" guitar play trade off in extended instrumental passages. But then that crazy fourth minute comes with building tension over an ominously unstable Crimsonian rhythm track. Another totally brilliant and refreshing sound scape that seems to somehow draw from the past masters of the 1960s like The Beatles and (9/10)
22. RASCAL REPORTERS The Strainge Case of Steve
2. "A Race Against Time" (2:40) piano-based 1980s synthesizer-infused jazz with an old, classic jazz-pop melody line tying it all together. The sound palette is still very much like early HATFIELD AND THE NORTH. (4.5/5)
3. "Papa Norco" (4:57) a bit of a militaristic take on some French street music (because of the strong presence of accordion, no doubt) with a definite Dave Newhouse pace and feel to it. The backing synth sounds like The Northettes! (8.75/10)
4. "Beetle Borscht" (5:15) cool piano opening, soon joined by synth before drums and rhythm section jump in. Really nice, relaxed, melodic HOMUNCULUS RES-like tune. Great melodies and instrumental contributions throughout. A top three song for me. (9.75/10)
5. "Over and Out" (3:05) melodic ZAPPA, Moogy Klingman-and-Homunculus Res-like synth pop sound performing a rigorous sound and skill test. (9/10)
6. "The Odor at Tavistock" (4:33) very pleasant Canterbury Style jazz-pop-rock with many completely different motifs sown into one song with the same sudden twists and turns that Homunculus Res uses\d on their 2012 debut album, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto. I love the percussion and bassoon-dominated second motif. One of the most proggy-sounding songs on the album. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
7. "How Archontic the Ankle Biters" (8:21) with its dominant piano base and synth-funk sound in the rhythm section, this is the jazziest, most classically-influenced, and most dated sounding song on the album--even during the click and pop motif in the second minute. A clever, humorous song that could have been created or produced by fellow-Detroiter Don Was. (17.5/20)
8. "Lady and the Old Codger" (2:27) an ambivalently malevolent and, at the same time, humorous song that really gets your attention. Like a scene out of an Eminem movie. Powerful! (5/5)
9. "Unknowable" (5:14) synth-o-mania! Interesting, but sounds and feels rather dated and more like an étude than something intended for consumer/listener pleasure. (8.6667/10)
10. "Love Is a Dead Smelly Fish" (4:34) another song on the jazz-side of the musical spectrum--as if Homunculus Res went more toward French street music or straight jazz. (9/10)
12. "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)" (3:39) Singing! in French! By a female "NORTHETTES"-like choir (all Penelope Lovelace multitracked?)! Such a joyful song! My favorite song on the album! (10/10)
13. "Groom of the Stool" (3:32) lots of sound FX in the opening before a heavier early-DAVE STEWART-like piano chord progression opens up the minor-key song construct. It's like a soundtrack song from an European spy thriller. Interesting but nothing exceptional or ground-breaking. (8.75/10)
14. "Lurking in Shadow Fury" (3:41) piano and accordion and, later, synthesizer trading turns in the lead over staccato stop-and-go jazz foundation. A little hurky-jerky for me, too reliant on an oft-repeated melody line. (8.66667/10)
15. "Guns for Clones" (7:43) one of the more serious-sounding songs on the album, it's quite like the early Canterbury instrumentalists (Hatfield, Gilgamesh, or even National Health). I like the constantly shifting tempo and accordion work. (13.75/15)
16. "People Who Eat People" (8:53) again, there is an undefinable French street musicality to this music--and it's so carefree and happy-go-lucky--like a walk through several of the delightful neighborhoods in Paris' 2nd or 3rd Arrondissement coupled with the occasional encounter with the the Right Bank of the Seine or museum stroll through. (18.25/20)
Total Time 77:29
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ian Jones / bass, keyboards, piano, orchestration, bass pedals, acoustic guitar, programming
- Sertari / vocals, backing vocals, choir
With:
- Luke Machin / guitars
- Chris Allan / drums & percussion
- Troy Donockley / uilleann pipes, low whistles
- Gonzalo Carrera / additional keyboards
1. "All Around the World" (11:30) very solid symphonic prog--on the heavy side (as opposed to the Folk)--with an excerpt of one of Greta Thunberg's most famous speeches as its centerpiece. Lead (and background) vocalist Sertari has a style and approach quite similar to that of IONA's Joanne Hogg (and am I mistaken that the lyrics feel a bit as if they are also in the spiritual/ Christian realm of inspirational?) (18.5/20)
2. "Sacrifice" (6:30) sounds like a theme song to some warrior television series like Vikings or Game of Thrones. One of Ian's anthemic vehicles for Sertari to belt out another inspirational message. Too much like the showtunes of Miriam Stockley or Sarah Brightman and the like. (8.66667/10)
Total Time 79:47
Line-up / Musicians:
- Michael Gira / vocals, words, acoustic guitar, production
- Kristof Hahn / lap steel guitar, various guitars, vocals
- Larry Mullins / drums, orchestral percussion, Mellotron, vibes, keyboards, backing vocals
- Dana Schechter / bass, lap steel, keyboards, vocals, piano
- Christopher Pravdica / bass, sounds, keyboards, vocals
- Phil Puleo / drums & percussion, vocals, piano, exotic wind instruments
- Ben Frost / guitar, synthesizers, sound manipulations
- Jennifer Gira / backing vocals
- Lucy Kruger / backing vocals
- Laura Carbone / backing vocals
- Ingo Krauss / engineering
- Doug Henderson / mastering
CD 1 (69:08)
1. "The Parasite" (8:21) (17/20)
2. "Paradise Is Mine" (9:23) (17.25/20)
3. "Los Angeles: City of Death" (3:29) (8.5/10)
From Devonshire, Billie has been making her presence felt since the late Naughties working with the likes of David Sinclair, Mike and Kate Westbrook as well as several versions of her own as a bandleader. Her affinity and allegiance for Canterbury Style music is without question yet she continually rides an edge that could fall into pop, jazz, indie, or even folk traditions.
Line-up / Musicians:
Billie Bottle: Voice, piano, synth bass, bass guitar, Hammond organ, organ, electric pianos, keyboards, mellotron, drum programming, programming, swanee whistle, vibraslap
Viv Goodwin-Darke: Flutes, voice, ‘cello, iron, crumhorn
Roz Harding: Alto sax, voice, treble recorder, kettle, wind chimes
Anna Batson: Bassoon, voice, crumhorn, hoover
Emma Holbrook: Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, pandeiro, voice
With:
Richard Sinclair: Guest bass guitar on "Ironing Days"
Martine Waltier: Voice
Rowan Porteous: Trumpets
Greg Hancock: Backwards voice
Hugh Nankivell: Viola
Geoff Bartholomew: Lyra-8 virtual synth
Geoff Bartholohowl, Otis & Vita Jarman-Pinto: Vocal howls
Amy Howard: Soprano sax
Ivo Stimpson: Backwards spoken word
Kimwei McCarthy: Penny whistle wolf
Lyndon Forster: Handpans
George Shilling: drum programming
Valborga: Bleat
Wyverne: Call
Lupinus: Howl
Shibboleth: Whinny
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ronaldo Rodrigues / keyboards
- David Paiva / bass, guitars, vocals
- Elcio Cáfaro / drums
1. "Bússola do Tempo" (5:12) The last time I was on a musical journey like this one was with the Swedish band ANEKDOTEN in 2015! Excellent prog rock! (9/10)
2. "Castelos do Céu" (7:15) more retro keys on an RPI Anekdoten foundation. This one's not quite as catchy as the opener. (13/15)
3. "Sonhos Medievais" (7:57) piano and organ over proggy bass and drums provide a incongruous match with the smooth reverb-drenched vocal. One might even say that it almost feels as if the two are in totally different universes. But then when the singer stops singing, the band seem to pick up the pace and launch into a very controlled-crazed RPI passage with all instruments working in great fervor, creating a kind of LE ORMA Felona e Sorona atmosphere. Now, with this new forceful purpose and intent, even the singing can't detract from the excellent music driving the song on. Well met! (13.5/15)
4. "Mandala" (4:47) once again the trio do a remarkable job of setting a tone and mood that is all prog, all fresh, though definitely conjuring up wistful memories of the old RPI masterpieces. The sound palette may be retro-prog but the content is all new, all fresh! This keyboard artist definitely has taken the classic sounds and instruments and invented new, flashy ways to exploit them--like the snappy clavichord used in the middle section of this as a support instrument. Also, I think engineers/producers are genius for amping up every single one of the instruments employed: nothing is left for subtle background; everything is up front and in your face. Very cool and refreshing! My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)
5. "Cruz da Ordem" (10:16) for the first three minutes of this, it's kind of standard, striaghtforward rhythm track support of a KEITH EMERSON-like Hammond solo, but then we transition over into a very PETE BARDENS/CAMEL-esque passage, plodding along for a minute before heavily reverbed voice enters (the CAMEL reminders are actually quite chilling!) The Camel (and "Taff" Freeman) similarities continue during the instrumental passages between the brief vocal passages, even traipsing into MATTHEW FISHER territory a bit during the organ solo in the second such passage. Synths and at the end of the seventh minute transition into TONY PAGLIUCA and LARRY FAST territory for the extended high-speed instrumental passage over the next two minutes. Bass player David Paiva and rhythmist Elcio Cáfaro do an excellent job of keeping it all prog--RPI prog--during Ronaldo's transitions between instruments. The song ends with some nice Hammond work--which, in my opinion, sours the flow and feel of the great song a bit. Another top three song. (18.25/20)
6. "Ciclos" (3:34) sounding like an attempt at a radio-friendly song, it's still very dense (condensed) progressive rock music all the way with excellent bass and drum play beneath David's Hammond and vocal. There's a little of that NEKTAR sound and feel in this one, as well. (8.75/10)
7. "Filtro dos Sonhos" (7:11) Wow! Does this opening sound like TONY KAYE's organ play in Yes's "Astral Traveller" or KERRY MINNEAR's clavinet play on multiple Gentle Giant songs--or Rick WAKEMAN on "Heart of the Sunrise"! And then, 90 seconds into the song, David's bass play totally takes on a Chris Squire imitative 's bass play in the second motif as arpeggiated piano chords and steady jazz drums support. At the three-minute mark Hammond takes over, vying with the piano for the front of the show. Then at 4:05 we launch into a YES-like fast paced prog motif so that Ronaldo can do some RICK WAKEMAN/PETE BARDENS soloing on their MiniMoog synths. Four distinctive motifs, all recounting past masters and their masterpieces. Wonderful tribute song! Another top three song for me. (14/15)
Total Time 46:12
Practice and emulation pays off for self-described Rush worshippers Kevin Comeau and Cody Bowles with this, the closest I've ever heard to capturing the purity and distinctiveness of Rush's great 2112.
2. "Dreamer of the Dawn" (4:03) a song that sounds a bit like GUNS 'N' ROSES with some RUSH basics, but as Cody's vocals and drumming go on I'm feeling that we're experiencing a new, though retro-oriented, sound. (8.875/10)
3. "The Shadow" (3:44) a song that effortlessly conjures up ancient masters of the classic Hard Rock/Heavy Metal genre including KISS, TRIUMPH, DEF LEPPARD, and, of course, THE SCORPIONS' "Rock You Like a Hurricane." (8.75/10)
6. "Reflections" (5:43) a bit of a stylistic departure from the Rush scene on this one--at least, insofar as the vocals and verses; the choruses are all Rush. (8.66667/10)
7. "Penny" (3:43) solo acoustic guitar! And an instrumental! Impressive (and ballsy--because it's so old-school)! And then to build a whole radio-play length out of it. (8.66667/10)
8. "Lady of the Lake" (5:06) more acoustic guitar but this one you know is leading up to a full-on rock anthem. RUSH and LED ZEPPELIN playing together (not sure who's singing: Geddy or Robert). Great classic construct, chords, playing style, and bluesy singing. Wow! Does this bring one back to the 1970s! Reminds one of how amazing music and sound was back then. Great song--rated up for amazing nostalgia effect. A top three song, to be sure. (9.5/10)
9. "Citadel" (5:52) plaintive piano play opens this song--reminding me of the genius that was Freddie Mercury when Cody enters to sing. This is not a Geddy Lee vocal, no sir, it's one that could compare with the greatest of the greats: Robert Plant, Steve Perry, Klaus Meine (The Scorpions), and, of course, Ozzie. A masterful imitation of a classic rock ballad. My other top three song. (9.75/10)
Total Time 57:51
Line-up / Musicians:
- Daniele Giovannoni / drums, keyboards, backing vocals
- Valerio Sgargi / lead & backing vocals, keyboards
- Alex Massari / guitars
- Alessandro Cefalì / bass
1. "Black Hole Era" (7:43) what a voice this Valerio Sgargi has! It's comparable to that of Gino Vannelli! Powerful guitar soloing in the seventh and eighth minutes. A top three song right off the bat. (14/15)
2. "Nashira" (9:11) (orchestra version) solo piano opens this seemingly playing avariation of the previous song's chord sequence. Valerio enters and the piano drops out in lieu of a cello. In the second minute other instruments begin to join in: piano, cymbal-dominant drums, fretless bass, oboe and a few other orchestral sounds but in the third minute a heavy chordal footsteps for a minute. The volume on the reed instruments seems far too high throughout this song--even when they're in the lead or soloing, but that doesn't prevent Valerio from giving one heck of a performance (or guitarist Alex Massari in the final minute). A top three song for me. (18.5/20)
3. "Take Me Home" (orchestra version) (8:31) though the song starts out sounding like a very classic, stripped down performance of "My Funny Valentine," the highlight here is how Valerio sings a duet with himself: in two very different voices and styles, side by side, starting with the second verse. This voice could be the new That Joe Payne! The second half of the song is quite cinematic in its bombast: bombastic prog at its finest. My third top three song. (18.5/20)
4. "Tell Me" (6:07) thought the chorus sections remind me a lot, melodically and in the strummed 12-string guitar chord sequence, of Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine," this is a nice, nuanced song with yet another extremely enjoyable vocal performance by Valerio Sgargi. (8.875/10)
5. "Room 101" (orchestra version) (8:40) acoustic guitar picking like at the opening to Genesis' "Dance on a Volcano" is joined by flourishes and embellishments from individual orchestra instruments. Enter Valerio Sgargi and a Depeche Mode-like singing style. Even after the brief burst of prog bombast Valerio continues singing in a commanding David Gahan-like monotone. Then the music begins to build and cycle, provoking Valerio to reach for notes that Devy Townsend or That Joe Payne are commonly heard to hit. A switch in the fifth minute to a new smoother, more orchestra-supported space music allows for more exposition to individual instrumental performers, like the piano, members of the strings, the whole bass section, and, of course, the electric guitar, but ultimately leads to a JC Superstar-like climax. (17.75/20)
6. "I Will Come in Your Dreams" (5:27) gentle piano and low strings lay the foundation for Valerio to sing--this time in a very old Elvis/operetta style of voice. Pretty but nothing very new, proggy, or exciting with this one. (8.66667/10)
29. BATTLESTATIONS Memoirs of Once
2. "The disappeared" (3:40) treated wordless vocals over slowly progressing synth washes. (8.875/10)
3. "Malaise" (3:43) industrial rebellion. I like the arrival of layer upon layer as if the MATRIX revolution is mounting and ultimate. (8.875/10)
4. "Failing systems" (2:54) gorgeous chord progression of nebulous cloud synth chords while beneath pulse the machines of some industrial factory. My favorite song on the album--(because it uses my all-time favorite synth wash sound). (9.75//10)
5. "Quietus" (2:46) more cinematic chord progressions--this time coming from a youthful Ryuichi Sakamoto perspective. (4.5/5)
6. "Poisoned Ground" (3:26) much more on the subtle grounds of ubiquity and stagnation. (8.75/10)
7. "RSYT" (4:45) Satie-like piano (and synth) as if emerging from within thick fog. Spoken voices in the background add great mystery and confusion to the scene: It's like walking the streets of Ghent late at night while the fog of Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog wafts through the streets and alleys. Very cool. (9/10)
8. "The force of loss" (4:11) another song that could have come from a Vangelis soundtrack--perhaps even Blade Runner. The operatic voice sampled and used reminds me of the wonderful music of Wim Mertens. (8.875/10)
9. "Folded time" (4:44) two progressions of distorted, pitch-bent harp-like chord strokes repeat within a matrix of gelatinous-yet-crystalline, billowing musical walls. It's like walking through a hall of mirrors at an amusement park while drunk or high: nothing is steady or dependable; everything is fluid and amorphous. Genius! (9.25/10)
10. "The ghost of Lady Farewell" (5:51) with the twang of a stringed instrument involved within the nebulous mix from the start, I am reminded of older Battlestations pieces. But then the song shifts into a completely different form and set of textures with a pace and rhythm base to it while heavily treated electric guitar wails away in the not-too-distant background. At 3:08 the rhythm section actually solidifies and marches forward in a way that is quite reminiscent of the band's first three albums. It's nice, but it's been done before. The highlight is the fresh layers of synth-strings chords over the top. (8.875/10)
Total Time 41:18
Line-up / Musicians:
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards, reeds, guitars (1,4), kalimba (2), accordion (3), harmonica (6), everything (4,7)
With:
- Sean Rickman / drums (1,2,5,6,8)
- Guy Segers / bass (1,6)
- Michael Zentner / electric violin (1)
- Jerry King / trombone (1-3), bass (2,3)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (2,6,8)
- Michael Bass / drums (3)
- Forrest Fang / violin (3)
- Rich O'Meara / marimba (6), mallets, bells, percussion (8)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (8)
- Luciano Margorani / guitar (9)
1. "Phantosmia" (6:30) very interesting for its unusual (for Dave) rhythm track. Saxophone and Michael Zentner's Eddie Jobson-like violin lead us through the first three minutes but then the horn section takes over in the foreground while individual instruments try to vie for attention from behind the wall of winds. In the fifth minute the band falls into the Rock Creek as Jannick Top-like single-pluck bass notes reverberate in order to keep the song moving above multiple reverse guitar tracks. Interesting. (8.75/10)
2. "Rounded by Sleep" (8:36) great steady mini-big band foundation that reminds me of Herbie Hancock's 1970s music in the late 1960s and early 1970s sits beneath some really awesome fuzz-saw guitar playing from Mark Stanley. At 4:00 Mark's play and the drums and bass cut out and we're left with a Phillip Glass-like tuned percussion weave within which trombone, woodwinds, and piano play a little bit. Then, at 6:20, a new kalimba, bass, and electric piano weave fades in and takes over. Lots of tuned percussion joins in and VERY cool three-part song! (18.75/20)
4. "Section W" (4:56) a weave of stringed instruments: bass, guitar, percussed electric guitar, even banjo (dobro?) are all cycling within a steady repeating flow. Once established, radio tuning noises are strung into the mix giving it a Holger Czukay sound and feel. But then low flute (shakuhachi?) enters--on multiple tracks--providing a whole different feel and texture. (9/10)
