Top Albums of the Year 2025, Part 1: The Masterpieces

 My Favorite Albums of 2025

(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 Fifty 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 an album's 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. 

So far I have been able to force myself to listen to over 40 new releases from 2025 from which I have posted reviews of 28 (so far). According to my calculations, we are fortunate to have 2025 presenting Prog World with five (5) masterpieces, seven (7) "minor" masterpieces, and seven (7) other excellent "near-masterpieces"! 

The Rankings

 (My "Favorites")

1. CHERCÁN Chercán

2. HIROMI'S SONICWONDER Out There

3. MAUD THE MOTH The Distaff

4. SOLSTICE Clann

5. SQUID Cowards

6. DOMINIC SANDERSON Blazing Revelations

7. GÉRALD MASSOIS Demain à l'aube

8. MALABRIEGA Frippada Andaluza

9. SOFT FFOG Focus

OLOGRAM La mia scia

CORDE OBLIQUE Cries and Whispers

KARFAGEN Omni

DREAM THEATER Parasomnia

RED BAZAR Blood Moon

DANEFAE Trost

DAAL Decoding the Emptiness

The Masterpieces

(Ratings of 100 to 93.34) 

DOMINIC SANDERSON Blazing Revelations

The sophomore release from the young newcomer who burst onto the prog scene with his amazing Impermanence back in 2023 (my #21 Favorite album from that year).

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dominic Sanderson / electric & acoustic guitars, vocals, Mellotron
- Tristan Apperley / bass, violin
- Jacob Hackett / drums & percussion
- Embiye Adalı / Mellotron, Hammond organ, clavinet, Fender Rhodes, piano
- Andy Frizell / tenor, alto & baritone saxophones, flute
With:
- Joshua Joyner / percussion
- Massimo Pieretti / piano

1. "From the Weeping Cradle" (12:00) opening with a clavinet motif! If that doesn't impress, I don't know what does! Tristan Apperley bass lines, Embiye Adali's infrequent mellotron "rests" coupled with Dominic's complex guitar and Jacob Hackett's syncopated drumming then take us through the second motif--about 90 seconds--to the two-minute mark where the band smooths into a forward-moving WOBBLER/YES-like motif. The third minute sees the takeover of Dominic's soloing guitar before yielding to Hammond organ, flute, and over the next minute before everybody kind of comes together in a truly YES-WOBBLER fashion: gushing out a full-band weave of complex instrumental lines. Flute, Mellotron strings, and chunky bass take the fore as the band speeds along until 5:45 when the musicians break for a dramatic vocal delivery from Dominic that sounds very much like a Peter Hammill/Matthew Parmenter/(John Wetton)-like Shakespearean actor singing his lines--and he pulls it off respectably! Hammond organ, bass and drums take us out of the seventh minute with a little help from some acoustic guitar. Dominic's doubled-up Hammill/Parmenter voice returns in the eighth minute with some RPI-like harmony b vox but really this is a two-and-a-half minute Peter Hammill School of Dramatic Singing master's degree defense by the remarkable Mr. Sanderson! Full marks! With Honors! (And I'm not even much of a fan of either PH or VDGG!) As good a s (maybe better than?!) the founder himself!

      The VDGG music that fills the rest of the tenth minute and then continues into the fully instrumental eleventh (to the song's end) is remarkable for both its mature prog sophistication as well as its spot-on replication of all the skill and compositional intricacies of the music of the great prog gods at the peak of their powers: YES, VDGG, Crimson--they're all here! Well met, Mr. Sanderson! (24.5/25)

2. "Faithless Folly" (10:27) reverb/chorused electric guitar notes and slow strums, allowed to decay slowly, open this song, occupying the first 90-seconds of the song. Then manic-whispering voice enters with minimal syncopated muted guitar notes and, later, a growing host of supporting instruments (including saxophones) and voices working their way into the weave, until a pause at 2:38 opens the door for a DAAL-like Crimsonian-VDGG motif in the fourth minute. With this style of saxophone worked into the weave, this could almost be SEVEN IMPALE. Then--big surprise--we get a motif at 4:00 that is uniquely jazz-rock-infused prog that sounds unlike much I've ever heard--maybe Ambrosia, Orion 2.0, Kevin Ayers, or Blood, Sweat & Tears with hints of Patrick Moraz, Motorpsycho, and Be-Bop Deluxe? Brilliantly original! Coming out of the "Gyre of Delirium" we finish the song while sitting in the middle of a circle of a rather amorphous "gathering" of disjointed and disconnected instrumental sounds--sounding as if each musician is sitting on a rock around a campfire, facing away from the central fire, each tuning or working through some fresh ditty or mathematical problem on their own instruments, in their own minds (and universes), totally oblivious to one another much less their surroundings. Interesting! Though not my favorite song on the album it is worthy of high praise for its inventive creativity. (18.5/20)

3. "A Rite of Wrongs" (6:19) opening with crackling fire sounds and dated "original" Mellotron single note sounds (seven seconds or less, of course), Dominic seems to be offering a tutorial/étude in 'tron mastery. But then two gently picked acoustic guitars (R & L) enter to bookend Dom's full-frontal vocal. The style and content of his vocal is so anachronistic: it makes me feel as if I'm watching a theatric stage performance at some summer Renaissance Faire, listening to a bard singing his heroic story around a campfire. The whole soundscape is fully anachronistic prog--as if without electrification! There are even theatric "monster/troll" noises in the fifth minute. The folk vamp with flute, guitars, violins, mandolin, and hand percussives taking us out is extraordinary! Again, amazing work, Mr. S! (10/10)

4. "Lullaby for a Broken Dream" (16:17) opens with some acoustic folk guitars and like-styled singing before Mellotron strings chords take over for the voice alongside the strumming acoustic guitar. At the one minute mark drummed toms and electric bass join in, supplanting the 'tron for a bit before guitar chord play and 'tron strings chords join. By the time the second minute is underway there has been a huge shift both sonically and stylistically as full-on VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR with Peter Hammill-stylized vocal burst forth. The complex, ever-shifting musical landscapes feel like one is flying over rugged mountain warscapes. At the four-minute mark the copter lands above a piano-peaceful lake for a bit before a VDGG bridge transfers us into a bucolic patch for a pensive walk around the Ant Phillips lake. Dominic's voice here is now more like that of  At 6:35 there is a guitar strum that calls forth the Mellotron strings over which Dominic sings in a spoken-almost whisper about his broken dreams. This empties out into another bucolic early-GENESIS Swiss mountain pasture where the protagonist perambulates rather sudden-and-unexpectedly into a scene fraught with fearful noise and images. From there we're back into the tension-filled VDGG world as the tenth minute opens and unfolds. I hear RPI as well as a little JTull in the ensuing motifs--none of which last much longer than 30 to 45 seconds before we've switched channels to view a different aspect of what feels like a battle--though the main "battle scene" in the 12th and 13th minutes sustains itself for quite a VDGG little. Vocal and strings bridge at the end of the 13th minute leads into a bluesy-rock piano-supported electric guitar solo (left ear only). Quite a nice patch--the battle seems to have resolved and left the camera crew with a powerfully sad scene of death, gore, and peace. This is how Dominic chooses to let us out of his dream: with a long fadeout of this ambivalently triumphant and mournful and despondent motif. Nice work, Mr. Sanderson! Prog at its finest! (29.5/30)

Total Time 45:03

Since Dominic's last (and first) album he has obviously been to the Peter Hammill-Van Der Graaf Generator School of Progressive Rock Music as so much of this album--both musically and vocally--has come out replicating the styles, palettes, and tones of the 1970s' masters of dark prog. (And he's almost totally skipped over the VDGG 2.0 sounds and stylings of the other great master imitator of PH/VDGG, Matthew Parmenter/Discipline!) Though I do not include myself in that club of Peter Hammill, Van Der Graaf Generator, or Discipline devotées, I really love and applaud the music on this album. It's like a perfectly -engineered and -produced amalgamation of all that was best of the early 1970s done with an enthusiasm and mastery that the Early Masters didn't have the equipment and/or technology for. If I or anyone else was harboring any doubts about the seriousness of young Dominic's commitment to adding to the lexicon of Prog's Valhalla, cast them aside! The man is a fully-devoted, passionately-committed disciple! With Blazing Revelations it appears that he's even ready to teach us a few things!    

97.06 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a totally-impressive masterpiece of progressive rock music of a level that rivals anything that the Masters of the "Classic Era" ever achieved! (This is one of the top ten highest rated albums I've had the privilege of hearing from this, the 21st Century!) Between this release and those of Chilean band Chercán and the latest of Riccardo Prencipe's Corde Oblique, 2025 is off to a really nice start!

