Reviews (all) - Progarchives.com

THE SOFT MACHINE The Soft Machine (Canterbury Scene, 1968)

Tue, 5 May 2026 13:09:28 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — If we talk about trios in the sixties, this one stands out especially, not only because it was an unusual formation of
bass, drums and organ, unlike others such as Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but also because they changed
the musical metrics and rhythms, reversing times and formats, achieving one of the foundation stones of what
would become the Canterbury scene. A trio by accident, since its other founding member, Daevid Allen, was unable
to return due to a bureaucratic issue in Paris (and that's how he founded Gong there), this genesis so linked to
chance and destiny, so chaotic, would make the debut a surreal work, where what was offered exceeded the
musical.

Hope For Happiness begins with vocals taking center stage. It's not until well into the song that Kevin Ayers' deep
bass and organ join the repeating mantra, and one of the first laws of Canterbury seems to be written in the air:
there's no guitar, only the organ, which takes the lead and attacks from all sides, bass, drums, and vocals,
sometimes like jazzy scat singing, other times like a somewhat distorted chorus that underlines everything with a
fluorescent marker. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, without respite, like a waterfall cascading over the
listener and settling on the floor like a carpet inviting you to fly if you step onto it. That's the Canterbury scene: an
experience that transcends the merely musical.
However experimental they sounded, there was a pop freshness, with bossa nova that adorned their kind of
psychedelia in a different way; perhaps the presence of Kevin Ayres had a great influence, but their jams with the
organ sounded different from Egg, or Caravan, bands that were companions in the movement and with stylistic
concerns that were initially similar.

So Boot If At All is much wilder and here the organ completely dominates, with Mike Ratledge at the helm (by that
time a graduate in psychology and philosophy from University College of Oxford) followed by Robert Wyatt on
drums who was so versatile that he could be everywhere (like an enlightened Keith Moon) and also doing the more
subtle percussion, while Kevin Ayers improvised on the piano.

A Certain Kind did have some more traditional, classical organ elements, which Wyatt's voice ultimately made
unique. Meanwhile, tracks like Save Yourself were his own take on rock, with keyboard intros reminiscent of those
Brian Eno would use a few years later in Roxy Music, altering the senses...surprising with the unexpected.
For Lullabye Letter the gears are running smoothly and sounding well-oiled like a perfect machine, fast, the bass,
the organ and the drums were one...following them was a task that was both artistic and demanding in terms of
concentration, which awakened other senses along the way, that was the experience that happened with each
listen.

We Did It Again would become a classic and would always be performed live by Kevin Ayers in his solo career, and
Plus Belle Qu'une Poubelle with its sinuous cadence gives way to another highlight of the album, Why Are We
Sleeping?, sung by Kevin, almost recited, which he would also take over for his repertoire in even longer versions,
and whose lyrics were also a reflection of the times, the choruses only reinforced the contained force...which
screamed for the awakening of consciousness.

No subsequent album would resemble this Soft Machine debut, just as none would resemble another, not only
because of the changes in their lineups, but also because of that sense of searching that identified the band from
its inception and that would condition it like a recurring dream.

THE PARADOX TWIN A Romance of Many Dimensions (Crossover Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:57:20 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — A Romance of Many Dimensions is the third studio album from The Paradox Twin, arriving five years after the well-
received Silence from Signals, and it finds the band at their most conceptually and musically developed. The
narrative centres on a protagonist whose only sense of purpose and identity comes from logging into a digital
world, exploring themes of loneliness, addiction, escapism and what it means to be human in an age of
technological dependency.

The core trio of Danny Sorrell on vocals, guitars and keyboards, Sarah Bayley on vocals and Graham Brown on
drums is augmented throughout by John Mitchell, who contributes bass across the album and delivers a notable
guitar solo on the closing track, in addition to co-producing and mixing the record. The two-vocalist dynamic is
central to the album's emotional range, with Sorrell and Bayley trading and combining their voices across
contrasting musical moods with considerable skill.

The eleven-minute centrepiece "My Main Function" is the album's most fully realised piece, moving through
polyrhythmic complexity, odd meter shifts and a dramatic build that showcases the band's compositional ambition
at its peak. The shorter tracks around it balance atmospheric, synth-driven passages with heavier, Porcupine Tree-
influenced rock moments, and the album flows as a coherent whole from the haunting opening "Linter" through to
the warm, guitar-driven resolution of "Nested Scratch".

MOONRISE No Rewind (Neo-Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:49:18 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — No Rewind is the latest album from Moonrise, the long-running project of Polish multi-instrumentalist Kamil
Konieczniak, who once again handles keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, production, mixing and mastering entirely by
himself. Since the band's debut in 2008, Konieczniak has built a consistent body of work within the melodic neo-
prog tradition, and this new album finds him in strong form across eight tracks and just over fifty-two minutes.

The vocal duties are shared between two singers with very different qualities. Marcin Staszek, a returning
collaborator, handles four of the tracks, while Ania Batko ? known from her work with Hipgnosis, Albion and
tRKproject ? takes the lead on three pieces including the closing "All About You", a ten-minute centrepiece that
showcases both her voice and Konieczniak's most developed compositional writing on the record. Guitarist Marcin
Kruczek contributes solos on "Friends of Blood", adding a further layer of expressive colour.

The music sits comfortably within the neo-prog tradition that Moonrise has inhabited throughout its career ?
atmospheric, melodic and carefully arranged, with influences from Marillion, IQ and Pink Floyd running through the
fabric of the compositions. The album balances quieter, more introspective passages with moments of greater
intensity, and the dual-vocalist approach gives No Rewind a wider emotional range than some of its predecessors.

PLINI An Unnameable Desire (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:47:42 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — An Unnameable Desire is Plini's third full-length album, and it represents his most expansive and compositionally
adventurous work to date. The Australian guitarist and composer has spent the better part of a decade building
one of the most distinctive voices in instrumental progressive music, drawing on influences that range across shred
guitar, jazz fusion, ambient music and progressive metal, and this record pushes each of those elements further
than before.

The ten tracks are remarkably varied in character. Heavier, riff-driven pieces sit alongside intimate acoustic
passages, jazz-inflected fusion writing and broadly cinematic orchestral arrangements, with transitions between
these moods handled with the compositional intelligence that has always been Plini's strongest quality. The
supporting cast is extensive and well-chosen: Dave Mackay contributes piano, keyboards and synthesizers across
the majority of the album, John Waugh adds saxophone and flutes, and A.J. Minette's string arrangements ?
performed by violinist Misha Vayman and cellist Yoshi Masuda ? give several tracks a richness and depth that
marks a genuine step forward. Emily Hopkins adds harp to the penultimate track, and Jakub Zytecki contributes a
guitar solo to the sweeping "Ciel".

Mixed by Simon Grove and mastered by Adam Nolly Getgood, the production is suitably large and clean, giving each
instrument the space it needs. The result is Plini's most complete and fully realised album, one that rewards both
casual and attentive listening in equal measure.

EINAR SOLBERG Vox Occulta (Crossover Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:46:00 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — Vox Occulta is a record built around a clear and fully realised vision: orchestral metal in which the orchestra is not
decoration but architecture. The Norwegian Radio Orchestra appears on four of the eight tracks, and its presence
shapes the entire sonic logic of the album, with the rock instruments winding through the orchestral textures rather
than standing apart from them. The result is a genuinely integrated sound, one where brass, strings and
woodwinds share the compositional weight equally with guitars, bass and drums.

The album opens with "Stella Mortua", a slow-burning piece that builds from restrained strings and delicate vocals
to a full orchestral and metallic eruption, establishing the record's central dynamic immediately. "Medulla" follows
with a darker, more groove-driven character ? knotty guitar riffs and a propulsive rhythm section beneath an
infectiously melodic chorus that stands as the album's most immediately accessible moment. The title track is the
most theatrically cinematic piece on the record, a lumbering, multi-movement affair in which the orchestra
dominates and the guitars serve as rhythmic underpinning rather than lead voice.

The album's second half is more patient and demanding. "Serenitas" strips the sound back to gentle orchestral
arpeggios and Solberg's most vulnerable vocal performance, building slowly to a bluesy guitar resolution. "Vita
Fragilis" showcases his full vocal range most explicitly, moving between whispered passages and full-throated
intensity over the album's most prominently orchestral arrangement. "Grex", at nearly twelve minutes, is the
record's centrepiece and its finest achievement: a multi-movement piece that passes through mournful chamber
music, a technically exceptional guitar solo from Pierre Danel, and a genuinely devastating climactic section in
which harsh and clean vocals collide over a seismic rhythm section.

The closing "Anima Lucis" resolves the album in quiet, almost spiritual terms, Solberg's voice floating over adagio
strings in a deliberately understated finale.

Mixed by Adam Noble and co-produced with David Castillo, the production handles the balance between orchestra
and band with considerable intelligence.

CZYSZY Electric Egg (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:43:39 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — Electric Egg is the latest release from Czyszy, the solo project of Polish composer and multi-instrumentalist Marek
Kr]]>�comprising the entirety of the album. Everything here ? guitars, bass, keyboards, saxophone, chiptune sounds,
programming, mixing, mastering and cover artwork ? was handled by Kr]]>�

The first piece draws on classic symphonic progressive rock as its primary reference, building layered arrangements
of considerable complexity around a compositional logic that owes something to the grand architecture of the
genre's founding works, while incorporating NES chiptune sounds and electronic textures that give the music a
distinctly personal and contemporary character. The interplay between these contrasting elements ? analogue
warmth and digital nostalgia ? is one of the album's most distinctive qualities, and Kr]]>�between them with a lightness of touch that prevents the eclecticism from feeling forced.

The second piece is the more expansive of the two, introducing a stereo Telecaster and a Minimoog clone solo as
focal points within a structure that shifts through multiple moods and textures over its duration. The compositional
density here rewards repeated listening, with details emerging on subsequent plays that are easy to miss on first
encounter.

Kr]]>�personality that suits the music's DIY spirit. Importantly, the album is proudly free of AI involvement in either its
music or artwork.

35 TAPES Veil on Life (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:40:21 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — Veil on Life is 35 Tapes' fourth studio album, and it marks a deliberate shift in the Norwegian band's sonic
approach. Where their previous work leaned into slow-burning atmospheric restraint, this record introduces a more
assertive, riff-driven character while preserving the analogue warmth and careful production that have always
defined their sound. Recorded at Frydenlund Studio in Oslo, the album benefits from wide dynamic range, a bold
low end and immersive stereo imaging, all achieved through vintage hardware rather than digital shortcuts.

The six tracks are thematically unified around memory, identity and time, and the songwriting is tighter and more
hook-oriented than before, with cinematic passages emerging from within structures that feel genuinely purposeful
rather than exploratory for its own sake. The instrumental palette remains rooted in Mellotron, Therevox and
vintage synthesizers, but energetic electric guitars and shimmering twelve-string acoustics now carry considerably
more weight, giving the album a physicality that earlier releases lacked.

Individual tracks reward close attention. "Hallway" opens with meditative distance that gradually draws the listener
in, while "Waters" moves through a slow metamorphosis of mood and texture. "Bris]]>��piece, holding its emotional content with quiet precision. "Clueless" introduces a restless, yearning quality, and the
closing "Cities" gazes outward with a melancholy that lingers. The vocals throughout are warm and searching,
complementing the music's emotional register without overpowering it.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN Johnny McLaughlin - Electric Guitarist (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1978)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:37:54 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — An album of orphans that were recorded at various times and in various places throughout 1978 using almost a
completely different lineup of musicians for each and every song. The album was produced by John McLaughlin in
association with Dennis McKay. Sessions took place in early 1978, with specific dates ranging from January 16 to
February 2, 1978, at Sound Mixer Studios in New York and Devonshire Studios in Hollywood. The album was released
by Columbia Records on September 18, 1978.

Line-up / Musicians:
- John McLaughlin / electric guitar
With:
- Billy Cobham / drums (1 & 6)
- Stu Goldberg / electric piano, organ and mini-moog synthesizer (1)
- Jerry Goodman / violin (1)
- Fernando Saunders / bass (1)
- Neil Jason / bass (2)
- Tom Coster / organ (2)
- Alyrio Lima / percussion (2)
- Armando Peraza / congas (2)
- Carlos Santana / electric guitar (2)
- Michael Walden / drums (2)
- Alphonso Johnson / Taurus Bass Pedals and bass (3)
- Patrice Rushen / piano (3)
- David Sanborn / alto saxophone (3)
- Tony Smith / drums (3)
- Stanley Clark / acoustic bass (4)
- Chick Corea / piano and mini-moog (4)
- Jack DeJohnette / drums (4)
- Jack Bruce / bass (5)
- Tony Williams / drums (5)

1. "New York on My Mind" (5:45) with Billy Cobham and Jerry Goodman we have a bit of a mini-reunion of the First
Incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Stu Golberg is a perfect replacement for Jan Hammer while Fernando
Saunders delivers a much more melodic and approach to the bass--which is actually quite nice. The song--and
"Johnny"'s performance are way more blues-oriented than I've heard from the Mahavishnu for a long time. Though
more subdued, it is nice to hear that heavy Mahavishnu Orchestra sound again. (9.125/10)

2. "Friendship" (7:00) sounds half like a lost movement from FOCUS' "Hamburger Concerto" and half like a Latin
carnival jam--which is probably due to the reunion of John with latest Santana lineup as well as Second Incarnation
Mahavishnu drummer Narada Michael Walden. Though the jam feels very loose and unscripted (and the musicians
seem far less inspired or "on" than they did on the 1973 Love Devotion Surrender collaboration), it is a nice sound
palette to hear. (13.25/15)

3. "Every Tear from Every Eye" (6:50) gentle and spacious opening turns jazzy at 0:25 with the progression into a totally
different and unexpected key/chord. I thought we were going to hear some Smooth Jazz and instead we're hearing
serious blues jazz. Though everybody alongside John performs adequately, nobody rises to the fiery heights of Fusion
the way John does: though their movements are sophisticated, Patrice Rushen, Alphonso Johnson, David Sanborn, and
Tony Smith just kind of lull us to sleep with their gentle sounds and low volume--not unlike a Weather Report
production. Patrice and Alphonso's solos are all nice, even impressive, just not so dynamic as those of the sax and
electric guitar. (13.25/15)

4. "Do You Hear the Voices that You Left Behind ?" (7:39) the plaintive guitar sounds being plucked by John on this
sleeper sound like he's trying to be JEFF BECK. Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, and Jack De Johnette are impressive and a
perfect match for the changing tempos that the song takes us through over the course of its nearly-eight minutes
though I wish A) the tone of Stanley's bass would pop a little more, B) Chick's electric piano tone had a little more bite
and volume to it, and Jack were also hitting his targets with a little more force (and, therefore, volume). This could have
been an awesome RTF-like Power Fusion song had everybody just been a little louder. Stanley's double bass solo is
quite impressive, as is John's Al Di Meola-like electric guitar solo, and then when Chick switches to Mini-Moog you
finally have the dynamic snap that the song (and band lineup) seems to be promising. Jack is great but he feels kind of
stuck in the acoustic Jazz world despite his band mates transition into more electronic expressions. (13.5/15)

5. "Are You the One ? Are You the One ?" (4:41) The Trio of Doom! (only with Jack Bruce in place of Jaco Pastorius). I
love it from the very start due to the attention-commanding drumming (and perfect sound capture) of Tony Williams.
Hearing John use a wah-wah pedal and talk box is something very special--and he's very good at it. The "chorus"
sounds very much like a Weather Report riff/song--as does a lot of Jack's solo--while the vocal banter of the trio gives
the impression that the band members are really having a fun time. However you look at this one, it is entertaining,
fun, and quite impressive. Quite probably my favorite song on the album--certainly the most memorable. (9.375/10)

6. "Phenomenon: Compulsion" (3:21) just John and Billy Cobham (shades of 1971 when the two would jam with each
other in the down times between takes on Miles Davis studio sessions and live concerts). The two really do have a neat
relationship--an "interesting conversation," if you will. John, especially, really tears it up. I especially love the third
minute when John starts doing chords like Pete Townsend and strings shredding like Adrian Belew. (8.875/10)

7. "My Foolish Heart" (3:22) a nice "old-fashioned" (despite the chorused use of heavy-reverb) solo guitar rendering of
the great Victor Young and Ned Washington jazz standard from the classic 1949 film of the same name. Preview of
John's amazing 1991 tribute to Bill Evans. Fine guitar playing--really using space well and never rushing anything; I just
don't like the guitar tone John selected here. (8.875/10)

Total Time 37:18

Though the music is nice--even kind of crossing over into the Smooth Jazz engineering sounds--this is not my favorite
tone/sound Johnny Mac has ever chosen for his electric guitar (and it's a sound that remains fairly constant
throughout the course of the album). At the same time, I really do enjoy how each song perfectly represents a phase
of John's 1970s career: Mahavishnu, Santana, Power Fusion, sound, style and technology experimentalist, as well as
respectful lover of the old classics/standards.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of eclectic iterations of John McLaughlin bands and styles--which makes it feel kind of
like a "Greatest Hits" album. Definitely a fun and interesting listen.