5. "There Was a Time" (2:21) one of those classic beautiful piano-based chord progression songs that only Dave seems to be able to generate. Organ tracks, drums, keyboard bass, and some reeds provide most of the instrumentation for this little "soundtrack" ditty. (4.5/5)
6. "Close the Sky (5:52) a song of several parts, Guy Segers' heavily-treated bass and Mark Stanley's heavily-treated muted guitar play provide most of the foundational stuff for the first two minutes while reeds and harmonica provide entertainment on the sides, but then marimba takes the place of Mark's guitar for a minute, but then he returns for another solo--still playing off of Guy's interesting jazz bass. Then formally horn section step in to take the fore, providing their own tight melody as drummer Sean Rickman freestyles. (9/10)
7. "Instant Cloud Effect (3:18) opens with a descending chord progression of Fender Rhodes electric piano, bass, flutes, and clarinet, a pattern that is repeated with interludes of a second motif for the flutes and clarinet to do some flitting and flying off on their own. Nice. Peaceful. (8.875/10)
8. "Love Song for a Country" (5:30) slow and melancholy, this one feels as if the entire band are all on the same page--in the same mood--thus the song's overall feeling of uniformity--of the band's entrainment and indivisibility. It would've been interesting to hear this with Nick Prol's vocals. Nice avant garde guitar soloing from Mark Stanley in the last 90 seconds. Dave sure has a genius for great, nostalgic chord piano progressions. (9/10)
9. "Hope" (5:00) like Dave's swan song. I feel as if I'm listening to Dexter Gordon's playing from the film 'Round Midnight. (8.875/10)
Total Time 46:16
3. "Stone Ponies" (4:28) the gentler side of Quinn trying on an old 1970s smooth jazz sound palette before moving into some more sophisticated jazz fusion. Nice tune. Memorable in a Wippy Bonstack kind of way. (9/10)
4. "The Big Goldeneye" (3:32) I love the 1960s Beach Rock riffs and sounds in this one. Though it is not all that, it definitely has a cinematic feel of mystery and intrigue. (8.875/10)
5. "Outmind" (2:53) wonderful weave of more delicate instrumental palette--almost Latin/Brazilian folk jazz imitative. Crushing melodies in several sections. My favorite song on the album. (10/10)
6. "Wingtip Vortices" (7:56) a wonderfully-fulfilling, complete composition that uses a bit of a STEREOLAB sound and melody palette before rocking out a bit. There's even a dreamy pastoral ANTHONY PHILLIPS/GENESIS-like passage (or two) in the fifth, six, and seventh minutes that eventually moves back to the opening motif for the finish. (13.75/15)
7. "Red Knot" (1:06) sounds like a hard-XTC/Dave Gregory rock version of the main motif in the previous song.(4.25/5)
8. "Clean Dinner" (1:19) a little Math Rock dittie that tries to be/turn folk rock. (4.5/5)
9. "House Finch" (2:32) strings and bassoon with organ and MIKE OLDFIELD electric guitar, tuned percussion and others perform this little mediæval circus dittie. (8.875/10)
11. "Rookery" (5:55) more music from the "GENTLE GIANT covers/alternate takes" series--as if they has Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman on electric guitar and grand piano, respectively, and then were joined by Anthony Phillips or Mike Rutherford on 12-string in the last quarter. (9/10)
Ever since discovering Motorpsycho with 2010's Heavy Metal Fruit, I've been a big fan. Until last year I'd always assumed they were authors of sweeping prog concept albums like Unicorn but then I went back into their old discography--back to the 1990s and early 2000s--where I discovered some very cool, very melodic psychedelic pop music. so that Phanerothyme had lept to become my favorite album of theirs. So, when I heard about this album--and then heard the music--my reaction was "It's about time! I've been waiting--hoping--for this!"And then to find out that guitar hero Reine Fiske had a role in the production of this album! What a dream come true! I mean, I've LOVED his work with previous Motorpsycho albums (2013's Still Life with Eggplant, 2014's Behind the Sun, 2020's The All Is One)--but that'd always been as a player/performer. This is different. I am so excited for this album!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Bent Sæther / lead vocals, bass
- Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan / lead guitars, vocals
- Tomas Järmyr / drums & percussion
With:
- Josefin Runsteen / violin, viola
- Lisa Maria Linnéa Isaksson / flutes, vocals
2. "Sentinels" (4:22) beautiful Simon & Garfunkle vocals with a wonderfully spacious, delicate instrumental passage in the middle--all over hand percussion! (9.25/10)
3. "Patterns" (5:11) the Robin Guthrie guitars in the background and heavy, thick electric bass up front and center are the highlights of this one for me. Bent's 1990s Shoegaze-psychedelic vocals are pretty good, as well. The country-rock jam that finishes the song is so Amazing (as in, The). (8.875/10)
4. "Dank State" (3:18) a song that feels as if it came straight out of the folk-rock movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s (or the Nugrass movement of the late 1990s and Naughties). (8.66667/10)
5. "W.C.A." (4:15) multiple acoustic guitars strumming away while Bent sings and countrified guitar/sitar-like guitar leads beneath. The keyboards (uncredited) and/or tuned percussion are also quite good. I'm hearing what sounds like a kind of ALLMAN BROTHERS tribute/revival. (8.875/10)
6. "Real Again (Norway Shrugs and Stays at Home)" (3:03) another very sensitive acoustic guitar-based song that sounds like it comes straight from a 1960s Simon & Garfunkle album. (8.75/10)
7. "Loch Meaninglessness & the Mull of Dull" (2:54) more Paul Simon vocals though never as biting or politically-oriented as Paul was known for. The subtle presence of other instruments in occasional support and/or embellishment is handled quite masterfully. There's quite a little folk/country-western/even British folk-rock feel to this music. (8.75/10)
8. "Hotel Daedalus" (7:46) Wow! I was not expecting this! James Bond theme song bombast with some wonderful Duane Allman-like guitar playing. The beautifully harmonized vocals from the opening notes are powerful, sensitive, and gorgeously melodic but the Duane Allman/(Reine Fiske) lead guitar work is the real showstopper here (though I also love the rhythm guitar work, drums, and chunky distorted BASS). The stripped down, conga-supported instrumental passage in the fourth minute is simply to DIE FOR--especially as the big thick bass and wall of orchestral strings join in. I am in tears it's so beautiful, so emotional! This is definitely the high point of my 2023 listening (so far). And that's not even mentioning the lead guitar work! Coming out of the beautifully bombastic instrumental theme with some BREAD-like strumming guitar and groove-walking bass playing, Bent finishes it off with his beautiful vocal. Definitely a top three song for me. Maybe the best song of 2023. (It's definitely in the running!) (15/15)
9. "Scaredcrow" (1:50) an excellent comedown from the emotional output of the previous song. (Thank you!) This just shows what masters of putting together an album of music these gentlemen are. (4.5/5)
10. "The Rapture" (5:28) Another acoustic guitar strumming song over which Bent uses his Paul Simon voice and lyrics delivery approach. Bass, more strings, piano, strings, congas, even Mellotron each join in, seemingly one at a time, one line at a time, before we get to the powerful ARCADE FIRE/THE DECEMBERISTS-like chorus delivery. Cool song. The lead guitar(s) interplay with the full orchestra strings is really cool--like a classic Jimmy Webb song ("Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"). Great ending to a great album. (8.875/10)
Total Time 42:08
Line-up / Musicians:
- Christian Kuntner / bass
- Manuel PasquinelliI / drums
- Bernhard Wagner / guitar, live looping
- Stephan Thelen / guitar, programming
- David Torn / guitar, live looping
- J. Peter Schwalm / electronics
1. "Movement 1" (16:20) the presence and influence of keyboard/electronics expert J. Peter Schwalm is felt immediately in the much more expanded spectrum of sound presented here; the SONAR sound field by these Math Rockers is typically far-more sparse than this. David Torn's first solo feels forced, too rooted in rock norms, not as expressive of his own highly unique sonic intuition. Luckily, this style is short-lived: the band goes back into more Math Rock polyrhythmic mode, several times building to full-band weave crescendos before devolving into a more open, passive, and spacey soundscape in the thirteenth minute. Christian Kuntner's Tony Levin-like low bass "thrums" always get me--and he times them perfectly (though selectively) throughout this. The tribal-rhythms and beats of the fourteenth and fifteenth minutes are so PETER GABRIEL Passion like! ("Of These, Hope") It's wonderful! Great tune! Welcome J. Peter! (27/30)
3. "Movement 3" (15:08) opening with more typical SONAR Math Rock guitar weave, joined first by the deep bass thrums of Christian Kuntner and then Van de Graaf generator-like electronic inputs from J. Peter Schwalm's synths. The inputs of David Torn and J. Peter Schwalm are felt in bursts and waves over the course of the next four minutes until the music swells and then clears out for some very deep electronic (bass?) waves. The have no real change in structure or flow until the ninth minute when drummer Manuel Pasquinellil begins to go to town over his cymbals and then entire drum kit--then everybody else seems to jump on the dynamic wagon, though Manuel remains the most impressive. (26.5/30)
Total Time 42:28
34. SEQUENTIA LEGENDA Alcyone
2. "The Ring of Golden Light" (27:40) opening with layers of slightly-unsettling spacey synth notes woven together--and no sequencer--the song slowly develops as a "distant" tapestry of sequenced lines very slowly begins to emerge from beneath the ethereal space weave, taking about two minutes to finally achieve full integration and then dominance. The new dominant weave is flush with moving parts, all of them morphing subtly despite sounding and feeling as if they are remaining constant. This is brilliant! I love how subtle the changes are: it keeps one fully engaged within the effort of trying to catch each and every ray, glimmer, and flare. At 9:14 there is a major key change--a single point at which time everything in this perspective made a uniform shift in direction (and speed?). The course has been changed! But why? What has happened Then, at 11:15, there is another sudden shift: this time back to the exact course (and speed) we were on from 3:00 to 9:13. And then the background space-synth weave seems to make a play for leadership position--and forces the beam to make another shift to the faster course. The synth-weave backs down briefly but then, in the 14th minute, can be heard making another play for dominant, forcing yet another, completely new and different directional (and speed) change in the 15th minute. It's almost like this energy field has politics: as if it has a two-party factional drive (or driver). At 18:15 there is yet another directional shift, this one feeling a bit more destabilizing--even chaotic, as the energy beam falters for a few moments while it tries to regather its strength and momentum--to no avail as the entire operation is forced to shut down at the 20:12 mark, leaving an unsettling and seemingly directionless field of chaotic independent and disorganized synth waves to fill the void. Cosmic Voices and other forces of Discord and support begin to rush in as if to bolster up and help reform the spent entity. It seems, however, that the forces of Entropy and Chaos might prevail until the chorus of Cosmic Organizers regroup and rejoin the struggle for recovery (or, perhaps, rebirth). In the end, it feels as if all is lost, let go of, as the forces of Creation seem to fade into the background and disappear, the leftover molecules of energy allowed to scatter freely as they give in to Kali's forces of entropy. Perhaps this piece can be viewed as a metaphor for the contentious state our current version of humankind finds itself in?--or for the decay and fall of any empire (such as the US)? Thank you, Laurent, once again, for the gift of yet another piece of time-and-space-removing music that has allowed me such a wonderful journey within my very real imagination. (49.5/55)
3. "Bon Voyage" (20:45) seems like an homage to our late, great Berlin School artists as everything here, from the very opening, sounds like it's old, expressing the insidious urgency that those old TD and KS sequenced songs used to. I like the way Laurent has learned to hide secondary melodies and other nuanced sounds/elements within the music--its as if the screamed salutations of passersby can be heard as the bullet train/speed-of-light space craft slashes by without the listener on board the craft being able to make out any words or meanings, just shadow-like Edvard Munch "Scream" sounds. The final quarter of the piece projects a heightened urgency--as if tensions rise due to the unexpected findings at the end of the journey (or else due to fuel consumption worries). (35.5/40)
Ólafur Arnalds performing on two Stratus Pianos AI-controlled Yamaha upright pianos (and other Korg and Roland electronic keyboards) with the integral support of a string quartet (made up of four of Ólafur's long-time collaborators) and a synth drummer, this is a video recording of a live performance from the volcanic wilderness of Iceland, in Hafursey, Myrdalssandur, Kötlujökull, Katla, Iceland. While the "concert" contained only one original composition, the prominent presence of the string quartet makes so many of these previously-released songs so magical.
13. AISLES Beyond Drama
Chile's 21st Century prog stalwarts are back with yet another lineup change. Founding members guitarists Germán Vergara and Rodrigo Sepúlveda are still with the band as is drummer Felipe Candia. 2012 addition Daniel Concha is back on bass as is keyboard player Juan Pablo Gaete (2014), but the band has had to find a new vocalist. Israel Gil has been brought in to try to fill Sebastién Vargara shoes.
This album is actually a collection of individual songs that the band worked on and released as singles, one by one, over the time span of early 2021 through February of 2023.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Israel Gil / vocals
- Rodrigo Sepulveda / guitars
- German Vergara / guitars, vocals
- Juan Pablo Gaete / keyboards
- Daniel Concha / bass
- Felipe Candia / drums
1. "Fast" (4:38) love the "fade in" fast-strum two chord progression that the song opens with but the mix remains too muted and distant for my likes. When keys and vocals join the rhythm section, it's with a MOTORPSYCHO-like sound and feel. Very cool! (I love Motorpsycho.) Despite its flaws (sound engineering) this is a great, catchy song with lots of impressive (and loveable) subtle nuances (keyboard, bass, and drum flourishes). Great drumming from Felipe Candia. (8.875/10)
2. "Megalomania" (6:25) styled very much like a KARNIVOOL or LEPROUS song (the main melody is practically lifted from the Aussie band's "We Are"--one of my favorite songs of the 2010s), the instrumental palette/soundscape is far too weak and thin to pull it off (as is the voice of lead vocalist Israel Gil), and yet the imitation (borrowing) of the afore-cited Heavy Proggers continues. Still, I do enjoy the slap and percussion styles used on the guitars and bass as well as the drum exhibition around the six-minute mark. (8.75/10)
3. "Thanks to Kafka" (4:18) Pleasant but not very memorable (other than the lyrical line of literary homage). At this point in the album my jury is still out on Israel; here he's impassioned but the vocal isn't mixed well into the mix of the song (it's buried too much in the mix--behind the bass and lead guitar). I do, however, appreciate the lyrical intent. (8.6667/10)
4. "Disobedience" (7:18) I love the set up and rhythmic foundation of this one: fast-moving drums with thoughtful phrasing from the bass and keys with great vocal deliveries. Reminds me of early PAATOS. And the reach for heaviness really works on this one. I love the FIXX-like chords used for the awesome chorus motif. Great tune! Definitely a top three song. (14.25/15)
5. "Time (A Conversation with My Therapist)" (6:40) quite a melodically captivating song. Once in, you're stuck--but it's such a nice, soul-balming place. I think I could stay here forever. (Aisles has always the ability to do that to the listener with their music.) A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
6. "The Plague" (11:06) opening with those delicate, virtuosic guitar notes is so magical--so much of what I think of when I recall Aisles. (Which makes me think that this song may have been carried forward from a long time ago.) I love the atmospheric soundscape established to back Israel's MARCO GLÜHMANN-like (Sylvan) vocal delivery. As a matter of fact, the whole song to this point has a LOT in common with the music of SYLVAN. The chorus starts out a little blandly but then Israel and Germán (and others) come forward to win the day. Great drumming, keys, and thrumming bass beneath the lead guitar solo in the fifth minute. Then begins the echoed guitar chord play that feels signatory to this band. Very powerful use of choral voices in the sixth and ninth minutes (reminding me of MOTORPSYCHO). Great, emotional song. Almost a top three song. (18.5/20)
7. "Surrender" (6:44) a beautiful piano intro is soon joined by the rest of the band with such mature subtlety. What a gift is this band! Israel enters with an equally delicate vocal, but then everybody amps up for the brief chorus preview (with some awesome lead guitar riffing). Man the bass sounds so great on this album: I love how forward and full those notes are coming from Daniel Concha. Just a beautifully constructed, performed, and engineered song. My only complaint is that the drums aren't as forward as the bass. (Felipe is also such a master of subtlety in his drum play.) The instrumental passage in the fifth minute is good, just not as blow-me-away good as the rest of the song (though the drums come through a little better). The vocal delivery sounds so heartfelt--even from German on background vocals! My favorite top three song. (9.75/10)
8. "Needsun" (2:09) fades in as if coming from a previously recorded song--a sentimental salvage job by the band. (It's gorgeous--with great drumming and powerful vocals--so I can see why.) (4.5/5)
9. "Game Over" (6:28) melodic yet using an industrial sound palette to get its syncopated CRIMSONIAN ideas across, this was one of the band's last single releases before completing and compiling this album. It's interesting--and very much like the condensed style of Jem Godfrey's FROST* releases of the past decade--with some great electric guitar playing (also in a John Mitchell style)--but I find myself missing/wanting Israel/the band's vocals! Fortunately, the song just keeps getting stronger as it goes along--until it wins you over! Impressive! (9/10)
Total Time 55:46
I must admit to being prejudiced against the possibility of liking this album as I have such love and admiration for the music (and lineup) of the band's 2009 incarnation and album, In Sudden Walks, but I'm won over. This music is great. It's different, but 14 years later you'd kind of hope that a band would grow and develop--not repeat the same sounds and songs over and over. Aisles have accomplished this in spades. I'm so glad the band persevered during the COVID years (and years of political and internal turmoil in Chile and within the band, respectively) to polish, perfect, and publish these songs!
91.79 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music. Aisles continues their stellar contribution to 21st Century progressive rock music. Definitely a Top 10 Album of 2023 (so far).
Uber-talented multi-oinstrumentalist Ryan Stephenson is back after his very well received and highly acclaimed debut Canterbury-lite styled album of 2020. This one is a bit more sophisticated and imitative while drawing more distinctive styles into his purvey of musical vision (and execution).