CHERCÁN Chercán

Out of the ashes of Hominído and La Desooorden, Chilean drummer extraordinaire Rodrigo González Mera erects a new band of very competent, even virtuosic, musicians. Recorded in Santiago and Valdivia, mixed in Coyhaique, and mastered in Santiago and Coyhaique Chile, Chercán's debut album was released on March 4, 2025.

     Chile is a big country! Valdivia is 855 km from Santiago and they're both fairly centrally located within the tremendous length that is Chile's length (4,270 km). (Your geography lesson for the day.) (Consider yourself blessed and anointed.)  

Integrantes:

- Martín Peña / voces, guitarras adornos (on 7. "Colores")

- Simón Catalán / bajo

- Roberto Faúndez / guitarra eléctrica y acústica

- Matías Bahamondes / saxo

- Rodrigo González Mera / batería y percusiones

Músicos Invitados:

Benjamín Ruz / arreglos cuerdas, violines

Javiera González / viola

Ariadna Kordovero / cello

1. "La culpa" (6:51) a very powerful, well put together, dynamic song that sounds like a combination of Francesco Zago's NOT A GOOD SIGN and Norway's SEVEN IMPALE. Wonderful! (14.5/15)

2. "Caen las hojas blancas" (5:46) sounds like a combination of THIN LIZZY and BLACK MIDI's music with Alessandro Calandriello's vocals singing KING CRIMSON's "One More Red Nightmare" then taken to near-death metal extremes with growl vocals and heavy-riffing syncopation in the instrumental passages taking us out to the end. I also love the shrieking saxophone in this end section. Awesome! (9.3333/10)

3. "Kalimba" (4:54) yes, it's founded on some kalimba play (the instrument actually remains in the mix--though almost getting buried--throughout the song's five minutes.) This song sounds more like something from Alessandro Calandriello's other band, LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO--at least until the fourth minute when it goes instrumental, then it spills over again into SEVEN IMPALE territory. (Since I love all three of these bands, Chercán really can't go wrong!) Martín's singing voice weakens a little toward the end as he tries to maintain singing the many long notes at such a high-volume. (9.125/10)

4. "Desolación (En)" (1:10) a wonderful string quartet interlude (which turns out to be an introduction to the next song, "Tiempos paralelos," which it feeds into. (5/5)

5. "Tiempos paralelos" (5:13) way more delicate and sensitive than the first two songs: kind of like some of the beautiful music the band AISLES has done over the past 20 years. Here the band reaches back into their cultural traditions for some very Andean-flavored music; even the instrumentation choices reflect their native acoustic instrumental preferences. What's really cool about this song is the slow build in the middle--which is greatly assisted by the pounding big-drum percussion play--that turns into the awesome proggy crescendo and finale. It's also so beautifully engineered and rendered! This is a song with which I have great trouble finding any flaw. (10/10)

6. "Las mentiras del muro" (5:14) a percussion-dominated and -dictated soundscape that reminds me more of Spanish band, ZA!, over which Martín's raspy/scratchy voice yells and screeches (also losing a little strength the longer he is asked to maintain this intensity). It sounds so weird to hear the saxophone sounding so smooth and beautiful--moreso than Martín's voice! Also, it feels/sounds like an unusual type of saxophone that Matías Bahamondes is playing. I like it! Martín hits some very high notes around 4:30 as the tribal rhythms around him become amplified by the electric guitar power chords. (8.875/10)  

7. "Relato de una obsesión. Part I: Quimera" (6:50) it sounds heavy and ominous from the start but it ends up being very smooth and steadying; I feel as if I'm sitting in a cave being guided by a shaman into/through some mind-altering ritual under the influence of psychotropic medicine. I love it! I feel drugged! And so happy for it! (14.5/15)

8. "Relato de una Obsesión. Part II: El orate" (6:04) The trip continues but in the first two minutes the shaman begins prepping his subjects for proceeding "solo"--untethering us with the loud, heavy SEVEN IMPALE-like music into a rollercoaster ride through a high-speed, high-powered wormhole of demonic overstimulation, confusion, and horror. (9/10)

9. "Colores" (4:19) brushed drum play rendered up close in my head-phoned ears sound wonderful as they open this song. Soothing guitar chords, arpeggi, saxophone notes, and wordless vocalese work their way into a beautiful weave that the band carries forward for about a minute before the music shifts to dreaminess for Martín's first worded vocals. So beautiful! The guitar and strings interplay so beautifully. The percussion play is so hypnotic, as is the sax play and the whole woven tapestry! Awesome! What a gorgeous, soothing end to an awesome, awesome album! (9.75/10)

Total time: 44:21

Martín Peña possesses a great voice and he not only really knows how to use it but does an amazing job of conveying perfect commitment of both feeling and genuinely-enthusiastic focus to each lyric. Whoever is doing the songwriting, they have a great feel for structure and flow. Whoever is doing the recording and sound engineering is world class. And the team doing the performing sound so well-focused, so "together" in their commitment and timing that I find myself in awe of the level of collaborative amalgamation I feel: these songs sound and feel as if they've been made by one organism not a band of separate musicians! 

95.35 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; an indisputable masterpiece of full-spectrum progressive rock music. It has been a LONG time since I've heard a new album that is this good! 

SOLSTICE Clann

The third album of Andy Glass' "trilogy" of his new resurrection of the band Solstice finds his now-steadily-committed collaborators merging in ways that denote both the comfort and fellowship that breeds the overwhelming enthusiasm and joy that comes through with their music (as it does in their live performances). One can only hope that the future of Solstice is as bright as this album would seem to assert.  

Line-up / Musicians:

- Andy Glass / guitar, vocals
- Jenny Newman / violin
- Pete Hemsley / drums
- Jess Holland / vocals
- Robin Phillips / bass
- Steven McDaniel / keyboards, vocals
- Ebony Buckle / vocals
- Dyanne Crutcher / vocals
With:
- Nick Burns / vocals (5)

1. "Firefly" (6:20) everybody's talking about the upbeat, joy-filled, positive vibe, and incredible vocal harmonies of this song--and they're right! All of that to the nines! Plus, a great sound palette and surprising spaciousness to the song with its great synth sound and riffs, great Rickenbacher bass play, and awesome lead guitar solo in the fifth and sixth minutes (paired at its end with Jenny Newman's harmonizing violin). Awesome music, awesome song! Who knew prog could be so uplifting (reminding me of the effect hearing Jon Anderson singing those powerful background vocals on 4Him's hit song, "The Only Thing I Need" back in 1999)?! (9.25/10)

2. "Life" (6:37) another light, positive, life-affirming lyric supported by melodic, easy-to-engage with, even earworm-worthy music and instrumental performances. Great vocal harmonies as well as great harmonic convergence between the bass, violin, drums, guitars and keys. Though these are not exactly super impressive or technically complex prog compositions--not like those that Iona, Dave Bainbridge, Dave Brons, or IOEarth routinely put together--there are definitely similarities to the musics of those bands. The song does, however, build with a far more-proggy intensity and fullness as it goes along--which goes far to making this one of my favorite songs on the album. (9.3333/10)

3. "Plunk" (5:27) a fairly one-dimensional colourless song created, obviously, for the presentation of the message in its lyrics. Kind of funky girl pop. Nice fiery guitar solo with the horn play in the fourth and fifth minutes, relinquishing his hold on the song for the final 30-seconds of girl chorus chanting. (8.75/10)

4. "Frippa" (5:54) following the previous song makes sense for this bluesy rock 'n' roll creation. Female vocals, often delivered in choral form, is supported by rock band with Hammond, active rhythm guitar, and injections of violin in spaces here and there. Again I am feeling as if this more rock or folk rock than prog or prog folk. The synth solo at the four-minute mark helps bring it back to prog territory but the aggressive electric guitar solo that follows the "give up democracy" radio sample is so fiery as to sound more rock/classic rock. It's brief, however, allowing the ladies to step back in to finish the song. Solid and polished, just not my preferred musical style. (8.75/10)

