Reviews (all) - Progarchives.com

TON SCHERPENZEEL A Fleeting Light (Crossover Prog, 2026)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:02:29 EST

Review by kev rowland — There is a famous story about Rick Wakeman going into the studio to record 'White Rock' and realised he had
forgotten to compose one piece of music so asked for the film to be played so he could get into the mood and
improvised "After the Ball". No-one realised he had written it on the spot, and when the engineer asked him to play it
again, he refused saying he could never recapture that moment, not that he had written it totally on the fly and would
not have been able to repeat it.

Why do I tell that story here? Well, Ton Scherpenzeel (Kayak, Camel) has just released an album of solo (mostly)
improvised piano pieces which are an absolute delight from beginning to end. Four of these are less than four
minutes in length, one of those less than two, but the opener and title cut more than makes up for it at nearly 37.
Here we have a master musician putting himself in the zone and playing whatever comes to mind with just some
reverb for company. The only word which really does this justice is "beautiful" as Ton takes us on a rippling journey (I
am reminded of a babbling brook for some reason) which not only must be played on headphones, but when the
listener truly has the time and space to immerse themselves in the experience.

My mother was an accompanist, and my father met her when he joined the male voice choir she used to work with (it
is not lost on me that if it were not for music, I would not exist), so we had a piano in the house when I grew up. Like
many from that era I took lessons until I was 15 and there was always piano music in the house, either myself or my
mother practicing, or playing some of the many piano record she had (Joseph Cooper was a particular favourite).
Consequently, a solo piano is something I have always felt an affinity towards, and Ton is a master of the instrument
but only provides deep complexity when the time is right, instead concentrating on melody and being in the moment
which makes this very special indeed.

I have been fortunate enough to have heard other solo albums from Ton in recent years, and like many progheads
love Kayak, but there is something about this which is truly outstanding. It is not the note density as this is never
about speed, but rather the care which has been taken by someone who was obviously in the moment. It would not
surprise me at all if Ton had his eyes closed while playing and was totally lost in what was taking place under his
fingers, with no conscious thought of where to go next. The result is a truly remarkable album which almost brings me
tears, totally lost in the moment, and coming back to reality is a hard thing indeed. Breathtaking in its simplicity and
beauty.

TEXTURES Genotype (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2026)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:33:30 EST

Review by kev rowland — Dutch djent-inspired prog metallers Textures are back with their sixth album, only 10 years on from 'Phenotype', their
last release. I am positive that Textures are a very different proposition indeed when heard in the studio as opposed
to when they are playing live, as while the intricacies and complexity are readily apparent, there is a huge swathe of
production and commerciality placed over this to make it more palatable to a wider audience. Given that the line-up is
the same as the last one I can only assume there were some difficulties in getting this written/recorded, but Dani]]>�Jongh (vocals), Bart Hennephof (guitars), Joe Tal (guitars), Remko Tielemans (bass), Uri Dijk (keyboards) and Stef Broks
(drums) have released something which is full of promise which is then sadly diluted. Even Charlotte Wessels (Delain)
who guests on one track doesn't make a significant difference.

They have taken inspiration from the 90's, and while understand what they are attempting to achieve the lack of
space and the way the different instruments have been compressed into each other means there is little in the way of
individuality. When they downtune and move into deathcore there is no doubt they mean business, but it is always
coming to us through multiple layers of polish which means the impact is lost. The result is something which longtime
fans will undoubtedly dote on and be grateful the band are back with a new album and touring to promote it, but for
me this is an opportunity lost.

7 OCEAN and#1058;and#1072;and#1080;and#1085;and#1089;and#1090;and#1074;and#1077;and#1085;and#1085;and#1072;and#1103; and#1088;and#1072;and#1089;and#1072; and#1089;and#1090;and#1088;and#1072;and#1085;and#1085;and#1099;and#1093; and#1089;and#1091;and#1097;and#1077;and#1089;and#1090;and#1074; / The Mysterious Race of Strange Entities (Symphonic Prog, 2008)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:29:22 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 3.5 stars.

Well, it might not quite be up there with some of the better Italian prog of the same period. But, it can certainly give most symphonic prog bands of that late 00s a good run for their money.

It is as far as I can tell is a concept album. Here is how the band themselves describe it, taken from Bandcamp. 'The Mysterious Race is us and you. This album is about human relationships, love and hate, friendship and betrayal, about life in general. Two aliens arrive on Earth and study people and life itself on the planet...' I am guessing that quite a bit of meaning has been lost in translation.

The music is pretty original sounding, largely because there are obvious elements of their native folk music present in all the tracks, which certainly adds to the overall charm of the work. Furthermore, the extremely sparse use of electric guitar gives other instruments a chance to take the lead, all definitely leading to a quite different sound to most western symphonic prog.

It is a tricky one to rate, as whilst it sounds pretty original, that originality is not quite working for my western ears. If Belarus had a big prog scene with numerous albums being produced, I think I would grasp where they are coming from a lot better.

I could see this working for people who like the symphonic prog to have a fair degree of quirkiness to it.

INVISIBLE Durazno sangrando (Symphonic Prog, 1975)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:24:27 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — Luis Alberto Spinetta always needed to develop an extra-musical connection with his bandmates before embarking
on a project, to share ideas, tastes, and feelings. This is how, when he formed his most experimental trio, Invisible,
he had a long-standing relationship with his bassist, Carlos "Machi" Rufino, dating back to when he met him playing
with guitarist Norberto "Pappo" Napolitano, with whom he would have an on-again, off-again relationship over the
years. And he had a connection with Invisible's drummer, Hector "Pomo" Lorenzo, from a wild trip to France in
1971, where, unable to enter England, he ended up in Holland watching Emerson, Lake & Palmer play Tarkus and
Pictures at an Exhibition.

Durazno Sangrando was the second of the three albums that the trio would release, all very different, and just as
the first one is distinguished by its rawness...and the third by its thoroughness in production, this second volume is
distinguished by being the most experimental, the least commercial, and over the years, it has been my favorite.
At that time, Spinetta was reading "The Secret of the Golden Flower", a translation and interpretation of the Chinese
Taoist work on meditation, "Tai Yi Jin Hua Zong Zhi", incorporating analytical psychology and Chinese yoga as
developed by Carl Gustav Jung and Richard Wilhelm . The book explores the transformation of energy and the
theory of the animus (soul), as well as the futility of the West trying to imitate the East. It emphasizes recovery... but
from one's own place. Some of this is reflected in the titles and lyrics, and most importantly... the music.

This is a Jungian album in more ways than one, because it brings together several aspects of the Swiss psychologist,
a disciple of Freud: synchronicity, his work with his colleagues, with society, and the Red Book of Dreams, exploring
the unconscious and its symbols. The lyrics of the entire album are nothing other than that, more than ever before
in Luis's career.

Encadenado al anima begins with a mysterious bass line and cymbal-laden drums, and the isolated guitar notes at
the beginning do nothing but maintain that aura of mystery. Choppy rhythms, a jazzy feel without actually being
jazz... and every so often it accelerates, then slows down and resumes, but that was merely the prelude, because
Spinetta sings like never before, openly and wholeheartedly, just as he played the guitar. Within its fifteen minutes,
there are several sections, some acoustic where the trio also manages to be subtle. At times, you can feel
atmospheres similar to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," but only in the synthesizer passages, because later on
it's much bolder in its brand of rock.

Then they openly go jazzy while Luis improvises with the guitar, with extensive instrumental passages, and when he
sings... he does it with strange sections, towards the end comes a riff that you have to hear. And just when it
seemed to be over...an unprecedented industrial rock section.
Durazno sangrando is imbued with Almendra's lyricism, with a lot of Argentine folklore, a zamba, but in fusion with
jazz percussion, and that warmth that Luis gave it and at the same time something prophetic, that aura of mystery
will be present throughout the album, and although it is my own opinion I would almost risk saying that it would be
almost conceptual.

Pleamar de ]]>�the seagulls sound, where they could sound fast even in acoustic plane, this trio was all terrain, and that is how it
arrived En una lejana playa del animus.
With a Bossa Nova feel that later evolves into a space rock passage, we find one of Spinetta's most accomplished
vocal performances, as he entered his peak, a period of compositional maturity. These creative impulses would
soon translate into his new band, though that was still some time away. This trio functioned like no other; they
followed each other, knew each other, and enriched one another, embarking on journeys unlike any he would
undertake, for obvious reasons, since the 1970s were more open to risk-taking, than his subsequent trio, Los Socios
del Desierto, in the 1990s.

Dios de la adolescencia is a great closing track with another great lyric, a nod to Jean-Paul Sartre's "Being and
Nothingness," and again, Bossa Nova rhythms, experimentally accelerated in an acoustic format with a warm yet
mysterious feeling... and just when it raises the most questions... it ends. The second chapter of "Invisible," Spientta
would never again sing or play like this, bringing the intangibility of his music closer to reality than ever before.

PEZ El sol detr�s del sol (Crossover Prog, 2002)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:22:50 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — In the middle of a period of high inspiration, after making Convivencia sagrada, and before Folklore, Pez released El
sol de tr]]>��Young influence, the one from the great and long jams with Crazy Horse, even in a quintet with Pablo Puntoriero on
saxophone and several guests, Ariel Minimal, its singer, guitarist and composer knew when to get dark and at this
moment he was singing giving everything, in a very expressive way that went hand in hand with his music.

"Y las antenas comunican la paranoia como hormigas" they sing it like acoustic jazz, with an epic and relaxed, bucolic
air at the same time. A great influence, like Litto Nebbia and Spinetta, has been a major influence on Ariel Minimal,
but he has managed to ensure that their influence doesn't overshadow his originality; rather, it's just that: one more
influence. During this period, his music was very complex, and at times a section with a transverse flute, almost acid
jazz, slips in.

Just as there is Tango in "Si hay amor que nos venga a salvar" , there is jazz-rock in "Cuero" , with funk, in a format that
never stops respecting the song. Y cuando ya no quede ni un hombre en este lugar he fuses jazz with the tango of
Astor Piazzolla, another of the group's great passions, and his lyrics are portraits of the most authentic Buenos Aires,
the one that exists and the one that no longer does. His singing style also represents that repressed energy and, at
other times, autumnal melancholy. Here he will also perform jazzy acoustic guitar solos, something that will be further
developed in some acoustic shows in 2004.

"Tristezas del Sur" is like Peter Hammill singing alongside John Bonham on drums. Despu]]>�no se puede ver ; it is almost like The Incredible String band together with Gong, the acoustic spirituality plus the
communal spirit of the French band, again aided by the flute in communion with a very delicate part of Minimal guitar
and keyboard.

Pez always balanced between making songs or falling into the abyss of endless improvisations and taking risks...in
"Serena" they have Fernando Albareda on flugelhorn, creating an interesting wind section, and with harmonica they
finish El mar de alg]]>�ended up representing them perfectly in pieces that fit in their place...but made by themselves!

RELAYER Choices (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:39:00 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — Choices is the eighth studio album from Illinois-based quartet Relayer, a band that has been quietly and
consistently delivering melodic progressive rock since their debut in 1994. The core lineup of John Sahagian on lead
vocals, Tim LaRoi on guitars, Tom Burke on bass and Bill Kiser on drums has remained stable for some time, and
the familiarity shows in the tightness and confidence of the performances throughout.

The album's eight tracks cover just under forty-two minutes, and the sound is immediately recognisable as Relayer:
clean, high lead vocals with sophisticated harmonic arrangements, expressive guitar work drawing on classic rock
traditions, a prominent and melodically active bass, and keyboard textures that add atmosphere without
dominating. The reference points ? Rush, Yes, Kansas, Marillion and touches of Queen ? are familiar from their
earlier work, but handled with enough personality to feel like a natural expression of the band's own voice rather
than imitation.

The longer closing track "Invisible", at just over eight minutes, gives the band the most room to develop their ideas,
and it stands as the album's most fully realised piece. The shorter tracks are consistently well crafted, with strong
melodies and the kind of intelligent, unhurried arrangements that reward repeated listening.

Choices will not surprise existing fans of the band, nor is it intended to. It is a focused, well-executed album from a
group that knows exactly what it does well. Recommended for fans of melodic American symphonic prog in the
classic tradition.

CLARK HUTCHINSON A=mh2 (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1969)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:39 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — After a stint in the London heavy psych band Sam Gopal which was one of the very earliest
appearances of Ian Willis aka Lemmy of Hawkwind and Motorhead fame, the duo of vocalist /
keyboardist Andy Clark and guitarist Mick Hutchinson parted ways and joined forces to create one of
the most democratically named bands of the entire 60s - CLARK HUTCHINSON. They also played together
in an earlier band called Vamp where they hit it off quite nicely. As CLARK HUTCHINSON these two
seasoned psychedelic stalwarts of 60s escapism existed for only three years but released three well
revered albums with this debut titled A=MH]]>�psychedelic acid blues, jazz and Indian classical music, this debut is considered one of the most
important representatives of the late psychedelic 60s London Underground scene.

Although other members would come and go throughout this duo's collaborative years, A=MH]]>�much a two-man show with Andy CLARK providing the organ, piano, drums, saxophones, flute, bagpipes,
maracas, gong, guitar and vocalizations. Mick HUTCHINSON on the other hand plays acoustic guitars,
bass, piano, bongos and timpani. The album also featured two session musicians: bassist Walt Monahan
and drummer Franco Franco on select tracks. Unusual for psychedelic albums of the 60s, A=MH]]>�consists of improvisations layered upon both modal jazz and Indian raga scales which creates a
dynamic contrast especially when spiced up with contemporary elements of psychedelic rock in the
energetic and performance departments which made this album rather unique in an era where the
anything-goes ethos was in full bloom by 1969.

The album was recorded in two intense overnight sessions in May 1969 and features only five tracks
with all extending beyond seven minutes and the longest over thirteen. Amazingly the album was quite
long for the vinyl years by racing past the 50-minute mark as a single album. "Improvisation On A
Modal Scale" is the energetic opener which establishes the modal aspects of the album's musical
scales augmented by Indian flavors, tempos and raga-like musical fortifications. The track sets the
tone for the entire album that varies in all the aforementioned elements but feels unified by the
mystic Eastern techniques employed over the psychedelic acid rock guitar presence and intense
throbbing percussive drive. "Acapulco Gold" showcases a softer side of the duo but nevertheless
employs the same tracks while the final two tracks "Textures In 3/4" and "Improvisation On An Indian
Scale" showcase more advanced liberties that find the duo feeling more comfortable in expanding the
possibilities to the cosmos and beyond.

Overall it's an interestingly diverse venture into a strange musical universe where the worlds of
contemporary 60s psychedelia and modal jazz exist in perfect harmony with the timeless nature of
Indian classical music. While plenty of drugs seemed likely to create these sounds, that's certainly
not the case for enjoying it! The compositions are well crafted with tight-knit groovy rhythms that
adopt a bit of funk which offers a repetitive backbone to the improv techniques brandished about but
despite the seemingly unrehearsed nature of the album it still sounds very logically constructed as
the lead instrumentation is very much in the same zone. Many make the mistake of thinking this is
going to be some sort of Western rock type of album and that would be a mistake. This is mediative
psychedelic Indo-raga rock that focuses on repetitive motifs that find subtle variations in
improvisational effects showered upon the five tracks at hand. All-instrumental rock albums from the
psych years are rare but this one stands out as one of the most accomplished beyond the usual stoned
group of youngsters whipping out the sitar and drums and calling it a band. This is professionalism
done right.