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ryan W Stevenson / Hammond organ, Mellotron, Hohner Pianet, piano, electric pianos, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, vocals, Korg MS-20, synthesizers, percussion, flute, field recordings, sound design
- Andrea Moneta / drums & cymbals
With:
- Sally Minnear / voice (1)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,2,7)
- Jørgen Munkeby / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Mike Benson / tenor saxophone (2)
- Rob Milne / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Tomás Figueiredo / French horn (1)
- Joe Burns / gong & additional cymbals (7)
1. "Amor Fati" (2:10) an exact and perfect duplication of the Hatfield & THE NORTH style for all those two-minute ear worms--even down to the quirky anti-rock construction, wordless vocals of two female vocalists (The Northettes 2.0!) and instrumental sounds. Brilliant! (5/5)
2. "You" (10:57) Vocals! Really fine, melodic ones, at that. It's as if Dave Stewart joined 10CC instead of Bruford. A great composition as well as a very engaging and enjoyable song. (19.5/20)
3. "Bushnell Keeler" (5:07) The sound is still based in the Canterbury familiarity, the composition is a bit more straightforward and simple (not unlike much of the music on Zopp's debut album). I like the addition/use of the thick wall of horns and flute to bring/carry the melody lines. But, like so many of Dave Newhouse's compositions of the past ten years, this one feels under-developed and kind of one-dimensional--like a bunch of instruments and their highly-specified sounds just trying to get to an end point; the music feels like it's merely a means to and end. (8.75/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ryan W Stevenson / Hammond organ, Mellotron, Hohner Pianet, piano, electric pianos, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, vocals, Korg MS-20, synthesizers, percussion, flute, field recordings, sound design
- Andrea Moneta / drums & cymbals
With:
- Sally Minnear / voice (1)
- Caroline Joy Clarke / voice (1,2,7)
- Jørgen Munkeby / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Mike Benson / tenor saxophone (2)
- Rob Milne / tenor saxophone & flute (7)
- Tomás Figueiredo / French horn (1)
- Joe Burns / gong & additional cymbals (7)
1. "Amor Fati" (2:10) an exact and perfect duplication of the Hatfield & THE NORTH style for all those two-minute ear worms--even down to the quirky anti-rock construction, wordless vocals of two female vocalists (The Northettes 2.0!) and instrumental sounds. Brilliant! (5/5)
2. "You" (10:57) Vocals! Really fine, melodic ones, at that. It's as if Dave Stewart joined 10CC instead of Bruford. A great composition as well as a very engaging and enjoyable song. (19.5/20)
3. "Bushnell Keeler" (5:07) The sound is still based in the Canterbury familiarity, the composition is a bit more straightforward and simple (not unlike much of the music on Zopp's debut album). I like the addition/use of the thick wall of horns and flute to bring/carry the melody lines. But, like so many of Dave Newhouse's compositions of the past ten years, this one feels under-developed and kind of one-dimensional--like a bunch of instruments and their highly-specified sounds just trying to get to an end point; the music feels like it's merely a means to and end. (8.75/10)
4. "Uppmärksamhet" (3:14) a song that takes its sweet time in defining itself much less a direction. It's more like an exercise or étude in creating a mood--a feeling of waiting, of Limbo. (8.5/10)
5. "Reality Tunnels" (4:11) rock-driven Canterbury sounds that attempt to cross over into the Hugh Banton/Van Der Graaf Generator realm of heavy prog (complete with Hugh's famous Hammond riff from "The Sleepwalkers"). It's quite successful at adopting that VDGG sound yet somehow it falls short in capturing the menace and gloom that Peter Hammill & Co. delivered. I think this is due to the fact that the music continues to remain mired in a palette of instruments and chords that comes from Ryan's Canterbury allegiances; it's as if the two styles (VDGG gloom and happy-go-lucky Canterbury-ness) are in conflict with one another. This conflict never seems to resolve itself and, to me, feels unsettling and deceitful. (8.75/10)
6. "Wetiko Approaching" (2:00) an interesting little dittie created out of a tonal étude--similar to the way Richard Sinclair and Dave Stewart used to work out interesting pieces from some of Dave's mathematical melodical explorations. (4.5/5)
7. "Toxicity" (14:22) opens with a clear attempt to fit into Gentle Giant's shoes. Not bad except that Ryan's Trevor Horn voice is not near enough to that of Derek Shulman. Still, this is a skillfully conveyed prog song of worthiness to stand on its own if we just let go of comparisons to the old masters. I love the Phill Miller-like guitar in the fifth minute. The BUGGLES-like lyrics and singing are actually quite enjoyable (and, of course, nostalgic) if a bit incongruous with some of the music. In the end it feels like a direction that a band of prog artists like ASIA could have taken had they wanted to retain their prog mantle and not travel so desperately into the radio-friendly pop realms. It does feel nice to hear someone finally giving props to Trevor Horn/Buggles (and maybe a little to Andy Partridge) with their vocal performance. In my opinion, they are both artists who are definitely worthy of more adulation and imitation.
All in all, this is actually quite an enjoyable romp through some very pleasant soundscapes. While I'm not sure this would qualify as an "epic," it is definitely an excellent adventure that Ryan has taken us on. (27.5/30)
Total Time 42:01
Total Time 42:01
Like countrymates ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS (who turned into SANGUINE HUM in 2010), I guess Ryan just wasn't content to stay in the Canterbury lane, he had to branch out into other forms and styles of progressive rock music--which is fine--especially considering the quality of the results! All fine melodic prog songs that continue to ring out nostalgic sound. The Dave Stewart keyboard sounds are all still here on this album, it's mainly some of the forms and flows that differ from the revered Canterbury styles of the 1970s. While I was not a fan of the simplistic "watered down" instrumental Canterbury-inspired music of Ryan's debut as Zopp, I am won over by this wonderfully mature and masterful collection of songs.
91.66667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Canterbury-based nostalgic prog rock and an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. If Ryan continues in the future to develop and explore as he has to make this album, I will become an avid follower/admirer.
15. AVIATIONS Luminaria
From Boston, Massachusetts, this Prog Metal band burst onto the scene straight out of Berklee College of Music over a decade ago. After two solid albums in the 2010s, they were stalled by the Pandemic but have slowly been working on the group of songs that we now find on this 2023 release.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Adam Benjamin / Vocals
- James Knoerl / drums and percussion
- Sam Harchik / guitars
- Eric Palmer / guitars
- Richard Blumenthal / piano
- Werner Erkelens / bass
2. "Cradle" (7:25) symphonic yet metallic and very HAKEN- and NATIVE CONSTRUCT-like music supports Adam Benjamin's vocals. The total sound palette reminds me of KARNIVOOL and THE CONTORTIONIST. The melodic and rhythmic paths explored here are so fresh and unpredictable that I find myself quite engaged--even mesmerized. Impressive and practically flawless. A top three song, to be sure. (14.5/15)
3. "Safehouse" (5:00) Great KANSAS-like vocals with very sophisticated syncopated instrumental constructs seemlessly sewn together, I am here reminded of the Australian band STARE AT THE CLOUDS as much as THE CONTORTIONIST. I live the microtonal guitar work, djenty low end, perfectly synchronized drums and surprise high-speed piano. Another top three song. (9.5/10)
4. "Legend" (6:02) more djenty low end with off-tempo drum hits and muted/background guitar and piano arpeggi support some growl and Freddie-Mercury-like vocal acrobatics. The full-on sprint at the end of the second minute is interesting--I'm finding myself feeling more in the territory of bands like UNEXPECT and old OPETH. Then there's the weird crazy Franz LISZT piano solo over some of the heaviest grunge in the fifth minute before the return to QUEEN-like heavy prog and then technically extreme djent. I get the innovation here but it is not exactly easy on the ears. Wow! What a wild, weird ride! (9/10)
5. "La Jolla" (5:04) despite the heavy low-end djent chords, this song presents as a more melodic, LINKIN PARK-like: the gentler, more melodic side of what I call atmospheric prog. At 3:52 the song even goes acoustic guitar like a Ed Sheeran pop song! But then the djent chords pop back and we're served notice: this we are the POISON of the 21st Century! Interesting but not my favorite. (8.66667/10)
6. "Pinenut" (5:47) the fleeting guitar and vocal opening to this make me think immediately of some of the modern Country Rock or 21st Century Southern Rock coming out of America--like a 21st Century version of the MARSHALL TUCKER BAND or a pop-oriented DIXIE DREGS (note GHOST MEDICINE, Imagine Dragons, et al.) For my ears, it runs a little long and its disjointed, staccato metal rhythms make my brain hurt a bit. And the saccharine solo piano at the end does not save it. (8.666667/10)
7. "Pure" (7:08) opens with an interesting (and, I have to admit, gorgeous) multi-chord multi-guitar weave before "settling" into a flowing, if-broken rhythm patterned motif over which Adam sings in a surprisingly gentle, airy voice. That base-line weave is actually quite pretty--lilting and wave-like, almost making me want to drift off to sleep--not unlike LEPROUS or KARNIVOOL at their most tranquilizing. Nice song. They show a restraint and aspect of their composition and performance skills heretofore unrealized in a vocal form (yet reminiscent of the album's opener). (13.5/15)
8. "Where We've Been" (3:59) a beautiful instrumental journey started off by HAROLD BUDD-like treated piano with computer glitch scratches and gorgeous if-embryonic piano- and guitar-led melodies. As the song progresses it begins to express in the rhythmic and sonic ranges more common to 21st Century progressive metal (and experimental/post metal). As it builds and builds, it never loses its focus, never loses my interest or enjoyment. Great song. (9.5/10)
9. "Coma" (10:45) more piano to open, this time more reminiscent of pseudo jazz artist GEORGE WINSTON. The chord play becomes more dark and dissonant just before the metal instruments join in (machine gun bass drum play, djenty bass and guitar chords). The construction of these chord sequences is amazing--I wish I could see "the charts". I'd also love a tutorial on the musical theory informing the modern metal musician. Anybody have any good resources? I like the gentler variation of the main theme as explored in the jazzy piano-led section from 5:30 to 6:30. The percussion-led motif that follows is nice--quite a bit like Australian band STARE AT THE CLOUDS' 2016 masterpiece, This Clear Divide. It's a bit surprising to have a fairly "normal" rock/metal guitar solo in the ninth minute--even while the djenty music continues. At the nine-minute mark the band slows down, resting before launching into a frenetic finish (symphonic, even!). Nice construct. (17.75/20)
10. "Blink" (9:23) yet another piano opening! Fast arpeggi are soon joined by chunky djent-bass and etheric reverb-vocals and then the staccato bass, drum, and guitar-keyboard interplay begins--all beneath, of course, the vocal threads that try to hold it all together. I love the muted piano and guitar note-play at the end of the third minute that forms the skeletal structure of the next section. In the fifth minute the vocal and drum lines start to feel a bit stale, but then a shift into a higher gear of djenty and technically demanding instrumental play get me on my feet again. Cool "metal dream sequence" in the sixth minute! This is followed by TOOL-like section containing a little more angst and anger in the vocals (and music), but things go a bit symphonic again at the end of the seventh minute before the music settles into a mesmerizing djent groove for the next 45 seconds. (Man! They could play this motif all day and I'd be happy!) Things seem to come to a close at the end of the eighth minute but then, no! It's not over: the music resuscitates itself, albeit on a slightly slower, more laid-back way--right up to its surprising solo piano finish. Wow! What did I just hear! I need to hear it again! (18.125/20)
Total Time 63:43
Total Time 63:43
One thing the Gen Z musicians have going for them is very little allegiance to diatonic scales or long, drawn out motifs: they are unafraid to go melodically where no one loyal to Newtonian physics and pre-20th Century Western musical traditions would think of going and they have no qualms about exploring a motif or theme for a measure, a 20-second burst, or less, without second thought about ever returning or "recapitulating" said theme again. These are, I think admirable talents, but I really appreciate it when musicians can (and do) bridge the gap between the modern short-term attention span and the longer 19th and 20th Century spans (which are, respectively, two-to-three minutes and 30-to-60 seconds in length [the length of a typical radio and/or television commercial]). Otherwise, trying to engage and accommodate the chaotic sound "bites" bombarding our central nervous systems makes it more challenging for brains that were hard-wired in the 20th Century like mine. (In defense of my aversion [or maladaptability] to the sound-bite frame of temporal reference: I only entered the world of the Internet in 2007, I have yet to own a "smart phone," and have given up on all social media platforms other than email. As a matter of fact, just to assuage my over-stimulated CNS, I have been soothing my soul by listening to mediæval and Renaissance music with increasing regularity for several weeks now [and almost exclusively for the past three days]). So, while I appreciate the technical and cerebral plasticity displayed through Aviations' music on this album, it will probably never become music that I "like"--that I return to or which works its way into my list of all-time favorite albums. And yet I can recognize the talent and skill on display--and, therefore, recommend it whole-heartedly to my less-concretize-brained peers on ProgArchives and other music sites.
I, in no way, mean to denigrate the musical compositions or extraordinary performances throughout this album: it's all just so dynamic--almost overwhelmingly so: I will compare it to hearing "Gates of Delirium" or "Discipline" or Univers Zero and Yugen for the first times: my nervous system is in a little bit of shock. With each successive listen I have found myself sinking into, enjoying, even grooving--to these songs. It is my opinion that this album represents truly quite an a remarkable achievement in progressive rock music. In fact, I offer mega kudos to each and every musician associated with this project: you pulled off something truly amazing!
Another plus for this album is its wonderful/beautiful artwork--so perfectly rendered for this Autumn delivery!
91.31 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of 21st Century progressive rock music of the form founded within the latest metal trends. HIGHLY redcommended to all and any individual who professes themselves to be a lover of progressive rock music.
16. OZRIC TENTACLES Lotus Unfolding
Ed Wynne has chosen to revive the "Ozric" name--with the help of his family and some friends--for this, their 16th studio album release, and I have to concur with the other early reviewers: this may be one of their best albums ever--certainly top five!
Ed Wynne has chosen to revive the "Ozric" name--with the help of his family and some friends--for this, their 16th studio album release, and I have to concur with the other early reviewers: this may be one of their best albums ever--certainly top five!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ed Wynne / guitar, synth, bass
- Silas Wynne / synth, keyboards
- Brandi Wynne / bass
With:
- Saskia Maxwell / flute
- Tim Wallander / drums
- Paul Hankin / percussion
1. "Storm in a Teacup" (9:37) a song that captures all of the instrumentalists (and programs) contributing equally and fully to the break-neck rush-forward race down the highway that it presents, start to near-finish. Definitely my favorite song on the album. (18.75/20)
2. "Deep Blue Shade" (5:09) another perfectly balanced Ozric soundscape that conjures (and calls) up all of the best of everything this band has ever done and yet is uniquely its own song. The bass, synths, and percussion play really stand out for me. Like the album's opener, this song makes me want to dance! (9/10)
3. "Lotus Unfolding" (8:13) calm, floating music that conjures up dreams or meditations of exotic jungle scenery. Saskia Maxwell's beautiful ethereal flute is the lead instrument for the first three minutes. In the fourth minute drums, bass, and keys kick in, giving the beautiful music some flow, while the flute comes back sounding a bit distant due to its place within the mix. Great bass line from Brandi Wynne and easy going, yet impressive drums from Tim Wallander lead to a heavier section with Ed's electric guitar searing in the lead. With a few gentle stop-and-starts the synths join in as the flute returns to counter the guitars and synth. Beautiful song. My second top three. (14/15)
4. "Crumplepenny" (9:55) quirky-wonky synth percussives woven together open this song for a long and prolonged stop-and-start intro. In the third minute acoustic steel-string guitar announces itself as the lead instrument while the band continues its little game of hide and seek--trying to decide whether or not to congeal into an united force. Finally they do: in an awesome driving motif. Guitars, drums, synth programs are all great but the rapid-fire, single-note bass line is the driving force behind it all. In the middle we enter a star-ceilinged cave of mystical awe in which everyone just stops, drops their jaws, and looks around them for a bit. When the band kicks back in, it's with a totally new motif, vocoder syllables thrown into the soup with everybody else. Great percussion work from Paul Hankin as well as awesome synth lines and acoustic guitar play. The song then comes to a close as it started: with quirk and indecision--despite the acoustic guitar's attempt at leadership. Very cool and unusual song--even for the Ozrics! My other top three song. (18.25/20)
5. "Green Incantation" (7:38) with its funky bass, stop-and-go and play, and lead acoustic 12-string guitar, this one sounds like something from a STEVE TIBBETTS or DIF JUZ album. Great start. Wonderful engineering while somehow keeping a 1970s rock sound at the foundation despite the typical Ozrics pixie synth play (courtesy of Silas Wynne?). "Normal" electric guitar takes the lead in the seventh and eighth minutes. (13.375/15)
6. "Burundi Spaceport" (5:08) heavily-effected guitar solos over a steadily-rolled bass note as incidental synth and hand percussives play into a texturized background. In the third minute the full band finally comes together--consolidates into a kind of Calypso foundation over which a distant multi-dimensional being (effected guitar) snorts and flies around as if some kind of elusive Chinese dragon flitting around the river canyon (8.75/10)
Total Time 45:40
91.25 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music. Come on everybody, get on board: Welcome back the Ozrics!
17. AGLAIA Existentialism
Gino Fioravanti records keyboard music with no sound manipulation or correction.
1. "Delicate Light" (16:36) absolutely beautiful meditation music--replete with a very uplifting melodic pattern and wonderful swelling synth chords similar to those used by IASOS on his 1978 release, Angel Music. (28/30)
2. "Border Point" (13:16) creepy synths, reverbed piano, & sample sounds creating a kind of Blade Runner-ish music very similar to BRIAN ENO's "Lizard Point" or "Lantern Marsh" from 1982's Ambient 4: On Land. (27/30)
3. "Wetlands" (15:45) though still conjuring up imagery set in Nature, this one is rather flat and drab. (26/30)
4. "Existentialism" (8:39) another song that just hits the sweet spot for me--though almost in the realm of the mysterious and unknown (and unfathomable)--the "bigger than me" "immense and beyond my comprehension" perspective--as much of Alio Die & company's stuff does. (18.5/20)
5. "Musical Phylosophy" (15:23) This one feels more contained--as if something that remains within the grasp of our puny human brains. It's sounds that aren't sounds, sounds that no animal has ever heard, but had to be created with a supernatural imagination. It's comforting and very much enjoyable. (28/30)
Simply put, as retro-friendly and New Age-y as this is, it is still one of the best Progressive Electronic album releases I've heard from the 2020s.
91.07 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive electronic music; easily the most innovative and best electronic music I've heard in 2023.
18. SUNCHILD Exotic Creatures and a Stolen Dream
The first release of Antony Kalugin's Sunchild project in five years (after a string of seven in the previous ten years). This comes as little surprise as Antony is (and has been) one of Prog World's busiest and most prolific artists.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Antony Kalugin / keyboards, vocals, vocoder, percussion
- Ivan Goritski / drums
- Alexandr Pavlov / electric, acoustic & nylon guitars (1)
- Max Velychko / electric guitars (2)
- Konstantin Ionenko / bass, double bass
- Yan Vedaman / soprano saxophone
- Sergii Kovalov / accordion (1)
- Olha Rostovska / backing vocals
- Maria Panasenko / backing vocals
With:
- Dmytro Ignatov / electric guitar solos (1 parts e & g)
- Antony Kalugin / keyboards, vocals, vocoder, percussion
- Ivan Goritski / drums
- Alexandr Pavlov / electric, acoustic & nylon guitars (1)
- Max Velychko / electric guitars (2)
- Konstantin Ionenko / bass, double bass
- Yan Vedaman / soprano saxophone
- Sergii Kovalov / accordion (1)
- Olha Rostovska / backing vocals
- Maria Panasenko / backing vocals
With:
- Dmytro Ignatov / electric guitar solos (1 parts e & g)
- a) Timeless Motion
- b) Wings of the Storm
- c) The New Day Dawning
- d) In the Garden of Hope
- e) Beautiful Creatures
- f) Crimson Queen
- g) The Tide
2. "Northern Skies" (14:14) electric piano backs Antony's David Gilmour/Roger Waters voice impressions before more computer keyboard generated sounds work their way in. At the very end of the second minute the full rock band jumps in as female vocalists lead in the chorus. It's almost too beautiful (like a saccharine Christian rock song). Nice guitar solo from Alexandr Pavlov. Strong, soulful female vocal in the lead during the fifth minute. I like the HARMONIUM-like ("Dixie") saloon piano in the sixth and eighth minutes. The melodies and singing style begin to feel as if borrowed from the American band AMBROSIA. The nine-minute mark marks a return to the opening motif only, cleverly using treated electric guitar arpeggi in the fore instead of electric piano. Again, this is a very likable, inoffensive, well-put-together epic--even if it does plod along a bit. There are elements of this song (like the eleventh minute and female vocals) that I like better than anything in the album's other epic, but then there are some that feel rather common and banal. (27.5/30):
- a) Only in Wildest Dreams
- b) In the Valley of a Stolen Dream
- c) Haunted Visions
- d) Under the Northern Skies
Total Time 40:40
- b) In the Valley of a Stolen Dream
- c) Haunted Visions
- d) Under the Northern Skies
Total Time 40:40
You won't find more accessible NeoProg than this.
90.625 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of NeoProg--something most prog lovers will thoroughly enjoy adding to their music collection.
90.625 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of NeoProg--something most prog lovers will thoroughly enjoy adding to their music collection.