5. "Twin Peaks" (13:51) the prog jewel of the album, it opens with electric guitar arpeggi supporting gorgeous violin melody play before Jess enters singing in a diaphanously-delicate folk voice. In the third minute, the music steps forward as Jess and the Three Graces introduce the "come away" choral chant while Jenny's intimate violin plays her gorgeous melody lines in the next higher octaves. Repeat the verse until the four minute mark when Pete Hemsley's drums and Robin Phillips' thick bass notes finally kick in opening the door for Jess and the Graces to really develop and expand upon their "come away" chant chorus. Then Andy steps up with some brilliant lead guitar mixed right into the "come away" tapestry. So beautiful! And powerful! At 6:30 the music crescendos and slowly fades away as a TD-like synth sequence takes over as the foundational sound. Here is where Jess really shows her confidence as she adds some really passionate, sometimes screaming from the background, more often sing-whispering from beneath--reminding me of Björk--while a few synth-manufactured sounds work their way into the space motif. Then By the beginning of the tenth minute, Jess is spent. That is when African chant vocals enter tied in with tribal-like drum patterns, slowly building force as they attract the participation of the Graces and other vocalists as well as the slow return of the rest of the musicians: bass, guitars, violin. At 11:30 Jess rejoins, taking the spotlight back for a bit with a pleading declaration that triggers a full-on full-band recapitulation of the "come away" chorus and all its wonderful instrumental accoutrements. So beautiful! And powerful! As we enter the 14th minute the "come away" chorus dies down revealing the reappearance of the TD synth sequence to take us out. Like a combination of Karl Jenkins' ADIEMUS with Open Sky-era IONA. Pure beauty and magic. A truly inspired composition with absolutely perfect proportions and performances--especially from Jess Holland--maybe her best performance ever. A song on which I wouldn't change a thing! It is one of prog world's best epics from 2025! (30/30)

6. "Earthsong" (CD Bonus) (7:12) a remake of their 1984 classic (which also appeared as a bonus track on their 2013 "comeback" album, Prophecy), the band really comes together around this beautiful song. I love the lead vocal of Ebony Buckle--especially her duet singing with the violin play of Jenny Newman. (13.5/15)

Total Time 45:11

The band's biggest challenge in the future will be the retention of these amazingly talented individuals as their talents become more known and celebrated. (i.e. is Solstice big enough to hold/contain the talents of youngsters like Jess Holland, Ebony Buckle, Robin Phillips, and Dyanne Crutcher). They've already seen the departure of uber-talented Jen Sanin, and Ebony has her own busy schedule with other bands and her own act with her husband, Nick Burns. Only time will tell, but the young like to spread their wings and fly--sometimes away.

     Though Clann offers an overall inconsistent fare of delights, some quite proggy and other not so proggy, the overall impression left upon me is one of supremely fine and refreshing progressive rock music.

94.51 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of uplifting and beautiful progressive rock music that everyone should get to experience: in any or all of the live, video or other recorded formats. One of 2025's shining lights.

MAUD THE MOTH The Distaff

Recorded at Gorbals Sounds (Glasgow), The Shelter (London) and Neon Fable (Edinburgh) between January and July of 2024 by Scott McLean and Amaya López-Carromero and released on February 21, 2025, this is Amaya López-Carromero's fourth full-length studio album since the release of her debut in 2012. Amaya has a doctorate in sound acoustics--something she avidly applies to her musical productions. From rural Spain, her Castilian family was well-entrenched in the traditions of "field singing" i.e. singing traditional songs based on Earth, Mother Nature, and agricultural life while working outside.

Lineup / Musicians:
- Amaya López-Carromero / voice, piano, psaltery, hyperpiano, percussion; music and lyrics

- Scott McLean / guitar, Moog, saxophone

- Sebastian Rochford / drums and percussion

- Alison Chesley / cello

- Fay Guiffo / violin

1. "Canto de enramada" (1:19) sounds like Les Voix Bulgaries being fed through a Vocoder or other kind of voice synthesizer processor. (4.75/5)

2. "A Temple by the River" (5:19) powerful music punctuating the ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF-like lead vocals--multi-voiced--with gorgeous wordless background choir supporting Amaya's pleading, suffering proclamation that "my body's not enough." Wow! One of 2025 masterpieces, to be sure. (10/10)

3. "Exuviæ" (4:03) garden-variety birdsong with (hyper)piano(?) eventually establishing a dirge-like "Nadia's Theme"-like rhythm pattern over which Amaya sings in an upper register voice that reminds me of both TORI AMOS and Ataraxia's FRANCESCA NICOLI. There is a feeling of desperation in Amaya's voice that is not unlike the last musical expressions of the late RYUICHI SAKAMOTO. Another extraordinary song. (10/10)

4. "Burial of the Patriarchs" (4:31) the music of Harold Budd and Robin Guthrie as if supporting the plaintive vocal work of Lynda Richardson on "Let Us Go into the House of the Lord / Butterfly" from 1978's Pavilion of Dreams. A little more classically-oriented than the previous songs, it still retains enough of the prog spirit in the same way that Irma Orm of Swedish ambient dream pop act DEMEN does. (9.3333/10)

5. "Siphonophores" (5:21) Beethoven "Moonlight Sonata"-like piano arpeggi and industrial incidentals over which Amaya sings in her lovely mezzo-soprano with the focus and devotion of an angel/acolyte. The song ends with a long, slow decay of oscillating piano echoes. (9/10)

6. "Despeñaperros" (9:41) this song feels like a combination of a classical music composition (structure, piano playing), a Spanish liturgical piece (choral vocal sections), and some kind of foreboding doom-gloom Dark Ambient Industrial Music (bombastic sensory-overloading metal soundscapes), that is also  integrated with some traditional Spanish folk legends and themes. (18/20)

7. "O rubor" (1:18) is an a cappella piece for soprano voce that is here supported by gentle orchestral-sounding synths, violin, cello, saxophone, and what sounds like French horn. Amaya's voice sounds like one of those pre-pubescent British boy singers so highly prized in the world of classical and liturgical music. (5/5)

8. "Fiat lux" (4:04) this one builds slowly, convincing me over its four minutes that this is how Kate Bush and Anna Von Hausswolff wish they could sing. (8.875/10)

9. "Kwisatz Haderach" (5:46) more Fennesz/Alva Nota/Sakamoto-effected piano and stuff over which Amaya delivers another piercingly beautiful performance as a boy-like voce soprano. There is a little more time dedicated to the mesmerizingly clever engineered soundscapes than Amaya's voice--and almost no effort given to lyrics (Amaya's vocal performance of the second is almost entirely wordless vocalese delivered from the background as if from somewhere in the distance in a foggy cemetery. Also, here is one of the few songs in which a full rock-ensemble helps to fill and support the sonic field. Powerful and wonderful--very much in the same vein as the most powerful of the musics of DEMEN and ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF. (9.75/10)

Total time: 41:22

I love Amaya's move into more sophisticated electronic-industrial soundscapes (thanks to new partner/collaborator Scott McLean). Previously her specialty seemed to be more pseudo- or neo-classical song stylings, now we've moved into more of the Darkwave ethno-glitch expressions.  

94.12 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of forceful and passionately-rendered vocal-dominated songs of the Neoclassical Darkwave sub-genre. If you like the music of Anna Von Hausswolff, Demen, Ataraxia, or even Omphalos-era Kotebel, Tori Amos or Kate Bush, you will love this. 

The "Minor" Masterpieces

(93.33 to 90.0)

HIROMI'S SONICWONDER Out There

I have resisted listening to any Hiromi studio album releases since she abandoned her Sonicbloom format (for the trios). Isn't that crazy?! What the heck was I thinking?!!! 

     This is Hiromi's second studio release with her new quartet. All of the same collaborators return from the 2023 eponymously-titled album.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Hiromi Uehara / piano, keyboards
- Adam O'Farrill / trumpet
- Hadrien Feraud / bass
- Gene Coye / drums
With:
- Michelle Willis / vocals (3)

1. "XYZ" (6:56) this opener certainly does a great job announcing the serious skills and chemistry of Hiromi's new band. This very complex and least-melody-friendly song on the album still manages to impress because of the display of talent necessary to play these sophisticated and fast-shifting chord, rhythm, and melody changes. Impressive--though not my favorite. (13.625/15)

2. "Yes! Ramen!!" (8:14) so much fun, quirk, stylistic soup (kind of like the ramen itself!): more from Hiromi's incredibly free-flowing playfulness. (14.5/15)

3. "Pendulum" (5:57) the spirit of my late beloved Ryuichi Sakamoto seems to be flowing through Hiromi's fingers and piano on this but more, the stunningly exquisite vocal performance of Michelle Willis is somehow perfectly matched to Hiromi's beautiful music. Even the poetic lyrics are a welcome, fitting, and, again, perfect enhancement--precisely because of the musical quality of the poetry. Hadrien, Gene, and, later, Adam's contributions in the second half are equally respectful of Hiromi's Sakamoto-like gift to the cosmos. (10/10)

4. "Out There: Takin' Off" (6:33) too much fun, too much joy gushing from these performers to not love this song! (9.125/10)

5. "Out There: Strollin'" (6:43) a little more grounded in a blend of both traditional, "classic" melodic jazz as well as the Pat Metheny approach to music-making, this song has again so many nostalgic references: from all three of Hiromi's collaborators as well as the bandleader herself. This feels to me like a walk through New York City circa 1965. I love it. Adam O'Farrill's trumpet play is so fun and playful! How could someone not just fall in love with this music. Makes me want to go watch old Woody Allen movies. (9.25/10)