PHILIPPE BESOMBES Besombes-Rizet: P�le (Progressive Electronic, 1975)

Tue, 5 May 2026 07:42:17 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — The P]]>�those cult album treasure troves that yielded some of the best progressive electronic sounds that
emerged from France. The P]]>�which made the lineup of the artists presented a bit murky. Not only was there a P]]>�two albums released under an artist named P]]>�1975 was an album titled P]]>�pioneering composer, multi-instrumentalist and prominent figure in the 70s electronic underground.
Starting off as a traditional chemist his attention was diverted after being exposed to modern
classical composers like Stockhausen and Xenakis and set forth to create similarly styled music in
the context of more modern electronic sounds.

JEAN-LOUIS RIZET on the other hand was a French sound engineer, producer and also a multi-
instrumentalist and a key figure in the P]]>�canon. Together these two collaborated for a single double album's worth of material that featured
six tracks that added up to nearly 75 minutes of psychedelic progressive electronic sounds that
blended the stylistic approaches laid down by Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream and Cluster with traces
of German Krautrock, progressive rock and jazz. The album is chock filled with an arsenal of
synthesizers and keyboards that included VCS 3 AKS, ARP 2600, Mellotron 400, Hammond organ, and
Fender Rhodes but unlike the two P]]>�rock textures and heavy percussion. Also featured are sounds performed by RIZET including the flute,
trumpet and guitar amongst others.

While directly akin to the German scene, these two seasoned performers deliver it all through the
lens that only the French culture could deliver making it somewhat comparable to fellow countryman
Richard PInhas and his act Heldon.The album runs the gamut from the sputtering opener "Haute
Pression" which features more rhythmic textures to the space synth otherworldliness of "Evelyse" and
"Armature Double." Generally on the more melodic side, the album loses none of the surrealistic
trippy excursions of the koschmische style of neighboring Germany yet retains many of the
sensibilities of the world of modern classical inspirations that punctuate the composing style. As a
chemist, BESOMBES applies his studious approach to sonic alchemy where a laboratory of sounds
coalesce into something completely unique and innovative. After two sleepy numbers, "Lundi Matin"
picks up steam with a robust tempo and trippy layered synth sequences.

The sprawling behemoth "Synthi Soit-il" is the longest track at almost 22 minutes and likewise
features some of the most diverse and satisfying soundscapes. Slowly oozing from the depths of
imperception, the track slinks around like stardust while synthesizers and erupting percussion
slowly coalesce into the mix and throughout the track's run offer some of the wildest experimental
outbursts to emerge before slowly cooling off from the eruption. While almost exclusively
instrumental, the album ends with some of the only vocals to be heard although muffled and set in
the backdrop beneath playful electronica and soft acoustic guitar strumming. Overall it's a highly
exciting journey into exquisite electronic psychedelia that remains firmly controlled but let off
the leash from time to time to engage in true cosmonaut space exploration. Long out of print until
the early 2000s, P]]>�and this one is definitely one of the best of the French scene. Bogged down only by a lot of slow
churning sleepiness in the middle, the album is a vital release in the 70s French underground.

PENDRAGON Masquerade 20 (Neo-Prog, 2017)

Tue, 5 May 2026 07:01:27 EST

Review by ZowieZiggy — I rated the original ''Masquerade'' with 5*****.

This commemorative live album taking over the entirety of this excellent album; I couldn't be deceieved with this live set.
Filmed in Poland where they always have been acclaimed. one can see how happy the band is happy to be there in front
of a p[acked theatre.
But was it really necessary to mention that they love Poland so much that they would like to stay there, Except that they
had to leave Poland for their next gig. Which had to take place in ...Belgium.

The faithfull rendition of ''The Masquerade'' is wonderful moment of music. So 5***** for this part.
Then the ''new'' numbers of which I was not really found of. But to prove me wrong, the closing number ''Indigo'' is really
excellent. clocking at around 15 minutes. Which makes this very long concert a very good moment.

I still remember their gig at the ''Spirit of 66''. In 2006. It is my turn to salute this 20th anniversary.

Four stars.

BEARDFISH Sleeping in Traffic - Part Two (Eclectic Prog, 2008)

Tue, 5 May 2026 03:52:03 EST

Review by Lolion — I discovered Sleeping in Traffic Part 2 by Beardfish*around 2011?2012, and it immediately left a strong impression
on me. It's one of those albums that feels playful and unpredictable, yet surprisingly emotional at the same time.
The band mixes quirky passages with more reflective moments, creating a really unique vibe that keeps things fresh
from start to finish.

What I love most is how natural it all feels. The transitions, the melodies, even the oddball sections just flow without
feeling forced. There's a charm to it that makes it easy to come back to, even years later. It's progressive rock without
being overly serious?creative, warm, and full of personality. For me, it's a really special album that captures that
sense of discovery I still remember from back then.

SIGILU Beta (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2025)

Tue, 5 May 2026 03:39:39 EST

Review by Lolion — I recently stumbled upon this Spanish gem, and it truly feels like discovering a hidden treasure within the rock
landscape. While it's often labeled as progressive rock, that description doesn't quite capture its essence. It leans
closer to the approach of Steven Wilson?less concerned with technical exhibitionism and more focused on
atmosphere, mood, and emotional resonance.

What stands out immediately is its sense of restraint. Instead of the constant push-and-pull of virtuosity that can
sometimes overwhelm progressive rock, this music breathes. It allows space for melodies to unfold naturally, for
textures to settle, and for songs to exist as cohesive, meaningful pieces rather than showcases of complexity.

Although the lyrics are partly lost on me, my Italian roots offer glimpses into their meaning, adding an extra layer of
intrigue. Even without full comprehension, the emotional delivery carries enough weight to transcend the language
barrier.

In a genre that can occasionally feel crowded with excess, this is a refreshing reminder that progressive music
doesn't need to be dense or overly intricate to be powerful. Sometimes, it's the atmosphere, the subtlety, and the
sincerity that leave the deepest impression.

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (Post Rock/Math rock, 2000)

Tue, 5 May 2026 03:36:12 EST

Review by Lolion — Discovered around 2010, *Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven* by Godspeed You! Black Emperor stands
as a monumental achievement in modern music?an unparalleled masterpiece that continues to defy convention
and expectation.

This double album transcends the traditional boundaries of composition, unfolding across four expansive
movements that feel less like songs and more like vast, evolving soundscapes. Each piece builds patiently, layering
delicate instrumentation with field recordings, distant voices, and haunting drones, until it reaches overwhelming
crescendos that feel almost apocalyptic in scope.

What makes the album truly remarkable is its emotional and narrative power without relying on lyrics. It
communicates a profound sense of desolation, hope, and fragile beauty purely through sound. The listener is not
merely hearing the music but inhabiting it?drawn into a cinematic world where every swell of strings and every
crackle of static carries meaning.

Even years after its release, few works have matched its ambition or impact. It is not just an album to listen to, but
an experience to surrender to?one that rewards patience and immersion with something genuinely transcendent.

OSANNA Osanna and David Jackson: Prog Family (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2009)

Mon, 4 May 2026 11:35:38 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — After touring together in 2008, David Jackson participated in this Osanna album, where they recreated songs from
their 70s repertoire, plus some tracks from van der Graaf Generator. Lino Vairetti on vocals, Nello D'Anna on bass,
and Gennaro Barba on drums are among the founding members, along with surprises like David Cross on violin. The
versions are very different and contribute to the band's sound, such as a shorter rendition of "Animale Senza
Respiro," which nevertheless emphasizes this new incarnation, sounding fresh, jazzy, and equally progressive.
Mirror Train, on the other hand, is a longer version, with a more extensive and richer jam session than the original,
taking advantage of Jackson's dual role as a saxophonist and flautist.

L'uomo already brings differences with it, a part after the acoustic more of hard rock and even rap in the style of Red
Hot Chili Peppers that suits the energetic rock and the Italian language well...so much so that it seems that it has
always been like this.

The free jazz fragments of Il Castello Dell'Es suited Jackson's style well, where the saxophone seems to be linked to
rock as in King Crimson's debut, yet it sounds current at the same time, partly thanks to Fabrizio Fedele's sound.
The choice of themes from Milano Calibro 9 and L'Uomo flows so naturally that it sounds like the original. In Un
Vecchio Cieco, Cross's violin benefits so much... and I would even say that this faster version gives it more feeling.
Without competing with the original classics, distancing itself is the raison d']]>�reinterpretation.

Theme One, that theme that was left out and would later see the light as a bonus track from the Pawn Hearts era, in
1971 for Van der Graaf generator, is brought here to our time respecting the spirit and central skeleton, but with small
variations that contribute, deviations that give it strength and underline its characteristics of a cry to the sky, of jazzy
saxophone that then mutates into a martial flute and finally an Italian anthem...completing a cycle that was always
natural to it.

Osanna does not disappoint, and There Will Be Time is an atypical gem to end with Sas]]>�that reputation for versatility of Italian bands not only in the past, but also in the new millennium.

HOMELESS ART EntElMus (Eclectic Prog, 2023)

Mon, 4 May 2026 07:19:17 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Founded as far back as 2012 in the city of Athens, the Greek jam band HOMELESS ART settled on its
respective name after being inspired by a musical event that was created exclusively for the
homeless population in the Greek capital city. A quartet of virtuosos that includes Theodoros
Grigorakakis on guitar, Orestis Diamantaras on keyboards, Stergios Liuras on drums and Gavriel
Stefanidis on bass, the band released its so far one and only album "EntElMus" in 2023 in
excessively digital form. The odd album title comes from an abbreviation of the Greek phrase
"έντεχνη ελληνική μουσική" (entechni elliniki mousiki), which translates to "artful Greek music."

"EntElMus" is a lengthy sprawler of an album that features seven tracks that add up to 73 minutes
and 22 seconds. This all instrumental album is a veritable progressive jam band tribute to many of
the greats in prog history and beyond with the main influences of Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Rush
and Greek classical composer Yiannis Markapoulos cited by the band as the primary sources. The music
is quite varied but generally finds itself as a wily mix of heavier King Crimson, 70s jazz fusion,
Soft Machine styled Canterbury jazz especially in the keyboard works along with wild angularities
lifted out of the RIO / avant playbook ranging from Samla Mammas Manna and touches of Henry Cow
although the band is more on the melodic side of the equation.

The 14-minute opener "Jazzusis" starts things off quite unimpressively with a slow building sequence
that makes you think. You've set sail on a post-rock type of excursion but then somewhere a few
minutes in the full power of HOMELESS ART suddenly is left off the leash and it's apparent that this
team of musicians are quite seasoned veterans of the most complex prog playing styles. While the
bass and drums are primarily reserved for the rhythm section, the band adopts a Symphony X technique
of alternating sizzling guitar and keyboard soloing through a series of repetitive cadences before
switching over to a totally new musical motif. The band are experts at milking a jamming groove to
exhaustion and then moving on to something completely new several times before a reprise of the main
theme which leads to a satisfying conclusion.

The album excels with its creative journey approach through treacherous prog turf. While "Vertigo"
lives up to its titular subject matter with dizzying keyboard contributions, "Boomba" reminds me a
bit of some of the crazy 80s avant bands such as Switzerland's D]]>�Cardiacs. "Zapparakatranemia" pays tribute to exactly who you would expect with such a track title
but a lot heavier than anything Zappa himself cranked out with crunchy KC inspired riffing as well
as a bit of funk inserted into the fabric. The album pretty much continues its intrepid prog jubilee
through a never-ending variation of ideas that at least for my ears work quite nicely. The album is
quite brilliantly performed with plenty of stylistic shifts, dynamism, tempo changes and rich in
hairpin turns. Best of all it sounds fairly unique while still exuding somewhat of a retro appeal.
Nice stuff for lovers of instrumental prog.

SATAN Satan (Symphonic Prog, 2016)

Mon, 4 May 2026 06:48:03 EST

Review by Sean Trane — OK French Symphonic prog that had not managed to release an album in their days, but the band had been around since the or just after the May 68 unrest under a different names like Heaven Road/Gate, like many French groups of the era. Actually the only release of theirs was through a side project Ciel d'Et]]>�
The band's sonics on this archival release is closer to Pulsar (mostly) & Atoll (and eventually Triangle or Martin Circus), rather than Ange & Mona Lisa, though if the tracks are any indication, there might have been a fairly theatrical dimension on stage. Hopefully, despite their "evil" name, these guys were not too "Grand Guignol" on stage.
Catharsis and Ame Son can also be thought of as the archival release unfolds. From memory (I heard these archives a fait while ago), Pulsar's debut Pollen comes closest, though there are obvious early Floyd remenisces (the organ player mainly), especially during La Nuit Des Temps.

Enjoyable & interesting archival release, but your world won't budge an inch if you've not heard them in your life, because it's nothing I would call essential.