19. STEFANO PANUNZI Pages from the Sea
Some great, lush prog music from Italian keyboard wizard (and former FJIERI leader) Stefano Panunzi. Stefano has employed quite an array of prog all-stars to render his compositions as fully-dimensional as could possibly be done, including Jakko M. Jakszyk, Pat Mastelotto, Markus Reuter, LE ORME and MARCO MINNEMAN bassist Fabio Trentini, ECHOTEST, TROOT, and LA BOCCA DELLA VERITÀ drummer Alessandro Inolti, FJIERI's #2, guitar and bass player Nicola Lori, as well as lont-time collaborator Mike Applebaum on trumpet.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Stefano Panunzi / keyboards, piano
With:
- Nicola Lori / guitar & bass (1,2)
- Mike Applebaum / flugelhorn (1,9)
- Luca Fareri / drums (1,4)
- Fabio Trentini / bass (1,3,6,11)
- Jakko M. Jakszyk / vocals (2,7,10)
- Sunao Inami / electronics (3)
- Alessandro Inolti / drums (3,5,10,11)
- Peter Goddard / vocals (4)
- Giacomo Anselmi / guitar (4)
- Fabio Fraschini / bass (4,5,7,8,9)
- Robby Aceto / vocals & piano & guitar (5,8)
- Peter Dodge / trumpet (5)
- Cristiano Capobianco / drums (6,9)
- Pat Mastelotto / drums (7)
- Stefano Petrocco / double bass (10)
- SiRenée / vocals (11)
- Markus Reuter / Warr guitar (11)
1. "Which Truth?" (5:50) I really like the sound palette here: the guitar, bass, drums, and Mark ISHAM-like flugelhorn work together so perfectly--like a STICK MAN ("Scarlet Wheel") or DAVID TORN/DAVID SYLVIAN or even NO-MAN song. The keyboard palette is definitely rooted in the Smooth Jazz/Prog Jazz Fusion of 1980s. I don't know how they mix that bass so far forward without loosing some of the balance at the high and low ends. Awesome! One of the coolest songs I've heard all year! (9.5/10)
2. "Not Waiving, but Drowning" (5:30) the first of the three songs on which Jakko Jakszyk lends his vocal talents to, it's a nice prog vehicle in the vein of DAVID SYLVIAN or PHIL COLLINS's early solo material. (Are these Steve Jansen/Phil Collins-like drums programmed?) I love Nicola Lori's Mick Karn-like fretless bass and his Daryl Stuermer-like guitar play. What a talent! (9/10)
3. "The Secret" (5:16) Sunao Inami's electronic programming hits a chord straight on, then the music slips more into the realm of Torn/Sylvian/Levin. Very nice bass play (and sound) from Fabio Trentini--and nice drum play from Alessandro Inolti. (9.25/10)
4. "The Sea" (6:24) Peter Goddard on lead vocals with a lot of FRIPP-like sustained infinity guitar play beneath over what could very well be a very pleasant, lush TONY PATTERSON-like music and soundscape. (9/10)
5. "You and I" (4:37) this time Robby Aceto's gravelly voice leads the lyrical delivery over some more awesome Isham/Sylvian/Torn/Levin music. Robbie Robertson's self-titled album from 1987 also comes to mind--especially the proggier songs. Also early TALK TALK. Though a bit too-radio friendly, this is my favorite song on the album. (10/10)
6. "Steel Wave" (6:03) Wow! Am I hearing someone trying to replicate JOHN MARTYN's "Big Muff" Echoplex soundscape?--and then taking it further: modernizing it with some AMAZING keyboard work. Awesome! Great drumming from Cristiano Capobianco. As much as I LOVE this song, at the same time, it makes me appreciate even more the genius of John Martyn. (9.5/10)
7. "Every Drop of Your Love" (6:19) Jakko's second lead vocal. (He sounds so much like a cross bewteen Janis Ian and David Sylvian!) Pat Mastelloto's drumming is definitely an overkill--a detriment to the overall feel of the song--which is fueled by some really beautiful melodies. The uncredited wah-guitar also feels a bit out of place. There is something weak in either the lyrics or Jakko's vocal delivery. (8.666667/10)
8. "Swimming to Sea" (6:14) I hear and feel a little kinship to T's Thomas Thelen in this music, in Robby Aceto's vocal performance here. Beautiful sound and instrumental palette molded into a very dreamy, comforting listening experience. Big kudos to the mixing and playing of Fabio Fraschini's bass. This song makes me realize how much T might benefit from making his long, dense, and meandering songs into shorter forms. (9.25/10)
9. "I'm Feeling So Blue" (5:49) a very pleasant instrumental romp through the countryside with multiple keyboards driving, fueling, and providing the carriage for the trip. My favorite instrument present, however, is Mike Applebaum's sublime "Adult Contemporary Jazz" flugelhorn. Unfortunately, I'm a sucker for lush, melodic Smooth Jazz. (9/10)
10. "Those Words (Words Are All We Have)" (5:16) another smooth, melodic vehicle for a Jakko Jakszyk vocal. Here he sounds surprisingly like Kenny Loggins. (8.75/10)
11. "An Autumn Day" (5:32) a fuller, more potent song than the previous four, Markus Reuter's Warr guitar and vocalist SiRenée make their mark quite overtly. I find it interesting the Stefano gives more space for Markus' guitar solos than for SiRenée's voice. Other than the interesting shift in motifs at 3:55, this is nice but there's nothing too extraordinary here. (8.75/10)
12. "The Sea Woman" (4:23) another gorgeously cinematic opening (reminding me of some of Ennio Morricone's more soothing pieces). Programmed drums enter after half a minute as layers of synth washes and, later, piano join in. The piano becomes quite dramatic (and domineering) at the 1:45 mark but then backs off to let the layered synth strings do their majestic magic. I'm reminded of my Buddha Lounge CD collection--many of the artists of whom came from Italia. It's really a great song; I'm just not sure that it's really prog. (9/10)
Total Time 67:13
The average soundscapes created here by Stefano and his amazing keyboard play coupled with the outstanding bass and drum sounds he's hired make this album something quite special to me--soundscapes that fit right in with some of my favorite albums of my life.
91.39 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of lush progressive rock music; if you like the lush soundscapes that David Sylvian, Mark Isham, David Torn, Tony Levin, and Thomas Thelen have created over their brilliant careers, you'll probably like this album very much!
20. ACTIONFREDAG Turist i eget liv
New Canterbury-tinged Jazz-Rock Fusion from a Norwegian "supergroup" that includes members who have played with the likes of Jordsjø, Panzerpappa, Tusmørke, Lupa, Meer, and Chronicles Of Father Robin. These are experienced professionals.
1. Pönk på svenska (5:50) right out of the gate this driving instrumental sounds like an expanded-band format of a MOTORPSYCHO song. Great melodies coming from multiple noodlers, including electric keys, guitars, and saxophone. They all provide a very tight but surprisingly straightforward music---especially when compared to the other songs on the album. (8.875/10)
2. En behagelig durakkord som sier noe om hvordan det er å se uten å bli sett (6:21) a powerful and, at times, quite theatric prog song. The vocalist--and some motifs--feel very close to the sound and effect of countrymates SEVEN IMPALE--especially in the buildup during the awesome second half. I like the Northettes-like background vocals in the fifth minute. (8.75/10)
3. Gadgetry cum dystopia (6:33) opening with a "Larks Ascending"-like solo violin before soft, jazzy keyboards join in and lead into a new, contemplative and classical- and folk-tinged instrumental section, it's not until 2:10 that the real style is revealed with the entry of a heavily-effected psychedelic vocal, but this is only a minor element in the song's overall, overarching span; the delicate and sometimes-dynamic, shifting, instrumental weaves are the true star here--as evidenced by the outburst of a quite dark and heavy section at 4:10. But this then fades into distant memory when, at 4:50, we return to the more colloquial folk themes and instrumentation. A very interesting, condensed, story-like musical vehicle. Almost a top three song for me. (9/10)
4. Peaches en Ulven (4:09) despite a spacious, syncopated introductory opening minute, this little instrumental turns into something fast and dense (again reminding me of both Motorpsycho and Seven Impale) yet it expresses quite the Canterbury energy and spirit. Vocal scatting join in during the end of the second minute mirrors the light, upbeat melody lines being expressed by the keyboard for about a minute until the music flattens out a bit later in the third minute to again conjure up comparisons to Motorpsycho, Then at 3:10 there is a stop-and-restart with lovely Amanda Parsons-like vocalise accompanied solely by a bank of low brass-sounding chords and, at the end, harp. Really nice tune! A top three to be sure. (9.25/10)
5. Jesus i min bod (7:19) This one has quite a little GENTLE GIANT feel to it, if a bit heavier and darker. A lot of angular chord progressions explored through staccato instrument play with both female and male vocalise taking turns within the mix. The stop gap in the very middle is interesting, while the jazz motif picked up at the end of the fifth minute is quite striking for its similarity to the music on this year's wonderful OIAPOK album, OisoLün. Lovely stuff with its long vocal notes held over shifting chord and key changes beneath. I LOVE this! The closing 20 seconds are quite spacious, dreamy, while remaining jazzy. Brilliant! My favorite song on the album. (14/15)
6. Ensomhet er bare en følelse (9:17) great start with some variable weaves of great melodies. The vocal is a bit unexpected--especially as its melody lines feel as if contributing yet another harmonic counterpoint to the rest of the instruments. (I love that the band sticks to its own native language for its singing and song titles.) (18.5/20)
The result is a series of highly sophisticated song compositions--all of which bear witness to the band members' serious intentions in this collaboration as well as their extraordinary work ethic in polishing these songs to such high levels.
91.16667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock that continues to explore the inspiration of "future directions" of progressive jazz-rock fusion music in the spirit of the Canterbury Scene as well as the new pioneers like OIAPOK, and iNFiNiEN.
91.16667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock that continues to explore the inspiration of "future directions" of progressive jazz-rock fusion music in the spirit of the Canterbury Scene as well as the new pioneers like OIAPOK, and iNFiNiEN.
21. THE MERCURY TREE Self Similar
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ben Spees / voice, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards
- Connor Reilly / acoustic and electronic drums
- Oliver Campbell / bass, voice
with:
- Damon Waitkus (Jack O' The Clock) / voice, acoustic guitar, hammered dulcimer, psaltery, tongue drum (tracks 4, 9)
- Nick Prol (The Proletarians) / voice (6)
- Gabriel Riccio (The Gabriel Construct) / voice (7)
- Tom Shad / piccolo bass (7)
- Deja Indigo Yerger / electric guitar (7)
1. "Grown Apart" (5:25) man these guys work with microtones, tonal shifts, and note-bending has come so far! The "odd" musical nuances are no longer so abrasive or cloying as they've mastered the art of making it all flow "beautifully." (9.25/10)
2. "Similar Self" (5:43) this one opens like it came out of the techno-pop scene around 1984. Ben Spees' vocals are heavily-treated as many of the vocalists in the mid-80s were, but even the supporting instruments seem to have a quirky 80s vibe to them--like The Cure or Talking Heads. But then, at 2:06, the music becomes more like The Smiths meet The Clash cum The Specials. A lot of the woven riffs remind me of black midi as well, but the vocals continue to trumpet out like early BONO. Cool! (9/10)
3. "Dreamwalking" (4:16) brilliant smooth singing over quite syncopated and polyrhythmic (even African sounding) music. I like the introduction of the Who-like keys in the third verse followed by Ben's dreamy (and then raunchy) singing. (9.25/10)
4. "Recursed Images" (6:22) psychedelic echo-vocals with straighforward time signatures within which microtonal and "old standard" guitar play trade off in extended instrumental passages. But then that crazy fourth minute comes with building tension over an ominously unstable Crimsonian rhythm track. Another totally brilliant and refreshing sound scape that seems to somehow draw from the past masters of the 1960s like The Beatles and (9/10)
5. "Stay the Corpse" (5:34) another song whose basic rhythm track and instrument palette immediately brings up the late 1970s and early 1980s--a more aggressive (Alice Cooperized) version of The Cure or perhaps The Clash. Very steady driving music. (8.75/10)
6. "Binary" (3:46) the song with Nick Prol's help on the vocals proves to be a likable and interesting one but, in the end, presenting nothing really new or astonishing other than the amazing-as-usual rhythm section. (Drummer Connor Reilly is so versatile!) (8.875/10)
7. "Self Similar" (4:57) opening with a great sound palette--deep in the bass and odd-timed in the drums--Ben Spees' vocals add a calming beauty in the way that Mark Vennart with British prog band OCEANSIZE used to. (The contributions of Gabriel Riccio, Tom Shad, and Deja Indigo Yerger are noticeable and appreciated.) I really like the microtonal guitar "piano" adding quick arpeggi in various parts of the song as well as the great drumming. (9/10)
8. "Dark Triad" (9:26) opening with an instrumental palette that sounds very Southeast Asian playing some oddly-timed weave of non-Western scaled instrumental play, Ben enters with his smooth, almost plaintive voice that doesn't really fit until the third minute when he matches the melodic line of Damon Waitkus' tongue drum. Mathematically, this is a very cool construct; however, with my very-biased American-trained nervous system, I find these unusual and non-Western melodies and harmonies at times quite challenging to accommodate much less enjoy. Still, from a King Crimson point of experience I am very appreciative of what I hear here. The "Run Like Hell" prog-almost-disco motif that starts at 6:20 helps me to reset and get in the Asian groove that follows--until the more familiar Western metal power chord progressions a minute later. Did I mention how awesome Oliver Campbell's deep bass play throughout is? Such a power trio! (Nice high note at the 9-minute mark, Ben!) (or is it Oliver?) (18/20)
9. "After the Incident" (7:30) So strange to be hearing these odd (non-Western) chords and chordal progressions worked into more traditional metal and progressive rock musical forms. It's rather amazing how well the band can do this: making it interesting while still making it enjoyable as well. (Great vocal melodies, Ben! Not an easy job to do!) My favorite song on the album. (14.5/15)
Total Time:
Total Time:
The delicate, almost "beautiful" voice of lead singer Ben Spees is sometimes at odds with the intricate and sometimes raw-feeling musical forms he is trying to sing with and within, so it always takes me a few listens of a Mercury Tree album in order to get used to the whole. Evenso, this album has hit me at the perfect time: it's as if something was missing in me and this helps to fill the void.
91.07 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of truly progressive rock music. Highly recommended to any and all progheads who think that they are still open to the "progressive" part of prog music.
I'm not sure why, but here we have the Two Steves minus one Steve (Gore), yet the music is as happy, quirky, humorous, shifty, melodic, and wonderfully-Canterbury as ever!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Kretzmer / organ, electric piano, clavinet, piano, synthesizer, keyboards, choir, bass synth, programming, arpeggiators, sound effects
- James Strain / bass, drums, guitars, melodica, piano, organs, fake horns, synthesizer, electric piano, fretless bass, sitar, bass synth, keyboards, gangsa, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, programming, beats, samples, sound design
With:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar (1,11), synthesizer (3,9,11)
- Dave Newhouse / horns, woodwinds (1,9,11)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Steve Kretzmer / organ, electric piano, clavinet, piano, synthesizer, keyboards, choir, bass synth, programming, arpeggiators, sound effects
- James Strain / bass, drums, guitars, melodica, piano, organs, fake horns, synthesizer, electric piano, fretless bass, sitar, bass synth, keyboards, gangsa, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, programming, beats, samples, sound design
With:
- Dario D'Alessandro / guitar (1,11), synthesizer (3,9,11)
- Dave Newhouse / horns, woodwinds (1,9,11)
- Penelope Lovelace / vocals (8)
- Guy Segers / bass (11)
- Kimara Sajn / bass (11)
- Jessica Martin Maresco / vocals (12)
1. "Fat Delivered (4:59) As if Dave Newhouse and Dave Stewart melded their Canterbury style musics together with Phil Miller's guitar and, at the end, into the form of some traditional Celtic pop song. (8.875/10)
- Guy Segers / bass (11)
- Kimara Sajn / bass (11)
- Jessica Martin Maresco / vocals (12)
2. "A Race Against Time" (2:40) piano-based 1980s synthesizer-infused jazz with an old, classic jazz-pop melody line tying it all together. The sound palette is still very much like early HATFIELD AND THE NORTH. (4.5/5)
3. "Papa Norco" (4:57) a bit of a militaristic take on some French street music (because of the strong presence of accordion, no doubt) with a definite Dave Newhouse pace and feel to it. The backing synth sounds like The Northettes! (8.75/10)
4. "Beetle Borscht" (5:15) cool piano opening, soon joined by synth before drums and rhythm section jump in. Really nice, relaxed, melodic HOMUNCULUS RES-like tune. Great melodies and instrumental contributions throughout. A top three song for me. (9.75/10)
5. "Over and Out" (3:05) melodic ZAPPA, Moogy Klingman-and-Homunculus Res-like synth pop sound performing a rigorous sound and skill test. (9/10)
6. "The Odor at Tavistock" (4:33) very pleasant Canterbury Style jazz-pop-rock with many completely different motifs sown into one song with the same sudden twists and turns that Homunculus Res uses\d on their 2012 debut album, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto. I love the percussion and bassoon-dominated second motif. One of the most proggy-sounding songs on the album. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
7. "How Archontic the Ankle Biters" (8:21) with its dominant piano base and synth-funk sound in the rhythm section, this is the jazziest, most classically-influenced, and most dated sounding song on the album--even during the click and pop motif in the second minute. A clever, humorous song that could have been created or produced by fellow-Detroiter Don Was. (17.5/20)
8. "Lady and the Old Codger" (2:27) an ambivalently malevolent and, at the same time, humorous song that really gets your attention. Like a scene out of an Eminem movie. Powerful! (5/5)
9. "Unknowable" (5:14) synth-o-mania! Interesting, but sounds and feels rather dated and more like an étude than something intended for consumer/listener pleasure. (8.6667/10)
10. "Love Is a Dead Smelly Fish" (4:34) another song on the jazz-side of the musical spectrum--as if Homunculus Res went more toward French street music or straight jazz. (9/10)
11. "I Cries Crimes" (3:56) Fender Rhodes! And, according to the liner notes, a whole host of all-star guests! The rhythm tracks are much more seamless and laid back than many of the other songs. Another favorite. (9.25/10)
12. "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)" (3:39) Singing! in French! By a female "NORTHETTES"-like choir (all Penelope Lovelace multitracked?)! Such a joyful song! My favorite song on the album! (10/10)
13. "Groom of the Stool" (3:32) lots of sound FX in the opening before a heavier early-DAVE STEWART-like piano chord progression opens up the minor-key song construct. It's like a soundtrack song from an European spy thriller. Interesting but nothing exceptional or ground-breaking. (8.75/10)
14. "Lurking in Shadow Fury" (3:41) piano and accordion and, later, synthesizer trading turns in the lead over staccato stop-and-go jazz foundation. A little hurky-jerky for me, too reliant on an oft-repeated melody line. (8.66667/10)
15. "Guns for Clones" (7:43) one of the more serious-sounding songs on the album, it's quite like the early Canterbury instrumentalists (Hatfield, Gilgamesh, or even National Health). I like the constantly shifting tempo and accordion work. (13.75/15)
16. "People Who Eat People" (8:53) again, there is an undefinable French street musicality to this music--and it's so carefree and happy-go-lucky--like a walk through several of the delightful neighborhoods in Paris' 2nd or 3rd Arrondissement coupled with the occasional encounter with the the Right Bank of the Seine or museum stroll through. (18.25/20)
Total Time 77:29
Being that this all-instrumental album is so long and completely saturated with the crazily complex twist-and-turn compositions, it is a very hard album to review with my usual play-by-play style. Suffice it to say that all 16 of the songs retain a wonderfully high standard of consistency in enjoyable, melodic, quirky-yet-engaging, each feeling fresh and creatively unique. After my first listen I had one clear favorite: "Uh Oh (Lait Suspendu Fermenté)"--for its French lyrics sung by a Northettes-like female choir (I'm a sucker for both female choral vocals-specially when delivered in the French language). But then, after three listens, I have been able to pick out a few other favorites ("Beetle Borscht," "The Odor at Tavistock," "I Cries Crimes," and "People Who Eat People")--and the rest of the album just keeps growing in my esteem.
