Reviews (all) - Progarchives.com

SONIQ THEATER Just Like Magic (Crossover Prog, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 21:04:31 EST

Review by kev rowland — One always knows it is the New Year as there will be an email from keyboard player Alfred Mueller telling me about
his latest album. He has only missed one year since 2000 when he commenced his solo career (he was previously in
Rachel's Birthday. This is his 26th album, and I have reviewed them all, and whenever I listen to them, I always feel he
should be far more recognised, not just for his longevity and commitment but also because he has released some
very nice material over the years.

This album finds him turning more to Wakeman than Jarre, especially on numbers like "King's Enchanter (magic mix)"
which has some nice punch and power and rocky elements, although the programmed drums are always an issue.
However, he provides multiple keyboard layers, and it fairly bounds along which is nice. Over the years Alfred has
experimented with vocals here and there, and it is rare that it is a positive outcome and sadly that is what we have
again here on "Tears" which is a perfectly nice piano-led number, but the vocals simply are not up to the task and he
would have been much better using a session singer as the result would undoubtedly have been much better. Overall
this is a solid release again, although to my ears not really up there with some of his others, but undoubtedly in 12
months' time I will be listening to the next album, and I look forward to it.

THE SOFT MACHINE Thirteen (Canterbury Scene, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 20:36:24 EST

Review by kev rowland — Soft Machine has had probably one of the most convoluted membership histories of any band, but there is no
doubt in my mind that the current line-up has continued to keep the name alive and are directly linked to the
original band. Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean were both in the band in the Sixties, and it was they who formed Soft
Ware in 1999, alongside former Soft Machine drummer John Marshall plus Keith Tippett, who had played with Dean
at the turn of the Seventies. After a few line-up changes, Hopper, Dean and Marshall invited ex-Soft Machine
guitarist John Etheridge into the fold, at which point the name changed to Soft Machine Legacy. Sadly, Dean passed
away not long afterwards, and he was replaced by Theo Travis (ex-Gong), while the death of Hugh Hopper led to
another ex-Soft joining the band, Roy Babbington. Marshall and Travis are still there today, while Babbington and
Marshall have since passed away and been replaced by Fred Thelonious Baker and Asaf Sirkis. This does mean that
the current band contains just one member of the group who was with them in the Seventies, but they can
demonstrate a consistent relationship, and if anyone was ever in doubt as to whether they are the real deal, just
listen to this.

It is nice to see them reverting back to the album naming convention they followed from 1969 to 1973 when they
released some of their most compelling works, but it is not just the name on the cover or the artwork (which ties in
with 'Seven'), but very much in the music which is provided here. The new members of the band have fitted in
perfectly, with Asaf Sirkis being one of the most dynamic and exciting drummers around, knowing when the time is
right to be bombastic, playing with multiple sticks to get different cymbal sounds, or when not to play at all,
contributing both space and melody alongside the rhythm. Fred Baker has a long relationship with the Canterbury
scene (taking over from Hugh Hopper in In Cahoots, for example) and has a deft touch on fretless bass, providing
warmth and underpinning the lead melodies of Marshall and Travis. The latter is a multi-instrumentalist, and here
he can be found providing saxophones, flutes, duduk, Mellotron, pianos, electronics meaning the overall sound of
the band can be different from track to track, while Etheridge may be in his seventies (and incidentally is the longest
serving Soft in the band's history) but shows age is not slowing him down as he is still a master.

The final track will be a surprise to many, as it features none other than Softs founder member Daevid Allen, who
passed away in 2015. It was recorded when Travis was in Gong, who then composed "Daevid's Special Cuppa" to
include it and the result is a. hypnotic number quite unlike anything else on the album as it a psychedelic tribal set
piece with soprano sax, guitar and duduk (a haunting Armenian traditional wooden flute like instrument). The band
are touring constantly, and this album clearly shows just how many hours they have spent together as it is
incredibly cohesive, at times showing them at their most boisterous while at others it is sheer beauty.

BORDER HILLS Border Hills (Neo-Prog, 2024)

Fri, 15 May 2026 19:14:50 EST

Review by tszirmay — Another one of those hidden prog gems that flew 20 feet off the ground, invisible to even the most sophisticated
radar (The Rogue has a very advanced system, but obviously, not foolproof). This 2024 album finally gets the
treatment it fully deserves, the hint blip that ultimately caught my attention was the presence of celebrated Italian
guitarist Simone Cozzetto who has a few tasty solo albums as well as playing with Massimo Pieretti. Keyboards and
composing are in the hands of Francesco Proietti while the drums are performed by Ivo di Traglia. The sumptuous
vocals are Elisa Benedetti's domain, and she does a bang-up job. The parameters are well founded in a variety of
styles, from cinematographic, Celtic, folk, alternative influence but well assembled in a classic prog gift-wrapping.

Nothing like a somber electronic intro to set the right mood and "Sabbath" certainly does the trick quite well.
Shimmering electronics weaving within percussive shudders and echoing effects are de rigueur. "The Dream of
Flying" goes from dreamy to aerobatics with gritty propeller-driven guitars, elevator bass and thruster drum
support, leaving Elisa to build up her magnum voice soar mightily into the yonder way above , Simone peeling off a
blazing axe venture as well as a narrated bit, one really has a sense of floating above the clouds, boldly winging it
like a proud eagle. The die is cast, 'alea jacta est' as they once uttered in the roman forum.

"When Reason Sleeps, It Generates Monsters", now that is what I call a bold title, maintains the concept of slumber
as an igniter of thought , with both Simone and Elisa collaborating on the vocal side, Francesco doing some terrific
work on the ivories as the arrangement fluctuates between accessible and profound, a Cozzetto glissade bubbling
by at warp speed, presumably engendering the promised ogres that will eventually show up on the segue "Into the
Mist", without question a peak moment on their recording, as atmospheric piece of prog genius one is likely to
encounter anywhere. As the title implies and the vaporous cover art comes to mind, this is a gloomy soundscape of
impeccable construct, colossal walls of mellotrons blending with electronic synths unafraid to venture out in solo
land, Elisa slashing through the fog with deliberate ambition and the drums flailing away as if to clear the road
ahead. The fretboard spotlight is equally brilliant, casting desperate light on the onward perils. Amazing track.

Through the haze, we arrive to "The Small Town", a sense of salvation overtly expressed by Simone, carrying the
vocal with utter simplicity, embellished with an arrangement that features little dross or overkill, a sterling neo-prog
ditty, with a sad song verse/chorus format that tells a story about an ordinary guy, in an everyday settlement, the
trials and tribulations that make life what it is.

Another sizeable mass of notes appears at "The Door", a howling voice beckoning one to pass through the gate,
tingling acoustic guitars and twinkling ivories crisscrossing in close quarters, as Elisa waltzes vocally through the
threshold of broken dreams. It's intoxicatingly hypnotic, the voice in full command of the senses, captivating,
alluring and convincing, on the verge of exploding in unabashed anguish, brilliantly taken over by the serpentine
lead guitar (man, can he play!), massive mellotron choir as a captive audience. Elisa raises the volume and the
power to a higher realm, flirting with the divine. Both Simone and Francesco slam the gate shut and throw away the
key.

Cosmic travels, anyone? The tempo reaches tornado-like proportions on the metallic-tinged "Saturn", the incendiary
riffs tumble like acrobats in a row, the ruthless beat harsh and acidic, only finding solace with a recurring piano
motif to keep things honest . Elisa's lungs get a workout, delivering a slew of pirouetting notes and then holding the
screech without remorse. Our axe slinger demolishes all notions of time and space with a galactic barrage that
displaces asteroids in its wake.
The short instrumental vignette "The Haunted Mansion" has both angst and serenity as its main purpose. The
keyboards painting a wide backdrop, while the percussive machine pulses along without fear. Wind wuthering
through the broken widows left agape, and the door ajar.

"Giant", a nearly 10-minute grand finale, settles the score once and for all, with a meaningful melody that fits
perfectly with the deliberate vocals, the predictable dense arrangement laden with layers of keyboard eccentricity.
A repetitive piano and strings curtsy that keeps things orchestral and attractive, the idyllic lay-up for another
tumultuous synthesizer fluster, followed by more final wild guitar incursions. The instrumental variations come as a
wall of sound exhortation that lathers on a gigantic symphonic sheen to all the crushing bluster, as the sonic missile
heads straight up to the skies. The dog barks but does not bite.

This needs a follow-up, an unexpected surprise that is in need of further exposure, even possibly surpassing all the
overt qualities expressed within the grooves.

4.5 frontier mounds

RICHARD BARBIERI Hauntings (Progressive Electronic, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 17:13:49 EST

Review by tszirmay — Surely the greatest non virtuoso keyboard player in music today, with a career spanning the likes of Japan, Rain
Tree Crow, the Dolphin Brothers, No-Man, Tim Bowness, Steve Hogarth and Porcupine Tree, plus a bevvy of solo
albums. He is above all a textural sound manager, and tonal artist, with the innate ability to colour any
arrangement in a camouflage of density and purpose, a rather discreet genius, not too far removed from Brian Eno
in the technical sense. If you are expecting toe-tapping karaoke, with a hefty dose of get down and boogie, well
perhaps you need to find another venue. This is a rather ghostly environment , more conducive to introspective
fever and possible imminent nervous disorder. It remains in the ear of the beholder. Among the greatest fretless
innovators, there is little doubt that Jaco Pastorius (RIP) and Tony Levin are luminary legends. Yet there is my
personal favourite, the much-missed Mick Karn (RIP), with whom Barbieri played with in the band Japan. Who best
to consider in the role than that other monster bassist Percy Jones (whose Brand X career is also legendary) taking
on the pivotal foundational work on this album. Bring in the celebrated Swedish drummer/percussionist Morgen
Agren (Kaipa, Zappa), as well as the current master of trumpet in Progland, the prolific Luca Calabrese to complete
the quartet.

Eleven medium sized snippets that can only be qualified as challenging sonic jewels, demanding the same level of
concentration from the listener that what was put in by the composer, in order to be fully satiated. The two opening
pieces are slithering bass reptiles that occasionally tongue their way towards unsuspecting prey, Percy carrying the
wobbly Karn style to perfection, while Barbieri splatters a canvas of dense colorations that defy the normal
standards of keyboard orchestrations. With titles like "Snakes and Ladders" and "Anemoia", you kind of get the hint.
Slight right turn into more ambient surroundings for the next two sonic paintings, "Victorian Wraith" perfectly
sombre and funereal, while the effectively timeless warp of "1890" is nothing less than modern electronic art.
Mellow, yellow.

Another dual punch in the gut, coming first is the oblique and jaunty percussive romp on "Artificial Obsession", a
nocturnal urban wasteland of oppressive illusions and synthetic preoccupations, seductive but certainly not sexual.
The Jones bass curvatures together with the background moaning are outright sinister, the Barbieri prancing
keyboards suggesting absurdity amid all the pervasive solitude. "Paris Sketch" keeps the momentum, just changes
the geography, drums played with freshly baked baguettes, foie gras lipstick staining the YSL shirts and copious
amounts of Pommard to wash away the way too numerous to name carnal sins. (oui, mon cheri!). The City of Light
at 4.00am is certainly dark. Then comes daybreak, "le petit matin, croissant/cafe au lait", the Champs Elysees
stretching the numb muscles back into some semblance of civic life. "Perfect Toys" is the aftershave and razor, the
eau de Cologne and the hair combed into an acceptable coif, cool threads and shiny shoes. Cigarettes and figurines of the Virgin Mary, perhaps. All toys. The barely awake, narrated Lady Marmalade voice offers the eventuality of fertile seduction.

"Traveler" has a hustling bustle rhythm that cannot camouflage the giddy trepidation of fleeing the daily routine to
discover new experiences. Its cool boom-boom-tchak groove has tons of e-piano glitter, sinful synth petulance,
blatant bass clanging and pleading/squeaking whine (and she is not from Bordeaux). Delightfully abrasive, brazen,
obstinate and spasmodic. Like an old Japan track without vocals. Travel back in time, I guess.
The final three tracks contain an ambient wake-up call, then a solemn final bedtime call and crowned by a glorious
au revoir on "A New Simulation".

Honestly, I found this revealing record to be way more adventurous and stimulating than any of the previous final
string of Porcupine Tree albums. Exceptional soundscapes abound , a tantalizing option for both the the casual
listener and the intense prog nerd that enjoys scalpel-like finesse.

4.5 Gallic ghosts

LUCIO BATTISTI Umanamente Uomo: Il Sogno (Prog Related, 1972)

Fri, 15 May 2026 17:03:44 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — Umanamente Uomo: Il Sogno begins with two themes that Mina Mazzini would reinterpret on her 1975 album,
MinacantaLucio. Thus, I giardini di marzo starts acoustically, then strings join in, almost as if conducted by John Paul
Jones. I like the interplay of contrasts between the string sections and the more stripped-down guitar, almost like an
opening suite.

Innocenti evasioni is an ideal continuation, still sounding modern and psychedelic, with keyboards and a funky guitar.
It's not progressive, but there is a search for textures, a fusion of styles, and a constant movement.

E penso a te corresponds to the most pleasing section of the album, no less beautiful for that, but in the Italian
popular tradition, including an emotional chorus that comes after the piano and that is impossible not to hum.
Comunque bella has a very special melody, unfolded through Lucio's singing, which begins solo and then with the
entire band bursting forth like a sunrise that banishes the night's dampness, with a distinct, almost recited style that
accompanies the organ. The power of the moments when he is alone, reciting with his guitar, is extraordinary.

One of Lucio's strengths is his acoustic guitar playing in less acoustic, more powerful, and aggressive contexts... and
this explodes in Il leone e la gallina, which is further enhanced by the bass and drums at the end.

Sognando e risognando is another of the album's experimental tracks, one of the few, with a subtle beginning, as if
sung by Gabriel from early Genesis, before the band explodes with a glam-tinged echo. Again, the contrasts provide
the necessary power to build the desired atmosphere, ending with a great guitar riff that, precisely because it's
unfinished, is all the more unforgettable.

Il fuoco continues the strange atmosphere with the guitar floating like in space rock...until culminating in waking up or
remaining in the dream forever, with humanity and its circular behavior residing in that recurring contrast of the
album.

LUCIO BATTISTI Amore e Non Amore (Prog Related, 1971)

Fri, 15 May 2026 17:02:05 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — Amore e Non Amore is several albums in one...a concept album about different forms of love...a semi-acoustic
progressive album in collaboration with the musicians of Premiata Forneria Marconi, the first of a more bohemian
and experimental period. It was recorded before Emozioni, but the studio decided to release it later, so it would
end up being his third album...the first one that sounds like he's entering the 1970s, a psychedelic sound but with
progressive development, as evidenced by the length of his opening track, Dio mio no, which also features him
singing like never before, more visceral and committed.

Flavio Premoli on organ, Franco Mussida on guitar, Giorgio Piazza on bass and Franz Di Cioccio on drums, plus
Lucio himself on guitar and piano, sometimes alternating acoustic and electric, which gave the album that
distinctive flavor, almost as if that union between Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Jimi Hendrix, which was so much
talked about at the Isle of Wight festival, had finally been realized.

Seduto sotto un platano con una margherita in bocca guardando il fiume nero macchiato dalla schiuma bianca dei
detersivi plays between jazzy blues until the strings are added, but at no point do the organ and guitar stop
improvising on top. Giving the impression that at any moment it could go in another direction...and that is precisely
what happens.

Una maintains the rock'n'roll format with a choir but a drum kit that is omnipresent, and of course Lucio's voice,
which distinguishes it from the rest.

7 agosto di pomeriggio, with the acoustic guitar, he constructs a delicate oriental melody, which, when the piano is
added, recalls the most sacred acoustic passages of the Mahavishnu, but then they become atonal... and also
brings to mind Oregon. Se la mia pelle vuoi is a more classic rock song, well-executed and with the added benefit of
a rawer sound due to the echo effect. The format alternates between more conventional songs and others that
break the mold, perhaps playing with the album's title and theme. This is how Davanti ad un distributore
automatico di fiori dell'aeroporto di Bruxelles, anch'io chiuso in una bolla di vetro (which, not surprisingly, also has
a long title) unfolds with the orchestra in an almost cinematic way.

Supermarket reminded me of the electro-acoustic rock and roll that Johnny Hallyday also made in France, full of
swing, alternating with psychedelia and a certain flirtation with progressive symphonic music. They could make the
acoustic guitar sound funky, and croon over it like any other instrument while the tempo sped up, making full use
of the acoustic format.

Above all else, Italian music, both melodic and progressive, has always possessed a strong sense of rhythm and
melody... and both permeated each of its exponents. "Una poltrona, un bicchiere di cognac, un televisore, 35 morti
ai confini di Israele e Giordania," the album's final track, is no exception, blending an epic accompaniment with a
warm and simple melody that culminates in an orchestral flourish. Lucio's music would never be the same after this
album, which served as a turning point, a pivotal moment in his career.

EL TUBO EL�STICO El Tubo El�stico (Post Rock/Math rock, 2015)

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:16:19 EST

Review by tszirmay —
Being a regular listener of Friday Night Progressive radio show, where Ron seems to always find interesting new
artists that are utterly deserving of exposure, along comes another new discovery that caught me by surprise. Like
my esteemed friend Lazland loves to state, 'Too much music, not enough time". Never a dull moment in the prog
rogue's flourishing life , as this hitherto unbeknownst to me band from Jerez de la Frontera Spain exploded my
head, something fierce, like the delicious variety of sherries they bottle (Xerex) and export worldwide. The quartet
has two guitarists and a bassist, all seconding their talent with synthesizers, an athletic drum master to keep the
pace blistering and lots of incredible sounds. This debut was issued in 2015 and have also released another studio
follow-up in 2018, as well as a2020 live recording.

"Pandora" meanders into the consciousness with sonic patterns that seek only to hypnotize, weaving the mood like
a magical carpet ride, an aural tapestry that evolves into sensual erogenous zones emanating from the carnal guitar
twosome, expertly kept in tow by a hard carving bass and splintering percussive elements. The box is now left ajar,
with the menacing spirits fully liberated from their cage, free to roam wherever inspiration may bring them. An
excellent first bite.

As the title surely implies "Camaleon" is a shifty creature that can merge itself into any backdrop and appear
invisible. The dual axe attack is characterized by interwoven flicks of the wrists that can both shred and/or flutter,
while being solidly held together with geometric rhythmic play that constructs the camouflage. The fiery guitar
display is bold enough to engage in soloing, in either expected or uncharacteristic ways. Eventually, the picture
blends into the horizon.

From here on in, the general atmosphere overtly veers into their instrumental comfort zone. The lengthiest track
here, the nearly 9 minute "Ispra" secretes the true meaning of the band's moniker, an elastic tunnel of sound that
may recall some of the more experimental moments of the sadly short-lived, Andy Summers-Robert Fripp
collaboration though the Spaniard foursome offer a more foundational expanse to their work, each musician
having a say in the development. It can also be trippy with occasional glints of Hillage-like guitar playing, giving it a
cosmic fragrance that expands deeper into the universe.

That inescapable aroma of variable geometry appears in full regalia on "Rojo" (red), a cartesian extravaganza of
insistence and mathematical precision, an uncoiling vermillion reptile that shows little mercy o remorse. The fury
eventually rises to volcanic levels, the bass spewing plumes of ashen burps, the drum assault unrelenting as if to
blur all sense of time and space.

Dreamier realms on "El Enjambre" (swarm), as the more acoustic side appears in order to set up the eventual
communion of sounds, the drums performing the way they play football, ticky-tacky, lots of short passes, forging
ahead, nevertheless. When the stormier weather brings in the darker clouds, the thunder and lightning dual guitar
shatter the ears with some furious encirclements. Its appropriately gritty, tempestive and reckless, just like mother
nature can sometimes be. A powerful flock of seagulls (no, not the band), searching for a wide enough landing.

Diversifying finale what with the insertion of electronic keyboards into the mix, adding even more crosspollination
to their already fragrant formula, "Vampiros y Gominolas" (Vampires and gummies) impishly stands out as a
declaration of doom with some tasty swirls flush with hope and passion. The balance between stark repetition (the
KC influence, perchance?) and soaring cosmic forays can be a fascinating discovery for those who enjoy intensity
and fire in their musical journeys.

The next one may be the Frontera threshold being crossed. Vamos a ver (we shall see) .
4 flexible cylinders

ROBE Lo Que Aletea En Nuestras Cabezas (Heavy Prog, 2015)

Fri, 15 May 2026 14:16:30 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — With the end of the successful popular run with Extremoduro that lasted from 1987 to the mid-2010s,
frontman Roberto Iniestra better known as ROBE launched his solo career in 2015 and continued the
style more or less in the same fashion of his wildly successful band. Known for his poetic lyricism
and transgressive rock style, ROBE became one of Spain's biggest superstars and considered one of
the most important acts to emerge in the entire world of Spanish music although practically unknown
to the rest of the world before the advent of the internet. While the band blended the sounds of
hard rock, progressive rock and folk, on ROBE's debut LO QUE ALETEA EN NUESTRAS CABEZAS (That Which
Flutters In Our Heads) takes on more of the softer aspects of folk rock.

ROBE pretty much continues his poetic prose in the Spanish language set to music with a set of eight
tracks in the same vein as the latter Extremaduro albums only featuring less harder rock aspects
therefore the guitar grunge and soloing is pretty much absent and the folk and baroque pop aspects
are emphasized. Prominent in the album's 44 minute run are violin sounds as well as clarinet, an
accordion and a touch of jazzy saxophone at times. Most pronounced is the piano and while not
guitar-free, the six string is very much not the focus on this debut release. This could even be
considered a mostly acoustic album sounding more like traditional Spanish folk music than rock
proper.

Being the musical legend that he is, the fanbase embraced ROBE's solo career with open arms and the
album debuted at No. 1 on the Spanish charts and was awarded gold status which in that nation means
more than 20,000 units sold. While a solo album, it's still very much a band sound with six other
musicians backing and honestly other than the heaviness factor sounds just like anything Extremaduro
was cranking out which is not surprising considering ROBE was the leader and creative force. The
tracks pretty much continue the same sort of churning rhythmic drive and folk flavors that even the
harder Extremaduro albums showcased and like those albums LO QUE ALETEA doesn't offer a lot of
variation between tracks as the emphasis is clearly on the poetic prose rather than the musical
innovation which will be a major road block for those who don't speak Spanish.

Honestly i've never really seen the mass appeal of Extremaduro and same goes for ROBE as a solo
artist. While the music is competent and hardly unlistenable in any way, there's really nothing here
that's extraordinary. The rhythms are rather straightforward, the compositions aren't anything fancy
and there is really no prog to be heard at all. This is basically folk rock that focuses on ROBE's
wordplay and the music is secondary. Part of the problem with me personally is that i don't find
ROBE's vocal style particularly palatable and the music seems to sound pretty much the same from the
opening "Un Suspiro Acompasado" to the closing "Contra Todos" but i could say the same about even
Extremaduro's most lauded works. Obviously it's probably one of those types of acts that you have to
be in the right time and place to comprehend but as an outsider simply sampling these works i'm
rather underwhelmed with it all both musically and vocally.

CROWN LANDS Apocalypse (Heavy Prog, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:59:02 EST

Review by yarstruly — Clicked 5, but really 4.5 (4 is just too low)

Canadian duo Crown Lands has just dropped their new album Apocalypse on today (May 15, 2026)! I had hoped to
get an early review copy, but it wasn't to be this time. But that's OK, I'm here to get you the info as quickly as I can.
As you may know, I wrote an extensive Spotlight article on them last year (on my blog, "Scott's Song by Song and
Spotlight Site"), and the "band" is actually a "Power-Duo" consisting of:

- Cody Bowles / vocals, drums, percussion, Ney flute, Pentatonic flute

- Kevin Comeau / 6 & 12 string electric & acoustic guitars, bass, minimoog, Oberheim OB6 synthesizer, Taurus
pedals, mellotron

I am excited to hear this new album, especially the closing title epic. As usual, this is a "cold listen". Let's jump in:

Track 1 - Proclamation I (1:22)

We begin with the shortest track on the album which fades in with electric piano, and a mellotron chorus joins.
Other synth sounds enter then drums, eventually building into essentially a grand introduction for the album. It
leads into?

Track 2 - Foot Soldier of the Syndicate (4:18)

? which begins with a rockin' guitar riff, of course, as one might expect, sounding like late 70s Rush. Cody Bowles
does sound a lot like a young Geddy. Crown Lands definitely wears its Rush influences on its sleeve, but it could be
seen as a new song in that style; and the boy does have range! There is a bridge at around 2:10 which mellows
things down a bit. A cool guitar solo from Comeau follows with Cody doing his best Peart fills. After another verse,
there is another brief solo, before we have what sounds like either an army or an angry mob chanting. But here's
the thing? even though it is clear who their influences are, the song absolutely rocked and was very original. I like it;
a lot.

Track 3 - Through the Looking Glass (3:45)

This begins with an acoustic 12-string with effects on it. A wind chime adds a nice touch. They are in a moderately
slow tempo. Bowles actually sounds a bit more like Robert Plant then Geddy Lee here. The chorus explodes with
power chords before returning to the more mellow verse. Another heavy chorus follows and leads to a brief
instrumental part. Another pair of choruses follows, and I swear Bowles hits the stratosphere with his voice.
Impressive! Great track!

Track 4 - Blackstar (4:02)

This one begins as a more straight-ahead rocker; maybe more like Triumph than Rush. But the guitar/bass
turnarounds are really cool between phrases. This would have been all over the radio around 1986 for sure! There
are some processed vocals in the bit leading up to the killer guitar solo. That chorus is tailor made for arena sing-
alongs! Maybe not the proggiest thing ever, but a killer track nonetheless!

Track 5 - The Fall (4:31)

After a big intro, they go into a guitar pattern with delay that will certainly remind pretty much everyone of Pink
Floyd's "Run Like Hell", or Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" (I also get Yes' "It Can Happen" as well). Seems like they are
expanding their influences on this one. The chorus is big and bold with sustained chords and vocal lines. The intro
riff returns between verses. This is another one that stays in a straight-up rock 4-4, but it's still very enjoyable.
There is a key change before the guitar solo at around the 3-minute point. Bowles is really hitting those drums hard
near the end of the song. Excellent cut!

Track 6 - The Revenants I (5:26)

This one begins with an acoustic 6-string, while Bowles sings a high-pitched melody. Some mellotron joins the
accompaniment as we go along. So far it is pretty much an acoustic ballad, wondering if it is going to explode and
rock out before it's over. Doesn't seem like it will. There are bells tolling at around 4:30 and this is where Bowles
plays "pentatonic flute". It ends with a long, slow fade out.

Track 7 - Apocalypse (19:01)

So here is the moment I've been waiting for; well 19 of them, really. The closing epic title track. Let's see what they
do with it. A low synth drone fades in as it begins. Then there are serious "Xanadu" vibes. (That's my favorite Rush
song, so I don't mind.) However, it doesn't remain a "Xanadu" clone. There are some serious odd-meter riffs with
some staccato notes underneath. Bowles is showing his skill as a drummer here. And the riff that they lock into at
just before the 2-minute mark is completely progtastic! The Alex Lifeson chord voicings are still present, but
otherwise they are doing their own thing. The vocals enter at about 3 minutes in. He is singing very aggressively. A
new guitar riff hits at around 3:45 at a moderate tempo, heralding the start of a new segment of the song. At
around 5:40 they go into 7-4 and things quiet down a bit. There are even some layered vocal harmonies. But at
around 6:30, a new groove hits with some accented notes, then a fast guitar riff that once again conjures Rush
vibes. But the vocal parts here are quite different; there's A LOT going on! At around 7:30, there are some "stop
time" riffs before the fast tempo resumes. This seems like a hybrid between Rush's "Cygnus X-!" and Yes' "Gates of
Delirium" battle scene; very exciting. Things calm back down around 8:20 with some peaceful synth and mellotron
choir sounds leading to harmony vocals. There is a guitar solo just after 9 minutes with some homages to Brian
May in the stacked harmonies. A big vocal section gives way to a "chime-ey" guitar part on electric 12-string, then
flute joins. A bit of staccato riffing takes us to another fast riff that feels like running. The vocals are processed with
an interesting effect. This is definitely a full-on prog epic! Lots of sudden time shifts and riffs coming faster than I
can tell you about. Just know that if you like heavy-prog epics, this is a must to check out. Things get quiet again at
the 14:30 point. The vocal style Bowles adopts here even has a touch of the blues. Comeau definitely loves the
Lifeson-style chords, though. Great drum fill around 17:20! Melltron returns as we approach the big finish! While
the Rush influences are undeniable, I also get a bit of early Queen, particularly from "White Queen (As It Began)" in
the conclusion and we are left with desolate wind sound effects. What a ride THAT was! Definitely the centerpiece
of the album.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

If the first six songs were good, then the seventh one is absolutely incredible. The first half of the album was only
moderately proggy, but still strong songs. That epic title track, though? Just wow! The only thing I could see
rubbing people the wrong way is that Bowles' voice might not be for everybody. But musically, it's phenomenal.
This is a killer heavy prog album worth checking out. These two super-talented guys really know what they are
doing. I'll give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, or 90%.

EMBRYO Embryo's Reise (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1979)

Fri, 15 May 2026 08:01:12 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Aa one of Germany's most innovative and famous of the Krautrock bands that started in the late 60s
and nurtured the world of psychedelic rock into some of the most experimental sounds of the decade,
the Munich based EMBRYO was recognized as one of the most talented and cutting edge acts that
encompassed the diverse number of bands spinning the Kraut ethos into crafty new creations. While
the lineup was essentially a rotating collective with over 400 musicians participating since its
1969 to present date, the 1970s featured a few stable members that was considered the band's peak.
After initiating its own unique connection of Krautjazz which mixed the disparate genres of
progressive rock, jazz fusion, folk and psychedelia, EMBRYO caught the ethnic bug in 1972 with a
tour of North Africa sponsored by the Goethe Institute and began to incorporate Moroccan scales and
instruments into tis already eclectic musical style.

By 1978, the core members of Christian Burchard, Roman Bunka, Edgar Hoffman, Uwe M]]>�member Michael Wehmeyer embarked on a most ambitious adventure by taking a nine month tour that
would lead them as far as India through such diverse lands as the European Balkans, Turkey, Iran,
Afghanistan and Pakistan along the way. This massive undertaking included all the band members along
with their families, a film crew, two bus mechanics and even performance artists that included a
clown and tightrope walker. While the Goethe Institute did fund a portion of the journey, primarily
the band funded the tour through its live performances with most of it recorded and later edited
down to create the band's lauded release EMBRYO'S REISE, a massive double album that was released in
late 1979. Along the way the band also sought out local musicians to play with which makes this
album sound more like a musical travelogue than a traditional album proper.

EMBRYO'S REISE is a mix of the band's own Krautjazz style that it brought to life throughout the 70s
mixed with all the ethnic musical styles along the way. Many of the improvisational jamming sessions
were recorded and edited down and mixed with studio works once back in Germany. The album feature
everything from pure ethnic musical excursions to bizarre rock-oriented noise rock ("Es Its Wie's
Ist") however for the majority of the works the band blended its jazz fortified Krautrock with its
usual funk and Moroccan influences. The tracks vary wildly from ranging from Indian music influences
in one track to Afghani the next. In other words the tracks are not arranged as a chronological
reinterpretation of the tour but rather on the overall fusion effect that would inspire the band to
continue the world ethnic fusion that it still engages in today even after Marja Burchard took over
her father Christian Burchard's legacy after his passing in 2016. The band skillfully blends in the
ethnic guest musicians into its rock ethos but there are also many moments where the focus is
exclusively on the guest musicians from the various destinations.

While not the first to undertake such an album concept since the Italian band Aktuala embarked on a
similar journey into Africa in 1976 which resulted with the album "Tappeto Volante," EMBRYO crafted
a much more memorable album that actually delivered the Krautrock aspects in collaboration with all
the various ethnic flavors on board. Perhaps the album might be a little too long for its own good
but honestly once it's playing there are really never any down moments as the album evokes the sense
of jubilee that music has been a part of in every culture throughout all of time. It's a rather
celebratory album of one of humanity's most significant art forms and handled with such care that
the album still feels relevant in the modern era long after the days when venturing to far flung
places such as India felt exotic. Perhaps EMBRYO's most famous release and definitive release that
demonstrated that progressive rock still had some life in it even at the very close of the 1970s
when most other seasoned prog bands had jumped ship or assimilated into the world of punk / new wave
or pop.

NAPOLI CENTRALE Mattanza (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1976)

Fri, 15 May 2026 07:41:25 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — The sophomore studio album release from this Napoli-based band was recorded in early 1976 for Dischi Ricordi and
released in April.

1. "Simme iute e simme venute" (7:48) the music of this song makes me feel as if I'm listening to AREA's cousin. Great
sound production as the clarity and crispness of the keys and other instruments are all captured so well. (The vocals
not so well.) The music really does remind me of the Milanese pioneers--which makes me wonder if the Area albums
had been heard/received by this band. Singer/saxophonist James Senese's vocal performance feels more jazz scat-
vocalese than lyrical, which, of course, puts him in a category like Demetrio Stratos. The bluesy rock music is nice but
not as jazzy as I was expecting (and/or hoping for). (13.125/15)

2. "Sotto a' suttana" (9:08) a musical voyage that feels far more jazzy, far more within the realm of Herbie Hancock or
The Soft Machine Jazz-Rock Fusion. Nice Fender Rhodes work from Giuseppe Guarnera, enjoyable sax work from
James (which is saying something since I rarely enjoy saxophone play) as well as some very solid funk lite work from
bassist Kelvin Bullen and drummer Agostino Marangolo. Franco Del Prete's percussion work is kind of using the
"everything but the kitchen sink" method of employ. I just realized for the first time that there is no guitarist in this
ensemble. Nice! The song is so smooth, mellow, laid back, yet rich in melodies and rich in Jazzy sound palette. In the
eighth minute James feels compelled to start throwing some of his wordless jazz-scatting into the mix--which is then
accented by some group percussive words thrown into the mix while James returns to his Jay Beckenstein sax playing.
Solid, entertaining, and enjoyable with fine performances top to bottom. (18.125/20)

3. "Sotto e 'n coppa" (8:08) another dreamy, floating on water soundscape over which James plays his soprano and
tenor saxophones while Giuseppe Guarnera duplicates James' melody notes with bass clef chords on his keyboard.
Very cool! Around the three-minute mark the band picks up the tempo ever-so slightly, turning the mellowness into
something more exciting and energetic--which the "banks" of horns and keys definitely take advantage. I'm reminded
here of both Klaus Doldinger's PASSPORT and Eumir's DEODATO. Fun, engaging stuff! (13.375/15)

4. "'O nonno mio" (1:50) a gentle little acoustic guitar finger picker for James to sing over with his raspy voice. The
music has the support of Fender Rhodes, bass, and some background sax. (4.5/5)

5. "Sangue misto" (13:30) a mutli-part suite that starts out with a motif traveling at a suburban pace with some rather
free and open construction and aqueous sound palette turns funky jazz-rock after the opening 90-seconds with a cool
ascending chord progression being negotiated by bassist Kelvin Bullen's arpeggiated bass moves into and through
some Herbie-like moments before fading away to make room for the quick emergence of a more dynamic if
somewhat klezmer-like movement--which then gives way to yet another motif--on that begins in the middle of the
sixth minute--which is a bit more up-speed--though it does peter out fairly quickly as the seven-minute mark takes us
on a left turn into a more trepidatious alley of intrigue and subtlety--which is highlighted by the occasional injection of
horn and keys three-note bursts. In the ninth minute this turns into a full-fledged saxophone solo over the continued
"look and see" foundation of gentle, careful Rhodes, bass and cymbal support. James really lights this one up--for over
a minute--before Giuseppe and Franco are given the stage. I like these kind of long, drawn out, subtly-diffused solos.
With about a minute to go, the high-speed finale, then, comes as a bit of a shock, tying it all together but leaving me
wondering what exactly did I just "drive" through. Interestingly crafted but I have no real argument or problem with it.
(27/30)

6. "Forse sto capenno" (4:44) swirling piano arpeggi, percussives, and bowed-bass, present a kind of McCoy Tyner-
scape for James to lend his emotional saxophone play to. There is a bit of "Coltrane Sudia" feel here but also some of
Miles Davis, Chick Corea, and even Rick Wakeman. Nice work from James: definitely a passionate performance.
(9.125/10)

7. "Chi fa l'arte e chi s'accatta" (4:36) another heavier AREA-like motif over which James sings in what sounds like
saxophone-speak in place of words (though I do hear Italian--or, as one reviewer claims, "Neapolitan"). The main
foundation of the motif is held together by bass, drums, and repeating chordal riff from Giuseppe's left hand but then
James' sax(es) and Giuseppe's right hand step forward to offer some really cool (heavily-reverbed) melodic chords
between the vocal passages. James returns to his raspy screams and yells just before the band takes a sudden turn
down a steep downhill passage of frenzied panic--just before the song cuts out! It's over! Wow! Now that was not
expected! (9/10)

Total Time 49:44

After reading several other reviews before taking on this album for myself I find myself feeling mystified at the "Miles
Davis Bitches Brew" and "folk" references. I hear the strains of "late night Coltrane" and Weather Report but am
surprised that no one else is picking up on the Area similarities!

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of wonderful rock-based Jazz-Rock Fusion. If you like bands like AREA, you'll probably
love this.

KARNIVOOL In Verses (Heavy Prog, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 07:35:25 EST

Review by BUHA — The first album after a long break of thirteen years does not disappoint anyone and confirms the band's
evolution.
Karnivool continue to evolve with every release, and In Verses is no exception. It's an incredibly well crafted
album that honours everything that came before while still pushing forward.
Salva, Ghost and Reanimation are my favorite songs but the whole album is remarkable and worth listening to
without a break.
It's probably the album I've listened to the most this year and every time I discover new and subtle shades.
I hope the band Karnivool will come on tour in Europe to support this album.

PORCUPINE TREE The Sky Moves Sideways (Heavy Prog, 1995)

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:59:11 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — The third studio album under the Porcupine Tree name sees the project transition into full-on band
mode, with the significant contributions from Steven Wilson's bandmates shaping the sound of one of
the most hypnotic and nostalgic releases of the mid-90s. Drenched in a revivalist space rock
aesthetic, 'The Sky Moves Sideways' features a combination of longer suites and shorter songs,
similarly to 'Up the Downstair'. Several winding instrumental sections are imposed upon the
listener, in which the band experiments not only with the oozing space rock quirkiness that had
shaped earlier albums, but also with singer-songwriter material, pop music, ambient soundscapes (or
rather, space ambient) as well as dance music with trip hop undertones. The overall result is an
extravagant posh mixture of post-Floyd psychedelia with strong leanings towards prog and
electronica, on an album whose structure approaches that of a post-rock record. Given that this is
hardly one of the most accessible PT albums, it is no surprise that it is often seen as one of the
more underrated ones.

The centerpiece here is the two-part title track, with both parts amounting collectively to a good
thirty-five minutes' worth of music. This is a really impressive composition that goes through a
couple of very distinct sections - we have the soothing slow-burn psychedelia in the beginning of
part one, which is followed by a very intense and upbeat section that features some fine
percussions, a trance-like rhythm, swiveling flutes and a rampant guitar solo to round it all out.
It almost sound likes a pumped-up version of Ozric Tentacles. An ambient section acts as a
transition between the two parts, whereas the second one is really hazy and ambiguous, with lots of
interesting ornaments and improvised bits. The entire thing is hypnotic and transcendent, definitely
a memorable listen. We then have two excellent shorter songs - 'Stars Die' and 'Dislocated Day', on
which Wilson fuses the spacey atmosphere of the album with an alternative-sounding edge, with
heavier guitars and more discernible song structures coming to the fore. Another interesting
highlight is the improvised piece 'Moonloop', with its towering 17 minutes of atmospheric guitars
and psytrance undertones.

The entire record is quite different from the rest of the Porcupine Tree catalogue, and even if it
preserves the laid-back spacey grooves of preceding albums, there is a much more experimental,
almost improvisational, execution of the ideas that makes it all the more compelling and peculiar.

LEGACY PILOTS Camera Obscura Volume II (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:54:28 EST

Review by Rysiek P. — My musical journey with Legacy Pilots is like a case of the dripping of water that wears away at the rock. I made
a few unflattering comments on MLWZ.pl while reviewing their album "Thru The Lens." I wasn't entirely thrilled with
their latest offering, even though many well-known musicians participated in its recording. But the dripping of
water wears away at the rock... dripping with individual pieces of information and interviews that appeared
practically shortly after the release of the previous album, which could be summed up by quoting a fragment of a
recent interview with Frank Us: "I like the idea that you can choose which album to listen to, depending on your
mood. 'Camera Obscura' is the biggest and most polished production Pilots have released to date. I think it will take
listeners weeks to truly get to know this material, because we've incorporated an incredible number of ideas into
the songs, and there's a lot to discover."I am deeply convinced that we have managed to create something more
than just a few exceptional songs here." These words were the proverbial last straw before we began listening to
the contents of the two albums that the band had prepared this time.
For the first time in their history, Legacy Pilots have recorded a double album, presenting for the first time over
ninety minutes of music, which has two facets, almost in keeping with the division into albums subtitled vol. 1 and
vol. 2. Of course, the lineup of musicians participating in this "musical process" is also impressive: Todd Sucherman
(Styx), Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats), Lars Slowak, Finally George, Pete Trewavas (Marillion), Steve Morse (Deep Purple, Kansas), the ubiquitous John Mitchell, and vocalists Jake Livgren and Liza. Almost all of them had already participated in the recording of the band's previous releases. And after these more or less formal pieces of information and remarks, I can finally say and this time they managed to carve a hole in my musical heart and soul, into which the entire contents of this release have poured. Each of the two discs is a set of lenses that convey a diminished and slightly "inverted" (i.e. processed for the purposes of musical display) image of the world around us. Both discs are "camera obscuras," painting a real picture of the world around us with musical descriptions that are sometimes soft and gentle, sometimes blurred, sometimes revealing the depth of infinite sharpness, sometimes scaling the interpreted images to the dimensions of individual musical pieces. And, in keeping with the quoted words of the interview, they create the possibility of any interpretation and choice, dependent solely on our cognitive desires.
The album, subtitled Vol. 1, is a masterful display of composition and arrangement. The band begins their
narrative in an incredibly cohesive and perfectly played manner with a three-part piece titled "Midnight Tide,"
which, although just over eight minutes long, demonstrates that this album will combine symphonic elements,
lightly improvised jazz sounds, and delicate progressive passagework. The middle, instrumental section of this piece
sounds exceptional, providing a perfect transition between the slightly jazz-rock first part, whose main theme is an
"analysis" of the passage of time: "Though small our footprint in unfolding time / In living we reclaim our quiet
rhyme", and the third part, which returns to the jazz-rock style of the first part with additional, stronger elements.
What distinguishes this composition? The wonderful vocal lines truly sound exquisite.
They say you only look your best in a photo with your friends ? you're probably familiar with this rather
pessimistic saying. The song "My Anchor" featuring Liza on vocals, contradicts this thesis: "You, you're my best
friend / You are the light in my life / You stand by me as I stand by you for the rest of our lives / We've had our
storms, our nights of rain / Words like thunder, hearts in pain / But when silence falls, and shadows grow / I see the
light in you?I know." And it's not just a contradiction; it's also a very atmospheric song that leads the listener into a
land straight from Madonna's calmer songs. Yes? I know how it sounded, but please listen carefully to the vocal
line, which, despite the similarity (in my opinion), is very catchy and, together with the music, creates a very
pleasant atmosphere.
From there, it only gets better, as the band invites the listener on a shared flight into the heavens. In the
instrumental track "Cloud City," featuring Todd Sucherman and Lars Slowak, you can simply feel how each guitar
chord allows for a languid immersion in the entire landscape of delicate sounds. The musical expanse opens up,
inviting you to join them in traversing the vastness of space. Listen to the synthesizers halfway through the third
minute?we're on the bright side of the sun.
The spirit of space travel also permeates the composition "A Fleeting Echo": "In the quiet of the stars, / The
Earth's just a dot in the endless dark / The countries fade, the lines erase / What's a kingdom when the world's in
space?" I won't deny that this part of the first disc is one of my favorites. And if you're looking for songs that play
with the deepest emotions, this is the time to start. Finally George's wonderful vocals and Seth Hankerson's
(Emerald City Council) guitar work wonderfully together to create this incredibly relaxing song. There's not a single
unnecessary note, nor any unnecessary musical showoff? it's the pure musical essence of the best sounds, and it
lasts over ten minutes. And those synthesizers? but that was already mentioned? and on top of that, eight minutes
and thirty-two seconds ? the apogee of beauty!
This lineup is almost a guarantee of hearing something interesting: Finally George, Marco Minnemann, Seth
Hankerson, and Pete Trewavas. And so it is. "Time Never Pauses" - despite the ticking clock, it doesn't allow for a
second of rest. Our melodic-songy flight continues. "Time feels endless / When you were so young / Now every
second leaves a trace / A quiet ache we can't erase / Time never pauses, it only runs / From rising moons to setting
suns / The days we hold, the breath we take / Are borrowed moments we can't remake." Musically, another
excellent composition.
The first disc ends with a hit. "Afterglow" is one of the most beautiful songs of the past six months. John
Mitchell's voice adds a dramatic, yet deeply moving tone to the incredibly lulling music. Make a note of this title
somewhere; it could be the song of the year. What's more, the album also includes a radio version, less than three
minutes shorter, perfect for even very pop radio stations.
Album number two...? Don't ask. The band takes liberties, and the six songs on it reveal not only the band's
ambiguous side, but also (for me) a completely new side... full of improvisation, experimentation, sounds that are at
least unconventional and seem to be in slight contrast to the first disc. This is certainly a conscious decision, if you
remember the excerpt from the interview with Frank Us quoted at the beginning ? after all, the instigator of this
"commotion."
Listen to the nearly sixteen-minute composition "The Illusion of Knowing," divided into six scenes. A short
introduction ("Introduction") takes us to a musical observation of self-doubt, the downplaying of insufficient
knowledge when performing important tasks, and, in short, an analysis of Dunning-Kruger syndrome ("An
Observation by Dunning-Kruger"), which follows a path marked by symphonic arrangements with a very delicate
vocal line. Subsequent scenes in this story ("Echoes of Belief (Inspired by Confirmation Bias)" and "Against the Ivory
Tower") delight with their combination of symphonic sweep and incredibly delicate and highly narrative vocals. Jake
Livgren and Liza create incredible duets, a dialogue that explores issues of everyday life and the importance of
scientific evidence. An additional element of attraction is the guitar playing, which in the final part ("Reprise")
together with synthesizers creates an incredibly dramatic atmosphere expressed in the words: "...But can they
break free from the prison of their belief? / Face the storm and the questioning sea? / Prophets fall when the
seekers rise / Reclaiming the truth from the web of lies".
Immediately after this composition, a continuation, as it were, begins. Of course, the narrative arc once again
centered around the issue of self-belief ? "You should start shining / Just stand in for yourself / Their views can be a
self-made cage / Limiting your steps, fueling rage." Musically, "Leave the Prison" is simply magnificent. Full of
melancholy and a glimmer of hope, conjured up by a very delicate melody.
What would someone who can't sleep, weary of life, of everyday life, of themselves, see in a camera obscura? ?
"We're riding for years in a tunnel of horror / And these ghosts we can't get rid of / They haunt me almost every
night / I toss and turn I'm still awake." The song "Hounted House" doesn't answer this question, it only asks it.
Musically, it forces us to submit to sadness and melancholy, resounding like a complaining mantra on a restless
night.
The fourth track is an instrumental piece titled "Fear Pt. Three (Continuation)"... a continuation of... what? A
continuation of the two parts of "Fear" from 2020's "Aviation"? Is this the third part, following the two included on
that album ? "Fear Part One - Proximity and Distance" and "Fear Part Two - Hope and Failure"? Dark and unsettling,
full of organ improvisations, as trippy and jarring as the fear each of us has probably experienced. These are
questions for each of us to answer individually.
The penultimate track from the second album is like the words of the chorus ? "I'm dreaming, yeah / I'm
dreaming / While I'm running" (I dream, / I dream / when I run. "I'm Running" sounds like an uninhibited musical
display based on wonderful synthesizer work, a light touch that embellishes this composition somewhat in the style
of The Alan Parsons Project. Although the final two minutes provide many experimental and improvisational
passages.
And finally, the end... an instrumental composition with the perverse title ? "So Obvious While Obscura". Was
the best saved for last...? For those seeking uninhibited, improvisational musical expression, this track will
undoubtedly be the perfect culmination of the album (well, both albums). Other listeners shouldn't be disappointed
either. Despite a certain amount of improvisation, it's a perfect example of a symphonic jumble with such
wonderful shifts in rhythm, tempo, and mood. To paraphrase the title, one could say... it's obvious this is how this
album (these albums) had to end. And yet, it's somehow perversely obscure. After all, it's a distorted image of
what's around us ? beware, it's a camera obscura...! After all, every image can be inverted.
This album has carved a large hole in my musical heart and soul, into which all the sounds recorded here fall. I
can't say it's an album to listen to again and again. It's a rarity that requires the right occasion and the right attitude.
It's not a record that will make you shiver. It requires focus and willingness, but in return we get two full-length
releases full of incredible compositions that flow with the power of symphonic rock mixed with a touch of
improvisation, experimentation, and rock swagger. Most importantly, all of this works together for over ninety-four
minutes to create a magnificent double album. I recommend it, although it will take some effort to appreciate its
beauty.
See also MLWZ.pl

KARMAMOI Eternal Mistake (Heavy Prog, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:50:34 EST

Review by UnValley — Eternal Mistake is not simply another progressive rock concept album, it feels like a cinematic meditation on humanity, memory, artificial consciousness, and the terrifying beauty of emotional imperfection. Karmamoi move far beyond traditional prog structures here, building a record that constantly shifts between intimate fragility and explosive tension, while maintaining a surprisingly coherent emotional arc from beginning to end.

"The Regrets - Lara Is Your Name" opens the album like the first scene of a dystopian film. The spoken-word atmosphere slowly dissolves into dark melodic textures and a haunting sense of emotional disorientation. The band immediately establishes the central theme: the blurred line between human feeling and synthetic existence. The vocals carry both warmth and unease, while the instrumentation balances cinematic orchestration with modern progressive heaviness. At times, however, the intro lingers slightly too long before fully unfolding, which may test listeners expecting a more immediate impact.

"Don't Knock On The Door" feels dreamlike on the surface, but there is anxiety hidden beneath every note. The track floats through melancholic guitars and restrained electronics, creating a hypnotic tension. It's one of the album's most emotionally deceptive songs: delicate and elegant, yet constantly hinting at collapse. Still, the song occasionally plays things a bit too safely, never quite exploding emotionally in the way its atmosphere seems to promise.

With "I'm Not On Your Side", the album suddenly becomes aggressive and confrontational. Sharp riffs, distorted atmospheres, and nervous rhythmic changes transform the song into a critique of manipulation, technological alienation, and fractured identity. The energy here is explosive, but never chaotic; Karmamoi know exactly when to let the heaviness breathe and when to attack. If there is a weakness, it lies in the chorus, which feels slightly less memorable compared to the strength of the instrumental sections surrounding it.

"Nothing But" is one of the emotional peaks of the album. Stretching beyond ten minutes, it unfolds slowly and patiently, allowing themes of obsession, loss, and emotional dependency to evolve naturally. The arrangement continuously mutates between fragile passages and powerful crescendos, while the guest guitar work of Randy McStine adds both technical elegance and emotional intensity without ever feeling excessive. Some listeners may feel that a few mid-song transitions are overly extended, but the track's emotional payoff ultimately justifies its ambitious structure.

"The Mirror - No Soul" is perhaps the album's philosophical core. The opening section feels almost existential, like an artificial being becoming conscious of its own emptiness. "No Soul" then expands that idea into one of the most musically adventurous tracks on the record. Jazz-inflected textures, bluesy phrasing, electronic layers, and progressive structures coexist without ever sounding forced. At moments, though, the density of ideas risks overwhelming the emotional immediacy of the song itself.

The title track, "Eternal Mistake", is surprisingly direct and emotionally accessible. Beneath its melodic elegance lies one of the album's darkest realizations: mortality itself may be humanity's defining flaw. The chorus has a tragic beauty to it, and the arrangement avoids unnecessary complexity in favor of emotional clarity. While effective, the song's more conventional structure makes it slightly less adventurous than the album's strongest progressive moments.

"The Question - We Are Going Home" introduces a moment of vulnerability and hope. The dialogue-like opening feels almost like two consciousnesses trying to understand what love truly means. The duet vocals between the band and guest singer Susanna Brigatti bring warmth and humanity back into the narrative, creating one of the album's most touching moments. Her performance adds emotional depth and contrast without overpowering the atmosphere of the piece. The pacing, however, briefly slows the momentum of the record before the final act fully arrives.

Then comes "HERO", arguably the album's progressive centerpiece. Nearly ten minutes long, the track constantly evolves while remaining fluid and dynamic. The keyboards add sophistication and movement, the rhythm section remains vibrant throughout, and the composition feels alive from beginning to end. Lyrically, the song dismantles the mythology of modern heroism, exposing insecurity beneath the masks people wear. The keyboard contribution from Adam Holzman enriches the song considerably, adding layers of texture and atmosphere that elevate several sections into pure progressive grandeur. A tighter edit in some instrumental passages might have strengthened the impact even further, but the ambition is undeniable.

"Passing Away" acts as the emotional descent after the intensity of "Hero." There is sadness here, but also acceptance. The guitars feel spacious, the melodies reflective, and the entire track carries the sensation of drifting through fading memories. While beautifully atmospheric, it risks blending too softly into the surrounding material and leaves a less immediate impression compared to earlier highlights.

Finally, "No Fucking Way" closes the album with anger, rebellion, and unresolved tension. Instead of offering a comforting conclusion, Karmamoi choose disruption. It's abrupt, raw, and almost sarcastic - a final refusal to surrender individuality to control, conformity, or artificial perfection. Some listeners may find the ending intentionally frustrating rather than cathartic, but that discomfort also feels central to the album's message.

What makes Eternal Mistake so compelling is not only its musicianship - although the performances are consistently impressive - but its emotional intelligence. Many progressive rock albums become trapped inside their own technical ambitions. Karmamoi largely avoid that trap, even if there are moments where the conceptual scope slightly outweighs immediacy and conciseness.

The album feels modern without abandoning the spirit of classic progressive rock. You can hear echoes of cinematic sci-fi, melancholic art rock, heavy progressive textures, and orchestral atmospheres, yet the band still sounds unmistakably like themselves. At times the record demands patience, and not every transition lands with the same emotional force, but its ambition, atmosphere, and narrative depth make those flaws feel relatively minor.

In the end, Eternal Mistake is less about artificial intelligence than about human fragility. It asks whether love, memory, pain, and imperfection are flaws to overcome - or the very things that make us alive. Karmamoi may not answer every question perfectly, but they create an experience rich enough to make the listener stay inside those questions long after the music ends.

RADOMIR MIHAJLOVIC R. M. Tocak (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1976)

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:11:47 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Smak leader and guitarist Radomir "Tocak" Mihajlovic goes solo (even though his support band here is the complete
complement of his band, Smak).

1. "Oro" (2:34) a very sophisticated/demanding whole-band noodling exercise using Middle Eastern melody lines to
extract the skillful displays of virtuosity from all of the band members. (9/10)

2. "Aria Daimond" (6:35) sophisticated chord play from Tocak and organist Laza Ristovski opens this for the first 45
seconds before drummer Slobodan Stojanovic ("Kepa") and bassist Zoran Milanovic jump on board to serve up some
Blues-Rock fare for Tocak to show off his prodigious skills over. I have to say that everybody in this quartet shows
considerable skill--you have to in order to render the subtly-designed rhythms and melody lines that the composer
(Tocak) has proscribed for them. (9/10)

3. "Svrabe? (Boom '76)" (5:31) using a little Ohio Players funk to ground this R&B masterpiece, we get to hear some
more excellent instrumental work from Laza and Zoran in this multi-motifed song (the second of which is quite the
show case for "Kepa"'s skills as the band goes full-on hard rock so that Tocak can shred like a guitar god. In the middle
of the song the band drops away to watch Tocak work tout seul on his rock electric guitar shredding--a stretch that
takes us to the end of the song! Yes: two minutes of isolated electric guitar shredding! I'd rather have heard the full
band version for the entire length of the song. (8.875/10)

4. "Neki Paraziti" (3:08) more great skills display--from all four--as each adds their own special spice to the funky-rock
mix. What a great thing funk has been for Rock 'n' Roll! Laza's organ (and other keyboard) work is awesome but then
so is Zoran's bass, Kepa's drumming, and Tocak's guitar playing. The only thing missing are some catchy hooks or
earworm melodies. (8.875/10)

5. "Organizam Blues" (7:05) opening as the EAGLES/LYNYRD SKYNYRD-like four-chord blues-rocker that it becomes,
kind of plodding along while Tocak solos like the Eagles or Skynyrd tandems (only, I assume, by himself--on two
separate tracks). The skills are fine though I hear very little (like none) of Laza and very little is asked of either Zoran or
Kepa: it's just a vehicle for some nice twin-guitar soloing. Tocak never really ascends to the adrenaline-generating
heights of the two tandem teams I've compared him to but there's nothing poor or insufficient either. (13.25/15)

6. "Modifans" (4:30) a rather soul-less vehicle for more guitar skill display. Repetitive and relatively melody-less blues-
based music though impressive from a guitar fan's perspective. Reminds me of how I hear and receive Dixie Dregs
music. (8.875/10)

Total time 29:23

I really consider this music far closer to Rock 'n' Roll's registry of Hard Rockers or even Blues Rockers. I think the only
reasons that one might even consider this music for Jazz-Rock Fusion would be the purely instrumental nature of the
music as well as the high-level skillsets of the band members; there is very little Jazz emanating from these songs,
more of a Dixie Dregs and/or Cream vibe than Mahavishnu or Headhunters.

B/four stars; an excellent display of musicianship (and composition) that is, unfortunately, lacking something (besides
content: it's less than 30 minutes in length). Recommended for lovers of great electric guitar play; less so for those
seeking something more.

ANTHONY PHILLIPS Science - Mystery 2 (Symphonic Prog, 1990)

Fri, 15 May 2026 05:19:35 EST

Review by zeb1981 — Im not shure what to say about this release
Here is some info about Ant`s contributions :

Big Business (3:28) *
Chasm (3:22)
Sombre (1:48) [A Flock Of Souls] *
Helicopter (2:40)
Blues (3:26)
Hanging Rock (2:05) [Along The Towpath] *
Footsteps (1:58)
The Scaffold (1:20)
Alien (2:15)
North Pole (2:59)
Gentle Piano (1:43) [The Sky Road] *
Tri-Angles (3:00)
Neutral Anticipation (3:01) [Another Day basic track]
Celestial (3:00) [Mountain Voices] *

* = also commercially released under the same track title

This is yet another Library Release, But to be perfectly honest this is only
for UBER fans of Anthony Phillips, I listened through it once, and that enough for me

Again, hard to rank this at all. maybe a 2.5 for Ant`s contributions
The other artists, i didnt bother listening to

JAMES VINCENT Space Traveler (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1976)

Fri, 15 May 2026 05:13:10 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — One of the most talented UNKNOWN artists I've ever stumbled upon. How this guy never "made it" is beyond my
comprehension. The material for this amazing record was recorded At Capitol Studios and released by Caribou
Records sometime in 1976.

A1. "The Garden" (0:53) a true orchestral intro that bleeds right into . . .
A2. "Mankind" (4:20) opens with the energy of a funky 1970s Motown hit song as James' guitar fronts and leads
everything but the vocal, there is a great thickness to this while the engineer has everybody's tracks lined up without
anyone stepping on the toes of others. There's some Isley Brothers, some Earth, Wind & Fire, even some Jacksons feel
to this. Too bad it's not more lyrically or melodically engaging.(8.75/10)

A3. "Drifting Into Love" (4:45) amazing song with awesome vocals from Verdine White, amazing keyboard work
(clavinet and more) from Ronald Stockert, and such solid rhythm work from the rest of the band. (9.25/10)

A4. "Alone" (2:39) solo classical guitar. Quite proficient and professional (and original). (9.667/10)

A5. "Space Traveller" (3:21) opening with some full-finger picks of a couple classical guitar chords before the band
kicks in with a beautiful strings-supported space funk romance ballad. Syrupy but eminently enjoyable. (9.125/10)

A6. "Firefly" (5:39) a bit corny but the funk is great! Like a white rock guitarist's Earth, Wind & Fire. (9/10)

B1. "Song For Jayme" (5:34) keyboard bass with drums and rhythm guitars opens this before it slides into a gentle
strings-supported Smooth Jazz instrumental piece supporting a George Benson/Earl Klugh-like guitar lead. One
mustn't forget how skilled/talented this guy is as a guitarist, but also as a composer of these rich songs! Very
impressive guitar playing. (9.125/10)

B2. "How I'm Gonna Miss You" (5:15) back to the lush strings-supported mid-1970s Motown sound as James' deeply
soulful vocals could be mistaken for bassist Verdine White's Earth, Wind & Fire vocals--only James might be better!
Great support from the background vocalists, as well. Very powerful! (9.25/10)

B3. "Stepping Up" (1:13) the intro for the next song. Powerful! (4.5/5)

B4. "Walking On Higher Ground" (4:01) I love the combination of clavinet, fuzz guitar, and piano moving forward the
middle ground of this song while bass and drums provide minimum dynamics as James' Temptations-like vocal and
dynamic guitar play occupy the top end almost exclusively. Great background vocal support as well. (9.25/10)

B5. "Moonday" (6:57) a fusion of African rhythms, Jazz-Rock guitar, Yacht Rock keyboards, and Steely Dan-like total
sound palette that comes out as a great Latin percussion vehicle for Fusion. I love the inclusion of berimbau and other
African hand drum instruments as well as James' courageous and unique blending of traditions and sounds.
(13.875/15)

Total time: 44:38

For an artist I'd never even heard of before this year I have to say that I feel rather sad that history has never
recognized this incredibly talented guitarist and songwriter: he really deserves his props. Though I don't really
consider this prime Jazz-Rock Fusion (it's more akin to jazzy Soul/R&B), it is definitely amazingly-well conceived,
crafted, and performed music.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of eclectic rock- and jazz-infused Soul/R&B from an underappreciated (unknown!)
talent that the world should know. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

ANTHONY PHILLIPS Deeper Mysteries (Symphonic Prog, 1985)

Fri, 15 May 2026 04:54:31 EST

Review by zeb1981 — This release contain one side with ALL Anthony Phillips on Keyboards and Composions
All of this music is very similar to his music released on "Private Parts and Pieces Vol 7"
Infact this release contains early versions of some of the songs from that album

1 Light Reflection (2:54) [Between The Rings] *
2 Time-Lapse (2:48)
3 Mirage (2:15)
4 Icicles (1:56) [Ice Flight (iii) Flight Of The Albatross: Ice Island (original version) X
5 Caves (2:47)
6 Rapids (3:16) [Streamer (full length version) X
7 New Dawn (3:24) [Evening Ascent] *
8 Majestic (2:42) [Rottweiler] *

]]>�X = commercially released in a different mix/version under the track title in brackets

For those who wants to listen to this, Just do a you tube search :
Various: Deeper Mysteries (1984//UK Library LP//Atmosphere Music ATMOS 011)

I never bothered listening to Side B, which is all composed by Geoff Leach

This one is hard to rate based on the 23 minutes by Ant, But if you enjoy his PP&P Vol 7 Slow Waves, Soft Stars
Be shure to take a listen to this, imho all of these songs would fit easily as bonus tracks on that release !

BLACK SHEEP WALL I'm Going To Kill Myself (Experimental/Post Metal, 2015)

Fri, 15 May 2026 03:17:20 EST

Review by UMUR — "I'm Going To Kill Myself" is the third full-length studio album by US, California based sludge
metal act Black Sheep Wall. The album was released through Season of Mist in January 2015. It]]>�successor to "No Matter Where it Ends" from March 2012, although the two full-length studio albums
are bridged by the June 2013 "It Begins Again" EP. Since the release of "It Begins Again" guitarist
Garrett Randall and lead vocalist Trae Malone have left and Black Sheep Wall is therefore down to
the original trio lineup of Brandon Gillichbauer (bass, vocals), Scott Turner (guitars), and Jackson
Thompson (drums). The former assumes the lead vocalist role for the first time in the band]]>�history, since the vocals on the band]]>�otherwise also recorded by the same core trio, featured guest lead vocals by Jeff Ventimiglia (I Got
Shot in the Face, The Faceless). Former vocalist Malone is however featured as guest vocalist on the
tracks "The Wailing and the Gnashing Teeth" and "White Pig".

The change on the lead vocalist spot has quite a significant impact on Black Sheep Wall]]>�Gillichbauer has a raw high pitsched screaming hardcore vocal style, rather than the more deep
brutal shouting on the previous releases. The instrumental part of the music has also changed/been
developed since the earlier releases and it]]>�post-metal than the more heavy and brutal sludge metal of past releases. The music is still quite
heavy and doomy at times, but Black Sheep Wall incorporate a lot of atmospheric parts and clean
guitar sections, which make "I'm Going To Kill Myself" their most varied release up until then.

"I'm Going To Kill Myself" only features four tracks, but they are all very long. "The Wailing and
the Gnashing Teeth", "Tetsuo the Dead Man", and "White Pig" are all 9-10 minutes long, while album
closer "Metallica" is a 33:05 minutes long mastodon of a track. The semi-clean/acoustic guitar
dominated atmospheric "The Wailing and the Gnashing Teeth" is quite the unsettling and harrowing
listening experience with Gillichbauer screaming throughout the track. It]]>�a creative structure. "Tetsuo the Dead Man" is heavier, featuring more distortion, and a more doomy/
sludgy feel. The same with "White Pig" which is a nicely atmospheric yet heavy sludge metal track.
Gillichbauer]]>�sludge/doom metal territory. The longer you get into "White Pig" though it becomes quite the
adventurous and progressive song, so this is by no means run-of-the-mil sludge metal.

Of course a 33:05 minutes long track like "Metallica" deserves it]]>��not everyday you come across a sludge metal song that long. Stylistically it]]>�same mold as the other tracks on the album though, just longer and actually less experimental than
some of the other tracks. It]]>�screaming vocals on top but the crushingly heavy riffs and drumming are quite repetitive on
"Metallica". The track can more or less be broken down into three 10 minutes long and quite
repetitive sludge metal sections/sub-tracks and a few atmospheric interlude moments.

"I'm Going To Kill Myself" features a raw, heavy, and detailed sound production, which suits the
material well, and upon conclusion it]]>��quite different from their preceding releases which is in large part due to Gillichbauer taking over
the vocal duties, but also because of the more experimental and at times slightly avant-garde nature
of Black Sheep Wall]]>�
(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT The Turn of a Friendly Card (Crossover Prog, 1980)

Fri, 15 May 2026 02:37:53 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — 'The Turn of a Friendly Card' is the fifth studio album from The Alan Parsons Project, marking a
slight return to the progressive rock sound of the duo's earlier days, as preceding album 'Eve' had
focused on a soft rock aesthetic that had almost completely stripped the project bare of its musical
personality. Nevertheless, this 1980 concept album sees APP come back to experimenting with a
variety of themes and moods as well as capturing some of the more convincing vocal performances of
the year. We could probably speak of a formula that the duo uses to construct their albums, a
formula that works by combining a symphonic-laden background with tight grooves and a singer-
songwriter style of art rock, with a strong emphasis on the vocalists' role in bringing the concept
to life. And in the case of 'The Turn of a Friendly Card', it all seems to work brilliantly - the
mood is dramatic and the themes are playful and groovy, while the production is as good as ever. And
while this is not the best APP album, it certainly has several great songs and a couple of really
memorable themes.

Now, this record had become the best-selling LP of the duo after its release, and if you think about
it, it is more a child of the 70s than it is of the 80s - which is probably why you could draw
comparisons to what Genesis, Rush, or Peter Gabriel were doing around that time. The soft tones, the
elegant guitars, tight rhythms and the playful-melodic aesthetic had brought a marketable art rock
ambience to the progressive rock genre that is depicted beautifully by this album. There is the
gorgeous opener 'May Be a Price to Pay', which brings elements of 'Tales' or 'I Robot' to the mix,
while the hit single 'Games People Play' offers a very accessible poppy sound, which the duo had
already explored on 'Eve' and on 'Pyramid'. 'Time' is another interesting piece, an almost
psychedelic pop ballad that works well in the context of the album. The instrumental track 'The Gold
Bug' opens side two with a funky lounge groove and is then followed by the five-part title track
suite. This is not a typical prog rock suite but rather a patchwork of different themes, of which
the main one is quite delightful, together with the excellent rocking number 'Snake Eyes'. It is an
ambitious long track that impresses with the fine instrumental parts and lush melodies, which is
probably valid for the entire album here. So whether you like it or not, the fifth APP studio album
is objectively a very effective art rock collection with great production and songwriting.

ANTHONY PHILLIPS Gemini - Pieces For Piano (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 01:45:31 EST

Review by zeb1981 — This is another double album recorded solely by Mr Phillips
44 Piano pieces, with little to no overdubbing
Most of the pieces are very straightforward, calm and (sadly) predictable
which is the opposite of everything that makes Mr Phillips a true GENIOUS !

The ONE song which MUST be mentioned though :
"Chansons Sans Mots" a 18 minute long suite !
This is just PRIME Anthony Phillips, and holds up to anything he ever have done before !!
WHOAH !! 5/5 for this little masterpiece !

Im trying not to be too negative about this album, but most of it left me cold and bored tbh
Even if there are other good moments on this album, Overall 44 piano only songs is for me 33 too many

(S O R R Y A N T !)

Audio wise, this sounds better than any of his older Piano only albums,
But those have to me a mystique and charm not featured outside the earlier mentioned EPIC !
And when it comes to Ant`s music im such a sucker for his GUITAR work, or even Orchestral albums, or early "Prog" albums where he manages to blend it all so perfectly together as a whole

I really wanted to enjoy this entire album, but as with his earlier piano only albums :
"Soiree" and "Ivory Moon" which i also struggle with as a whole (Shure Ivory Moon have some real good stuff on it, But Soiree is the most boring Ant album there is, NOT his worst though (That one goes to "Sail The World"
Gemini sounds to me like a continuation of "Soire" with mostly stiff, bland, songs of lost love and grief and so on....uhm, im shure if i was a 65 year old sensitive man, i would probably enjoy it all a little more than i do....

Anyway, sorry for this downer review, i look forward to other reviews being published in here !
BUT the fact that i give this a 3/5 is only for the EPIC song and one or two other shorter songs......
I`d honestly rate it a LOW 3 out of 5 in total.............. (Should i regret posting this review !? Admins feel free to remove it, when others have done better and more positive reviews of this album. I SO WANTED TO LOVE THIS ALBUM. Peace on earth !

LE ORME Storia O Leggenda (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1977)

Thu, 14 May 2026 22:07:41 EST

Review by The Progolyte — While it may not be as good as their last album, Le Orme's 1977 record titled Storia O Leggenda is definitely
worth talking about when it comes to the greatest records in their discography. It's a rough continuation of
what came with Verit]]>�mixes in intricate sections here and there to keep things interesting. I also really liked the album cover and
its similarities to Uomo Di Pezza, as both covers were done by Walter Mac Mazzieri, who would
unfortunately go on to rarely do more amazing artwork for the band. Overall, I think I would've liked this
band better if they had a more progressive sound in the music, as if they did, we might've gotten something
close to Uomo Di Pezza or Collage, and I think I would've really enjoyed that. When looking at the lineup of
the album, the personnel include Germano Serafin on all guitars, Antonio Pagliuca on keyboards, Aldo
Tagliapietra on bass, lead vocals, and also Indian harp (which I didn't know he could play), and Michi Dei
Rossi on drums and percussion.

While all the songs on here are quite short (all of them are around four minutes long, with only one song
reaching the five-minute mark), they each bring some good quality music to the table and manage to each
stand for themselves as great songs. Maybe not amazing, but just great. As for what my favorite songs
were, it's hard to pinpoint which ones because they were all kind of blending in with each other stylistically
and were all equal in terms of how much good material was on each song, but I'd probably pick the ending
track Al Mercato Delle Pulci because it's arguably the most complex and is more defined by rock and the
heavier Rock Progressivo Italiano sound rather than folk or pop. By heavier I don't mean hard rock or heavy
prog, but the track just has more present guitars in the song. Overall, this was a great album full of pretty
good material that could've had more potential if they had more energy and were more intense instead of
it being shorter, more radio-friendly oriented songs.

In conclusion, this is an excellent album definitely worth checking out for fans of Le Orme. Maybe not the
best place to start with them, but still a pretty good album. I personally think its current rating at the time
of writing this, 3.53/5, is perfect for it, so I'm giving it a slightly high 3.5/5.

CROWN LANDS Apocalypse (Heavy Prog, 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 18:32:20 EST

Review by TheCysquatch — The third full-length by Ontario power duo Crown Lands is largely structured like a strict combination of
their first two albums: the big hooks and short, accessible tracks of Side A evoke their self-titled debut,
while the massive title track that sprawls across Side B continues in the epic prog tradition of their
sophomore release, 'Fearless'. But while the earlier albums were somewhat more derivative of Led
Zeppelin and Rush, 'Apocalypse' sees the band moving more into their own unique niche beyond their
influences.

Make no mistake, though: there's still a plethora of musical touchstones and references to Rush and Led
Zeppelin here (as well as to Pink Floyd and King Crimson). But at the same time, many of the riffs bring to
mind The Sword, being stylistically centred in a sort of caveman-esque stoner rock paradigm, though they
are still far more intelligent and ambitious than the genre's standard fare.

'Proclamation I' kicks things off with layers of keyboards slowly growing across long, dramatic suspensions.
It's an effective buildup, creating anticipation and momentum efficiently across a tight 81 seconds.

'Foot Soldier of the Syndicate' picks up this momentum and rips into a killer, swaggering riff which gives
way to some insanely high pitched, shrieking vocals. The chorus hook is exceptional, while the bridge
sections see vocalist Cody Bowles trading their trademark shrieks for a playful, whimsical, almost sultry
delivery that brings to mind 1973-1975 Robert Plant. This delivery recurs frequently throughout the album,
but most notably in the verses of 'Through the Looking Glass' and 'Apocalypse'.

'Through the Looking Glass' slows things down but still manages to carry the drama onwards admirably.
That chorus is especially unbelievable, and little details like the guitar fills at the end of vocal lines and the
piercing delivery of the soaring melody make this a deceptively rich listen. Lyrically, this could be the most
they've ever hammed up the fantastical themes (and that's saying something), and it delights my nerdy little
heart in the same way the cheesiest power metal bands do.

'Blackstar' boasts another rager of a riff, and the chorus hook seems plucked straight out of 80s arena rock
for the purposes of being a blast of a sing-along. The heavily processed lead guitar blazes through a
melodic yet primitive stoner rock solo section that swirls in a wonderfully heady way.

'The Fall' has yet another massive riff and chorus, this time a bit more mid-paced but no less catchy. What's
really neat to hear is the more subdued verses, which, with a strict four-on-the-floor drum pattern and
palm-muted single-note guitar line, evoke 'The Wall'-era Pink Floyd without becoming totally derivative. The
dense tangle of overlapping lead guitar phrases at the end is complimented by some fun rolling drum fills.

'The Revenants I' is a gorgeous, tranquil acoustic ballad. The high vocals that slide so easily in and out of
falsetto bring to mind their earlier track 'Sun Dance', while the pristine, gloomy acoustic guitar part feels
like something off of Pink Floyd's 'Animals'. When the deep mournful flutes previously used on their twin
'Ritual' mini-albums come back at the end of the track, it's a perfect climax to the piece and also a
wonderful demonstration of how the instrument can be applied to a more conventional setting than the
band's rather experimental 2025 EPs.

The album's centrepiece, the side-long epic title track, is the most musically and lyrically ambitious thing
they've done to date, blending elements of all their earlier stylistic approaches and the diverse sounds of
their influences as well as using new techniques in arrangement like gang vocals and densely harmonized
antiphonal vocal passages to organize and deliver the narrative in a maximally effective manner.

In between heavy, grand verses we get a lot of musical contrast, including one section clearly inspired by
Pink Floyd (specifically 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)'), several others bringing to mind the playfully hocketed
guitar lines of King Crimson's rock gamelan era, and, of course, several bearing the synth sequences and
add11 chords of 1978-1987 Rush. Towards the end, misty Mellotron accompaniment fades in alongside the
acoustic guitars, tinkling pitched percussion, and gentle vocals to create a gloomy backdrop that brings to
mind Opeth's 'Damnation'.

Across all these disparate movements, we are led through contrasting emotions: triumphant refrains,
disorientingly cacophonous bridges, and mournful interludes. Taken as a whole, they form a remarkably
effective tour through the stages of a great battle. Seventeen minutes in, the verse is repeated one last
time before a stately, solemn outro full of long suspensions and resolutions brings things to a close. It truly
feels like the bittersweet conclusion of a cacophonous cataclysm, leaving one to grieve for what has been
lost and wonder with equal hope and anxiety about what may come next.

Overall, this is a much more dense work than their earlier efforts, featuring far more layering of vocal lines,
keyboards, and guitars, and a greater focus on storytelling. This density initially made it a bit of a tough nut
to crack, but across dozens of listens over the last couple months I've found that it really unfolded into
something incredible. It helps that the mix is so rich and clear, allowing all those myriad layers to be
investigated and appreciated in depth.

Thus far in the band's catalogue, guitarist Kevin Comeau has looked to maximize the sonic impact of his
guitar, bass, and keyboard lines by keeping them very separate and covering as much space as he can with
minimal overlap between them. That's still largely true, but this album feels more skewed towards keeping
the guitar at the forefront of the instrumentation, leaving the other ones playing more of an accompanying
role. Whether it's simply a stylistic choice or an increase in confidence on the instrument, the result is the
same: this album boasts way more swaggering riffs and bold solos than anything this band has done
before.

It says a lot about the consistency of Bowles' drum pedigree that a collection of performances as
impressive as those found on this album would be included as an afterthought here. While the big stories
with this record are to be found elsewhere, I'd be doing Bowles a disservice if I failed to mention the drum
work now. Technical prowess and tasteful, laid-back song-serving work are perfectly balanced throughout.
Though their evolving vocal approach played a much more noticeable role on this record, the drums were
also immaculate.

If you'd asked me a few months ago whether this album would stand up to 'Fearless', I might have replied
in the negative. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the title track at first, and might even have been a little
concerned about what the full album would hold. But now I'm hard pressed to find anything to complain
about at all. Whatever it lacks in immediacy, this album more than makes up for in musical and lyrical
depth and evolution. It may, in the future, be broadly recognized as an improvement upon its predecessor.
It seems Cody and Kevin have exceeded themselves once again in delivering an exceptional bit of music.

GENESIS Duke (Symphonic Prog, 1980)

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:40:12 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — The Ghost of Mayfield Lodge was a track by Brand X, Phil Collins' side project, from a 1978 album on which he didn't
participate. But by 1980, Genesis had five members live...three in the studio, and while recording Duke, the ghost of
Mayfield Lodge crept in at times...making it four, with the past battling the present that was mutating into another
band in the future...and that's how Duke was composed, allowing you to glimpse who each track belonged
to...instrumental passages against new wave pop songs, cover art that hinted at the change of direction...and yet
Phil Collins' beard and beret...Tony Banks' inclinations towards operatic arrangements, and those powerful,
melodically rich bass lines from Mike Rutherford brought to life the band's last album with progressive passages,
uneven, but complexly rich in its sound, echoes of which would remain in future songs on Genesis (1983) and We
Can't Dance (1991).

The band's songwriting style was no longer the same after Banks and Rutherford recorded their respective solo
albums, A Curious Feeling (1979) by Banks and Smallcreep's Day (1980) by Rutherford. They had already been
composing as founding members of the group, but releasing albums under their own names changed the
landscape. Collins was still unsure about his material, as he harbored artistic inclinations that made him judge it as
commercial and not worthy of release, and this was evident in each of his compositions on the album. But when
they composed together...the old magic of the trio was present, and exciting instrumental passages emerged.

Behind the Lines starts off strong and could easily be interpreted by a horn section, which speaks to Phil Collins'
love for soul, funk, and Earth, Wind & Fire. However, its development is epic, and Tony Banks manages to make the
melody progress with sections that follow one another with admirable logic. It flows naturally, is digestible, light,
and complex at the same time. Collins already has a well-defined personality as a singer, something that has been
developing since he took on that role years ago. It's an album of luminous, almost festive energy, unlike ...And Then
There Were Three... but it's still them.

New technologies were present...as is evident in Duchess, but with a symphonic approach, a dramatic sensibility,
the drums, and Collins's precise vocals fill the entire space, and the trio seems to need nothing more. Guide Vocal
still showcases Collins's debt to Gabriel, subtle and with contrasts, as will Man of Our Times, by Rutherford,
powerful and sung in diverse tones, reminiscent of the lyrical styles of yesteryear.

Misunderstanding belongs to Collins, and it already sounds like a different band, or rather, a different solo artist. A
different foundation, a different development, almost a ballad somewhere between disco and the 50s, yet very
catchy, already showcasing his talent as a hit songwriter with genuine freshness... only perhaps it felt out of place
within the band's context.

Heathaze is unmistakably Tony Banks... his layered style is recognizable, and Collins sings it beautifully, feeling what
Banks wanted to convey, singing it with wisdom. Had it been made years earlier, it would have been even more
complex, and indeed, the version that remains is complex and beautiful, full of feeling and many simultaneous
arrangements to discover with each listen. The magic of Tony Banks that made him so beloved.

Turn It On Again is ideal for playing live in stadiums...and that's exactly what they did! It might be new wave, but it's
a very powerful track, with presence, and again...it would be great in another context, but on the album as a whole,
it sounds like it belongs on a compilation that mixes Genesis band material with Collins' solo work. Something that
had never happened before.

In Alone Tonight it's so noticeable that the original skeleton of the song is Rutherford...that one imagines it on an
Anthony Phillips record!, maybe Collins only makes it his own in the chorus. Cul-De-Sac should have been on A
Curious Feeling, and it shows. It has so many different facets... and it tackles them all at once, resulting in a truly
thrilling experience. Phil rises to the challenge and sings fabulously, while also playing those complex, constantly
shifting drum parts with the precision of the exceptional drummer he always was. The composition blends a certain
music hall feel with elements reminiscent of Kurt Weill, and again, he perfectly captures the song's drama in his
vocals... along with the keyboard flourishes, making it one of the album's gems.

Please Don't Ask is one of those devastating Collins ballads that, when played by his bandmates, acquire more
depth, but it corresponds to a terrain that he would elaborate on later.
Duke's Travels closes as it began, with the trio playing together...with improvisation as it was originally
composed...and the same symphonic device of repeating previously played sections, like horn echoes, as they had
done in "Los Endos" from A Trick of the Tail.

Here, Phil plays the drums...and Tony plays his classic rapid scales and interludes, in a powerful and dark symphony
akin to the final segment of Cinema Show. Rutherford's skillful accompaniment is also on full display, bringing the
progressive period to a grand close, with pomp and circumstance. To quote Elgar, the keyboards soar...the drums
seem to be everywhere...and everything accelerates because there's no room for melancholy in the '80s. The trio
plays at full throttle as if they were performing live; Mike's bass is more prominent...and the music freezes like a
cinematic snapshot of happier times.

HAKEN Visions (Heavy Prog, 2011)

Thu, 14 May 2026 12:47:15 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — Haken's 'Visions' is the band's sophomore studio release, a daring concept album that has become one
of the most remarkable and beloved albums in modern progressive metal. With this record Haken did
not just replicate the intensity of their debut LP 'Aquarius', but they actually managed to expand
their musical vocabulary and construct an eclectic collection of songs that is as technically
fascinating as it is musically enjoyable. There is a fine range of styles and structures on
'Visions', as indicated also by the album's track list, with the band combining excellent standard-
length metal numbers, with long and winding multi-part epics that definitely rival the complexity
and eclecticism of some classic prog suites. And in this regard, what I appreciate about 'Visions'
the most is perhaps the Gentle Giant-esque quirkiness and the ostensibly more experimental
compositions. There is a strikingly fine balance between symphonic and heavy, too, which would
become a trademark of the band's sound.

Of course, comparisons to 'Metropolis Pt. 2' seem to be inevitable, and while there are similarities
between the structure and style of the two concept albums in question, 'Visions' stands out with a
surreal atmosphere that can probably be attributed to the band's fascination with classic symphonic
prog, elements of which can be found all over this 2011 release. This is a record that is very warm
and melodic, and the guitar tone in particular is really enjoyable - just listen to the excellent
playing on the opening track 'Premonition', which works as an overture and introduces some really
peculiar, playful themes that would be picked up and expanded later on. Among the standout
compositions here is the epic 'Nocturnal Conspiracy', with its thirteen minutes of intense, hyper-
modern atmospheric prog metal. Compositionally, this has to be one of Haken's best recordings,
indicating a maturing band that is looking for that balance between light and heavy. 'Insomnia' is
another great track with lots of technical licks, while 'The Mind's Eye' introduces a softer, more
ethereal side of this record. Of the next two tracks, I tend to prefer 'Deathless' over
'Shapeshifter', mainly because it is the less conventional of the two, with Haken exploring an
interesting darker aesthetic. The closing piece is the exquisite 22-minute-long title track, which
is a really complex piece that sees Haken juggling between multiple styles and tackling a motherload
of odd time signatures. Definitely one of their signature pieces.

In a word, 'Visions' is a wonderfully executed album, behind which lies a fascinating concept, with
the band exploring the story lavishly through the multi-faceted nature of their music, delivering
one of the most exhilarating performances in contemporary prog metal. Together with 'The Mountain',
this album has to be one of their best releases overall.

JETHRO TULL Live At Hammersmith '84 (Prog Folk, 1990)

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:39:51 EST

Review by Warthur — Sourced from a Friday Rock Show broadcast, this captures Jethro Tull on the Under Wraps tour - an
endeavour which might have posed a bit of a headache for them, since the material on that album
relies on a particular production style that doesn't necessarily translate well to live performance
and wasn't exactly embraced with shrieking enthusiasm by the group's fanbase. No surprise, then,
that the setlist draws only lightly on that album, but the aggressive, hard-edged renditions of
classic material breathes new life into highly familiar numbers. Hardly essential, but Tull fans
will enjoy it - and the purists will likely prefer it to Under Wraps itself.

JETHRO TULL Under Wraps (Prog Folk, 1984)

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:31:50 EST

Review by Warthur — This is the Jethro Tull album to go for if you're in a synthpop mood - and really, that kind of sums
up why it gets such a bad rap. The musical direction of the band has evolved significantly over the
years - the blues rock of the debut wasn't the folk-classical-hard rock blend of Benefit of
Aqualung, which gave rise to but was distinct from the song suite era of Thick as a Brick or A
Passion Play, which was different in turn from the folk rock trilogy with which they rounded out the
1970s.

Still, if there's one thing you can say was a common strand running through the discography up to
this point, it was the interplay of acoustic and electric instruments in a blend which favoured the
former more than many of their peers did. On Under Wraps, the formula shifted, with the flute and
acoustic guitar there to provide texture and a few moments of wistful nostalgia in the midst of a
synth-dominated sound, with a drum machine instead of a human drummer providing, to some listeners,
the final insult.

If you jumped straight from Broadsword and the Beast to this, it would be a wrench for sure, though
actually that album was something of a "back to basics" affair after A, which provides a much closer
precedent for this album, both in terms of its sound and in terms of sparking controversy. But the
closest predecessor was Ian Anderson's solo album of the preceding year, Walk Into Light, which
showcased the songwriting partnership of Anderson and synth wizard Peter-John Vettese: basicaly,
Under Wraps is Walk Into Light if Martin Barre and David Pegg had shown up and if Anderson used the
flute a tad more.

Of the two albums, I'd say Walk Into Light has the edge - it's not even pretending to be a Jethro
Tull album, so it doesn't feel obliged to throw in any sops to the band's history. Under Wraps leans
poppier on the early songs in the running order, works in some moments more reminiscent of the
group's past on Heat and Under Wraps #2, and caps things off with Apogee, where the different
strands Anderson and Vettese are playing with come together in a final union. I think it's
underrated and overhated, but then again I'm a 1980s baby who likes the production style of the era
when it's in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, and I can't blame others if they
feel differently about this one.

NAPALIS Napalis (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1976)

Thu, 14 May 2026 10:14:58 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — The debut release from this Dutch ensemble was recorded in September 1976 in Hilversum and then released by
Negrum Records before the end of the year.

A1. "I'll Smile, Part 1" (4:16) with Henny Vonk's elephantine bass sound, Rob van den Broeck's ivory-tinkling Fender
Rhodes play and jungle-like synthesizer sounds mixed with Rob van den Broeck's near-Disco beat and Neppie Noya's
jungle percussion work and Dick Vennik's great Jay Beckenstein soprano sax play, we have a song that feels as if it
should be the crowd (and band) warmup for a Michael Jackson concert! I like the performances and compositional
structure better than the melodies and overall motif. (9/10)

A2. "I'll Smile, Part 2" (6:11) "Part 2" starts out as if a completely different song with slow, spacious sonosphere that is
slowly presented with Rhodes flourishes and independent contributions thrown in from all of the other instruments.
In the second minute Dick Vennik's tenor sax steps up to take the front. This sounds very much like the structure and
approach of several of NOVA's songs on their 1976 masterpiece, Vimana--especially the title song. (Coincidentally,
Vimana was released on September 7--just before the studio sessions that led to the recording of Napalis' material.)
Sadly, there are some engineering flaws in my copy of this album--overdrive scratches whenever Dick's sax, flute, or
Michael's guitar spurts out something loud. Interesting and creative if, quite possibly, a bit imitative. Also, the sound
palette of drummer Leo de Ruiter's toms sound a bit out-of-tune with the rest of the instrumental palette. Also, it just
feels as if the song never really went anywhere--never took us anywhere much less provided resolution to the
questions left behind from Part 1. (8.75/10)

A3. "Napalis" (9:47) some Jazz-Rock Fusion that, while feeling as if informed and founded in the Third Wave of J-R F's
evolution, shows plenty of signs of the emerging (and enticing) Smooth Jazz medium: there are just a lot more
concessions to melodic accessibility as well as commercially proven tricks, gimmicks, and hooks. Don't get me wrong:
this is still highly-skilled and highly-sophisticated Jazz-Rock Fusion song (based on an Indian melody riff that
Mahavishnu John McLaughlin was promoting with his new SHAKTI venture), it's just showing signs of currying favor
with the masses. All in all, this is a very impressive rendering of a very complex composition. Mega kudos to all band
members--especially guitarist Michael Samson, keyboard genius Rob van den Broeck (the two composers of the song),
as well as drummer Leo de Ruiter. (18.25/20)

B1. "Instant Thing" (4:00) a hard-driving burst into fast-moving RTF-like Power Fusion: the kind that has strong
presence of Fender Rhodes, saxophone, effected rock guitar, and Moog-like synths. The four rhythmatists (Henny,
Leo, Neppie, and Rob's left hand) seem totally synched though the pace must have been really challenging to maintain
and sustain. Lots of sophisticated bridges and chord progressions fill the spaces between the solos, offering a further
view of just how tight the whole band was. (9.25/10)

B2. "Roslyn And Mea" (3:20) gently picked chord arpeggi from a treated 12-string guitar are soon joined by wordless
female voice (obviously uncredited contributions of the great Henny Vonk), flute, synthesizer flutes, electric bass, and
wood and metal percussion: providing a very Folk/Canterbury sound to ease the listener into a state of pastoral bliss.
(9.125/10)

B3. "Venetian Splash" (13:05) a two-part epic that offers a nicely hypnotic rhythm track to groove to while observing
the creatively-effected and -teamed solos of the saxes, keys, and guitars. (22.46/25)
a. "Harmon" (1:09) hard-drivin' proggy rock intro which bleeds over continuously into the second movement.
(4.333/5)
b. "Bitumen En Paragnosten" (5:26) though the rhythm track remains fairly locked in, the electric guitar and
saxophone solos that occur over the top are top notch. The RETURN TO FOREVER-like bridges between the chorus and
verse sections are quite impressive. Henny Vonk (Chris Hinze Combination) is very impressive on the electric bass--it's
just so nice to see the presence of a woman--an extremely talented woman--in the J-R F and Prog ranks. Keyboardist
Rob van den Broeck does some cool stuff with electric piano and synths (in tandem with Michael Samson's electric
guitar and Dick Vennick's tenor sax) while Henny, Neppie, Rob, and Leo de Ruiter continue to hold down the low end.
(9/10)
c. "Insert" (6:30) the more spacious (drum-less) motif continues with Henny and Neppie seeming to have control of
the rhythm track while Rob, Dick, and Michael take turns with further soloing. Nice to see Neppie and Leo given some
solo time toward the end. (9.125/10)

Total time: 40:39

Some excellent Power Fusion that feels as if a bunch of talented musicians finally got their act together to go into a
studio to record the musics they loved from the recent stuff being released in the ever- and quickly-evolving world of
Jazz-Rock Fusion: Mahavishnu Orchestra, Passport, Return To Forever, Nova, Chris Hinze, John Lee & Gerry Brown,
Charlie Mariano, Missus Beastly, and many more.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of very well constructed and wonderfully-performed Third Wave Power Fusion.

SUN CAGED Sun Caged (Progressive Metal, 2003)

Thu, 14 May 2026 08:59:04 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Once Dream Theater hit the scene in the early 90s with "Images And Words," the progressive metal
rage had begun and suddenly legions of imitators were lining up to cash in on the next craze. On the
one hand it really upped the technical competence in the metal world but on the other too many
simply were happy just playing the clone game and didn't really exhibit any signs of a creative
edge. One such band Lemur Voice from the Netherlands was the perfect example of Dream Theater
worship but only lasted long enough for two albums before bowing out of the prog metal arms race.
Before that band folded though two members, guitarist Marcel Coenen and drummer Dennis Leeflang
started a side project called SUN CAGED in 1999 however once Lemur Voice ceased to exist, SUN CAGED
became the duo's main baby and in its 15 year run released three rather highly revered albums
beginning with this self-titled debut from 2003.

Album #1 was a completely different band that what came after with all the members bailing except
Coenen for future releases. This debut featured vocalist Andr]]>�Rob van der Loo (Form, Soulcatcher, Triple 7) and keyboardist Joost van den Broek (After Forever,
Star One) along with Coenen (Form, Speedica, Lemur Voice) on guitars and Dennis Leeflang (Aerik Von
Band, Carthago, I.N.C) on drums. The project was overlooked and nixed by none other than Aryeon's
own Arjen Anthony Lucassen, another obvious candidate for inspiration for the SUN CAGED sound. While
comparisons to Dream Theater are spot on, SUN CAGED was not just a DT clone by any means as the band
drew from many wellsprings of inspiration including Fates Warning, Crimson Glory, Savatage and
Shadow Gallery at least in the prog metal department but as far as the non-metal is concerned
certain keyboard tricks are right out of the classic Kansas playbook.

This team of seasoned veterans delivered a crafty album's worth of top notch prog metal that
featured nine tracks that amounted to 59 minutes of playing time. It's the typical 90s style of an
operatic vocalist in the accompaniment of a guitar wizard, an equally talented keyboardist and a
strong rhythm section shared by the bass and drums. Blending classic 70s symphonic prog with the
modern world of metallic distortion and technical flashiness, SUN CAGED was a bit more dynamic than
Dream Theater at least in terms of the powerful guitar riffs and technical outbursts however where
the band excels in such prog excess doesn't succeed in crafting memorable melodic touches in the
same way that made bands like Queensryche, Fates Warning and DT stand out. Add to that this style
had been churning about for a decade and the market was fairly saturated at this point with
similarly minded bands with many offering a lot more creative touches to their prog metal
interpretations.

The opening "Sedation" opens strongly with crunchy fiery guitars leading the pack into battle and
the band members all sound rather comfortable playing together and likewise the mixing is quite
brilliant with the bass part sounding distinct and every instrument placed just perfectly in
relation to each other. The band is also a lot heavier than many of its contemporaries, a fact that
i like quite a bit considering many prog metal bands of the era were nothing more than the
equivalent of 80s AOR arena rock bands only with a more metallic edge. Not that it's necessary a bad
thing but the heavier aspects are much more interesting for my tastes. Overall it's an excellent
album and had it been released before Dream Theater became the superstars that launched them onto
the top ranks of prog metal, SUN CAGED surely would've ascended to that very throne but as it stands
this band was still a bit too derivative for its own good no matter how excellent the it was at
emulating the objects of worship at hand. For those seeking similarly minded prog metal then this
one is a must as it's super charged and performed impeccably.

3.5 rounded down

ELVARON Mages Battle (Progressive Metal, 1997)

Thu, 14 May 2026 08:58:37 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — ELVARON was a progressive thrash metal band that formed in 1993 in Auxerre, France and then
relocated to the larger city of Nancy. The band broke up in 2009 after releasing four albums but
reformed in 2014 and has released yet one more. The lineup has fluctuated over the band's run with
guitarist / vocalist Matthieu Morand the only one to appear on every album. The band's debut MAGES
BATTLE was released in 1997 with the lineup of Shugugang Li (keyboards), Julien Shorka (bass),
Fr]]>��with eight tracks that almost hit the 64 minute length and features a few guest musicians on
clarinet and accordion as well as guest vocalists.

The music of ELVARON is quite heavy and rooted in more of an epic heavy metal sound of the 80s from
acts such as Manilla Road, Brocas Helm or bands that are more fantasy based however the thrash metal
does serve as in the riffing department with complex instrumental mojo and follows the 80s melodic
pattern of heavy crunchy power chords and riffing frenzies culminating into longer more progressive
compositions however Vektor this outfit was not and the level of professionalism at this stage was
almost zero. MAGES BATTLE sounds more like demo quality material than anything and although the
musical output isn't put offing in any particular way, the lead vocals of Matthieu Morand certainly
are. In fact they're atrocious!

Add to that the production is weak and monotone but what really gets me for a thrash band is how
lazy Fr]]>��something like Dave Holland in Judas Priest keeping the rest of the band from going to their true
potential. Riff-wise, MAGES BATTLE gets the job done and there are plenty of great melodic crunchers
here for an album's worth of material but this band was not ready for primetime at this point and
two strikes of bad vocals and boring drumming is enough for it to be a complete dud in my book.
Honestly this band never really set the world on fire and lacks any creative vision and comes off as
completely uninspiring, a true let down for a French band that comes from a land with high standards
and has delivered some of the modern world's most extraordinary progressive extreme metal.

This is truly one to avoid unless you're really digging deep to check out as many bands you can from
all around the world. Of course they can't all be good and the band would get better as it went
along despite this rather lackluster debut showcasing just how generically boring a metal band can
be. Although labeled thrash metal, MAGESS BATTLE has a lot of Iron Maiden influences as well as
simple lazy thrash leaning with power chords rather than wild riffing. Do not expect the innovation
of Metallica, the musical prowess of Sadus or the brash bravado of Sepultura. This is garage band
thrash metal here and if a label could be assigned i'd call it slacker thrash. And to top it off, 68
minutes? Really? This was a painful listening experience but i suffered through it so i could write
this review. Now you don't have to : D Seriously, it's not absolutely horrible but fairly dull.

AMON D��L II Almost Alive... (Krautrock, 1977)

Thu, 14 May 2026 08:45:03 EST

Review by Progfan97402 — Full disclaimer: this is not classic Amon D]]>��doing from 1969 to 1972. Like its predecessor Pyrogany X, this is fairly standard late '70s prog rock, in fact it
would likely sound at home on Sky Records, although in reality it was on Nova. If you've heard Stefan Zauner's
Prisms & Views (1978), this era of Amon D]]>��over this era of the band. For some strange reason I actually like Almost Alive better than its predecessor. I
guess it has to do with them jettisoning the boogie tendencies and having a more serious vibe. What you won't
find are lengthy psychedelic jams like you do on the second half of Yeti. Stefan's keyboard work is all over the
place. On "AIn't Today Tomorrow's Yesterday" and "Live in Jericho" he included a small amount of Mellotron
choir, which is just that, you won't mistake it for Jimmy Jackson's choir organ you heard on Tanz der Lemminge
or Wolf City. John Weinzierl's guitar didn't have much presence and neither does Chris Karrer. As a standard
late '70s prog album it isn't bad but it won't blow you away. I do really love how this album ends up in a bang
with the lengthy "Live in Jericho", it's the album's highlight. Nothing like their early '70s output naturally but it's
great instrumental piece. I can't lie and call Almost Alive a masterpiece, it's far from a masterpiece but I'm
happy there are no songs like "Telly Vision" like Pyrogany X (which what that album's low point) either. I can
feel comfortable giving this a three star rating. It's more of a Stefan Zauner album than an Amon D]]>��Think of it as such and you'll be fine.

DEEP PURPLE Arrogant Boy (Proto-Prog, 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 03:37:27 EST

Review by ianjferris@gmail.com — This popped up on my phone yesterday on Apple Music. I was sitting in the airport in Prague waiting for my flight
back to Dublin. "What's this" I thought? A new Deep Purple single released today? I downloaded it, listened to it
on my Beats Pods and was immediately transported back to my mid teens in the early 1970s! All that I was missing
was the long hair and flared tatty jeans. Despite my immediate instincts, which commanded me to arise from my
seat and shake my head, I remained sitting still, among my fellow travellers, listening and then listening a few more
times.
This single, Arrogant Boy, is classic Deep Purple. It could have come straight from the early Mark II era. This
release, of not much more than three minutes, is rising right up there, approaching some of the best of what they
have ever done. A lot of thanks for that go to Simon McBride with his PRS guitar and Don Airey on keyboards, both
of whom add a huge element of heavy progressive rock, with their instrumental duelling. But don't be confused by
my "progressive rock" reference. While there is a lot of melody in this song, it certainly is no pastoral 12 string
acoustic guitar prog rock piece. Nor indeed is it heavy metal. This is Deep Purple. And they are doing here, what
Deep Purple do.
I really enjoy listening to their last album, "=1", from 2024 (among the dozen albums that I have). Their next one
"SPLAT", will be joining my collection when it is released on the 3rd of July 2026, seven weeks and one day from
now. Looking forward to it!

IAN ANDERSON Walk into Light (Prog Folk, 1983)

Thu, 14 May 2026 02:49:22 EST

Review by Warthur — Largely a collaboration with Peter-John Vettese both in terms of songwriting and as far as the
performances go, Ian Anderson's first solo album is a foray into the then-emerging world of digital
recording that certainly doesn't sound much like any preceding Jethro Tull album. The most New Wave-
influenced moments on A may provide the closest precedent in the Tull catalogue, but even that
doesn't draw as hard on electronic and synthpop influences as this does.

Of course, where Walk Into Light blazed a trail, Jethro Tull eventually followed with the Under
Wraps album, which shares so much of this album's approach (right down to the use of a drum machine)
that it's impossible not to see them as a complementary pair. Indeed, the recent deluxe reissue of
Under Wraps includes Walk Into Light, bringing the two halves of this phase of Anderson's musical
explorations into one set.

Of the two albums, I'd actually give this one the edge. I think Under Wraps is overhated - I can see
why it would bother listeners who don't like 1980s production in general, but if you're open to that
sort of aesthetic style it's easier to warm to. At the same time, Under Wraps leans in a somewhat
poppier direction than Walk Into Light, and elsewhere has a number of moments where it feels like
it's trying to throw in some touches for a more traditional Tull audience that sit awkwardly with
the other stuff that's going on.

Here, by putting out this album under his own name Anderson excuses himself from the need to turn
out material which sounds remotely like Jethro Tull. Like Yes's 90125 from the same year, the album
puts its best foot forward with its opening track - Fly By Night is a dark art-synthpop banger - but
I feel like the rest of Walk Into Light holds up surprisingly well, despite its poor reception among
purist prog fans.

BLACK SHEEP WALL It Begins Again (Experimental/Post Metal, 2013)

Thu, 14 May 2026 02:30:12 EST

Review by UMUR — "It Begins Again" is an EP release by US, California based sludge metal act Black Sheep Wall. The EP
was initially independently released in June 2013, but saw a limited edition vinyl release through
Season of Mist in July 2013. It bridges the gap between Black Sheep Wall]]>�length studio albums "No Matter Where it Ends" from March 2012 and "I'm Going To Kill Myself" from
January 2015. The three tracks on the 22:30 minutes long EP are exclusive to this release.

While Black Sheep Wall]]>�Again", quite a few atmospheric post-metal sections have crept into the band]]>�release. Both "Ancient Fvck" and especially "Provider" feature nods toward that style of music. The
8:24 minutes long closing track "Angelic Exorcism" is an atmospheric piano piece which could have
been used as the soundtrack to a horror movie. So, you get two sludge metal tracks with a few
atmospheric post-metal moments and one pretty long atmospheric piano piece. While the latter is
decent enough, it]]>�
If you]]>�Begins Again" point in that direction and in that respect "It Begins Again" is a transition release
from Black Sheep Wall]]>�their future releases. "It Begins Again" is well produced and the musicianship is on a high level
too, but to my ears the songwriting isn]]>�albums. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

LEGACY PILOTS Camera Obscura Volume I (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 02:13:01 EST

Review by alainPP — Midnight Tide Parts I-III: this triptych is shaping up nicely:
1. Midnight Tide Part I starts off just the way I like it, modern symphonic prog, unique yet atmospheric, with a mix of Saga, Supertramp, and Frost*. A layer of keyboards and vocals on APP, then sugary prog-pop on Toto, perfect for dancing lasciviously with your girlfriend; noteworthy is Steve Morse's contribution to the guitar solo. In short, a good start.

2. Midnight Tide Part II drives the musical point home, a beautiful instrumental with its share of melting guitar solos; the intoxicating atmosphere is definitely a winner.

3. Midnight Tide Part III picks up where Part I left off with more energy and the suggested ambient direction; otherwise, it's still very funky, good old-fashioned modern prog rock.

4. My Anchor, featuring Liza, the woman of my life, on vocals, is a fruity pop-folk tune, both solo and in chorus. It's a sugary, saccharine melody, lacking originality. The final tribal and bucolic folk synth track is perfect for dancing; this album is very danceable.

5. Cloud City, with its cinematic airport opening, creates a latent, ambient, electro-meditative atmosphere. This modern symphonic prog track revisits old sounds, making them its own. This electro-stereo finale is worth its weight in gold.

6. A Fleeting Echo, featuring Finally George on bass and vocals, is where the guests arrive. This track is noteworthy for its melting progressive detour, with soft keyboards reflecting over the guitar arpeggio, a moment where time seems to stand still. Then comes the piano arpeggio, and the musical flow seems to reverse. This track is stunning in its construction, its ending, and the overall atmosphere it creates.

7. No Pause in Time, Time Never Pauses, featuring Pete Trewavas, Marco Minnemann, and Finally on vocals, is a crowd-pleaser, a hybrid of the '80s and 2020s, somewhere between melodic and technical rock?a signature sound of the band, quite simply.

8. Afterglow, with John Mitchell on vocals (he's a familiar face from every band you can think of), and Marco still behind the drums. A solemn, metronomic, nonchalant air, like the radiant notes that fall. The track is melancholic and spleen-tinged, with the jazzy electric piano adding a touch of ardor; the melancholic, moving guitar solo by Seth from Emerald City Council adds a touch more darkness?in short, I want more.

LE ORME Verit� Nascoste (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1976)

Wed, 13 May 2026 23:59:00 EST

Review by The Progolyte — After the mess that was Smogmagica in 1975, Le Orme drop their guitarist in 1976 and attempt to make an
improved album to make up for Smogmagica. The album they came up with, Verit]]>�one of the last truly great Le Orme albums. I say this because of the return of the dominant keyboards, the
dropping of guitar-led music overall, and the added complexity and intricate music in the record. The
songs, while lacking in length, feel like a mature evolution of Le Orme's classic sound and a unique charm
that gives them the emotion and depth that wasn't found on Smogmagica. Sure, it'll never top the original
few albums between 1971 and 1973 (you could also include 1974 in that time frame), but it's still a great
effort that welcomes back the old sound. The lineup of the band includes the new guitarist, Germano
Serafin, Antonio Pagliuca on keyboards, Aldo Tagliapietra on bass, vocals, and even a Fender electric piano
on one track, Michi Dei Rossi on drums and percussion, and even some string arrangements with violin,
cello, and flute added in on this record (only on one track, however).

There really isn't a weak track on this album, with each of them having interesting structures that move
around and sweet melodies that make everything better. Sure, you could argue that there is still a little bit
of a commercial thing going on, but at the core of each of these tracks, they are symphonic prog and Rock
Progressivo Italiano. My favorites include Insieme Al Concerto, the title track, and Regina Al Troubadour.
The title track is just absolutely beautiful because of the classical instrumentation being added, and the
other two songs are some of the longest on the album (a little under seven minutes), and they each mix
soft and calmer passages with more exciting and interesting rock moments in a fantastic way that mirrors
what the band was doing before in the early seventies. I will admit, most of the songs could have more
variety to make them each unique, but they are all still great songs that leave a positive impact on me when
I listen to them. They also keep the flow going the entire time and never grow dull or weak on the central
core of the tracks.

In conclusion, this would've been Le Orme's last album to ever enter my top five favorites by them, but I
listened to Florian shortly after this, and that took its spot. It's far from the perfect record but still a really
good one. My final rating is in between a mid and a strong 4/5.

LE ORME Smogmagica (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1975)

Wed, 13 May 2026 23:56:55 EST

Review by The Progolyte — According to ProgArchives, Rate Your Music, Italian Prog, and the online circles along with real-life ones I've
talked to, Smogmagica has either one of the lowest or the absolute lowest ratings out of their seventies
albums. Not to say that people said it was abysmal; they just didn't like it. So, a few weeks ago, I finally
decided to stop pushing it away and give it a listen to see if everyone was right. And while I didn't really like
it that much and I thought it was definitely one of the weakest Le Orme albums I've listened to, it still had
some okay material. Most of it was bland pop rock, with the lush keyboards being replaced by guitars and
less intense structures and complexity, but some of the passages in a few songs do have some interesting
elements, even if they rarely have a musical connection to the Le Orme I know and love. Moving on, the
lineup of this album includes Tolo Marton on electric guitar, harmonica, and some vocal sections, Antonio
Pagliuca on keyboards, Aldo Tagliapietra on bass, acoustic guitar, and lead vocals, and Michi Dei Rossi on
drums.

The album has a lot more electric guitar parts than any album so far, with the songs being defined by riffs
in a more commercial territory. Overall, most of the songs that follow this formula or are just radio-friendly
even without the guitar just don't feel right. They do not sound like true Le Orme on this album, and the
band sounds like it lacks energy and creativity when making this record, like it was just a way to find a new
sound to either get popular or make more money. The drums here are also a lot more simple, and to me
they sound like going from Carl Palmer to Lars Ulrich real quick, with most of the beats being really simple
and lacking inspiration. In terms of my favorite song, that award would probably go to Los Angeles or
Laserium Floyd, which are both solid 3.5/5 songs. They do have some intricate moments, but for the most
part I like them because they are good rockers and some of the longest on the album. Other than that,
most of the songs fail to impress me and sound very boring and/or soulless.

In conclusion, while this might be the worst Le Orme album of the seventies, it still had its moments that
slightly impressed me. In the end, this is still not a great album. This one is a low 2.5/5 and is easily
skippable by most people if you aren't already a fan of the band.

GENTLE GIANT The Power and the Glory (Eclectic Prog, 1974)

Wed, 13 May 2026 20:27:46 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — I think the band of the Shulman brothers and company went through several transformations, perhaps a first
period up to Three Friends, and then Octopus, and In a Glass House, unique albums...until in The Power and The
Glory they definitely reinvented their sound, in a third, more lasting stage, with ideas developed throughout the
album, not individualities, but an exposed whole.

Proclamation already plays with its own interpretation of jazz-rock and funk, all filtered through its particular take
on contemporary atonal classical music.
The vocal harmonies that were already their trademark are taken to another level, becoming part of the melody
and not just occasional a cappella flourishes.
The numerous instrumental segments are clockwork pieces, built layer by layer, at times funky...at times frenetic
like a classical symphony from the end of the world. With all this, they inaugurate a new stage, not just a new
album, but a new sound with which they would carve out their own space in the British firmament as an even more
original band than they already were.

So Sincere begins with just violin and saxophone, building itself up in a brutalist style, with the vocals staccato and
the guitar following suit. But this chaotic construction, which in itself reveals its meaning by uniting the parts,
acquires another dimension with the guitar solo that underpins it, while the central melody slows it down once
more. The phrase "20th-century classical music" is no coincidence when we think of Gentle Giant.

Aspirations contains a new way of singing Renaissance-inspired with the electric keyboard, bass, and drums...typical
of jazz rock, in a new kind of fusion, which becomes funk again when the acoustic guitar enters...all with
Renaissance-inspired singing! Such a level of interweaving could only come from a deep knowledge of the genres
worked on, making them malleable like clay in his fingers and making them lose their shape...to find a new one.
After an oriental opening, Playing the Game delves into those palettes of sounds and colors, like carpets of many
textures...because after the first part comes another where the keyboards, which will play an increasingly important
role, are the architects of the change, related in part to the Canterbury sound in the ferocity of the arrangements,
until the overall sound once again takes precedence. There is a mystery hidden in the melody...as Genesis might
have had as well, hidden because this version of the band was encrypted, less open than the previous one,
disguised in a cold appearance compared to the first albums. Cogs in Cogs would be their rock version in this era,
complete with a classical choir and sections that change with those keyboards that suspend the action through
sheer repetition.

Nothing is conventional about Gentle Giant...and darkness prevails in "No God's a Man." The vocal arrangements
coexist with funky keyboards, and each track on the album seems like a movement within the same symphony, not
an independent unit. Listening to them this way, they acquire a whole new meaning. The music scene didn't seem
ready for such a well-executed fusion. The electric guitar once again connects the invisible dots...until the dark
keyboard returns, blurring the lines and enriching the meaning even further by branching it out. Can simple
acoustic guitar notes and an electric keyboard have more power?

We were missing The Face's violin, which an energetic drum kit with percussion manages to make float in an
invisible yet tangible bubble...in purely progressive passages of violin jams with the bass and drums providing
support, and the guitar (now truly rock) returning to a jazz-rock sound that is always imbued with a syncopated
cloud that makes it strange.

If until now the suggested landscape was closed, here the panorama expands...until the climax prepared in
Valedictory, singing with echo and as if returning from hell, this Gentle Giant knew how to have something of the
fury of the previous albums, of their darkness, and also the subtlety and amorphous plasticity of not having a single
recognizable face...the corruption of power that the album ultimately tried to address.

JANNE SCHAFFER Earmeal (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1978)

Wed, 13 May 2026 17:40:14 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Despite the world-wide success of ABBA, Janne still has time and the drive to create and lead a band through the
recording of his own material.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Janne Schaffer (Bj'rn J:Son Lindh, Pop Workshop, Ablution, Art Farmer, ABBA) / guitar
- Jeff Porcaro (Sonny & Cher, Tom Snow, Seals & Crofts, Steely Dan, Cher, Leo Sayer, Helen Reddy, Toto) / drums
- Bj'rn J:Son Lindh (Ablution, ABBA) / flute, keyboards
- Peter Robinson (Quartermass, Shawn Phillips, Stomu Yamash'ta, Yvonne Elliman, Andrew Lloyd-Weber, Al Stewart,
Brand X) / keyboards
- Steve Porcaro / keyboards
- Joe Porcaro (father of Jeff, Mike, and Steve) / percussion
- Mike Porcaro / bass
- Malando Gassama / percussion

1. "Hot Days And Summer Nights" (7:35) twangy rock guitar played within a Frank Zappa-like palette with keys and
tuned percussion often reciting complex and speedy legato lines with Janne's guitar over the course of the first high-
energy four minutes. Then at 4:10 the bottom drops out and we're left with a spacious, slow, really "strings"-rich
orchestra-like motif that Janne plays sparingly over with Jeff Beck-like sensitivity. Weirdly dichotomous--like night and
day! (13.375/15)

2. "Happy Feet" (4:41) a Smooth Jazz piece that feels like an instrumental cover of a Nashville-born pop song. (Think
Sammy Johns' "Chevy Van," "Rhinestone Cowboy," The Atlanta Rhythm Section, and Al Jarreau's "We're in this Love
Together.") Nicely-crafted fairly-innocuous song. (8.875/10)

3. "To A Beautiful Painter" (4:40) the unusual, uniquely-crafted music here is, to my mind, equal to the ardor inherent
in the promise of the song's title: Smooth Jazz that is totally captivating. (9.125/10)

4. "Bromma Express" (2:56) more guitar dexterity exercises over and within some pretty solid, decent funk music.
Something here reminds me of the music Jan Hammer was doing around this time. (9/10)

5. "The Shrimp" (5:23) some proto-Yacht Rock that sounds like the fare being produced by artists like Deodato, Bob
James, The Crusaders, Lee Ritenour, and even brothers Hubert and Ronnie Laws up to this point. Great melodies and
smooth groove with totally in-the-pocket drums and rhythm corps. (9/10)

6. "Shrimp A La Carte" (0:57) a nice strings interlude.

7. "It's Never Too Late" (5:48) another excellent Smooth Jazz classic that is deserving of a place on any doctor, dentist,
or elevator's music playlist. (8.875/10)

8. "Oriental Sign" (5:03) though still suffering from the easy-access "smoothness" of the rest of the album, this is
probably the most sophisticated song on the album--and the one that has Janne's best display of guitar virtuosity
(though he has, unfortunately, continued to stick with the one and only twangy guitar tone he's used throughout the
album). (9.125/10)

9. "Frederick's Place" (3:29) a gorgeous acoustic steel-stringed guitar and piano duet that puts on display the
wonderful natural harmony between Janne and his pianist (who was probably Bj'rn J:Son Lindh due to their previous
associations). (9.25/10)

Total Time 40:32

Weird to have this maximum representation of the musical members of the Porcaro family on an album by a Swedish
musician (working for a Swedish label). Only the Toto project will equal this number of Porcaro's on one album.
Though Janne impressed me more with the diverse guitar skills and song compositions of his previous album from
1976, Katharsis, I am still a converted fan of his extraordinary facility with the skills that go into writing, performing,
and producing music.

A-/4.5 stars; a highly consistent collection of high quality instrumental songs that definitely fall into the domain of
Smooth Jazz. This may not be a masterpiece of progressive rock or Jazz-Rock Fusion but it is a very fine example of
Smooth Jazz--probably a masterpiece of such.

GIARDINI D'AUTUNNO Frammenti di Idee Perdute (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2002)

Wed, 13 May 2026 11:54:28 EST

Review by Finnforest — Hazy Dreamscape Curios

Frammenti di Idee Perdute (Fragments of Lost Ideas) is easily one of the coolest albums I
missed in my initial fanatical first exposure to RPI many years ago. Mellow Records deserves a lot
of credit for many of the experimental oddities that they were willing to put out there that other
companies may have passed on. This is not necessarily one that others would pass on, but
it certainly is a unique release for 2002 when RPI was moving in other directions. The album is the
passion and pet project of multi-instrumentalist Tiziano Rea, who handled almost everything here
under the supportive eye of modern RPI legend, Fabio Zuffanti.

First, some background from a social media post from Rea: he began the project in 2001 largely for
fun, wishing to express his affection for King Crimson, Goblin, likely others. While noting that
making an album at home was far less convenient and lower quality back then than today, he had a
acquired a Line 6 POD device which allowed him to capture the vintage guitar/amp sounds and effects
that he could hear in his head. The fragments slowly came together as he reworked the material for
the addition of Andrea Scala's drums and with the encouragement of Mellow Records. While he would go
on to bigger things in his career, Rea takes satisfaction in the buzz this album continues to
generate, having people write to him about it and include it in books on progressive rock. He has
affection for the work even if he might make some different stylistic choices were he doing it
today. Like all albums, it is a moment in time captured, and it is close to his heart.

The album collects impressionistic bits of atmosphere, almost homage to 1960s psych, Kraut, and King
Crimson. I also hear similarities to Battiato and Opus Avantra from the Italian avant-garde.
Compositionally, it can in places be more introspective or rocking, dreamy or direct, but I do think
if feels more like a collection of fragments than a clearly defined concept with a start, middle,
and end like a film plot would. And that's a good thing in this case. The droning dreamscape moments
were my favorite, the perfect music for simply sitting with headphones and drifting. To me this
feels like music for appreciating life's subtle, curious moments rather than its rigid roadmap. The
experimental guitar effects and keyboard layers are punctuated often with the curio of RPI spices,
everything from sampled strings/flute to panning stereo tricks to wordless female operatic vocals to
vintage keyboard sound including Mellotron and Hammond. The guitar style of the interludes certainly
reminds me of Fripp but also of the '80 Durutti Column stuff I remember.

This album is a sleeper that has likely flown under the radar of many who enjoy "weird music," but I
would wager that most who hear it will embrace it. While it is a bit below the standards of the today's
amazing home audio tools and tech, for its time and place, it is actually a very respectable
production and sound. If you enjoy the avant-garde end of the Italian prog bench, you will not be
put off by the production-dated vibe of a generation ago. In fact, it may actually work to the
benefit of this album. The beautiful and memorable cover painting is the work of Antonio Notari
(born 1940).

A FOREST OF STARS Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface (Experimental/Post Metal, 2026)

Wed, 13 May 2026 10:25:38 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — When A FOREST OF STARS hit the scene in 2008 with its debut "The Corpse Of Rebirth," nobody had
heard anything quite like it. It was black metal but with a serious twist. Teased out with
progressive sprawling compositions with an opening track alone that oozed past the 16-minute mark
and a folk-inspired sensibility that rocked the violin and flute by the great Katheryne, Queen of
the Gods, this band sounded like no other with its strange mix of My Dying Bride doomy goth and more
caustic black metal furor. A new star was born and a whole forest of them apparently. Three albums
in and the band could do no wrong in my book crafting one amazingly creative display of music magic
after another but beginning with 2015's "Beware The Sword You Cannot See" the band sort of cooled
off a bit and always still generating a very receptive album somehow seemed a few notches down for
my liking.

Next came 2018's "Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes" which found the band de-emphasizing the black
metal aspects quite a bit and instead upping the lunatic clown histrionics that the one and only
Mister Curse has implemented in some form or another since the beginning. It was the first album
that didn't really ring my bell as the balance had shifted and not in my favor. Then a deafening
silence that has lasted for eight long years. Until 2026 and once again the band has resurrected
from the British underground to release its sixth album STACK OVERFLOW IN CORPSE PILE INTERFACE, yet
another album that generates only a few tracks (6 in this case) that range from 9 minutes to 17. So
what's new pussycat? To my chagrin not much as A FOREST OF STARS seems to pick up exactly where it
left off with its previous efforts nearly a decade ago.

Once again the FORESTERS are back with their vision of Victorian England having a time incursion
with the world of modern black metal, a curious scenario that initially yielded blazing promises and
efficacious results but lo and behold the band has returned with its newest release which once again
continues to favor the melancholic folky aspects over the more metallic furor that propelled it into
the limelight. Hovering past the 73 minute mark, STACK OVERFLOW is a bloated beast of an album which
unfortunately spends a significant portion of its real estate soaring through posty-folk rock
scenarios with a never-ending escapade of Mr Curse sounding as if he's auditioning for Phantom of
the Opera or something. Also more pronounced this time around are the lingering folk motifs that
find Katheryne Queen delivering her best violin performances only with a rather monotonous vocal
tone reminiscent of the girl in Ayreon which in of itself isn't a bad thing except that she seems to
be a one trick pony in her vocal range and well, it's just too much for too long.

While not a horrible album per se everything seems to more than wear out its welcome especially when
it comes to the final two tracks of "Sway, Draped In Vague" and "Not Drinking Water" which just seem
to be the ultimate cyclical loop generators and although the band offers some nice touches what gets
me is that ideas are usually milked past the point of interest. In other words there's plenty of fat
to be trimmed off this release which if presented in, say a 45 minute experience might have worked
to its benefit. And while the metal aspects are still present, the black metal frenzies of the past
have been replaced with a tamer less dynamic version which makes this seem more like a post-black
metal type of album only with fewer metal parts than preferred. While the music is mostly dynamic
and beautifully performed what makes this newest release take a nosedive from excellence for me is
the rather unremarkable standardization of both vocalists never offering anything exciting or
unpredictable to the mix. Apparently the days of a more spontaneous A FOREST OF STARS with a wider
dynamics range are long gone. Personally i'll stick to the first four albums. This one doesn't quite
do it for me.

3.5 rounded down

MAYAN Quarterpast (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2011)

Wed, 13 May 2026 10:25:06 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Initiated by Epica guitarist / vocalist Mark Jansen, MAYAN was sort of the death metal world's
answer to Ayreon which acted like a supergroup along with various guests to amass a larger than life
slab of orchestral symphonic death metal that tackled the themes of worldly injustices and other
contemporary atrocities. Considered a supergroup of sorts, MAYAN was essentially a side project but
has released three albums thus far beginning with this earliest debut QUARTERPAST that launched the
project in 2011. Apparently the album title was chosen in a fan contest to name the band but after
all was said and done the winning moniker was demoted to album title and the band chose MAYAN. Don't
expect any indigenous themes of Guatemalan antiquity or sounds that evoke the subject matter. This
is very much a death metal / classical crossover type of affair and decently done at that.

The core of the band at this stage featured Mark Jansen delivering the male screams and death metal
growls, guitarist Frank Schphorst of Control Human Delete, guitarist Isaac Delahaye of Edgecrusher
and Epica, keyboardist Jack Driessen of After Forever, drummer Arien van Weesenbeek of Edgecrusher
and Epica and bassist Jeroen Paul Thesseling of Obscura and Pestilence. Guests include Epica soprano
vocalist Simone Simons, Nightwish / Revamp soprano vocalist Floor Jansen, clean male vocalist
Henning Basse of Metallium and several choir vocalists including Simon Oberender, Amanda Somerville
and Laura Macri. The album also features the Trinity Boys Choir, orchestral arrangements by Jack
Driessen and a top notch production and mixing job by Sascha Paeth. The music itself is very Ayreon
like only more aggressive with death metal riffing and vocal styles, black metal screams, thrash
metal and other metal styles mixed with complex orchestral arrangements and sounds of classical
music. Some will claim its too bloated for its own good!

While symphonic death metal is hardly my favorite sub-category of metal's most popular nook, MAYAN
does do an exemplary job of throwing all these disparate elements into the blender and making them
come out in some logical juxtaposition. QUARTERPAST features 12 tracks that last 59 minutes and
honestly the whole shebang sounds like a death metal opera of sort. The album was divisive at the
time of release with those favoring melodic metal approaches gushing over its excess and ingenuity
while others less keen on these sort of things finding it cheesy. While symphonic death metal can
indeed come of as cheesy, MAYAN is an above average act that crosses all T's and dots all i's before
putting out its product to the critical masses. The opening "Symphony Of Aggression" perfectly
establishes the band's status quo of the unholy matrimony of classical opera and death metal, the
truest of beauty and the beast effects. The death metal aspects run on full rampage mode and the
alternating classical influences tastefully interject when appropriate to do so.

Although the album comes off as an Arjen Luccassen project, MAYAN is much more committed to the most
extreme metal aspects possible which avoid some of the cheese affect of many of Luccassen's projects
however moments of a Disney-esque flair do erupt from time to time once the death metal bits cede to
the more operatic classical moments but luckily these awkward interludes are rare and honestly
aren't that bad. The musicianship is beyond anything Epica has cranked out as that band always seems
to hold back into the safety zone which is why it has never appealed to me. MAYAN delivers the best
aspects of Ayreon and Epica while weaving their legacies into the context of crafty unbridled death
metal which admittedly is of the cleaner more melodic variety but nevertheless effective. There is
no caverncore dissonance on this one as the main objective is a creative careering of consonance at
fast tempos. While the cheese factor isn't completely absent, it's more of a sophisticated gouda
rather than the pungent limburger variety. Perhaps not for everyone but works for me as a
supplemental excursion into the world death metal crossover.

RENAISSANCE Midas Man (Symphonic Prog, 2003)

Wed, 13 May 2026 02:46:56 EST

Review by VianaProghead — Review N]]>�
"Midas Man" is a compilation album of Renaissance that was released in 2003. It has tracks that belong to their
golden era, from "Prologue" of 1972, "Ashes Are Burning" of 1973, "Turn Of The Cards" of 1974, "Scheherazade And
Other Stories" of 1975, "Novella" of 1977 and "A Song For All Seasons" of 1978. Curiously it has a track from the
debut album of the first Renaissance line up. It has also an Annie Haslam's track released on her album "Live Under
Brazilian Skies".

"Midas Man" has thirteen tracks. "Prologue" is from "Prologue". This is essentially an instrumental song, despite it
having female vocals, but there are no lyrics and the vocals only sing the melody. It shows the strong influence of
classical music in their music. It indicates clearly which path the band would follow in the near future. "Northern
Lights" is from "A Song For All Seasons". This is a beautiful and catchy song. It's true that it's a more pop oriented
song but is beautiful and nice to hear. It represents a good pop song, composed with enough quality to give us
some pleasure when we listen to it. "Carpet Of The Sun" is from "Ashes Are Burning". It's a simple beautiful song
with a nice orchestral arrangement. This is a very melodic piece that can offer to us some great vocal talents and
where they can bring to the song a nice and peaceful ambient. This is a catchy song but it isn't one of the highlights
of that album. "Midas Man" is from "Novella". It's a beautiful classical track with a folksy touch. It's mostly an
acoustic song well performed. This is mostly a song performed originally by the acoustic 12 string guitar and where
we can hear, in some parts, the sound of the tubular bells. "Trip To The Fair" is from "Scheherazade And Other
Stories". It's one of the best songs of the band originally with a fantastic grand piano work and a great vocal
performance as is usual with this great band. The story is a dark tale of strange happenings at the fairground and
the music written by John Tout and Michel Dunford provides the perfect atmospheric picture to the song. "Brazilian
Skies" is an Annie Haslam's track released on her album "Live Under Brazilian Skies". This is a simple and beautiful
song well performed and sung. It's commanded by the piano and the voice of Annie Haslam which is great as usual.
But it doesn't have much to do with progressive music. "Kings And Queens" is from "Renaissance". It's a long and
complex song heavily influenced by classical music. This is a song well constructed, very melodious and very
dynamic too. It's a truly progressive beautiful song that represents probably the best musical moment on that
album. "Ocean Gypsy" is from "Scheherazade And Other Stories". It's a very romantic and melancholic ballad that
fits perfectly well on this compilation album. It also has a great piano work, nice acoustic guitar performance, a
wonderful vocal performance and a great work of the chorus. It has an excellent melody and an emotional
atmosphere. "Day Of The Dreamer" is from "A Song For All Seasons". This is a good progressive track with several
changes and with some great moments. It's probably not fresh and enough inspired as some other great epics of
theirs, but in its essence it keeps the excellence of Renaissance's music. "A Song For All Seasons" is also from "A
Song For All Seasons". This is an epic and pompous track. It's full of pure joy, melody, sweetness and grandiosity.
Once more, the vocal performance on this song is absolutely irreproachable. This song proves the grandiosity of
this great band. "Running Hard" is from "Turn Of The Cards". It's a brilliant piece with clear and strong classical
influences that begins beautifully with a fantastic piano introduction. It has fine piano melodies, good drumming
and is brilliantly sung as is usual by the band. "Back Home Once Again" is from "A Song For All Seasons". Due to its
musical structure it has a more commercial sound. It's a nice song but it represents one of the weakest songs on
that album. So, we can't rank it among the finest songs in their catalogue. "Can You Understand" is from "Ashes Are
Burning". It's a song performed in a symphonic folk/rock style. "The Vultures Fly High" is from "Scheherazade And
Other Stories". It's an energetic rock song with nice vocal harmony. It's a song with a beautiful melody and the vocal
performance of the chorus is great. It isn't one of their best songs but it has enough quality to be enjoyed. "Can You
Understand" and "The Vultures Fly High" were performed together as a medley. The original 9:49 minutes of "Can
You Understand" and the 3:07 minutes of "The Vultures Fly High" were shortened to 5:15 minutes.

Conclusion: "Midas Man" is an interesting and nice compilation album of Renaissance. It covers their best and most
progressive phase. It has tracks from all albums that belong to that era where a pair of them is sung by the other
woman, Stephanie Adlington. So, we have one track from "Prologue", one track from "Ashes Are Burning", two
tracks from "Scheherazade And Other Stories", one track from "Turn Of The Cards", one track from "Novella" and
four tracks from "A Song For All Seasons". It has also three other tracks, a medley of "Can You Understand/The
Vultures Fly High", two original tracks from "Ashes Are Burning" and "Scheherazade And Other Stories", one track
from the debut album of their first incarnation and an Annie Haslam's song. This is a good compilation, despite
some lower quality sound.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

RETURN TO FOREVER Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1973)

Tue, 12 May 2026 17:35:16 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — Just as they shared a common origin, with Miles Davis as their father, some of the pioneering jazz-rock fusion bands
had similar developments despite their differences. Some, like the Mahavishnu Orchestra, found their sound
almost instantly, while others, like Weather Report, experimented for several albums before finding their strengths.
Return To Forever, on the other hand, unintentionally offered two bands in one: the first, acoustic incarnation, with
a sound enriched by Brazilian influences and deeply jazzy double bass sounds, even within a context of pure fusion.

When Joe Farrell, Airto Moreira, and Flora Purim left, a completely different group was formed, the electric fusion
group, with Bill Connors on guitar, Steve Gadd on drums, and Mingo Lewis on percussion. This is how Hymn of the
Seventh Galaxy was recorded...but since Gadd was not available to tour...it was completely re-recorded with Lenny
White on drums...forming the transitional electric Return to Forever, and that first version was lost forever (at least
until now).

From the first notes of Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, you can see White's funk influence, the strength of this new
formation, but also that it was put at the service of complex compositions, which were not unrelated to the equally
rich musical context that proliferated in the 70s, and which ended up winning over other genres.

Bill Connors sounds like a rocker, he sounds wild, raw, and there are echoes of how the album was recorded, which
enhanced that modern sound. Corea had already used the Rhodes on previous albums...but in this rock context,
the contrast between its delicacy and the rock ferocity of the rest of the band was amplified. We notice classical
influences in the tracks, but amalgamated with jazz, rock, a touch of psychedelia, and funk, where Chick Corea
would find his compositional style around this time. This style is further fueled by the influence of the other
musicians, as can be heard in "After the Cosmic Rain," where we have four virtuosos...but all at the service of the
song, at the service of the melody and its development, which is why they never overwhelm or bore the listener.
Their music is exciting, alive, mutating, constantly changing, playing, just as they play when composing and
recording it. Because these things are also captured by the recording equipment.

After the Cosmic Rain accelerates, they all accelerate in unison and we can hear each of them...Chick on the
keyboards, Bill with that high-pitched sound, Stanley Clarke who was already making history with his bass, and
Lenny White who gave the impression of being everywhere with the dramatic emotion of a drummer typical of
progressive rock...and it is that at this time they had many things in common.

Captain Señor Mouse continues to make history in Chick's more Latin-influenced songwriting, which we already saw
in Spain on the previous album, but here Connors is a drone (before they were invented) that goes from here to
there, with White able to handle the percussion and the complex cuts of the flamenco and rumba parts that would
end up adapting so well to rock, almost bordering on heavy metal riffs, which leads me to the parallel between
those early Peter Banks albums in Yes, and how that jazzy and classical imprint that Steve Howe seemed to have
inherited, that inheritance seemed to have been transposed from Bill Connors to the guitarist who would succeed
him for the next stage, that of the classic Return to Forever, I'm referring to Al Di Meola.

Theme to the Mothership is a profound exploration of how far the guitar can delve into that cloud-filled, sonic
landscape, brimming with possibilities, before being replaced by the keyboard and bass, which form a duet that
becomes a trio with Lenny following in their footsteps. The resulting sound at times borders on electronic music or
krautrock.
Space Circus would inaugurate yet another facet of Chick's work, one he would perfect on later albums: the
complex two-part suites, one more relaxed or even experimental in its melody, and then another more thunderous,
with a group development. Thus, after an ethereal, almost otherworldly melody... comes another funky and
danceable one, with a saturated bass, syncopated drums, and sharp guitar, which will feature another riff worthy of
heavy metal, in this era when genres were blending and coexisting harmoniously.

The Game Maker plays with just the Rhodes...almost improvising...until we realize a melody is forming, and we also
realize that Chick is a mature composer, capable of being serious at times, and playful at others, and that he
already knew exactly what he wanted to convey. Backed by this group of virtuosos who were also friends, nothing
could go wrong...this album will reference space, as will the following ones in some way, and it won't be the only
point of connection. It has a spacey sound, some keyboards sound strange, and the suggested melody is followed
by the rest until they join in an instrumental chorus. Listening to this last track, I can imagine Hiromi listening to it
and being inspired to envision her future career, since she shares that same playful approach.

And now the pieces were in place...Bill Connors had left his mark on this third album and secured his place in
history.

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA ELO 2 [Aka: Electric Light Orchestra IIand#8206;] (Crossover Prog, 1972)

Tue, 12 May 2026 17:34:06 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — The last album with Roy Wood, who participates in the opening track of Elo II, In Old England Town (Boogie #2) could
be nothing other than dark and classic, it sounds glam, it sounds epic, more related to Bowie, that baroque Electric
Light Orchestra that overflows and goes to the side of the road and does not apologize.

Momma makes good use of the strings, along with the Moog, and Jeff Lynne's vocals sound effective within that still
distinctly British context. Bev Bevan's drumming contributes so much... it adds drama and highlights the epic parts.
Roll over Beethoven is where they began to showcase their signature string group sound, which was both classical
and rock-oriented in a less complex context. Michael de Albuquerque was a great addition on bass, providing a
rhythm that meshed well with Bevan's. And that trio of two cellos and a violin gave them an originality that
compensated for any compositional shortcomings they might have had.

From the Sun to the World (Boogie #1) will be the other most complex track on the album, and not surprisingly, the
last one to feature Roy Wood, who would leave to pursue his Wizzard project. Here, Jeff Layne sings differently, more
wildly, and Richard Tandy adds some exquisitely delicate piano details, so subtle that they add substance. The strings
are superb, at times overlapping the keyboard before separating to create another score... and then a piano solo that
leaves us floating in that black space of the cover... the fusion with the Boogie of the title allows the piano and strings
to draw back that curtain of thick brocade.

Kuiama presents a more conventional melody, with an American, country feel, to which the strings adapt well, which
speaks well of the arrangements. This second instrumental section achieves almost symphonic status, halfway
between a funky freshness (of which there will be more in the future) and a symphonic one, with overlapping
segments. Wilf Gibson on violin and Richard Tandy on piano ultimately dominate the scene in a beautiful epic tableau
of this ELO with two faces...the complex and the festive...experimentation and Beatles tradition, glam rock and
classical music, sometimes illuminating one and sometimes the other, like spotlights in a theater where the orchestra
lives.

JETHRO TULL The Jethro Tull Christmas Album - Fresh Snow At Christmas (Prog Folk, 2024)

Tue, 12 May 2026 12:59:25 EST

Review by Warthur — 2024 saw Jethro Tull's Christmas album rereleased in various formats, marking the debut of a
spruced-up mix of it. The version of particular interest is probably the 4CD release which includes
both the original mix and the new one, as well as not one but two Christmas concerts from the back
catalogue. One of these is Jethro Tull's 2008 appearance at St. Bride's, in a concert set which
interweaves the band's own work, choir performances, and readings in a sort of progressive rock
Christmas service; the other is a 2006 appearance, also at St. Bride's, by the Ian Anderson Band
performing a set replete with Tull material. That 2008 gig was already on 2009 rereleases of the
album, but the addition of the 2006 gig gives a better picture of how Ian Anderson has made the
chilly season his own over the years.

KARCIUS Black Soul Sickness (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 2026)

Tue, 12 May 2026 12:39:43 EST

Review by rdtprog —
This is the third album of the trilogy that began with the album "The Fold." The band has evolved
into their sound because the music is heavier than their first albums. On this latest release, they
have pushed the heaviness even further. The themes of the album were influenced by the pandemic that
affects the mental health of people. It's not surprising that this album has a dark cinematic
atmosphere. We can feel the emotion of anger in the music from the distorted guitar riffs and the
screaming singing. The band can also move to some smooth passages with acoustic guitar between
furious ones and at the beginning of some songs. If this is a guitar-oriented album, the keyboards
can shine at times with some impressive melody lines, like in the songs "Awakening The Spirit" and
"Wallow," my two favorite tracks. The latter has a trace of the style of Opeth. "Darkest Heir" is a
furious track that never slows down. After 45 minutes, I had the impression that it went too fast. I
wanted more. 4.5 stars

ALQUIN Marks (Eclectic Prog, 1972)

Tue, 12 May 2026 08:55:10 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — One of the more eclectic sounding progressive bands to emerge in the Netherlands' art rock scene of
the 1970s was the Delft based ALQUIN which was primarily made up by a group of architect students
from the Delft University of Technology. The six members coalesced in 1971 initially under the
moniker Threshold Fear (a phrase that refers to stage fright) before adopting the oddball name
ALQUIN just before releasing its debut album MARKS which appeared the next year. While the band
would go the way of many and jump into a more mainstream pop rock sound by 1975, the band's first
two albums remain two of the most revered prog albums from the Dutch scene with many citing their
second release "Mountain Queen" as the band's magnum opus. At this point ALQUIN featured Job
Tarenskeen (vocals, saxophone, percussion), Ferdinand Bakker (guitar, violin, piano, ARP
synthesizer, vocals), Hein Mars (bass guitar, vocals), Dick Franssen (keyboards), Ronald Ottenhoff
(saxophone, flute) and Paul Weststrate (drums, vocals).

MARKS is an interesting album in its own right with a rather unpredictable blend of prog rock, jazz,
classical and blues along with many influences resulting from the acts appearing at the Holland Pop
Festival including Canned Heat, It's A Beautiful Day, Santana and even Jefferson Airplane however
ALQUIN refined all those imported sounds and techniques and turned it all into a sound of their own
making. Adopting a very different approach from many contemporary prog bands that excelled in
virtuosic technical workouts, ALQUIN's best friend was the use of atmospheric mood setting
techniques as well as drifting through various musical styles however the band has mostly been
referred to as a jazz folk type of act although that would be woefully inadequate as the stylistic
approach shifts dramatically from moody space rock somewhat out of the Pink Floyd playbook to Latin
jazz, gypsy folk and even a moment when the band breaks into a hootenanny.

Every track is rather intricately designed and quite varied which makes MARKS a very unique album
even amongst the wild display of creative freedom that encompassed the early prog 70s. Tracks range
from the rather folky jazz instrumental opener "Oriental Journey" to the wildly experimental "Mr.
Barnum Junior's Magnificent and Fabulous City" which showcases some of the band's more avant-garde
moves. The album is primarily instrumental and a good thing since the vocals on the track "I Wish I
Could" demonstrate the vocal department as the band's weakest link and given the adept dexterity of
the musicians on board, MARKS benefits from the exploration of instrumental journeys into unique
amalgamations of styles. Overall ALQUIN's debut is less rock oriented than many prog bands of the
Netherlands with the focus more on jazz and dreamier folk styles at times sounding a little bit like
Supersister at its more subdued moments. The only true rocker is the short closing number
"Catherine's Wig," another vocal track.

A veritable blend of everything from psychedelic rock and jazz folk to even wafts of Canterbury
Scene, MARKS is really unlike anything else from the era and easily stands out as a true original
but it's also a bit hard to grasp immediately and required multiple listening sessions to percolate
into my consciousness. It's rather unremarkable in that nothing really jumps out and slaps you in
the face but rather the magic is in the mystique of how these disparate influences are cleverly
woven together like a fine Persian rug. It's a rather melodic album overall but the stark
juxtaposition of the elements on board offers sort of a jarring experience at the same time. In many
regards it's too soft for its own good but allows the focus to shift to the subtleties which are the
basis of ALQUIN's status quo. It's definitely a diverse palette of sounds and styles on board but
somehow they all gel together quite nicely and nothing ever seems forced for its own sake.
Architectural music comes to life with MARKs and remains one of the era's more fascinating examples
of crafty Dutch prog.

DRUDKH Forgotten Legends (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2003)

Tue, 12 May 2026 08:54:56 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — One of the better known Ukrainian black metal bands is ironically unknown as far as the band members
go as DRUDKH (Sanskrit for "forest" or "tree") has remained one of the most secretive acts out there
in the 21st century since its inception in 2002 in Kharkiv. Highly influenced by Burzum, DRUDKH has
released a number of Pagan atmospheric black metal albums with FORGOTTEN LANDS debuting in 2003 on
the Supernal label before eventually finding a cozier home on Seasons of the Mist. Steeped in
unintelligible Slavic mythology and Ukrainian nationalism, Burzum may have provided the musical
inspiration for the band's repetitive almost post-metal style but Ukrainian poets have supplemented
the band's thematic subject matter including the works of Oleksandr Oles, Oleh Olzhych, Maik
Yohansen and Taras Shevchenko.

FORGOTTEN LANDS finds the band not fully gestated yet with only Roman Saenko on bass and guitar
along with Thurios on vocals and keyboards. This duo is joined by session musician Yurly Sinitsky on
drums. This debut features four tracks with three of them on the longer side with the final track
serving only as an atmospheric outro. The opening "Досвітні сутінки (False Dawn)" is the most
sprawling beast on this raw outburst of energy type of album just shy of 16 minutes in length. The
track is extremely repetitive with a seemingly never-ending cyclical loop that features thick
atmospheric excesses smothering a caustic guitar and bass buzzsaw parade. The band is notorious for
its painful melancholic tone clusters and in that regard this band exceeds quite well but very much
like Burzum, DRUDKH takes the stripped down monotony approach to alarming extremes.

The following tracks pretty much follow suit. The formula is simple really. Just find three or four
power chords and repeat to infinity with the expected black metal dressing of tremolo picking,
caustic riffs and lo-fi rawness set beneath a cloud cover of tenebrous keyboards. For the most part
the percussion is woefully boring at least on the first two tracks but thankfully picks up and shows
that the drummer can actually play on the third track "Вічний оберт колеса (Eternal Turn of the
Wheel)" which for my ears is the best track on board as it allows a bit more blastbeating to pummel
away to distract from the rather stuck in a loop musical progression. Lyrically however the band
contrasts quite drastically from the anti-Christian rants of its Norwegian counterparts despite
adopting many of the characteristics of a second wave black metal band and in that regard is more
akin to early Ulver and the more interesting Ukrainian band Nokturnal Mortum.

This is one of those black metal band's that doesn't quite do it for me and every attempt to
comprehend the amazingly popularity of this band always ends in disappointment. The fact is i'm
really not the biggest Burzum fan, the biggest wellspring of inspiration behind DRUDKH's carbon
chain process of simply copying and pasting musical measures into a long string of motifs that sound
like an echo that never ends. Only the keys really offer any variation to the meandering march
through the rather unhurried soundscapes. The Ukraine has produced a huge number of interesting
black metal bands and yet despite its popularity, DRUDKH is not one of them that stands out to me as
one of the more interesting bands to emerge. Sure other bands like Paysage d'Hiver pretty much
implement this same style but for whatever reason i'd rather listen to other bands similarly minded
including Burzum itself before wanting to engage in a DRUDKH immersion.