CLEM ALFORD Mirror Image (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1974)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:21 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Of all the Western born sitar players perhaps CLEM ALFORD has had the most extensive and rewarding
career as a member of various groups as well as working with other artists ranging from classical
guitarist John Williams and jazz-fusionist John Mayer to film score producer Maurice Jarre and
vocalist Hemmant Kunar. ALFORD was born in Glasgow, Scotland and got his start learning the bagpipes
but was immediately drawn to the sitar once the exotic sounds of India had wafted over into the
paradigm of Western musical styles in the 1960s. The instrument proved to be his calling and he
headed to India where he perfected his technique and even won awards which attracted the attention
of the nation's top musical talents that took him under his wing.

ALFORD played with the sitarspoiltation acts Magic Carpet and Sagram in the early 70s before taking
the time to craft a solo album titled MIRROR IMAGE: THE ELECTRONIC SITAR OF CLEM ALFORD that took a
slightly different approach from the usual adopting the sitar as a lead instrument or atmospheric
flavoring to creating an electrified version of it. On this release ALFORD stepped up his game from
the usual banal performances that preceded and headed to the world of jazz fusion to cross-pollinate
with. The results was a psych-soaked display of crafty ethno-jazz fusion that equipped his sitar
with a contact microphone and a wah-wah pedal backed by an electric guitar, electric piano, bass and
drums.

His one and only album featured three tracks that only amounted to nearly 31 minutes of playing. The
title tack easily steals the show with its 14-minute ascent into the complex excursions of adapting
the Indo-raga musical system to the world of 70s jazz fusion. The track slowly begins more as
traditional classical Hindustani music but slowly but surely morphs into a jazz-fusion bonanza that
much like modern day post-rock results in a dramatic climatic crescendo after a lengthy ratcheting
up of tension. Cited as one of the finest examples of the raga-jazz fusion hybridizing effects
unfortunately the rest of the album plays it more safe by delivering two more traditional Indian
ragas that pretty much eschew any Western influences.

It's a shame that ALFORD didn't craft an entire album that matched the excitement and intensity of
the opening title track because that particular music exemplifies the most refined example of how
two disparate musical styles from completely foreign lands can come together and create a greater
sum of the parts. Of course there's nothing wrong with the two ragas that follow but at this point
the Western world was saturated with Indian music of all types so such traditionally faithful
renderings seemed a little lackluster especially following the full fusion prowess of such
magnanimous musical expressions. The year 1974 was rather late in the game for the raga rock shtick
which was in full swing in the late 60s although it would be revived in the late 70s by John
McLaughlin's Shakti which took the form to its logical apex. Overall this is a decent album but only
the title track is really outstanding with the other two simply being pleasant but not particularly
unique in any way.

OKKO BEKKER Sitar and Electronics (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1971)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:04 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Psychedelic journeyman and intrepid trooper of the Indian raga, Dutchman OKKO BEKKER traversed the
1970s as a producer, keyboardist and sitar player and as a producer worked with some pretty big
names including Brian Eno, Conny Plan, Asmus Tietchens and Moebius. As a musician he played with
with Achim Reichel in A.R. & Machines and the more obscure Leliental but as a solo artist is known
for his campy sitarspoiltation albums that came out in the early 1970s. Although from the
Netherlands, OKKO had relocated to Heidelberg, Germany where he commingled with the Krautrockers of
the day.

Unlike the more contemplative Indo-raga acts to come and go throughout the 60s, OKKO jumped on the
bandwagon of the more accessible "easy listening" section of the raga universe with his most famous
album the debut SITAR & ELECTRONICS coming out in 1971 well after the initial raga rage had died
down and the world of progressive rock had blossomed into its full potential. This rather short
album of only about 33 minutes featured eight tracks with BEKKER performing on sitar, Moog and tabla
along with Peter Hesstein on guitar, Herb Geller on flute and Simon Alcott on Moog.

Sort of adopting the Ananda Shankar approach of Indo-raga rock, SITAR & ELECTRONICS mixed Western
pop and rock styles with Indian flavors and employed the sitar as the lead instrument. The album
features a mix of rather banal raga interpretations of pop songs including two Beatles covers "A Day
in the Life" and "If I Needed Someone" along with more traditional Indian ragas that are fairly
typical of the period. The addition of electronic effects is employed but not readily implemented
throughout and while the percussive instrument on board is the tabla, it is played more like a
Western rock instrument which in the process creates the ultimate dumbing down effect of the
complexities of traditional classical Indian music.

Overall this is a rather cheesy display of Indo-raga rock by OKKO that continuously gets touted as
an amazingly original display of East meets West fusion. I beg to differ as the album is about as
cliche as it gets for this style as OKKO is basically copying the George Harrison style that was
laid down by The Beatles as early as 1965. There are indeed a few cool tracks here which include
''Ganges delta," ''Himalaya highway'' or ''East Indian Traffic" but the two Beatles covers are
abysmally lame and the rather uninspiring rock beat of the whole things makes the sitar sound rather
cheesy. If that's not enough the closing "Santana" tries to emulate the great band by incorporating
Latin percussive rhythms while attempting to create a raga effect around it.

This is not what i'd call a top pick for the transcendental Indo-raga rock of the 1960s and 1970s.
There were so many other creative acts that skillfully and convincingly forged a union between the
Indian musical styles while marrying them to the sensibilities of Western psychedelic rock including
The Ceylieb People, Third Ear Band, Clark Hutchinson and Gabor Szabo but it seems the urge to cash
in was stronger than making creatively composed music that truly delivered the goods. For those who
want a candy-coated style of Indo-raga rock from the era which is sort of the equivalent of
Bubblegum Pop in comparison then OKKO might float your boat but for my ears i really can't find much
here to latch onto therefore my ship sinks when i hear it.

CAN The Lost Tapes (Krautrock, 2012)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:08:33 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — Discovered by chance in some sold studios, these tapes contain everything from outtakes from their original
albums (due to lack of space) to film soundtracks, allowing us to explore many of Can's sonic facets. Millionenspiel
(1968) sounds rock and electronic, and very earthy when the flute enters, in a balance not at all foreign to the band,
before returning to psychedelia with Michael Karoli's sharp guitar. They always managed to create modern
rhythms, and right here on the same track, with Gerd Dudek's saxophone, they go jazzy in that special way, with
acoustic guitars and keyboards that rumble...reverberate...and lead into three albums of pure immersion in their
world, sometimes tribal, wild, and rough, and at other times sophisticatedly modern, cold, strange...until, at a
certain point, modernity and tradition meet.

The most curious thing, and at the same time the best, is that although the songs cover a period of time from 1968
to 1977 nothing is out of place within the universe of Can, from the most experimental to the most accessible of a
band that when listening to Deadly Doris (1968) and its accelerated rhythm, of drums, bass and voice, you can't
help but think that they even influenced the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
We find gems as interesting as Graublau (1969), with a development of sixteen minutes, of wild psychedelic rock
like that which many contemporary bands such as Embryo, or including themselves, were abandoning, the
prominent bass and drums flooded everything and the guitar proposes the melodic variations.
And how can one not think of Stockhausen's Telemusik or Gesang Der J]]>�experiments...like Blind Mirror Surf (1968). Meanwhile, Oscura Primavera has an acoustic poetry reminiscent of
early King Crimson. That overloaded, over-the-top, electric, distorted, and strangely danceable Can...is the one that
closes the first album on Bubble Rap (1972).

In the bass and drum foundation and that carefree, almost casual vocal style, lies part of the spirit of Can, as in Your
Friendly Neighbourhood Whore (1969), which opens disc 2.Nothing is out of place here in this collection: that
narrative, almost a recited poem with the distinctly German keyboard of True Story (1968)... wild blues rock ]]>�Love with Midnight Sky (1968)

There is a live version of Spoon from 1972 that far surpasses the original in length with logically greater
development...where the more they are abandoned, the more they are found. As if there weren't enough surprises
already, we encounter Dead Pigeon Suite (1972), a delicate piece more reminiscent of Popol Vuh, at least its first
half. Then Michael Jackson sneaks in prematurely, and everything takes on a modern feel. Can, ahead of his time
once again. Without warning, they throw in a medley with Vitamin C from the album Ege Bamyasi. Quincy Jones
must have heard these incredibly modern arrangements that transcended mere syncopated funk.

Abra Cada Braxas (1973) is another great Jam session with a keyboard in the background and a bass in the
foreground, but different from the others, this track has a more progressive treatment, even the vocal approach is
more theatrical. The Loop (1974) has a simplicity that ultimately moves you, almost like a train station blues.
Midnight Men (1975) reminded me of Klaus Schulze, and the interplay between percussion and synthesizers.
Barnacles (1977) is more jazz-rock in addition to funk, although it retains that characteristic staccato rhythm. The
keyboards, with their random intrusions, disrupt any sense of familiarity, leaving the band's free spirit to linger.

Alice (1974), which I can tell you right now is magical, was composed for Wim Wenders' film Alice in the Cities, from
the same year, the first part of the road movie trilogy, and it captures well the feeling of uprootedness of the film, of
the two protagonists, in its original black and white, with room for as much feeling as they were able to put into the
film as this kind of retrospective of all the concerns of the band and the best way to approach it is with unreleased
songs, as always their musical proposal.

BRASS CAMEL Camel (Heavy Prog, 2025)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:44:13 EST

Review by Jeremiah Pickard — Camel is an outstanding album by Brass Camel.

After an excellent debut album, this album proves they are moving forward with intent and fury as they deliver
an album with 4 exquisite funky rock tracks and 2 phenomenal 11 minute epics.

Opener Zealot is an insane display of virtuostic musicianship all packaged with epic vocals, lengthy solos and
excellent arrangements in this 11 minute beast of a track. Pick Of The Litter is a really fun lighthearted follow-
up about a cat. Complete with a spoken word section backed by playing that is oozing with swagger. It segues
straight into the fantastic Chain Reaction. It's an absolutely insane track with some of the best vocals in the
band's whole discography. Side 2 opens with On The Other Side which is a really fun track with great playing
throughout. The only single Borrowed Time is an absolutely phenomenal track with a chorus for the ages
which sounds huge. Then there is the closer Another Day.

I cannot describe how absolutely phenomenal this song is. I truly believe this is the best song of 2025. The
emotional verses with the excellent musical backing, then there is the instrumental section. It features some of
the most engaging and energetic prog shredding ever put on record. It never has a dull moment, and the epic
return of the vocals leading into the outro brings the album to an excellent end.

An absolute masterpiece that anyone with an inkling of enjoyment of progressive rock should absolutely listen
to.

BRASS CAMEL Brass Camel (Heavy Prog, 2026)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:24:40 EST

Review by Jeremiah Pickard — Brass Camel are my favourite band working today and this album is a magnificent effort by the band.

You've Got Time is an excellent opener and shows the band mean business. It's the first to feature Curtis on
lead vocals and it is a welcome change, hopefully the band will continue to do this in future. What Are You
Going To Do? is also excellent, a swampy 7/4 groove complete with various solos and featured guest vocals
from Cat Madden are also welcome. Why Bother? is a fantastic track. Daniel has previously described it as very
10cc inspired and it is definitely noticeable. It frequently moves through various musical sections especially in
the second half, always delighting the listener. Can't Say We Didn't Try is the weakest song but it is a very
enjoyable track, especially the slide solo in the end though it could have done with being louder. Ice Cold was
the first single and after looking at all the tracks, it was definitely the most obvious choice, it effortlessly moves
through riffs, technical instrumental breaks and is overall a good time.

If Side 1 is extremely good, excellent even, Side 2 is basically flawless. It opens with one of the heaviest songs
in their discography, being Careful What You Wish For. There's a very Crimson-esque guitar tone in the
instrumental section and a guitar line that reminded me of Horsewell Common And The Heat Ray by Jeff
Wayne on first listen. Next is Everybody Loves A Scandal. This is a phenomenal piece of music. It's less than five
minutes long but has enough musical ideas for a 20 minute epic, but it never feels disjointed, nothing feels cut
short. The final bridge is nothing short of spectacular. Catch Us If You Can is a highly complex prog track with
great everything, great playing, great singing, great arrangement. It is definitely a prog song for the ages. The
penultimate track Last Call is probably the most simple song on the album, but is one of the most captivating,
it sounds massive and I would highly recommend this song if you want something short and epic. The closing
track This Is Goodbye is another effortless display of songwriting with many complex changes throughout it's
runtime.

If you're looking for a fun 45 minutes, you shall not be disappointed with this album.

URIAH HEEP Very 'Eavy...Very 'Umble (Heavy Prog, 1970)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:18:13 EST

Review by ZowieZiggy — UPDATED REVIEW

When I posted my review of this original work I posted the UK version because it featured ''Bird of Prey'' instead
of the poor ''Lucy Blues''.

This changed with the inclusion of ''Bird of Prey' 'in the list of songs to be featured as bonus tracks.
So, I decided to post my review for this album with minimal changes.
The only true change is the cover for the US, which is much better than the UK one.

The first that I bought from the Heep was "The Magician's Birthday" and I really liked that band. Their hard rock
with a special care for keyboards was quite original (although it sounded a bit like Purple). The core trio Byron
(RIP), Hensley and Box is already in place which is a guarantee for quality.

The opening track "Gipsy" is absolutely gorgeous : strong vocals from Byron and incredible keyboards by
Hensley. One of their best song ever that passes the proof of time very well. All the magic of the Heep is there :
powerful lead vocals, great riff, strong instrumental parts and great harmonies. The final part of the song is
really intricate.

It is not the case with the next track "Walking In Your Shadow", a post-psychedelic number which sounds quite
outdated (this one particularly sounds as a "Mark I" song). Its only interesting feature IMO. But more similitudes
will appear in their later works.

The mellow and quiet "Come Away Melinda" is an astonishing and surprising break : smooth mellotron, flute ...
almost prog my friend ! At times, Byron sounds as Evans (again, "Mark I" ...).

On this UK release, we'll get the fantastic "Birth Of Prey" : a wild hard-rock tune, with incredibly subtle, high and
sublime vocals (it seems that Byron has switched from Evans to Gillan if you see what I mean...). Guitar and bass
are outrageous. The second highlight and definitely a great Heep classic.

"Dreammare" is a bit in the same vein but less well achieved. Good hard-rock (even flirting with heavy sounds)
all the way through. "Real Turned on" is 100% hard rock oriented and little inspired. It is the weakest number
together with "Melinda".

"I'll Keep On Trying" is again a solid track with nice vocal arrangements and interesting rhythm changes between
hard-rock and prog moments (around 2'30" for example). Mick Box does a good job here. This track features all
the element a good Heep song must have. Very nice song, (one more) on this very good album.