90.98 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; an amazingly refreshing collection of mostly "future jazz" songs from these Cuneiform-supported music masters; music every prog lover should hear--and will probably love! (Especially if you love Canterbury Style music.)
23. KARNATAKA Requiem for a Dream
The British band's fifth album since their 1998 debut. A symphony-lite band that is heavier than like-categorized IONA and MOSTLY AUTUMN (to which they have many similarities), I'm not sure how much "folk" is in their music (other than their occasional making space for Troy Donockley's Irish instruments). Perhaps they are in need of re-categorization.
- Ian Jones / bass, keyboards, piano, orchestration, bass pedals, acoustic guitar, programming
- Sertari / vocals, backing vocals, choir
With:
- Luke Machin / guitars
- Chris Allan / drums & percussion
- Troy Donockley / uilleann pipes, low whistles
- Gonzalo Carrera / additional keyboards
1. "All Around the World" (11:30) very solid symphonic prog--on the heavy side (as opposed to the Folk)--with an excerpt of one of Greta Thunberg's most famous speeches as its centerpiece. Lead (and background) vocalist Sertari has a style and approach quite similar to that of IONA's Joanne Hogg (and am I mistaken that the lyrics feel a bit as if they are also in the spiritual/ Christian realm of inspirational?) (18.5/20)
2. "Sacrifice" (6:30) sounds like a theme song to some warrior television series like Vikings or Game of Thrones. One of Ian's anthemic vehicles for Sertari to belt out another inspirational message. Too much like the showtunes of Miriam Stockley or Sarah Brightman and the like. (8.66667/10)
3. "Look to the East" (6:45) trying to sneak into the realm of Noa Gruman's SCARDUST. In the end, it's just a little slower, plodding variation on the anthemic showtune created for Sertari to belt out over like the song before. (13/15)
4. "Forgiven" (11:49) another bombastic, somewhat plodding (straight-timed) inspirational Christian-based song. Overall, this is one of my favorite songs on the album: it's well constructed and contains some clever ideas. (22/25)
5. "The Night's Dance" (5:29) another vehicle for Sertari and Ian's Christian expression. (8.666667/10)
6. "Say Goodbye Tomorrow" (6:01) more straight-time music that has more in common with AM radio oriented classic rock than prog. This is probably my favorite vocal song from Sertari--her voice has less of a thank-you-god/grateful feel to it and more of a commoners/Heather Findlay I-am-human feel--however the music does nothing to excite or reward my proggy sensibilities. (8.75/10)
7. "Don't Forget My Name" (6:30) back to the numinous performance and the Andrew Lloyd-Weber music. Sorry: just not my cup of tea. (8.66667/10)
8. "Requiem for a Dream" (25:13) bird & outdoor noises open this before ominous synth chords, wind, fire, and distant explosion sounds join in and supplant those of Mother Nature. Programmed drums, synth harp, and vocalise take over in the second minute before Sertari steps forward to begin singing the song's lyrics. ADIEMUS/Miriam Stockley again come up big time--even moreso when Troy Donockley's Uileann pipes join in. A heavier, semi-power chord driven palette takes over at 4:30 while the singing, pacing, and melodies remain pretty much the same. I like the TONY BANKS/GENESIS section in the middle of the long instrumental passage from 7:00 to 8:30. The ensuing calm of synth washes, heartbeats, Irish whistles and Uillean pipes is very pleasant as is the gentle piano/synth passage from 9:40 to 10:15. When Sertari's Emilia Derkowska (QUIDAM)-like vocalise enters, it's very powerful--and could have gone on like a Clare Torey "Great Gig in the Sky"--but, instead, turns back into worded lyrics to set up another emotional instrumental passage that contains some very powerful steel slide guitar play. At 12:27 the full band (and arpeggiating orchestral banks) kicks back in to support more of Sertari's powerful singing. More emotional guitar, this time straightforward Dave Bainbridge-like, then more vocals (this time infused with an entirely separate, continuous Sertari vocal line going on in the background), and then another break for Irish tea and coffee at 15:15. This morphs quite gradually into a militaristic IQ-like motif containing some voice samples before emerging as another heavy instrumental passage in the 19th minute. "Glockenspiel," bass, and guitar power chords are quite effective here. A close-up whispered, "Are we dreaming" steps in at 19:13 to open the door to another very beautiful THE GATHERING with ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN passage. (As a matter of fact, the similarities of Sertari's performance here to that of Anneke and her "Big Sleep"/If–then–else-like performances is striking.) Back to bare-bones piano support around 20:15 while Sertari continues "dancing in the rain," but then she is joined by Troy Donockley's Uillean pipes and the rest of "the band's" rock rhythm section, eventually yielding to Troy's Irish folk instrument play, but then returning to the repeated "dancing in the rain" chorus for nearly the entirety of the song's final three minutes. (It actually ends with about a minute of Sertari's close-up voice whispering "tick . . . tock . . . " over and over.) Nice prog epic and easily my favorite song on the album. This is one epic that I will listen to over and over--and look forward to doing so with great anticipation each time--for a long time. (48/50)
Total Time 79:47
I'll give Ian some credit for he is surely due: he can play a very effective lead guitar solo, and he creates great theatric (bombastic) music for his vocalists to sing over; as a matter of fact, I cannot imagine any of the vocals present on this album to be nearly as powerful or dramatic without Ian's ADIEMUS-like music. (A little nod must here be given to Adiemus music composer, Karl Jenkins.) Unfortunately, this is just not the kind of prog that I enjoy--especially when an entire 80-minute album is put in front of me; one song at a time. Oh: and big respect to Sertari and her wonderful vocal and arranging talents.
90.8333 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a flawed but excessively perfected adventure into bombastic symphonic rock that is brought to overall high esteem due to its three exceptional epics. The rest of the songs I could live without, but I have to give credit where credit is due: There is no argument that Ian and Sertari have crafted 48 minutes of eminently engaging prog. A minor masterpiece of progressive rock music. Check it out for yourselves!
24. SWANS The Beggar
Michael Gira's last Swans album? Really?
- Michael Gira / vocals, words, acoustic guitar, production
- Kristof Hahn / lap steel guitar, various guitars, vocals
- Larry Mullins / drums, orchestral percussion, Mellotron, vibes, keyboards, backing vocals
- Dana Schechter / bass, lap steel, keyboards, vocals, piano
- Christopher Pravdica / bass, sounds, keyboards, vocals
- Phil Puleo / drums & percussion, vocals, piano, exotic wind instruments
- Ben Frost / guitar, synthesizers, sound manipulations
- Jennifer Gira / backing vocals
- Lucy Kruger / backing vocals
- Laura Carbone / backing vocals
- Ingo Krauss / engineering
- Doug Henderson / mastering
CD 1 (69:08)
1. "The Parasite" (8:21) (17/20)
2. "Paradise Is Mine" (9:23) (17.25/20)
3. "Los Angeles: City of Death" (3:29) (8.5/10)
4. "Michael Is Done" (6:08) 'tron, female b vox, whispered vocal but it's all about attaining orgasm (in order to be finished with … life?). The second, instrumental motif is like music from a 1960s pop song. (Is that Michael's idea of Heaven/Nirvana?) At least this makes it mildly more entertaining than the previous 20 minutes of the album. (8.6667/10)
5. "Unforming" (5:55) is Michael even really trying to sing? The C&W sound palette works okay for this song--making it mildly more interesting than the album's first 20 minutes--and there's even a climax at the end with the "freedom" proclamation. (8.66667/10)
7. "No More of This" (6:55) the music is a little dull and dirgey, but the vocal(s) is compelling. (13.25/15)
8. "Ebbing" (11:04) music supporting a Buddhist chant fest. (17.5/20)
11. "The Memorious" (8:38) old rhythms and pacing with "Da-ad" vocal epithets from a toddler and undistinguishable adult vocalizations open this one. At 1:30 a male voice begins a recitation of some poetry over the top of everything else. This is old, classic Swans with some simple King Crimson-like guitar patterning and Iggy Pop-like spoken vocals. The bursts of choir chords in the background are this time male-dominated. A decent but not outstanding song. (17.66667/20)
Total Time 121:37
5. "Unforming" (5:55) is Michael even really trying to sing? The C&W sound palette works okay for this song--making it mildly more interesting than the album's first 20 minutes--and there's even a climax at the end with the "freedom" proclamation. (8.66667/10)
6. "The Beggar" (10:15) nice foundation laid down from the opening.. Even Michael's forceful singing of his ominous lyrics is somehow engaging. The ramp up at the very end of the fourth minute is great (despite its CURE/COCTEAU TWINS sound and feel). The final ramp up at 8:00 is awesome and powerful. (18/20)
7. "No More of This" (6:55) the music is a little dull and dirgey, but the vocal(s) is compelling. (13.25/15)
8. "Ebbing" (11:04) music supporting a Buddhist chant fest. (17.5/20)
9. "Why Can't I Have What I Want Any Time That I Want?" (7:38) the most engaging, compelling, creative, fully-developed, articulate, and lyrically-impressive song on the first disc. I love the eerie arrangement of the background vocalists and the fuller-musical weave of multiple instruments each adding their own important and distinctive thread to the song. A top three song. (14/15)
CD 2 (52:29)
10. "The Beggar Lover (Three)" (43:51) - Not on LP Constantly morphing orchestral chordal discord over the first three minutes is so awesome! So much like the music I came to know and love from my first Swans acquisition, The Seer. Then we move to tubular bells, droning harmonium-like sound, and gentle seaside Brian Eno-like tuned percussion hits before and while a female voice recites (as if from a film soundtrack) a soliloquy about what life after death will be like. At the five-minute mark we move into an earthquake of percussion play. Steel-bending saw guitar and synth sounds soon join in. Drumming ends as church organ, orchestral bass notes, and an eerie chord is sung by a female choir for a minute or so before synths and other orchestral instruments provide a chilling PRESENT-like fabric over which Michael begins speaking lullaby words like "milk" and "sleepy close your eyes" in the eleventh minute. In the 12th minute fast-drummed metallic tuned percussives somehow supplant the organ-bass-choir motif with their own disturbing "alarm." This, in turn, is seemlessly supplanted 90 seconds later by a more space-industrial motif of synths and robotic rhythm instruments. These ghost-like synths are awesome over/with the plodding, relentless momentum supplied by the bass, synths, cymbals, and voice samples. Great section!
CD 2 (52:29)
10. "The Beggar Lover (Three)" (43:51) - Not on LP Constantly morphing orchestral chordal discord over the first three minutes is so awesome! So much like the music I came to know and love from my first Swans acquisition, The Seer. Then we move to tubular bells, droning harmonium-like sound, and gentle seaside Brian Eno-like tuned percussion hits before and while a female voice recites (as if from a film soundtrack) a soliloquy about what life after death will be like. At the five-minute mark we move into an earthquake of percussion play. Steel-bending saw guitar and synth sounds soon join in. Drumming ends as church organ, orchestral bass notes, and an eerie chord is sung by a female choir for a minute or so before synths and other orchestral instruments provide a chilling PRESENT-like fabric over which Michael begins speaking lullaby words like "milk" and "sleepy close your eyes" in the eleventh minute. In the 12th minute fast-drummed metallic tuned percussives somehow supplant the organ-bass-choir motif with their own disturbing "alarm." This, in turn, is seemlessly supplanted 90 seconds later by a more space-industrial motif of synths and robotic rhythm instruments. These ghost-like synths are awesome over/with the plodding, relentless momentum supplied by the bass, synths, cymbals, and voice samples. Great section!
At 18:00 a long, pulsing, CURE-like instrumental passage takes over, carrying us to the 22:00 mark where all instruments cut out leaving us only the mostly-female vocal choir to carry the song in its own constantly-morphing chordal flow. At 24:00 a bird-like screeching violin takes over, a cappella, for a full minute before a vocal diction coach enters to teach us vocal sounds before a different drum cascade provides the background for infant/baby vocalizations followed by toddler words & nursery rhymes ("This Old Man") as recited by a young boy. At 27:30 there is another transition led by droning guitar note before finger-picked acoustic guitar arpeggi and synth notes weave together to provide a kind of monotone carpet roll while a young child interjects an occasional "Da-ad!" or squeal. After reaching the 30-minute mark adult voices make their appearances over the guitar-synth carpet roll: first with adult male vocalizations then with a long rolling drone of sustained female choir notes (lasting about 90 seconds). Then, at 32:05, everything shifts again, back to a rolling drumming sequence from some tympanic-like drums. At 33:30 a single strummed guitar arpeggi begins a long repeat (loop) as jazz double bass and drum play (mostly cymbals and rim shots with the occasional bass drum and snare hits) join in. At 35:40 Michael joins in with his two-tone voice reciting a kind of DAVID BYRNE/ADRIAN BELEW-like list of things he "can" do with "it." Keys/synths and smooth/relaxing runs from tuned percussion join in as the jazz foundation and droning voice-list continue into the 44th minute--right to the song's end. I'm so glad Michael decided to give the listener something peaceful and relaxing to sink into!
It is so difficult to sustain high-quality music, complete with tension and engaging melody or interesting components, over the length of 44 minutes, but this song does so fairly well--which I was not expecting after the inconsistent (and often maudlin simplicity of the) first CD (especially the first three songs). And what makes this long epic even more exceptional is the way it is always flowing and morphing into something totally fresh and new about every 90 seconds--which means there are about 30 palettes or motifs to the tapestry!
Definitely another top three song for me and one of the best long-playing prog epics of 2023. (86/90)
11. "The Memorious" (8:38) old rhythms and pacing with "Da-ad" vocal epithets from a toddler and undistinguishable adult vocalizations open this one. At 1:30 a male voice begins a recitation of some poetry over the top of everything else. This is old, classic Swans with some simple King Crimson-like guitar patterning and Iggy Pop-like spoken vocals. The bursts of choir chords in the background are this time male-dominated. A decent but not outstanding song. (17.66667/20)
Total Time 121:37
Would that lyrics/words were my reason for listening to music I might like this album more. Musically those first three songs are so boring, simplistic, and repetitive--and so lyric-dependent--that I felt lost--forlorn that there was no way in hell that I could possibly end up liking this album. But, thank goodness I kept going as the music and songs gradually began to get better, become more engaging and interesting, so that I was drawn back to try all of the first songs over again. (I still don't like them.) The choir of female background vocalists helps but it's often just not enough to elevate these songs into engaging above monastic chants. Thank goodness for everything after "The Beggar" and especially the 44-minute "The Beggar Lover (Three)"--one of the best long-playing prog epics I've heard in a long time. IN short, this is an inconsistent album that really pays off big time if you stick with it (yes: all the way through it's 121 minutes).
90.60 on the Fishscales = / stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music--highly recommended to any prog lover to try out for themselves.
25. BILLIE BOTTLE'S TEMPLE OF SHIBBOLETH Billie Bottle's Temple of Shibboleth
Line-up / Musicians:
Billie Bottle: Voice, piano, synth bass, bass guitar, Hammond organ, organ, electric pianos, keyboards, mellotron, drum programming, programming, swanee whistle, vibraslap
Viv Goodwin-Darke: Flutes, voice, ‘cello, iron, crumhorn
Roz Harding: Alto sax, voice, treble recorder, kettle, wind chimes
Anna Batson: Bassoon, voice, crumhorn, hoover
Emma Holbrook: Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, pandeiro, voice
With:
Richard Sinclair: Guest bass guitar on "Ironing Days"
Martine Waltier: Voice
Rowan Porteous: Trumpets
Greg Hancock: Backwards voice
Hugh Nankivell: Viola
Geoff Bartholomew: Lyra-8 virtual synth
Geoff Bartholohowl, Otis & Vita Jarman-Pinto: Vocal howls
Amy Howard: Soprano sax
Ivo Stimpson: Backwards spoken word
Kimwei McCarthy: Penny whistle wolf
Lyndon Forster: Handpans
George Shilling: drum programming
Valborga: Bleat
Wyverne: Call
Lupinus: Howl
Shibboleth: Whinny
1. "In the Temple" (4:42) opens rather straightforward piano-support but then turns electro pop with drum and percussion machine giving Billie's voice and music a very ROSIE VELA-like sound and feel. (8.75/10)
2. "Cantus" (5:35) though the music here is quite pleasant, the lead vocal and its lyric feel a little too adult contemporary or even religious oriented. It reminds me of Heather Findlay's 2016 breakout MANTRA VEGA album, The Illusion's Reckoning. (8.75/10)
3. "The Wash" (5:06) a song containing and expressing far more Canterbury quirk, humor, and musical sound and inclinations than any of the preceding songs--reminding me of Kavus Torabi's work. Now this is more of what I was hoping for. I love the "Northettes"-like b vox and crumhorns. (8.875/10)
4. "Ironing Days" (5:19) an absolutely beautiful female vocalist (Perhaps Viv Goodwin-Darke?) steps into the lead over this EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL-like jazz-pop song. Everything about this gently flowing song washes over me, into me, feeds me and melts my soul into a state of blissful detachment. (9.75/10)
5. "The Melting" (0:31) piano, cymbals, horns and reeds, and toms basically warming up and/or detuning with one another.
6. "The Mending" (9:43) a brilliant suite of light, melodic jazzy themes. I love the soundscape, the aid-back yet technical proficiency of all of the instruments as well as the lead female vocals. (18.75/20)
7. "The Brewing" (1:44) a heady, breathy sax warm up for the next song.
8. "The Mead" (5:48) more highly melodic spacious music uniquely blending multiple musical styles. Such great music--stuff that could've very well come from the likes of GILLI SMYTH, ANNETTE PEACOCK, HANNAH MOULE, or JULIA HOLTER. (9.5/10)
9. "Black Swan" (5:16) a disco beat! A song that sounds a bit like something from STEELY DAN's Gaucho or ROSIE VELA's Zazu (both produced by Gary Katz)--though there are also TREVOR HORN and even SWING OUT SISTER elements as well. Quite melodic and earwormy despite also being quirky. (9.25/10)
10. "The Harvest" (0:35) all-female choral arrangement with piano accompaniment. (4.5/5)
11. "The Wolf" (6:58) full-on Canterbury both in instrumental sound choices as well as melody lines and odd, shifting time signatures used. Really clever, fun lyrics as well. I love how the mood can remain light and even humorous even in the eerie section of little-girl-backwards-speak and crazed, dissonance. (13.5/15)
12. "The Rest" (7:28) this pretty straightforward lounge jazz song in which Billie returns to the odd "shibboleth" theme is my least favorite song on the album. (12.5/15)
Were it not for the rather inchoate "shibboleth" theme that Billie latched onto and expresses outwardly in the opening and closing songs, this would be a glowing collection of jazz-pop sometimes-Canterbury infused songs that I'd shout out as a masterpiece
90.54 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of creative, fun progressive rock music coming from a worshipper of Canterbury Style music and musicians.
26. CARAVELA EXCARLATE III
Brazilian trio back with their third RPI-influenced album since 2015.
- Ronaldo Rodrigues / keyboards
- David Paiva / bass, guitars, vocals
- Elcio Cáfaro / drums
1. "Bússola do Tempo" (5:12) The last time I was on a musical journey like this one was with the Swedish band ANEKDOTEN in 2015! Excellent prog rock! (9/10)
2. "Castelos do Céu" (7:15) more retro keys on an RPI Anekdoten foundation. This one's not quite as catchy as the opener. (13/15)
3. "Sonhos Medievais" (7:57) piano and organ over proggy bass and drums provide a incongruous match with the smooth reverb-drenched vocal. One might even say that it almost feels as if the two are in totally different universes. But then when the singer stops singing, the band seem to pick up the pace and launch into a very controlled-crazed RPI passage with all instruments working in great fervor, creating a kind of LE ORMA Felona e Sorona atmosphere. Now, with this new forceful purpose and intent, even the singing can't detract from the excellent music driving the song on. Well met! (13.5/15)
4. "Mandala" (4:47) once again the trio do a remarkable job of setting a tone and mood that is all prog, all fresh, though definitely conjuring up wistful memories of the old RPI masterpieces. The sound palette may be retro-prog but the content is all new, all fresh! This keyboard artist definitely has taken the classic sounds and instruments and invented new, flashy ways to exploit them--like the snappy clavichord used in the middle section of this as a support instrument. Also, I think engineers/producers are genius for amping up every single one of the instruments employed: nothing is left for subtle background; everything is up front and in your face. Very cool and refreshing! My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)
5. "Cruz da Ordem" (10:16) for the first three minutes of this, it's kind of standard, striaghtforward rhythm track support of a KEITH EMERSON-like Hammond solo, but then we transition over into a very PETE BARDENS/CAMEL-esque passage, plodding along for a minute before heavily reverbed voice enters (the CAMEL reminders are actually quite chilling!) The Camel (and "Taff" Freeman) similarities continue during the instrumental passages between the brief vocal passages, even traipsing into MATTHEW FISHER territory a bit during the organ solo in the second such passage. Synths and at the end of the seventh minute transition into TONY PAGLIUCA and LARRY FAST territory for the extended high-speed instrumental passage over the next two minutes. Bass player David Paiva and rhythmist Elcio Cáfaro do an excellent job of keeping it all prog--RPI prog--during Ronaldo's transitions between instruments. The song ends with some nice Hammond work--which, in my opinion, sours the flow and feel of the great song a bit. Another top three song. (18.25/20)
6. "Ciclos" (3:34) sounding like an attempt at a radio-friendly song, it's still very dense (condensed) progressive rock music all the way with excellent bass and drum play beneath David's Hammond and vocal. There's a little of that NEKTAR sound and feel in this one, as well. (8.75/10)
7. "Filtro dos Sonhos" (7:11) Wow! Does this opening sound like TONY KAYE's organ play in Yes's "Astral Traveller" or KERRY MINNEAR's clavinet play on multiple Gentle Giant songs--or Rick WAKEMAN on "Heart of the Sunrise"! And then, 90 seconds into the song, David's bass play totally takes on a Chris Squire imitative 's bass play in the second motif as arpeggiated piano chords and steady jazz drums support. At the three-minute mark Hammond takes over, vying with the piano for the front of the show. Then at 4:05 we launch into a YES-like fast paced prog motif so that Ronaldo can do some RICK WAKEMAN/PETE BARDENS soloing on their MiniMoog synths. Four distinctive motifs, all recounting past masters and their masterpieces. Wonderful tribute song! Another top three song for me. (14/15)
Total Time 46:12
Great exhibition of bass and keyboard mastery. The breathy PFM-like vocals are also quite pleasant.
90.53 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of very fresh-sounding retro prog--one that I think every prog lover should hear (and might want in their collection.)
27. CROWN LANDS Fearless
Practice and emulation pays off for self-described Rush worshippers Kevin Comeau and Cody Bowles with this, the closest I've ever heard to capturing the purity and distinctiveness of Rush's great 2112.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Kevin Comeau / guitar, bass, keyboards
- Cody Bowles / drums, vocals
1. "Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II" (18:00) Rush 2112, sprinkled with a little Triumph, Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, Ozzie, and even Carlos Nakai. Despite the band's acknowledgement of having grown up feeding off of 15-second sound bites, they have done quite an admirable job of holding onto the motifs of their 18-minute suite for more suitable lengths--which is much more in line with what we Baby Boomers are used to and looking for. Also, they've done quite a remarkable job of stringing them together rather seamlessly while somehow making each and every theme interesting and enjoyable. And, despite its obvious imitation of Rush, the music is all very fresh and original sounding. A top three song. (32/35)
- Kevin Comeau / guitar, bass, keyboards
- Cody Bowles / drums, vocals
1. "Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II" (18:00) Rush 2112, sprinkled with a little Triumph, Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, Ozzie, and even Carlos Nakai. Despite the band's acknowledgement of having grown up feeding off of 15-second sound bites, they have done quite an admirable job of holding onto the motifs of their 18-minute suite for more suitable lengths--which is much more in line with what we Baby Boomers are used to and looking for. Also, they've done quite a remarkable job of stringing them together rather seamlessly while somehow making each and every theme interesting and enjoyable. And, despite its obvious imitation of Rush, the music is all very fresh and original sounding. A top three song. (32/35)
2. "Dreamer of the Dawn" (4:03) a song that sounds a bit like GUNS 'N' ROSES with some RUSH basics, but as Cody's vocals and drumming go on I'm feeling that we're experiencing a new, though retro-oriented, sound. (8.875/10)
3. "The Shadow" (3:44) a song that effortlessly conjures up ancient masters of the classic Hard Rock/Heavy Metal genre including KISS, TRIUMPH, DEF LEPPARD, and, of course, THE SCORPIONS' "Rock You Like a Hurricane." (8.75/10)
4. "Right Way Back" (3:51) Cody's heavily-effected voice in the verses makes this obvious RUSH song different--more LED ZEPPELIN/ROBERT PLANT-like--but then his laid back approach in the chorus sections makes me think so much of the seemingly-effortless genius and maturity of a young PETRI WALLI of 1990s Finnish psychedelic rockers, Kingston Wall, as well as, somehow, PRINCE. WE may be listening to two individuals for whom music is as essential to their being--to their every breath--as the aforementioned talents (both of whom I believe were conduits of the flow of a force from a source far greater than any corporeal human). (8.875/10)
5. "Context: Fearless Pt. I" (7:49) I like the chance for Kevin to to showcase his bass and guitar skills on this one, otherwise, I'm not sure how this song serves to "set up" the context of who Fearless is and what s/he stands for. Great Rush-like timing. (13.33333/15)
6. "Reflections" (5:43) a bit of a stylistic departure from the Rush scene on this one--at least, insofar as the vocals and verses; the choruses are all Rush. (8.66667/10)
7. "Penny" (3:43) solo acoustic guitar! And an instrumental! Impressive (and ballsy--because it's so old-school)! And then to build a whole radio-play length out of it. (8.66667/10)
8. "Lady of the Lake" (5:06) more acoustic guitar but this one you know is leading up to a full-on rock anthem. RUSH and LED ZEPPELIN playing together (not sure who's singing: Geddy or Robert). Great classic construct, chords, playing style, and bluesy singing. Wow! Does this bring one back to the 1970s! Reminds one of how amazing music and sound was back then. Great song--rated up for amazing nostalgia effect. A top three song, to be sure. (9.5/10)
9. "Citadel" (5:52) plaintive piano play opens this song--reminding me of the genius that was Freddie Mercury when Cody enters to sing. This is not a Geddy Lee vocal, no sir, it's one that could compare with the greatest of the greats: Robert Plant, Steve Perry, Klaus Meine (The Scorpions), and, of course, Ozzie. A masterful imitation of a classic rock ballad. My other top three song. (9.75/10)
Total Time 57:51
Kevin and Cody are definitely among the greatest masters of "old style" rock 'n' roll music I've ever heard: talents that will not go unheard!
90.35 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of proggily-blended classic hard rock music--on a skill level that you rarely see achieved in the 21st Century.
28. KARMAMOI Strings from the Edge of Sound
I am giving this album attention due to the strong acclaim it's been receiving despite the fact that it is album being a collection of previously-released songs that have been re-worked (several orchestrated), with newcomer Valerio Sgargi stepping into the lead vocal (and principle collaborator) for Daniele Giovannoni's compositions.
- Daniele Giovannoni / drums, keyboards, backing vocals
- Valerio Sgargi / lead & backing vocals, keyboards
- Alex Massari / guitars
- Alessandro Cefalì / bass
2. "Nashira" (9:11) (orchestra version) solo piano opens this seemingly playing avariation of the previous song's chord sequence. Valerio enters and the piano drops out in lieu of a cello. In the second minute other instruments begin to join in: piano, cymbal-dominant drums, fretless bass, oboe and a few other orchestral sounds but in the third minute a heavy chordal footsteps for a minute. The volume on the reed instruments seems far too high throughout this song--even when they're in the lead or soloing, but that doesn't prevent Valerio from giving one heck of a performance (or guitarist Alex Massari in the final minute). A top three song for me. (18.5/20)
3. "Take Me Home" (orchestra version) (8:31) though the song starts out sounding like a very classic, stripped down performance of "My Funny Valentine," the highlight here is how Valerio sings a duet with himself: in two very different voices and styles, side by side, starting with the second verse. This voice could be the new That Joe Payne! The second half of the song is quite cinematic in its bombast: bombastic prog at its finest. My third top three song. (18.5/20)
4. "Tell Me" (6:07) thought the chorus sections remind me a lot, melodically and in the strummed 12-string guitar chord sequence, of Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine," this is a nice, nuanced song with yet another extremely enjoyable vocal performance by Valerio Sgargi. (8.875/10)
5. "Room 101" (orchestra version) (8:40) acoustic guitar picking like at the opening to Genesis' "Dance on a Volcano" is joined by flourishes and embellishments from individual orchestra instruments. Enter Valerio Sgargi and a Depeche Mode-like singing style. Even after the brief burst of prog bombast Valerio continues singing in a commanding David Gahan-like monotone. Then the music begins to build and cycle, provoking Valerio to reach for notes that Devy Townsend or That Joe Payne are commonly heard to hit. A switch in the fifth minute to a new smoother, more orchestra-supported space music allows for more exposition to individual instrumental performers, like the piano, members of the strings, the whole bass section, and, of course, the electric guitar, but ultimately leads to a JC Superstar-like climax. (17.75/20)
6. "I Will Come in Your Dreams" (5:27) gentle piano and low strings lay the foundation for Valerio to sing--this time in a very old Elvis/operetta style of voice. Pretty but nothing very new, proggy, or exciting with this one. (8.66667/10)
7. "Your Name" (orchestra version) (8:21) more orchestra presence than on most of the other songs, the rock band and dramatic voice of Valerio Sgargi yield a bombastic sound worthy of any Andrew Lloyd Weber or Alan Menken theater presentation. The radical switch of tempo and style (and electronically-treated vocal) at the halfway point is a bit odd--and takes some getting used to--but is smoothed over by another sublime electric guitar solo in the eighth minute. (17.5/20)
8. "Zealous Man" (orchestra version) (11:55) more melodic, pensive piano opens this one, setting up in way that rivals Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Richard Rogers, or Oscar Hammerstein. By the time we reach the third minute the soundscape has burst into swirling prog fullness, but then, at 3:30, it all turns quiet with some chorus-treated 12-strings and muted vocals, but then a David Gahan-like voice takes over for a bit before yielding to the powerful play of a fretless bass and cello. Prog bombast returns in the sixth minute as Valerio's voice turns "distant choral"--to set up, of course, another masterfully calculated Dave Gilmour-like guitar solo--this one amid swirling orchestra strings--but no! It's cut off! In the eighth minute we've gone back to the quiet 12-string (zither?) palette with some slow tympanic drum play over which Valerio croons in a voice from another era. But then the prog bombast returns and, yes, the electric guitar is given a second chance to fulfill its emotion-manipulating mission. A well composed and performed song, even if it does feel quite contrived to toy with the listeners' cortisol levels. (22.75/25)
9. "Strings from the Edge of Sound" (1:57) an orchestrated song whose choral-style vocal and wording makes it sound like it comes out of a rendering of a Dickensian Christmas musical. "Marley!" "Scrooge!" Prelude to a love story? (4.425/5)
Total Time 67:52
Total Time 67:52
I've never heard any of the previous versions of any of these songs but, if I were to venture a guess, I'd say that all of them were birthed as piano-voice duets--arias--all intended to end up on a stage within the context of an Andrew Lloyd Weber-like musical theatre performance. The rock instruments were added for support, the lead guitar solos as a mirroring emotional outlet, and, later, the full orchestral versions created to fulfill the composer (and vocalist)'s Broadway/West End aspirations. In the end, this is great music and that's what counts. Should these songs ever end up on a stage, I would be a willing attendee of their theatric live performance.
What a revelation is this newcomer Valerio Sgargi! I look forward to seeking out and hearing more of his recordings (in the same way I've done for That Joe Payne since I first heard him on Nikitas Kissonas' METHEXIS project's Suiciety release back in 2015).
Does anyone else find a similarity in the sound of this album to that of the 2014 album, Speak, by Jason Hart's I AND THOU?
90.32 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of theatric progressive rock music that would, I feel quite confident, be quite welcome in the homes (and to the ears) of EVERY prog lover.
One of Prog's masters of storytelling through cinematic instrumental soundscapes is back with yet another illustration of his mastery of his craft.
Line-up / Musicians:
No line-up specified.
No line-up specified.
1. "Aggravation" (5:15) Vangelis-like contemplative, cinematic beauty provided by reverb-bathed notes from a piano. It's as if Rachel were playing one of her pensive solos on Deckard's piano as the noises of the decrepit outside world filtered in through the walls and windows of Deckard's apartment. (9/10)
2. "The disappeared" (3:40) treated wordless vocals over slowly progressing synth washes. (8.875/10)
3. "Malaise" (3:43) industrial rebellion. I like the arrival of layer upon layer as if the MATRIX revolution is mounting and ultimate. (8.875/10)
4. "Failing systems" (2:54) gorgeous chord progression of nebulous cloud synth chords while beneath pulse the machines of some industrial factory. My favorite song on the album--(because it uses my all-time favorite synth wash sound). (9.75//10)
5. "Quietus" (2:46) more cinematic chord progressions--this time coming from a youthful Ryuichi Sakamoto perspective. (4.5/5)
6. "Poisoned Ground" (3:26) much more on the subtle grounds of ubiquity and stagnation. (8.75/10)
7. "RSYT" (4:45) Satie-like piano (and synth) as if emerging from within thick fog. Spoken voices in the background add great mystery and confusion to the scene: It's like walking the streets of Ghent late at night while the fog of Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog wafts through the streets and alleys. Very cool. (9/10)
8. "The force of loss" (4:11) another song that could have come from a Vangelis soundtrack--perhaps even Blade Runner. The operatic voice sampled and used reminds me of the wonderful music of Wim Mertens. (8.875/10)
9. "Folded time" (4:44) two progressions of distorted, pitch-bent harp-like chord strokes repeat within a matrix of gelatinous-yet-crystalline, billowing musical walls. It's like walking through a hall of mirrors at an amusement park while drunk or high: nothing is steady or dependable; everything is fluid and amorphous. Genius! (9.25/10)
10. "The ghost of Lady Farewell" (5:51) with the twang of a stringed instrument involved within the nebulous mix from the start, I am reminded of older Battlestations pieces. But then the song shifts into a completely different form and set of textures with a pace and rhythm base to it while heavily treated electric guitar wails away in the not-too-distant background. At 3:08 the rhythm section actually solidifies and marches forward in a way that is quite reminiscent of the band's first three albums. It's nice, but it's been done before. The highlight is the fresh layers of synth-strings chords over the top. (8.875/10)
Total Time 41:18
While the music collected here sounds less conceptually organized, more like a collection of individually independent songs, the crafting is of the highest quality and caliber; the composer/musician we know only as "Battlestations" continues to grow and progress.
90.29 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of cinematic progressive electronic music that every prog--and music--lover would, I think, be quite happy to hear (and own).
30. MANNA/MIRAGE Autobiographie
Dave Newhouse and his ever-growing, ever-impressive collective of collaborators is back with yet another installment of the Manna / Mirage offshoot of the old Avant-Canterbury band, The Muffins.
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards, reeds, guitars (1,4), kalimba (2), accordion (3), harmonica (6), everything (4,7)
With:
- Sean Rickman / drums (1,2,5,6,8)
- Guy Segers / bass (1,6)
- Michael Zentner / electric violin (1)
- Jerry King / trombone (1-3), bass (2,3)
- Mark Stanley / guitar (2,6,8)
- Michael Bass / drums (3)
- Forrest Fang / violin (3)
- Rich O'Meara / marimba (6), mallets, bells, percussion (8)
- Dereck Higgins / bass (8)
- Luciano Margorani / guitar (9)
1. "Phantosmia" (6:30) very interesting for its unusual (for Dave) rhythm track. Saxophone and Michael Zentner's Eddie Jobson-like violin lead us through the first three minutes but then the horn section takes over in the foreground while individual instruments try to vie for attention from behind the wall of winds. In the fifth minute the band falls into the Rock Creek as Jannick Top-like single-pluck bass notes reverberate in order to keep the song moving above multiple reverse guitar tracks. Interesting. (8.75/10)
2. "Rounded by Sleep" (8:36) great steady mini-big band foundation that reminds me of Herbie Hancock's 1970s music in the late 1960s and early 1970s sits beneath some really awesome fuzz-saw guitar playing from Mark Stanley. At 4:00 Mark's play and the drums and bass cut out and we're left with a Phillip Glass-like tuned percussion weave within which trombone, woodwinds, and piano play a little bit. Then, at 6:20, a new kalimba, bass, and electric piano weave fades in and takes over. Lots of tuned percussion joins in and VERY cool three-part song! (18.75/20)
3. "Practicing Tonglin in a Time of War" (4:13) accordion and piano start up this European street song before drums, percussion, and bass join in. Second (or third?) accordion track doubles a violin to carry the melody for the first two minutes before a shift into a more Gypsy-klezmer-like weave incorporating horns and winds occurs. Now the violin and accordion are carrying one melody while the horns and winds carry a completely different one. At times it feels as if five or six separate melody lines are all woven together! (9/10)
4. "Section W" (4:56) a weave of stringed instruments: bass, guitar, percussed electric guitar, even banjo (dobro?) are all cycling within a steady repeating flow. Once established, radio tuning noises are strung into the mix giving it a Holger Czukay sound and feel. But then low flute (shakuhachi?) enters--on multiple tracks--providing a whole different feel and texture. (9/10)
5. "There Was a Time" (2:21) one of those classic beautiful piano-based chord progression songs that only Dave seems to be able to generate. Organ tracks, drums, keyboard bass, and some reeds provide most of the instrumentation for this little "soundtrack" ditty. (4.5/5)
6. "Close the Sky (5:52) a song of several parts, Guy Segers' heavily-treated bass and Mark Stanley's heavily-treated muted guitar play provide most of the foundational stuff for the first two minutes while reeds and harmonica provide entertainment on the sides, but then marimba takes the place of Mark's guitar for a minute, but then he returns for another solo--still playing off of Guy's interesting jazz bass. Then formally horn section step in to take the fore, providing their own tight melody as drummer Sean Rickman freestyles. (9/10)
7. "Instant Cloud Effect (3:18) opens with a descending chord progression of Fender Rhodes electric piano, bass, flutes, and clarinet, a pattern that is repeated with interludes of a second motif for the flutes and clarinet to do some flitting and flying off on their own. Nice. Peaceful. (8.875/10)
8. "Love Song for a Country" (5:30) slow and melancholy, this one feels as if the entire band are all on the same page--in the same mood--thus the song's overall feeling of uniformity--of the band's entrainment and indivisibility. It would've been interesting to hear this with Nick Prol's vocals. Nice avant garde guitar soloing from Mark Stanley in the last 90 seconds. Dave sure has a genius for great, nostalgic chord piano progressions. (9/10)
9. "Hope" (5:00) like Dave's swan song. I feel as if I'm listening to Dexter Gordon's playing from the film 'Round Midnight. (8.875/10)
Total Time 46:16
I swear, Dave's productions, compositions, and ideas just keep getting better and better with each successive album release. Beginning with 2015's wonderful surprise, Blue Dogs, through Rest of the Time, Face, and 2021's Man Out of Time (my favorite), the music has continued to evolve as it expresses and fulfills many of Dave's old ideas with new inspirations and inputs.