 
6. "Out There: Orion" (8:10) on this song it feels as if we are stepping down another floor into more traditional jazz sounds and styles--especially in the melody-making department: I feel as if the main melodies and variations on the main melodies are more akin to that which supported Frank Sinatra and Nancy Wilson in the 1950s. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE it, but it's just a feeling I get. Especially when each of the four "Out There" suite members is compared to each other. (13.75/15)

 
7. "Out There: The Quest" (8:11) the spirit of Weather Report/Manahattan Transfer "Birdland" comes through quite strongly here, that is, the 1980s. Man! I sure love the sounds and playing styles of both trumpeter Adam O'Farrill and bassist Hadrien Feraud! The way Gene's drums are presented in the mix (separation and sound spectrum) bug me a little. Not as big of a fan of this song as the others. (I've never been much of a Weather Report or "Birdland" fan.) (8.875/10)

8. "Pendulum" (6:19) the instrumental, all-piano version of song #3. It's just as beautiful without the great vocal performance and lyrics of the other version: mostly because Hiromi's music is so damned perfect. I love the different liberties Hiromi takes with the main melody in the fourth and fifth minutes--just before she begins gently working some low end bass notes into the background (from 3:44 to the song's end). (9.75/10)

9. "Balloon Pop" (6:18) a lot of fun syncopated staccato interplay between Hiromi (more her left hand), Gene and Hadrien. Adam gets a few passages to inject his own ten cents--and they're lovely (if mixed a little too far back into the sonicsphere)--but it's Hadrien's Anthony Jackson-like solo in fourth minute that really blows me away! I'm an absolute sucker for this kind of disciplined staccato syncopation--especially when it's performed at such a high precision level as this is. Fun whistle-like synth solo around the five minute mark with nice background trumpet accents, then it's off to the land of duelling anjos for the final  minute: everybody trading barbs and challenges around the circle, one after the other until the finish. (9.125/10) 

Total Time 63:21

I am so surprised (and overwhelmed) to find my inner being exuding such joy and elation as I listen to and review this album. I feel so very privileged to be able to know and have this kind of joyful music in my life. If I have any complaints/criticisms of this album, they are very minor--and they have nothing to do with the compositions or performances. I find myself ever so slightly put off by the way Gene Coye's drums are recorded. At times all of the four instruments feel rather subtly separated, that is, the tracks devoted to Gene, Hadrien, Adam and even (sometimes) Hiromi feel as if they have plexiglass walls between them: as if they were recorded in separate rooms, separate cities, at separate times and then the engineers tried to make them feel together.     

     I've been quite resistant to listening to much of Hiromi's discography since she fell into my life with her first Sonicbloom album back in 2007: I just was afraid that nothing else could ever be better much less compare to that. A few live performance videos with Anthony Jackson have recently softened my stubborn stance, and then, today, this album popped into my awareness! Am SO GLAD it did! Also, I've been so focused on "Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion and 1960s Jazz that I'd completely ignored (like a righteous little snob) any modern Jazz-Rock Fusion. Okay: I now see the error of my ways. I'm going to open myself back up to 21st Century Jazz-Rock Fusion. Hiromi, Antoine Fafard, Kamasi Washington, Meshell Ngegeocello: watch out: I'm comin' for y'all!  

P.S. I ADORE the album art of this album! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

     

93.333 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a certifiable masterpiece of joy-filled upbeat Jazz-Rock Fusion. All hail the Queen! Highly, highly recommended. For anyone who professes to love music.

DREAM THEATER Parasomnia

The first studio reunion of the classic DT lineup since 2008!

 
Line-up / Musicians:
- James LaBrie / lead vocals
- John Petrucci / guitars, backing vocals
- Jordan Rudess / keyboards, backing vocals
- John Myung / bass, backing vocals
- Mike Portnoy / drums & percussion, backing vocals

1. "In the Arms of Morpheus" (5:22) the spacious time-bent opening 90 seconds of this sounds and feels like a soundtrack to one of those child-slasher horror movies. It's very well done--and very effective in conveying disorientation from "real world" reality--even when the full band starts its power chord march through to the 2:45 mark. The chugging motif that follows is impressive for the technical prowess on display from each and every musician. The "mountaintop" motif that opens up at 4:05 is a bit clichéd but definitely reminds us of the "glory days" of all that was 1990s DT. And no vocals! It's totally instrumental. (9.125/10)

2. "Night Terror" (9:55) a slowly-building wall of auspicious gloom turns, after 90 seconds, into a fast-paced run through the dark forest. When the band wants to open up for James LaBrie's singing of the verses they step into a syncopated stop-and-go kind of motif--very effective--but then revert to the smooth-racing run for the choruses. Four minutes in and I find myself totally surprised at the like of pyrotechnics or fireworks: everybody seems to be completely synchronized and attuned to the whole-band wall(s) of sound they're creating. When there is space opened up for instrumental solos, the guitar and keyboard solos are, unfortunately, almost embarrassingly cliché-filled. (Those guitar overdrive harmonics were so 80s!) Still, it is really nice to hear that RUSH-like unity in the eighth minute--and this is the motif in which John Petrucci reminds us of why he was one of the kings of technical metal guitar playing. Great solo highs in the ninth minute! The chorus, which is really maxed-out in the final minutes, is a little too anchored, stylistically and melodically, in 1980s "hair band" sound. (17.875/20)

3. "A Broken Man" (8:30) a song that I enjoy for its steadfast forward motion, even when Mike decreases the number of beats per minute he deploys with his drums; this is an impressive song! While Mike Portnoy is putting on a show for the first two minutes Jordan Rudess's keyboard prowess is in full effect with his "calming"/balancing synth wash chord progressions. James La Brie steps into the fold in the third minute to divulge the story line, he's good--very theatric and committed--but it's John Myung's bass play that now has all my attention--especially when there are any spaces afforded the instrumentalists between James' vocal lines. The metal motif in the instrumental sixth minute is cool with lots of tempo and chord-progression changes as Jordan and John Petrucci take turns proffering their pristine solos (even courting totally different stylistic motifs with each solo stint). Even the bridges are really fun to hear/follow--especially with the various fills each instrumentalist might "sneak" into them. The vocal is good but not nearly as breath-taking as the work of the instrumentalists. (18.75/20)

4. "Dead Asleep" (11:06) John Petrucci really gets some great guitar sounds on this one--which may feed into his inspired-sounding lead solos. The creative interplay between John-John and Mike is so exciting that I find myself pretty much tuning out/oblivious to James' vocal performance--until, that is, the muted effect is applied (briefly) in the fifth minute. The subject matter is quite obviously inspired by both Edgar Allen Poe and Blue Öyster Cult's albums of the mid-1970s (Agents of Fortune and Spectres). Jordan has some decent time in the instrumental mid-section to solo--and he is quite impressive. (I often have trouble appreciating much less "feeling" the emotional keyboard artists are trying to convey with their instruments.) Smooth multi-voice choruses also remind me of BÖC's iconic songs (as well as those of Def Leppard). From a perspective of instrumental virtuosity, this may be the album's most impressive. The song ends with some on-the-water creaking wood noises beneath a piano playing the melody of a famous Nineteenth Century classical piece. (18.5/20)

5. "Midnight Messiah" (7:58) DEF LEPPARD-like musical motif opens this within which a recorded voice is relaying his concerns about how to "really wake up." Syncopated Tech Heavy Metal ensues with John Petrucci and John Myung chugging masterfully along, Mike and Jordan riding along beneath, each adding their own subtle rhythmic and harmonic accents. It has quite a bit of Metallica's "Enter the Sandman" feel to it--though not during the choruses, there it sounds more like Uriah Heep, Iron Maiden, Megadeth or that ilk. This song is one that feels as if the band is kind of "dialing in" a mélange of their most comfortable riffs and styles. Not my favorite style or song. (13.125/15)

6. "Are We Dreaming?" (1:29) gongs, church organ, and tubular bells set up another voice-under of whispered vocals--this time from two actors. (4.425/5)

7. "Bend the Clock" (7:25) opening with some awesome-sounding distorted guitar chords and arpeggi brings me back to times long begone (the late 1960s and early 1970s). When James enters, using a breathy-delicate voice, immersed within piano and strumming acoustic guitars, it is equally awesome/nostalgic. Then they really get going: reviving a sound palette that is so familiar, so comfortable from the AOR Classic Rock bands of the mid- to late 1970s (Styx, Alice Cooper, Journey, or even Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, or Bryan Adams). This is my favorite James LaBrie vocal of the album! And my favorite John Petrucci guitar solo (despite the fact that it is totally old-school pre-80s Metal). Great if "classic" song! Just great! (14.5/15)