"Wake Up" is another highlight. Very good and emotional vocals from Byron (but that's the ''Heep'' trademark,
right) ? It is the most complex song of the album and probably one of the few that could be related to prog
(together with "Come Away Melinda"). At times, it reminds me of "Epitaph" (not too bad a reference).

The core of the what the Heep will release is already present in this first effort, it is not too often the case that a
first album is so close to what the band will deliver afterwards so, it needs to be mentioned. This album has
passed remarkably the proof of time (IMO at least). They will confirm this great debut album during several
releases. All in all a very good first effort from the Heep.

A stupid Rolling Stone journalist (Melissa Mills) will write the following review for this album. I will write my
comments into brackets: "If this group makes it, I'll have to commit suicide (you'd better have done it before
your review).

From the first note you know what you don't want to hear any more. Uriah is watered down, tenth-rate Jethro
Tull, only even more boring and inane. UH is composed of five members : vocals, organ, guitar, bass and drums
(do you know that these are not names, but instruments) ?

They fail to create a distinctive sound tonality; the other factor in their uninteresting style is that their play is
based on repetitive chord riffs".

And she goes on : "According to the enclosed promo information, UH spent the past year in the studio,
rehearsing and writing songs. No doubt their lack of performing experience contributed to the quality of the
record; if they had played live in clubs they would have been thrown off the stage and we'd have been saved the
waste of this record".
Ever heard of Uriah Heep Live ? Probably not...

I hope that she was sacked a few weeks after his ridiculous review (or maybe she did what she said, committing
suicide)!

Four stars for this encouraging debut album.

ZONE SIX Psychedelic Scripture (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2004)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:10:40 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — Zone Six are a legendary band among trippers & stoners the world over. The band, which originates from Berlin,
has at its core, the brilliant multi-instrumentalist Dave Schmidt, aka Sula Bassana, a name he uses for his wholly
solo projects.
The music is more or less fully improvised and wholly instrumental.

The 1st track 'Extremadura' which clocks in at 14 minutes, starts out with spacey sound effects as if searching for a
direction, working through various sub themes. Before hitting upon an eastern sounding theme played by double
tracking the guitar, offering glimpses of an imaginary world. As the eastern theme fades away, a new set of
variations lead into an ambient passage that calms the overall feel of the track down. Here we see a more solid
world that holds together, before this too is broken up by multiple instruments that each play around different
themes, as if giving fleeting glimpses of a changing world of many half imagined possibilities. The final few minutes
build up a sense of expectation that finally trips, unreachable as the track quietly ends.

The next two tracks are 21 minutes and 14 minutes respectively. I will spare you my interpretation of the rest of the
album. It is full of highly inventive psychedelic wonders, that trip along like a speeding train with ever-changing
hallucinatory scenery.

Krautrock may be thought to have had its golden age in the seventies, but I would say there are more krautrock
bands now than ever before. Zone Six is certainly one of the best examples of the continuation of those bands that
were birthed in the late 60s & the early 70s.

I can only really award this album 4 stars. The band's earlier two albums are simply even better.

Do your head a favour and head over to Bandcamp, where you can check all the Zone Six albums out.

SEID Among The Monster Flowers Again (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2002)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:46:11 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 5.5 stars

Among the monster tunes again. I haven't played this in twenty years, so thought that I would give it a spin. Wow! It
has lost none of that garage band spontaneity that it throws at you in great spadefuls. It still sounds as fresh and
relevant today as it did twenty years ago. There is no other band that sounds quite like it. If you like heavy garage
psychedelic progressive rock, and have not heard this, you are really missing out on one of life's real musical treats.

The songs have wonderfully evocative lyrics (all in English) that never sound pretentious, despite being wholly
improbable in the physical world as we know it. Seid (from Norway) have created a whole new sound world with this
fantastically original take on a well-worn genre.

If you like highly original music with big tunes, great capricious rhythms, spaced out sound effects, and some really
strange tripped out lyrics, this is an absolute must-have.

You can enter this unique world of sound over on YouTube as of writing this.

NODO GORDIANO H.E.X. (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2021)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:03:09 EST

Review by The Progolyte — As of writing this, H.E.X. is the sixth and latest record by Italian progressive rock band Nodo Gordiano. This
was almost my introduction to the band, but I decided to push it off because their fourth album, Nous,
seemed to be more popular among progressive rock fans. Released in 2021 and comprising of only two
twenty-six-minute-long tracks, it currently has the highest rating among all the albums by Nodo Gordiano.
And yes, after giving it a few listens, it is indeed my favorite by the band. It feels a lot more progressive and
focused than their previous albums, with nearly all of the passages from the two tracks having unique
layers and interesting instrumentation and sound that vary drastically depending on where you are in the
songs. It's very cool and definitely something that sets the band apart from any other Rock Progressivo
Italiano act (although Nous already made that quite obvious to me). When looking at who plays on the
album, it includes Andrea de Luca on guitars, bass, and various electronics, effects, and keyboards, Filippo
Brilli on the horns, and Davide Guidoni on the other keyboards and percussion.

The album's opening suite, Heng, is a lot more electronic-based and has more of an atmospheric depth.
There is still some actual rock music and elements added in here and there, but it is mainly a playful and
very interesting mix of hypnotic synths and soundscapes. This is overall the weaker of the two pieces on
here, but it is still quite good, having a lot of good material on it. It sounds ambitious and fresh while also
taking key notes from various bands like Tangerine Dream and Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso. As for the actual
rock sections, they can get pretty insane and deep, always taking their time to get where they're going to
push the listeners' patience in a good way. Kou is the second composition and is my personal favorite of
the two. I really liked the more rocking energy going on for it, and I especially enjoyed all the saxophone
arrangements that made this track feel complete and very satisfactory when listening to it. Overall though,
this is a highly technical and thorough album full of some of the most outstanding modern Rock
Progressivo Italiano.

In conclusion, though it's still out of reach of five stars, this is a very solid direction for the band, and the
record is full of amazing material. I'm hoping they come back soon with another album moving in the same
way as this one, because if they can improve on this record, they might have an actual masterpiece on their
hands. This is a solid 4.25/5!

SOFT HEARTED SCIENTISTS The Phantom of Canton (Prog Folk, 2025)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:26:41 EST

Review by kev rowland — On the FdeM page for this release there is a quote from 'I Don't Hear A Single' which says, in part, that they "have
trouble understanding why certain bands are not massive. If this was anytime between 1969 and 1976, you would
have needed many trucks to deliver Soft Hearted Scientist to the eagerly awaiting Record Shops." That is so very, very
true indeed as there is an argument to be had that this is their finest album to date. Initially released on CD and
digitally by the band themselves, it is now available as a triple vinyl set with the original album on the first four sides
along with a sidelong 'suite' put together by Nathan Hall and Frank Naughton which picks up on the themes of the
individual tracks, together with another side of instrumental mixes. Nathan states that the influences on this album
contain 1940's big band music, 1950's doo wop and rock & roll, 1960's psychedelia and folk rock, early 1970's prog
rock, punk, post punk, electronic music and soundtrack music. So there you have it, but for me this is solid
psychedelia to its core, and somehow, they manage to make even lengthy numbers sound like pop songs.

It is not possible to listen to this and not wonder that music of this depth is still being made nearly 60 years after its
heyday as this is sheer delight, bright and full of colours even when the words have a darker side. One can imagine
SHS being feted at UFO if only that was still around and being invited to headline all night gigs and happenings, while
hot wax projections morphed over the band and the audience slightly swayed in their own dream (which may, or may
not, have had something to do with acid). Listening to this on headphones one is transported in time and space, with
a shimmering of reality, as one understands the fragility of what is happening in our ears and that is where we want
to be, so we are afraid of breaking that spell.

Michael Bailey (bass guitar), Nathan Hall (lead vocals, backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards,
electronics, sound effects), Paul Jones (6-string and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin), Dylan Line
(keyboards, electronics, sound effects, some backing vocals) and Frank Naughton (keyboards, sound effects, some
backing vocals, and all drums) have created a very special artistic piece indeed. Frank has then taken all the elements
of the rough gem and curated it so it shines brightly like a star in the midst of dull pop banality, beckoning all would
hear to come and discover just what a Welsh band are continuing to achieve away from the spotlight. This is a truly
wonderful album, and all praise to FdeM for giving it the treatment it deserves.

WITCH RIPPER Through the Hourglass (Experimental/Post Metal, 2026)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:16:54 EST

Review by VTr Storm — Witch Ripper is the kind of band that seems to have found a very particular balance between heaviness and
melody, but without sounding forced or giving that feeling of trying to prove something all the time. Everything
feels somewhat organic and fluid, as if these influences were simply part of their DNA, and what makes it most
interesting is precisely this way of moving through different sonic territories without losing control. In their
sound there is the spirit of traditional heavy metal pulsing strongly, but it comes accompanied by a slower
density in certain moments that flirts with sludge, while at the same time, when you least expect it, those turns
and more elaborate constructions appear delivering a progressive touch.

Now in 2026 the band returns to the scene with 'Through the Hourglass', an album that sounds more
ambitious right away, but without being pretentious or exaggerated, far from it, it is an ambition that comes
from confidence. As if the band were even closer to its own center of gravity, and from that point on, felt free
to go further, whether by adding weight when needed or opening space for more striking melodies, however,
always exploring dynamics that previously appeared less evident. There is also a greater fluidity in everything
and the ideas communicate better with each other, just as the transitions sound more natural and the album
as a whole conveys that good sense of unity and of something conceived as a complete work and not just a
collection of strong tracks although the album is not a conceptual album telling a linear story.

In the end the album reveals itself as a journey in constant ascent, the kind that starts more restrained, but
when you least notice you are already completely immersed in a denser and more complex dive, where the
heaviness gains body and the ideas begin to truly expand. So that further ahead everything flows into a grand
and emotionally charged ending, as if each previous step had been carefully thought out to arrive exactly at
this point.

But perhaps the most fascinating aspect lies precisely in the way the band stitches all of this together, after all,
it is a fact that in less careful hands this could easily sound fragmented like a bunch of good ideas placed side
by side. But here things do not happen that way, because there is an invisible line connecting everything and
giving a sense of continuity that makes each track feel like a consequence of the previous one, almost like
chapters of the same story, giving this sense of flow to everything even though the album is not conceptual. An
album that not only shows how much the band has evolved, but also makes it clear that there is still a lot to be
said from here on.

ROB HARRISON Overflow (Eclectic Prog, 2026)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:46:55 EST

Review by kev rowland — I long ago realised that when it comes to music I refuse to go with the flow, and instead of only listening to bands I am
already aware of, I actively look for those which are fighting to be heard. Such is the case with Rob Harrison, as I saw a
comment from him on Facebook which led me to making contact and I am now listening to his second album, which
follows on from 2024's 'Explode My Head'. Rob is a multi-instrumentalist who is not only also co-founder of Z Machine
but is also in Mascot Math, and I must confess to having not heard anything by either of
them, but I can see that based on this that needs to change.

Rob is a true multi-instrumentalist, providing guitars, bass, saxophones, flutes, recorders, synths and SFX and is also a
good singer, providing all the vocals. However, he wisely recognises his own limitations and has brought in an
excellent drummer in Eliseo Salverri; if only everyone recognised the need for a human in that seat as opposed to
using technology. This is eclectic progressive rock yet somehow is also strangely commercial and contagious with a
large dose of Cardiacs, some Gong, Gentle Giant, VDGG and other classic British influences resulting in an album
which may dabble with some jazz rock fusion here and there, but the pronk more than balances it out. At times the
sax is the most important musical lead, yet at others it is the guitar, one never knows where it is going to go next.

This is an album where each track is a favourite, but instrumental "Downstream" is probably the one which really
stands out with its changes in tempos, time signatures and over the top complexities and intertwining threads which
make it a delight throughout. Yet "Pools of Glass" which follows contains vocals and could almost be by a different
band. "Band", there is an important word, as this never sounds like a single person or project, but rather it appears to
be a very tight unit formed by a group of musicians. I can only hope this gains the attention it deserves (released 1st
May 2026) as this is thoroughly enjoyable and any proghead who wants their music to be complex and fun yet tight
and uncompromising will get a great deal from it.

THIRD EAR BAND Radio Sessions (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1994)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:29:08 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — The original THIRD EAR BAND disbanded after three releases in the early 1970s but found new life in
1990 when three of the four original member reunited and then released another series of albums
throughout the decade only this time the band some electric instrumentation to their heady blend of
raga-flavored psychedelic folk meets modern classical. Also in 1990 the original members Glenn
Sweeney (drums, percussion), Paul Minns (oboe) and Ursula Smith (cello) welcomed guitarist Mick
Carter into the mix.

The 1990s saw the release of two new albums, "Magic Music" and "Brain Waves" as well as the long
lost soundtrack for the German TV show "Abelard and Heloise." In addition a few live release emerged
as well including this EP's worth of two tracks titled simply RADIO SESSION. These two tracks were
recorded in 1990 but a physical release didn't occur until 1994 through the Voiceprint Radio Session
Series which was originally recorded during a live broadcast for the Italian Radio program RAI
Stereonotte in February 1990.

While only slightly less than 22 minutes, the two tracks are unmistakable as THIRD EAR BAND with the
classic drone, medically tinged musical flavors and heady mystically classical meets jazz
constructs. While it's not credited, there are violins being played on this one as well so perhaps
some live musicians were employed to augment the sound and honestly i don't really hear the guitar!
The first track is "Raga La Luna" which evokes the classic THIRD EAR BAND style albeit with an
incessant pummeling percussion section that keeps the rhythmic backbone and gives the track more
stability than the airy freeform sounds the band is known for. The percussion is receptive
throughout the tracks run while the oboe adds all the fluttering around antics.

"Spirits" is closer to 12 minutes and sounds more like a Stravinsky flavored form of modern
classical with minimal percussion at first and more emphasis on the uncredited violin. Like the
first track, this one is also more structured but focuses more on atmospheric sounds that include
electronic elements. The percussion does bubble up after a lengthy intro making it sounds like two
completely different musical pieces playing simultaneously. The violin has moments where it freaks
out with crazy frenzied string abuse and the track is often more turbulent and apocalyptic sounding.
Overall it's very chaotically layered with sounds over a calming contrapuntal effect. While
different at this stage, THIRD EAR BAND remained a unique outsider force that pretty much retained
its own idiosyncrasies.

I'm a fan of this band and this little short EP is no exception for my musical appreciation albeit
not as essential as the earliest full albums but gets extra points for the cool alchemically correct
cover art. The band was active in dong many live sessions including a few for the great John Peel.
The biggest question is where are the guitar sounds? I'm not convinced the lineup that is presented
is actually correct because these tracks sound totally as acoustic as the early formation of the
band. Perhaps these are really unvaulted 70s recordings being passed off as 90s ones? Whatever the
case it's brilliantly dynamic music that will please chamber folkies who love it dressed up with
mysterious modern classical motifs and semi-improvisational flavors.