I really love how Dave puts detailed descriptions of the songwriting, studio recording, and evolution of each song into his album's "liner notes." It's a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the artist and his process.
I'd llike to add how much I enjoyed Sean Rickman's drumming; his is by far my favorite drumming on a Manna/Mirage album.
90.26 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; another minor masterpiece of progressive jazz-rock fusion from one of the longest-running, hardest working masters of the Canterbury Scene, Dave "The Muffin Man" Newhouse. Highly recommended. With this album and his previous release, 2021's Man Out of Time, you have two delightful masterpieces of the sub-genre.
7:19 |
31. EYELESS OWL Murmurations
The Coniguliaro Brothers' (SUN COLORED CHAIR, IN-DREAMVIEW, WIPPY BONSTACK, THE FILIBUSTER SALOON) sophomore release of Quinn's musical compositions (and explorations). What a team of collaborators!
Lineup / Musicians:
- Quinn Coniguliaro - Bass, Fretless Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, 12-String Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Drum [Steel Tong Drum] - Ben Coniguliaro - Drums, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Melodica, Banjo, Percussion
With:
- Zachary Detrick (THE FILIBUSTER SALOON) - Piano (Tracks 3, 9, 10); Melodica (10)
- Elizabeth Smiland - Flute (2, 6, 7, 9, 11)
- Sonia Susi - Violin (9, 11, 12)
- Joey Lavarias - Bassoon (2, 9)
- Max Barnes - Saxophone (2)
- Max Barnes - Saxophone (2)
- Thomas Lei - Flute (3)
- McKenzie Squires - Udu, percussion, Cajón, gong (5)
- AJ Hudson - Marimba (9)
- Diego Zavaleta - Marimba (10)
- Matt Stober (IN-DREAMVIEW) - Electric guitar (11)
1. "Rip Of Roost" (3:56) My throw away song; like one of Ant Phillips electric duds from Sides or Invisible Men. (8.66667/10)
1. "Rip Of Roost" (3:56) My throw away song; like one of Ant Phillips electric duds from Sides or Invisible Men. (8.66667/10)
2. "Bird Tunnels" (2:25) a mathematical étude that contains some very catchy, elegant melodies. (9/10)
3. "Stone Ponies" (4:28) the gentler side of Quinn trying on an old 1970s smooth jazz sound palette before moving into some more sophisticated jazz fusion. Nice tune. Memorable in a Wippy Bonstack kind of way. (9/10)
4. "The Big Goldeneye" (3:32) I love the 1960s Beach Rock riffs and sounds in this one. Though it is not all that, it definitely has a cinematic feel of mystery and intrigue. (8.875/10)
5. "Outmind" (2:53) wonderful weave of more delicate instrumental palette--almost Latin/Brazilian folk jazz imitative. Crushing melodies in several sections. My favorite song on the album. (10/10)
6. "Wingtip Vortices" (7:56) a wonderfully-fulfilling, complete composition that uses a bit of a STEREOLAB sound and melody palette before rocking out a bit. There's even a dreamy pastoral ANTHONY PHILLIPS/GENESIS-like passage (or two) in the fifth, six, and seventh minutes that eventually moves back to the opening motif for the finish. (13.75/15)
7. "Red Knot" (1:06) sounds like a hard-XTC/Dave Gregory rock version of the main motif in the previous song.(4.25/5)
8. "Clean Dinner" (1:19) a little Math Rock dittie that tries to be/turn folk rock. (4.5/5)
9. "House Finch" (2:32) strings and bassoon with organ and MIKE OLDFIELD electric guitar, tuned percussion and others perform this little mediæval circus dittie. (8.875/10)
10. "Osprey Outcry" (3:10) as if GENTLE GIANT tried to play some of their more classically-derived songs with a different instrumental palette. Nice tune. (9/10)
11. "Rookery" (5:55) more music from the "GENTLE GIANT covers/alternate takes" series--as if they has Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman on electric guitar and grand piano, respectively, and then were joined by Anthony Phillips or Mike Rutherford on 12-string in the last quarter. (9/10)
12. "Tinfoil Firehat" (4:03) fast-fire, hard-driving Andy Partridge-like prog pop that incorporates riffs and elements from Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Mike Oldfield and others as it goes. (8.875/10)
In my humble opinion, this album is yet another output of songs that the Coniguliaro Brothers have used to test and hone their skills with challenging new styles and forms.
In my humble opinion, this album is yet another output of songs that the Coniguliaro Brothers have used to test and hone their skills with challenging new styles and forms.
90.25 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of instrumental progressive rock music that sounds like a lot of "practice" covers and variations of other masters' sounds and styles.
32. MOTORPSYCHO Yay!
Ever since discovering Motorpsycho with 2010's Heavy Metal Fruit, I've been a big fan. Until last year I'd always assumed they were authors of sweeping prog concept albums like Unicorn but then I went back into their old discography--back to the 1990s and early 2000s--where I discovered some very cool, very melodic psychedelic pop music. so that Phanerothyme had lept to become my favorite album of theirs. So, when I heard about this album--and then heard the music--my reaction was "It's about time! I've been waiting--hoping--for this!"And then to find out that guitar hero Reine Fiske had a role in the production of this album! What a dream come true! I mean, I've LOVED his work with previous Motorpsycho albums (2013's Still Life with Eggplant, 2014's Behind the Sun, 2020's The All Is One)--but that'd always been as a player/performer. This is different. I am so excited for this album!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Bent Sæther / lead vocals, bass
- Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan / lead guitars, vocals
- Tomas Järmyr / drums & percussion
With:
- Josefin Runsteen / violin, viola
- Lisa Maria Linnéa Isaksson / flutes, vocals
1. "Cold & Bored" (4:01) a gentle, strummed acoustic guitar-based song arranged like a song by The Association with a little bit of Simon & Garfunkle in the lead vocal. (8.875/10)
2. "Sentinels" (4:22) beautiful Simon & Garfunkle vocals with a wonderfully spacious, delicate instrumental passage in the middle--all over hand percussion! (9.25/10)
3. "Patterns" (5:11) the Robin Guthrie guitars in the background and heavy, thick electric bass up front and center are the highlights of this one for me. Bent's 1990s Shoegaze-psychedelic vocals are pretty good, as well. The country-rock jam that finishes the song is so Amazing (as in, The). (8.875/10)
4. "Dank State" (3:18) a song that feels as if it came straight out of the folk-rock movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s (or the Nugrass movement of the late 1990s and Naughties). (8.66667/10)
5. "W.C.A." (4:15) multiple acoustic guitars strumming away while Bent sings and countrified guitar/sitar-like guitar leads beneath. The keyboards (uncredited) and/or tuned percussion are also quite good. I'm hearing what sounds like a kind of ALLMAN BROTHERS tribute/revival. (8.875/10)
6. "Real Again (Norway Shrugs and Stays at Home)" (3:03) another very sensitive acoustic guitar-based song that sounds like it comes straight from a 1960s Simon & Garfunkle album. (8.75/10)
7. "Loch Meaninglessness & the Mull of Dull" (2:54) more Paul Simon vocals though never as biting or politically-oriented as Paul was known for. The subtle presence of other instruments in occasional support and/or embellishment is handled quite masterfully. There's quite a little folk/country-western/even British folk-rock feel to this music. (8.75/10)
8. "Hotel Daedalus" (7:46) Wow! I was not expecting this! James Bond theme song bombast with some wonderful Duane Allman-like guitar playing. The beautifully harmonized vocals from the opening notes are powerful, sensitive, and gorgeously melodic but the Duane Allman/(Reine Fiske) lead guitar work is the real showstopper here (though I also love the rhythm guitar work, drums, and chunky distorted BASS). The stripped down, conga-supported instrumental passage in the fourth minute is simply to DIE FOR--especially as the big thick bass and wall of orchestral strings join in. I am in tears it's so beautiful, so emotional! This is definitely the high point of my 2023 listening (so far). And that's not even mentioning the lead guitar work! Coming out of the beautifully bombastic instrumental theme with some BREAD-like strumming guitar and groove-walking bass playing, Bent finishes it off with his beautiful vocal. Definitely a top three song for me. Maybe the best song of 2023. (It's definitely in the running!) (15/15)
9. "Scaredcrow" (1:50) an excellent comedown from the emotional output of the previous song. (Thank you!) This just shows what masters of putting together an album of music these gentlemen are. (4.5/5)
10. "The Rapture" (5:28) Another acoustic guitar strumming song over which Bent uses his Paul Simon voice and lyrics delivery approach. Bass, more strings, piano, strings, congas, even Mellotron each join in, seemingly one at a time, one line at a time, before we get to the powerful ARCADE FIRE/THE DECEMBERISTS-like chorus delivery. Cool song. The lead guitar(s) interplay with the full orchestra strings is really cool--like a classic Jimmy Webb song ("Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"). Great ending to a great album. (8.875/10)
Total Time 42:08
With so many vocal styles and sounds on display throughout this album (yes, even the voice timbres seem to change from song to song) I can't help but marvel at A) Bent's talents and B) the engineering talents employed for this album's production.
90.16667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive folk rock music--something that conjures so many great sounds, songs, and bands from the 1960s and 1970s yet, as usual, has the disctinctive freshness that Motorpsycho always lends to its compositions. Definitely a masterfully constructed and produced album. And check out Bent's chameleonic vocal abilities!
33. SONAR (with David Torn and J. Peter Schwalm) Three Movements
Stephan Thelen has recalled his band of math rockers for another SONAR collaboration, this time with "iconoclastic audio poet" David Torn, while also calling on board keyboard/electronics expert (and Eno collaborator), J. Peter Schwalm.
- Christian Kuntner / bass
- Manuel PasquinelliI / drums
- Bernhard Wagner / guitar, live looping
- Stephan Thelen / guitar, programming
- David Torn / guitar, live looping
- J. Peter Schwalm / electronics
1. "Movement 1" (16:20) the presence and influence of keyboard/electronics expert J. Peter Schwalm is felt immediately in the much more expanded spectrum of sound presented here; the SONAR sound field by these Math Rockers is typically far-more sparse than this. David Torn's first solo feels forced, too rooted in rock norms, not as expressive of his own highly unique sonic intuition. Luckily, this style is short-lived: the band goes back into more Math Rock polyrhythmic mode, several times building to full-band weave crescendos before devolving into a more open, passive, and spacey soundscape in the thirteenth minute. Christian Kuntner's Tony Levin-like low bass "thrums" always get me--and he times them perfectly (though selectively) throughout this. The tribal-rhythms and beats of the fourteenth and fifteenth minutes are so PETER GABRIEL Passion like! ("Of These, Hope") It's wonderful! Great tune! Welcome J. Peter! (27/30)
2. "Movement 2" (11:00) more industrial space synth sounds open this before the mathematical note- and arpeggio play of the stringed instruments slowly enter and begin to mesh and interweave. It's an awesome weave with a MASERATI-like earworm part in the seventh minute--that is carried forward with some regularity and shadow echoes into the ninth minute. Man! J. Peter Schwalm's electronics makes a huge difference! (18.5/20)
3. "Movement 3" (15:08) opening with more typical SONAR Math Rock guitar weave, joined first by the deep bass thrums of Christian Kuntner and then Van de Graaf generator-like electronic inputs from J. Peter Schwalm's synths. The inputs of David Torn and J. Peter Schwalm are felt in bursts and waves over the course of the next four minutes until the music swells and then clears out for some very deep electronic (bass?) waves. The have no real change in structure or flow until the ninth minute when drummer Manuel Pasquinellil begins to go to town over his cymbals and then entire drum kit--then everybody else seems to jump on the dynamic wagon, though Manuel remains the most impressive. (26.5/30)
Total Time 42:28
The addition of a keyboard/electronics expert certainly does add a lot of breadth to the sonic landscapes of Stephan Thelen and company. Though still built around King Crimson "Discipline"-like Math Rock polyrhythms, the music is far more spacey, less sparse.
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; another amazing album of "future world" music from Switzerland's greatest progressive rock export; highly recommended to all prog lovers: this might very well be the best SONAR release yet--even better than 2018's Vortex!
34. SEQUENTIA LEGENDA Alcyone
Laurent Schieber just keeps going, here releasing his 14th album since he burst onto the Progressive Electronic/Berlin School scene in 2014.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Laurent Schieber / Arturia Moog Modular, Arturia Minimoog, Arturia Jupiter-8, Arturia Solina, ARP Odyssey by ElektroStudio, Steinberg Hypersonic, M-Tron Mellotron, Gravity-Vocalise by Heavyocity, Atomic Sequencing tool, KORG PS-3300 Emulation from Full Bucket Music
Line-up / Musicians:
- Laurent Schieber / Arturia Moog Modular, Arturia Minimoog, Arturia Jupiter-8, Arturia Solina, ARP Odyssey by ElektroStudio, Steinberg Hypersonic, M-Tron Mellotron, Gravity-Vocalise by Heavyocity, Atomic Sequencing tool, KORG PS-3300 Emulation from Full Bucket Music
1. "Around the Great Central Sun" (19:56) opening with a slightly more-modern glockenspiel sound in the simple starter sequencer weave, this object is driving forward with a purpose, showing no hint of stoppage must less slowing, and yet, as it travels mercilessly onward, the vehicle is somehow able to pick up reinforcements--passengers, if you will--adding to the weave, thickening the strength and resolve of the sentient being. But then, at the 10-minute mark, without warning or cause, there is a sudden weakening and hault to the inner core drive mechanism as the object seems to stop, as if to observe and assess, still giving off radiant energy as it waits, as it basks. Whether or not there is an exchange, or a recharge going on during this static pause is a quandary as one can no longer determine if the flow of energy has been one of expenditure or magnetic attraction: perhaps the Great Central Sun--the destination of the Object In Motion--has been attracting, magnetizing, even commanding the arrival (and audience or worship) of the OIM all along! As the eons of attendance turn into minutes, there seems to be a dwindling of lines of communication between the GCS and the OIM--perhaps one is dissipating, evaporating into the emptiness of space, or perhaps the consciousness of the OIM is fading, slowly switching off, to slip into an eternal state of dreamless sleep. Cool journey! I love the imagery it allowed me to delve into. (35.75/40)
2. "The Ring of Golden Light" (27:40) opening with layers of slightly-unsettling spacey synth notes woven together--and no sequencer--the song slowly develops as a "distant" tapestry of sequenced lines very slowly begins to emerge from beneath the ethereal space weave, taking about two minutes to finally achieve full integration and then dominance. The new dominant weave is flush with moving parts, all of them morphing subtly despite sounding and feeling as if they are remaining constant. This is brilliant! I love how subtle the changes are: it keeps one fully engaged within the effort of trying to catch each and every ray, glimmer, and flare. At 9:14 there is a major key change--a single point at which time everything in this perspective made a uniform shift in direction (and speed?). The course has been changed! But why? What has happened Then, at 11:15, there is another sudden shift: this time back to the exact course (and speed) we were on from 3:00 to 9:13. And then the background space-synth weave seems to make a play for leadership position--and forces the beam to make another shift to the faster course. The synth-weave backs down briefly but then, in the 14th minute, can be heard making another play for dominant, forcing yet another, completely new and different directional (and speed) change in the 15th minute. It's almost like this energy field has politics: as if it has a two-party factional drive (or driver). At 18:15 there is yet another directional shift, this one feeling a bit more destabilizing--even chaotic, as the energy beam falters for a few moments while it tries to regather its strength and momentum--to no avail as the entire operation is forced to shut down at the 20:12 mark, leaving an unsettling and seemingly directionless field of chaotic independent and disorganized synth waves to fill the void. Cosmic Voices and other forces of Discord and support begin to rush in as if to bolster up and help reform the spent entity. It seems, however, that the forces of Entropy and Chaos might prevail until the chorus of Cosmic Organizers regroup and rejoin the struggle for recovery (or, perhaps, rebirth). In the end, it feels as if all is lost, let go of, as the forces of Creation seem to fade into the background and disappear, the leftover molecules of energy allowed to scatter freely as they give in to Kali's forces of entropy. Perhaps this piece can be viewed as a metaphor for the contentious state our current version of humankind finds itself in?--or for the decay and fall of any empire (such as the US)? Thank you, Laurent, once again, for the gift of yet another piece of time-and-space-removing music that has allowed me such a wonderful journey within my very real imagination. (49.5/55)
3. "Bon Voyage" (20:45) seems like an homage to our late, great Berlin School artists as everything here, from the very opening, sounds like it's old, expressing the insidious urgency that those old TD and KS sequenced songs used to. I like the way Laurent has learned to hide secondary melodies and other nuanced sounds/elements within the music--its as if the screamed salutations of passersby can be heard as the bullet train/speed-of-light space craft slashes by without the listener on board the craft being able to make out any words or meanings, just shadow-like Edvard Munch "Scream" sounds. The final quarter of the piece projects a heightened urgency--as if tensions rise due to the unexpected findings at the end of the journey (or else due to fuel consumption worries). (35.5/40)
4. "Love Feeds Love" (3:34) a perfect little PE ditty that, for me, captures the spiritual essence of all that the subgenre tries to express in an amazingly compact three and a half minutes. Absolutely brilliant! Laurent, you are The Master! (10/10)
Total Time 71:55
Total Time 71:55
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; another minor masterpiece of Berlin School electronic music from this very faithful student (and now Master). If you're a dreamer who loves to let music take you on extraterrestrial adventures, you will love this music!