8. "The Shadow Man Incident" (19:32) a long intro that definitely highlights the band's unity and discipline--two elements that I consider marks of maturity and effort--the song really kicks into forward motion at the three-minute mark and then really around the four-minute mark when they're finally ready to launch some solos (with John Petrucci's rock guitar starting things off). At 4:50 things are brought down a couple notches--especially in tempo--allowing the tender (though portentous) side of James LaBrie's voice to go on full display. There is an awesome Freddy Mercury-like control and focus that James is putting into each and every syllable/vowel that is very impressive. At 7:50 the guitar and bass suddenly take off: speeding along like a dog suddenly seeing a squirrel. Mike, Jordan, and James follow suit (without missing a beat, of course). The unity is really quite remarkable--as is James' pronunciation of each and every syllable. The melodies are fairly good--especially the "night … endless nights" ones: catchy and memorable. The instrumental passage begun at the ten-minute mark owes a lot to the twin guitars of bands like THIN LIZZY as well as the sounds of Brian May. In the twelfth minute the band shifts into "catch me if you can" mode with many short ever-shifting motifs and time signatures--the two Johns again shining  while Jordan and Mike reinforce, embellish and accent. In the fourteenth minute Jordan surprises us with some classical music themes slipping out of his piano (as the rest of the band holds fast to their hard-driving metal motif beneath!) Petrucci goes off on one of his inimitable series of Lightning Flash flurries in the 15th minute but then the band melts into a bombastic theme for James to re-emerge singing in a crescendo/dénouement during the sixteenth and seventeenth minutes. Petrucci soars and dives in the eighteenth while Mike punctuates every second of the song beneath him and then, with over a minute left remaining on the clock, its over! We're left with eerie water-in-the-underground sewers, echoing shadow man laughs that turn to dripping in the bathroom sink followed by the ringing of a mechanical alarm clock and a "wake up" voice being whispered loudly into your ear. Classic, high-quality DT with very tight formation, classic Petrucci guitar solos, and a wonderful if limited (in terms of minutes) performance from James LaBrie. It's really hard to find fault with this other than it not being my true kind of preferred music to listen to for pure enjoyment. Still, there is no doubt that this is a brilliant product! (38/40)

Total Time 71:17

Though Dream Theater music has always been impressive, it has rarely resonated with my specific musical tastes. (So far, Awake is the one exception: there is something about that album that drew me in from the first time I heard it.) A long break from collaborating with one another as well as maturity may have served James, John, Jordan, John, and Mike well because the music on Parasomnia, while still being as impressive as ever, is both interesting and enjoyable! It may not end up being one of my favorites of the year but it certainly earns high marks for skill and power. (I'm actually a bit embarrassed to see that my favorite song on the album is the one that ticks off the most "retro" marks on the nostalgia scale.) I'm also incredibly impressed how little filler there is with "over the top" bombast and show: this is a band that is showing their maturity by being content with impressing as a whole band more than as a gathering of virtuosic individuals.

92.62 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of prog metal from one of America's iconic bands reunited one more time. 

SOFT FFOG Focus

The side project of four up-and-coming Norwegian musicians, this is their sophomore studio album release, their first since their self-titled 2022 debut.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Tom "Zappa-finger" Hasslan / guitars
- Axel "Pheel the Collin's" Skalstad / drums
- Trond "Geezer Jeezuz" Frønes / bass
- Vegard "Wake(up the)man" Lien Bjerkan / keyboards

1. "Camel" (9:11) yes there is some similarity in the guitar tones used by Tom Hasslan's two lead guitar tracks to those of Andy Latimer--and some similarity to the style and sounds on display to Camel, (as one would predict based on the title) but there are also some elements of FOCUS and even some of the other classic Canterbury bands to be heard. We are definitely on a guitar instrumental trajectory, sounding more and more like a tribute to Jan Akkerman the further into the song we go. Tom can really jam! And his band is right there with him (especially impressive is the drumming of Axel Skalstad). Vegard Lien Bjerkan gets a solo in the sixth, seventh, and eighth minutes on his electric piano. It's nice but it's almost drowned out by the rhythm section (with the delightful play of bassist Trond Frønes really standing out here), then it's back to Tom and his guitar to lead us out of the desert. Nice tune. (18/20) 

2. "Pocus" (8:30) a nice four-chord semi-Reggae syncopated Jazz-Rock Fusion jam is established over the first 1:50 before a stop and keyboard chord progression washes out the previous motif making way for the some Camel-esque guitar and bass grooving over which Tom Hasslan solos using a double-sounding Smooth Jazz sound à la Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, John Abercrombie, or Eef Albers. Nice solo with some bluesy roots (which is augmented by Vegard's organ play beneath). There really is a lot of Jan Akkerman/Focus in this motif! At 5:10 a proggy bridge segues back to that four-chord semi-Reggae motif over which Vegard Lien Bjerkan solos on his clavinet quite beautifully while drummer Axel Skalstad really impresses in the rhythm section. Great passage! And then they close it out! Darn! (18.75/20)

3. "Focus" (8:40) a light, melodic Jazz-Rock Fusion touristic joy ride down some of the roads suburban and country roads of Scandanavia (or anywhere joy and Nature can be enjoyed with the wind whisking through your hair). Guitarist Tom Hasslan is in the driver's seat most of the time with this chorused and MIDIed double channeled Jeff "Skunk" Baxter-like lead guitar being duplicated and/or MIDI-ed with Vegard Lien Bjerkan's keyboard's right hand. (I think it more Tom's double tracks.) Very pleasant, enjoyable, entertaining, and interesting. When Vegard takes over the lead in the sixth minute it sounds as if we're now listening to an EARTH, WIND & FIRE song ("That's the Way of the World"), that's how melodic, laid back, and funky the base groove is. I love drummer Axel Skalstad's interplay just beneath Vegard's amazing synth solo in the eighth minute. Awesome song! It has some of the joyful energy of AIR's famous music from Moon Safari. (19/20)

4. "Oh Jimi" (10:19) definitely closer to the school of STEVIE RAY VAUGHN than that of JIMI HENDIRX--though the structure of the composition and sound palette choices do strongly evoke the music of Jimi. The second half of the song, with keyboard in the lead, sees the rhythm section take on a heavy ponderousness that feels and sounds a lot like SEVEN IMPALE. (17.875/20)

Total Time 36:40

I was right! This band--these musicians--could get better! And they did! Both in terms of skill diversity and compositional maturity, and--bonus!--sound engineering choices. The music is still very heavily-founded in blues-rock music but the musicianship is better, the cohesiveness better, the sound production (and choices) vastly improved. It seems to me that these guys--with this project--see it as their mission to revive the heavy blues-rock music traditions of Jimi, Cream, Rush, Stevie Ray, Here they give it a little of the massive gravity of fellow Norwegians, SEVEN IMPALE infused with a little of the serious happiness of more recent JAGA JAZZIST. However, where their debut album consisted of four loosely-organized jam songs, giving them a SAMSARA BLUES PROJECT kind of sound, this one shows more sophistication and complexity in both musicianship and composition.

92.03 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a wonderfully-refreshing upbeat minor masterpiece of modern Jazz-Rock Fusion. So glad to have targeted these guys for "future/follow" when they released their debut back in 2022.

MALABRIEGA Frippada Andaluza

Andalucian Prog Folk combo from Sevilla, this is the band's first album since their 2017 debut, Fiebre.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Juan Castro / vocals
- Joaquín Sainz / electric guitar
- Manuel Soto "Noly" / Spanish guitar
- Sergio Carmona / bass
- Raúl Gómez / drums

1. "Frippada Andaluza (La mar limpia)" (10:04)  awesome start with picked acoustic guitars, electric guitar swoons, and cymbal play from drummer Raúl Gómez. Gorgeous prog soundscape; who cares that it's just a two-chord progression! After 90 seconds of being bathed in this salve guitarist Joaquín Sainz steps forward to start soloing on his piercingly clear axe. His tone and style remind me of both Paul Speer and Mirek Gil. At 2:50 there is a reset bridge which leads into a return to acoustic guitar: Manuel Soto "Noly" multi-tracking his Spanish guitar for a few bars before the rest of the band rejoins to back Juan Castro's slightly-thinner Nicolas Reyes (GIPSY KINGS) singing voice to take the lead. The background music proceeds to take the same routes as they did when Joaquín was soloing. Such nice melodies and chords--and solid whole-band integration! It's almost as if the instruments surround and buoy Juan's voice. At the six-minute mark the band moves into a brief instrumental section for some delicate Mark Knopfler-like electric guitar play from Joaquín soon joined by more of Juan's excellent singing. Then the musicians move into a more-serious (and aweseom) ALLMAN BROTHERS-like instrumental section. This guitarist (Joaquín) is really talented! Heck! They all are! Great song! So engaging! The 75 seconds of the song revert to Noly's gorgeous multi-track Spanish guitar weave with Joaquín and Juan trading bursts of melody-making with guitar and voice, respectively. It doesn't get much better than this, folks! (19.5/20)