3.5 rounded down

THIRD EAR BAND Necromancers of the Drifting West (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1997)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:28:33 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — PLEASE NOTE: This album is the same album as ABELARD AND HELOISE therefore the review is
identical where details about this situation are explained.

Recorded in 1970 but not formerly released in album form until 1997, after two wildly experimental
albums, THIRD EAR BAND was commissioned by a German television film directed by George Moorse to
provide the musical score. The show was based on the 12th century Parisian love affair between Peter
ABELARD AND H]]>�first time on CD in 1997 was retitled NECROMANCERS OF THE DRIFTING WEST which sounds more like
something out of the Coil, Throbbing Gristle or even death metal title camp. THIRD EAR BAND of
course would also provide the musical score for yet another film two years later in 1972, Roman
Polanski's "Macbeth" before taking a hiatus for almost two decades before reemerging in 1990 and
releasing new material.

ABELARD AND H]]>�first two release but more suited to adapt to the film's narrative with melodic touches applied to
certain instruments while the others provide a haunting drone. The album is eerie and dreadful
sounding with haunting violin and viola parts in full screeching mode while the cello provides an
ominous backdrop while random percussion bursts in and out of the scene. The band's sound is topped
off by an oboe and recorder which too provide a wealth of unorthodox procedures which steer this
flavor of chamber rock deep into the recesses of the modern classical scenes with compositions as
creepily alienating as the most starting of Ligeti, Xenakis or Schoenberg with some similarities to
Stravinsky. The album features six untitled tracks that add up to about 37 minutes.

Basically all the music was improvised while watching the film on a screen and although the film was
set in Medieval times, the music sounds nothing like any period musical output of the era rather it
prognosticates what some of the darker avant-prog flavored chamber folk bands like Art Zoyd would
make a career out of towards the end of a decade making me wonder if this particular album wasn't
the major inspiration behind bands like Univers Zero, Art Zoyd and Present but that's only
speculation. This is a very dark and unsettling nerve wracking style of musical flow which
definitely suits the secondary title NECROMANCERS OF THE DRIFTING WEST more ideally than the rather
bland ABELARD AND H]]>�supposed to reflect.

The album has been released numerous times under both titles since 1997 with two completely
unrelated album covers as well. Why do they do this? Overall this is decent avant-garde chamber
music especially if you're into creepy and demented sounding. I can only imagine what the TV film
must be like if this is the soundtrack! It's effective at delivering a very apocalyptic vibe but
feels less psychedelic and otherworldly as the band's first two albums. It is very impressive that
the entire thing was improvised on the spot with a single viewing of the film at the forefront which
showcases the uncanny ability of the band to navigate a stream of consciousness through sound as
they interpret the visuals.

As a listening experience in its own right it's not bad at all but seems a little too aimless to
make good modern classical music and has enough melodic touches to keep it from feeling overly
avant-garde. Steering more in either direction would've proven more satisfying in the end. While the
album has been rereleased numerous times in its own right, it also appeared on the 2018 compilation
"Elements 1970-1971" which features the album in its entirety along with other unreleased tracks
only completely remastered. So yeah, this is very confusing that this has been released with two
titles. To make it perfectly clear this was recorded in 1970 as ABELARD AND H]]>�released in 1997 as NECROMANCERS OF THE DRIFTING WEST but reissues have gone under the ABELARD AND
H]]>�Insert insanity emoji here.

3.5 rounded down

THIRD EAR BAND Abelard and Heloise (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1970)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:27:58 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — PLEASE NOTE: This album is the same album as NECROMANCERS OF THE DRIFTING WEST therefore the
review is identical where details about this situation are explained.

Recorded in 1970 but not formerly released in album form until 1997, after two wildly experimental
albums, THIRD EAR BAND was commissioned by a German television film directed by George Moorse to
provide the musical score. The show was based on the 12th century Parisian love affair between Peter
ABELARD AND H]]>�first time on CD in 1997 was retitled NECROMANCERS OF THE DRIFTING WEST which sounds more like
something out of the Coil, Throbbing Gristle or even death metal title camp. THIRD EAR BAND of
course would also provide the musical score for yet another film two years later in 1972, Roman
Polanski's "Macbeth" before taking a hiatus for almost two decades before reemerging in 1990 and
releasing new material.

ABELARD AND H]]>�first two release but more suited to adapt to the film's narrative with melodic touches applied to
certain instruments while the others provide a haunting drone. The album is eerie and dreadful
sounding with haunting violin and viola parts in full screeching mode while the cello provides an
ominous backdrop while random percussion bursts in and out of the scene. The band's sound is topped
off by an oboe and recorder which too provide a wealth of unorthodox procedures which steer this
flavor of chamber rock deep into the recesses of the modern classical scenes with compositions as
creepily alienating as the most starting of Ligeti, Xenakis or Schoenberg with some similarities to
Stravinsky. The album features six untitled tracks that add up to about 37 minutes.

Basically all the music was improvised while watching the film on a screen and although the film was
set in Medieval times, the music sounds nothing like any period musical output of the era rather it
prognosticates what some of the darker avant-prog flavored chamber folk bands like Art Zoyd would
make a career out of towards the end of a decade making me wonder if this particular album wasn't
the major inspiration behind bands like Univers Zero, Art Zoyd and Present but that's only
speculation. This is a very dark and unsettling nerve wracking style of musical flow which
definitely suits the secondary title NECROMANCERS OF THE DRIFTING WEST more ideally than the rather
bland ABELARD AND H]]>�supposed to reflect.

The album has been released numerous times under both titles since 1997 with two completely
unrelated album covers as well. Why do they do this? Overall this is decent avant-garde chamber
music especially if you're into creepy and demented sounding. I can only imagine what the TV film
must be like if this is the soundtrack! It's effective at delivering a very apocalyptic vibe but
feels less psychedelic and otherworldly as the band's first two albums. It is very impressive that
the entire thing was improvised on the spot with a single viewing of the film at the forefront which
showcases the uncanny ability of the band to navigate a stream of consciousness through sound as
they interpret the visuals.

As a listening experience in its own right it's not bad at all but seems a little too aimless to
make good modern classical music and has enough melodic touches to keep it from feeling overly
avant-garde. Steering more in either direction would've proven more satisfying in the end. While the
album has been rereleased numerous times in its own right, it also appeared on the 2018 compilation
"Elements 1970-1971" which features the album in its entirety along with other unreleased tracks
only completely remastered. So yeah, this is very confusing that this has been released with two
titles. To make it perfectly clear this was recorded in 1970 as ABELARD AND H]]>�released in 1997 as NECROMANCERS OF THE DRIFTING WEST but reissues have gone under the ABELARD AND
H]]>�Insert insanity emoji here.

3.5 rounded down

DEEP PURPLE Who Do We Think We Are (Proto-Prog, 1973)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:27:37 EST

Review by ianjferris@gmail.com — I hadn't played "Who Do We Think We Are" in a long time (a very long time, measured in years). Don't ask me to explain
why because I don't know why. Maybe it's because I've got a big album collection I just never got around to it. Anyway
aware of all of the negativity surrounding the album, I took the vinyl out (an original 1973 pressing in excellent condition)
of the sleeve and put it on again today. I suppose I never really harboured any of that negativity way back then. Today,
having listened to it again, I know why. I always liked this album. And with the passage of time and my advancing years,
my liking for it has not dimmed. In fact it is a little brighter! This is a good album, especially when one views much of the
dross that has been released over the last half of a century. "Woman From Tokyo" is an outstanding opener followed by
the excellent "Mary Long". The next two, "Super Trouper" and "Smooth Dancer" aren't up to the very high standard of
the first two but they're still two very good pieces worthy of Deep Purple. Side two opens with "Rat Bat Blue" which carries no criticism from me and then the magnificent "Place In Line" really hits home! It really is one of the album highlights, running a close second to the side 1 album opener. The last track, "Our Lady", to me, sounds like it could have come out of the 1960's - maybe it was something that they had hanging around until they finished it for this album. It isn't up to the standards already set by the previous six tracks but nonetheless, it is quite an interesting and enjoyable piece.

The gatefold album cover is a real winner. Inside reproduces fifty eight (58 and yes i counted them) excerpts from print
media pieces written about the band over the previous five years. Makes for great reading! The outside of the album
depicts the band, each shown inside some floating bubbles which prompts a question as to whether they knew that the band's bubble could be about to burst? A little prophetic perhaps, seeing as it did actually happen not too long afterwards.

Anyway, the album is not a disaster as some people propose. If it had been released by some other band with different
personnel it would have been a critical as well as a commercial success. The fact that it was Deep Purple in 1973 after "In
Rock", "Fireball" and "Machine Head" left it suspended as a target for human nature, which just loves to knock things
down. I'm giving it four stars.

QUIET SUN Mainstream (Canterbury Scene, 1975)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:16:30 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — There's a very curious story behind the tumultuous formation of Quiet Sun. The band already existed in 1972, but
broke up due to the personal projects of each of its members. Phil Manzanera joined Roxy Music, Bill MacCormick
joined Matching Mole, Charles Hayward joined This Heat, and Dave Jarrett...became a math teacher!

When Phil went into the studio to record his first solo album (Diamond Head), he took the opportunity to record the
old Quiet Sun tracks, and that's how the album finally saw the light of day. Sol Caliente seems like many things at
once...like when we see a streak in the sky and don't know what it is, whether it's a meteor about to hit Earth, or a
shooting star. Here, we don't know if it's the intro to "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," if we're inside a
computer's circuitry, or if King Crimson is colliding with the entire city of Canterbury. What we do know for sure is
that there are guitars, a Rhodes keyboard, and the jazz-rock is psychedelic and spacey. Planets collide...it sounds
like the music of a post-apocalyptic scene, explosive, it turns into krautrock, it's Phil Manzanera unleashed, with
nothing holding him back, and when the guitar solo comes...it's wild and raw and heartbreaking, and I bet Brian Eno
was wearing a down vest and smiling contentedly, knowing he could do even more than he did in Roxy Music.

If we think about it, Phil Manzanera and his band had the courage to experiment in 1975 as was done in 1970.
Bargain Classics is indeed keyboard-driven, in the classic Canterbury tradition. There are counterpoints and breaks,
and it sounds like Gong fused with King Crimson...synthesizers and guitar...Bill MacCormick's bass makes its
presence felt, helping to further enhance the atmosphere, within a genre like the Canterbury scene that inherently
makes us dream, travel, and fly, encompassing all four dimensions...making it an album that represents the
aspirations of quantum physics. Particles behave like waves in RFD.

For me, the Theatre of the Absurd is the link between the Zehul movement and the Canterbury scene. Mummy Was
an Asteroid, Daddy Was a Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil proves it; synthesizer and guitar form an indissoluble
marriage, even in the midst of the era of free love and communes. Phil's guitar sound, which could be harsh and at
other times clean and clear, explores different melodies that inspire others to follow suit.

Quiet Sun forms a link in a chain alongside Diamond Head and the band 801, where Brian Eno and Bill McCormick
would later continue. RongWrong has such a strange melody... the only song on the album with vocals, by Charles
Hayward, which lends it a certain warmth, because there's also a homemade, amateurish, less professional side to
Canterbury's albums, however sublime the music may be, which for me gives them even more authenticity and
value. A quartet that was actually a quintet, and whose great chemistry deserved a few more albums.

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO Canto Di Primavera (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1979)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:15:32 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — I've always liked Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso horn section... and it sounds especially good here. Their sound had been
modernized with Gianni Colaiacomo's fretless bass, and they've always excelled at long instrumental introductions. In
Ciclo, you can hear Italian influences as soon as the keyboards come in, in addition to the jazzy trumpet. Francesco Di
Giacomo's return is welcome, and the band is now complete. When a band is good and has heart, it doesn't
necessarily achieve glory with complex repertoires, but with soulful compositions. Besides, I've always had a weakness
for those albums that stand the test of time, are worthy and of high quality, in an era that is no longer conducive to
their production.

Sono La Bestia could be a sonnet from an opera, as always, if we extract the sung part, or a very complex jazz theme,
with changes of rhythm. When the guitar or trumpet accompanies the classical part, we know we are in the presence
of a great album from the sextet.
Vittorio Nocenzi on keyboards and Francesco Di Giacomo's vocals formed a duo that gave voice to the written words
with a lyricism that transcended mere sound. At times, the keyboards sounded like Keith Jarrett playing atonally, but
with a sweetness reminiscent of the K]]>�
'Interno Citta' sounds more modern and very good, another keyboard...and another voice for Francesco's singing. I
love how the keyboard accompanies his vocals in unison, before the drums join in. Plus a coda that's both funky and
jazz-rock. An album full of ideas for 1979 that would surprise many.
If Italian bands stood out from the rest...Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso stood out even more within the Italian scene, and
Lungo Il Margine proves it; their compositions were like symphonies to me...even though they didn't have so many
classical references, they carried that inherent poetic lyricism.
The title couldn't be more fitting, since spring is a rebirth and this album was one for the band; the final track
unleashes hundreds of colors that bounce around in the mind and ears, as a summary of everything that has
happened.

BIRTH CONTROL Hoodoo Man (Heavy Prog, 1972)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:14:34 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — With the same quartet, (Except for Neuser on keyboard!) Bruno Frenzel continues his proposal of blues and hard rock
in the style of Deep Purple, Wolfgang Neuser's organ prevails with a certain jazzy air, although at times there are
original arrangements, as in Get down to your fate, with prominence of the vibraphone.

One of the album's greatest strengths was "Gamma Ray," a kind of funky, psychedelic manifesto anthem where they
departed somewhat from their usual style to draw more inspiration from other German bands. Perhaps the key was
Bruno's free-flowing vocals, reminiscent of Roger Daltrey in The Who, and the band's unafraid to play in the studio as
if they were performing live.

Hoodoo Man seems to hint at a different kind of composition, more complex and elaborate, the kind we knew they
were capable of, and which they would develop further on later albums. Bruno's voice is more epic, and the rhythm
section accompanies a different kind of keyboard, less predictable. Even the track's production is different. They had
always included at least one more daring track per album, and it paid artistic dividends.

AIRBAG Identity (Neo-Prog, 2009)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:28:57 EST

Review by Hector Enrique — Five school friends from Oslo (Norway) -including Bjorn Riis, Asle Tostrup and Jorgen Gruner-Hagen- began their
musical adventures in the late 1990s as a youth project called Airbag -a name inspired by the song of the same name
from Radiohead's 'OK Computer', according to Tostrup- playing covers of their favourite bands, led by the iconic Pink
Floyd. Things became more serious in the mid-2000s with the release of several demos and EPs, some of whose tracks
would eventually feature on their debut album, 'Identity' (2009), with which they fully entered the orbit of
contemporary progressive rock.

The hypnotic ticking of the clock in the instrumental 'Prelude' marks the starting point of a sonic journey of slow
tempos and ambient textures, guided by the interplay of Gruner-Hagen's enveloping synths and Riis's atmospheric
guitars. A dreamlike universe that draws inspiration from and is nourished by post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd
influences, blending these with elements from contemporary bands such as Porcupine Tree's immaculate production,
Radiohead's minimalism and Anathema's introspective atmosphere, whilst adding their own distinctive touch to shape
intense and contemplative tracks such as 'No Escape', 'Steal My Soul' and 'Colours'.

Meanwhile, the acoustic chords of the livelier 'Feeling Less' and the pensive, ethereal 'How I Wanna Be' lend an even
more personal touch to an album that reaches its peak of expressiveness with Tostrup's nostalgic vocals and Riis's
expansive, Gilmour-esque solo on the introspective closing track 'Sound That I Heard', probably the best track on
'Identity'.

Airbag's calm and reflective style, displayed on a serious and surprisingly mature album such as 'Identity', establishes
them as one of the most promising acts in modern progressive rock of the late 2000s.

3.5/4 stars

G.O.L.E.M. Gathering Of the Legendary Elephant Monsters (Heavy Prog, 2024)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:03:26 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 4.5 stars

G.O.L.E.M. Is a heavy progressive band from Italy. The lead singer Marco Vincini sings in perfect English without
even the slightest hint of an accent. He has a great range of emotion from delicate to full on heavy.
As for the music, it is highly reminiscent of many a good heavy prog record from the 70s (and far better than many)
without actually sounding derivative. If I had been told that this was made in the mid to late 70s, I would believe it.
With its great washes of Hammond organ to the fore and the mellotron sitting more in the background, this could
easily be a lost 70s prog masterpiece. It would quite likely be a 5-star masterpiece if it could time travel it's way back
to 1975. There is not a bad track on the album, which clocks in at nearly 45 minutes. If you like any of the old 70s
classic prog rock albums, this is definitely worth your time.
The songwriting is excellent, the execution Non plus ultra, with many great touches to lift it very much above being
just another good 'retro' heavy prog album, to the level of a superb album. It is a really great trip back in time, and
yet was released in the very unvintaged year of 2024.

The full album can be heard over on Bandcamp, as can their 1st album, at least at the time of writing.

LAMP OF THE UNIVERSE Acid Mantra (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 2009)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:41:43 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 4.25 stars

Lamp of the Universe is multi-instrumentalist Craig Williamson's solo side project. He is also both lead singer and
bassist for the stoner rock band Datura (from New Zealand). He writes and plays all the instruments himself in his
home studio, quite some feat for music of this calibre.

Acid Mantra is a pretty laid-back album with a very strong eastern flavour. Mostly played on acoustic instruments,
including some great sitar and tabla playing (a very far cry from his work with Datura). The music manages with
enough subtleties of change, special effects, and long spacey background themes, to easily hold your attention for
it's 53 minutes. All seven tracks on offer really show Craig's skill in the subtle art of clever composition, without any
really abrupt changes. Each track modulates through a series of almost imperceptible changes, achieving a near
seamless merging of both western musical instruments and eastern instruments. I guess you could call it
psychedelic, but it feels far more cosmic, taking you off into an inner universe of transcendental peace, a state of
meditation almost. The lyrics are certainly taking a cosmic trip across the universe. Although there are slight gaps
between the tracks, the entirety of the album feels like one single work.

For those who love a peaceful, timeless eastern vibe, this makes for a great escape into your inner self.

AFTER CRYING Overground Music (Symphonic Prog, 1990)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:01:56 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 4.5 stars

I am struggling to like this music. I feel that this album (I have not heard any of their later albums) has attempted
to go too far into the realm of classical music, and has not really achieved getting to that standard. If I want to
hear classical music (I grew up on classical music, both my parents being pianists), there are literally multiple
thousands of truly great classical works out there that I would far rather be listening to than this. From Bach to
Xenakis, it has all been done so much better than this.
On the plus side, I guess the music has achieved a certain degree of synthesis between progressive music and
classical, that many bands have striven to do successfully since the Moody Blues 1st attempted to fuse the two,
way back in 1967. I think my classical background has made me astutely aware (or perhaps I should say biased &
snobbish) when it is not done well in rock music.

Something I try really hard to do is always see the best in any music, even rap and hip hop, though I really do
struggle with them two.

OKAY! I am going to leave the above there as a lesson to myself and anybody who initially has a strong dislike for
a specific album. We can get it very wrong, I certainly would have done here had I not played the album again,
half out of my initial annoyance for it.

I am now playing it for a fourth time (fifth if you count my cursory initial playing of it) and I am starting to like it a
lot. Once I got over what, I felt, were the misplaced classical ambitions of the band (really a chamber ensemble), I
am now hearing it as a very well put together work of highly original progressive music. I have not really heard
anything quite like it, I like The Enid and that is about the closest I have heard to this music.

The vocals seem a bit hit-and-miss. Sometimes sounding sublime and at others a little out of place for the music.
Though I think I will probably get used to them. I am truly liking the little jazz touches that have been most
cleverly interpolated into the flow of the music. The interplay between all the instruments is far more clever than
dumb old me had initially realized. As a first album, this has to be up there with only a few groups who do
something this great and original as their 1st album. The classical training of the musicians has certainly paid
dividends in creating something that only highly proficient musicians could achieve.

This has ended up being quite a lesson for me regarding albums I dislike before I really know them properly. It
makes me wonder how many thousands of albums I have missed out on. Though life is simply way too short to
not make decisions in haste, that with hindsight would have been quite to the contrary.

I would have given this 2 stars, but I am now more than happy to give it 4.5 stars.

NODO GORDIANO Nous (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2014)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:19:32 EST

Review by The Progolyte — From what I can tell, Nodo Gordiano are currently one of the leading (though minor) bands in the Rock
Progressivo Italiano scene of the modern age. It's a more intense and instrumental take on the classic
sound we all know and love, and the band actually does a really good job at making it sound original and
fresh. The songs could be longer, but overall they do reach a level of quality that lets me look past that. The
music feels very serious and sometimes even heavy at points, and it is very intricate, with tons of emotional
textures being added to it as the music evolves and changes throughout the nearly fifty-minute-long
runtime. On the other hand, one of the main issues I have with this album is that there really aren't any real
horn or classical string arrangements that could've added more depth and personality to the songs. There
isn't even that much classical piano on this album (and yes, piano is a string instrument), which was really
disappointing for an album in this subgenre. I also thought the music can sound pushed to its limits for the
sake of being there and simply loses excitement and volume after a while.

The music here is pretty progressive, never really sticking to one riff or rhythm and always making a wild
jump to a different section of the song instead of slowly approaching it. It can also feel quite dark at points,
with the instrumental aspect of the music definitely letting the band explode in terms of musical creativity
and freedom to push boundaries. While those instruments might be missing, there is still a ton of classical
influences on this album. The record sometimes comes close to what Museo Rosenbach was doing back in
the seventies, maybe even a little bit of Le Orme, but the sound Nodo Gordiano makes is still quite
different from any other band in the scene. Moving onwards from that, every track has at least some level
of tension, and they are all quite good, sometimes even great! However, this does feel like an album that
will take me a lot more listens and a lot more time to truly understand and maybe even love what the band
is doing here, but for now, most of this music simply borders amazing but actually isn't there yet.

In conclusion, I might look back on this one and update this review maybe a month or two after posting it,
as it feels like something that I would actually really enjoy a lot more than I did on my first few listens. So,
with all of that being said, my final rating for this album is a light 4/5.

ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN La Mort (Prog Related, 2026)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:46:00 EST

Review by kev rowland — I have long been a huge fan of Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen, firstly when she was fronting The Gathering and
then later in her many guest appearances with the likes of Devin Townsend and Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon). I really
enjoyed her last solo album, 2021's 'The Darkest Skies are the Brightest', and here we have the second instalment of
her next album, 'La Vie, La Mort, L'Amour', which is being released as a trilogy. The first EP, 'La Vie', came out in
February 2025 while this, the second, was released on March 27th, 2026.

Just four tracks, but they demonstrate the wide variety of styles she is so at home with, so we have acoustic sitting
alongside jazz, metal, prog, electronic, pop and more, all with her vocals front and centre. In fact, I could imagine P!nk
also having fun with "Handle Me With Care" with its catchy melody morphing into a rock number, as Anneke is having
a blast. She does not need studio trickery or autotune and is more than happy to hold lengthy notes with ease, and
this combined with commercial numbers which are very immediate, even though they are diverse in nature, ensures
the listener enjoys this the very first time it is played and keeps coming back for more. Here is a woman who can hold
her own with Floor Jansen in concert, and it is no surprise that she has been officially recognised in The Netherlands
as one of the most prominent Dutch musicians in heavy music. I do not know when the final instalment of this series
is due, and whether all three EPs will then be made available as a single release, but I am already looking forward to it.
Mind you, the original line-up of The Gathering reformed for five shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of
'Mandylion' and that has gone so well that they are now booked up for festivals, so there is a possibility that will have
an impact. Anneke is a great singer, and these four songs are a wonderful introduction to her talents, while longtime
fans will also find them very enjoyable indeed.

BIG BIG TRAIN Woodcut (Crossover Prog, 2026)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:15:28 EST

Review by BBKron — Big Big Train is one of my favorite current bands, and they have done it again with this fantastic new release. Of
course, BBT is a UK Prog band known for their beautiful pastoral melodies, soaring instrumental passages,
evocative narratives, and sweeping majestic symphonic Prog, maintaining effective use of strings and horns, as
well occasional bursts of heavier prog instrumental sections. BBT has now fully emerged from tragedy and turmoil
earlier this decade with a new lineup that has evolved into perhaps their strongest ensemble thus far. And here,
the band presents their first fully immersive concept album, 16 interrelated tracks (66 min. of music) that tell the
story of a woodcarving artist, exploring the themes of creative obsession, struggle for recognition and the
emotional highs and lows of the creative process. But, as always, it's the music that is most important here, and
the songs play out in a wonderful sequence of beauty, style, and emotion from beginning to end, covering a variety
of musical styles from beautiful melodic sections to thunderous, energetic rock. Vocals are superb throughout, led
by Alberto Bravin, but each of the various vocalists in the band get their chance to shine on different songs.
Overall, a wonderful cohesive album that is sure to remain among the very best albums of the year. Best Tracks:
The Artist, Chimaera, Cut and Run, The Sharpest Blade, Counting Stars. Rating: 4.5 stars.

AYREON Transitus (Progressive Metal, 2020)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:21:31 EST

Review by VianaProghead — Review N]]>�
Ayreon is the main musical project of Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen, founded in 1995. It's
recognized worldwide for its elaborate conceptual rock operas that bring together stellar casts of musicians and
vocalists from the metal and rock scene. The project functions as a rotating collaboration where Arjen composes
almost all the music and plays most of the instruments (especially guitars and synthesizers). But he also invites
different singers to portray specific characters on each album, besides some other musicians to complete the
puzzle.

One of Ayreon's (and Lucassen's in general) enduring qualities is undoubtedly their productivity and consistency
over time. Following his 2017 album "The Source", the Dutchman has embarked on a journey back in time with his
latest double album, "Transitus". "Transitus" is the tenth studio album of Ayreon's project and, once again, it was
conceived as a monumental concept album and represents one of Arjen's most unique works. Unlike most previous
albums, this album doesn't belong to the usual "Ayreon Universe" of science fiction, (with some other few
exceptions, "The Human Equation" and "The Theory Of Everything"), and it's focused on a gothic and supernatural
narrative of the 19th century.

The line up on "Transitus" is divided into vocalists and instrumentalists, as is usual in all Ayreon's projects. The
vocalists are: Tom Baker as "The Storyteller", Tommy Karevik as "Daniel", Cammie Gilbert as "Abby", Johanne James
as "Abraham", Simon Simons as "The Angel of Death", Marcela Bovio as "Fury", "Servant" and "Villager", Caroline
Westendorp as also "Fury", "Servant" and "Villager", Paul Manzi as "Henry", Michael Mills as "The Statue", Dee Snider
as "Father", Amanda Sommerville as "Lavinia", Dianne Van Giersbergen as "Soprano", Dan J. Person, Jan Willem
Ketelaers, Lisette Van Den Berg, Marjan Welman, Will Shaw and Wilmer Waarbroek as "Villagers" and we have also
the participation of the Hellscore Choir directed by Noa Gruman. The instrumentalists are: Arjen Anthony Lucassen
(guitars, bass, keyboards, glockenspiel, dulcimer and Toy piano), Joost Van Den Broek (Hammond organ, piano and
Fender Rhodes piano), Ben Mathot (viol]]>�Alex Thyssen (French horn), Thomas Cochrane (trumpet and trombone), Patty Gurdy (hurdy gurdy) and Juan Van
Emmerloot drums). We also have the participation of Joe Satriani and Marty Friedman in two guitar solos.

The concept is about the story of the forbidden love between Daniel and Abby. The plot is a period tragedy set in
1884, described as a cross between a ghost story and a Shakespearean drama. The story is a liminal space between
life and death. After a fatal accident, in which the male protagonist, the once wealthy Daniel, leaves in an
intermediate state between life and death, desperately tries to communicate with Abby to warn her of impending
dangers and clear his name, confronting supernatural forces. Daniel discovers it all stems from his forbidden love
for the servant Abby. Through a flashback, the dilemma is explored in greater detail and the drama and the musical
style are fully exploited.

About the music, "Transitus" draws some inspiration from classics like "Jesus Christ Superstar", but it undoubtedly
incorporates enough trademarks that discerning fans associate with the name Ayreon, such as the significantly
heavier guitar work. However, "Transitus" rocks, but it's not prog metal. Still, Arjen once again makes "Transitus" a
very highly enjoyable listen. In reality, we may say that "Transitus" truly shines in many of its moments with
atmospheric passages, accompanied by deliciously cheesy ghostly choirs and pompous organ walls. Interspersed
throughout are narrative interludes by Baker, some more subtle than others. These mostly serve as introductions
to the action unfolding in the respective track. Musically, "Transitus" delivers some flawless performances, really.
Overall, "Transitus" requires many intensive listenings before one can fully grasp the monumental nature of this
work. In many places, the album is reminiscent of a musical or radio play, where numerous smaller, interwoven
tracks complement each other and contribute to the overall structure. One thing is sure. "Transitus" is certainly not
ideally suited as background music.

"Transitus" was originally planned as a film project but the coronavirus forced its adaptation into a music album.
Conclusion: Due to its unique nature and the presence of unprecedented elements, "Transitus" may be the most
ambitious work of the project and, at the same time (or perhaps because of this), one of the most difficult to digest.
It's much more theatrical and symphonic than previous pure progressive metal works, reminiscent of a stage
musical with many dialogues and reprises. The album, with its twenty-two songs, is naturally characterized by the
multitude of different voices and the outstanding skills of mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Arjen, who simply
has a knack for good melodies that seem to bubble up inexhaustibly into the light of day. But, in any case, it repeats
the feat of most of its predecessors. With "Transitus", Lucassen once again managed to release another great
musical work by Ayreon.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

GRYPHON Red Queen to Gryphon Three (Prog Folk, 1974)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:02:43 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — It cannot be said that they betrayed the medieval purists, since from the title itself they announced, with that
masterful chess move, that they would change course... and that is how Gryphon traveled through time, but they
did so in Rod Taylor's Victorian time machine from "The Time Machine", in their own way and under their own
rules, incorporating more contemporary symphonic and progressive elements in that 1970s present, in their
already patented and as recognizable as it is acclaimed medieval style.

We are talking here about sublime, complex, operatic, lyrical compositions, even though they are instrumental,
divided into four movements, with the Opening Move, showing from the piano the ideas to be developed. No one,
except perhaps Renaissance, had that compositional lyricism. The balance between ancient and modern
instruments is remarkable, when the fusion could easily have gone wrong. When the distorted electric guitar
explodes alongside the classical piano solo, the success is confirmed. When a composition is strong, with
personality, it makes a grand entrance and gets noticed.

This is an album with extensive tracks, and the bridges between one part and another also have the entity of songs
in themselves of such quality, and so well assembled, that it reminded me of Jethro Tull in their most complex
period of A Passion Play, while Brian Gulland played a melody with his bassoon... Graeme Taylor was already
announcing the new one with the acoustic guitar, and David Oberl]]>�not because of the power, but the variety of colors achieved.

Second Spasm is stronger, more rock-oriented, and we can appreciate the skill of Philip Nestor on bass and Richard
Harvey on keyboards. Here they showcase their taste for psychedelia and progressive rhythms where the harmony
ends atonally. If they were a band of virtuosos, what better way to enjoy them than by listening to them? Without
losing the humor that has characterized them since their great debut, they incorporate cabaret-style passages
before arriving at such a delicate and emotional section... which reminds me once again of Alexandre Lagoya on
guitar and a Celtic feel as well.

If there is a composition that begins classically, that already delves into a particular mood, it is Lament, the third
movement, where they dare to enter darker corners, and a successful fusion between their strange winds and the
electric guitar and drums are climactic and at the service of what in classical music would be the trunk of the suite,
where they are not afraid to show everything they had in mind as Yes did in Tales from Topographic Oceans (a band
with which they toured), returning to a previous melody but made with keyboard and drums, changing the tone
and meaning as Genesis would do with Los Endos in A Trick or the Tail.

In Checkmate, the instruments cascade in succession: guitar, piano, drums, bassoon, and even a jazzy feel where
they improvise, since they had demonstrated improvisation even in medieval music, followed by an acoustic guitar
section with drums as strange as Gentle Giant, and new psychedelic vignettes, culminating in jazzy nods made with
medieval winds, and just as on the cover we can see all the characters of Gryphon in that garden that peeks out the
window, we can see all the influences of the group developed in Red Queen to Gryphon Three, a band as unique as
that mythological animal that gives them their name.

JETHRO TULL Stand Up (Prog Folk, 1969)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:21 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — It's quite curious what happens to me with Stand Up, because despite belonging, in my opinion, to a transitional
period, a formative one for the band, I place it among my most beloved classics, even though later albums would
have a greater degree of compositional or interpretive complexity. It's an album I love dearly, and I think many fans
of the band do too. It's the debut of Martin Barre, who would become their iconic guitarist, but it still had that initial
rhythm section of Glen Cornick on bass and Clive Bunker on drums, which gave it that bluesy, jazzy, psychedelic,
streetwise feel... that early Tull sound that was more at home in back alleys than in palaces.

In that early period, they were the opening act for Jimi Hendrix in Scandinavia, as well as for Led Zeppelin on their
US tour, and the Newport Jazz Festival was a turning point. One of the influences cited by Anderson, and one of the
most revealing in explaining part of his sound, is that of Bert Jansch, guitarist for Pentangle.
A New Day Yesterday begins raw and still influenced by the blues, filtered through Anderson's distinctive voice,
which at this time was more American than English. And of course, the flute, contributing melody, harmony, and
magic. There are influences of Eastern music, but a certain English air of Swinging London (which would become
even more evident in Benefit) begins to seep in on Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square, and of course, the immortal
adaptation of J.S. Bach's Bourr]]>�extended flute parts, and jazzy jams by the bass, drums, and flute trio.

Back To The Family already shows a compositional growth, a meaningful progression, with sections that change and
don't emerge from nowhere, thanks to Clive Bunker's work on the various drum rhythms. Martin Barre's solos were
drawn-out, quite psychedelic, and also adapted to the new style the band was gradually developing. Nothing Is Easy
is very representative of the spirit of the album; they sound fast, rocking, psychedelic, but they always have that
jazzy and funky feeling without overtly doing so... credit to the Cornick/Bunker rhythm section. Anderson
increasingly presented himself as a highly talented and distinctive singer, perfectly suited to the style of music being
written. The abrupt changes and twists at the end of his songs made them famous and seemingly endless in his live
performances.

Fat Man also has that Eastern influence, the marked percussion, and it reminds me of that Fairport Convention era,
when they were also experimenting with many rhythms.
We Used To Know is the first part of a final trilogy that I find wonderful, along with Reasons For Waiting and For A
Thousand Mothers. Barre plays and plays, and here you can hear Hendrix's influence, and it seems to reach the
sun... the charm that is in this and only this album.

Stand Up ends as it began, with that overflowing rock energy, with just flute and guitar, Ian singing so loudly he
practically leaped off the microphones, and those sound cuts/breaks they patented here that gave the songs so
much emotion, creating codas out of thin air where they returned with even more ferocity...which was exactly what
this era had in abundance. Martin Barre more than justified his inclusion.
A testament to an era, like a photograph, that when you see it, perfectly evokes the moment it was taken...feeling
exactly what was felt at the time it was made.

MONTIBUS COMMUNITAS Montibus Communitas (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 2012)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:25:12 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — A strange Peruvian psychedelic collective that was fronted by Brayan Buck, MONTIBUS COMMUNITAS
(Latin for 'Mountain Community') was formed in Lima in 2011 and produced three ethereal psychedelic
free folk releases that were infused with Peruvian traditional music with channeled cosmic Krautrock
into hypnotic tribal ambient excursions that sound as if you've entered the astral plane and there
was a ritual of some sort taking place. Spirituality is indeed the main focus as the four tracks on
this eponymously titled debut were influenced by a multitude of spiritual traditions including
Buddhism, Taoism, Gnosticism, Hinduism and indigenous spiritual belief systems of Peru and South
America.

On this debut this collective of six musicians creates droning psychedelic free improv jamming
sessions that incorporate a huge number of instrumental timbres that makes use of guitars, bass,
violin, organ, pan flute, synthesizers, traverse flute, various percussive instruments and a
homegrown quena along with ethereal wordless vocals. The tracks are expansive and hypnotic and quite
meditative in effect with immersions into what sounds like a shamanic journey into the spiritual
world after ingesting ayahuasca or some ritual based intoxicant. Much like post-rock, MONTIBUS
COMMUNITAS slowly builds up momentum through receptive cyclical grooves that offer pulsating
percussion while other sounds sort of sputter and clank around in the background although without an
expected climactic crescendo.

This debut features four tracks with the opening "Amaru" and the closing "Semilla" both over 15
minutes in playing time with the two tracks sandwiched in between slinking past the 6-minute mark.
The opening track is downright spooky as it sounds like some sort of Inca drumming circle ritual
with a throbbing percussive beat that is in perfect sync with the organ and guitar meanwhile freaky
ghost-like sounds haunt the backdrop emulating a conjuring of the spiritual world to do whatever
they were summoned to reveal. Despite the lengthy 18 minutes plus the track really offers enough
subtle sputtering around to keep the hypnotic spell completely unbroken and offers many freaky
secondary layers of weirdness to keep things interesting.

"El Rio Al Amanecer" or "The River At Dawn" starts with some rippling water flow while similar
haunting ethereal sounds slink and swirl about while the bass starts churning out reverb-drenched
grooves while a Peruvian pan flute evokes the Quechua traditions that survive to the modern day.
"Salmo A Cristo" is less alien sounding and more rooted in Peruvian Andes folklore sounding like a
more tripped out version of Los Jaivas only with a Krautrock makeover and piercing drones however
the pan flute gives it a true Andean folk flavor. Sporadic cymbal clashing and ethereal siren-like
female vocalizations add a touch of surreality to it all. The closing 15-minute plus "Semilla"
offers a loud echoey drone with a somewhat off-kilter groove with nonchalant percussion, an unsure
guitar presence and a haunting female vocal presence reminding somewhat of Dead Can Dance at its
most ethereal and surreal. Unlike the other tracks this one does sort of build up to a more
energized crescendo with many vocal parts ending it all in an ecstatic state.

This is a really solid album that offers enough spice to what should be a very monotonous and
uninteresting journey through nearly 46 minutes of drones and trippy Kraut-like accompaniments that
all coalesce to sound like Lisa Gerrard hooking up with Ash Ra Tempel and perhaps Natural Snow
Buildings. It's the kind of musical trip that works quite effectively in what it's trying to achieve
which is a state of transcendental escapism into the ethereal planes that evoke a cosmic journey
through the spiritual world as if you are being escorted by a benevolent spiritual entity to help
you comprehend the greater magnitude of the multi-dimensional realities that exist beyond the 3D.
It's all performed impeccably well without any moments that are unnecessary or unwelcome. It all
flows smoothly like an uninterrupted dream that evokes the placidity of a utopian plane of existence
far from the troubled reality we find ourselves in on planet Earth in the 21st century.

SADDAR BAZAAR The Conference of the Birds (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1995)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:24:53 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Formed in Bristol, England in 1990, the raga rock act SADDAR BAZAAR which means "Central Market" in
various regions of India and Pakistan was formed by the brothers Shaun and Rehan Matthew Hyder who
started the project to create a hybridization effect of traditional Indian ragas with psychedelic
rock. The brothers added two extra musicians to create a rich lineup that employed the musical
stylistic approach of transcendental ragas and Middle Eastern sounds along with exotic
instrumentation and Western psychedelic rock tones and textures. SADDAR BAZAAR released two albums
in the 1990s and then surprisingly returned in 2016 with a third.

The debut THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS was released in 1994 on the Delirium label and while at first
it may make you wonder if this is a raga rock reinterpretation of the avant-garde jazz masterpiece
released by Dave Holland from 1973 but it turns out that both of these releases refer to a famous
Sufi poem written by Farid ud-Din Attar which tackled the concept the soul's journey toward
enlightenment in allegory form. The album features 10 tracks that add up to slightly over 45 minutes
and are all instrumental. Instruments include ethnic sounds from the dholak, kubing, agoual, tabla,
daf and sitar and the Western sounds of an electric guitar and keyboards.

For the most part the album sounds like a series of Indian inspired ragas but simplified to create a
psychedelic rock groove that features fuzzy guitar and keyboard tricks. The music is rather
repetitive and while the majority of raga rock acts choose to keep the complexities of the Indian
music in play and then fortify it with rock tones and textures, SADDAR BAZAAR mostly does it the
other way and "rock-ifies" the Oriental music with rather uninspiring repetitions of chords all the
while taming the imported percussion to sound like a rock band. Not that it's bad or anything but
loses a lot of the magic in the process.

The sitar is the primary droning instrument on THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS and the guitar implements
a lot of slide tricks making it sound a bit like some Delta blues at times. Overall it's a decent
musical experience but doesn't seem to scratch the itch like so many raga rock bands that maintain
the integrity of the imported musical scales and tribalisms. This is perhaps the most authentic
example of a psychedelic rock band that uses Indian instruments to do its bidding but in the process
the music loses a lot of the transcendental qualities that it aspires to emulate. This is certainly
no Shakti and as far as modern Indo-raga bands go no Saagara. This is a fairly straightforward style
of bluesy psych rock that's been Indian-ized. A pleasant listening experience but not one that
invites me to revisit. I'd much rather hear the Dave Holland jazz classic!

FIT AND LIMO Internazionale (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1982)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:24:37 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — One of the true outsider acts of the 1980s, the German FIT & LIMO was a duo that consisted of Petra
"Fit" Lienermann and Stefan "Limo" Lienemann from the Bavarian city of Altdorf. Presumably a married
couple, this weirdo Casio-pop act haunted the 80s underground with a series of cassette-only
releases but the duo has continued releasing bizarre musical releases up to the early 2000s. Like
many DIY anti-establishment acts of the era, FIT & LIMO produced lo-fi recordings that surprisingly
found a home on the Servil label with INTERNAZIONALE emerging as the act's debut.

It's a bizarre mishmash of psychedelic folk and lo-fi pop and these early cassette releases are
cited as being some of the earliest examples of bedroom pop characterized by minimalist electronics,
acoustic instruments and trippy vocal arrangements. This release came out in 1982 along with
another release titled "H]]>�fueled folk punk however INTERNAZIONALE is more limited to the minimal synth created on a Casio
keyboard along with acoustic percussion and acoustic guitar. Other instruments include a clarinet
and some ethnic instruments.

The title means "International" in Italian and features lyrics in both German and Italian with
musical influences ranging from traditional European folk, French chanson and the strange outsider
electronic groups of the era such as Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV and others. The album features
ten tracks that only max out at 30 minutes which excel at creating some of the most unorthodox
strangeness the 80s had to offer as this duo was clearly in a world of its own making. Adopting the
ethos of the early Krautrock scene, FIT & LIMO was all about cosmic consciousness and escapism as
the tracks defy most musical sensibilities and influences are only root based.

It's an interesting experiment for the first phase of this band which would evolve into three
phases. This early bedroom anti-pop would mature into a a more psychedelic form of medieval folk and
then once again evolve into a more ethnic world music fueled style of Kraut-folk that tackled the
usual Indo-raga grab bag of incorporating sitars and other Oriental instruments. Overall this is a
fascinating example of lo-fi home brewed musical expressions but not anything that one would
consider essential as its all rather amateurish and the tracks are more interesting as anomalies
than as actual musical pieces. For those who thought the 80s was all about Michael Jackson, Bon
Jovi, Madonna or Prince, well here's something you didn't know existed!

THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM South of Reality (Eclectic Prog, 2019)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:19:27 EST

Review by alainPP — 1. Little Fishes, with its intro reminiscent of a Queen track, evokes memories; the psychedelic vocals, an
imagined blend of Lennon and Barrett, set against a wild western backdrop, a cinematic 'Atomik Circus' vibe?in
short, a good, nostalgic tempo to remind us that good music was made back then? It's beautiful, but also
admittedly simplistic. The acid-tinged finale amplifies the vintage sound even further, a sound that's becoming
outdated with age. Older whiskey is better, not necessarily old music, and the outro bells aren't going to win me
over.
2. Blood and Rockets: Movement I / Saga of Jack Parsons / Movement II / Too the Moon, with a great track,
continues to explore this romantic psychedelic atmosphere of the '60s, reminiscent of the Beatles, I confirm;
well, it's not exactly a worthy successor, actually. The final swirling guitar adds to the melancholic atmosphere.
3. South of Reality follows, a short, scorching burst of vintage rock, bordering on hard rock from a time when we
didn't know such a thing existed. The perfect excuse is the melting vintage organ, the prominent bass, a good,
explosive track, and a sound that becomes clearer.

4. Boriska returns with a nostalgic, good-natured, good-natured hit, like the good stuff... In short, close your eyes
and let yourself be lulled by John's voice, astonishingly similar to Sean's. A compulsive, heavy, psychedelic track
for grumpy, affectionate prog fans who might think prog belongs to the last millennium. I keep coming back to
that 60s break, the bass build-up like the crackling of highway gangsters. The frenetic string section is worth its
weight in gold; you suddenly feel like you're at a 1002 Nights party with a hookah.

5. Easily Charmed by Fools continues to navigate the prog spirit of yesteryear, proto-prog in fact, with a
disjointed pop-rock sound and a psychedelic tinkering to hook the bewildered passerby walking the streets of
Liverpool. The progression, the moment where the sound evolves, making you strain your ears?it's impossible
that it's only 7 years old. The finale, with its distinctive reverb, leaves a musical mark on any listener who
happens to be passing by?my foot.

6. Amethyst Realm, a topaz-like sound illuminating a jubilant Doors, the crescendo and hypnotic bass are proof
of the track where the vintage organ assaults the last hairs on the eccentric heads of prog fans. The
marshmallow guitar solo, fluctuating between delicate sweetness and a rock ballad-like surge. The best part is
that bass, still and always guiding the progression of notes, as with Caravan, in a hidden but distinctly
Canterbury-esque way. The keyboard kicks in, vibrates, the psychedelic aspect seeps into our bodies, the outro
on QUEEN just like at the beginning, and it segues into:
7. Toady Man's Hour in festive ska-jerk mode, a meandering ballad as we leave a bar where the BEATLES played
only a few decades ago.
8. Cricket Chronicles Revisited: Pt. 1, Ask Your Doctor / Pt. 2, Psyde Effects with the addition of an oriental sound,
an evolution or perhaps the end of the journey for the band of yesteryear. The expressive folk-rhythm ballad,
the addictive, repetitive mantra-like melody, even without drugs. This album should be listened to by many
hippie fans, like the magnificent 'Par les fils de l'homme' (By the Sons of Man), a nod to Michael Caine, I digress.
The compulsive, minimalist break makes me smile?the effect of the drugs, the music, in short, my feet are
moving on their own now and the Arabic-tinged melody makes my stomach rumble?danger! The outro with its
voiceovers makes me wonder, are they talking behind my back?

9. Like Fleas as a final interlude? Waves reminiscent of the great Pink Floyd of the 'The Wall' era; a delirious title
for not taking things too seriously, the musicians skillfully playing at making us regress, a touch of Bowie,
another of Alice Cooper, a conglomerate of old-school rock where we didn't overthink things.
An album playing with trends to dream and make us regress, not to be missed in this dehumanized world.(3.5)

CHEER-ACCIDENT Q-Pop (RIO/Avant-Prog, 2023)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:28:02 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 4.5 stars

All the tracks on here are little sonic experiments, that despite their disparity all fit together very nicely. I suppose
it is the sheer diversity of styles on offer that holds it altogether, to add to this contrast, many of the tracks start
out as one thing, but end up as something quite different. This all has the effect of making the album feel a lot
longer than it really is.

It is difficult to know what number album this is by Cheer-Accident it all depends on where and how you count
them, It is their 29th according to Wikipedia, or their 30th according to Discogs. But that is perhaps an irrelevant
question anyway, as what really matters is the music. This is a collection of predominantly previously only
subscription-based tracks, so you would think it to be quite a mishmash of music. This is definitely true, but it
does make for an even more diverse range of songs than most of their previous albums, and to my ears that's
just fine. The tracks have been recorded over seven years from what I can gather, so expect the unexpected, and
that is certainly what you get, a most interesting collection of ideas all packed into just 28 mins. It is a shame that
this is not available as a slab of vinyl, as I really like the cover and would love to see the duck's butt.

At just 28 minutes for 11 songs it is easy to figure that most of the tracks will be quite short, they range from 1
min 27 secs, to the near epic length of 3 min 44 secs.

Dot the Eyes, which for me is the high point of the album, not because of its epic length but because it has a tasty
Rhythm and manages to fit many ideas into such brevity.
Bonk is another highlight, beginning with atonal arpeggios before slipping into a very cool rhythmic jazzy little
ditty with female vocals joining part of the way through.

Q1 starts out like a movie opening theme before jumping into a strange but effective tune, then jumping again
into a warbling jazz theme and finishes up with a march that utilizes a variation of the opening theme. Who
thought great prog rock had to be epic? The track Q1 is only 3 mins 30 secs long.

A great collection, that is certainly quite different from their usual output, I just wish it were longer. It could easily
have been a 5-star album.

Check it out on Bandcamp, you will be surprised at just what a marvellous little collection of oddities this is.

ZITA ENSEMBLE Volume 1 10th anniversary remastered edition 2004-2014 (Eclectic Prog, 2014)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:59:11 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 3.5 stars

So their 1st album kind of bombed on PA with its 1st incarnation, though only 2 people actually rated the album at
all, 2.5 stars to be precise. That is pretty bad by anyone's standards, therefore a work left well alone? Well, No!

I believe that those two listeners were expecting an album that they simply never got. That being a work of eclectic
prog rock. This is primarily a psychedelic album, not an album of eclectic prog rock, and I think therein may lay
some of the problems of such low ratings.
I have listened to both the original album and the remastered album (the one I am reviewing here). Though the
music is of course still the same, (the sound is way better) it is still fraught with all those same issues that its first
incarnation had. Namely, a band suffering from being called a duck when it is, in fact, an eagle.
This is an eclectic mix of drug oriented psychedelic music, and I can see easily how it fell into this genre, It is a tricky
one to categorise.

Ultimately, this is a pretty good, fairly tripped out affair, that is well worth spending your time on, if you like diverse
all instrumental psychedelia.

PINO CARELLA Il Ritorno (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2025)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:38:56 EST

Review by Finnforest — A Triumphant Return

Pino Carella grew up in the Milan area of the 1960s and 1970s, drawn to the piano at a tender age
and following is his family's footsteps as a musician. Classical music was an influence and a
roadmap for how to approach and treat both art and music. As a teenager, he would discover great
pop/rock music like most of his peers, but also the amazing progressive rock coming from the British
and Italian scenes. In the late 1970s, he would begin playing progressive rock and composing
original material with his own band. This was to be put on hold for decades as Carella pursued an
extensive and successful career in the production of contemporary popular music, the many accolades
and projects which are detailed in his ProgArchives bio.

Years later, Carella remembers hearing Spock's Beard and Neal Morse and being blown away, his love
for progressive rock beckoning him to have another go at it. He began to write material in "fits and
starts," as he still had his main music career and other things happening. Finally he began to put
the pieces together with the result being a massive 152 minute modern prog opus titled not only to
refer to his personal return to progressive rock, but to pay homage to our Lord Jesus Christ's
return in the days to come. The lyrical concepts are centered around nondenominational Christian
perspectives, but also dive deep into today's worldly social problems as well. And while this work
has been called a "double album" here and elsewhere, it's actually twice the size of "Topographic
Oceans." In the days of the 40-minute vinyl, we'd be talking basically four slabs of vinyl here;
this is only a "double album" if we're talking about 75-minute compact discs!

So let's dive into the sound here because, yes, this is a wonderful release. Pino's efforts toiling
over this material for years really comes through on every single metric you'd care to score him on.
The quick top level sound description is that the album is grand, theatrical symphonic progressive
rock with overtones of the classic era bands fused to a thoroughly modern mindset and production
values. It fits very comfortably into our subgenre of RPI as all of the trademark and beloved
markers of the Italian symph palette grace the canvas throughout, and it could also sit in symphonic
and, at times, probably stretches into crossover. The music and the songwriting are varied and have
a large and cinematic feel to them, benefitting so much from the extended time available as Carella
can indulge every creative itch. Yet he always manages to make each track interesting and enjoyable.
Given the length involved here, it would be easy for an artist to bore people if the ideas were not
connecting. I am one to often rail against overly long releases that don't feel necessary. That is
not the case with "Il Ritorno," which feels vital throughout.

Carella knows a thing or two about compositional construction, the likely result of his day job. He
moves effortlessly through sections of progressive tradition with complex keyboards and with great
work from the guitarists, then to simpler and more melodic Italian song, such as "In Quel Gennaio
Del '76," whose promo video suggests a review of his life to date with a heartfelt sentimental vibe.
As mentioned, other sections have a theatrical feel to them, but Carella has a great ability to mesh
together complexity with accessible, hummable earworm melodies that stick with you. I feel like his
goal is not to try to "out-prog" the bands who attempt maniacal wildness with every track, but
rather to create a lasting emotional bond with the listener by bridging the sides of complexity with
melody. Add to it Pino's warm and inviting Italian vocals, bold but never extreme, and it just
builds the effect. There are also lovely touches throughout from strings to spoken word to choral
effects. As you review the credits, you will notice there is no drummer credited because Carella
programmed the drumming himself. After hearing so many dreadful attempts at this by others, I found
his electronic drumming here to be just sensational. It's on par with a live drummer.

The opener "Praeludium" is so cool with its gothic vibe of church organ and harpsichord, but things
get spicier in a hurry. "Trisomia 21" was another personal favorite with an "Afterglow" vibe and a
spoken voice by a young family member. The 18-minute "Voglio dirtelo Adesso" is the show-stopper in
terms of length and perhaps aspiration, but the fact is that there are several beefy tracks that
fall between 10-20 minutes in length, allowing all musicians to stretch out, allowing the musical
story adequate room to reveal its secrets and gems. (The keen and patient listener may even hear an
Easter egg or two, brief homages to prog rock legends of the past.) The last five tracks are a
connected suite whose origins go back decades, but it has been reworked and refined over time. There
is far too much material here to try to dissect track-by-track, but there is an impressively
consistent quality running through the tracks. I believe it is going to engage most who try it, age
well, and be a title that RPI aficionados will have on their lists of favorites from this decade.

Much of the album definitely falls into what I think of as "pretty progressive" or the musically
romantic, musically lovely style of progressive rock that goes very easy on the ear, although it
still rocks out often enough. If you are the type of listener who requires significant dissonance,
abrasiveness, or avant-garde craziness, this is probably not the album for you. This album is for
those who appreciate the beautiful and melodic Italian symphonic found in classics like Orme or
Locanda delle Fate or Maxophone but with a thoroughly modern sensibility and production. I am
hopeful that one of our Italian reviewers can provide some commentary on the lyrical side of this
work that I cannot, being an English-only dude. Knowing the care Carella has put into the music, I'm
guessing the lyrical narrative would also be more interesting than most.

" 'Il Ritorno' refers, first and foremost, to the return of Christ to Earth, an event that will
be epochal, extraordinary, mind-blowing, and terrifying all at the same time."

Indeed. And glorious! As talented as Carella is on the technical side, the byproduct of decades in
the business producing music for other artists, appreciation of a sprawling breadth of music such as
this comes down not to technical appreciation but to emotional connection. The music moves you or it
doesn't. "Il Ritorno" is a title that definitely made my day to discover it. My hope is that it one
day finds a CD release for fans who enjoy physical media. One note: some of the digital sources for
"Il Ritorno" have both a 6-song and 21-song option available. Be sure to click on the 21-song option
to get the full experience of this album.

NOTABENE Sei Lacrime d'Ambra (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2007)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:37:55 EST

Review by The Progolyte — After releasing their debut album two years earlier, rock progressivo italiano act Notabene set out to make
a sophomore studio album, titled Sei Lacrime d'Ambra, in 2007. Their main influences for this album (from
what I could tell) were Museo Rosenbach and Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, similar to what Il Tempio Delle
Clessidre was doing around the same time. Overall, this is a pretty strong album that has a lot of potential
for something even better if the band had released a third album a couple years after this. It's complex and
dramatic in a very satisfying way, and though the album lacks some true originality, they can get quite
creative in the songs. When looking at the lineup, the musicians who played on this album consist of
Andrea Alberici on lead vocals, Giampietro Maccabiani on guitars, Daniele Manerba on keyboards, Gianluca
Avanzati on bass, and Gustavo Pasini on drums.

The musical direction is mainly a symphonic prog style mixed with a twinge of art rock and a lot of heavy
prog. It's not the first time a band has done music such as this, there are some modern Italian artists who
did this beforehand as well, but Notabene does it in a catchy style that brings you into the journey. Their
music sounds more theatrical and fantastical than others, having a touch of whimsy that pushes the power
of the music here further. I also enjoyed the more lengthy pieces that had more details and technical
aspects to them. My favorite was the two part La Revolution Bourgeoise, which when combined can be
over twenty-three minutes of intense Italian progressive rock and insanity. The other longer composition, Il
Treno di Obuda, is also incredible and has a ton of interesting high points. Throughout the whole, the band
constantly evolves their structures and covers this record in tempo changes and various other intricate
arrangements. I do wish there were more dynamics on here along with more classical instruments and not
just keyboards, guitars, drums, etc. There really isn't a bad track on here, just great songs that get
outshined by even better ones.

In conclusion, this is my personal favorite of the two Notabene albums currently available. It has more
energy and has some great work inside it, and though it may not be an essential work for Rock Progressivo
Italiano, it's still worth checking out if you're interested in the revival of the genre. This is a solid 4/5.

EILIFF Girlrls ! (Krautrock, 1972)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:40:53 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — Judging by the cover of Eilif's second album, it could be a still from a Fassbinder film, very much from the 70s...
however, the music starts very festively, with organ, drums, and bass accompanying. Eve Of Eternity opens the album,
which somehow seems almost conceptual, everything that can be expressed from the titles in an almost instrumental
album!

The instruments overlap, with the organ taking center stage in a style reminiscent of Mahavishnu, but in quieter
moments, there's a very welcoming church organ feel that ultimately reminds me of Focus.
In "King of the Frogs," there's a strange vocal style, and Herbert Kalveram's now-famous saxophone enters the mix,
but when we reach a moment of otherworldly improvisation, almost theatrical declamation... that's where we enter
krautrock territory, that kind of theater that Fassbinder loved so much... the cover wasn't so out of place after all!

Journey To The Ego sounds like one of those John Coltrane experiments, and they pass the test well, with an incredible
bass that contributes a lot, and of course Herbert Kalveram's saxophone that's worth two, and Rainer Br]]>�keyboard, very free, giving Housch]]>�air like the wind does with the clouds.

"Girlrls" is perhaps the most "German" track, with a wonderful layering of instruments and sonic cacophony that
gradually weaves a melody where the true spirit of krautrock resides. The saxophone launches into an oriental
improvisation... before the drums and bass join in a contagious crescendo. The electric piano was the missing touch
that made it a great album, unfairly overshadowed by so many other greats of the genre at that time.

Hallimasch in the ideal closing, dark and deep whose rock and jazz saxophone at the same time recalls Crimson from
In the Court of the Crimson King, but then a sidereal void of psychedelia and percussion more typical of their
colleagues from Can and a class of free singing, a second album varied and with all faces like the mask of the theater,
where we are never where we think we are...except that it doesn't matter because it is the right place.

ESKATON 4 visions (Zeuhl, 1981)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:40:09 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — There couldn't have been a stronger start, with the bass and atonal chorus, then the synthesizer, for a band that
faithfully cultivates the French genre. They advance in the opening theme, reminiscent of Gong, krautrock, and the
Canterbury scene. Eric Guillaume on Fender piano and Gilles Rozenberg on synthesizer create the perfect
atmosphere for this ship to take off, flying through the city, through urban chaos, not through space, because we're
in the '80s, and at the same time, nothing in the music hints at the fashions of the era, as timeless as the classics...
of course, belonging to another world helps!

One imagines the soundtrack of a gray city, the ideal companion to post-punk, new wave, and art rock, entering a
church as old as it is empty. Paule Kleynnaert and Amara Tahir are the Gillie Smith and Miquette Giraudi of Gong,
but the comparisons are only the starting point to begin appreciating a music so rich and deep that several listens
are needed to recognize each proposed corner, and when everything is perceived at the same time...that is when
that old passageway between the ruins opens and we enter that world.

Attente continues to open doors that were previously unknown, neural corners that were previously unaware of
their existence, and the choirs, along with the prominent drums and heavy bass lines, come together to create a
dark but energetic aura, and several parts change, bringing fresh air that evokes memories of the future, as many
fragments will be influential for Stereolab.

Alain Bl]]>�parts arrive, another dimension is brought to the surface, the rhythms change, and the band changes, almost funk,
in the tradition of a typically French jazz rock, darker and laden with influences. ]]>�between that imitation of a subgenre and electronica with certain operatic touches, truly dramatic, which give it
depth and therefore contrast.

Sometimes we define ourselves by affinity, and other times by opposite, by contrast...there is nothing with all this
energy, this violence and repetition with the languid French chanson, while the synthesizer, drums and bass play
quickly, the guitar accompanies and to be more than ever a natural Koba]]>�
Piti]]>�the rhythm changes with the Fender are like a knife thrust with a feather... the tip of a voice can make genres touch,
uniting them and making them friends... The bonus track Le cri is jazzy in that particular way they had of
approaching it, and a very symphonic keyboard solo that closed the album with the feeling of a modern work of art.

PROPORTIONS Stories Untold (Eclectic Prog, 2026)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:03:14 EST

Review by tszirmay — Having four musicians collaborating via the internet across an ocean is a rather incredible achievement that can be
done with modern technology, sending files and conversing via the web in all kinds on video applications. Between
various studios in Las Vegas, Irvine, Quebec City, Sweden, and Wales, the project took shape in 2018 with a focus
on creating a unique progressive experience. Maintaining the exact line-up throughout was instrumental in creating
this, their 6th album. Bassist /keyboardist Andy Kubicki, guitarist/bassist Glenn Liljeblad, keyboardist/guitarist
Tommy Stark, his fellow Swede Lennart Stahle(guitars, bass, keys), drummer Denis Boucher from Canada and
Welsh singer John Eyre are all talented musicians who clearly have all the chops required to work with relative ease.
Their influences are evident, spanning such luminaries like Mike Oldfield, Pink Floyd, 10cc, Alan Parsons,
Supertramp, Gentle Giant, and Gryphon, but coming up with their very own stylistic.

There is little 'sweet past time' wasted in getting into the properly 'proportional' mood, a tight prog groove
augmented by diversions into GG territory, John has a Shulman-esque delivery, while multiple keyboard effusions
sprinkle the arrangement with just the right kind of thrills, Kubicki's bass well entangled with the drum master
Boucher. Nothing wears its welcome too long, keeping the ambience like clockwork, 'the metronome of passing
days'. An archetypical bucolic ballad on "Scarecrow Song", very British and playfully aromatic, sweetly crystalline and
escorted by a dualistic pulse, vibraphone synth delicacies teeming in the background. Clapp your hands and the
scavengers will flee.

"The Long Caravan" travels on a trail of subtle hyperactivity, intensely melodic and laden with all forms of vocals
poly-harmonics, with inspired instrumental forays into a most comfortable numbness, urging the listener to 'should
have listened harder'. "Garra Rufa" maintains the tempo, decorated with an understated and compressed guitar
solo, and those jangly multi-tracked vocal attributes, leaving the piano to lead the percussive elements. A hint of
humour finale is well done!

The core of this album lies in the one-two punch of "The Raven and the Moon" and its follow-up "Fly Like A Bird", 11
combined minutes of sonic venture, guided by a soothing piano and simple beat, rekindling the APP classics, a
trilling and acerbic guitar solo, throttled with assorted effects and a cinematographic mood that is just plain
celestial. The second chooses a funkier excursion, with a clever hint at a famous 70s classic about an eagle's flight
yet shifting into deft orchestrations and theatrical accoutrements. Eyre having the ability to sing and hush at a
moment's notice, choir in the valley below, echoing upwards to the sky. Muted voice, church organ and piano
unexpectedly charming the audience further. There is never any hint of blank facility, its an ever-evolving carousel,
an addictive experience, round and round we go.
"Scandinavian Limbo" refers to the Swedish contingent, infusing Norse humour (yes, it does exist, just ask any
Viking!) and valiant enough into insert a series of "shooby-do wah", a slight sense of vintage 10cc adding to the fun.
Perhaps bronzing and doing the limbo near the same beach as where Dreadlock Holiday was recorded. Who knows,
except the border police.

Back into a medieval bucolic tone with birds tweeting and that APP meets GG feel on "Wood Nymphs", a 'raconteur'
story, governed by a robust bass and wavering keyboards interspersed with swirling guitar shavings, another fun-
filled romp into the leafy bushes. The 'troubadour' vocals are smooth as silk and most evocative of a time passed
by.

"Space Rocks" will keep anyone on their toes, dragging you into jaunty cosmic tomfoolery, with clavinet chopping as
hard as the rhythm section, corkscrew guitars slicing through the fluffy clouds and flight log piano clearly focused
on fun. "The Last of Us" is the 6-minute finale and a perfect ending to this tantalizing offering, as orchestration light
the fuse for the possible apocalypse, 'holding onto memories of battles lost and won'. Doomsday music for
Armageddon times, yet still providing some form of delivery, perhaps those who create us will come back and clean
up the mess. It's just a question of proportions, I surmise!
Time to revisit their previous works , before its too late.

4 Countless Chronicles

JOE ZAWINUL Zawinul (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1971)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:56:56 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — The material for this album was recorded in late 1970 at Atlantic Studios in New York City and then released in the US
in May 1971 (by Atlantic Records).

1. "Doctor Honoris Causa" (14:47) if anybody thinks that this song sounds something like the music on a Miles Davis
album circa 1970 they'd be right: Joe was one of the principle keyboard players and composers of the musics on In a
Silent Way and Bitches Brew. Here trumpeter Woody Shaw and soprano saxophonist Earl Turbinton are given the task
of providing the lead melodies while the three drummer-percussionists, two bassists, and Joe's electric piano pay
more attention to playing off one another in the mid-section. Everybody in the rhythm corps becomes more animated
in the 11th and 12th minutes as Joe solos in place of the horn players, but then things settle back down for the final
stretch. I can see from this song how and where Brasilian artist Eumir Deodato got a lot of his ideas and inspiration for
his massive hit "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" which he recorded in September of the next year. While not really a
wowie-zowie song, it is quite interesting to listen for the interplay of the rhythmatists. (26.75/30)

2. "In a Silent Way" (4:47) a more-concise view of Joe's ideation for the title song of Miles Davis' 1969 album, In a Silent
Way--a composition (or series of ideas) that Joe brought to the sessions in February of 1969, it's hardly recognizable to
me as flute, trumpet, soprano sax, bass, and wah-wah-ed electric piano play this drumless song. No doubt one of the
bass players' instrument is also being wah-wah-ed and distorted in other ways, almost making the lead instrument
(Earl Turbinton's soprano sax) almost a by-product or incidental feature of the song. While I definitely like this version
better than the 18-minute ramble of Miles' album, it still doesn't blow me away--or necessarily draw me back for more
listens. (8.875/10)

3. "His Last Journey" (4:37) chimes and "distant" bells (marimba?) open this before the bassists and electric piano join
in to create a kind of peaceful, early-morning sunrise effect. At least one of the basses is being bowed as a gentle
piano keeps time. Enter a respectful trumpet alternated with the bowing bass lines and a gentle, sleepy melodica
make this song offer more Days of Future Passed meets Brian Eno's Ambient One: Music for Airports album sound--
morning sounds that set a mood for me that feels like the music and moods set by those albums. Also, again, I feel
that this song (now meaning "this album") had to have been very influential to Eumir Deodato's creation of the sound
palettes and moods conveyed on his Prelude album. This is quite a beautiful if more-impressionistic piece of music--
something that one might consider as a pioneering effort in the textural works of that which will become the work of
Ambient and New Age musicians like Harold Budd, David Darling, Jan Garbarek, and even Eberhard Weber. (9.125/10)

4. "Double Image" (10:37) reverberating electric piano chords and nimble right hand creations open this before being
slowly joined by basses (one quite effected) and drums concentrating more on the metallic sounds their instruments
can generate (cymbals, hi-hats, snares). Horns and one of the basses (bowed) begin to play off of one another--
conjuring up (again) the musics of Miles Davis' 1969 recording sessions. Around the three minute mark one of the
bass players steps into the spotlight to begin an extended solo using some very experimental techniques and sound
creations while the drummers really step up beneath him. (They get loud!) Interesting! And weird (to have no treble
instruments in the mix much less the front). (17.5/20)

5. "Arrival in New York" (1:59) weird experimental "music concr]]>�to help convey the "story." (4.5/5)

Total Time 36:47

While this album does not contain much music that I would ever choose to play for my own enjoyment, it does contain
ideas and performances that keep pushing the boundaries of that which Jazz and, more specifically, Fusion musics will
be testing and defining from here out; Joe Zawinul is definitely a great pioneer.

B/four stars; a wonderful addition to any Jazz/Fusion collector's album collection if you are a fan of the experimental,
boundary-pushing stuff Joe and Miles were conjuring up in the 1969-1971 span of time.

BEN LEVIN GROUP Invisible Paradise (RIO/Avant-Prog, 2012)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:44:15 EST

Review by Chaoticreason — 3.5 stars.

This is Bent Knee's mad, bad, crazy twin brother/sister.

A band with 16 studio albums to their name and not one single review. Shock, Horror! Are they really that bad? No!
They are not bad at all, in fact, they are really rather good. At least this, their highest rated work on PA, is.

Being as how I hardly know any of Bent Knee's records, I do find myself not at all well-placed to be writing a review
of this, Bent Knee's evil twin. For starters, they are quite a bit more experimental (at least on this album), but not so
far out there that I could see fans of Bent Knee not even recognizing the relationship between the two groups. As
far as my own personal 'bent' for music goes, I actually prefer this band to Bent Knee, but that is purely because I
have a strong passion for new inventive music that pushes the boundaries. This certainly pushes all those buttons
for me, it is a highly original sounding disc. The only comparison I could draw is the all too obvious one. Ben Levin
Group sounds a lot like a radical version of Bent Knee, who are already pushing their boundaries anyway. These
guys just takes it a couple of steps further in to the world of the avant-garde. All good with me, but perhaps it is a
little too far for Bent Knee fans who already feel that the music is at their sonic boundary. All I can say is, have a
listen, the music is very captivating. It is not such a massive leap to make, and the rewards are many.

L�SZL� HORTOB�GYI Op. Transreplica Meccano (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock, 1989)

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:19:26 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — The Hungarian outsider L]]>��1950 during the years of the communist regime and always longed for a more colorful reality beyond
the strict social controls that thwarted freedom and artistic expression. While he wouldn't start
his recording career well into his 30s, HORTOB]]>�journey to India during the 60s where he not only explored the musical flavors that the ancient
lands had to offer but also learned how to play the many instruments that included the sitar,
surbahar, tabla and rudra-vina. Those years in India turned him into a strange hybridized chimera
where his Western classical and electronic influences fused seamlessly with his Eastern musical
explorations.

In 1980 he created a musical society called the G]]>�Hindu-Moslem musician's society that was founded by Navraoj]]>��HORTOB]]>�30 solo albums as well as performing under various pseudonyms such as Astral Triggering Orchestra,
Aural Medicin Transports Band and Sonic Carcinogens just to name a few. His first solo release was
the cult favorite TRANSREPLIICA MECCANO which hit the scene in the very last year of the 1980s on
the Hungaropop label released in a small pressing of vinyl only copies.

Unfurling a meticulous methodology, HORTOB]]>�musicians to supply the supplemental sounds on this wild ride that features a bizarre mix of
progressive electronic, tribal ambient, post-industrial and dungeon synth along with a stream of
sound samples and elements of Christian liturgical music and even Indonesian gamelan. Extra
musicians supplied the sounds of everything from vocals and strings to a bass, flute, trombone
amongst others. HORTOB]]>�the IBM PC sampler effects and synthesizer. The album evokes a sense of the timeless past entering
the post-modernist future where traditional Eastern musical forms commingle with Western
electronica. The album is vibrant with an ever changing rotisserie of ideas that come and go through
a rather hypnotic grooving effect.

The opening 31-minute title track is broken down into eight thematic sections that more or less
segregate the ideas but flow seamlessly into a long dreamy stream of consciousness. Although the
electronica somewhat resembles that of the Berlin School with sprawling spacey explorations similar
to the likes of Klaus Schulze, the percussion is a mix of electronic drum machines and authentic
Indian percussive instruments. Laced with liturgical choral effects and spoken word samples, the
track morphs like a chameleon into a free flowing metamorphosis machine with myriad effects to keep
the whole thing intricately fascinating throughout its run. While the title suite is the bulk of the
album, the final three tracks constitute only around 15 minutes but pretty much continue the flow of
the album and honestly don't even feel like they are separate tracks although more electronica based
and ethereal.

The short "Nono-Bol 89" is a bizarre mishmash of baby talk over a gamelan musical flow with some
electronic percussion as well. "Reptiles' Temple 79" on the other hand is longer and at 8 minutes
plus is more centered on creepy dark ambient sounds similar to some of the industrial bleakness that
acts like Coil, Nurse With Wound, Throbbing Gristle and similar minded groups were haunting the 80s
underground with except somehow HORTOB]]>�kilter drumming. The extra synthesized atmospheric touches make it truly apocalyptic and could very
well provide the perfect soundtrack for a mass extinction event. The track is downright spooky and
gets my vote for most effect Halloween backdrop music! The closing "Mirage 88" lightens things up a
bit and is a swirly progressive electronic track that employs a vocoder.

This is a highly satisfying album that showcases HORTOB]]>�it all culminates into a brilliant display of acoustic meets electronic. The music is primarily
presented instrumentally but spoken word samples and chorals are displayed on the opening title
suite. This is very much in the same camp as early Vangelis, Laszlo Benko, Tibor Szemzo, Sven
Gr]]>�creativity level high will absolutely adore this one as it juxtaposes minimalism with a heavy supply
of supplemental sound effects. The organic acoustic percussion is a very nice touch and the album
evokes an ancient sense of 60s heady Indo-raga as it does the more modern progressive electronic
experiments that graced the 70s and 80s. A beautiful gem of outsider music here and only the first
in a long line of idiosyncratic excursions into sound experimentation.