Reviews (all) - Progarchives.com

ANGELO BRANDUARDI Futuro Antico IV (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2007)

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:09:22 EST

Review by octopus-4 — The fourth episode of the Futuro Antico series is inspired to the Carnival of Venice. Apart of
the first track, the others are short songs from different authors grouped by theme to form 4
longer songs.

The opener is a hymn to Venice described as a "virgin queen of freedom" composed by
Baldassarre Donato, who was singer and composer and "maestro" at the court of Venice in
16th Century. The lyrics are repeated twice and the music is not yet baroque because of
medieval leid influence. Some passages are quite interesting as not much used in today's
music.

The second "group" (Lo Scherzo) contains three songs of Adriano Willaert who was teacher
of Baldasarre Donato and one of Vincenzo Bellaver. The first was a Fleming musician who
went to Italy in 1510. Pay some attention to his signatures: I can't call him proto-prog but his
rhythms are very irregular. Vincenzo Bellaver was instead the equivalent of a pop star. His
"Giustiniane" are shor songs in dialect with lot of sexual double senses intended for a
popular audience.
His song is about three old men and a prostitute. Bellaver is funny but Willaert is really
better.

The third group "Le Maschere" (The masks) is made of three parts. The first, quite
uninteresting, from Adriano Banchieri, a monk from Bologna, more known as organist than
as composer. The Willaert's middle part is really better. It's more complex and proto-proto-
proto-prog. As some other compositions of this album is written by Claudio Monteverdi
who's one of the most respectable and famous Italian authors of the early 17th Century. The
last is another effort by Willaert, recognizable by the syncopated rhythm.

The fourth group "Sogno D'Amore (Love Dream)" is started by a song of Francesco
Patavino. usually author of "sacred" music. His song has a medieval flavor and effectively he
lived between 15th and 16th Century. To my tastes it's the best of the album. Flaminio
Corradi was author of sacred music but the only printed thing is a profane release from
which this song about "kisses" is extracted. It's followed by a three voices madrigal of few
more than one minute composed by Andrea Gabrieli, another author from the 16th Century.
The anonymous song is nothing else than "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Baa Baa Black
Sheep". It's effectively a serenade to some Lady Nina (not the Marillion's one likely). Let's
say that it has been used even by Mozart.

"Croce Delizia D'Amore" sees again Bellaver and Monteverdi as authors. Closer to baroque,
this group has a highlight in the second song that's composed by Domenico Bianchini but
is a "cover" of a song of the French composer "de Sermisy".

The last group is a collection of three dances and it's closer to the usual Branduardi's
music.

As the other albums of the Futuro Antico series, this is an album of classical music with
nothing progressive inside. It would deserve to be mentioned (and maybe it is) on a
classical music site but if you are looking for RPI and are usually not interested in things
like Blackmore's Night or early Pentangle this is not your pot. Anyway it's a good album and
should you look for something different why not this?

AIRBAG All Rights Removed (Neo-Prog, 2011)

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:37:04 EST

Review by Conor Fynes — 'All Rights Removed' - Airbag (8/10)

Although there is a vast range of sounds, styles, and sub-styles, I think I can reasonably
divide prog into two major schools; one that appeals to the mind, and one that appeals to
the heart. Cue Rush's 'Hemispheres' reference. Of course, it's virtually impossible to have
only one of the two, but most bands lean towards one of those more than the other. In the
case of Airbag, they are firmly rooted in emotion. Although performed and produced
excellently, there is very little display of technical wizardry, nor are there the sort of complex
structures that one may come to expect from progressive rock proper. Although the music
on 'All Rights Removed' is conveyed through longer songs, it's a journey dominated by
atmosphere and melody over anything else. Without setting toes into the cheesy anthem
territory of AOR, Airbag's second album is among the most emotionally stirring albums of
last year.

The style of 'shoegaze' (which proggers may be familiar with through Alcest or Slowdive)
and the post-punk melancholy of The Cure are both players in the style of Airbag. I would not
say that 'All Rights Removed' feels, well, 'removed' from a lot of melodic prog archetypes,
but they do a much better job of sounding sincere and atmospheric than most 'neo-prog'
acts I've heard. Best demonstrated through the abundant bluesy guitar work on the album is
the influence of Pink Floyd. I have said that Airbag values melody and emotion over complex
compositions, but there is the much-longed for sense of 'epic' in 'All Rights Removed.'
Although one might not get the impression from the track listing (which explicitly cites the
last song as a standalone epic), the album seems to run as a fifty minute piece of music. In
fact, the music itself gives little indication that any of these songs stand on their own. For
instance, the central melody of the opener title track segues into 'White Walls.' It's aspects
like this that puts Airbag on the radar.

The music is not much varied or surprising, but it matters little when the album benefits
from such a charged flow. Airbag lean towards a mid-pace melancholia, led forth by the
Hogarth-era Marillion-like vocals of Asle Torstrup. Some proggers may find that 'All Rights
Removed' does not fulfil the quota of notes that need to be played per minute in order to be
considered real prog. This is meant to be taken as facetious of course, but this degree of
lax atmosphere and melancholic, melodic focus should not be dismissed. Airbag have
really impressed me here, in short. Steering clear of the often cheesy 80's kitsch that many
bands of this sort fall into, there is a great deal to admire with this band's second album.

COLLECTING SPACE Subside (Crossover Prog, 2011)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 22:43:08 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Obviously inspired by the musics of STEVEN WILSON and ANATHEMA, this music has some very nice melodies and tricks but it is
kind of raw and underdeveloped. IMHO, the band's songwriting needs maturation; the songs are rather one or two-dimensional,
lacking the multi-dimensionality of prog masters. Without a doubt they have some gifts and talents, perhaps Mr. Burkart needs more
collaborators in the song-writing department to broaden, deepen and expand upon his ideas.

The strummed guitar chord progressions need something more. The solos are flashy but lack some real relevance and emotion. The
songs sometimes never develop beyond initial guitar two chord progressions. The vocal harmonies are also too linear, not
modulated enough. Nice sounds that are sometimes a bit too drawn out. Not unlike the afore-mentioned Steven Wilson and
Anathema. Highlights are the more devoloped, less repetitive songs, like the pretty Neil Young/West Indian Girl-ish opener, "Within
You, Without You," "Subside," the Post/Math Rock-ish "Downbeat," melodic "Moons of Mars," the heavier, more sonically 'finished'
(though poorly vocalized) "Delusion." A bit too raw and unpolished for four stars. But, I'll be on the lookout for this band's next effort.

CURRENT 93 Imperium (Prog Folk, 1989)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 22:20:20 EST

Review by Triceratopsoil — Somber and quite religious in a "what the hell is this weird thing" sort of way, Imperium is, oddly
enough, an album I've already used to soothe myself to sleep on numerous occasions. Absolutely
drenched in reverb, it has elements of both C93's earlier industrial/noise style and their later
apocalyptic folk. There are strange whale-like noises in the background at times, meandering flute,
soft harp. Is that a camel yawning? Some of the more electronic-sounding instrumentation reminds
me of the earliest era of Tangerine Dream. Lots of the things making sounds are fairly
unidentifiable; I dig it. Imperium IV maybe doesn't entirely fit in, but then again, by that point
the album basically just starts drifting in and out of all sorts of random themes.

Half the vocals are whispered or spoken word, a decent portion of the rest are outright yelling
(closer to the end); it's a decent mix. The lyrics are moderately holy but also largely depressive
and dark. Is it religious to sing about Christ dying? David Tibet works his way pretty rapidly
into his signature "fields of rape" theme; I dig it. Slavery is also a prominent topic. For the
most part, Imperium crescendos throughout, leading to some pretty grover sh*t near the end before a
slight trail off. By the time we hit Locust, it's some kind of catchy quasi-industrial groove
thing, pretty far drawn from the start of the album. The vocals on this track, by the way, are
another Tibet signature: the "I'll sing in tune if I damn well want to, okay?" voice. Lalalalala-la
lala! What joy we had! Anybody who can sing about trampling the weak in such a nonchalant manner
has my vote. Immediately afterward, the album returns to spoken word and chorales. No wait, is
that opera? Doesn't matter, because BASS GROOVE. YELL. PAN WILDLY. I think you get the idea.

You could probably look at Imperium a number of ways; a religious experience for Tibet perhaps, some
sort of satire maybe, the sloppy ruminations of a borderline psychotic, it's possible. It could be
nothing more than a convenient transition for the band. Whatever it's supposed to be, whether it's
indeed supposed to be anything specific at all and not just a happy coincident, I'd say this is
probably my favourite Current 93 album, as it stands. If church services were more like this I
might wake up more often on Sundays. Decidedly more peculiar than your average "folk" album, I,
forget what I was going to say. Best approach this with an open mind, at any rate.

CARRY ME FROM SHORE TO SHORE TURNING AND TURNING TURNING AND TURNING

And yes, you are going to spend the night with pain Mr. Tibet. Wasn't that the theme of the whole
album?

TARTAR LAMB Polyimage Of Known Exits (RIO/Avant-Prog, 2011)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 22:14:36 EST

Review by VanVanVan — It's very, very hard for me to write about this kind of music. Anything that Toby Driver has a
hand in tends to be very challenging listening, and describing it often forces me to come up
with increasingly absurd metaphors to try and describe the sounds I'm hearing. Fortunately,
this time the musicians involved beat me to it: the kickstarter for this project described the
music as "the sound of a whale swallowing a comet, spouting a cloud of ice from its
blowhole, and the shards raining down and slicing up your face."

Well, I have no idea what exactly what that means, but it's still a fairly apt description. This is
dissonant, swirling, depressive music that makes you feel like you're floating alone through
a particularly sorrowful section of space, music that summons up incredibly intense emotions
of isolation and loss. And sure, it sounds like a whale swallowed an icy comet and is now
pelting you with the shards. This is avant, difficult music that requires your full attention, but
will prove incredibly satisfying if you're willing to give that.

"1st Movement" begins with some fairly dissonant winds and bass. The melancholic drones
quickly establish a feeling of absolute bleakness, but it still never feels gratuitous or overly
melodramatic. It's very subtle, really; with only some long notes from the winds and some
minimal rhythm lines from the bass the track manages to establish its mood very quickly. At
about a minute in the texturing changes a little bit as some glitchy sounding electronic effects
are added. It's an interesting aesthetic that provides a very unsettling atmosphere. These
drop out after a bit and the track plays around for a little while with more traditional wind
parts, and this middle section of the track is quite beautiful. Midway through, however, the
glitchy electronics return, and from there the track spirals through a variety of
instrumentations and sounds, from longingly melancholic melodic sections to anarchic
wailings. Never, though, does the first movement lose it's feeling of haunted sorrow, and it
sets a very high bar for the rest of the album.

"2nd Movement" begins with a bit more craziness, with the electronics going full force over
more of those dissonant long notes from the winds. This is the motif for the first couple
minutes before the bass takes a bit of a more prominent position in the piece. It's about this
time as well that the track takes on a much more dark-ambient feel, moving horns to the back
and bringing deep synths and scratchy static sounds to the fore. After this the arrangement
strips down for a brief bass solo before the static returns with a muddled, hard to understand
spoken word section. After this the horns return to the front of the track to play an incredibly
sorrowful section that calls to mind the image of a lone musician standing in the rain pouring
his sorrows out through his instrument. The last substantial chunk of the movement features
heavy interplay between all the instruments, building in intensity to a screeching climax
while somehow retaining throughout the incredibly dark, dismal, lonely atmosphere even as
howling and wailing fill the listener's ears. The last two minutes in particular feature an
amazing wall of sound layered over a haunting wind line, creating a brilliant juxtaposition of
sounds that's some of the most avant and yet at the same time listenable music that I've ever
heard.

"3rd Movement" begins with some bass and electronics that have a bit more of a psychedelic
feel than either of the first two movements, but it's still very dark. Some ethereal chanted
vocals add to this effect, and provide a nice change of pace from the two largely vocal-less
first tracks. Those same dissonant winds again make an appearance again, though they
seem to be to be a bit more melodic and orchestral in this third movement. The bass guitar
remains in a prominent position as well, and I have to say I've never heard someone play
the bass like Toby Driver does. His parts aren't super technical or anything but they still have
a way of being incredibly compelling, and it's nice to have the bass play such a prominent
role. Towards the second half of this movement the feeling changes a little bit, with the
tempo increasing and the electronics returning. The bass goes into a hypnotic, repeating
line over which the winds and sound effects swirl and howl. The track concludes with
another chaotic miasma of sound that fades away to nothing before the last track of the
album begins.