2. "Tu pelo" (4:29) more great melodies sung with such passion over another great sound palette of song construction. I just love the warm, embracing mix of the instruments! The chorus isn't quite as great as the verses--and the instrumental passage in the last minute is more akin to some of the heavier classic rock stuff that came out of the late 1970s, but there's no arguing with the beauty and emotion put into 80% of this song. (9.25/10)

3. "El duelo" (4:19) a song that is founded in much more of a Spanish tradition--not unlike the music of the GIPSY KINGS, only a little more electrified (a lot more once we get to the chorus with its "gentle" power chords coming from Joaquín's electric guitar). Noly really gets to shine with his Spanish guitar talent and Juan's voice sounds more like Gipsy Kings' Nicolas Reyes here than before! I need to throw some shouts out to drummer Raúl Gómez and bass player Sergio Carmona: they are so solid (and mixed so nicely into the forefront of the soundscape). (9/10)

4. "¿Qué será?" (5:30) the gentle, beautiful Spanish guitar layers with bass and drums support in the beginning of this sound like a modern interpretation of Glen Campbell's big hit of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." But, the vocal and core of the rest of the song are far different. I love the spaciousness of the music behind Juan's vocal (another outstanding vocal that reminds me a lot of Gipsy Kings' Nicolas Reyes). The rock motif that starts at 3:17 does nothing to change Juan's vocal approach or melodies, but it does give the song quite a different "personality." Joaquín turns this quite a wild and aggressive lead guitar performance in the fifth minute--again, more rock-oriented than prog or jazz. (8.875/10)

5. "Reencuentro" (1:35) a little instrumental that reminds one of many of the great American Southern Rock bands from the 1970s. Nice! (4.375/5)

6. "La levedad del ser" (4:09) an opening that is pretentious in displaying a cinematic tension like the musics given to who-dunnit films turns into something more ambiguous as the music switches from major and minor chords (and everything in between) over a very insidiously driven rhythm track while Juan sings in a style that feels more akin to Robert Plant or some Mexican story-teller. Noly has to conform his Spanish guitar strumming to the song's rock orientation while Joaquín has to remain quite disciplined himself to lead the song's rhythm structure. (8.75/10)

7. "La libertad" (4:18) another beautiful palette, soundscape and construct, however, the mix of the instruments and vocal track are a little bit off on this one. I think they're trying to give Noly a little more prominence but this ends up diminishing the effectiveness of Joaquín's guitars and, more, Juan's vocal. At the same time, this is really a great, solid song--one that would've/could've been a top three for me had the sound mix been better. (9/10)

8. "Reflejo vacío" (7:04) a very nicely-constructed song with some really great performances from Raúl and Joaquín. Having Juan's voice volume down (mixed almost into the back of the sonic field) makes it too obvious that this song is meant to be a display of power and instrument--much like a song from a technically-advanced "metal" band from the 1980s. While Noly and Sergio hold down the foundation, Raúl and Joaquín really get to show off--and they both do a GREAT job--Joaquín in multiple tracks. (13.75/15)

9. "Calamidad" (5:16) 20-seconds of solo Noly in full Flamenco mode. Then the rest of the band joins in, presenting the bare bones of a motif that is very rooted in Spanish traditions but that is built into something rock musicians of the 1980s and 1990s synthesized and cajoled into what we call "prog metal" or even "Tech/Extreme Metal." (8.875/10)

Total time: 46:44

Son of Gypsy Kings: as if the Gypsy Kings went electric and rock. Also a lot of influence/imitation of the great American Southern Rock bands of the 1970s and even some of the metal and early tech metal bands of the 1980s. 

91.375 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of eclectic prog rock that is fully-rooted in Spanish traditions. Very refreshing--and eminently enjoyable--stuff. Highly recommended. 

GÉRALD MASSOIS Demain à l'aube

An artist who was heretofore unknown to me but feels to come straight out of the modern French prog traditions set forth by bands like NEMO, MYSTERY (I know: they're French Canadian), LAZULI, SYLVAN (German), with a little debt owed to STEVEN WILSON, as well.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Gérald Massois / vocals, guitars, and a little everything else
- Maxx Gillard / drums
- Jonathan Tavan / bass guitar
- Nicolas Garcdel / piano & synths
- Gionatan Carradona / piano virtuoso (4)
- Pierre-Emmanuel Gillet / classical and acoustic guitar (3,6)
- Yohann Gros / piano, celesta, Hammond B3 (7,9)
- Pascal Bailleul / whistler (6)
- Sarah Tanguy / cello (5,8)

1. "1939" (3:01) a wonderful, beautifully-composed and -rendered classically-imbued symphonic opener. (9.5/10)

2. "Les ennemis d'hier" (4:33) powerful prog that sounds like a combination of LAZULI, NEMO, and a pinch of the Maurin brothers. (8.875/10)

3. "La bataille de l'Ebre Pt. 1" (5:22) great opening that turns ALCESTian but then more NEMO or RIVERSIDE. Too bad it's all within the confines of a tightly proscribed ascending chord progression (though, thankfully, not the "chorus" section). (8.75/10)

4. "La bataille de l'Ebre Pt. 2" (10:41) the careful, almost meticulous two-minute mathematical piano and vocal intro unleashes a heavily-power-chord-accented piano concerto until 4:25 when everybody backs off in lieu of some romantic piano chords backing Gérald's lead guitar soloing. "Piano virtuoso" Gionatan Carradona's sound and performance are captured quite well. In the middle of the seventh minute the music turns piano-less with some drum and bass supporting Gérald's vocal before his electric guitar's power chords resume and some "strings" enter to support some more guitar and then piano soloing. (18/20)

5. "Les trains d'ombres" (5:51) a song that plods along like so many of the NEMO songs that I used to tire of. The musicianship is fine, the sound palette a little abrasive, but the song lacks the "warmth" and inviting space for engagement--the walls of sound almost pushing me back and away. (8.6667/10)

6. "Une colline sans nom" (14:32) interesting start with a rhythm track that wants to suck you in but then the barrage of guitars and synths (especially after the first 90-seconds). I never expected this long song to be an instrumental, but the first half contains absolutely no lyrics much less singing! There is some fine prog rock here--quite dynamic with lots of twists and turns--including the one at 8:45 which turns into an classical acoustic guitar-based motif with synth "strings" washes for accompaniment and human whistling serving as the lead melody maker until 10:15 when the full band kicks back in and Nicolas Garcdel's synths take over. The Paul SPEER-like guitar returns at 11:25 to carry the main melody forward (almost ad nauseum) for a full two-minutes before he unleashes an impressive solo in the fourteenth minute, taking us right to the end of the song. Quite a solid, interesting, and entertaining song. (27/30)

7. "L'encre des maux" (4:46) a steel-stringed acoustic guitar strumming along with Gérald's vocal. It sounds a bit like a cross between TOM PETTY, DAVID BOWIE, and LOVE AND ROCKETS. (8.875/10)

8. "Demain à l'aube" (13:39) opens with 2:25 of some very pensive cinematic chamber music that has cello and piano in the fore while well-rendered synth "strings" accompany from behind. Then we're left with piano accompanying Gérald in a wonderful vocal performance: using a frail, fragile voice to slowly, very deliberately deliver a MARCO GLÜHMANN-like melody and sound. At 4:45 the fully "orchestrated" band steps up to back and then take over the music. Okay, so Gérald finally softens and changes the sound of his electric guitar's power chords (something I've been hoping/longing for since the second song). At 6:30 the music takes a turn down a more dynamic country road in which Hammond organ and guitar weave in and around each other without either really claiming the lead: both contributing detailed, precision-based playing before a synth comes in to join their weave. In the ninth minute everybody congeals into a more even-keeled, standard-tempoed motif for Gérald to return to singing (even multi-tracking his voice for some b vox). This is the first time on this album that I've been truly reminded of the classic prog band ANGE that several other reviewers seem to hear in Gérald's music. Swirling Hammond chords and angular guitar riffs next help to bridge the way to a powerful DAVID GILMOUR-like motif that starts at 10:25. This will be prog heaven for most progheads! Especially when he triples his speed in thirteenth minute. The music then devolves into a cello-led revisitation to the opening soundscape for the final 30-seconds. This is probably the best song on the album--definitely the best epic. (28/30)

9. "Les passagers du vent" (5:14) strummed acoustic guitar, piano chords, and Gérald singing. In the third minute a multi-track vocal chorus leads into a STEVEN WILSON-like instrumental passage that unleashes another nice Gérald Massois electric guitar solo starting at 3:30--one that plays out through a long fade out to the song's end. (9/10)

Total Time: 66:39

Great sound applied to some very nice if-sometimes defined and confining compositions. I wish Gérald's power chords had used some variation in both sounds and volume but they always seem to be the exact same in every song. Also, Maxx Gillard's proficient drum performance is weakened to my ears/brain from it's high-pitched "plastic" reverb/echo sound and slightly-high volume. I guess I kept hoping for some looser, more-spacious and not so contrived and controlled feeling in the music. The symphonic aspect of Gérald's compositions are wonderful; it's the almost-suffocating lack of room for improvisation and spontaneity that makes me squirm a little uncomfortably.  