Special Mentions:
ÓLAFUR ARNALDS Live from Hafursey, A Cercle Production
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ólafur Arnalds / composer, two programmable upright Yamaha pianos using the Stratus Pianos system, other Korg and Roland electronic keyboards
- Vaka Eythorsdottir / violin
- Petur Björnsson / violin
- Karl James Pestka / viola
- Unmur Jonsdottir / cello
- Christian Tschuggnall / electronic drums
1. "Loom" (featuring Bonobo) (5:14) a great, almost "rousing" techno-chamber pop opener that came from Ólafur's 2020 album, Some Kind of Peace. It was Grammy Award nominated in 2021. (9.7510)
2. "Brot" (2:39) From Ólafur's 2018 album, re:member, a piece that sounds like it could very well have come straight from Mark ISHAM's soundtrack for the 1985 film Never Cry Wolf (one of my favorite soundtracks of all-time). (4.5/5)
3. "Only The Winds" (6:45) a slow, long piano intro gradually builds with the wide-range of strings and pulsing bass/bass drum line (which is eventually expanded into hi-hat and snare hits). I love the Post Rock-like slowbuild and then long, slow regression before the "big reveal" in the final minute--and then the gorgeous cello-viola finish. This is the only song Ólafur chose to use from his 2013 album, For Now I Am Winter. (14.25/15)
4. "re:member" (6:18) The title piece from Ólafur's 2018 album, re:member, we hear some pensive solo piano chord play opens this, setting up.a two-part four-chord motif that sounds a bit like a GEORGE WINSTON Christmas rendition. In the second half of the second minute the strings start to join in: at first as if minor-key counter-weights to the piano's main theme, but then, as the piano backs away, just a different perspective of the same landscape. Driving piano arpeggiation enters, establishing a more forward-moving soundscape, and then strings re-join before the synthetic drums join in helping to vault the song into a little more of a trip-hoppy final third . (8.875/10)
5. "Still / Sound" (3:55) the second song taken from Ólafur's 2020 album release, Some Kind of Peace, it opens with solo electronic keys repeating chord sequence to which other keys and strings eventually add their contributions, building a beautiful and upbeat almost Berlin School theme/song. I love the way it's the strings that finish this one off. (9/10)
6. "saman" (2:25) Another piece lifted from Ólafur's 2018 album, re:member, it's a solo treated piano interlude that leads into the next song. (4.375/5)
7. "Doria - Island Songs VII" (4:01) The only song chosen to represent Ólafur's 2-16 album release, Island Songs, shows Ólafur moving from upright to computer keyboard, using the live programming and autoplay effect to command the player-piano aspect of his Yamaha upright with some gorgeous multi-track weave of arpeggi. Joined by the string quartet in the third minute to gorgeous, swelling effect. (9.5/10)
8. "Ypsilon" (4:40) Also from Ólafur's 2018 release, re:member, we hear "distant" operatic voice samples embellished by fragile strings and synth horn/strings chord washes. Orchestra hits, syncopated bass drum and synth drums hits with weave of pizzicato play from the string quartet create a very cool Mark Isham-like soundtrack theme. In the finish the quartet has somehow invisibly switched from pizzicato to long sustained note play--which leads into the next song. Amazing! (10/10)
9. "Hafursey (Yfir)" (7:58) starts out like a cinematic piano piece with constant support from the etheric chords created by the string quartet's sustained note play. Quite beautiful, moody, and powerful. And then in the third minute piano stops, sequenced rhythm track slowly fades in with occasional deep bass thrums, rising tensions, as the strings' notes also rise (in pitch) until in the fifth minute we reach a fever pitch climax at which time Ólafur switches to piano and the strings begin a leadership role as the drummer joins in with some cool hip-hop jazz brush play--all the while the Berlin School-like sequence is morphing, sometimes in the background, occasionally popping back into the lead, never relinquishing its rhythmic drive until the seventh minute when things start to wind down. The song then finishes with Ólafur playing solo piano. While this is the only song on the "live" album that has no officially previously-recorded form, Ólafur reveals in the post-concert interview that it was derived from years of variations and morphs of one of his band's most popular live songs which started out as the song "undir" from the album re:member. (14/15)
10. "ekki hugsa" (4:37) From re:member, it opens with a driving two-handed piano arpeggi with MIDI-ed and looped high end tuned percussives from Ôlafur while the strings play a kind of rock chord progression (and cello blaying bass line). It morphs and swells until strings start to play a slowly morphing gentle weave while bass becomes synthesized and brushed drums join in. Cool! (8.75/10)
11. "Kiasmos - Blurred" (5:01) midrange piano play with high strings play over disco beat drums and bass line. While Ólafur's piano play and the rhythm track remains constant, the strings are the ones to carry the song's progress forward--at least, until the middle. That's when Ólafur moves out of his mid-range, the drumming gains a little Latin shake and some other synth noises cry out while the string quartet retreats into more of a rhythm section role. But when the piano establishes its melodic track in its new higher range, the strings return to taking over the forward movement--are even given the job of finishing off the song as a solo quartet (without keys and drums). Very nice composition from Ólafur's old, pre-2010 experimental techno project, Kiasmos. (9/10)
12. "Near Light" (5:18) borrowed from Ólafur's 2011 EP, Living Room Songs, we get a pensive piano with some spurts of plaintive cello eventually becomes a full piano quintet--to which is soon added the percussive aspect of the synthetic drums as well as some other incidental and intermittent keyboard-generated notes and sounds. Very pretty once the full sonic field is completed. Another lull occurs in the middle before it turns into a gentle, pastoral piano solo (part of which reminds me of HAROLD BUDD and BRIAN ENO's "First Light" / "Failing Light" songs from their 1981 masterpiece, Ambient 2: Plateaux of Mirror) (9/10)
13. "We Contain Multitudes" (5:25) The third and only other song to be lifted from Ólafur's 2020 album, Some Kind of Peace, we find ourselves going back to the GEORGE WINSTON-DAVID LANG piano soundscapes, with some very pretty Chopin-like melodic riffs thrown in there to hook your emotions. Very nice (except that it's been done before--by many New Age pianists). Strings begin to make their presence known at the very end, in the low end only, before the song ends (and, in the video, the band and recording crew get up to give congratulatory hugs all around as the sun sets poetically on the mountain range behind them). (8.875/10)
While the Mark Isham and George Winston comparisons are unavoidable, there is no denying Ólafur's inspiration from 19th Century solo piano genius, Frederik Chopin. Also, the Cercle rendering of Ólafur's musical performance into a cinematic experience using Icelandic's unearthly landscapes makes this something even more magical.
92.21 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of cinematic progressive chamber music and one of my favorite albums from 2023.
It's been a while since I've heard a Pat Metheny album that was entirely him doing solo guitar. (Orchestrion doesn't count.) 1979's New Chautauqua (my first Metheny purchase back in 1980)) may be the only one I can think of (as well as the one album that I know that this album most reminds me of--besides the duets with Charlie Haden), though many of his albums contained solo pieces (as do his concerts), not many contain only him. Whereas the music of Pat's youth was much more diversified in dynamics and temperament, this one seems to be quite contemplative--reminding much more of the solo piano works of the late great BILL EVANS (which also makes this album quite reminiscent of the GREAT tribute album John McLaughlin did of Bill Evans songs on his 1993 album, Time Remembered). There are plenty of familiar melodies delivered in little riffs within the perfectly rendered guitar-generated songs. It always amazes me how quiet Pat's playing: both from his fingerboard work and his flat-picking. Also, I realize that none of these songs is rendered through one single track--that Pat often includes layers of support guitars and bass beneath his lead instrument, so I don't want to give the wrong impression with my categorization of this album as works of "solo guitar" play.
A very difficult album to rate (as are the individual songs which, again like John McLaughlin's 1993 Time Remembered album, all serve to evoke a flow of one contemplative, retrospective and introspective collection of songs) I find it difficult to now give this gorgeous, nostalgic album from one of the all-time masters of the melodic guitar anything less than five stars. Still, this is not New Age or Smooth Jazz so much as the privilege of sitting in the same room (space) with one of the great guitar masters. At the same time, there a few standout songs. The pop familiarity ("Spooky" and "Am I the Same Girl " come to mind) of song number 5. "Never Was Love" (5:57) is unmistakable and completely disarming. 6. "I Dream Too Easily" (5:08) sounds as if it is about to be blessed with a vocal by 1990s DIANA KRALL. 9. "Clouds Can't Change The Sky" (7:15) opens like a Cole Porter song before slowing down and spacing out for one of Pat's deeply emotional solo pieces--one that would have been rendered trebly more beautiful by Jeremy Lubbock's wonderful walls of sound from the London Orchestra or Toots Thielemans' harmonica for the Grammy Award winning 1992 album Secret Story album. And, of course, there is the album's opener, 1. "The Waves Are Not the Ocean" (7:14) whose introspective beauty sets the stage for all that is to follow.
Beauty. Something that is ever appreciated, never expected, always precious and satisfying.
A masterpiece of music but perhaps not necessarily of progressive rock music.
A very difficult album to rate (as are the individual songs which, again like John McLaughlin's 1993 Time Remembered album, all serve to evoke a flow of one contemplative, retrospective and introspective collection of songs) I find it difficult to now give this gorgeous, nostalgic album from one of the all-time masters of the melodic guitar anything less than five stars. Still, this is not New Age or Smooth Jazz so much as the privilege of sitting in the same room (space) with one of the great guitar masters. At the same time, there a few standout songs. The pop familiarity ("Spooky" and "Am I the Same Girl " come to mind) of song number 5. "Never Was Love" (5:57) is unmistakable and completely disarming. 6. "I Dream Too Easily" (5:08) sounds as if it is about to be blessed with a vocal by 1990s DIANA KRALL. 9. "Clouds Can't Change The Sky" (7:15) opens like a Cole Porter song before slowing down and spacing out for one of Pat's deeply emotional solo pieces--one that would have been rendered trebly more beautiful by Jeremy Lubbock's wonderful walls of sound from the London Orchestra or Toots Thielemans' harmonica for the Grammy Award winning 1992 album Secret Story album. And, of course, there is the album's opener, 1. "The Waves Are Not the Ocean" (7:14) whose introspective beauty sets the stage for all that is to follow.
Beauty. Something that is ever appreciated, never expected, always precious and satisfying.
A masterpiece of music but perhaps not necessarily of progressive rock music.
BOYGENIUS
I just discovered this band, this phenomenon, this beautiful tripartate butterfly; my life may be irrevocably healed, certainly propelled toward more complete healing. Three extraordinary singer songwriters--perhaps the best of the new generation--working together in an environment of total and genuine awe, love, trust, and respect for one another. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lucy, Julian, and Phoebe. Let love rule. I know you do.
The album that helped the band win three Grammys at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
The Rest (EP)
An EP released in October that contains four songs that the band had not completed or polished (or, rather, did not fit with the theme of) at the time of publication of The Record. There is one song representing each of the three composers and a fourth song that they co-wrote (the opener, "Black Hole"), "Afraid of Heights" from Lucy, "Voyager" from Phoebe, and "powers" a brand new, raw new song from "Jack" (Julian) (Phoebe's favorite Julian song ever).
HOLY WAVE Five of Cups
Wonderfully lush Nugaze from Austin, Texas. Makes you wonder what would have happened if Ride, Slowdive, Happy Mondays, Kevin Shields, and Portishead had all merged inside the bodies/brains of Tame Impala's Kevin Parker or The Clientele.
Lineup / Musicians:
Ryan Fuson / Vocals, guitar
Kyle Hager / Synthesizer, guitar
Joseph Cook / Bass
Julian Ruiz / Drums
With:
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete / Vocals and synth (7)
Estrella del Sol / Vocals (9)
Ernesto Grey / Outro beat (9)
1. "Five of Cups" (5:18) a richly TAME IMPALA-like song whose vocal has a bit of the cynical malaise of a MORRISSEY song. I love how Ryan and gang make something gorgeous out of the unexpected chord changes. Great start to a great album! My favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)
2. "Bog Song" (4:52) the singer's voice coming in at an entirely different octave (higher) than the opener is a real shocker. I love the slow swing pace of the music, reminding me of some of the dreamier songs of Cocteau Twins, Ivy, or The Clientele. (9.125/10)
3. "Chaparral" (4:43) same musical pace and palette as before with different guitar and melody line from the vocalist. Interesting! (8.875/10)
4. "Path of Least Resistance" (4:17) sounds so much like Tame Impala playing Ivy, Slowdive, or, in the second half, My Bloody Valentine. (9.125/10)
5. "Nothing Is Real" (4:07) as beautifully comforting and somnambulistic as anything The Clientele ever did. (8.875/10)
6. "Hypervigilance" (5:01) nice cruising song that contains elements of King Crimson (Yes!), Arcade Fire, and Aztec Camera that have been incredibly and beautifully amalgamated. Another top three. (9.25/10)
7. "The Darkest Timeline" (featuring Lorelle Meets the Obsolete) (4:29) lovely female whisper-reverb vocals reminding me of iconic 1990s bands OLIVE and MONO. Great synth, drum, and ROBIN GUTHRIE guitar work. A top three song for me. (9.5/10)
8. "Nothing in the Dark" (4:58) great guitar riff with seductive whisper-reverb male vocals. Gorgeous. (8.875/10)
9. "Happier" (featuring Estrella del Sol) (4:03) guitars that sound like they come straight off a DOVES, IVY, or LUSH album over which sedating whisper-reverb male vocals resound over the first half. The second half slows down and features a great ethereal vocal from a female vocalist. (9/10)
Well, the band has phased out of their 1960s psychedelia replication origins and moved into the territory of the reverb kings of the DreamPop and Shoegaze
91.25 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; an album of immaculately crafted songs in the lush, reverb-drenched tradition of bands like Cocteau Twins, Ride, Mono, Ivy, The Clientele, and Tame Impala. Highly recommended!
Great Albums that Failed to Achieve Full Review
(because the music of the full albums was not made available without purchase.)
(I do not buy music until I've heard and/or reviewed it.)
FRENCH TV A Ghastly State of Affairs
The Louisville-based band's 14th release, this one continues the recent trend of toning down the avant craziness and presenting the listener with a few more melodic lines to latch onto.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Mike Sary / Bass, loops, samples
- Katsumi Yoneda / Guitars
- Patrick Strawser / Keyboards
- Fenner Castner / Drums
With:
- Kenji Imai / flute
- Warren Dale / Saxes
- Ludo Fabre / Violin
1. "Every Morning I Wake Up and Take My Hat Off to all the Beauty in the World" (18:34) (/40)
2. "Baby, You Fill Me with Inertia" (11:15) opens with a little weave drawing from classical minimalism before going true avant. Nice use of the woodwinds (including Warren Dale playing multiple saxes [on multiple tracks]). A lull in inertia in the fourth minute feels Weather Report-ish with bass and soling synth soloing but then the horns, keys and drums return. The playfulness and yet harmonic beauty of this reminds me of the musics of both DAVE NEWHOUSE and SANGUINE HUM. Again: I'm constantly finding myself at the accessibility of the melodies. An odd disco beat in the seventh minute is overshadowed by the even odder selection of instruments to accompany it. But this is soon gone, replaced by a more melodramatic theme of who-dunnit thriller capacity--until at 8:38 a door to an entirely different room is very suddenly thrown open revealing an entirely new scene (and motif)--a crazy scene that continues to the song's fini. (18/20)
3. "Drunkard's Train to Westchester" (8:38) A casserole of highly unusual sounds are here thrown together and told to git in line. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. (The idiosyncratics are, after all, quite eccentric). Despite some beautiful and interesting elements and displays (especially in the sixth and seventh minutes), the whole circus doesn't quite work for me. (Not that I want my money back: I just wanted a more trackable show.) (17.5/20)
4. "The Mayor of Ding Dong City" (6:53) the band is really letting their politics hang from their sleeve! At the same time, this is a very smooth, almost proggy sounding song for French TV! (13.375/15)
5. "My Boys Awake at Night 'cuz They Nocturnal" (10:53) (20)
Total Length: 66:13
I have to admit that writing play-by-play reviews for the songs of an avant gard/RIO band is quite fun; it's as if the band gives me fuel (and free license) to let my very visual mind send me lots of material for my wordsmithing.
on the Fishscales = B/four stars;
IOEARTH Sanctuary
British veterans release their seventh studio album since 2008 and this one with an interesting twist: each song has its own professionally-prepared video (available on YouTube)!
- Dave Cureton / guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, percussion
- Linda Odinsen / vocals
- Adam Gough / keyboards, guitar, orchestration, percussion
- Luke Shingler / saxophone, flute
- Christian Nokes / bass
- Tim Wilson / drums & percussion
1. "Outside" (6:22) opens with some very pretty cinematic music using some very computer-generated sounds and tracks with plugged-in nylon-string guitar for the first 90 seconds before the dual voices of Linda Odinsen and Dave Cureton (growling a bit in a Leonard Cohen-like conspiratorial whisper voice) enter. The music gets heavier for the chorus but then returns to the tension-filled cinematic soundscape while Dave's nylon-string guitar continues to solo and Linda's vocals turn wordless with quite a Middle Eastern melodic sense. The climactic sixth minute presents a powerful electric guitar solo over some great prog bombast before the song settles back into solo computer-piano for a gentle finish. Very good song and definitely an opener that gets one very excited for what may come next. (9.25/10)
2. "Running" (5:59) great NeoProg bombast with a fairly corny video--though I have to admit I enjoyed seeing Dave's guitar solo. (9/10)
3. "Sanctuary" (6:15) opens exactly like MIDAS FALL--even going so far as to sound as if Linda is imitating Elisabeth Heaton's immaculate voice talents--but then the heavy chorus section lets one down a bit, but I swear the rest of the song could come straight out of Elisabeth and Rowan's studio/brains. I really like the breathy male vocals in the calm keyboard section mid-song followed by the drums, bass, and keys trip-hoppy passage. Wicked guitar solo in the sixth minute. If you know how much I like Midas Fall, you'll understand why I like this song so much. (9.5/10)
4. "The Child" (8:42) contemplative piano and background synth low voice noises open this one before hand percussives join in the texturization. At the one-minute mark vocalist Linda Odinson joins in sounding like a cross between Anneke Van Giersbergen and Frequency Drift's Antje Auer. Very pretty, ethereal. The music then turns toward an instrumental passage in which electric guitar takes a slow and then very strong lead as the musical palette thickens and heavies around Dave's guitar--which is kind of lap pedal steel sounding à la the great David Gilmour. Nice. Sudden shift from heavy and thick to thin and ethereal as Linda's voice takes center stage again at the five-minute mark. Man! she has such a beautiful, calming voice. Nice electronica build up in the instrumental interlude at the beginning of the seventh minute. A Linda swoon and the band launches back into the heavier motif while strings and guitars duel for ascendency. All drops off at 7:35 for solo cello (MIDIed with eerie Outer Limiits-like synth sound) played over upper register keyboard bells. Very good song. (18/20)
5. "Close By" (5:18) solo piano opens this one in a pensive way. Linda joins in with such an angelic whispering voice it makes my knees melt. It's like she's talking right into my ear. That's it: piano and voice! Both gorgeous. (8.75/10)
6. "Airborne" (7:13) WHAM! keyboard with Dave's low raspy voice talk-singing. Great effect! After the first verse, the full band comes in setting up an awesome lap steel guitar solo (and sound). Then Linda joins Dave for the next verse, singing as a duet, before a heavier, very cinematic passage begins in order to feature more of Dave's wonderful guitar play--both electric and plugged-in acoustic. At 3:50 Linda solos it over the walls of heaviness. It's very much like THE GATHERING back in the days of ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN. At 5:05 the music shifts dramatically toward a more techno-poppy rhythm pattern (while remaining in the same speed and gear as previously). For the seventh minute the music transforms into a kind of variation on PINK FLOYD's "Run Like Hell" and/or Steven Wilson's "Sky Moves Sideways" before dropping out with a searing guitar sound. A top three song. (14.25/15)
(91.66667 after the release of the first six songs)
7. "Changes" (9:06) (/20)
8. "Sunshine" (8:58) (/20)
9. "Won't Be Afraid" (7:43) (/15)
Total Time 65:36
I've always thought this band's music to be so cinematic--like the music of Enigma, Deep Forest, or Adiemus--so it feels perfectly fitting that the band should release videos to express/accompany their songs.
on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music--the best collection of compositions I've heard from this band.