"4th Movement" begins with some frenetic wind noises before dropping into a more languid
bass and wind part. Dissonance is used to great effect here, with very atonal chords being
placed into the music in a way that still makes them sound totally natural, and dare I say it,
even very pretty. After about 4 minutes of this the bass launches into a more rhythmic line
and violin takes the melody for the first time on the album. It's a great sonic texture,
especially after three tracks of mostly bass and winds, and it's also some of the most melodic
material on the album, hearkening back to the (comparatively) more accessible maudlin of
the Well sound. There's not even very much dissonance in this middle section of the fourth
movement, and while the winds and electronics still play a large part in the end of the track
the fourth movement has a decidedly different feel than the movements which preceded it.

I admit, when I first heard this album I was a bit underwhelmed. While only passively
listening to the album it seemed to all sound the same. As with all difficult music, however, I
quickly discovered that this is not music which ought to be listened to as a background
soundtrack. When you actually sit down and listen to this music without distraction, an
incredible degree of variety reveals itself and Polyimage of Known Exits proves to be one of
the most challenging, idiosyncratic recordings I've listened to in recent memory, even by the
high standards of Toby Driver-related projects. It may not blow me away quite like Bath or
Choirs of the Eye, but it's well worth a listen and personally I think it's even a step above the
most recent Kayo Dot project "Gamma Knife." Great stuff.

4/5

MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA Visions Of The Emerald Beyond (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1975)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 21:50:03 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — I couldn't agree with Ivan Melgar more: I always felt more engaged and satisfied by the second incarnation of the Mahavishnu
Orchestra. The flash of the first incarnation never drew me back for reasons of pleasure, more for reasons of amazement and awe.
And now, forty years later, I find Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire hardly listenable, while Visions and Apacolypse have a
warmth and friendliness that invite me in and keep me wanting to come back. Understand: Goodman, Cobham, Laird and Hammer
are amazing and impressive intrumentalists but it was like they were all just waiting for their turn to flash--to solo--not really making
music or songs; second incarnation MU are cohesive band playing memorable music, playing songs. The first incarnation are jaw
dropping amazing; the second incarnation produced music I want to listen to.

THE FLOWER KINGS Stardust We Are (Symphonic Prog, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 21:46:48 EST

Review by Theriver — Who will enjoy this album?

Flower kings fans of course who have that album missing in their collections. This is
definitely one of their best if not their best.

Even still I am not sure this is the easiest Flower Kings album to start with; any symphonic
prog or prog fans in general will seriously enjoy this albums. The Flower Kings have a lot
talent and their own personality and are not just copying their 70's ancestors such as Yes
as some of their detractors would say.

What do we have here?

The first cd is almost perfect expect the last track 'Compassion' Why did they had to
include this track? The 15 minutes of instrumentals music 'The Man Who Walked With
Kings' and 'Circus Braimstone' is an amazing moments of music. On 'Circus
Braimstome' the band proves they can go further that the borders of symph-prog. Two
other great tracks: 'In The Eye Of The World' and the emotional and symphonic ' Church Of
Your Heart'

The second cd is slightly weaker than the first but only slightly. The band appears tired on
some tracks that drags on a bit ('Don Of The Universe') or looks out of context ('Different
people' 'Kingdom of Lies 'Ghost Of The Red Cloud'). However the best track of the albums
still remain on this one this is 'Stardust We Are' a classic prog suite and one of the best
suite ever made in the 90's. Another highlights of cd2 would be 'The Merrygoround'
and 'The End Of Innocence' which reminds me a lot of the first part of 'Starless' from King
Crimson' as much as for the atmosphere than the voice of Roine Stolt very close to the one
of John Wetton.

Over the all album, the short tracks played mostly by Tomas Bodin are to be mentioned as
well for their great melodies and welcome interlude during the flood of music.

Why I rate it 4 stars:

There is definitely even great material here to justify a double albums, but some weaker
tracks previously mentioned should have been left out. If so, this albums would easily be a
5 star albums and would easily compete with the classic opus of the 70's. Yes this opus
would have gain being shorter but again those weaker tracks represent only around 20
minutes out of 2h15 of fantastic music and the album can pretend being a key album of
rock progressif.

CURRENT 93 Thunder Perfect Mind (Prog Folk, 1992)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:41:28 EST

Review by Triceratopsoil — 4.5 stars, really

Perhaps Current 93's most melancholic output (that I've heard so far), Thunder Perfect Mind is a
harrowing and impactful listen at worst, and a beautiful masterpiece at best. Soothing strings are
gently overlaid on soft acoustic guitar. There is barely any percussion, but it doesn't lack for
it. The vocals don't always seem inclined to stay entirely in tune, which if nothing else just
lends to the inimitability of it all. The lyrics are marginally less dark than earlier Current 93
albums, but it's still not exactly Fairport Convention. You might LA LA LA along at parts; I did.

Overall, a masterfully executed and beautifully wrought gentle work of folk music. If some of
Current 93's albums maybe scared you off their work a bit, if you are the sort to not like that kind
of thing, this is probably your best bet to listen to of C93's albums. Quite accessible and, if I
haven't emphasized it enough, pretty. Well actually, it gets a bit weird near the end but in a good way.
Doesn't exactly thunder, and it's not entirely perfect, but I
don't mind. Hyuck.

SPOCK'S BEARD V (Symphonic Prog, 2000)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:27:35 EST

Review by criticdrummer94 — Prog was still alive throughout the 90s and in the 2000s, Spock's Beard put out one of the best
Prog albums in existence.

At the End of the Day: My favorite of this one. Has a huge Yes and kinda Genesis feel to it.
They're celebrating the classics while still be new and fresh. It always puts a smile on my face
every time.

Revelation: A shorter song but still has a heavy Symphonic feel that I just love. The chorus is
really heavy and light on the verses and has good lyrical content. Overall, good song

Thoughts, Pt. 2: A sequel from a previous song and I love this song. The lyrics speak very heavy
to me and the music is so heavy and groovy and Prog it's great. They even show Gentle Giant
influence with the multiple vocal tracks. Great song

All on a Sunday: Strong Yes influence on this one. Kind of a break from the heaviness of the
last songs but still has a nice feel to it

Goodbye to Yesterday: The single. Very acoustic and keyboardy to start. It's not a bad song but I
understand why the song didn't do all that well on the charts.

The Great Nothing: A Prog Masterpiece. 27+ minutes of very intricate music and was very
impressed with what I heard. The band sounded top notch and better than ever before. The title
is almost a reference to Pink Floyd who originally called their epic Echoes, The Return of the
Son of Nothing

Overall, Spock's best album without question. It has alot of classic songs and moments that
recall the classics and invent some new ones. It has earned it's place with 70's Prog. 5 Stars.
Highlights: At The End of the Day, Revelation, Thoughts Part 2, and The Great Nothing

WINDOW The Empyreal Ballet (Crossover Prog, 1978)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 19:22:42 EST

Review by Evolver — This is actually a very fun album. The style reminds me a bit of Steely Dan, a mixture of pop
sensibilities and jazz chops, but with more prog, and without the New York hipster posing. The vocals
sound a bit like The Manhattan Transfer (if The Manhattan Transfer wasn't quite so middle of the
road). It's the harmonies and exuberance that bring about the comparison.

The music, as I said, is very jazzy, with lots of fine horn and string arrangements. Sometimes it gets a
bit theatrical sounding, but that works with this band. The only low note is the last track, Like It or
Not, an instrumental that sounds like a late seventies disco fusion piece.

HELHEIM Hei�ind�mr Ok M�tgangr (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2011)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 19:17:53 EST

Review by Conor Fynes — 'Hei�ind�mr Ok M�tgangr' - Helheim (7/10)

Although never having achieved the same degree of popularity, Helheim may be best
compared to Enslaved, not only in terms of their Viking ancestry and topical content, but also
in regards to the way they have developed over the years. Originating as a fairly run-of-the-
mill Viking black metal act, they have moved in an increasingly progressive direction with
their sound. 'Hei�ind�mr Ok M�tgangr' represents another step in their career; a cleanly
produced, diverse and impressive celebration of their culture.

Like Enslaved, Helheim focus their efforts on creating a vast, epic sound that attempts to
capture the sound and custom of the Viking people. In this regard, Helheim are dedicated,
and convey the pride of their ancestry powerfully. The album opens up with a combination of
black metal canon and war horn orchestration, a pairing that pops up several times
throughout the album. Arguably the greatest strength that 'Hei�ind�mr Ok M�tgangr' has
going for it is that it takes the listener through a number of different moods and angles
without sounding inconsistent or patchy. Based on much of my experience with this style,
Viking bands tend to keep their songwriting narrow, composing a batch of incredibly similar
pieces and drilling down one angle or mood of Viking culture until it's exhausted and
begging for a coffee break. Most of the time, this 'angle' tends to revolve around the culture's
penchant for warfare and alcohol consumption. I would not say that Helheim gives an all-
encompassing glance into the culture- there's no reference here to the 793 AD equivalent to
changing baby diapers- but the darker sound on the album is more successful at
transporting a listener to what was decidedly an incredibly dark time in human history.

Helheim's production has developed with their musical style, and though black metal
generally favours less bells and whistles in its production, 'Hei�ind�mr Ok M�tgangr' is
remarkably refined. In terms of effectiveness, this is a bit of a double edged sword. The
production does wonders for the more subtle arrangements such as the horn work and
moments where Helheim go experimental with their sound, but the black metal feels
robbed of some of its atmosphere. This does not draw away from the intensity of the music,
however; the riffs are beautifully arranged and performed with vigour. Although the music on
'Hei�ind�mr Ok M�tgangr' rarely possesses the sort of composition quality that would thrust
it into the realm of excellence, Helheim's varied approach to Viking metal stands out above
many of their peers. There is anger, melancholy, darkness and light to soak up on
'Hei�ind�mr Ok M�tgangr', and the variety of styles only serves to give the work greater
lasting value.

WALLENSTEIN Cosmic Century (Symphonic Prog, 1973)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:54:36 EST

Review by presdoug — With the release of the first two Wallenstein albums Blitzkrieg and Mother Universe, the
band were creatively at their peak, with an uncompromising Symphonic Rock style incorporating some
of the most intelligently crafted rock music ever created. With the release of their third album,
Cosmic Century (and for that matter, the two following studio albums) Wallenstein as a creative
group were obviously not at the end of their tether, even though the previous albums were hard acts
to follow, due to their excellence.
The thing i like the most about Cosmic Century is the work of
composer-keyboardist-vocalist Jurgen Dollase, his important role and obviously classically trained
keyboard work showing the main pulse behind Wallenstein. As a creative musician in the seventies, Dollase had his fingers in a lot of musical pies (like The Cosmic Jokers, Walpurgis, Sergius Golowin, etc.), but his work in Wallenstein is where he really shined the most But all the musicians work is refreshing
and interesting to listen to, as well. Dollase's vocals are done with great feeling, and that could
be said of the great instrumental playing on Cosmic Century, whether it be drums, guitar, keys or
violin. There is intelligence in this music, but also,in the same breath, a lot of feeling and
emotion. Like Triumvirat, Wallenstein know how to juggle these two things with neither at the
expense of the other, a feat not easily done by a lot of rock groups.
There is no wasted filler in any of Cosmic Century, and the album fits
together quite nicely, because of that. A thrill to listen to, from start to finish. Five stars-an
essential..

RUSH Fly By Night (Heavy Prog, 1975)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:47:48 EST

Review by Chicapah — Not that it matters to anyone (nor that it should), I've finally decided to shed my ill-conceived
notions and biases about the band Rush and objectively investigate their prog craft one album at a
time. For decades I've avoided them for the pettiest of reasons yet I've come to realize lately
that I'm only hurting myself by being so close-minded. The first time I heard of them was back in
the mid 70s when my girlfriend who worked at the Travis Street Electric Company in Dallas raved
about the show they put on there while I was out of town on a club tour. The night spot was
changing from a gaudy disco to a concert venue that could give up-and-coming acts a place to display
their wares in North Texas. (They soon moved into a huge barn of a place near downtown and dubbed
it the "Electric Ballroom.") I valued her critiques of the artists she got to see there yet this
one bugged me. I don't know why but I was jealous of her enthusiasm for a group I'd never heard of
and, in response, callously formed a sour opinion of them. My affair with that lovely lass ended
badly (for me) in late '75 but, while I eventually got over her, my unfounded aversion for Rush
lingered on and on. (I have no doubt there's a connection. Doesn't take a shrink to figure that
out, Sigmund.) So whenever I happened to hear one of their songs on the radio I'd purposely pay no
attention whatsoever to what they were doing. I was smugly satisfied with being a Rushophobic.

Over the past few years (via numerous documentaries and interviews that've cropped up on VH1 Classic
channel in particular) I've been made aware of the trio's enormous influence upon a host of
musicians (prog and otherwise) that I hold in lofty esteem, forcing me to contemplate the
possibility that I was wrong to rush into judgment about the group so long ago. Plus, the fact that
they're (a) recognized worldwide as an undisputed giant in the field of progressive rock and that
(b) they're one of the few bands from the Americas that can legitimately call themselves prog add up
to my confessing in shame that I've been a stubborn curmudgeon when it comes to Rush. Alas, I've
turned over a new maple leaf, my friends, and I intend to boldly go where their art takes me without
prejudice. I may or may not like what I hear but at least I'll have legitimate cause for feeling
one way or another and that, for this proud prog reviewer, is liberating. I'm starting with their
2nd LP, "Fly By Night," simply because I couldn't procure a copy of their debut in the short run.
I'll get around to it someday if I live long enough.

Taking into consideration that their original drummer John Rutsey quit just before embarking on the
tour to promote their 1st album, their survival of that normally-devastating event is admirable in
and of itself. Replacing him with Neil Peart, a man who'd grow to be revered as a drum god, is fate
at its most serendipitous. Even more astounding is the lasting bond that solidified between him,
guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist Geddy Lee within a span of weeks. By the time they went into the
studio to tape their sophomore record they were a stronger trio than ever before.

The opener, "Anthem," has an aggressive beginning that leads to Geddy singing with much more rasp
and gusto than I expected to hear. I confess that, like many of the group's detractors, Lee's
sometimes screechy voice can be a distraction but I'm finding it's an acquired taste that my palate
is slowly warming up to. One thing that really stands out on this cut is the tightness between
Geddy and Neil. They were made for each other. I'm also struck by Alex's solo because it's so
individualistic and free from any obvious mimicry of other prog guitarists. "Best I Can" is
straight-ahead power rock and once again I'm surprised by how strong Lee's vocal is. I'm similarly
impressed by the quality of Peart's lyrics as he describes the arduous task ahead of the band as
they travel down the prog road. "I've got a livin' that's rough/a future that's tough/you know what
I mean/blankers and boasters/all the bluffers and posers/I'm not into that scene," Geddy sings.
"Beneath, Between, Behind" is an energetic track filled with sharp, punchy accents and seamless
changes in feel. You gotta love Neil's fearlessness in not sticking with simple beat patterns and
daring to be different in his approach.

"By-Tor and the Snow Dog" is progressive rock that doesn't sound like anyone else and much more
experimental and envelope-pushing than the three previous numbers. An entertaining, slightly
psychedelic aura surrounds the middle instrumental section that serves as a great showcase for the
cohesiveness of the players. Lifeson's subtle guitar work during the quieter movement is an
indication of his versatility and the whole epic is a testimony to the group's clear, undiluted
statement of purpose. "Fly By Night" got the most airplay in my neck of the woods with its
memorable melody displaying their desire to be accessible to a wide spectrum of the public without
sacrificing their prog ideals. One aspect of the song I'd never bothered to notice is Geddy's
complex and invigorating bass lines that run through the tune. "Making Memories" is next wherein
Alex's strummed acoustic guitar expands the surface of their aural canvas and keeps things from
becoming rote. His bottleneck slide lead is an eye-opener and Lee's voice is not only passionate
but controlled as he delivers prophetic lines like "There's a time for feelin' as good as we can/the
time is now and there's no stoppin' us/there's a time for livin' as high as we can/behind us you
will only see our dust."

The beautiful "Rivendell" unveils a softer side of Rush I wasn't aware of and that I find extremely
refreshing. Alex's expressive guitars create a depth of field that's rarely heard without the aid
of space-filling keyboards. This song is a more-than-passable foray into the realm of prog folk.
They close with "In The End." After a laid-back acoustic 12-string onset the number gives way to
hefty electric guitar chords layered over a driving rock groove. I reiterate that it's a pleasure
to hear a state-side guitarist with an original tact, who isn't so thoroughly steeped in "da blooz"
that it colors every riff he plays. It's somewhat predictable that they'd return to the tune's
initial theme but I attribute that to their compositional inexperience and I don't deem it
patronizing at all.

Enjoying "Fly By Night" as much as I did only reinforces my personal assessment of myself as being
an ignorant jackass. I have a distinct inkling that I'm going to become a fan of Rush the further I
venture ahead in this belated journey of discovery. Geddy's voice will, at times, grate on my
nerves but I'll also become more comfortable with it as I accept more readily that it's the only
voice the Lord gave him and he's getting everything he can out of it without apology. The
musicianship of the band, even at this early stage, is beyond reproach and I look forward to the
challenges they'll present me with. No sophomore jinx in play here, this is a darn good album from
start to finish. 3.3 stars.

GRAYCEON All We Destroy (Experimental/Post Metal, 2011)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 17:19:02 EST

Review by bartosso — Hello, this is cello

Chamber metal. Hah, perfect name for a style Grayceon presents on their third full-length
record entitled ALL WE DESTROY and released by Profound Lore Records, a label
renowned for hosting such bands as Agalloch and Altar of Plagues. It is dark, imaginative,
organic, unusual and very, very genuine concept album. And there's cello. And the cellist is a
woman. And she sings in the album! Mother of God!!!

"Organic" and "chamber" are the words that come to my mind while listening to ALL WE
DESTROY. Thanks to masterfully performed, downtuned guitar passages, the sound is not
flat, despite the absence of bass guitar (cool, right?). All instruments sound both natural
and clean. The production is organic to the extent of giving me an impression of a live
concert in a little music club! Really, really great work.

The music played by Grayceon is called chamber metal as it incorporates chamber
orchestration provided by the cellist Jackie Perez Gratz and "pickless" yet heavy guitar
playing by Max Doyle. Alternatively it's often tagged post metal for it's diversity of genres from
outside the metal one - classical, post-rock and progressive rock music. Songs in ALL WE
DESTROY are full of well flowing passages and despite their length, every track seems to
have its own identity. They drag on a bit sometimes but hey, none of them is overdone! As
for vocals by Mrs Gratz, there's still some space for improvement but it can be safely said,
that her relatively low pitched voice and emotionally charged singing can send a shiver
down your spine.

Grayceon is gradually mastering an incredibly demanding style they have created and
become more and more self-confident with every album. While ALL WE DESTROY can be a
bit tiresome experience, its freshness and beauty outweighs all of its drawbacks. If you're
into chamber music, yearning for fresh approach to progressive metal or just want to
experience something genuinely emotional, get this album!

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 9/10[fantastic!]: Shellmounds; A Road Less Traveled || 8/10[great]:
We Can || 7/10[very good]: Once A Shadow; War's End; Dreamer Deceived ||

-- Originally posted on METALMUSICARCHIVES.com --

ROYAL HUNT Paradox - Closing the Chapter (Progressive Metal, 1998)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 16:30:54 EST

Review by Tarcisio Moura — This is a very strange record. It seems to be released only to fulfill some contractual obligations,
since singer D C Cooper was leaving the band at the time and it looked unlike that any new product
from Royal Hunt was coming out soon. Well, that�s my theory because I cannot see why they would
release a live album composed solely of tunes from their Paradox album. It is ok that Paradox is
without any doubt their best - and most progressive - work to date. But why not include a few
classic tracks like Epilogue or Last Goodbye just to make it more atractive to fans? It�s a mystery.

However, tracklist choices apart, this is a fine live record that shows the classic line up at their
peak. The recording sound is just perfect and the production is crystal clear. And that can be a
little annoying too: it sounds too much like the studio counterpart, even if, at parts, a few tunes
do gain a little extra energy in the live format. And I must say they never have such collection of
excellent songs to match. Paradox was surely their most inspiring moment and they deliver the goods
with passion and precision on stage. Just listen to Andre Andersen�s unique orchestral keyboards delivery, Jacob Kajer�s inspired guitar solos and Steen Mogensenp�s elegant, classical, bass lines. But above it all, it�s D C Cooper amazing vocals that shines all through the CD, proving he is one of the best singers around.

So good indeed I can�t geve this album less than 4 stars due to their brilliant perfomance and the
high quality of the their material, even if it could and would be better if they cared enough for
the fans to add a few extra songs to make it a little different. Still...Royal Hunt was at the time one of the most original and interesting bands to be labeled as prog metal. A great show.

KAYO DOT Gamma Knife (RIO/Avant-Prog, 2012)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:05:43 EST

Review by Negoba — None More Blue, Er...Lavender

The Beatles have the White Album. Spinal Tap / Metallica have their black albums. Toby
Driver couldn't let someone out-pretentious him so we get the blue-out album. A gamma
knife is a kind of pinpoint radiation therapy where cancerous tumors are removed from
areas often unreachable by conventional surgery. The brain is a common target, and as
such Toby once again gives an album mean to slice our minds into pieces. Subtly, or
maybe artistically. To that end, Driver's metal roots are back from hiatus. Distorted guitars
and guttural vocals return, but with the same avant-jazz noise ethos that reached it's mind-
numbing climax on BLUE LAMBENCY and its most depressively evocative on COYOTE.

GAMMA KNIFE certainly has ingredients we've heard before from Driver, but he's cooking
something different this time. There's more energy, more tension, and more dangerous
pathos than we've had for awhile. Mental illness still seems to be a driving force behind the
music, but instead of the massive weight of depression, here we have the frenzied need for
escape, the burning anger, acute rather than chronic pain. This isn't a lobotomy, this is a
good old fashioned drawing and quartering.

Now I listen to a section of the song "Ocellated God" which reminds me quite a bit of my
most hated work of all time (Naked City's LENG TCHE). But there's something strange
here. Where LT eventually becomes laughably stupid, on this track there's enough texture,
variation, and relative brevity that I actually get it. Maybe I even like it. Driver also has the
artistic maturity to immediately contrast this distorted torture scene with the title track's
clean piano and floating sad vocal. I once accused Driver of serving only himself and
forgetting the listener. Not anymore. Similarly, Driver's brat-teen vocals are finally starting to
acquire a bearable timbre and some of the singing on the title track is simultaneously as
skilled and haunting as any I've heard from Toby.

The most remarkable thing about this album is the effective broad variation in sound. The
title song "Lethe" is comprised of bells, strings, soft vocals in an almost classical feel. The
second track is harsh and chaotic, with obvious death metal influence. But it really works, if
you're into moody avant art music.

This is a 3.5 album that I'm rounding up as I listen more intently, the best rating I've given a
Kayo Dot work yet. I've also been listening to MotW's BATH recently, and it clearly is another
notch up entirely, though significantly less demanding.

I want a real new MotW album, Toby. But this will do nicely for now.

LEPROUS Bilateral (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2011)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:39:02 EST

Review by Ricc — Impressive!! The norwege band as done it again. The follow up after Tall Poppy Sindrome is
just a music evolution tha is stuning track after track. They use a formula that I would like Opeth
to use. Less growling and more clean vocals. Forced Entry is by far in my opinion the best track
in the album. Restless is a more comercial oriented track, The there is the heaviest track
Waste Of Air, the awesome bass played track Mediocrity Wins, the epic Acquired Taste and
fantastic tracks like Cryptogenic Desires, Painful Detour turn this an addicted album and in my
opinion is Leprous masterpiece.

LEPROUS Tall Poppy Syndrome (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2009)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:37:22 EST

Review by Ricc — Impressive!! The norwege band as done it again. The follow up after Tall Poppy Sindrome is
just a music evolution tha is stuning track after track.
They use a formula that I would like Opeth to use. Less growling and more clean vocals.
Forced Entry is by far in my opinion the best track in the album. Restless is a more comercial
oriented track, The there is the heaviest track Waste Of Air, the awesome bass played track
Mediocrity Wins, the epic Acquired Taste and fantastic tracks like Cryptogenic Desires, Painful
Detour turn this an addicted album and in my opinion is Leprous masterpiece.

PAGANOTTI/PAGA GROUP Paga (Zeuhl, 1985)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:14:51 EST

Review by Guldbamsen — The Zeuhl you'll take home to introduce to your father.

Yesterday I wrote about perhaps the best way of entering the fusion territories with German act
Aera, so today I thought I'd continue the trend and tell you guys how best and most comfortable to
commence your voyage into the lands of Zeuhl. Uhuhuhhhuuuuuhuuhh I hear a lot of you thinking: Isn't
it that bizarre music with the chanting and the made up vocals? To which I then say: Yes you're
quite right, but it also contains a hell of a lot more - just like the symphonic genre here is more
than Close to the Edge, - and I'm also pretty confident that every Canterbury act doesn't sound exactly the same. I can actually vouch for the sonic distinction between Caravan's In the Land of Grey
and Pink and National Health's self-titled debut. In fact those albums don't even sound like Robert
Wyatt's The End of an Ear either!?!!! So what the blue feck is going on here?

The thing is, that we use these boxes to circumnavigate this infinitely huge place, but every
"genre" here has so many different aspects and sounds to it, that simply saying: Zeuhl huh? What a
bummer - is like saying the exact same thing about Canterbury(I purposely chose two of our smaller
boxes here, but the point is still valid).

Paga is the ideal starting place for those of you who want to sample this highly original brand of
music, but without jumping off at the deep end with but a pair of fluffy loafers to fend off the
monsters. Paga is actually a continuation of the French band called Weidorje, who like many around
that time made one breathtaking album in the 70s. Bernard Paganotti who instigated this continuation
drew a lot of pals from the old band with him such as Magma affiliates(just like himself actually)
Patrick Gauthier and producer Laurent Thibault. One big happy family! There are reminders of
Weidorje on Paga, but to this listener the end result here is another beast altogether.

This record is all about the bass. It's up front and in your face - wearing countless of different
masquerades, but never out of place or overindulgent. Paganotti is along with Percy Jones maybe the
most humble of all the great bass players. His style is very original, and conveying the true feel
of this man's work takes me to a somewhat preposterous place, but then again I was never known for
my acute logical sense: David Gilmour, and I know that sounds pretty confusing and deranged, but
hear me out now. Gilmour always had this smooth way of playing - bending the strings with his butter
fingers like he was making love to the damn thing, and call me crazy, but Paganotti truly feels like
that with his suave and booming approach. In fact if you've heard the oozing bass section from
Floyd's Hey You off The Wall (Yes- it was Gilmour playing there)- you'll probably have a pretty good
idea as what to expect from this guy's playing. He pulls and contorts the individual notes with soft
and gentle writhing techniques that sound like they are caressing the bass with a swarm a kisses and
g-spot touches. Sometimes he uses a stick, but that only enhances the fluid and booming feel there
is to his style. He just might be the musical equivalent to the deep water eel.

Backing this comfortable gentle bass creature up are muffled background guitars that hide away
waaaayy back in the mix - along with pianos going from running boxing Lucky Luke sections into
sombre ethereal spouts of utter beauty. Some warm mumbling jazzy Rhodes charm also frequently fills
the airwaves in that ever so earthy way. Then you have the formidable and almost teutonic rumbling
drum work, that whilst sounding nothing like Christian Vander - still possesses that rolling and tumbling
quality to them - along with a deep bellowing power that blends brilliantly into the bass. Just like
most of the Zeuhl albums I've heard, it's mostly about the manner in which these two instruments
flow together.
Occasionally the music here is treated to another trait of this marvellous style, which is the
female lead choral bursts. These are far from the demonic chants of Magma, sounding sweeter and more
like proper backing vocals. Just like the drums are inter webbed with the bass, the female
emanations here often stick together with the wind section, which is constituted by trumpet, sax and
flute. They support Paganotti's English vocals, that work surprisingly good for an album like this.
Soft delicate fusion Zeuhl for the masses?

All of this is cooked up in what I'd personally deem a strange sauce for a Zeuhl outing, because
what this album's production reminds me the most of, is in fact Marillion's Fugazi. Okay, maybe not
entirely as 80s sounding, but it still has a slightly polished patina, that helps the overall
picture I was going for, as the easy to get into Zeuhl album. Don't get me wrong though, it sounds
nothing like Fugazi - and it hasn't got that plastic feel of an 80s release, but the comparison
still stands.

There are many reasons as to why you should get this, but first and foremost: get it because it is a
wonderful record. Second, it is chuck full of melodies, aural bass bliss - coming in many different
shadings, such as the astonishing solo on the first cut Talk Black that sends chills down my spine
and never fails to end in goosebumps on my arms. Or maybe the funk inspired sections he successfully
kneads into the different tunes here will better persuade you? There are so many things about this
album I adore, that I would think it strange, ludicrous and quite mental if I didn't share my
affection for it - especially seeing how small of a gathering the Zeuhl brand has drawn in from the
enormous prog armies out there in the big wide world.
So come on people - let go of your prefabricated notions and have a taste of something out of the
ordinary. Dinner is served!

HERBIE HANCOCK Crossings (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1972)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:18:46 EST

Review by Dobermensch — 'Crossings' is a very busy album with tons of mad percussion and can safely be described as
'Acid Fusion Jazz'.

This is 'Hancock's last album with Warner Brothers'. Perhaps they got cold feet, unwilling to step
into the early 70's madhouse that many bands found themselves immersed in at this time?

The massive 24 minute opener 'Sleeping Giant' sounds like it has been recorded in 'Timex'
clock factory. Seemingly random speed percussion is interwoven with Herbie's excellent
electric piano. I guess this is one of those albums you'll either love to bits or find intensely
annoying. Personally I prefer the more experimental followup 'Sextant', but this is still pretty
good fayre. Matters get more tuneful and ordered the longer it progresses but it does retain a
certain 'One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest' feel about it.

Quite a challenging album that can be tricky to find the right environment to play in. For
example: don't take it to work if you use a computer and have to concentrate - you'll end up
sticking your foot through your monitor in blind rage. Similarly, it's awful when trying to read a
book. Guaranteed - you'll read the same line 4 times over trying to decipher its meaning.

I set out on this review with a definite 3 stars in mind, but listening to it with a fresh pair of ears
leads me to an impressive 4. 'Hancock' was clearly an open minded musician in his day. For
you 'proggers' out there, check this out and its prequel and sequel to discover some highly
original music that stands proudly alone in his extensive catalogue.

FISH Sunsets On Empire (Neo-Prog, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 10:08:37 EST

Review by Warthur — The first few years of Fish's solo career were turbulent ones. His debut album was reasonably
well-received, although I'm personally inclined to say that was more down to people being
relieved it wasn't flat-out awful as opposed to a consequence of it actually being particularly
good; either way, his next few albums were even less interesting, and in setting up his own
record company he ended up flooding the market with numerous interchangeable live albums
to confuse things even more.

Despite not being much of a commercial success at the time, artistically Sunsets On Empire is
where things started to go right again. Teaming up with a top-notch musical partner in the form
of Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson was an absolute genius move, because Wilson is able to
craft a sound for Fish which hits precisely the combination of progressive leanings and
crossover appeal that Fish had always seemed to strive for but hadn't quite managed to get
right up to this point. Add this to Fish penning the most intelligent and thought-provoking lyrics
of his solo career to date and bringing to the table an excellent vocal performance which for the
first time since Clutching At Straws convinced me that he really believed in the ideas and
emotions he was conveying, and you have one hell of an album.

In fact, I'd argue that the piece is a milestone both in Fish's solo career and in the overall
progression of Steve Wilson's music - after this, Porcupine Tree would take an indie rock-
influenced song-oriented approach for a couple of albums, which seems in part to be an
application of the ideas developed here to the PT sound. In short, it's the coming together of
two of the most important figures in British prog - one who helped revive the scene in the
1980s, and one who reinvented it from the 1990s onwards - and the more I listen to it, the more
I'm convinced it's a full-on classic. "Can we say it's all worked out, it's all OK?" asks Fish on the
gorgeous and minimalistic closer Say It With Flowers, and yes, Fish, this time around it's
worked out fine.

MOGWAI Ten Rapid (Collected Recordings 1996-1997) (Post Rock/Math rock, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:28:52 EST

Review by Warthur — This collection of songs originally released on singles and EPs on Mogwai's own Rock Action
label from 1996 to 1997 captures the neurotic post-rock sound of the band in its formative
stages. With the occasional jazz influence reminiscent of Bark Psychosis or Tortoise creeping
in here and there, the precedent set by earlier post-rock groups is competently followed, whilst
the occasional lo-fi sound quality lends an intriguing texture to the compositions not quite like
anything which came before. The album should appeal not just to fans of Mogwai, but also to
those who like other post-rock bands who tend to make their albums resemble field
recordings (I'm thinking of the likes of Godspeed You Black Emperor and A Silver Mt. Zion
here).

VOLAR� The Uncertainty Principle (Canterbury Scene, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:05:25 EST

Review by Warthur — The sole fully-developed album by Volare proves - as fellow US band The Muffins did with
Manna/Mirage - that you didn't need to be an artist with a personal connection to the extended
Wilde Flowers/Soft Machine/Caravan/Uriel/Gong family of bands to produce top-quality
Canterbury material. With a sound reminiscent of the best works of Hatfield and the North and
National Health - with some more modern-sounding interjections from synthesiser wiz Patrick
Strawser - the band produce a very credible effort which will enchant all fans of the subgenre.

It's a genuine shame that we haven't heard more from these gentlemen (aside from Memoirs,
a collection of pre-Uncertainty material), because in recent years it seems the only Canterbury
releases have been archival stuff from the glory days of the subgenre and the occasional new
release from an old hand. I can't be alone in hoping that the distinctive Canterbury take on
fusion won't die out as its founders retire from the music scene one by one; albums like The
Uncertainty Principle make me think a revival is entirely possible, and prove that there's talent
there equal to the challenge. It's a crying shame it didn't spark a Canterbury revival at the time.

PORCUPINE TREE Coma Divine Live (Heavy Prog, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:58:28 EST

Review by Warthur — The first era of Porcupine Tree - in which the entity evolved from a one-man project to a fully-
fledged band, and set forth a new and compelling vision of psychedelic space rock - is
rounded off marvellously by this excellent live set (the 2CD version of which is the
recommended one) which showcases a perfectly chosen selection of songs from the first four
Porcupine Tree albums.

The band here perform the songs in substantially more loud and musically aggressive
versions than the placid ones that appear on the original albums - the sound being
somewhere between of early Pink Floyd as captured on the live disc of Ummagumma and the
more intense jams the mid-1970s King Crimson occasionally got into - so even if you already
own the originals, it's worth picking this one up for these very different interpretations of the
songs in question. I wouldn't call this an absolute all-time classic, but it's certainly a very good
example of the best sort of live album - one which both captures the feel of a live gig and at the
same time presents the music in question in a new light.

SYMPHONY X The Divine Wings Of Tragedy (Progressive Metal, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:32:59 EST

Review by Warthur — Symphony X's Divine Wings of Tragedy combines the complex song structures and love affair
with synthesisers of prog metal and combines it with the sheer over the top cheese factor of
power metal. The resultant blend is certainly not for everyone, and some listeners - and I'll
readily admit I'm one of them - will find themselves turned off by the band's gleeful disregard for
restraint or tastefulness, but then again other listeners would regard that as a plus. On the
whole, three stars seems fare - if it's the sort of thing you like, you might like it a lot, but it's a
very acquired taste.

THE GATHERING Nighttime Birds (Experimental/Post Metal, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:29:34 EST

Review by Warthur — Taking on more melodic and alternative rock influences, Nighttime Birds is otherwise a repeat
of the approach of Mandylion - combining Anneke van Giersbergen's All About Eve-ish vocals
with doomy gothic metal riffs. It's a pleasant listen once again, and some compositions - like
Kevin's Telescope - are genuinely haunting, though there are points where it feels to me a bit
too much like a retread of its more successful predecessor. On the whole, I'd say if you loved
Mandylion you will most likely enjoy this one, but at the same time I do feel glad the band took
things in a more experimental direction subsequent to this because one more album in the
exact same style as this one would have been too much.

GRIME Grime (Crossover Prog, 1979)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 06:23:45 EST

Review by Evolver — I must admit, the Musea release of this compact disc, that almost doubles the original album's length
by adding in live tracks, makes this album worthwhile. The original nine tracks, while not awful, are
nothing special either. They are a mixture of many seventies styles, and seems to coalesce best
when the band is playing mellow passages.

My main problem are some of the vocals. There seems to be this trend that pops up among avant
garde minded bands of shouting at the listener. And Grime seemed to like to add a healthy dose of
maniacal shouting and some burst of deranged laughter. None of it fits with the music.

Then there is the second half, the live tracks. Suddenly, this band shows it's value. The shouting is
toned way down, and the music is played with an intensity that the studio portion doesn't come close
to. And the songs are much more interesting. There is more adventurous compositions, with the
pieces coming right to the edge or RIO.

I'd give two stars to the studio tracks, and four to the live tracks.

STEELEYE SPAN Parcel of Rogues (Prog Related, 1973)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 01:41:54 EST

Review by Frankie Flowers — Good album from this classic traditional folk band. "Parcel Of Rogues" is accessible and
enjoyable with some really cheerful songs, such as the elegant "One Misty Moisty Morning". In
my opinion the wah-wah guitar works very well here, adding an interesting dimension to the
music. Electric folk was still a new concept at that time and Steeleye Span had their own way of
experimenting with it. The dark, spooky "Alison Gross" is another highlight, as is "Cam Ye O'er
Frae France" and "Weaver and the Factory Maid" the latter a very haunting piece with a hypnotic
rhythm. Maddy Prior's vocals are also in top form here. Granted, better albums of theirs were to come. Some drumming would have worked well on one or two tracks from this album, but it's still tight and melodic in all. Not essential but recommended to folkies. Three solid stars.

FISH Thirteenth Star (Neo-Prog, 2007)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 01:29:58 EST

Review by b_olariu — Fish latest studio album to dat from 2007 named 13th star is another dull and forgetable album to my
ears. This is even worse then Sunsets, with mid tempo almost all the time, sounds to modern to me and
in some places I swear I'm listning to some alternative/rock album , not progressive rock. The album
is easy to listen, and I can't find that special passages that everyone praiseing here, really. Is
almost a generic album, a rock album yes but progressive and even neo how is labeled here, no way.
Again I had hard times listning to this record from start to finish, but after some spins I had
enough for the next 100 years. Instrumental passages, almost none, are not necesarly bad, but totaly
uninspired and to modern for my taste, rock and that's all. Sorry to disappoint the fans of this great
musician, but his solo album are hard to digest, at least for me, and I can't understand what is so
excellent about the music that this album is considered one of his best. 2 stars

FISH Sunsets On Empire (Neo-Prog, 1997)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 01:04:04 EST

Review by b_olariu — 2.5 actualy

From the beggining I must say that I'm no fan of Fish solo career, everything he release after the
departure of Marillion to me is totaly uninspired and flat, and at some point some of his albums
are not prog at all, are rock albums with good lyrics and nothing more. I know 4 albums from his
catalogue, Internal exile, this one, Suits and 13th star, but not one gave me a very good impression
overall. This one Sunsets on empire released in 1997 is almost ok, the opening track The Perception
of Johnny Punter is good rock piece, the rest are almost mediocre at best, and I don't really care
if Steve Willson was involved in the making of the album, to me remains a fairly unpleasent album
overall. I do can appreciate that he is one of the best lyricist in prog music, but musicaly doid
almost nothing for me and I had hard times listning to this at once. He has a good voice and I like
him a lot in Marillion but here, from whispering passages to more louder sections, he always tries
to take the face of the instrumental arrangements, who are already not fantastic and to few. So, 2,5
star to Sunsets on empire, great cover art and all , but the arrangements fail to impress me, this
is not the kind of prog I want to listen every day.

EGONON Risveglio (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2011)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:43:11 EST

Review by memowakeman — Oh Italy, you are so lovely!

And I am not a one-day fan of Italian prog, no, I am a truly follower of that progressive rock
scene because they are always bringing new, fresh and original music, of course, with
elements taken from past influences, but with an own and rising sound. Egonon is a new
band whose music surpasses the RPI cannon, and includes an interesting blend of
symphonic rock, with folk elements, jazzy moments and even some avant-garde tunes. They
released in 2011 their debut album entitled 'Risveglio', whose 15 tracks will make you have
a satisfying experience.

It opens with 'Phosforo' which is a wonderful opener song. Piano, percussion, strings and
a great voice begin to build up this track. There are soft moments which later are contrasted
with heavier ones in which electric guitars appear; there is also a brief passage where
English lyrics appear, but well, I love Italian language, so I always prefer bands sing in their
native language, it gives uniqueness. After some four minutes when you don't think about it,
you are already listening to 'Lacrime di Luce' which is one of my favorite tracks of this
album. Here I love the keyboards as background, the sometimes delicate sometimes heavy
guitars, and of course I love Fabio Calo's voice. The song is very well crafted and gives as a
result a wonderful composition.

With only two tracks, one can feel satisfied and wait for more good tunes. The next track is
'Risveglio', it features a sitar that produces an obvious mid-east sound complemented by
percussion, however, seconds later it makes a drastic change making a heavier sound with
electric guitar and strong vocals. The variety of musical and cultural elements in this song is
worth highlighting, because we can listen to the 'ordinary' instruments, but in some
moments they bring a flute, a sax, a sitar, and even a guest male voice that all together
make an outstanding track, whose four minutes are a proof of the top-notch quality of
Egonon.

'Alma senza virt'' continues with that particular Egonon sound which does not stand in only
one style. Here we can listen again to sax, plus a wonderful viola, as well as the
conventional instruments. One of the things I really appreciate is how the album easily
flows, I mean, we are listening to a giant track divided in 15 episodes which are connected
each other, here all of them are essential for the album's success. 'L'uomo Libero' is an
example of that perfect fluency, and another of my favorite tracks, especially after two
minutes when sax enters and a true dynamic passage is created.

'Voglio essere piccolo' has a powerful starting but it is softened seconds later, though
guess what, it is like a roller coaster with moments of high and low intensity that is
transmitted to the listener, so one can feel what the music suggests, no matter if you
understand Italian or not. I am about to say that this is another of my favorite tracks, but well,
which isn't? 'Golgotha' starts with a delicate saxophone for almost a minute, then guitars,
drums, bass and voice enter, along with that particular mid-eastern flavor. Here we can
listen how they enjoy experimenting and trespass boundaries.

'Khamsin' is the shortest track, but it is a very peculiar one nonetheless due to the addition
of a disarming African voice, I ignore the language, but it sounds terrific. It is liked to 'Maya'
where the Italian lyrics return but the mid-east sound is still there. Here, besides those
sounds and cultural styles we can listen to a jazzy passage thanks to the saxophone, but
later a violin and female vocals produce once again the folkish sound. Man, what a great
mixture of elements, sounds, textures, cultures, styles, nuances, etc.

'Rosso asfalto' has a powerful introduction with the sax, drums and bass, later it slows
down and little by little it begins to progress once again. The mellotron background is
wonderful in the whole album, as well as the voice. There is a short pause after 4 minutes,
later some spoken voices are heard and the song softly vanishes. 'Tra la note e l'Alba'
continues with that soft sound in the beginning, but later it progresses little by little, adding
electric guitar riffs, heavier tunes that all of a sudden are combined and contrasted with
some experimental moments, like the entrance of sax.

'Tutto cio che avevo era un'anima' starts again with a delicate sound, with violoncello
accompanying voice and guitar, later mellotron joins and creates a wonderful choral
background. The last minute is vertiginous, faster and with some cool backing vocals. 'Sul
lato caldo della strada' combines once again Italian and English lyrics, while the music lies
in a mellotron atmosphere, along with rockish guitars (acoustic and electric), jazzy
saxophone and nice bass lines.

'L'abito bianco' has a kind of sacred sound in the beginning, but later a new structure is
being built with a delicate and mellow sound that in moments is even sensual with the
addition of the clarinet. However, as usual they change and produce different sounds and
moods, which is part of the own style of Egonon. The album finishes with 'Coda: 42km' a
two-minute ending track that is like the final experiment of the band. Case closed, turn the
page, and wait for their new album.

What a wonderful experience I had with this album, now I am eagerly expecting for the new
Egonon work, which will be sure a guarantee of good music. My final grade will be five stars,
masterpiece!

Enjoy it!

EFFLORESCE Coma Ghosts (Progressive Metal, 2012)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 20:20:19 EST

Review by J-Man — Although the German progressive metal scene has plenty of established veterans like Sieges Even,
Vanden Plas, and Mekong Delta, the country hasn't had too many young voices to carry the torch in
recent years. Judging by their killer debut album, Effloresce may very well be the next big
progressive metal export from Germany - Coma Ghosts shows a band with a very firm grasp on
how to deliver amazing prog metal while still pushing the boundaries of the genre, and the fact that
this level of maturity is obtained on a debut album is admirable. In short, Coma Ghosts is a
professional, memorable, and original observation that should be satisfying metal fans well into
2012 and beyond!

Opeth, particularly on albums like Blackwater Park and Watershed, is clearly a large
influence to Effloresce. While their sound is not entirely dependent on these Swedish veterans, the
mix of 70's progressive rock, melodic death metal, and folk found throughout much of Coma
Ghosts makes the reference almost inevitable. Effloresce makes their main distinction from Opeth
by keeping the death metal influences to a minimum, and instead including more traditional-sounding
progressive metal sections as well as an occasional gothic atmosphere. Female vocalist Nicki Weber
also helps give Effloresce a voice of their own, and her powerful clean pipes and occasional black
metal-styled rasps are an integral part of the band's style. Although I tend to think that her harsh
vocals could've been integrated into the music a bit more convincingly and delivered with more
power, it's a rather minor flaw in the long run since the majority of the vocals here are excellent
clean singing.

While the Opeth comparison is rather invalid throughout much of the album (songs like "Crib" bear
little resemblance to the Swedes), a song like "Swimming Through Deserts" could very well be the
creation of Mikael Akerfeldt with the addition of a beautiful soprano vocalist. The 70's-styled
progressive rock with a jazzy, folky, and slightly twisted edge will strike a chord with many prog
metal listeners, and Effloresce delivers this style just as convincingly as they do when it comes to
pummeling metal riffs. Coma Ghosts is one of those rare cases where, even though I'm able to
identify plenty of obvious influences in the music, the style is still wholly original. The strength
of the composition and execution is what makes Coma Ghosts a truly worthwhile experience,
however, and in addition to crafting exceptionally well-written pieces of music, the musicianship is
exceptional across the board. Although Effloresce may be relatively new to the scene, their craft as
musicians is never questioned on this album.

As an additional bonus, Coma Ghosts was mixed and mastered by Swedish metal legend Dan Swan�
of Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, and Bloodbath fame, so you can expect an absolutely killer sound to
top things off. Though the relatively unimpressive harsh vocals and occasionally overtly Opethian
influence may keep many listeners from calling this a masterpiece, there are still more than enough
assets to make this a remarkable album. Effloresce have gotten off on the right foot with this
excellent debut offering, and I'll be ecstatic to hear what they have up their sleeves in the coming
years. When December rolls around, I have a feeling this will be praised not only as one of the
year's most impressive debuts, but also as one of 2012's best progressive metal records - it really
is that good! My rating here will be 4 big stars, as well as an easy recommendation to fans of the
more organic and melancholic side of prog metal. This is a must-hear if you're into progressive
metal that rarely relies on the 'traditional' sound pioneered by the likes of Dream Theater, Fates
Warning, and Queensryche.

COLLECTING SPACE Subside (Crossover Prog, 2011)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 20:10:01 EST

Review by Finnforest — An excellent debut signaling great potential

Lately I've been running down the list of ProgArchives highest-rated 2011 albums and sampling them,
trying to hear as much as possible before our annual PA poll deadline. What I've noticed is how
unexcited so many of the very highest rated and 'popular' prog titles leave me. I won't mention
names but it's clear to me that my tastes are very different from many. Instead I am more often
surprised by some of the relatively unknown and local bands I stumble across, the ones at various
stages between hobbyist project and first accomplished album. Having just achieved that
accomplishment, this very pleasant surprise is an act from Ohio, a place I'd previously associated
with Ed Crawford, Over the Rhine, and Joe Walsh to name a few. But I can't think of too many prog
bands.

Collecting Space from Columbus began around 2006 when founder Kaleb Burkhart began writing material
on his own accord. An obviously talented guitarist, Burkhart slowly began teaching himself
keyboards to bolster his own demos. Some of his many influences include Anekdoten, Radiohead,
Porcupine Tree, and Rush. In 2010 Burkhart met drummer Vincent Derosa on the internet where the two
hit it off discussing the progressive bands they enjoyed. Keyboardist Preston Tamkin and bassist
Fred Holtzclaw soon followed and the summer/fall of 2011 became busy with gigs and recording. In
December of 2011 they released their full length debut album, 'Subside.'

So, I sat with glazed eyes pouring through some of these bands with their suffocating productions
and mechanical sounding 12 minute tracks, which while technically perfect and pristinely recorded,
had little to offer my weary soul. Then I stumbled across Collecting Space and streamed a track
from their site....and oh yeah....now we're gettin' somewhere. An original sound, the kind of
hands-on feel I like and guitar leads with some juice, some passion. Songwriting which benefits
from avoiding excessive pretension and wankery, delivering personality and sincerity the listener
wants to embrace. Beyond his guitar playing Burkhart's greatest strength would seem to be his
songwriting instincts, his ability to construct consistently interesting tracks. Wherever the future
takes him in terms of personnel or sound styles, that keen songwriting instinct should serve him well.

So very hard to describe their sound....at times it can feel like 'Animals' era Floyd, 'Like a
Hurricane' from Neil/Crazy Horse, or Porcupine Tree crossed with My Morning Jacket. There are wonderful
vocal melodies and a unique sound with this kinda narcotic feel that like Floyd vocals can give the
music a relaxing and comforting feel. Despite the 'relaxing' feeling
mentioned, overall things can hardly be called mellow. The band rocks and occasionally can get
pretty heavy. Burkhart's guitar is very impressive ranging from warm acoustic to a wall of lightly
distorted electric rhythm sound. Then he offers frequent melodic leads where he holds notes for
maximum emotional impact, really hitting the 'eyes closed' zone for me. Beautiful. Behind him
Derosa is a powerhouse, a heavy drummer who occasionally lets the cymbals ring out in full glory.
Tamkin and Holtzclaw play a crucial if more laid back role'the bass is solid and the keys
atmospheric without ever being grandiose or cheesy. There's lot of background fog that is so great,
I assume most of this is mellotron but I'm not a hardware expert.

Lyrical themes are on the melancholic side and from what I can decipher delve into important
personal relationships, loss, and dealing with the pain in our lives. Individual highlights for me
start with the title track which initially reminded me of Midlake's 'Roscoe' with its medium beat,
mellotron, acoustic guitar, and lovely vocal. The chorus is beyond sublime, it really gives me the
chills how the layered guitars and harmonies coalesce there. The solo flies beautifully over the
laid back distortion in the rhythm guitar. 'Downbeat' comes out of this track with ominous riffs
and methodical notes, pushed by savage drumming and some neat little rim hits. 'Moon of Mars' is a
very cool (mosty) instrumental with electric piano and organ, along with some wild and spacey
textures. 'Looking In' reminds me of Steven Wilson with those nice chunky guitars backing a very
catchy series of verses. Ditto with 'Delusion' which gets positively thrashy and nuts in between
the Wilson-ey phrasings of the verses. The closer 'Anoesis' is slower, epic, lumbering....with a
big up-front bass presence, an aggressive riff-heavy middle section and a final emotional guitar
solo. Kaleb hopes his next album will be conceptual, a bit less heavy and a bit more instrumental,
trying some things he didn't touch on with Subside. It promises to be worth waiting for, but for
now this is one tantalizing debut.

The songs range from three to seven minutes and are never long for the sake of it. This is one of
the very few albums where 50 minutes feels short to me. Rarely do I wish they were longer, and this
one I kinda do. Collecting Space is one of my favorite finds of 2011 and the most exhilarating
initial spin in quite some time. Highly recommended to all.

SUNCHILD The Wrap (Crossover Prog, 2010)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 17:23:02 EST

Review by Life Line Project — It's a pity that these days so many progrock fans and even so many critics only want to hear the
same old Yessongs replayed and rerecorded under different names and performed
and "composed" by new bands over and over and over again. What is exactly progressive about
that? Personally I like to discover new bands, producing new sounds and new music, adding new
colours and bringing fresh ideas, thus keeping music alive.

Fortunately I recently discovered the Ukrainian musician Antony Kalugin, who has been producing
lots of quantities of excellent new progressive and symphonic art rock in the last few years. Of
course not everything he makes is completely new, because every musician is a part of the world
he lives in and every man is but a cog in the big machine called world, but what's the point if
everyone tries to be the same cog?

When you listen to the music of Antony Kalugin, you will get to know a man who has succeeded in
giving the conception of the word progressive rock a new turn. His craftsmanship is proverbial. He
is the main man behind the projects KARFAGEN and SUNCHILD. Enter his world and discover the
fineness of his melodies, the warmness of his harmonies, the inventiveness of his arrangements
and the outstanding quality of his keyboard playing.

His album "The Wrap", is centred around the over 38 minutes lasting title track of the same name.
All other tracks are subordinate to this magnum opus. The second track is the instrumental intro to
the Wrap, while the sixth track is meant as an outro. "The Wrap" is constructed over a couple of
beautiful, returning symphonic rock themes and shows the complete versatility of the Sunchild
sound. A classic band line up is alternated with a string trio (violin, viola & cello) and instruments
like the bassoon and the bayan, an Ukrainian sort of accordion. Main attraction are of course the
impeccable and excellent keyboard interventions by mister Kalugin. The lead guitar sound by
Maxim Velchko is warm and full and fits the music like a glove. Just listen to his superb playing in
the very symphonic final part of "The Wrap". His sound can easily compete with the best Steve
Rothery.

The music of Sunchild can be heavy, just listen to the almost Metallica like riff in the main track, but
the main ingredient of their music remains the warmth of their melodies and arrangements. Of
course I could put in a couple of references to other groups to give an indication of would you can
expect. Lovers of the best Mike Holmes (IQ) guitar solos will be pleased with the technically perfect
sounding Maxim Velchko, while lovers of melodic Italian bands like Latte e Miele (compare the
bassoon playing or some of the chord progressions on their album Papillon) will also recognize the
sound of their preference in the music of Sunchild. There are spots where Sunchild shows the
strength of U.K. in some passages where the organ and the violin combine. What I mean to say, is
that Sunchild can compete with the best.

The only thing I had to get used to are the vocals. Antony sings, like he is telling a story and he
does that very close to the microphone, which gives a bit the same effect as J�rgen Dollases
singing with Wallenstein. Of course this is a matter of taste. The opening track "Day Of Destiny" still
has a very catching chorus and sounds inviting enough.

The album is well produced and comes with a handsome booklet. This album that so excellently
combines folk elements to warm progressive and symphonic rock music, deserves to be
discovered by everyone. All four stars are well deserved !

Erik de Beer

STEVEN WILSON Grace For Drowning (Crossover Prog, 2011)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:43:29 EST

Review by JackFloyd — I really respect Steven Wilson, his work as a producer and sound engineer remixing classic albums
like Tull's Aqualung and KC's In The Court Of The Crimson King, Red and the (I hope) upcoming Larks'
Tongues In Aspic with a 'fan' and even somewhat audiophile approach is something I'm very grateful
he has done, specially regarding these records' status among their lovers and the amount of
criticism and hatred a perceived failure when acknowledging these works causes most of the time. But
as a musician, he has always failed to convince me, no matter how much I tried to give myself time
to listen to his works with Porcupine Tree, solo and the side projects.
Grace For Drowning has been much praised almost as soon as it came out, and I acquired my copy of it
since that time. From then on, I have been giving many chances, yet, somehow, nothing ever strikes
me as something I particularly like a lot, a part here, a song there and that's about it. Sure,
everything is very well written, with a lot of care taken and even the production, a thing that has
always suffered in the past and carries on suffering even more in the present, is stellar, crystal
clear, perfect, however, the whole falls short and I'm left wondering if I'm really engaged in
active listening.
Obviously I am, since I can remember it's passages, but during the course of this double album, the
only part I really 'get' is Wilson's love for his favourite bands, and this is what spoils it for
me: sometimes it sounds he is simply trying to bring Lizard or any other prog record he has a
fascination for into the environment he would like to work with, emulating them all the way and
forgetting to be himself, whatever his ways are. Another issue, in my view, is Steve Wilson's voice:
I complain about it in the same way I complain about the voices of Camel's members, it lacks punch,
it lacks dynamics, it lacks intonation, sometimes, dare I say, it sounds even too polite, almost as
if he didn't want to offend anybody ear canals. The lyrics don't help as well, sometimes they are
too pretensious (as much as I hate to use this word) and sometimes they sound too simplistic, it is
as if the middle ground was difficult to reach, this is mostly evident on "Deform To Form A Star".
I'm very much into "Dark Prog", not surprisingly the only passages (not songs, mind you) from Grace
For Drowning I really like are to be found within this context, most specially on "The Sectarian",
but even then, sometimes it seems to run for too long or ending with no real climax.
Grace For Drowning is a good record, but it didn't deserve the hype it received. Maybe it's because
it has so many talented special guests, maybe it's because Wilson is a well-known prog lover and
maybe it's because he's really talented, all of the previous is true, yet, Grace For Drowning is
not, for me, a masterpiece.

CHICAGO Night and Day: Big-Band (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1995)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:41:57 EST

Review by tdfloyd — Chicago's "Night and Day: Big Band" is definitely a hidden gem! This album had the lowest
chart success of any studio or live album that the band produced. Chicago was looking for a
new direction after the rejection by their "Stone of Sisyphus" album by their record company.
The result was this wonderful album that took many standards from a bygone era and
incorporated Chicago's styling and famed horn section. After years of Chicago being led by
Peter Cetera and producer David Foster, and then some more years trying to duplicate that
success with different players, it's very rewarding to hear the instrument prowess of this once
mighty band to be front and center again.

For a review on a prog site, there would be none as "NIght and Day" does not have any prog at
all. As a very enjoyable album that sank more from it's lack of management backing as opposed to its material. I give Night and Day Big Band a very strong 4.

MAUDLIN OF THE WELL Part the Second (Experimental/Post Metal, 2009)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:36:46 EST

Review by MoodyRush — It's not often you come across an album of utterly extreme quality. Even more surprising, you
will hardly ever find an album of this quality that is given free by the artist. That is what Part the
Second is. This album, released in 2009 over the internet, is maudlin of the Well's 4th album,
comprised of 5 tracks of varying lengths, from 6 minutes to just under 12 minutes. Though the
album is brief for modern standard, being only 45 minutes, every minute grabs your attention.

After my first listen, I was intrigued by this eclectic album. I hadn't and honestly still haven't
listened to much avant garde influenced prog, so hearing this album took some getting used
to. The time it took to get used to this album was totally worth it, as it has now become one of
my favorite albums. Each track has a unique feel to it as well. The first track largely explores a
post rock feel. Metal starts being incorporated from the 2nd track on word, to greater and lesser
extents. Despite the diverse palette of sounds and genres used, the album has a flow.

Highlights for me are "An Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the
Revisitation of the Blue Ghost", "Clover Garland Island", and "Laboratories of the Invisible
World (Rollerskating the Cosmic Palmistric Postborder)". (Nice song titles)

This is a true work of art: a melding of chamber rock, post rock, avant garde metal, and many other diverse elements. A well
deserved 5 stars. If you do not own this album, you are sorely remiss. Go download it from
maudlin of the Well's website!!

L�GER Concrete Light (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2011)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:13:39 EST

Review by VanVanVan — After reviewing L�ger's first album and finding it very interesting, it seemed to me that I would
be a fool not to pick up and review this one as well. The album notes on the group's
bandcamp state that this album was recorded live, which is really very impressive to me
given the precision with which these tracks are played. Expect much of the same kind of
sound that appeared on L�ger's first album, and while "Concrete Light" falls a bit short of that
first effort to my ears, it's still a worthwhile listen from an extremely interesting group.

"Monkeys everywhere" begins the album, and it sounds like it would have fit in very well on
L�ger's first release. Distorted guitars, spacey yet intense vocals, and of course very
electronic sounding keyboards recall exactly the sort of "prog-electronica-punk" that featured
so heavily on their debut. The song does a nice job transitioning between motifs, with the
primary driving chant of the song's title augmented by sections of simple electronic melodies
and brief forays into more melodic vocal lines. All the while the guitar keeps chugging along
in the background, giving the song a consistent rhythmic background that works very well
with the often repetition-based style of music L�ger is playing.

"Monkeys everywhere" fades out to nothing but drumming, which continues into the
beginning of "Dracula's chauffeur wants more." Additional percussion parts are added onto
the main beat to create a compelling percussion base for the track before yet another
electronic motif begins playing over it, soon to be augmented by the guitars again. When
vocals I can't help but hear some reminiscence to punk music again; while this is much
better arranged and composed than most punk I've heard, the driving, repeated guitar riffs
do make some references to that genre, in my opinion. Some guitar solos stand out in the
track, but unfortunately I think that this second track sounds very much like the first one, a fact
which is aggravated by the song's nearly 7 minute run-time. Towards the end of the track it
switches into a more unique motif, with the driving riffs exchanged for distorted drones, but
on the whole it does seem kind of repetitive.

"Hot Stuff" follows, beginning with some percussion and some electronic effects that have a
very "glitch music" feel to them. Bass is added over this, and keyboards soon make an
appearance as well, though they're adding a different feel then they have in previous tracks;
more Terry Riley-esque ambience than Kraftwerk loop. The guitars also take on a bit of a
different role, with a spacier, more psychedelic tone instead of the riffing of the previous two
tracks. The track operates on a sort of modular structure, with the backbone of the track
always staying the same and additional sounds being layered atop it, but it never sounds
overly repetitive or boring. It's also the first track on the album without vocals, but it never
lags on account of this. Hot Stuff indeed.

"Shirokovsky pallasite I" begins with something that sounds like a distorted harpsichord
before drums and bass add a funky rhythmic line. An acid-washed guitar solo is added over
this, creating a fascinating combination of sounds and genres that still blends together into a
nearly seamless mix of sound. The guitars really shine on the track, spiraling off into a mad,
howling solo towards the end of the track before transitioning into "Shirokovsky pallasite II"
which continues the motifs of the first part of the track while adding a harder edge. Vocals
make their entry in part II as well, with possibly the best vocal melodies of the album making
their appearance here. The vocalist belts out his part with a kind of intensity unmatched by
any of the earlier tracks, and the wall of sound behind him is unrelenting, building in intensity
while maintaining the themes of "Shirokovsky pallasite I." The end of the track is especially
impressive, with the drums going absolutely crazy as the pounding guitars lead the march to
the end of the song.

"Zwischenspiel/Quidquid latet apparebit" begins with some droning, distorted electronic
sound before some almost folky sounding guitar (or at the very least folkier than anything
else on the album) comes in. Organ makes an appearance as well, along with a rather
eastern sounding keyboard part. This motif carries on for over three minutes, which is a bit
too long for it to sustain itself, in my opinion. At about the halfway point the theme abruptly
switches, maintaining the eastern feel but adding more prominent percussion, changing the
melody of the guitar and adding a different keyboard part. Unfortunately, this part too just sort
of repeats without really going anywhere different, amounting to, in my opinion, a rather
overly repetitive track which is only minorly redeemed by a noisy solo towards the end of the
track.

Unfortunately, the version of the album I have (which was downloaded from the group's
bandcamp page) does not contain the seventh track listed above, "Belldrummer
Motherf**ker," so I can't comment on it.

Overall, though, "Concrete Light" is a good follow up to L�ger eponymous debut, even if it
doesn't shake up the formula of that album too much. Fans of that one will almost certainly
like this one, though if you're just discovering the band I'd recommend starting with their
debut, as in my opinion it has a bit more variety and it's a little tighter than "Concrete Light."
This is still an interesting blend of styles, though, and anyone looking for contemporary,
genre-bending progressive music would be remiss to pass this one up.

3/5

KYLESA Spiral Shadow (Experimental/Post Metal, 2010)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:01:47 EST

Review by UMUR — "Spiral Shadow" is the 5th full-length studio album by US sludge metal act
Kylesa. The album was released through Season of Mist in October 2010.

While I found "Static Tensions (2009)" to be an enjoyable and powerful release, I�m
ultimately much more fond of "Spiral Shadow". It�s simply more memorable and
features better songwriting. The album is a quality sludge metal release to my ears containing
both raw sludge metal riffing, a slight (occasional) touch of hardcore punk, mellower
psychadelic tinged sections and good variation between raw male and female vocals. The fact
that the band features two drummers is also much more obvious on "Spiral Shadow"
than on the predecessor. While it�s not used to as great effect as for example the
Melvins have done since 2006, the inclusion of two drummers in the band is still a
great asset that works wonders on some of the tracks.

...in the end "Spiral Shadow" is one of those albums that caught my attention from the
first to the last note and still does. Allthough not quite as eclectic and bold as
Baroness development from the "Red (2007)" album to the "Blue
(2009)" album, I hear quite a few similarities in the way that Kylesa travel
beyond "regular" sludge metal aestethics on "Spiral Shadow". It�s enjoyable and it�s
admirable and fully deserves a 4 star (80%) rating from me.

THE SOFT MACHINE Fifth (Canterbury Scene, 1972)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 14:53:53 EST

Review by JackFloyd — A lot of people blame Wyatt's lack of input and exit for the direction of Fifth and Soft Machine's
subsequent albums, but I don't think this is valid because a)Fifth is very similar in sound and
atmosphere to Fourth which had Wyatt playing brilliantly and intensely even if he still hated the
material and b)since 1970, Wyatt didn't write any compositions for the band, at least none of it was
allowed in their albums since then, so, instead of blaming Wyatt's exit for Fifth, I would rather
say they would have pursuit this path sooner or later, Robert staying in the band or not, specially
since he was the only one of them who "wasn't fond of playing jazz" (Ratledge's words).
Wyatt's exit was more simbolic really but, in the drumming department at least, his absence was
felt: his two replacements, first Phil Howard then John Marshall, as good as they are, don't match
Wyatt's inventiveness, sense of dynamics or even his classic drum sound, in some instances (like
"All White" and "Pigling Bland" for example, both songs Wyatt originally drummed on) there's even an
sense of overplaying, worse, Marshall contributes a drum solo, his first of one on each record up
until Softs from 1976, and, as you would expect from such solos, it's boring as hell. Howard is
freer in his approach, almost as if he didn't care for what everybody else was doing, and he
probably didn't, so every single passage of his is like a big solo itself and, because of this
approach, Ratledge and Hopper having started to feel superfluous under the noise he was making,
sacked him, much to Dean's distaste, leading to his own exit, in early 1972. Marshall, on the other
hand, has a more straightforward and simpler approach, basically the rock ethos to support the
'main' instruments, but even then, he sometimes sounds high on steroids.
The atmosphere itself is very much like Fourth, barren, cold and dark, only darker this time because
of the sparcity of the arrangements and more songs with quiet intros and even thoroughly quiet.
Fifth begins with the grumbling rasp of "All White", one of the record's best examples of a dark and
quiet introduction; I would have very much liked it if they kept it's nature and developed it around
the theme to create a slow-burning song, but instead, it turns into a somewhat bland jazz tune
including the time-unkeeping monster Howard on the drum stool, yet, I consider it to be one of the
best pieces here. "Drop" once again has a dark intro, this time with drop sounds and Ratledge's
Rhodes piano emulating them, just to turn into a very propulsive but untimately faceless
fuzz-organ-dominated tune. "MC" is certainly not on par with Hopper's compositions from Third and
Fourth, if "Drop" was faceless then this is bodyless; I quite like the atmosphere of it, again very
dark, yet, atmosphere itself doesn't lead very far, so this could have been edited to one minute or
even less, because almost 5 minutes of it was unnecessary. "As If" is better than "MC" if only
because Marshall keeps a certain rhythm with dynamics without overpolishing it, while the bass
weaves some puzzling riffs and themes around it; but I could live without the 'freak-out coda', that
most certainly was added just to give Marshall his cue to solo, a piece called "LBO" which I won't
even discuss. "Pigling Bland" exists since 1970 (at least), sometimes being played as part of
"Esther's Nose Job" and sometimes on it's own; it's a good tune, of course, I just wish it was Wyatt
playing, Marshall gets too over-the-top too often. "Bone" is my favourite song from Fifth, it's pure
atmospheric free jazz and, apart from "As If", is the only instance from this record where Marshall
uses the less-is-more ethos; kudos goes to Elton Dean, because "Bone" resembles almost in nothing
the falling-apart "Fletcher's Blemish", I also like the ethnic percussion and the bone flutes in the
background as well as Mike Ratledge's fuzz organ soloing in the foreground, it's arguably the last
time he sounded so menacing.
Fifth is a good album, but it stops at it. I don't consider it excellent or even very good, but some
of it is.

AERA Hand und Fuss (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1977)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 14:05:07 EST

Review by Guldbamsen — Fusion for beginners - hot cocoa for the peeps in the know

I've often talked to people here on PA about how enormous the Italian prog scene was back in the
day. Seems like everywhere you look - every rock you turn over, out pops a little obscurity. Well
Germany was like that too. Man I've stumbled over some amazing records - spanning from Krautrock to
Avant guarde to Symphonic cream. The scene was broad like a hippo's derri�re - broad I say.

Aera fits in under the fusion umbrella, although I hear a strong psychedelic vibe from this band as
well - meaning that whether you're cruising the Herbiedelic beboppadoo jazzy highway - or melting
gently out on the terrace like a psychedelic gummy bear in heat, chances are that you're going to
love this one like you love feet.

On Hand und Fuss (Hand and Foot) you are met with a delicious mix of melodies and a raw psych
groove. No such thing as dry chops and duduliduh dududuliduh on its own - no, there's a sweetness to
these pieces, that not unlike Danish band Secret Oyster manages to portray the music here as warm,
vibrant and effortlessly flowing. Often you get obstacles in your fusion - blocking the easy way
forth, making the melody skip the beat - drive around the set course, deviate from everything else,
and leave everything behind for a nice spot in front of the band right up close to the mic. This is
not the Aera way! This is smooth and floating jazz rock - with emphasis on the rock part of the
equation. It's psychedelic as I mentioned earlier, but in a groovy gravy kind of way - with warbling
bass lines and wah wahing guitar textures that sink into each other like hot scrumptious chocolate
lovers making sonic adult gymnastics as the tunes drift along.

Just like Secret Oyster, the tracks here are often lead by birdy bird wind instruments such as
saxomophone, flute and the occasional oboe. Mmmmhhh I love the oboe. It's like the instrument
world's version of Pee-wee Herman... All these tooting birds are very attuned into the melodic
approach taken by the other instruments around them. They don't complicate things unnecessary - they
stay the course, but in a most brilliant way - which makes me think of the small insistent
blackbirds outside my window that every summer wake me up around 5 in the morning with these
sunshine serenades that all sound very smooth and beautiful - unlike the later afternoon sessions
where they seem to have drunk a fair deal of alcohol, because they all start sounding like Charlie
Parker and John Coltrane.
Outside the birds, we have a violin taking care of business from time to time, and in a genius kind
of way, it actually sounds perfectly like these aforementioned wind instruments - albeit with
another timber and voice of its own. These are all the guiding beacons of Hand und Fuss, but where
things start to get fuzzy and slightly psychedelic is in the guitar department, that whilst often
sticking to the back draft with a tight rhythm bearing duty accompanying the bass lines - also
freaks out when the moment calls for it - changing the scope of the track - adding olive oil to the
mix slithering the tunes out of bounce in a most astonishing manner.

There are no keys or synths on this outing and I quite frankly don't miss them. If the individual
track needs a splash of something out of the ordinary, the instruments on deck will surely take care
of this in a jiffy - just like the weird and oddly infatuating animal piece called Elephen Elephants
- where the sax changes its natural presence in for a much more lovable and nasally charged
pachyderm sound, that takes me back into the Jungle-book with Colonel Hathi marching along - blowing
his trunk to the saucy beat of the forest. So sweet this track, and again so melodic and alluring
that it practically invites you in.

This is a jazz rock album for the uninitiated and those who are still wondering how and where to
start in these fusioneros waters. These are treacherous - yes I know, but Hand und Fuss is so
welcoming, rocking and melodically enhanced, that it is damn near impossible not to get a little
smitten by it. This is a perfect album to start your journey into the more jazzy lands of prog rock,
and if you already love this kind of stuff - you'll most likely adore this one. Somewhere between
Kraan and Secret Oyster lie Aera with their marvellous brand of jazzy psych rock - that swoops over
you like a cosy hand held sonic sprinkler. Frooooossshh!!!

THE SOFT MACHINE Volume Two (Canterbury Scene, 1969)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 14:00:34 EST

Review by JackFloyd — This the craziest, strangest and most nihilistic record I ever listened to, hands down! But it's in
the best ways possible, and largely unimaginable...
As Kevin Ayers left Soft Machine, he took his pop psychedelia with him, but, with the definitive
entrance of Hugh Hopper, a jazzier feel came in and was mixed with Wyatt's pop-Dada and Ratledge's
organ virtuosity, leading to an interesting and unique product with a plenty of great ideas and some
additional experimentalism.
Their first album was already very good, but, for me, this is their first excellent record. First
and foremost, the change in sound is already unbelievable: the jazz-rock these three guys started to
make by 1969 is so acid that it can actually melt somebody's brain of first listen, specially since
there was hardly any trace of it in 1968's The Soft Machine; Ayers was a great songwriter,
unfortunately, his bass-playing was weak and though the booklet of the debut credits him to playing
guitar as well, I honestly never heard any of it, Hugh, on the other hand, doesn't write songs per
se, but what they needed by this point was a bass player who could really give them a floor on which
to stand while simultaneously bringing the house down, and that's exactly what Hopper delivered;
Ratledge's distinctive fuzz-organ is almost entirely developed here, in the first record, it was
somewhat weak in sound and extremely psychedelic in nature, here, however, it has become very angry
and just plain psychotic, and I prefer it; the sheer grandiosity of Third, though not exactly
present here, is hinted at by the sound of the whole Volume Two and both "Rivmic Melodies" and
"Esther's Nose Job" as effectively continuous pieces; and, last but not least, Wyatt finally
unleashed both his paranoid drumming and Dadaist lyrics, some of the things I really love in him.
Discussing every single track here is an excercise in futility and self-indulgence since, like I
said before, there are two extended pieces here plus more two inbetween them, so I'll give a review
of the four "biggies" instead.
"Rivmic Melodies" is maybe the most schizophrenic part of Volume Two, not least because it is
divided in 10 'songs' (alledgedly an advice given to them by Frank Zappa). It is really very fierce
and there's hardly a moment to catch breath, with all of it's subdivisions being actually very brief
and very weird as well. Wyatt's lyrics vary from stupidly matter-of-fact to silly and simplistic,
but I think they're all brilliant, specially because nobody but Wyatt himself could have thought of
them.
"As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still" is a sweet tribute to Kevin Ayers and his strange macrobiotic
diet, including even references to him living in Mallorca and of songs he wrote for SM's debut such
" Why Are We Sleeping?". I particularly enjoy the interplay between Ratledge's piano and organ, and
Hopper's bass, I guess I could call it 'Canterbury Heavy Metal', since it actually sounds very
menacing.
"Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening" is a Hopper tune written using a droning,
alternatively tuned acoustic guitar. Wyatt, once again provides the eccentic lyrics, another
preciosity of his is the way the intonates what he's singing to make it sound heartfelt and
meaningful when he's in fact singing about nothing at all. This song could have been a love song or
something if it's content wasn't this distorted and cubist, but I'm very glad it is.
"Esther's Nose Job" is, musically, Ratledge's baby and it's he who 'conducts' it using his 'talking'
playing and 'singing' atmospheric touches. Maybe this is where Ratledge started to complain about
vocals over his "beautiful music", and I partly agree with him: while the lyrics are just as
eccentric and brilliant as on the rest of the album, they kinda fight against the music itself
instead of dwelling in a symbiotic manner; on the other hand, this piece couldn't IMO have stood on
it's own with just the trio and Brian Hopper's occasional bursts of background cacophony, it needed
the Charig, Evans, Dobson, Dean to make it really shine (for further proof please check Noisette or
Grides), or the lyrics.
Maybe because most of the tracks themselves couldn't hold on their own, Volume Two is not a
masterpiece, but still I consider it to be an excellent album and, dare I say, a good place to
start, at least if you like really mad stuff like I do.