90.833 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of modern progressive rock of the heavy-symphonic kind (think of MYSTERY or SYLVAN). Highly recommended to all those prog lovers who prefer their music a little heavier and emotional.  

KARFAGEN Omni

Antony Kalugin has created a NeoProg concept album with the help of one of the finest lineups of Prog Hall of Famers. Two long inter-connected suites are the result. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Antony Kalugin / keyboards, vocals, percussion
With:
- Richard Sinclair (Caravan, Camel) / vocals (2, 10), fretless bass (2, 7, 8, 10)
- John Hackett / flute (2, 6, 8)
- Michel St-Pere (Mystery, Huis) / guitars (2, 8-10)
- Aleksandr Murenko / drums
- Max Velychko (Inside The Sound) / guitars
- Per Malmberg (Salva) / vocals (4), guitars, bass
- Olga Rostovska / vocals
- Jean Pageau (Mystery) / vocals (7)
- Marco Glühmann (Sylvan) / vocals (8)
- Bartosz Kossowicz (Collage, Quidam) / vocals (9)
- Daniel Ilyin (Mind Rabbits) / electric violin
- Viktor Syrotin / percussion

A) "OMNI Part 1" (23:03)
1. "Omni Overture" (2:37) Why? Why did Antony decide to use Genesis' Duke opening to open this album? It's too blatant, even though it does expand upon the flow and direction of the original, but then it comes back to the pulsing "Duke's Travels" section before going Phil Collins with the blasts from the "horn section. (8.8.75/10)
2. "Storyteller (Part 1)" (4:29) interesting 1980s NeoProg with Richard Sinclair in the lead vocals and on the fretless bass while Michel St-Pere provides the New Wave guitar chords and sounds. (Think The Fixx's Jamie Oren-West, Simple Mind's New Gold Dream, or Re-Flex's "The Politics of Dancing" for the sound Michel uses). John Hackett's flute is notable but dismissive. When Michel starts to step up front for the lead guitar work at the end we are reminded of his power as a NeoProg guitar player. (8.875/10) 
3. "Whispers from the Past" (3:28)
4. "The Spark" (5:45) the music continues as Salva's Per Malmberg steps up to the lead microphone. He sounds so much like someone from the late 1970s or early 1980s--someone quite distinctive (and good). Maybe the lead singer from the Canadian band PAYOLA$ ("Eyes of a Stranger"). (9.25/10)
5. "Masterplan" (5:18)
6. "Mirror of Souls" (1:24)

B) "OMNI Part 2" (22:42)
7. "Unchained" (5:44) beautiful and emotion-wrenching NeoProg is fronted by amazing performances from Mystery vocalist, Jean Pageau, and Inside The Sound guitarist, Max Velychko. Has the torch been passed from Marco Glühmann to Jean Pageau as the reigning greatest prog vocalist and that of the greatest NeoProg guitarist from Michel St-Pere to Max Velychko? (9.3333/10)
8. "The Cards We Play" (8:26) Antonin Kalugin, John Hackett, Richard Sinclair, Marco Glühmann, and Michel St-Pere: has there ever been a better "all-star" lineup? 'nuff said. (18.25/20)
9. "You and I" (3:52) nice NeoProg with Bartosz Kossowicz performing the FISH-like lead vocal with some real searing lead guitar work from Michel St-Pere. (8.875/10) 
10. "Storyteller (Part 2)" (4:38) the final sounds like with Richard Sinclair, Bartosz and Antony sharing the multi-part lead vocal duties. Rather nice--even beautiful and emotive--if not innovative. (9.125/10)

Total Time 45:45

Despite not owning this album and, therefore, not being able to hear all of its songs (three songs covering ten minutes of the album's nearly 46 are unavailable for previewing on the album's Bandcamp page), I am going to post this review.

90.73 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and a fine example of lush, high-quality modern NeoProg from one of prog's most prolific composer-musicians. 

SQUID Cowards

Brighton's most creative "jazz" musicians have come up with enough material for another full-length LP release--this their third since 2020.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Ollie Judge / vocals, drums, percussion

- Louis Borlage / guitar, vocals

- Anton Pearson / guitar

- Laurie Nankivell / bass

- Arthur Leadbetter / keyboards

With:

- Ruisi Quartet (Alessandro Ruisi - Violin, Venetia Jollands - Violin, Luba Tunnicliffe - Viola, Max Ruisi - Cello)

- Zands Duggan / percussion

- Rosa Brook / vocals (1, 3, 6, 7, 9)

- Tony Njoku / (1, 3, 6, 7, 9)

- Clarissa Connelly / vocals (6, 9)

- Chris Dowding / flugelhorn (7, 9)

1. "Crispy Skin" (6:19) high-speed rendered keyboard sequence is accompanied by odd industrial incidentals and voices in a very ARCADE FIRE-meets-William Drake/NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA--a theme that plays out as the song coagulates and moves forward. Ollie's voice sounds like a cross between the sarcasm of IT'S IMMATERIAL's John Campbell and the feigned boredom of MORRISSEY or RODDY FRAME. Overall the song is innocuous yet dangerously hypnotic. There is genius in these sound waves! (9.25/10)

2. "Building 650" (3:51) this one sounds like an XTC - WIN BUTLER/AIRTO LINDSAY/DAVID BYRNE collaboration though the heavily-percussive orientation of the opening song continues in the musical instrument construction and performances. After 90 seconds of straightforward hypnotherapy the band and music suddenly switch directions: using a Radiohead-like sound palette to bridge into a more lively, truly XTC-like motif. Brilliant song composition though I find Ollie's performance in the second half to be the detractor while in the first half it was the positive. (9/10)

3. "Blood on the Boulders" (5:46) now this is a soundscape that MARK HOLLIS would feel right at home with. The use of additional vocalists (including female!) in the chorus adds an odd twist--especially since Ollie is singing about the unfortunate demise and death of a drugged-up young woman out in nature. In a style that Kavus Torabi would be proud of, the band ramps things up into a more punk rock drive-it-home-until-they-puke-and-collapse-to-the-ground style of music for the mid-section before returning to the previous despondent Paris, Texas desert sound for the finish. Michael Gira would love this one! (8.875/10)

4. "Fieldworks I" (2:23) now they're channeling Damon Waitkus (JACK O' THE CLOCK)! I love the chaos of the strings of the Ruisi Quartet swirling beneath Ollie's narration! (4.75/5)
5. "Fieldworks II" (3:19) the JACK O' THE CLOCK (and a bit of NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA)  similarities continue--even going so far as incorporating lots of folk instrumentation, microtonals, and chaotic string arrangements all woven together. The finish reminds me of the music of GRAVENHURST's late great singer-songwriter Nichola John Talbot. (9/10)

6. "Cro-Magnon Man" (4:07) Blur, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Tom Tom Club, The Ambitious Lovers, Prince, Gang of Four--these are the bands that come easily to mind as I listen to this delightful blend of so many sounds, styles, and songs--a real blast of the past. I tell you: there is genius flowing through this band's collective mind! (9/10)

7. "Cowards" (5:51) Chaotic droning, "silently-screaming" strings. Flugelhorn and keyboard special effects. Gently picked acoustic guitar. Ollie's gentle, sleepy vocal. Gentle percussion. At 2:25 the band kicks into a horn- and vocalese-supported four-chord vamp over which Ollie sings with more vim and insistence in his intentionally-monotone voice. Great arrangement for this weave!  (9/10)

8. "Showtime!" (5:08) so hard to classify and describe this Lou Reed Ambitious Lovers-like song. When drums and guitar really take over in the second half I'm suddenly reminded of the stark similarity to the music and vocal stylings of SWANS. (9/10)

9. "Well Met (Fingers Through the Fence)" (8:15) sounds like acoustic Discipline-era King Crimson with David Torn, Mark Isham, and Ryuichi Sakamoto and on board for the vocals along with Ollie's best Michael Gera or Luka Bloom impression. The finished product wouldn't have surprised me if you told me it was something by Mark Hollis. (17.75/20)

Total Time 44:59

Drummer Ollie Judge is back to his theatric, pretentious, punk poetry reading vocals as he was on O Monolith and Bright Green Field (more the latter than the former). The odd yet creative music beneath his crooning complaining is odd enough to remind me of a blend of GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR with LOU REED, Michael Giro's SWANS, and Airto Lindsay's AMBITIOUS LOVERS. I really love the refreshing new ozonegen being injected into the blood of Old Man Prog by these creative young upstarts! I love the unusual use of strings for the creation of a constant underlying chaos and confusion: this is the part that reminds me of GY!BE.