TRIANA Hijos Del Agobio (Symphonic Prog, 1977)

Mon, 4 May 2026 02:40:04 EST

Review by Lolion — I'm from Italy, and I still remember discovering Hijos del agobio by Triana while on vacation in Spain back in the 80s.
That album completely changed how I saw both traditional Spanish music and progressive rock. It blends flamenco
influences with prog in a way that feels natural and deeply emotional. The sound is rich, atmospheric, and full of
feeling, with Andalusian roots shining through every track. There's a raw honesty in the vocals and a sense of
melancholy that really stuck with me. It opened my ears to a whole different musical identity, showing me that prog
rock didn't have to follow the same patterns I was used to. Even now, it feels unique and powerful.

KARNIVOOL In Verses (Heavy Prog, 2026)

Mon, 4 May 2026 02:33:32 EST

Review by Lolion — In Verses feels like a solid return for Karnivool, landing around an 8/10 for me. It keeps their signature prog sound
but trims some of the excess, focusing more on atmosphere and groove. The riffs hit hard, but it's the layering and
dynamics that really stand out. There's a strong sense of control in the songwriting?nothing feels overdone, yet it
still has that expansive, emotional pull. Some tracks take a bit to grow, but once they click, they stick. It may not
reinvent their sound completely, but it refines it in a way that makes the album really satisfying to revisit.

STEVEN WILSON To the Bone (Crossover Prog, 2017)

Mon, 4 May 2026 02:28:25 EST

Review by Lolion — For me is perhaps his most commercial release, leaning into more accessible structures and polished production. At first glance, it might seem like a departure from the complexity often associated with his work and progressive rock as a whole. However, that accessibility becomes its greatest strength.

For me, it's one of the progressive rock albums that conveys the most emotion. Tracks like "Pariah" and "Song of I" feel intimate and deeply human, blending pop sensibility with Wilson's signature atmospheric touch. There's a strong sense of nostalgia and vulnerability running throughout the album, making it incredibly easy to connect with.

It may not be his most experimental record, but it's one of his most sincere?and one that resonates on a deeply emotional level.

I love it very much!!!!!!!

HASSE FR�BERG AND MUSICAL COMPANION Powerplay (Crossover Prog, 2012)

Mon, 4 May 2026 01:39:07 EST

Review by Rysiek P. — I enjoy exploring the realms of symphonic-progressive rock, perhaps much more than any other. I'm not
sure if this admission of musical preference has any significance or not, but hearing a track from an album that's
twenty or thirty minutes long gives me a thrill. And although in this case, which I'll discuss in more detail later, there
are no such compositions, the album, originally released in 2012, filled a certain feeling of lack that arose back then.
Although, to be completely honest, 2008 would be the year I felt that "lack."
A year earlier, a very good album, "The Sum Of No Evil," was released, featuring a wonderful cover by Ed
Unitsky of The Flower Kings. The album featured a distinguished lineup: Roine Stolt, Tomas Bodin, Jonas Reingold,
Zoltan Cs]]>��top of my personal playlist to this day (it's only twenty-four minutes long). And everything went quiet. Of
course, the band went on tour (November 2007), but with a new drummer, Pat Mastelotto. In 2008, the US tour was
canceled. Jonas Reingold focused on his own project, Karmakanic, recording the album "Who's The Boss In The
Factory." Tomas Bodin was recording a solo album, "Cinematograph". In an interview from that period, Roine Stolt
said: "(...) yes, work on compiling material for the next Flower Kings album is already underway, but this time it will
be a very long process. We will put 50% more effort into finding the right songs/lyrics, and we will also make sure
that whatever we play will be 100% valuable and straight from the heart, as well as played from the heart, with
precision and passion. It may take a year, maybe two, but we will give you everything you love about TFK and
progressive rock in general, only better this time." In short, silence fell on the Flower Kings camp. 2009 brought the
album "The Fading Ghosts Of Twilight" by Agents Of Mercy, on which Roine Stolt played the lead role. Around April
of that year, news emerged about the supergroup Transatlantic's renewed recording plans. The result of this
"reunion" was the captivating album "The Whirlwind," released in late 2009, featuring the magnificent title suite
(arguably one of the most important in the history of symphonic rock). Tomas Bodin formed a new band, Eggs &
Dogs, and recorded the album "You Are" (Michael Stolt played bass on this project). Finally, Roine Stolt and Jonas
Reingold participated in the work on the band's debut album, An Endless Sporadic. 2010 saw the Transatlantic tour
and a joint US tour with Karmakanic and Agents Of Mercy. And in this entire "puzzle," there's no information
about... Hasse Fr]]>�regarding the reissue of the album, which will be discussed in just a few sentences, the beginning of his own
musical project called Hasse Fr]]>�debut album, "Future Past," in August 2010. In July 2011, the band re-entered the studio to begin recording their
next album, "Powerplay," which saw the light of day in April 2012. This time, the band decided to work with his
colleague from The Flower Kings, Tomas Bodin, as co-producer. What started as a relaxed and enjoyable recording
session suddenly turned desperate due to a tight deadline. The reason was that HFMC received invitations to two
major festivals: Night of the Prog at Loreley in Germany and RoSfest in Gettysburg, USA. Powerplay helped the band
connect with fans on both sides of the Atlantic, playing shows in both Europe and the United States. And since
"Powerplay" has never been reissued since its 2012 release, it's fitting that, thanks to the efforts of Freia Music, we
now have in our hands a remastered version of this fantastic album, with two additional bonus tracks from shows
in 2022 and 2024.
The remastered "Powerplay" album contains nine tracks plus two bonus tracks, and despite a fourteen-year
hiatus, it sounds... symphonic, rock, progressive... fantastic. From the very first moment, you know more or less
what to expect from this album. "My River to Cross" - the first track on the album - begins, continues, and ends as
befits a true symphonic composition. Keyboards, guitar, polyphony, and everything needed to occupy the musical
spaces for just over ten minutes. I wrote above - more or less because please listen to the powerful guitar
threads, which touch on a metal style, supported by Hasse's slightly raspy vocals.
The guitar opening of "The World Keeps Turning" adds a rock edge to this composition. This arrangement is
perhaps the hallmark of this album. Powerful rock guitars are supported by powerful organ chords, which enchant
during quiet moments and shifts in tempo to more lyrical ones. "The Final Hour" ? this composition sounds almost
like the calmer songs of The Flower Kings. It has a delicacy and playfulness reminiscent of that band, and its
distinguishing feature is the guitar's role as a tempo setter, with the magnificent organ and backing vocals matching
it. "Waves" follows suit. It sounds elegant and perfectly arranged. It simply flows like a river of melody, lapping its
banks with a calm current and a romantic atmosphere. Please put this composition on loop, because you truly can't
tear yourself away from its hypnotic melody.
I've never been to Venice, California, but after listening to "Venice CA," I think I have some idea of what I could
do there... Hmmm, let me think about it. This track also marks (in my opinion) a kind of caesura between the
progressive and rock parts of the album. A strong sound with an American rock flavor, a rock-pop chorus. Simply a
good, melodic song. Similarly, "Is It Ever Gonna Happen" is simply a rock march with strong, rock vocals reminiscent
of those known from hard rock bands. After the heavier riffs of the previous track, the next one, "White Butterfly,"
conjures up a delicate story about inner turmoil with the help of slide guitar. Although "The Chosen Ones" begins
similarly to "White Butterfly," it's not a pretty song, returning to the rock genre, enriched by the pleasant sound of
keyboards. The familiar sounds of the 1970s are here, artfully blended with contemporary rock stylings. The final
track from the original album is "Godsong," with its piano opening, again somewhat reminiscent of the symphonic
work of The Flower Kings, with a small but significant addition... a sort of Queen-esque musical and vocal interlude.
Listen to this track from around the three-minute mark.
The remastered version includes the aforementioned two live bonus tracks: "White Butterfly" and "Venice CA."
There's a distinct vocal difference between the 2012 recording and those from 2022 or 2024. It's clear that the live
recordings are more mature. "White Butterfly" sounds dignified, accompanied only by electric piano. "Venice CA"
still quickens the pulse and shows its rock edge. It's a recording from two years ago. Both compositions prove they
haven't dated, that they still possess a palpable charisma, just like the entire album.
It took a long time for this album to reappear in stores. I'll just say this... it was worth it, because doesn't (as the
saying goes, or as some folk wisdom goes...) waiting whets the appetite...? And while this refined version of the old
album has somewhat eased the hunger for new music, it hasn't quenched it. Something more would have been
nice, and rumor has it that patience pays off. I recommend this release, because it's both a return to the near-
beginnings of the Hasse Fr]]>�good music.
see also MLWZ.pl

SUFJAN STEVENS A Sun Came (Crossover Prog, 2000)

Sun, 3 May 2026 22:22:38 EST

Review by kenethlevine — Completed at the tender age of 24 by a singer/songwriter and instrumental polyglot with some college band experience already
to his credit, "A Sun Came" is like a wide dispersal seeder that is attempting to determine, almost through trial
and error, which ones will be the most viable. Or like a nervous pre-date individual trying on 15 outfits to see
which is the one most likely to...and finally deciding to wear 7.5 of them at once.

To the prog folk crowd though, it's a rare opportunity to hear him in this style as opposed to the more eclectic,
experimental or indie pop sound that has dominated his daunting output, underscoring his innocent commercial savvy. As would
become customary, it's a top heavy concoction, with, apart from the dispensable and off the wall sub-minute
interludes, the first 6 tracks being mystical mini masterpieces or at worse, vivid brushes with the Medieval, Celtic, and
Middle Eastern axes. The absolute best are the TULL-like "We are What you say", the neo folkish "A Winner Needs
a Wand" that presaged HEXVESSEL by a decade and a half, and the creepy "Dumb I sound" with guest ghost
references from across every diaspora in every realm known and unknown. "Rake" engages in weird vocal effects and I
prefer the bonus version at the end of the re-release. "Demetrius" is somewhat drone-ish but is more than
rescued by its last few minutes in the key of Asia Minor. "Wordsworth's Ridge" seems to have poured the mold for
the later English folkies CIRCULUS.

This is where the seeder gets jammed and something more like a nut is alchemized, particularly on the
chaos theory unfortunately put into practice on (but not in a good way) "Rice Pudding", an accidental grandchild of KING CRIMSON's "Cat
Food". "Super Sexy Woman" really kills the mood though the lyrics are deliberately so unfunny they are good,
and "Happy Birthday" is forgettable due to being slightly less offensive. Luckily the race to the finish includes the
trio of "Kill" (which is starting to sound like his signature balladry in its infancy), the hypnotic "Ya Leil" with "exotic"
vocalise from Ghadeer Yaser, and finally the Appalachia tinged title cut, so we can't simply bisect the album
without voiding the warranty.

"A Sun Came" illuminates, if not Sufjan's future trajectory, then his larval wizardry that, while by definition immature, is a
blessing to fans who still long for a complete folk album from he who has done pretty much everything else.

STORMY SIX L'Apprendista (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1977)

Sun, 3 May 2026 22:00:17 EST

Review by The Progolyte — After I was left generally displeased with the band's 1975 album titled Un Biglietto Del Tram, I was
surprisingly still pretty excited to check out their 1977 record, L'Apprendista, as it apparently didn't carry
the Eastern and vintage feel the other album had, and it also supposedly was more complex and
interesting. It also just had a higher rating, so going into this, I had high hopes. And yes, I did actually enjoy
this one, but not as much as I thought I would. Unfortunately, the band's soulless vocals and slower sound
are still evident throughout the whole record, and though the music is now a lot more intricate, something
felt missing. Moving on, the music is a lot more experimental and uncanny, with its low atmosphere making
for a really good listening experience. The personnel includes Franco Fabbri on guitars, vibraphone, and
xylophone, Umberto Fiori on acoustic guitar and vocals, Carlo de Martini and Tommaso Leddi on violin,
mandolin, and various other instruments, Luca Piscicelli on bass and vocals, and Salvatore Garau on drums.
There are also a ton of guest musicians on here, adding various horn and string arrangements to the
record.

On this record, the tracks are much longer than what was found on previous Stormy Six records, with some
of them reaching over seven or eight minutes long. All of the tracks have a lot more details and are each
really good, with tons of explorative music that reaches into a sound very similar to normal Rock In
Opposition while at the same time making itself very unique from other bands. It's very technical, although
not as complex as bands like Henry Cow and Present (although Present would come out only a few years
after this would be dropped). I thought the band could've had more energy put into this record, but it's
enough to please me and still leave a good impression on me, even if I didn't like the vocals. Now, while the
music itself is amazing by having various intricate arrangements and passages, it does lack emotional depth
and deeply touching parts (which is actually common in Rock In Opposition). I also thought that the cover to
the record was unique and eye-catching in the funny yet strange picture that holds an album of this nature.

In conclusion, this is not only the best Stormy Six record (although I haven't listened to their full
discography yet) but also probably one of the top twenty Rock In Opposition records. It's amazing in the
way they make music this quirky and interesting and are still on the more obscure side of the genre. My
final rating is a strong 4/5.

SINGLELITO In Absence of Velocity (Eclectic Prog, 2026)

Sun, 3 May 2026 20:51:48 EST

Review by VTr Storm — Musically, it is easy to place Singlelito in the orbit of progressive rock, however, that only explains part of the
story. The sound flirts with jazz rock, wanders through that slightly eccentric atmosphere of the Canterbury
scene and when you think you understood the path, it already seems to want to go somewhere else. There is
always an unexpected element emerging and a shift in mood, in addition to a rhythmic turn or an idea that
seems out of place, but that always ends up fitting in the right way.

And it is precisely in this scenario already full of crooked paths and loose ideas, along with an increasingly
sharp identity, that 'In Absence of Velocity' appears as one of the great progressive forces of 2026. An album
that already arrives fully embracing this experimental spirit that has become a trademark of the project, where
the listener never seems to know which way the music will go, but always seems to want to find out.

But even with a whole progressive vein pulsing strongly and full of twists, along with nuances and paths that
unfold all the time, 'In Absence of Velocity' is far from being a difficult album. On the contrary, it flows with a
naturalness that surprises and hooks through curiosity. So when the listener realizes, they are already
completely involved even without having 'deciphered' every detail. The melodies play a fundamental role in
this, as they are well constructed and sometimes even intricate, but never sounding inaccessible. There is
always a guiding thread in the middle of the layers making everything sound cohesive and almost intuitive. It is
like walking through a complex terrain, but with the certainty that someone thought about the path
beforehand.

In the end, the album finds a very beautiful balance between technique and emotion, where it is neither empty
virtuosity nor sensitivity thrown at random, but rather, everything well measured and fitted, showing an artist
who understands not only music, but construction, narrative and how to create a striking experience.

DIFFERENT LIGHT Binary Suns (Part 2 - Alternate Reality) (Crossover Prog, 2026)

Sun, 3 May 2026 14:52:09 EST

Review by roriiri — This is my first review, i have really enjoyed this album. Specially the first part of the album!!! The first song is so epic and
the other songs that follow goes hand in hand perfectly.
I really like the sound of the instruments, the melodys are very catchy, the piano is brilliant, the guitar is very well done
and the voices are very good.
I didn't listen other of their albums, but if those are as good as this one, I really need to give those a chance!! I really
recommend this album.
Not a long album, but neither a short one. 20 songs that are very well done with a very good production.
Give it a chance, It's incredible!!

KATATONIA Night Is The New Day (Progressive Metal, 2009)

Sun, 3 May 2026 12:51:22 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — Katatonia released their best material between 2001 and 2006, and this opinion is shared by many of
their fans. However, the Swedish band's 2009 LP 'Night Is the New Day', which is the follow-up to
'The Great Cold Distance', happens to be the blandest and most forgettable album of theirs - the
formulaic, goth-inspired alt-rock that the band plays here features lots of morose synths and
occasional electronic bits, but the insufferably uninspired riffs are what makes this record so
disappointing and repetitive. On the surface, 'Night Is the New Day' sounds like yet another dark
and melodic collection from Katatonia, and the production on this record is actually quite good, but
what separates this album from the excellent preceding releases is the utter lack of originality,
the absence of intriguing or exceptional ideas, and the overall drab atmosphere that the majority of
the songs on here occupy.

There is a strong influence from Opeth and Porcupine Tree on this album, as Katatonia experiment
with extended acoustic sections and broodingly dark melodies, but the ideas behind the songs on
'Night Is the New Day' are simply not as compelling as on their previous works. It seems like the
riff-heavy alt-rock style is now exhausted and played out for the band, with opener 'Forsaker' being
the only great song on here. Everything else is moody and hefty, also significantly forgettable;
almost like the same idea has been copy-pasted ten times or so. The voice of Jonas Renkse might be
the single most enjoyable aspect of this record, which is inevitably a lower-echelon Katatonia
release. And so, the follow-up to the band's excellent trilogy from the early 2000s is a bland and
disappointing release that captures Katatonia at their weariest and least exceptional.

PROGHMA-C Equation Toxic A (Experimental/Post Metal, 2025)

Sun, 3 May 2026 11:57:30 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Mysterious Polish Prog Experimental/Post Metal band Proghma-C appear out of the shadows of 16 years of silence
since their one and only previous release (which just happens to be my #1 favorite studio album release from Y2K9!)
The result is more than satisfying . . . if you give it a chance. Released in 2025 by Mystic Productions, the album had sat
in a drawer for over ten years before being released to digital media on September 5, 2025, with most of the material
having been composed and recorded in the 2015 period after new vocalist Patryk Zwoliński had been announced to
have replaced previous vocalist Piotr Gibner.

1. "Oceanic" (26:55) a wild ride of wildly-contrasting styles and sound palettes sewn together as a suite. It opens with
an organ-fed atmospheric palette with tuned percussion keyboard MIDI instrument revealing a somber motif that
could be ULVER, could be LEONARD COHEN, could be Giancarlo Erra's NoSOUND, but is definitely highly evocative (in
that Nordic way)! In the fourth minute the music slowly transitions into a fully-sequenced take on modern Berlin
School that sounds like Tim Hecker and Steve Hauschildt before some squeaky-violin sounds and heavy djent guitar
chords begin eeking their way into the sonic field. In the background one can hear a kind of distant choir of ghosts
making wordless notes and chords but then the djent metal takes over full blast as lead singer Patryk Zwoliński sings
in a mid-range, using multiple tracks to add to and embellish the field with multiple forms of voicings. This is
awesome! By the eighth minute the band is charging along at full speed like a cavalry riding into battle across the open
fields of Pomerania. Then things settle into an equally-dense but far more melodic and harmonically-rich motif in
which Patryk hits some really beautiful vocal harmonies. But then it's over and the band launches into the battle,
fighting with full force, all energies being loosed in a melée of chaotic 360 degree output. The use of synthetic game
station-like computer synthesizer noises over the top of this whole section reminds me of the kind of walls of sound
that Jem Godfrey churns up with his FROST* project. As we enter the 13th minute the battle seems to have come to an
end--or else we've switched scenes--cuz things get soft and gentle, pensive and retrospective--very much in the vein of
fellow countrymates Riverside and/or Retrospective. This TOOL- and PEARL JAM-like section is quite awesome. At the
very end of the 15th minute the music elevates back into high intensity with Patryk doing some amazing growly-
screams to push the band into its djent-mode again--but this turns far more melodic as both guitar, bass, and
synthesizers introduce melody lines that work with one another harmonically. 90-seconds later we're transitioning
into some of the most dirty, full-spectrum metal djent that I've ever been immersed in! Amazing! I feel purged and
healed--and that's even before coming out the other end into the hypnotic guitar Math Rock pattern that flows into
the 19th minute before drums and layers of vocals rejoin. Again there is a feeling of Mariuz Duda music, production,
and vocal performance here with so much going on all at once in a fairly straightforward passage. Amazing! It's Lunatic
Soul and Riverside both at the same time! But then the percussion and drum work seem to take us into uncharted
territory with the bass and guitars following along (as if they are the support system to Kuman's amazing rhythm
work). What a dedication to camaraderie! I love this! In the 23rd minute it all suddenly ends, leaving behind layers of
gentle though consistently-heavy low-end synth washes, guitar arpeggi, and variable volume synth drones warbling to
the forefront. Am I sane? or am I being reprogrammed? (Or, to follow the song title: is that what it feels like to drown?)
In the beginning of the 26th minute a low droning bass synth remains as a DOVES-like electric guitar arpeggiates some
lovely chords up top for the bedding for a complex weave of multiple voices to sing their closing remarks. This is so
Doves, so Ulver, so Pearl Jam, and so amazing! One of the best long-playing prog epic suites of the 21st Century! A
song that has continued to get better and better with each listen I've given it. (54.25/55)

2. "Stay" (5:16) opening with a rich, multi-layered soundscape of electronica sounds and repeating organ/electric piano
chords. Singer Patryk Zwoliński enters with his deep voice singing in English sounding like , singing a verse before
layers of guitars, bass, keys, and prog drums join in for the next couple verses. At 3:30 the band launches into a more
metal passage of rapid fire bass drums and tom-tom interplay over which a three-chord pattern of dirty djenty guitar
chords and background choral vocals start chanting the song title--which carries through until the song's sudden end.
A very cool song that draws me back for more. (9/10)

3. "Inexplicable breakdowns" (9:06) oscillating bass notes and ætheric layers of electronic sounds open this one,
providing the landscape for guest vocalist Irena Zięba to her two minute "contra feeling" monologue--in perfect British
English. Brilliantly separated into isolated and effected into a linear succession of multiple compartments of the
sonosphere, Ira seems to be telling us of the fallout of her psychotic experience of seeing things on the open sea, of
isolation and delusional thinking, even admitting to her 30-years of total self love which turned into an attempt to
make herself invisible (and abnegation) by taking on multiple lovers while feeling absolutely no feeling or attachment
to any of them. When she speaks of her parent's decision to die by refusing to eat one can finally comprehend that
this person is totally disconnection to any emotional capacity--is totally lacking any empathy. And yet her vocal is so
honest, so revealing and matter-of-fact, the affect of her recitation so brutally honest, that it make its effect totally
erotic, totally seductive. Then Patryk's voice arrives as the band ramps up their atmospheric metal soundscape into
something that starts around 5:24 to rival PEARL JAM's iconic finish to "Black"--only these guys extend it for three
minutes before unwinding with some gorgeous heavily-reverbed piano chord play--three and a half amazing minutes!
Awesome song! I find no fault with it--wouldn't change a thing; I applaud the absolute genius of it. (20/20)

Total Time 41:17

There is a lot of electronic work on this album which sometimes takes the atmospheric portions of the music further
away from the amazing high-quality metal but it all works: the layers upon layers of subtle tracks are so carefully crafted, so superlatively rendered that one comes away simply grateful for all of the care and time Smaga and Kuman put into the product they've given us.

When I first listened to this music back in the Autumn of 2025, I was a little intimidated as I didn't quite have
the time to focus and give myself to the music--especially a 27-minute epic like "Oceanic." But I've kept it on the shelf for further revisitations--and I am so glad I did! The result is one of my new favorite albums albums of the 21st Century.

A+/five stars; an absolute masterpiece of progressive rock music--one of the best 21st Century studio albums I've had
the joy and privilege to review. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for any self-respecting prog lover.

KAATAYRA Caminhos de �gua (Experimental/Post Metal, 2026)

Sun, 3 May 2026 10:19:00 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — The multi-instrumentalist Caio Lemos has made quite a splash with his alter ego KAATAYRA after
debuting in 2019 with "No Ruidar Da Mata Que Mirra" which displayed a unique blend of atmospheric
black metal with traditional Brazilian folk sounds in cahoots with psytrance of all things. Proving
to be quite prolific, another album followed the same year and then two more in 2020 and then yet
another in 2021 but then a long silence elapsed, a five year one that would obviously make many
wonder if the alter ego musical output of KAATAYRA had come to an end. Returning as the slightly
differently spelled version KA]]>��the artist returning with another dose of avant-folk meets black metal and Brazilian traditional
sounds.

Featuring seven tracks at only 45 minutes, CAMINHOS DE ]]>�traditions as he delivers a rather post-minamlist journey through ambient streams of sound that
feature acoustic instrumentation, nature recordings and raspy black metal vocal styles. Add some
elements of what sounds like samba and other flavors of Brazil along with heavy percussive driven
rhythms and it's a bizarre atypical take on folk music for sure. Despite all the claims of KAATAYRA
being a metal band, there is really no metal involved on this release except the harsh vocals which
in my book doesn't make it metal as the music is primarily on the mellow side save the festive
Carnival like jubilee sounding percussion.

It's often easy to peg a one-man band and such is the case with KAATAYRA since despite the wide
array of instrumentation on board, nothing really excels into what I would call actual over the top
mastery of any given sounds. What CAMINHOS DE ]]>�procession into post-rock inspired compositions that rely on repetitive cyclical grooves and oozing
atmospheric backdrops that slowly generate climatic crescendoes. There are no traditional song
structures here at all and everything comes off more as a one-man jamming session when the steam
picks up. Honestly the percussion sounds rather programmed and the lack of guitar distortion renders
the black metal vocal styles sounding rather out of place as if Slayer were invited to perform at a
kid's birthday party only lost their equipment.

This is truly one of those newer artists that i simply don't get the hype around. Sure it's unique
in its approach. After all who else has thought of adding black metal raspy vocals to minimalist
compositions inspired by Steve Reich, Arvo P]]>�generate the desired expectations. Overall i find that the stylistic approach isn't really what
makes this a meh experience for me but rather the shoddy execution of it all. Artists like
Q'uq'umatz have been blending indigenous folk sounds with metal, psychedelia and countless other
genres for quite some time now also as a one-man band only to greater effect.

It's really hard for me to pin down exactly what bothers me about this album and honestly all the
other ones i've so far experienced by KAATAYRA except that it all sounds rather amateurish in how
it's presented and mixed. In the end it's not a terrible album to experience at all. It's a nice
rhythmic folky dream world where different styles commingle for a short time but it's lacking any
true sustainability that makes me want to return. Given that each track is pretty much the same one
trick pony genre blend without really adding much variation to the overall theme, it all seems
rather monotonous in the end. The metal vocals sound like a fish out of water and some nice real
metal parts would've added some much needed contrast. The clean vocal parts remind me more of
Maudlin of the Well, another band that yields mixed results for me. In short, not really my thing
here.

CODE 18 Two Places (Neo-Prog, 2026)

Sun, 3 May 2026 09:50:57 EST

Review by tszirmay —
From the province of Qu]]>�Sand, Angine de Poitrine, Jacob Roberge and my band Enigmatic Sound Machines, as well as many others, CODE 18
now releases its second album, after the 2020 debut Human Error, which also sits in my collection. Encouraging
local prog bands has always been of keen interest to me , also venturing into the rest of the country, as I am a big
fan of Ontario residents Rick Miller (whose new album I will be reviewing very soon, so stay tuned) and Ken Baird
(Monarch Trail), both long-standing friends of the Prog Rogue.

Led by the incredible keyboardist Johnny Maz of Huis (check out his numerous YouTube tributes to Triumvirat,
Genesis, Porcupine Tree, Real Life (Send me an Angel), Alan Parsons Project, Rick Wakeman, A-Ha, The Mission
etc..), Ben Plamondon on vocals and JF R]]>�Plante and Bobby St-Louis, all scattered throughout the large province but working well with the wonders of
modern technology. Now "Human Error" was a really tasty effort, foretelling of the current 'conflict' between two
best friends and neighbours (no, not about hockey, but just maybe) but this sucker is a treat that should propel
the band to further recognition, and I fully intend to help in the process with this review. I have always despised the
neo-prog tag (in fact, all labelling is good only for foodstuffs and medication, IMHO) as the musicianship can easily
rival any quality symphonic, fusion, or rock outfit anywhere . 'It's not about the close you wear', sang the Cars! Proof
is often found in the structure, as this nearly 69-minute album kicks off with a nice, longer than usual "Prelude"
(how quaint!) and ends seven pieces later with a dozen minute epic called "Justice?", with the previous track "A New
Soul" clocking in over14 minutes. We are not in syrupy sing-along "Follow you, Follow me" neo mode. We are talking
Code 18! Bon, ca suffit!

The afore mentioned "Prelude" sets off the spark that will shine throughout this release, an ode to insomnia with
Sylvain Descoteaux emoting within an orchestral umbrella , a throttling bass keeping the line and JF R]]>�setting the tone for all the magic to come, a bluesy conquest of the senses. The anesthetic is working, as the deep
dive into "Polyrhythm" is initiated, a chaotic collision between hard times and soft moments, the ideal foil for Ben to
express the turbulence of the world and how it affects our manic life. Edgy, at times serrated like a honed knife,
definitely questioning the validity of just holding on. "There is a nice space, just a few pages over, in fact, I think it's
better than this place", the definition of restful sleep.

Time for a look back at simpler times, when routine was rarely boring as "The Old House" tells the tale of childhood,
where innocence held hands with learning from one's mistakes. Musically, it's a windswept affair, ticking clocks
from Martin Plante, and flickers of liquid guitar, a dreamy soundscape that skillfully navigates the space between
each breath and every reminiscence. The orchestral elevation rises to a heightened crescendo, opening up the gate
for R]]>�
A trio of lengthy instrumentals invades the space, setting the stage for the players to show their considerable. The
quirky and serpentine "Alors Je Cherche" has a French language narration, in a very film noir setting as if recalling a
Phillip Marlowe/ Sam Spade criminal escapade with romantic underpinnings (long-legged temptress) and as such
has all the thrilling trimmings associated with the genre, including well-placed brass exhortations, blaring just above
the Peter Gunn-like bass line. Bloody brilliant, "L'Affaire Dumoutier" revisited.

Candidate (and surely winner) for the best song title of 2026 , "The Lovers, the Incompetent and the Asshole"
travels first into piano land for a stretch with slick guitar shadings (the two lovers, I presume), before a burly
synthesizer flare-up takes the mood into sombre reptile territory, a slithering and bumbling electronic declaration
of frivolousness, bashing a few hard drums in the process, a modern ode to Inspector Clouseau, peut-etre?
Invariably, with incompetence we get incontinence and the bowel movement gradually appears, with growling
stomach spasms, and the inevitability of human stupidity expelling its garbage. The congas and the hammered
piano keys, provide a monumental procession of percussive liberation, letting the savage synthesizer unleash its
venomous waste. Maybe also candidate for finest instrumental of 2026, qui sait?

The shorter but utterly fragrant "Moving in Peach Nightmare" has a psychedelic connotation that is hard to ignore,
swirling patterns of serene sounds, a tick-tock (no, not the app, FFS) somnolence that induces a kind of electro sonic
fantasy, the keyboards reminding me of some of Billie Currie (Ultravox) solo work. Love this tracks as well.
Now, closing off an already thrilling album with not one but TWO epic pieces, is as bold a statement one can make
and Code 18 pull it off with gusto, bravado and presumably a fair amount of espresso.

"A New Soul" owns a running time of over 14 minutes and it's an absolute corker, perhaps candidate for epic of
2026, ben voyons donc! The tempo and atmosphere are instantly attractive in a cinematographic sense, with wide
shots combined with endless detailed inserts, the rhythmic brouhaha exhausting, and the mystery constantly
exposed. When the Plamondon vocals finally kick in, the starkness verges on sinister Armageddon, "where nature is
gone, ripped from the earth", and yet, there is still hope from the celestial watchers above, or so it seems. The
confrontation between edgy chaos and sustained slumber, resurrects the invariable extremes of sleep versus
insomnia, of light and dark, of life and death. Only a new soul can provide any kind of resurrection, the instrumental
section has a wicked (I mean evil) St-Louis bass flutter that shuffles the bruising Hammond organ rage along, Plante
blasting away on his tectonic kit, Maz now adding synthesizers sorties in order to challenge the delirious R]]>�guitar assaults.

"Justice?" you surely mean injustice! Ending an album on the concepts of Waiting and despair, as well as the endless
fight to survive and wondering what in hell (or is it heaven) will be the verdict , is the exact definition of our times.
Well, I choose to be positive by filtering out the endless abysmal poison peddling and judgmental opinion scourge
that weakens our resolve by promising endless blessings that are never fulfilled. How do we resist, you may ask?
Turn off the media tools and turn on the music, that is how! Screw the bad news ,look at the light and set yourself
free. A magnificent closer, showcasing the talented crew's deliverance. A dozen minutes that could be the requiem
of our times, whereby we eschew the focus on the problems and start looking at solutions, something the modern
world seems reluctant to motivate.

A master stroke of bustling progressive rock that will cause a fair amount of excitement in our global community.
Bien jou]]>�
5 dual spaces

CLARK HUTCHINSON Retribution (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1970)

Sun, 3 May 2026 08:32:40 EST

Review by Nickmannion — I have all three C/H albums....this one being a junk/charity shop find for a quid in the early 80's, oh what a time to
be a fledgling collector/crate digger...and the contrarian in me has this as my favourite. How so? Well I guessed
before I looked at the ratings etc that this one would have the proglodytes turn their ears up at...but you know,
narrow musical snobbery is so passe...!
Explain then. For reasons unknown, C/H decided to go all blues/rock for this sophomore effort, not in a 'lets nod in
the general direction' way but more all in although (am assuming this was missed by most other raters) with
tongues firmly cheek planted. The opener 'Free To Be Stoned' comes out of the traps like Bakerloo meets
Stackwaddy at Vanilla Fudges place when the Pink Fairies and Edgar Broughton popped by and makes say Led Zep
sound staid and polite by comparison. You would think a fair few walls were pinned to back in 1970 on the needle
hitting the groove. Marvellous! Then a mid paced piano led blues lope that could come from a Steamhammer or John Dummer( bands various)
album although it is perhaps stretched a few mins too far/long. 'In Another Day' is probably the Deram execs.
insisting 'a hit single might be helpful' but it doesnt have say (thinking of contemporary crossover 'hits') anything of
the All right Now or even Devils Answer about it but a hint of Patto perhaps? 'Best Suit' lyrically is a satire on the
pop boy tries very hard to impress girl but fails spectacularly fare but musically is a bit Mott The Hoople (before
they went 'popish') with a melancholy Rory Gallagher feel without being a guitar fest. Finally 'Death The Lover' is a
possible cheesy Zappaesque/Hampton Grease Band take on more doomy stuff, the cheap organ sound (deliberate)
being the key before it morphs into a smooth pastiche on crooner things to fade...
Ok, I grant you there might be a bit of lets throw all this at the wall and see what sticks about it but it certainly isnt
safe or formulaic hence the contrarian in me is on board. Again, ratings dilemma as it is probably a 3.5 give or take
but am not going 3 to reduce the average but 4 to pull said average nearer to where it maybe should be.

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

Sun, 3 May 2026 07:48:38 EST

Review by alainPP — "Wallow" opens with a monumental flourish, featuring Gilmour-esque, Moor-like guitar work, delicate and
interwoven with piano for a solemn, bluesy feel; a warm atmosphere pervades Sylvain's vocals and the
acoustics, reminiscent of Steve Wilson. The organ and the syncopated, metronomic riff, reminiscent of Wilson
and Riverside, are energetic. The raspy vocals flirt with growls; a disciplined bass and pad break allows vocals
and guitar to converse. The track returns to a melancholic ballad with a touch of post-rock guitars, an intense
fusion of melody and cyclothymic evolution over the restrained, screamed vocals. Nearly fifteen minutes in,
S]]>�finale, with hints of Mot]]>�Nothing," featuring Anathema's acoustic guitar, is an unplugged, melancholic ballad built on Thomas's crisp
drumming, guiding the listener down the steep slopes of alternative prog, distilling fiery heavy metal vibes. The
rollercoaster rhythm, sharpened by explosive, trance-like prog metal crescendos, culminates in an ethereal,
evanescent synth outro. "Darkest Heir," with its clock and sampled vocals, delivers a palpable musical tension.
The heavy riff and guttural vocals sound straight out of a dark metal band. The impressive, compulsive, choppy
sound of the keyboard solo is something Jordan Rudess would love to play. The Karcius-esque rogue wave
continues to swell.

"Slow Down Son," in an airy, Floydian synth style, features a radiant acoustic guitar note; the meditative
atmosphere of this world music interlude, somewhere between a ballad and a slow jam, has a touch of Peter
Gabriel. A moment of pure, disconnecting bliss. "Rise," an acoustic, archaic guitar piece by Simon, precedes the
onslaught of heavy progressive metal. The catchy chorus is radio-friendly, and we still believe in this superb
band where the raw guitars perfectly complement Sylvain's off-kilter vocals for a truly exhilarating build-up. The
acoustic outro is heavy, reminiscent of the sublime Pain of Salvation, featuring a frenetic organ-guitar battle.
"Awakening the Spirit" opens with a crystalline sound, ethereal piano, keyboard waves, and a melting vocal,
building to a restrained crescendo reminiscent of Hamasari, with the driving drums over the whispered vocals. A
progressive atmosphere emerges, the saccharine build-up envelops the listener, amplified by Simon's fiery solo.
Accompanied by a swirling organ in the style of Dream Theater, this excellent crescendo culminates in a blazing
guitar solo, organ, guitar, organ?epic. "Dusting My Coat" returns to a restrained, deliberate gentleness; the
metronomic drums lend a palpable heaviness to the initially measured tempo, which then accelerates to an
explosive crescendo. The chorus accentuates the frenetic build-up, creating a sense of longing.

KARCIUS dares to move beyond jazz fusion, and it's a very good thing. A dense album that proves this band is
clearly underrated. An opus that confronts the architecture of the human psyche, both calm and violent. A
powerful, cinematic exploration of this modern rock fusion, alternating between heavy and post-rock. A wave of
dense sonic emotion for this singular album that pushes back against today's progressive rock by injecting it
with melody, sensitivity, and technical skill. A major achievement.

LITURGIA DEL PIOMBO Volume Primo (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 2026)

Sun, 3 May 2026 03:10:31 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — On Liturgia del Piombo's albums, Ludovico Maggi Padovan performs a complete solo work playing all the instruments,
just as on each of his covers the landscapes are solitary places, where except in the factory of the first one, no people
appear, and they are also monochromatic, this new album was titled Volume Primo, and unlike Ustica, where it could
sound more rock, here he makes a fusion more related to the oriental, which reminded me of his compatriots from
Area.

Its tracks are divided like the pages of a book, as vintage as the car in the cover photo. Just as Pagine 1-83 is
dominated by the organ, Pagine 84-168 features the clarinet prominently, and Pagine 169-253 features the guitar in
the style of Scott Henderson of Tribal Tech. In Pages 254-336, we reach the climax of this musical book, with a
theatrical treatment that does not need dialogues or lyrics to be sung, the clarinet whispers, the guitar shouts, the
interaction is there.

On pages 337-419, you can hear Steve Hackett with Djabe, a fusion of Western, Balkan, and Eastern sounds, where
the guitar still seems to want to speak. On the other hand, pages 420-505, despite their almost hard rock power with
touches of funk, have the sophistication of a rainy day under the city cobblestones, paved with the saxophone.

Pages 506-593 strum calmly with the guitar, jumping from balcony to balcony, holding on with the clarinet and its
notes as if they were a rope...until the rope tightens and the rock returns, which will be precisely the balance on which
Liturgia del Piombo will perform acrobatics, whose characteristic is to sound light despite being as heavy as lead at
times.

Pages 594-666 end the book, which sounds like those old cassettes with books read...whose conclusion is as obscure
as, again as Steve Hackett as Spectrum or his last albums, the specters covered by Padovan go there and beyond until
culminating with some guitar notes delicately placed on a wet cobblestone.

STORMY SIX Un Biglietto Del Tram (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1975)

Sat, 2 May 2026 22:19:34 EST

Review by The Progolyte — Stormy Six is well known for their involvement in the original Rock In Opposition movement in the
seventies, especially for being essentially the Italian band to be involved in the genre. After a quick check of
the band's ratings on ProgArchives and Rate Your Music, I came to the conclusion that they had two major
albums in their discography, with this being one of them. Now, Un Biglietto Del Tram was indeed the first
exposure I ever got to the band, and I went into thinking I would get an experimental and highly technical
album (judging by the ratings and descriptions I saw), but I ended up with a generally bland folk album with
various interesting and complex parts mixed in every once and a while. I was disappointed with this record,
and I thought that it could definitely have more energy and life. Especially in the vocals. The vocals this
band has sound bland and overall drove my rating down for this album. When looking at the personnel, it
includes Franco Fabbri and Umberto Fiori on guitar, Carlo De Martini and Tommaso Leddi on violin, Luca
Piscicelli on bass, and Antonio Zanuso on drums, and then all of them (except Antonio) do the vocals and
do various other instrumentation such as mandolin or flute.

The music feels very Eastern, specifically taking influence from classic Russian folk music. The vocals and
overall playing also feel Russian, and that whole vibe is made even more evident when you realize the
opening song is literally called Stalingrado. This is one of (if not the) band's most popular songs, and though
it normally doesn't sound like a normal Italian song (it sounds like a World War II tune), it still manages to
be memorable and enjoyable. Most of the album follows this same path, being stylized in that same fashion
of WWII era war songs and also being folk songs that stick to you, even if there aren't many intricate details
going on. Much of it feels a bit boring, and I wish they had spent their time making more complex and
technical music, as while there are moments on here, it can sometimes get unbearably slow and lifeless.
Moving on, some of my other favorites include Arrivano Gli Americani and the title track, which are each
the longest two compositions on the album at nearly six minutes. They also have some really nice
instrumental passages that allow room for soloing and faster music overall.

In conclusion, I know it's an unpopular opinion to rate this album this low, but I honestly don't see the true
"genius" behind this record. I can definitely see why some people love this one, but I just don't feel the
same. This one is a weak 3.25/5.

MOONRISE No Rewind (Neo-Prog, 2026)

Sat, 2 May 2026 18:36:11 EST

Review by tszirmay — Kamil Konieczniak just keeps on making his brand of prog, another proudly talented musician who refuses to
conform to expectations or even endlessly dabble in flavor of the year trends. After a lengthy seven year span of
silence since "Travel Within" in 2019, which went by rather unnoticed and surely underappreciated, the crafty multi-instrumentalist who masters the big four of prog, returns to loftier heights with the spectacular "No Rewind" , keeping his long standing vocalist Marcin Staszek but splitting duties now with the fabulous Anna Batko, formerly
of fellow Polish band Albion (a band I wish would rise from the ashes as Jerzy Antczak's music is sorely missed).
Regular guest Marcin Kruczek rejoins Kamil again delivering a blistering guitar solo on the penultimate track , he
has become the leading axe for hire guitar slinger, having played on numerous albums with Nemezis, Framauro,
Millenium, Metus, Gall, the Ryszard Kramarski Project and Mindfields. However, with this album, there has been a
major stylistic change, overtly less neo-prog than before, veering into more symphonic detailing, though the
melodies remain of paramount importance, and the vocal deliveries from both vocalists verging on the spectacular.

As the album titles clearly implies, there is no looking back. The glittering opener "Two Roads" signals where the
artist was, as Batko impacts the piece with seductive efficiency and the following two longer pieces really showcase
the progress into more subtle realms, as both the extended "Shadows in the Dark" and the impressive "Single
Game" hit the proverbial bull's eye, with Staszek in particular blowing the mind with stupendous tone and overt
emotion. The first one sweeps into the conscience with atmospheric intent, solidly expanding on a short yet bold
chorus, then dropping back into crunchy rhythm guitars chopping the percussive block, dense keyboard
orchestrations and decorative guitar licks, but it's the mid-section vocal high notes that create the goose bumps.
The instrumental core is simply divine, a sense of flow that is unescapable, ambient passages where the majestic
piano appears to rule, albeit just for a tender moment (they are Polish after all!). The second is the perfect
companion, maintaining a quality that cannot be overlooked, even by the most casual ear. When Staszek grabs the
microphone, he combines plausibility with uncanny ardour, his upper scales in the Steve Perry realm (without the
corniness), the shimmering guitar effects sweeping the road ahead, steadfast and oozing romance. This is frightfully delightful, modern prog at its finest, inspired and prone to adventure.

Three shorter tracks shift the focus onto more painful matters, altering once again the style as the first one up is
"Cheaters", navigating a more electronic urban reference, where synthesizers ping and drums pong, guitars
screeching and bass shuttling without remorse. The chorus hits the vocal plateaus previously reached apparently
with ease, this Staszek fellow is a revelation (he was always very good, but on this album, he kicks it up quite a
notch). This 5-minute romp remains concrete and stark, yet oozing feeling. Anna Batko enhances the pot with her
honey sweet voice, high up and near the Kate Bush zone, sugarcoating the wounded essence on "When We Played
by Heart", the emotions thrilling and devout, the instrumental backdrop quaintly delicate. Kamil then elevates the
storm with a commanding expanse of sonic detailing, an upward surge that made me skip a few beats. "Silent
Rooms" deflects the attention to an ornate piano chamber, where the solitary ivories resonate with a pressing
hush, a magnificent 3-minute interlude kept deliberately pure, another magical moment on a ride that has no rear-
view mirror.

Our guitar cameo shines on the stimulating "Friends of Blood ", as Kruczek unpacks all his talented craft with his
good pal Kamil keeping the foundation structure secure, Staszek convincingly relating the bond between them that shines through the grooves. The expectant guitar splurge is off the charts brilliant, an explosive flurry of gritty
fingers gliding all over the fretboard, all bending, caressing, touching and feeling the inner most expressions of the
musical soul.

Proof is in the pudding , and the dessert here is "All About You", the 10 minute + epic finale, proving my point about the slight upward direction undertaken during the 7-year itch. Batko sings and hushes with equal aplomb, the lengthy instrumental display from Kamil stamping not just this closing statement but the entire album with a
vigorous 'my best yet', a motion that I can concur with 1000% . With the apparent demise of Riverside and the silent Albion fade away, Polish Prog remains nevertheless still vibrant if one needs to judge by this stunning release. Not a single weak moment on an album I intend to rewind many more times in the near future. Give it a try, you cannot be disappointed.

5 lunar zeniths

ACHWGH� NEY WODEI Achwgh� Ney Wodei (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1986)

Sat, 2 May 2026 18:09:40 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — While the 80s were dominated by the likes of slick overproduced pop from Michael Jackson, Madonna
and Prince, a whole new underground was well underway. The world of heavy metal had dominated the
harder side of the rock spectrum but lurking in the shadows was a much stranger breed that worked
secretly in their musical laboratories like a mad occultist finding a new alchemical methodology of
summoning strange new sounds into our existence. One such act emerged from Paris, France. The
foursome that consisted of Fran]]>��(bass, percussion, vocals), Eric 'Riton' Sterenfield (guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals) and
Phillippe 'Wodi' Royer (percussion, trumpet, bass, vocals) rechristened themselves as ACHWGH]]>�WODEI and released two bizarre albums in the late 80s when such experimental music was about as far
from the mainstream consciousness as possible.

A bizarre mishmash of post-punk, avant-prog and freak funk, ACHWGH]]>�titled debut in a manner as unconventional as its music. Appearing in 1986 as a limited-edition
cassette, this album was hidden inside a handmade plaster model of a Citro]]>�traditional piggy bank the curious new owners had to break the plaster to be able to play the
cassette, a true first and only case of such in the entire history of music it seems! If that wasn't
enough once the product was obtained for playing, the musical style was self-described as "Razz!"
which featured highly experimental theatrical stream of overlapping (and oft contrasting) sounds
that mined their influences from various freak-a-zoids like Captain Beefheart, The Residents, Renado
& The Loaf, Neu! and another freaky French act Un D]]>�pulsating rhythms courtesy of Magma as well as the transcendental avant-prog roots traced back to
Univers Zero. The band found its way onto the short-lived V.I.S.A. label which featured Bourbonese
Qualk.

Musically ACHWGH]]>�unpredictable swarms of sounds that found oddly syncopated rhythms commingling with random sounds,
angular melodies, humorous vocal interactions and at times seemingly minimalist only dressed up with
freaked out vocal accompaniments that sometimes even can bring Alvin & The Chipmunks to mind!
Somewhat of an avant-funk and RIO flavored breed of NYC no wave, ACHWGH]]>�of DIY art rock in the 80s taking its influences and throwing them into the blender until they all
came out as a musical style all their own. Vocalwise interjections were mined from French chanson
and unlikely candidates such as Les Fr]]>�19 fitting into a classic playing time of just under 44 minutes. Very much in the tradition of other
Frenchie outsiders including Aksak Maboul and Etron Fou Leloublan only more suitable for Zappa and
Residents hardcores.

Part of the wild display of anarchy on this results from the fact that this band that met at the
Paris Tolbiac University and then joined an artist's community that squatted an out of commission
Parisian hospital where a gaggle of musicians took over and created wild music such as this. The
band was short-lived and only released two albums and until recently has all been but forgotten to
time as some of the most obscure releases ever to emerge from the Paris Underground but with the
renewed interest in all things wild and wacky out of the long sealed vaults, ACHWGH]]>�found a new audience in the modern world with its completely unhinged unorthodox approach to musical
mania and has found new digital releases making it more accessible than ever without resorting to
piles of broken plaster in the process. This is a fun crazy romp through short strange musical
expressions that defy all logic and expectations. One for the most open-minded avant-proggers but a
very satisfying one indeed and oddly as accessible as it is alienating.

DR. SPACE Dr Space's Wicked Sonic Bulls (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2026)

Sat, 2 May 2026 17:26:23 EST

Review by kev rowland — On Saturday 10th January 2026 at 10:30, four musicians started playing, and just two hours later they were finished.
Scott Heller then engineered, mixed and mastered the recordings, and here is the result. Scott, in his alter-ego of Dr.
Space (]]>�Synth, and he was joined by guitarist Tom Ashurst (ex-Hawklords, China Bull Shop, Here & Now), bassist Martin
Weaver (]]>�Project).

Given that the album is by Dr. Space one would expect it to be far more synth-based, but in reality, what we have here
is a rhythm section keeping it all together, the synths often providing a backdrop but rarely coming to the fore, with
the guitar being the main lead instrument. The result is something which is obviously heavily influenced more by
Hawkwind than Tangerine Dream, but more of a modern version and less of the Seventies heyday that one might
expect. Given that Ashurst has been heavily involved with the modern incarnation of Hawklords, both touring and on
albums, perhaps that is not too surprising. It certainly feels that the other three musicians are following his lead as
opposed to sharing the improvisational/compositional load, which is not what I would expect from a Dr. Space
release. There is a sense of lightness about this recording, a sense of the guys smiling and enjoying themselves with
little or no pressure and the result is something which is a pleasant workout while never being truly essential.

DR. SPACE Dr. Paradiso meets Dr. Space - Liquid Soundscapes (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2026)

Sat, 2 May 2026 16:51:35 EST

Review by kev rowland — In March 2025 Scott Heller went to Boston to spend three days with Dr. Joe Paradiso, who over the last 50 years has
built one of the world's largest modular synthesisers. They spent three days recording 14 pieces of music (which they
refer to as Movements), building layers of sound which somehow feels analogue and not digital, dated and certainly
not at all modern. One can imagine lovers of Tangerine Dream getting quite excited about this. What we have here is
Movement 13, "Swampworld", which has been presented in three parts, although it is in reality a single piece of music.

This is a very unusual album to listen to as although it is all keyboards I found myself thinking firstly of bagpipes and
then of a bugle, certainly not instruments one would immediately think of when listening to electronic albums. The
bagpipes are present as there is an underlying bass/baritone electronic drone throughout (which does change pitch
but is always there), while at times the lead melody can be thought of as being like a bugle (at one point I was sure I
could hear a smattering of "Last Post" and then it was gone). At other times they move into Hawkwind-like aggression,
as if the instruments are no longer things of beauty but are intent on destroying all before them as if in a futuristic
science fiction movie. It often feels as if the listener is encompassed by a world of sound, and all that exists is what is
happening between our ears (headphones are essential for the full effect).

It is an incredibly vital and intensely interesting piece of music, and one can only hope that if they recorded 14
different Movements then there is a lot more to come.

PALLAS The Knightmoves (Neo-Prog, 1985)

Sat, 2 May 2026 16:08:21 EST

Review by VianaProghead — Review N]]>�
As we know, the progressive rock was founded in the end of the 60's and primarily developed in the United
Kingdom. It was gradually being exported to many other countries around the world, especially to Europe.
However, the great exponent happened in the UK with many bands that were responsible for solidifying the style.
During several years, prog rock flourished and was responsible for some of the best pages ever written in the style.
But, in 1977, with the advent of the punk rock movement, prog rock went into decline and some of the bigger
names in the style simply disbanded or simplified their music in a more commercial style. So, the genre almost
disappeared during several years.
But as we know too, in the early 80's a sub-genre of the pro
gressive rock developed in the UK and that became known as the neo-progressive rock. The reason for the
emergence of this new genre was to resurrect the progressive rock in its most pure style but with a slight
commercial touch. Several British bands appeared at the time and were able to solidify the style that was
influenced by some of the biggest names of the 70's progressive rock, especially Genesis. Some of the most
important neo-prog bands at the time were Marillion, Pendragon, IQ, Pallas, Galahad, Twelfth Night, Solstice, Abel
Ganz and Quasar. They were responsible for some of the best albums in the genre solidifying the style.

About Pallas, is a Scottish prog rock band that was founded in 1974 in Aberdeen and that started their life as
Rainbow. The band dropped their name after Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple and called his new band Rainbow.
In the early 80's they were one of the leading bands at the Marquee Club, a London club that was considered a
temple of the 80's prog rock scene. The band's first release was a self-produced live LP entitled "Arrive Alive" in
1981. Their first studio album "The Sentinel" was released in 1984. In the following year, Pallas released an EP
entitled "The Knightmoves". In 1986, Pallas released their second studio album "The Wedge" and the compilation
album "Knightmoves To Wedge".

So, "The Knightmoves", which is the subject of this my review, is one of the first works of the band. With the release
of "Arrive Alive" and "The Sentinel", the band didn't have a great commercial success with not many sales. So, due to
that and shortly afterwards, their vocalist Euan Lowson left the band. Having recruited a new singer Alan Reed,
formerly of Abel Ganz, Pallas released this EP to present their new singer. "The Knightmoves" has only three tracks,
"Stranger", "Nightmare" and "Sanctuary". With these first recordings with Alan Reed, Pallas performs a rather
mellow progressive rock style with some AOR type moments. It's an interesting release with a curious mix between
the more commercial and the more prog sound. Maybe we can say that the band was trying a kind of a new future
sound for their next album.

So, as I mentioned before, "The Knightmoves" is an EP by Pallas that was released in 1985. The line up on "The
Knightmoves" is Alan Reed (lead and backing vocals), Niall Mathewson (lead electric and acoustic guitars, ebow and
guitar synthesizer), Ronnie Brown (backing vocals, grand piano, keyboards and synthesizers), Graeme Murray
(backing vocals, bass guitar, 12-string guitar and bass pedals) and Derek Forman (drums, bell, timbales and
timpani).

So, "The Knightmoves" has only three tracks. The first track "Stranger" is pretty much a basic AOR pop rock track
with its opening chorale word, which sounds a little bit of the early Asia's sound. It's a high-gear neo-prog/AOR track
with some powerful vocals by Alan Reed and a straightforward musicianship, featuring pounding rhythms and
some tricky keyboard work. For a prog fan it's almost a guilty pleasure to hear. It's a nice track for the 80's, so in
vogue at the time. The second track "Nightmare" is also a good track, building on the creepy side of Pallas. It
features a haunting intro and a more theatrical approach to support the title of the track. Again the sound is clean
and epic with a fantastic guitar solo and some atmospheric synthesizer sounds. The track even features a fabulous
screaming synthesizer solo by the inspired Ronnie Brown in the very known Keith Emerson's unmistakable style.
This is another nice track. The third and last track "Sanctuary" ends this EP in the best way. It's its lengthiest track
and probably the best track too. It's a long, atmospheric, dramatic and epic neo-prog track with some new wave
and few symphonic prog vibes all over and some beautiful electric guitar work by Niall Mathewson next to Ronnie
Brown's spacey synthesizers. This track develops in a more mature set of instrumental arrangements and an
irresistible escalation toward the grand finale. It's actually a fine track to have been hidden away for so long on an
EP. I think we can say that "Sanctuary" is a nice close to this EP.

Conclusion: "The Knightmoves" is one of the less known pieces of Pallas. Fortunately, the three tracks were also
released in 1986 in a compilation called "Knightmoves To Wedge". As the name indicates, "Knightmoves To Wedge"
is the sum of the tracks of "The Knightmoves" and "The Wedge", a kind of an album with the ten tracks by a certain
order. As a conclusion, we can say that Pallas with this EP was here to stay. Despite Pallas making many much
better things in the future that was to come, we can say that "The Knightmoves" is a little known work of a nice and
solid neo-prog.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

PLANTOID Flare (Eclectic Prog, 2026)

Sat, 2 May 2026 15:15:08 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — The Brighton-based band returns with their second album of King Crimson/black midi-like music.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Chloe Spence / vocals
- Tom Coyne / guitar
- Louis Bradshaw / drums
- Nathan Ridley / composition, support musicianship, production

1. "Parasite" (6:27) opening with more than a minute of dynamic guitar-chord ripping rock that sounds like something
from a black midi album, in the middle of the first minute the band backs down to reveal the dulcet underbelly of the
beast (a pattern that I've now come to know and almost expect from plantoid music). The music is gentle yet subtly
hiding its mischevious potential energy despite the lulling into submission of Chloe Coyne's Siren-like voice (all of it
shades of my favorite album of the 2020s. Then, just as she's got your floating off to sleep (around 6:25) the band
comes pounding back with the machine gun blasts of the artillery to finish us off. Genius deception--like the deadly
beauty of the great legends of mythology--most of whom were, of course, women. (9.125/10)

2. "Ultivatum Cultivation" (5:20) more genius in the palette, structure, and delivery of this one--Chloe Coyne is such a
vixen of allure and deceit: the way she can draw one in with her amazing voice despite the ambiguity of her (perhaps)
devious meanings hidden in her lyrics. It's just such a clever sound! (9.125/10)

3. "The Weaver" (4:57) a very simple Math Rock weave over (or is it within? or under?) which Chloe declares her
unwillingness to participate in the destruction and/or escape from the disintegrating planet. I really enjoy this song: it
has a surprising comforting psychedelic-hypnotic effect on me despite its doomer message and having to work really
hard to hear the message. (9.125/10)

4. "Dozer" (6:00) the first song whose setup turns me off a bit (I hate these one-two type of rock drum beats). Chloe
and the guitars do their best to quell my aversion--her lyrics about how to personally act when "the sky starts falling
down" ("golden" sleep). In the fourth minute the band switches their focus to theatric instrumental soundscaping--
which is entertaining in a King Crimson-kind of way--even incorporating quite a long blank space (to imply the silence
after the explosion of the "Big One"?)--but then they return to the abrasive Crimsonian palette for the finish before
another period of silence ensues--which is soon filled with string quartet work (as if we're on the sinking Titanic!)
Conceptually brilliant but not my favorite song. (I do so like a little more charm and marm!) (8.875/10)

5. "Good For You" (6:18) Chloe's delicate, almost child-like breathy soprano opens this as arpeggiated acoustic guitar
chords support her. The main melody in her vocal sounds like a delicate post-apocalyptic version of the previous
song's melody while the multi-layers of meaning in the lyrics seem to express the dream-like memory of romantic
summer evenings with a loved one who . . . is probably not there and may no longer be available. Very interesting. And
intriguing. I love the long, unnecessarily-protracted unchanging guitar outro. (8.875/10)

6. "Worn" (3:46) gorgeous air-vocal over interesting undefinable world music hybrid. The intended meaning of the
lyrics to this one are beyond the capacity of my puny little language-addled brain. (8.875/10)

7. "Splatter" (2:49) the punk rock side of plantoid. This one could be about werewolves, vampires, or other night
creatures but I don't really know. It sounds like something that fits in with the Twilight movies. (8.75/10)

8. "Slow Moving" (4:38) slow rolling music befitting a gentle night on the veranda. This one definitely feels like
relationship stuff: unresolved negative patterns or of dysfunction that keep repeating despite having tried to deal with
them over. The singer is getting tired of the repetition but she appreciates the reset that day time routines afford and,
in the end, admits that she's not dead or "empty"--not yet ready to give up--that she's just "slow," needs time to move.
Beautiful and brilliant--both musically and lyrically. My favorite song on the album. (9.375/10)

9. "Daisy Chains" (7:26) an odd song whose lyrics cause me to get stuck on the imagery from the original Frankestein
film in which Boris Karloff's monster encounters the little flower-picking girl beside the river/lake. Sorry! But that's how
ambiguous the lyrics feel--and how heavy, dark, and noncommittal the music feels. (Moral ambiguity. Just as Mary
Wollstonecraft Shelley would have wanted.) The feelings of sadness and horror are revealed in the instrumental outro.
(13.25/15)

Total Time 47:47

I've been listening to this album since the day it was released (no, not continuously, you silly!) hoping to find distinctive
elements to each and every song but the plantoid formula runs deep, becomes predictable; it's all in the lyrics (to
which I am often obtuse--unless I work really hard to. I get the sense that, like many of the young (Gen X & Gen Z)
(prog) rockers out there, (as well as many of the young hippy-somethings in the 1960s and 1970s), Chloe, Tom, Louis,
and Nathan are quite concerned for the urgent fate of this version of the human race. There is so much in this band's
music that conjures up kindredness between some of my other favorite 21st Century bands, like iNFiNiEN (Chrissy
Loftus), Oiapok (Melanie Gerber), Bent Knee (Courtney Swain), and even A Formal Horse (Hayley McDonnell). It is quite
the concession on my part that I've made this kind of effort to find out what Chloe and Nathan are trying to say with
the messages of their lyrics: I have no truer testament to my love and interest of a band than this effort.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of King Crimson-invoking crossover prog that is, in my humble opinion, a bit too
dependent upon the lyrical messages than the music or musicianship--especially when compared to their amazing
debut album. At the same time I do not consider this a case of "sophomore slumping" just directional shift in focus. I
feel strongly that this band has much more wonderful music to give us and they should know that I will always be
coming back for more.

HOOFFOOT Phantom Limb (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 2025)

Sat, 2 May 2026 14:01:01 EST

Review by Nickmannion — Sometimes we are surprised, when our ears are jaded with all things 'modern,' and then something organic and
valve-warm turns up. It also references some of the best influences ....yes subjective....and turns them into
something very 2025 through a 1975 equalizer if you prefer. I also like my jazz/prog/rock/fusion to be about the
whole and not so much a showcase for individual 'look at what I can do/did you just hear that?' These people just
ticked that box too.

Haven't heard the first two efforts so this is my intro to the collective. As I said above, but maybe didn't state clearly
enough, I am old school but always open to 'now' bands taking the best of the past somewhere ....you know,
'progressing'...but also revel in a band who 'get' what came before, both musically and sound wise, and can flex
their muscles within that. Props and all that. So we get 4 long tracks and not a hint of paying out the string to fill the
grooves (old school reference there) or cobbling ideas together to make 'an epic song' . Everything follows, even if
some turns are sudden and oblique, and the complementary balance of the players creates the rich
soundscape...they must have used old gear/recording facilities.....as that sound cannot be digitally or AI created.
I will use one track 'When The Insane Go Marching In' as my example. The touchstones are mid 70's Zappa,
Canterbury (pick and mix whomsoever you wish) Nektar, Focus and, scuse my obscure jazz related references,
even Dave Holland and Abercrombie/Hammer circa 'Timeless,' without going all ECM. It is sublime and subtle yet
serrated and sharp, purposeful without being plagiaristic, organic without being ornate and damn fine and will be a
regular for this years playlist. I haven't had it long enough/heard it enough to rate it higher but it is well about the 4
I shall give it.

GENESIS Wind and Wuthering (Symphonic Prog, 1976)

Sat, 2 May 2026 13:08:29 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — Even after the departure of Peter Gabriel, Genesis continued to be one of the most innovative and
daring progressive rock bands of the UK, and the two albums released by them in 1976 capture the
quartet in a very interesting transitional period. The music of Genesis in the mid-70s is certainly
melancholic, quirky and woefully symphonic, with serpentine guitars and sweeping bass riffs,
accompanied by the fusion-inspired drumming of Phil Collins. The second of these 1976 albums, 'Wind
& Wuthering', was originally released by the end of December, written and recorded soon after its
predecessor 'A Trick of the Tail', a record that carried a lot of similarities to the Gabriel-era of
the band. 'Wind & Wuthering', on the other hand, is a record where texture, feel and introspection
are more prevalent, almost capturing a dreamy and romantic side of Genesis that could eventually be
traced back to the earlier days of the art rock pioneers, and to albums like 'Trespass' or 'Nursery
Cryme'.

The sound on this album is warm and pastoral, the interplay between the electric guitars and the
keyboards is exceptional all the way through, while the song structures are ostensibly more complex
than on 'A Trick of the Tail'. The music is incredibly atmospheric, almost similar to some of the
earlier Camel albums, with Genesis composing these mini symphonic suites that are usually defined by
two or three very characteristic sections - particularly the first two tracks 'Eleventh Earl of Mar'
and 'One for the Vine', which is a moody 10-minute-long exercise in melodic prog. 'All in a Mouse's
Night' is another pretty good song appearing on the album, and the same goes for the two-part suite
'Unquiet Slumbers', which contains some of the most mesmerizing instrumental sections on 'Wind &
Wuthering'. Many listeners enjoy 'Your Own Special Way' as well, but I tend to find this song a
little too sorrowful and somewhat solemn. Nevertheless, this is a very fine Genesis album with tons
of great music on it, and while it is an overall more assiduous listen (compared to the rest of
their catalogue), there is plenty of fabulous symphonic art rock to be explored here. Furthermore,
'Wind & Wuthering' is perhaps where we find the roots of what would later become the neo-prog
movement, which is quite interesting, too, and makes the album a tad bit more special.

THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM The Great Parrot-Ox and The Golden Egg of Empathy (Eclectic Prog, 2026)

Sat, 2 May 2026 12:07:40 EST

Review by arcane-beautiful — The Great Parrot-Ox & The Golden Egg Of Empathy by The Lennon Claypool Delirium is the project's first
concept album that has some interesting results. Taking their interesting blend of prog and psychedelic rock
into experimental territory, it isn't as strong as their first 2 albums, but it is overall an interesting experiment. As
always, Les Claypool's classic bass playing is as creative and impressive as always, while Sean Lennon's
psychedelic crooning and guitar licks oddly accompany Claypool's bass talents pretty well. If you enjoyed
Primus's The Desaturating 7, then you might get a kick out of this, because it is an overall more focused project
than that album. I'd give this a mid 7 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is The Golden Egg Of Empathy.

BRENDAN PERKINS Trading River Songs (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Sat, 2 May 2026 07:02:55 EST

Review by tszirmay —
Its not easy being objective when having to write a review of an artist whose two previous works I simply fell in love
with and reviewed glowingly with oodles of praise! It's just that this style of British folk-prog has always resonated
with me, and Brendan is the consummate multi-instrumentalist, who can shine from one end of the stage to the
other, handling instruments like a battery of polished silverware, eager for a gourmet repast. Both last year's
"Stories from the Old Church Lane" and the previous 2024 "Favourite Places" were not only well received but also
managed to bowl over quite an army of critics, reviewers and DJs in the process. Understandably, as it is very easy
to answer: incredible melodies, subtle instrumentation, poetic lyrics from Helen Flunder, all within an indelible
atmosphere that takes one away into dreamland and a hefty dose of passion, all combine to make this artist a
current favourite. Though I may be Canadian, I will not apologize (we have this reputation, you see).

The opening port of call is "Rest at the Shoreline", where no time is wasted in setting the musical backdrop, a
delicate foundational set-up with his patented confident guitar strokes and a voice that entrances, as the tale is told
in most convincing tones. The liquid fretboard eruption is a caress one will likely not dismiss, Brendan's vocal tone
soothing and dream-like, 'as the distant gas lamps flicker' and with shuttered eyes, one can direct the movie playing
in one's mind. The underlining piano and keyboard orchestration, the bass equally prominent when prompted, and
one more fluid guitar stream, for good measure. Seduction incarnate.

"Banks of the Fleet" maintains the aquatic feel, lest we forget that the source is an island surrounded by empirical
oceans and seas, a hardy people known to explore the boundaries of time and space. Lochs, lakes, rivers, streams
and rivulets provide endless continuity and tradition, which certainly comes across in the vivid music. The flowing
melodies show no surrender, the floating soloing moments only enhancing the story told. One has to admire how
craftily the variations enter seamlessly, often guided by that up-front bass that , in all honesty, enchanted me from
the first day my ears discovered this artist! Simply beautiful.

The title track leaves the wavering emotion in the piano's delicate fingers, the electric guitar gliding gently above,
restraint incarnate. Melancholy, reflection and introspective expression appear in the pleading voice, asking
desperately for answers, as the sweet sounds embalm the soul. This style of music is not laden with complex time
signature terminologies that will dazzle the diehard technicians out there but a magnificent grasp of passion,
atmosphere and melody that will tempt and seduce the most sensitive ears, every note played having a targeted
purpose in the seduction.

Dripping with overt 'Britishness', the heroic 10 minute + "Binbrook Skyline" , the intro rekindling memories of
Smallcreep's Day, Mike Rutherford's first and surely best solo album, often regarded as one of the hidden jewels in
the prog pantheon. The command expressed here is immensely powerful, with massive mellotron-infused choir
colorations dominating in the first third, as the shape of things to come begins to tell the story. Brendan calls in his
secret weapon once again, as the bustling bass hurtles the pace forward, solidifying both the pace and the direction
of this extended piece, never letting go. The fretboards opt for a jangly chop reboot, recalling the choral grandeur ,
crowned by the delivery of a slippery axe solo that screeches, bellows and cries with heartfelt emotion. Applause
factory.

A well-deserved moment of glory appears on "Angels in a Vacuum", the off the charts brilliant acoustic guitar work
coming unexpectedly as if a messenger from above, sweeping keyboard orchestrations where 'bells begin to chime',
the profoundly impactful lyrics hitting their mark, and that meaty bass elevating the celestial feel. The picking guitar
has a clever twang that can only elicit smiles of appreciation, a faultless insertion that speaks volumes of how
consummate this musician can be. The acoustic work resumes to finish off the thrill.

A gorgeous and resolute finale and the shortest track here clocking in with 6 and a half minutes, "Goddess Earth"
sets the spotlight of the luxuriant voice and elegant piano, recalling an RPWL ballad that once stirred 'my passion,
where there is no pain'. The chorus is gloriously enchanting, crushingly profound and an axe solo drowning in
meaning. You cannot afford to miss this ending, as well as the entire album for that matter, surely a 2026 highlight,
that will consolidate this artist's reputation even further in the community. A must listen.

5 raining tunes

A.S.T.R.A Il Tempo del Tempio (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1983)

Sat, 2 May 2026 06:37:41 EST

Review by Finnforest — Fun ride without destination?

This is certainly an interesting instrumental rock album from 1983. A.S.T.R.A. was a short-lived,
one-and-done project from Trieste who left one short album in their wake. While placed here in RPI,
the band feels unlike most RPI bands and doesn't really match many of the components we typically
look for. But let's look at what we do have. With two keyboardists and two guitarists, there is
plenty of firepower here for some interesting instrumental forays, and it is the guitarists who grab
the limelight most of the time. Rather than the usual stately, organic, or classical RPI influences
one would mention, "Il Tempo del Tempio" feels like an interesting mix of early neo-prog (in the
rhythm section, particularly) symphonic (keys), and even psych, perhaps (guitars).

Yet, PA genres aside, I suspect they also embrace more popular musical forms like new wave and what
we used to refer to as just plain old art rock. I don't know their background, but I would not be
surprised if members of this band had heard artists like Gary Numan, Asia, Kraftwerk, or Ultravox to
name but a few, though it's certainly a different vibe without vocals. As others have pointed out,
the production is a bit thin, but the bigger problem for me is just a missing depth in the emotional
side of the songwriting. This is a pleasant listen and certainly a fun listen at first, but it isn't
something that digs in and makes me return to it long term. This album runs along pretty well, a
pleasant morning jog, but it never really seems to arrive anywhere particularly memorable. Maybe
that's the difference between a good jam and a good song, though I can appreciate both.

Ah! You know what else this album reminds me of? Parts of this sound quite similar in feel (and
production quality) to the 1978 French prog rarity called Skryvania! I know some of you guys will
remember that one. Since it had a CD release on Musea, it actually gained a lot more traction than
A.S.T.R.A., at least around prog fan sites. I like Skryvania more than A.S.T.R.A., but they're in
the same ballpark, I would say. This one is more of a fun rarity for the prog collector types.
Another 5/10 album, but this one feels like a round-down in PA rating system. Your mileage may vary.

PETER GABRIEL Peter Gabriel 2 [Aka: Scratch] (Crossover Prog, 1978)

Sat, 2 May 2026 02:27:29 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — Right from the cover, we see a much darker Peter Gabriel, and that's how the album begins, with him singing with
that almost punkish edge. In fact, his band sounded spontaneous at times... and at others elaborate, even with
hints of Genesis's The Lamb... and that's because the songwriting style he invented on that double album, a farewell
to his time with the band, combined those two styles: aggressive and operatic. I think it defines Gabriel of that era
well. This second volume is full of subtleties, more so than the first, and D.I.Y. has them, with a modern rhythm, an
inverted guitar, and a spirit of immediacy.

Mother of Violence is another unconventional ballad, with many classical elements carried forward by the piano
and something country in the background which gives it a unique texture that makes it timeless. Once again, Robert
Fripp on guitars... Larry Fast on synthesizers, Tony Levin on bass, Jerry Marotta on drums, along with others forming
a tight-knit band, A Wonderful Day in a One-Way World flirts with reggae and country, but beneath that lies a classic
foundation that ultimately makes it epic and doesn't feel out of place. This second volume is much more
homogeneous without losing that playful, fresh feel that characterized the earlier volumes, where there was no
need to differentiate them with a name... because the music alone did the talking.

White Shadow has always struck me as the song most indebted to Genesis over the years... its long keyboard intro
and Eastern influences, Gabriel's epic vocals soaring from high to low... plus Marotta's Zeppelin-esque drumming.
And yet... a touch of country guitar here and there leaves a hint of it floating in the air, as it does throughout the
album, and even though I'm not a particular fan of that genre, it doesn't bother me. One of those great tracks, with
a significant solo by Fripp that alone justifies the album. Indigo begins immediately, with solo piano, and it strikes
me as a testament to an artist unafraid of different nuances, and that touch he had in his youth of compositional
audacity, of boldness, of mixing genres and moods like a collage of tempera paintings, that's how Indigo and all of
Scratch, as the second volume was also called, unfold.

Alternatively, I prefer volume two...others volume three, always singing in this era with feeling, giving the
impression that those albums were alive, and that they become alive again every time they are played. Animal
Magic, without betraying the essence of the band's music, which already had its own personality even in such a
broad mix, plays with more accessible rhythms, almost pop within soul, and with Gabriel singing with the same
energy, that synergy suits it well; the textures keep passing, like a funk guitar joining two bridges, ending in a
complex result where truly complex compositions can be heard as something simple, fresh and fluid.

Exposure is another of Fripp and Gabriel's great collaborations, which would appear on this album and on the
guitarist's self-titled album. I prefer the ones that appeared on Fripp's album, which are more raw, but this one is
equally fabulous, modern...funk, electronica, krautrock. Tony Levin's bass does not disappoint and invents sounds,
as much as Gabriel's guitar and voice.

Flotsam and Jetsam and an irresistible ballad with that country feel again, but sophisticated, with a voice with a
glam echo and halfway through it changes...and remains suspended until Perspective begins where the repetitive
chorus gives it a lot of vibe, plus the energetic singing and the saxophone plus those rhythm changes that
characterize Home Sweet Home, the final track, and all those four volumes so similar and so different at the same
time...like children of the same father.

METAMORFOSI E Fu Il Sesto Giorno (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1972)

Fri, 1 May 2026 23:20:36 EST

Review by The Progolyte — This record is the debut album of the semi-famous Rock Progressivo Italiano act Metamorfosi, and while I
think it pales in comparison to their sophomore record, Inferno, this is still an alright album. It still carries
that symphonic prog sound that would be found on Inferno, however it's a lot less original and complex.
While it isn't that original, the band still gets creative in how they go about playing these songs, and it
sometimes also approaches a form of hard rock but is still restrained. Also, much of the music is
dominated by vocals instead of being more instrumental, which, while I do sometimes enjoy music with
vocals, for the most part, I think it holds the band back a little. The personnel of the band at the time
consists of Jimmy Spitaleri on vocals and flute, Luciano Tamburro on guitars, Enrico Olivieri on keyboards
and some flute and vocals, Roberto Turbitosi on bass and various vocal sections, and Mario Natali playing
the drums.

The music here, while still good, can be quite lacking at parts. You obviously tell what direction the band
was heading towards and that they would make a better effort (that better effort being their masterpiece,
Inferno), but here the music still feels restrained and simpler. Most of the tracks are pretty short, being only
a few minutes long, but there is one nine-minute-long piece called Crepuscolo, which was really good and
had a handful of complex arrangements that sound like they belong in Inferno. Overall this is definitely the
best composition on the album, and it is possibly one of Metamorfosi's best tracks. The other songs aren't
really interesting. Sure, they are still good, but no more than ok tracks with some interesting music going
on in the core of the numbers. Before I move on to the end, I quickly want to add my opinion on the
album's cover. It's honestly pretty bad, and it's one of the main reasons I avoided the album for so long. You
can hardly tell what's actually going on, and it doesn't make any real impact on me, and even if they were
going for a mysterious vibe, it fails to invoke any actual mood in me.

In conclusion, Metamorfosi will always be remembered for Inferno, and though this album will be
overshadowed by it, there is still some stuff in here. This is probably the weakest album by Metamorfosi, as
their comeback records were actually quite good. My final rating is a mid 3/5.

THE SOFT MACHINE Thirteen (Canterbury Scene, 2026)

Fri, 1 May 2026 19:52:25 EST

Review by Progfan1958 — A legendary band, and even though there are no original members left, Soft Machine are still creating highly evocative
and interesting music. John Etheridge is a long-timer though, now at 50+ years with the band, and his guitar playing is
still at a very high level. Theo Travis covering wind instruments and keyboards is over 10 years into his tenure as well.
This new album shows that they still have plenty of musical exploring to do, and I expect in one form or another a
group calling itself Soft Machine will continue to do so for many years yet to come.

DEVOID OF THOUGHT Devoid of Thought (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2026)

Fri, 1 May 2026 18:21:26 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Astro-death metal cosmonauts DEVOID OF THOUGHT return five years later for a second jagged journey
into the extremities of the metal universe where they forge their unique blend of progressive
caustically designed dissonant death metal with touches of doom and atmospheric elegance. Featuring
the exact same lineup of LG [Lorenzo Gagliardi] (guitar), AC [Andrea Collaro] (guitar, vocals), MS
[Marek Sollami] (bass) and DB [Davide Botturi] (drums), these Italian adventurists deliver an encore
presentation of the same style of exquisitely designed disso-death decked out with all the
caverncore charisma that fans have come to expect.

Pretty much adopting a similar approach that the debut album delivered in abundance, this self-
titled sophomore unit finds the band blending its intoxicating blend of Ad Nauseam styled
atmospheric disso-death with the more refined excursions into psychedelia a la Blood Incantation.
Powerful and pummeling like never before, DEVOID OF THOUGHT unleashes five punishing performances
that wend and wind in blitzkrieg mode touched by the grace of those wild nods to Timeghoul replete
with all the unexpected twists and turns that find a run the gamut of tyrannical schizoid tirades to
ethereal escapism that finds the band intricately blending all those fantastic flavors that range
from the likes of Incantation, Voivod, Ulcerate and others.

Highlights include the opening 9 1/2 metal marathon 'Panspermic Bio-Dome' which establishes the band
as a major contender for top dog in the crowded modern world of tech deathies vying to be heard with
razor-sharp guitar riffs raging into angsty angularity while contrapuntal bass and drum fire firing
on all pistons and crafting a turbulent trail of molten metal madness that remains rooted enough
within the death metal traditions without totally spiraling out of orbit. While firmly in control of
its eerie fusion effects of atmospheric cosmic death metal and the more claustrophobic sounds of the
monstrous cavernous deathened drama in play, DEVOID OF THOUGHT finds the four musicians delivering
unison destruction while also finding chaotic respites as found in 'Chronos' which offers a bit of
free improvisation playtime.

The album culminates in the 10-minute 'Entheogenic Ritual' which covers the entire spectrum of
brutal existential death metal run amok and the more dirging doom metal effects of molasses metal
while finding the proper astral ambience to terrorize the soul while the barrage of din pummels the
physical senses. It's a natural continuation of 'Outer World Graves' and although the tracks may not
be as instantly easy to connect with, DEVOID OF THOUGHT still find the right ingredients in play to
deliver the proper dose of demented disso-death that lives up to the high bar set in the mid-2020s.
Perhaps this second release sounds a tad more generic than the debut but it's all performed so
exquisitely well that i can't really fault it in any way shape or form. Whatever the case, fans of
demented deathly chaos meets divinely directed order will find lots to love with this one.

NINE DAYS' WONDER Nine Days' Wonder (Crossover Prog, 1971)

Fri, 1 May 2026 13:11:15 EST

Review by ThisGarbage1147 — Even if I wrote two full pages about this album, I could not talk about every section across these four songs.
Furthermore, I fear less that I can't talk about this album in its entirety, but that's just because there's so much going
on. To quote Sean Trane, "I always felt that it was rather impossible to describe the music succinctly without omitting a
facet (or two, even three) of it," and I agree with him wholeheartedly. Just to show how many influences present
themselves on this album, I'll put all the bands/musicians referenced by other reviewers here in one place:
Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa (a lot), King Crimson, Soft Machine, Deep Purple, Traffic, Jethro Tull, Tony Iommi,
Beardfish, Gentle Giant, Led Zeppelin, Monty Python, Peter Hammill, Van der Graaf Generator, Kraan, Family, the
Allman Brothers Band, and Moving Gelatine Plates.

This is an album you need to hear to believe.

The four songs are "Fermillon: Puppet Dance / Square/Hope? / Morning Spirit / Fermillon Himself," "Moss Had Come,"
"Apple Tree," and "Drag Dilemma: Monotony 1 / Stomach's Choice / Monotomy 2 / Interlude / Dilemma."
Fermillon is the opener and the epic, sprawling over 15 and a half minutes, it's an incredibly dense through-composed
work with lots of rock and jazz sections. The part that will stick with you the most, however, is Morning Spirit, a spoken
word passage underscored by strange guitar warbling where the phrase "Morning spirits of the morning after all" is
said repeatedly in all sorts of different voices, not to mention the line before: "At first he was allowed to touch my
bottom / Then I led him to understand that the time for me was unnecessary."

Moss Had Come is the shortest song at 3 minutes, and is the closest to being a normal song, with only two distinct
styles. The song starts and ends with a rock section, with a folk, Jethro Tull-like section in between. The rock fades out
into the folk, and the rock fades back in after the folk with a scream, fully bringing us back to the rock till a trash can
ending.

Apple Tree starts the second side and has the most beautiful moments on the whole album. The first theme has a
good rock feel before going straight into a sax solo that is my favorite moment in all music ever. As the solo climaxes,
it goes into a jazzy section with the one use of keyboards on the whole record, as the guitar is switched out for piano.
After less than a minute, it breaks down to a stripped-down rhythmic interlude before breaking into a rock section,
with the piano floating chords in the background. Then the piano drops out for one of the few moments of real
improvisation with an extended guitar solo. As the solo ends, a loud, growling riff comes in to go behind vocals, before
a final rock section and a refrain of the very first theme ends the song.

Drag Dilemma is the other epic track on the record, reaching up to nearly 13 minutes in length. The main
Dilemma/monotony theme is a great rock section with flute, sax, and vocal theatrics. Stomach's Choice is like the
spoken word sections of Fermillon, but with the full band behind the singer. Monotony 2 is like the beginning, but with
different lyrics and the introduction of the line "What a drag it must be to be a king." The interlude is truly a break in
the action, starting with flute and guitar interplay before the band joins in, then falls away again for more flute and
guitar play. Then, bongos introduce the next half of the interlude that has lyrics and a soft rock feel, for the most part.
The Interlude really takes up most of the song, with many themes coming and going. Eventually, the song wraps back
around to the Dilemma/Monotony theme to end with the "what a drag?" line, ending the song in a climax.

There truly are no words that can explain how much I love this album. So what are you waiting for! Listen to this true
masterpiece of progressive rock!!

TELEGRAPH Topography of Mind (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2026)

Fri, 1 May 2026 12:16:04 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Some excellent Israeli Retro/Neo Prog. The nostalgic music feels as if it came from early 1970s Pink Floyd and Camel.

1. "Topography of Mind" (11:07) great lush flute-led 12-string guitar NeoProg in the vein of ANTHONY PHILLIPS, CAMEL
and IVORY with just a little Klaus Schulze and Jan Akkerman "Tommy"-like fare thrown in there in the second half for
good measure--not to mention the KING CRIMSON "I Talk to the Wind" motif explored in the eighth minute before
turning back into Camel. The most independent and original concoction on the album--and the one that shows the
instrumental skills of the band members the best. (18.5/20)

2. "Field of Fade Memory" (11:48) who would have ever thought that anyone would ever want to recreate the weird
vocals of Camel's Moonmadness (which are, in my opinion, the weakest element of that otherwise wonderful album)?
But here they are! In the fifth minute the band moves into a 1-2-3-rest pulsing Tony Banks/GENESIS motif which moves
along at a bit of a faster pace until finishing in a guitar solo and synth-and-organ chord at the end of the tenth minute
before the bass and finger-picked delay-echoed electric guitar and Richard Mason electric piano space chords take us
into some inverted realm of Pink Floyd. Nicely done! (22.375/25)

3. "Valley of Delirium" (11:35) the dulcet almost-medi]]>�acoustic guitar open this one with the flute(s) performing in two different octaves as Mellotron-like synth warbles in
tremolo-like support. At the very end of the second minute the first movement closes and an arpeggiated electric
guitar chord emerges to be joined and supported by bass, drums, and electric piano in a JIMMY WEBB-like motif.
Lovely (if simplistic)! At 3:13 a JAN AKKERMAN-like "Love Remembers" solo electric guitar jumps into the lead position
as mutliple tracks/layers of an organ become a little more prominent in support. In the sixth minute the vocals
reappear and suddenly we're back in King Crimson's "I Talk to the Wind" mixed with The Eagles' Timonty B. Schmit's
1979 hit "I Can't Tell You Why." Then, at 7:45, the organ and rolling bass falls into a PINK FLOYD "Dogs"-like motif which
is then made more BOSTON- (and NEKTAR-) like with organ and guitar power chords. This is so ELOY! It's a great send
up but lacks any true originality except for the way they have melded all of these disparately-sourced riffs and motifs
together. (17.75/20)

4. "Somewhere Along These Lines" (10:51) a gentle, spacious full-on PINK FLOYD motif opens this one, filling our Atom
Hearts with the Dark Side of the Moon and Wishing You Were Here for a good six minutes before segueing into some
Tales of the Mystery of ALAN PARSONS's Imagination for a couple of minutes before ending in some Animals territory.
What a great homage! (18/20)

Total Time 45:21

I like the justification that the band uses for so much cut-and-paste borrowing of classic/iconic riffs and motifs from
the Masters of the 1970s: "Topography Of Mind reflects on memory - tracing both the inner terrain and physical places
that echo within it." At the same time, I do have to admit to liking the memories these "tribute" songs evoke within me.

A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of retro prog ear candy that, though cleverly-crafted and performed to perfection, I
feel compelled to down-grade a bit for its borrowing of so many (virtually all of its) melody and sound palette ideas. If
you like your prog to sound like the past masters, you will LOVE this!

MAGENTA Tarot (Neo-Prog, 2026)

Fri, 1 May 2026 11:50:42 EST

Review by VTr Storm — After a considerable amount of time since "Masters of Illusion", Magenta finally reappears with "Tarot". A
strong return built around a concept that clearly shows the desire to create something beyond just a handful
of loose songs. As the name suggests, the album is inspired by the archetypes of tarot cards, unfolding almost
like a journey that is part symbolic and part introspective, where each track works as a chapter of something
bigger, not exactly the kind of album that reveals itself right away.

Musically, as usual, you can feel a stronger leaning toward the symphonic side. The arrangements come across
as broader, more open and at times almost cinematic. There is a clear care in how the atmosphere is built,
with those details that sometimes go unnoticed in a distracted listen, but make all the difference when you
really let yourself get carried away. Even so, it is clear the band does not let go of what has always been its
strong point, that is, clear and well resolved melodies that are also memorable.

"Tarot" is an album where the idea is to approach everything as a sequence of main chapters connected by
small interludes that help give flow to the experience. The fact is it is not just a collection of tracks, it is also a
path designed with a well defined beginning, middle and end, making it an extremely well written album with
ideas that unfold calmly within an execution that follows this precision.

The production also deserves attention, as it is clean, detailed and full of layers that gradually reveal
themselves as if there were always something new to notice with each listen. In addition, the themes explored
here have an appeal that goes beyond the immediate, after all, there is something compelling in this
conceptual construction and in the way symbols are turned into music that keeps the interest alive from
beginning to end. In the end, "Tarot" not only reaffirms Magenta's identity, but also reinforces the strong name
it carries within the contemporary rock scene