LEPROUS Bilateral (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2011)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 10:47:38 EST

Review by Negoba — State of the Prog Metal Status Quo in 2011

First, the cover. Topless she-demon swimming in a pitcher of lemonade torturing a half-
naked, leather clad victim riding an anteater??? The mushroom forest in the background
might give a clue about where the inspiration for this strange doodle-scene came from, but
what does this have to do with the music at all? Similar to the band's name, previous cover,
and album names, this head scratcher art points to a band that really hasn't quite found their
identity. There are some extremely promising bits and pieces but it just doesn't gel yet. One
might think that this was a psychedelic metal outfit, or something truly experimental. Instead,
we get a very solid bit of the various takes on prog metal thrown into the stewpot and tastily
cooked. A satisfying dish, but very familiar ingredients that don't leave any specific impression.

I do like this album better than the debut TALL POPPY SYNDROME. The band takes more
chances, adds more texture, and integrates some ideas they didn't use before. The best song,
to this listener, is the epic "Forced Entry," which has Riverside-like intense dark melancholy,
down-tuned riffing, and a nice emotional contour that rises and falls without every wearing out
its welcome. "Thorn" features a vocal by Ihsahn, which actually highlights the weakness of
Solberg's harsh vocals. The heavy sections of this song are delightfully nasty, almost as if the
black metal patriarch had made some songwriting suggestions. The black influence also is
evident on "Waste of Air" and its tremolo picked intro theme, and rasp-voice.

Overall, Leprous is probably most akin to fellow prog metal wunderkind Haken. Where Haken
still has some flavors of Dream Theater, Leprous borrows from more extreme prog like
Enslaved, and juxtaposers like Shaolin Death Squad. But both have over-emoted clean vocals
as their focal point, ultra-modern production and instrumental tones, and a lack of true
originality.

This is another of those 3.5 star albums that will be rounded down. There are some really great passages
on this disc, and there are some simply boring stretches. Solid stuff but probably nothing I'll be
reaching for in 3 years.

HUNE De l'Autre C�t� du Monde (Eclectic Prog, 2009)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 06:40:36 EST

Review by b_olariu — Hune is coming from Quebec zone, Canada, and manageing to release so far the album De l'Autre C�t�
du Monde issued in 2009. Well, this album is a quite great one I tell you, it sounds like it was
released in '78 or earlier, symphonic prog with some folk touches here and there. Is intristing that
Hune is all about one musician Daniel Couturier, who is responsable for all instruments that are
heared here + a helping hand from Andr� Bourget responsable for vocal department. Hune music is
taking influences from Qubec greats from golded era of prog like Sloche, but also quite similar with
Ere G also from Canada. The music is complex full of great arrangements, acustic guitars not far
from folk zone, keyboards interluded brilliant with the guitar and a pleasent voice on top. If you
don't know the year of release you could swear that this album was released in the mid to late'70's,
but this is not a problem because Hune manage to create something good and intristing in same time.
My fav piece is La Lettre de Marque with amzing guitar parts, specilly the intro of the pieces is
killer, very nice. The longest track of the album, the title De l'Autre C�t� du Monde, clocking near
25 min is a truly piece of work, complex symph prog with some memorable passages, is hard to belive
that is the work of only one person, but in the end hands down for this Daniel Couturier, great
multi instrumentalist. Some Pink Floud elements appear here and there giving a spacey atmosphere.
So, 4 stars for this album, worth to be discovered because the listners may find some intristing
moments here that keeps the flag high in prog rock zone.

STARCASTLE Fountains of Light (Symphonic Prog, 1977)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 06:06:51 EST

Review by toroddfuglesteg — Oh my cod. This is such a Yes rip off.

Starcastle was a pretty big band in their heydays and they really satisfied the scene's hunger for
more Yes albums.

Fountains of Light is in all but name a Yes album from their Fragile era. I cannot really find any
differences between Yes and Starcastle when it comes to sound. Actually, there is one difference and
it is pretty big. It is the keyboards sound. Yes keyboards sounds pastoral green green valleys of
England. Starcastle's keyboard is much more American pomp rock, AOR sounding. That is the difference
between Fragile and Fountains of Light.

That and the quality of the songs. Fountains of Light is lagging well behind in that respect. But
this is by all means a hugely enjoyable album. The lack of some great songs is a problem. But their
sound alone is worthy the purchase price and it is recommended.

3.5 stars

SUPERTRAMP Crisis? What Crisis? (Crossover Prog, 1975)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 05:08:35 EST

Review by rogerthat — And here we have the reason why Supertramp is not held up as one of the great bands of the 70s in
the same way as Pink Floyd or The Who even though Crime of the Century enjoys tremendous popularity.
Crisis? What Crisis? lacks both consistency and focus and while decent enough in its own right,
can feel like a huge letdown as the followup to Crime of the Century.

At the outset, the band seem to face the dilemma of many other bands that broke through: should
they change or should they reprise the winning formula? On the one hand, some songs like Easy Does
It or Sister Moonshine are so, well, smooth you can hardly believe it is Supertramp. The trademark
Supertramp tension is nowhere in sight in these songs. On the other, songs like Ain't Nobody But Me
seem to be trying too hard to capture 'past' glory.

The album's biggest problem, though, is that chief songwriters Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson have
already started pulling too much in different directions. It is, paradoxically, also what keeps the
album lively and lets some of their talents individually shine through. Had they been too committed
as a group to a successful followup, the results could have been even more bland. MAYBE, this is all
just conjecture, so do take it with a pinch of salt for your guess is as good as mine.

So, anyway, Davies and Hodgson's styles and preferences begin to stand out rather clearly on this
album where on Crime...they somehow coalesced into one cohesive whole. Another Man's Woman bears
the distinct signature of Davies while Soapbox Opera has got to be Hodgson.

As I said earlier, it is a problem to the extent that it robs the album of focus. But, Another
Man's Woman is a superb song with the band taking another stab at fashioning a spine chilling coda.
While this one is not quite as gripping as Crime of the Century (song), it works very well.
Soapbox Opera is up and down and seems to slump in parts but overall makes a strong impression. On
'Lady', their styles meet and result in arguably the best track of the album. It's certainly my
favourite, has both the foot tapping appeal of Hodgson and the keyboard magic of Davies.

I might have ignored the lack of focus and rounded off the rating to a four had the songs at least
been consistently strong. Unfortunately, the album sort of goes to sleep on the last three tracks.
Just A Normal Day is quite promising initially but fizzles out in spite of a riveting saxophone
solo while The Meaning and Two of Us don't even gather that much momentum. As a matter of fact, for
a long time, I would never get beyond Poor Boy, the last great track in running order on the album,
in my opinion.

Overall, a good album with some strong tracks but leaves you feeling shortchanged given the
considerable talents of both masterminds as well as the rest of the band. Unfortunately, that
feeling tends to persist with some of their other releases as well. Lack of quality control? Who
knows but Crisis? What Crisis? ultimately flatters to deceive. 3 stars.

HIGH WHEEL Remember the Colours (Symphonic Prog, 1994)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 04:09:33 EST

Review by b_olariu — 3.5 for sure

Remember the colours of reality

Second album of this excellent band released in 1994 and named Remember the colours is another
worthy album from their catalogue. I was simply shocked how low rated this band is, unbelievable. If
their next album There was a stunning album, this is almost there, again captivating moments, solid
musicianship and awesome passages. I like it a lot , very under rated and unnoticed band and is a
terrible shame to be so, because High Wheel music is very demanding and each pieces show a great
potential. Good towards great guitar parts, top notch keyboards, some fascinating flute
arrangements, what else a winner for sure. The vocal parts are excellent, specially the choirs are
simply amazing. The best track and high lights for me are Open Lines, simply awesome from start to
finish, Gear-Wheels, The Four Reasons. So, a good towards great album, not as solid as their next
album There but definatly a worth checking out release. I like this band a lot and have a soft spot
for them for years. If not totaly essential album, this band for sure must be discovered or re
discovered by many as possible listners, one of the top german bands from the '90's in progressive
rock zone.

ULVER Bergtatt (Post Rock/Math rock, 1994)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 03:44:08 EST

Review by Conor Fynes — 'Bergtatt' - Ulver (9/10)

To me, Ulver are one of the all-time most intriguing bands. It would be difficult for me to
name another band who is so versatile, and manages to produce masterpieces that vary
wildly. Released when frontman Krystoffer Rygg was still in his teens, 'Bergtatt' is
considered to be a classic opus of the then-relatively young style of black metal. Ulver have
since gone down a path of avant-garde ambient music that now has little to do with metal or
even rock, but 'Bergtatt' is enough to plant the band as an essential of black metal. Years
before Agalloch or Drudkh made their mark, Ulver laid down the foundation for this arboreal
sound in atmospheric black metal. Taking the ambiance of Burzum and taking it two steps
further, 'Bergtatt' is as relevant today as it was in 1994.

Many modern metalheads may draw comparisons to Agalloch when listening to 'Bergtatt.' It
should be appreciated, however, that Ulver crafted this sound first. The black metal mold
had been forged over the decade prior,and Ulver furnishes it with lavish arboreal folk
instrumentation, melodic riffs, and even clean vocals; something that was often looked
down upon in black metal. 'Bergtatt' was indeed ahead of its time, although nothing on the
album feels contrived or forced to sound 'progressive' in the commonly used sense of the
word. Split into five chapters, 'Bergtatt' is not afraid to incorporate acoustic guitars as a
primary element in the sound. Many bands dabbled with mellower dimensions, but they
often were used merely to break up the intense black metal, as opposed to, you know,
complimenting the musical experience directly. Of course, no masterpiece would be
complete without masterful composition, and this is something that sees no shortage in
'Bergtatt'. Ulver hit a sweet spot that balances harshness and warmth, black metal and folk,
melodic sensibilities and melancholic aggression. To mention that Ulver were in their teens
when 'Bergatt' was produced only makes the feat more admirable.

Potentially the only time when I could be convinced that 'Bergtatt' is not perfect is with the
more puritanical black metal elements here. Like the rest of the album, they are performed
with passionate intensity and a sense of purpose, but in the midst of some of the most
beautiful acoustic guitars ever heard in metal, and a wonderfully arboreal sense of melody
in the cleaner moments, the times when Ulver goes full-force with the blastbeats and dark
energy feels underwhelming by comparison.That's not nearly enough to keep me from
calling 'Bergtatt' a masterpiece, however. It is essential listening for anyone even remotely
interested in black metal; it is rivaled only by Mayhem's 'De Mysteriis Dom Santhanas' as the
most glorious classic of black metal.

TANGERINE DREAM Three O'Clock High (Progressive Electronic, 1987)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 03:04:36 EST

Review by octopus-4 — I can imagine a director looking for a soundtrack for his new movie. He asks Tangerine Dream
that in this period are making almost only soundtracks. I can imagine Edgar Froese digging
into a closet and finding a tape with some spare recordings, incomplete ideas, the kind of
things that an artist puts somewhere to be reused.

This is probably how an unusual number of 1 minute long instrumentals finished to be
recorded on this album. The director added some of his own so it's neither a full Tangerine
Dream recording and the only reason to own it is only because it's a rarity: The album was just
a patchwork of short ideas and for what I know the movie itself was a "flop".

There's one good reason to have it. It has sold so few copies that today it's a rarity, a collector
item.

The music inside is not too bad. You can put it in the background while you are cooking. You
won't be disturbed, but there is nothing to put your attention on, also because there's no sense
in putting the attention on a 30 seconds track.

As collector item it would deserve 2 stars, but the patchwork characteristic and the inclusion of
forgettable non-TD tracks makes it less interesting even for a collector.

1 star

MOSKAU II (Experimental/Post Metal, 2005)

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 02:44:07 EST

Review by toroddfuglesteg — An interesting project from Germany.

Christian Kolf's first Moskau album is an ecletic mix of Radiohead like pop and the darkest hell
like doom. The downtuned guitars sometimes reminds me about black metal. But My Dying Bride is the
best reference. So is Type O Negative and perhaps a lot of the other modern post and experiemental
metal bands. I am pretty new to this scene and do not have many references here.

The result is a good album which mixes harsh industrial soundscapes, laid down by the bass, with
some very warm and lush soundscapes. This album has a lot of the latter ones, actually. That to my
surprise. The vocals is also very good.

I am surprised, positive surprised by this album. It is a free download too and well worth checking
out. It is not a great album in my view. But I believe some of you would really love this album.
Hence my recommondation.

3.5 stars