90.13 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of refreshing and highly-creative eclectic song presentations that, for me, help invigorate the rumour that a "prog punk" element is growing, thriving on the fringes of the progressive rock dinosaur (like a symbiotic swarm of flies, moss, or remora). Methinks this album really essential . . . for the health and longevity of a living prog.

CORDE OBLIQUE Cries and Whispers

Finally Napoli's Prog Folk guitar virtuoso and master composer, Riccardo Prencipe is committing to "the dark side," that is, music with a fully-electrified sound palette. The good news is that it works! Riccardo masterfully blends his classical folk foundations with the newer metallic rock palettes with perfection and power (and, as usual, pristine sound engineering). Cries and Whispers is a two-part adventure featuring: the first a jaunt through a collection of Post Metal/Folkgaze songs (featuring the participation of members of Spiritual Front, Irfan, members of Ashram, and the Italian actress Maddalena Crippa); the second a Dark/Ethnofolk journey filled with unsettling pagan folk scenes.

     Retaining his favored Rita Saviano to work behind the vocal microphone, we also have the participation of several of Riccardo's long-time collaborators, most notably, violinist Edo Notarloberti, Umberto Lepore on basses, Alessio Sica on drums, Luigi Rubino on keyboards, and Michele Maione on percussion. The big difference here on Sussumi e Grica (Cries and Whispers - which is totally inspired by Ingmar Bergman's film of the same name) is that Riccardo has endorsed the use of electrified rock instruments which gives his music a heavier, often darker, even at-times metal sound. Don't get me wrong, the music is still founded in Riccardo's pristine and celestial folk weaves, it's just embellished and fortified with the sound palette of the original Post Metal experimentalists like maudlin of the Well, Agalloch, Opeth, and Pain of Salvation. Whereas on previous albums Riccardo had often turned to British Post-Metal rockers Anathema for inspiration--and songs to cover--here his borrowing comes from French Black Metal band Alcest's 2007 debut album as well as fellow guitar virtuoso and Catalonian legend, Francisco Tarrega (who died in 1909) and a famous piece of impressionistic music from classical composer Erik Satie.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Riccardo Prencipe / classic guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
With:
- Rita Saviano / vocals (1-3,9,11)
- Caterina Pontrandolfo / vocals (10)
- Denitza Seraphim / vocals (8)
- Simone Salvatori / backing vocals (2)
- Maddalena Crippa / spoken words (6)
- Edo Notarloberti / violin
- Alessio Sica / drums
- Umberto Lepore / bass, double bass
- Luigi Rubino / piano
- Michele Maione / percussions
- Salvio Vassallo / analogue synths
- Daniele la Torre / mandolin, mandola

"Volume 1: Post Metal / Folkgaze"

1. "The Nightingale and the Rose" (3:40) right off the bat one can sense that we're in for a sonic adventure quite different from any that Riccardo Prencipe has ever offered us before: ambient electric guitar notes fill the field with a tension that would be more associated with heavy Post Rock bands like MIDAS FALL or ANATHEMA. Rita Saviano's classically-trained voice is drenched in Elizabeth Heaton-like reverb and then, even more suprising, is the rise of metal-like instrumentation at the end of the second minute which then evolve into a rock motif that becomes heavier and heavier with violin, bass, drums, and chord play from two heavily-distorted guitars. Wow! I was not expecting that! I'm not sure I really liked the second half but those first two minutes were extraordinary--and powerful! (9/10)

 

2. "Leaver" (4:10) more subdued electric guitar backs Rita's less-effected yet ever-so personal vocal. (It sounds like she's singing over my shoulder!) The weave that slowly builds includes a full complement of electric rock band instrumentation. Rita's voice is moved across the room as several other vocalists' voices become known on the fringes of the "stage"--making this a very theatric, almost Greek tragedy song presentation. In a rather odd twist of events, the heavy music drops out and we're left with Riccardo's lone electric guitar to back Rita's more intimate almost-spoken vocal to finish. (9/10)

3. "John Ruskin" (6:33) a song about a 19th Century British polymath?! The song construct, though eminently enjoyable, is equally mystifying as it twists and turns through several motifs (or would it be more accurate to call them movements?): some soft and delicate, like standing by a still pond, some fast and exhibiting aggression (especially through Riccardo's electric guitars). Rita switches roles through out as if she's performing all of the stage roles in a one-woman show. Nice though not always flowing coherently (or cohesively). (8.875/10)

4. "The Father Child" (4:01) tom-tom play opens this before ANATHEMA/Cavanaugh Brothers electric guitars take over to fill up the atmosphere and pronounce some melodies. Drums and bass return to give this near-lullaby some power and momentum. There is a very Post Rock feel to this pretty, emotional instrumental. Piano takes over for the guitar for the final minute. Very nice! (8.875/10)

5. "A Step to Lose the Balance" (4:40) more reverb-guitar to open this one before a Spaghetti-Western-like motif is picked up by the bass, cymbal-less drums, and electric guitars. Like a combination of MASERATI and GIFTS FROM ENOLA--until 1:40 when distorted electric guitar power chords announce a raunchier sound--part TED NUGENT, part three-chord LYNYRD SKYNYRD vamp. Then, at 3:10, Riccardo moves into a more chugging metal direction. (It's almost as if he's going through a practice session of a variety of rock/metal styles as he tries to get more familiar with and better at the rock electric guitar.) Interesting instrumental. (8.75/10)

6. "Christmas Carol" (4:24) the voice of Italian actress Maddelena Crippa reading/reciting something in Italian while Riccardo accompanies her on electric guitar. Hard to offer a rating to this one as the lyrics are obscured by a language barrier (as well as my own innate occlusion to all sung or recited poetry and words).

"Volume 2: Dark / Ethnofolk"

7. "Bruegel's Dance" (3:10) a folk song that sounds more English traditional than Dutch. A song that could very well have come from some of Riccardo's more-classical Italian folk music-oriented albums. (8.75/10)

8. "Eleusa Consumpta" (4:58) definitely a pagan worship element/feel to this folk song. Singer Denitza Seraphim brings a more raw, rough Nature Girl element to Riccardo's music (not unlike that of Dead Can Dance's LISA GERRARD or even The Gathering's ANNEKE Van GIERSBERGEN) while the spirited play of the pagan/Gypsy band only reinforces this. A three-part suite: i. soft, pastoral; ii. spirited, dance-oriented; iii. pastoral with two female voices interwoven with violin, hand drums, and guitar. (9/10)

9. "Souvenirs d'un autre monde" (7:14) an acoustic cover of an ALCEST song that sounds just like something Riccardo would have composed and performed ten years ago. Brilliant treatment of Rita's gorgeous vocal. The stuff of peak-era Corde Oblique. (13.75/15)

10. "Tango Di Gaeta" (5:52) pure Italian classical-folk magic: from the "ancient" instrument choices (nylon string classical guitar, hand drum, violin, and, of course, vocalist extraordinaire Caterina Pontrandolfo doing what she does best: a dramatic rendering of a piece of art from her ancient heritage. Powerful and gorgeous. As much as I like Riccardo's "growth" of the past few years, it is hard to let go of my love and appreciation for his rendering of such valuable and beautiful music if only for the all-important effect of bringing it the public awareness. Has anybody ever paired up better with Riccardo than Ms. Pontrandolfo? (9/10)

11. "Selfish Giant" (4:48) guitar (and, later, second guitar and hand drum) with Rita Saviano singing in her delicate, oh-so-elegant voice some lyrics in both English and French. Beautiful--even heart-wrenching. (9.25/10)

12. "Gnossienne No. 1" (3:33) a classical guitar purist's rendering of this famous song by Erik Satie. (9.3333/10)

Total Time 57:03

Though "Volume 2" definitely takes us back to Riccardo Prencipe's roots and deepest love: Italian classical folk music, it does not satisfy the prog lover much--not even the Prog Folk lover. Volume 1, however, feels like the work of someone who is learning a new style of music. Here Riccardo feels like someone who is not yet comfortable but willing himself to try it (due to external pressure mixed with some small amount of personal curiosity, not from enthusiastic joy and excitement). Due to his virtuosity as a guitarist, composer, coverer of many out-of-his-own genre artists, as well as his experience with over 20 years of album production, Riccardo has managed to make an album worthy of any Prog Lover's enjoyment as well as something to treasure for all collectors of his work.  

90.07 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; though masterful, the variety of sound and musical styles presented here are perhaps a little too diverse. Plus, the music presented here only skirts the sounds and styles easily incorporated beneath the prog umbrella. 

Special Mentions: