Reviews (all) - Progarchives.com

FRANK ZAPPA Zoot Allures (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1976)

Fri, 8 May 2026 15:02:48 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Released by Warner Bros. Records on October 29, 1976.

1. "Wind Up Workin' In A..." (2:29) one of Frank's less-attractive song's used in the act of social commentary. What a
waste of talent and vinyl space. (8.5/10)

2. "Black Napkins" (Live *) (4:15) the first recorded version of this iconic FZ original. Great guitar. (9/10)

3. "The Torture Never Stops" (9:45) the debut studio version of this iconic FZ song that had already been recognized as
a fan favorite from 1975 concert performances. I admit that it does an amazing job of conveying the psycho-sexual
horror and eroticism of the topic at hand--thanks in large part to the awesome reverberating sound given to the
Fender Rhodes. (18.75/20)

4. "Ms. Pinky" (3:40) part Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein," part classic FZ, yet another sophomoric lyric of excessive
sexual innuendo. The music is well-performed, the lyric degrading. (8.75/10)

5. "Find Her Finer" (4:07) I'm really not sure what Frank is trying to do here: both musically and lyrically. I swear parts
of him feel as if the music of the 1950s and early Sixties missed their true calling. (8.75/10)

6. "Friendly Little Finger" (4:17) oddly Gamelan/Indian/"Tomorrow Never Knows"-feeling music used by Frank to show
off his musicians' musicianship (including his own on lead guitar). Nice. (9/10)

7. "Wonderful Wino" (3:38) interesting horn-accented three-chord heavy metal rock 'n' roll used to convey Frank's
celebration of a wino. Yet one more vehicle for sad potty humor. When will Frank grow up? (8.75/10)

8. "Zoot Allures" (4:12) a nice, very interesting instrumental palette and motif with slide guitar, drums and wonderful
electric bass, and xylophone teamed up to support Frank's Ry Cooder-like guitar soloing. And no words, singing, lyrics!
Me likes. There is a little Hendrix and a little Coryell in this as well some Roy Buchanan and Jeff Beck. Too bad they
chose to fade it out rather than play some more. (9.125/10)

9. "Disco Boy" (5:09) drum machine! Heavy Metal rock guitar strumming. It's Todd Rundgren! With Frank Zappa singing
the intimate low grumbles while Terry Bozzio and the over-the-top teenie-bopper background vocalists helping out
with the song-title chorus. There's Badfinger and T Rex and early Thin Lizzy in this fairly simplistic song. (8.667/10)

* Recorded in Osaka, Japan, Feb. 1976.

Total Time: 41:32

B+/four stars; an album of surprising diversity of quality in both composition and quality of song production. With
absolute highs and what feel like inexcusable lackadaisical efforts all gracing the grooves of the same vinyl release I
call this album a bit of a let down.

ANIMALS AS LEADERS Weightless (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2011)

Fri, 8 May 2026 14:06:51 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — A fabulous performance! Animals as Leaders followed-up their eponymous debut album with yet another
blazingly technical and rhythmically intense collection of futuristic progressive metal. 2011's
'Weightless' fits the djent tag quite properly, but this second studio album from AAL is even more
stylistically diverse than its predecessor, with the record exhibiting a strong propensity for
fusion playing and cryptic electronic interludes, topped by tons of complex time signatures and
dynamic tempo shifts. I do find this record very intense and energetic, and while its predecessor
had a somewhat mechanical feel, 'Weightless' is the first AAL album to be recorded as a trio, as
Tosin Abasi is joined by second guitar player Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis. The brain-
melting pace of the trio's playing is just one of the ingredients of this immaculate collection.

'Weightless' is an album that exhibits an impressive rhythmic range and a load of exciting ideas
that are developed beautifully over the course of the usually four-minute-long instrumental
compositions. And while this second album from the band does not offer a radically different sound,
it contemplates a compositional improvement over 'Animals as Leaders', a better production, and is
generally more experimental and eclectic. Highlights include 'Odessa', 'Somnarium', 'Isolated
Incidents', 'Do Not Go Gently' and the title track 'Wightless', but the majority of this record is
quite honestly very impressive and enjoyable, and shall satiate the ones hungry for fast-paced and
technical prog metal.

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature (Psychedelic/Space Rock, 2024)

Fri, 8 May 2026 13:32:30 EST

Review by Alexander6061 — I was completely stunned by this psychodelic rock record, I originally only heard the album because well look
at that awesome cover and name, however I enjoyed the hell outta this album, the heavy prog elements
combined with some great rifts and eerie psychodelic melodies make this album a great unique experience,
the highlight of said eerie melodies being the song "goodnight europe, part II" that also have great vocal work
by Belinda Kordic whose singing imo MAKES the song into my favorote of the album. Other standouts include
song for the unloved who starts as a very simple acoustic guitar melody and great raw vocals and slowly
develops into a heavy percussion and just escalates and escalates to a beautifull instrumental.

Must listen album imo

FRANK ZAPPA Joe's Garage, Acts II and III (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1979)

Fri, 8 May 2026 12:42:05 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — The continuation of the "story" begun with the September 17 release of "Act I." Released by Zappa Records on November 19, 1979. I'm going to be more thorough and attentive with this review than I was for "Act I" due to the higher quality of production value present here: the energy put into the composition and musicianship exhibited on this album are far more deserving of a serious review.

1. "A Token of My Extreme" (5:30) a song whose music, sound, performances, and enjoyability are all superior to anything/everything that was present on its "Act I" predecessor. I'm getting tired of the "Central Scrutinizer." (8.875/10)

2. "Stick It Out" (4:34) using German and poor Weird Al Yankovic near-polka music to make fun of the bane of all teenage boys: the irrepressible and spontaneous penile erection. Shouldn't we be above this? (8.5/10)

3. "Sy Borg" (8:54) another usurpation of the emergingly-popular Reggae medium for the expression of a satire of another emerging element of the commercial entertainment industry (for men): the sex toy. Rather tight musically, this sounds like a rebellion to the sexual revolution that Prince and so many African-American artists were igniting. The synth/electric guitar and electric piano work in the instrumental section are sublime. (17.5/20)

4. "Dong Work for Yuda" (5:03) opening with the Central Scrutinizer's narration displaying Frank's near-uncontrollable the story of John's "sausage that will break heart" is sadly just another potty humor penis song. Nice "Eyes Wide Shut" dinner theater and musique concr]]>�
5. "Keep It Greasey" (8:21) though made of impressive musicianship, the story, subject matter, and implied racial slurs therein are to me just more embarrassing representation of the lows that our species is capable of. I'm especially sad for Ike Willis' obvious parody/imitation of Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone--and this with some of Frank's finest guitar shredding ever! (17.75/20)

6. "Outside Now" (5:49) continuing from "Keep It Greasey" with an introspective/reflective lyric and performance from Ike Willis (as the increasingly despondent guitarist-wannabe Joe and his decent into the confusion and of the Church of Appliantology) we get some of the album's most convincing and emotional music and performances as well as great sound. The feelings conveyed by the music and sound engineering definitely match the feeling of sadness and confusion being conveyed by Joe's lyrics (and Ike's performance). (9.25/10)

7. "He Used to Cut the Grass" (8:35) Joe tries to make meaning of a world in which "music has been made illegal." The "Black Napkins"-like musicscape is fitting of Ike's predicament as is the eccentric guitar solo from Frank in the front half of the song. Vinnie Colaiuta's drums, Patrick O'Hearn's fretless bass, and the dreamy Fender Rhodes chords all contribute to an "underwater" feeling that Frank's work as both guitarist and "Central Scrutinizer" do well to enhance. I feel as if I'm entering Los Angeles in Blade Runner's version of 2019! Wonderful! What an excellent job of transporting the listener to a complete imaginary realm. (18.667/20)

8. "Packard Goose" (11:31) funk bass and xylophone open this with a light up-tempo motif that becomes usurped by layers of rock guitar power chords as Joe and others sing about (lament) the degradation of music being caused by Rock 'n' Roll. The irony of the re-appearance of the bus girl from Act I to share with us the "truth" of the meaning of life is not lost on me--is obviously Frank's ultimate condemnation of all that 20th Century American pop culture is "doing" for the world--for the human race. There ensues thereafter a syncopated motif that Frank goes back to using his heavily-effected electric guitar to express his feelings without the use of words. Nice drumming in this section from Vinnie. The music here is not quite as befitting of the emotional message Frank is purportedly trying to convey. In the ninth minute Joe and the band return with some mixed-messaged music delivered from the "cosmic utensil" (toilet). Too bad. Perhaps this is the ultimately-perfect vehicle for the Doo-Wop music of the 1950s. (17.5/20)

9. "Watermelon in Easter Hay" (9:05) Frank as the Scrutinizer can barely keep his act together as he keeps cracking himself up as he tries to set up the delivery of Joe's "final guitar solo." The music is okay--plods along a little too spaciously, a little too slowly; the guitar solo a little too twangy and reverberated. Things improve at 3:57 when Frank switches to a completely different guitar tone--one that is to become quite iconic in the 1980s as many Metal artists adopt it for their own shredding (think Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, and others). But then at the six-minute mark he chooses to return to the twangy tone of the first solo. Dommage. The underlying musical carpet is quite appropriate as a New Orleans-style funeral processional. (17.75/20)

10. "A Little Green Rosetta" (8:16) the final message from the Central Scrutinizer is as confusing as any of the previous ones though it does convey the idea that he's going to relinquish his narrator duties in lieu of "his normal voice" as he feels he has proved his point that music only causes trouble. Thereafter Frank and a choir of vocalists and partiers sing a little ditty of insanity over a semi-Caribbean-infused motif before Frank takes time out to try to correct the fact that the intention of his story might have left the many cultures in the Third World before turning to humorously single out and (kind of) thank his "good" musicians (Warren, Vinne, Steve, Ed). It's enjoyable--and certainly serves (unwittingly) as ear candy fun with which to end the expedition--but it's not very innovative or complex rock, prog, or jazz-fusion. It's glib and it's entertaining. (17.333/20)

Total Time: 75:36

B/four stars; an oddly wide-spectrummed collection of songs, music, and performances all offered as one of Frank's mirrors to the crazy inconsistencies and hypocrisies of our world.

KING CRIMSON The Power To Believe (Eclectic Prog, 2003)

Fri, 8 May 2026 12:22:14 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — 'The Power to Believe' is undeniably one of the most significant studio releases from King Crimson,
and arguably their best work since 'Discipline'. The band's thirteenth studio album is both a
technically aggressive and disarmingly atmospheric collection that is heavily informed by the
predominant at the time progressive metal and post-industrial sound, as found within the output of
Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and even Ministry. Taking up the dense but fractured compositional nature of
'The ConstruKction of Light', this 2003 release is a more cohesive, driven and experimental-leaning
collection that features several extended ambient sections as well, which have almost always been
present in Crimson's more contemporary music. The use of electronic drums is quite interesting, too,
as we hear an extended emphasis on electronic and industrial sounds all over this album, blending in
swiftly with the angular riffs and occasional dissonance in the guitar work of Fripp and Belew.

In any case, what makes 'The Power to Believe' so special is the (perpetual) reinvention of the
Crimson sound and the overtly futuristic edge within the music. There is hardly anything in common
between this band and the one that had recorded the dream-like psychedelic opuses of the early 70s,
and this is to me absolutely brilliant. As for the album itself, about half of it is instrumental,
which is not uncommon for Crimson. There is an aggressive anxiety that penetrates the utter
complexity of the songs here, presenting a rather visionary approach to songwriting; one that has
certainly inspired the next generations of avant-garde and experimental bands. Stunning tracks like
'Elektrik' and 'Level Five', both of which would become staples of the band's live performances
during that time, counterbalance the strikingly atmospheric and lyrically charged numbers like 'Eyes
Wide Open' and the multi-part suite 'The Power to Believe'. Then the zany and surrealist tracks
'Happy With What You Have to be Happy With' and 'Facts of Life' work as brilliant references to the
band's 90s material, always with that Zappa-esque acuteness.

The entire album is a visionary exercise in composition, technical playing and existential
reflection, representing one of the monumental 21st century releases by King Crimson - a mandatory,
essential listen by all means.

RPWL Tales from Outer Space (Neo-Prog, 2019)

Fri, 8 May 2026 09:51:13 EST

Review by ArturZientalski — RPWL is a decent, average band playing music bordering on rock, classified as a semblance of progressive music. They've
never been good, or at best average ? but not every band can be good :) Usually, bands are average or weak. The art of
musicianship is a very difficult one, and few can master it. In my opinion, this is the band's best studio album, and
moreover, their most progressive and cohesive, while also being good and charming. Here, the band has reached their
creative peak and finally recorded something worthy of attention :) A 4 rating may be overstated, but it's a good album
and deserves appreciation :)

FRANK ZAPPA Sheik Yerbouti (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1979)

Fri, 8 May 2026 09:01:34 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Released on March 3, 1979. It was the first album released on his own Zappa Records label (after leaving Warner
Bros).

1. "I Have Been in You" [Live *] (3:33) styled after 1950s-1960s pop music. (8.75/10)
2. "Flakes" [Live *] (6:41) styled after an older (late 60s) kind of music. I enjoyed the Bob Dylan imitation vocal
performance as well as the "I am a moron ... " passage and the Todd Rundgren-like instrumental finish. (8.75/10)
3. "Broken Hearts Are for Assholes" [Live *] (3:42) sounds so much like Todd Rundgren at his most rowdy-mischevious.
The music concr]]>�4. "I'm So Cute [Live - soundcheck *] (3:09) another parody (Why didn't they get Frank to write for Saturday Night
Live?!) drawing from acts like Little Richard and Meat Loaf. (8.667/10)
5. "Jones Crusher" [Live $] (2:49) a blues rocker that feels to me like anything and everything done by Alvin Lee, The
Tubes, Jimmy Vaughan, Rory Gallagher, or even the Rolling Stones. (8.75/10)
6. "What Ever Happened to All the Fun in the World" (0:33) musique concr]]>��7. "Rat Tomago" [Live %] (5:15) guitar soloing over organ, bass and drums. Sounds like Frank working out something
on his guitar that he'll use for future polished songs. It's just an excerpt from a much longer jam. He's a fine guitarist
but not every solo by even the greatest guitarists are perfect or hair-tingling. (8.75/10)
8. "Wait a Minute" (0:33) Terry and Patrick caught in conversation over music playing in the background.
9. "Bobby Brown Goes Down" [Live *] (2:49) great misogynistic fodder for pimply teenage boys of the privileged
classes. (8.667/10)
10. "Rubber Shirt" (2:45) excerpts of some (probably accidental) Weather Report imitation jam between Patrick and
Terry that clicked for a bit. (4.5/5)
11. "The Sheik Yerbouti Tango" [Live %] (3:56) organ and drums with Frank doing some more explorative soloing over
the top. He's getting ready for the "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar" era of his career--taking advantage of the rising
notoriety and acclaim for his guitar playing skills. (8.667/10)
12. "Baby Snakes" [Live *] (1:50) more weird entertainment for teenage boys. (4.25/5)
13. "Tryin' to Grow a Chin" [Live *] (3:31) a song that sounds like an Alice Bowie (Cheech and Chong) parody of Meat
Loaf's Bat Out of Hell rock opera. (8.6667/10)
14. "City of Tiny Lites" [Live *] (5:32) on this one vocalist Adrian Belew sounds like an over-the-top cross between Todd
Rundgren and Grand Funk's Don Brewer. Then Frank takes over with a solo using a new and awesomely-effected
guitar tone. The background layers of guitars could be him or Adrian or both. A lyric that is lost on me while the music
is among the most interesting (and most developed) on the album. (8.875/10)
15. "Dancin' Fool" [Live *] (3:43) a popular song of Frank's for its satirical light cast upon the Disco social-cultural
phenomenon. Musically, I find this a rather poor song--until the finish. (8.667/10)
16. "Jewish Princess" [Live $] (3:16) another snide social commentary built over some anachronistic music from the
1950s-60s. The xylophone and kazoo are the best parts. (8.667/10)
17. "Wild Love" [Live *] (4:09) a lyrics-based parody of the Hollywood world of Elvis et al. built over some cinematic film
music that is highlighted by Ed Mann's xylophone work and the Latin motifs used during the instrumental sections--
and then it just ends! Weird. (8.75/10)
18. "Yo' Mama" [Live *] (12:36) great opening palette and mood set that is spoiled when Frank and his musique
concr]]>�some aggressive and fairly-typical Zappa guitar soloing to play for nearly eight minutes before returning to the
opening motif for more of Frank's social commentary and "life lessons." The full band doing what it did. If this was an
example of the 1978 Frank Zappa concert experience (juiced up by studio manipulation) then I don't think I missed
very much. (22.25/25)

* Recorded at the Odeon Hammersmith, London , January 1978
$ Recorded at the Palladium, NYC , October 1977
% Recorded Live at the Deutschland Halle, Berlin , February 1978

Total Time 70:22

Apparently this album was mostly created from songs that were recorded in live stage concert performances (one
reviewer goes so far as to title his review as "The complete Zappa studio concert experience!"). It is quite tongue-in-
cheek humorous with many send-ups of older styles and artists. What would this album be without Terry Bozzio and
Patrick O'Hearn? (After the way Frank cut everybody in this band's line-up at the end of their European tour--leaving
several band members stranded on The Continent--perhaps this was meant as a backhanded tribute to the core
members--perhaps it was meant as mean-spirited slap in the face by their former boss.)

A 3.5 to four star musical listening experience that makes me feel that familiar "should have been there" feeling due to
the low impact of the album due to its non-visual, group-energy lack. If you want satirical entertainment or solid
samples of Zappa guitar playing (in the Shut Up and Play Your Guitar vein) this might be your jam. If you seek polish
and earnest decorum you should probably keep looking elsewhere.

QU�SAR Qu�sar (Symphonic Prog, 2023)

Fri, 8 May 2026 08:58:08 EST

Review by XixoTheRock — It's been nearly two years since Quasar's debut (self titled) album, and it still rocks! While the band has not
released a new record, they are still relatively active live and their gigs do not disappoint, they certainly are a set
of very talented musicians and have a great dynamic together.

Their album is an interesting journey, it feels sort of a child between camel and yes, the first track "Ser eterno"
(Eternal being) being an epic length track divided into section, has a frightening resemblance to close to the edge,
which means, very VERY high quality composition, the lyrics and vocals are not all that great but the album is
mainly instrumental, the musicianship is great and so are the compositions, which are white melodic, emotional
and complex, the track "C]]>�create music and rhythm, the album borrows a lot from classic symphonic prog, and it's very synth heavy, with its
best sections being those led by the synthesiser.

It also has small jazz fusion sections.

The production is great, the audio is clear and most instruments (the bass not so much) can be heard and
appreciated, it makes the album even more enjoyable.

Now comes the negative aspect, if the compositions are great, the production is clear and musicianship is strong,
why is this album not a 5/5? It doesn't feel like it has a big identity of its own, it's so similar to other prog bands,
particularly yes, that it can feel comfortable at times, it really doesn't add new ideas and experimentation into the
genre, feeling more like a modern homage to classic prog, the acoustic sections are also quite slow, uninspired
and almost copied from Steve Howe's style, not adding much that hasn't already been done, even the cover art
mimics that of Yes, with the band logo using almost the exact same typography as them, it's not all that special,
and although it will be enjoyed by classic prog fans (I certainly do enjoy it!), it's not a new, revolutionary proposal
to prog, and specially latin american prog, enjoyable album, but with very little identity of its own.

SCOPE Scope I (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1974)

Fri, 8 May 2026 08:16:15 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Existing for a five year period from 1971 to 1976, the Dutch band SCOPE in many ways exemplified the
classic jazz fusion act of the 1970s drawing its influences from the usual energetic styled suspects
including Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever and Passport only blending its all instrumental
improvisational jazz with elements of progressive rock. Formed in Zwolle by keyboardist / flautist
Rick Elings and drummer Henk Zomer who stuck together after playing in their previous jazz rock act
Strange Power, the duo solicited the services of guitarist Rens Nieuwland and bassist Erik Raayman
who together released two rather rare albums in the mid-70s. This debut self-titled release emerged
in 1974 with the sophomore unit simply titled "Scope II" in the following year. A third effort would
eventually compile all the unpublished material in 2010.

This first SCOPE release is the more complex and uncompromising of the two with the second offering
more funk infused fusion while this debut focused more on technical wizardry that found the four
musicians playing tight knit fusion frenzies at quickened tempos laced with dizzying hairpin turns
and energetic soloing performances. One of the guitar driven fusion outfits, SCOPE was all about the
rock aspects as it was about dishing out the serious jazz chops. While the compositional flair was
set to jazz mode, the energetic delivery system was as feisty as the Mahavishnus and the additional
flute sounds added contemporary prog rock and folk flavors. Like many European acts, this side of
the pond had its own distinct vibe with sounds reflecting the developing of bands like Isotope and
Canterbury flavors from the likes of Soft Machine and others.

The album was recorded in Hamburg and in the process latched onto some of neighboring Germany's
hottest fusion acts of the day right at the peak of the jazz fusion frenzy and although to the
uninitiated SCOPE's debut may sound a bit too generic for its own good, the band actually fortified
its sonic wake with distinct virtuosic techniques which offered its own unique synchronicities
tucked away in the rather traditional approach. While the second album featured more funk-infused
compositions, the debut wasn't devoid of such ingredients especially on select tracks such
as"Kayakokolishi" which provided some merciful relief from the incessant technically challenging
high brow fusion-fest moves that the band was more than adept at dishing out. Every musician was a
seasoned performer and like many such bands sounded as if it had existed for years of daily practice
before finally laying down its ideas onto recordings.

It wouldn't be a complete fusion album without some serious saxophone squawking and guest performer
Jochen Petersen stepped in to offer those supplemental sounds. While i wouldn't call SCOPE's debut
the most creative fusion album to emerge from the era as that distinction surely must apply to Frank
Zappa, the Mahavishnus, Return To Forever or the likes of Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis, what SCOPE
did deliver is an addictive aural assault of top level European fusion firing on all pistons.
Stocked with plenty of mood shifts, tempo changes, time signature excess and moments of reflective
contemplation, SCOPE was a master of its trade leaving no room for filler or second rate material.
Rendered obscure throughout the decades simply due to the glut of excellent similarly minded bands
that existed simultaneously, SCOPE certainly deserves all due respect and resurrection from the
bottom of the pile and luckily has found a proper reissue on the Sireena label in 2020 on CD with
bonus tracks. Not a dull moment on this one for fusion fans.

SAGA To Whom It Concerns (Symphonic Prog, 1979)

Fri, 8 May 2026 08:15:57 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — SAGA is a progressive rock from Canada. What? Oops, wrong one. SAGA was a psychedelic prog band from
Sweden in the 70s. Not the one? Try again. SAGA was a progressive rock act from 1970s Portugal?
Still wrong? Geez! Yeah there have been literally dozens of bands with this name throughout the
decades but for some reason an easy go to moniker for prog bands. Well here's yet one more SAGA only
this was came from the Netherlands formed in Amsterdam in 1975 and disbanded in 1983 releasing its
sole album TO WHOM IT CONCERNS in 1979. Apparently oblivious to the more famous Canadian act, this
obscure band was actually very prescient in prognosticating the neo-prog 80s by advancing the
symphonic prog sensibilities of Genesis' early works like "Foxtrot" and "Selling England By The
Pound" a few years before bands like Marillion and IQ even came into existence.

This band featured a bunch of unknown musicians including guitarist Jos Wernars, bassist Ernest
Wernars (apparently brothers), keyboardist Guido Goebertus, drummer Alex Eeken and lead vocalist /
percussionist Paul van Velzen. This rarity appeared on the UAP label and has been pretty much
forgotten at least until the Paisley label finally remastered it on a CD format but even in the
modern prog revival turning of every stone, this SAGA remains relatively off the radar of even
symphonic prog stalwarts looking for the next fix. The wonderful thing is that despite its obvious
Genesis worship, TO WHOM IT CONCERNS is surprisingly a very intricately and beautifully designed
album that may have been a fish out of water in the relatively prog free year of 1979 but as a
revival / retro act SAGA really did its homework by crafting five effective tracks that tracked all
the expected Genesis-isms in a very convincing way and not as clone-like as perhaps Starcastle was
to Yes.

As time has gone by though and intrepid prog sleuths have been sniffing out every possible trace of
influence for modern sounds that have become common place, there's no argument that SAGA served as a
proto-neo prog act that tackled the "Foxtrot" style of the Genesis classic and forged it ahead a few
notches as a veritable fluffer for the likes of Marillion, Twelfth Night, Pallas and the other early
British neo-proggers to take notice of. Of course SAGA was not the only one with Germany's Anyone's
Daughter and the Florida based Babylon also taking the same approach. SAGA was without doubt the
earliest of the neo-groups to emerge in the Netherlands predating the early neo-prog Arkus which
wouldn't release an album until 1981. The music is highly symphonic and complex as one would expect
with lots of acoustic guitar parts and varying motifs that engage in stylistic shifts and
atmospheric cadences that are based in a complex melodic tapestry of contrapuntal effects.

While the first two tracks are on the shorter side of things, the final three tracks all hover
around the 10-minute mark with lush synthesizer layers courtesy of the Hammond A3 organ. Piano, ARP-
Axe and mellotrons. Van Velzen also stands out as a unique vocalist in this style as he sounds
nothing like either Peter Gabriel or the neo-prog vocalists that followed therefore SAGA is a unique
entry in the transition from Genesis inspired symphonic prog to the 80s neo-prog scene. I know it's
sacrilegious to say this but "Nursery Cryme" and "Foxtrot" have never really floated my boat and i
have never really been able to detect exactly why which makes it odd that i actually prefer Genesis
inspired bands like Babylon and this SAGA better than those albums themselves! While many hardcore
Genesis fans will find this too close to the parent tree but quite pleasing for those of us who
aren't so staunchly rigid about such things, i find SAGA's one and only album to be much more
stimulating than Genesis in many ways as SAGA is more daring and experimental and seems to gel in a
way that early Genesis didn't. This one is totally worthy of rediscovery and a beauty of a
transitional album from the 70s to the 80s.

BRAINBOX Brainbox (Proto-Prog, 1969)

Fri, 8 May 2026 08:15:31 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Best known as the launching pad for future Focus members guitarist Jan Akkerman and drummer Pierre
van Der Linden (and perhaps the cool album cover art that really evoked the zeitgeist of the late
60s), the Amsterdam based BRAINBOX was an influential progressive blues rock band that mixed the
blues rock sensibilities of bands like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with folk music and the
psychedelic rock styles that dominated the latter half of the 1960s. Although the band was active
from 1968 to 1972, the only album anybody really remembers is this self-titled debut that appeared
in October 1969 at the dawn of the progressive era and one of the lesser acts that existed when King
Crimson, High Tide and others were ushering in the more adventurous progressive rock era.

Cited as one of those key proto-prog releases, BRAINBOX sounded a bit like The Who with vocalist
Kazmir Lux sounding a bit like Roger Daltry except the band had one foot in the psychedelic 60s and
another slightly in the future world of prog especially with the 17-minute closer "Sea Of Delight" a
sprawling psychedelic jamming session that offered a lot of room for exploration of extended tones,
textures and meandering musical motifs. Another viable comparison might be The Groundhogs with its
blues based approach only with progressive liberties thrown in for good measure. The band was a
foursome with the final member Andr]]>�Netherlands with three singles: "Down Man," "Sea Of Delight" and "Summertime" all cracking the Top
30 on the Dutch charts.

While the band tailored a very distinguished sound and stood out as competent as any other with a
nice array of diverse tracks, the BRAINBOX debut is a bit of a mixed bag though. The album opens
with the strongest track on board, the instantly catchy and powerful "Dark Rose" is one of the only
originals to appear leaving the majority of the album cover versions of songs ranging from Simon &
Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" to the George Gershwin "Summertime" from the opera "Porgy & Bess."
"Dark Rose" gives a glimpse of the future Focus sounds as it includes guest flautist Tom Barlage.
Lesser known cover songs include Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me To Do" and Lowell Fulson's
"Sinner's Player" which emphasize more of a pure blues rock tribute to traditional blues masters.
Reissues have found even more of these blues covers featured as bonus tracks.

Both Akkerman and Van Der Linden left shortly after the release of this album and launched Focus
which would become one of the top Dutch progressive acts of the era. Despite their departure
BRAINBOX remained popular in the Netherlands despite a series of musicians coming and going. As for
this release it's not as bad as some reviews would leave you to believe. It's a solid release of
above average blues rock with early prog touches. Even the sprawling jam session of "Sea Of Delight"
is pretty good despite the ill-fated drum solo that could've been edited out. While BRAINBOX showed
few signs of giving birth to Focus on this debut release, it stands as a competent slice of blues
rock in its own right and like Vanilla Fudge did a rather remarkable job in owning the cover songs
presented. The weakest aspects for my ears are the more faithful blues covers as i would have loved
to hear a whole album similar to the opener "Dark Rose" which reminds me of what the band Faces with
Rod Stewart would sound like. As it is, it's a strong enough album if not the best the era had to
offer.

3.5 rounded down

FRANK ZAPPA Sleep Dirt (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1979)

Fri, 8 May 2026 07:45:38 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — The end of Frank's association with Warner Bros. Records, this was officially released on January 19, 1979, by the
Warner subsidiary, DiscReet Records.

1. "Filthy Habits" (7:33) opening with a very interesting sound palette: one instrument that sounds like a Middle
Eastern nose flute (probably one of Frank's new effects finds for his guitar), it retains the slight Arabian flavor even
when the palette congeals behind Frank's lead guitar with bass, Terry Bozzio's drums and some unmistakeable
keyboard sounds that are mysteriously uncredited. A very cool, almost Crimsonian, though it reminds me more of the
Chicago-based Zeuhl band GA'AN with the addition of an adventurous guitarist playing over the top. I have to admit:
not being much of a fan of Frank Zappa music I was not expecting such a cool song! Maybe what the others have been
saying: that he got better more serious, more focused on his guitar playing, as his career progressed, is true!
(14.25/15)

2. "Flambay" (4:54) George Duke's barrel hall-styled piano opens this one before Patrick O'Hearn's double bass, Ruth
Underwood's Gallic xylophone, and Chester Thompson's lounge-style Jazz drumming fill the sonosphere with a
bombastic music that feels as if it would/could have accompanied the public screening of a German silent movie back
in the 1920s. It seems so serious that it must be meant to be taken as over-the-top tongue-in-cheek fun. (9.125/10)

3. "Spider of Destiny" (2:33) using the same line-up and instruments as the previous song, this is another theme, style,
and palette from an era gone by: this one kind of in the vein of a soundtrack piece for a Sergio Leone film. It starts out
quite formal and processional with lots of stops and gos before Frank's fuzz guitar takes over the leadership role. But,
in the end, it's just an ]]>�
4. "Regyptian Strut" (4:13) more excessive bombast that was probably inspired by an iconic older film like The Ten
Commandments where Yule Brynner plays the Egyptian Pharoah. It's good but, again, feels so over-the-top "formal"
that it must be meant as a tongue-in-cheek slap back to Warner Bros. (8.875/10)

5. "Time Is Money" (2:48) lesson learned. A song that sounds very German, very authoritarian--and very concise.
(Another ]]>�
6. "Sleep Dirt" (3:21) a bluesy acoustic guitar duet between Frank and James "Bird Legs" Youman. De rigueur for the
times (but totally unncecessary). (8.75/10)

7. "The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution" (13:18) a Jazz-Rock jam between Frank's guitars (effected acoustic for the first
half and electric), Terry Bozzio's drums, and Patrick O'Hearn's electric bass. It's a little scattered, often feeling
directionless (or, in actual fact, pointless). The highway-speed section launching at 5:20 has obviously been edited in as
we suddenly find Patrick playing a double bass with quite a little aggression as Terry tries to keep up and Frank fades
into support and background with his acoustic guitar. In the eighth minute Frank pops up with an electric guitar whose
tone sounds quite a bit like Robert Fripp's at this time. Terry's drums are little flat and rudimentary for the seventh
and eighth minutes but come to life a bit after that as Frank and Patrick continue to fly around the necks of their
respective axes. It's by no means my favorite Frank Zappa song but it is interesting to hear Frank give himself to such a
free-form improvisation-laden jam. If you had to twist my arm for an opinion, I'd say that Patrick O'Hearn's
performance here (on both acoustic and electric basses) is the most impressive of the three as neither Frank or Terry
feel particularly inspired or connected: more rote and mechanical. (26.5/30)

Total Time: 38:39

A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of contract-completing musical farce and free-form jamming; it was probably
performed, recorded, mastered, and mixed all in one day.

ARGOS Doctor Wilde's Twilight Adventure (Neo-Prog, 2026)

Fri, 8 May 2026 07:32:53 EST

Review by Rysiek P. — This album is like a theatrical tale of science, fantasy, and a certain enigmatic figure. Each track is a chapter
telling a story, one based on the life of that figure, and one that reaches beyond the facts, beyond the real and the
"mundane," toward a fantastical vision steeped in the history of ancient Ireland with its folklore, fairy tales, and the
uncanny. It tells the story of a man who is, on the one hand, excessively rational, yet believes that the legends and
myths of Ireland are not entirely fairy tales.
But first, let's introduce the "heroes" of this theatrical production. Here is the protagonist ? the archetype for
the stories sung on this album - Dr. William Wilde, MD (incidentally, father of Oscar Wilde). He was a real person. An
Irish otolaryngologist and author of significant works in medicine, archaeology, and folklore, particularly concerning
his native Ireland. As a physician, he ran his own hospital, St. Mark's Eye and Ear Hospital, in Dublin, and was
appointed Chief Ophthalmologist to Queen Victoria. At the height of his fame, he was accused of raping one of his
patients. After losing the case, he withdrew from public and professional life and moved to the west of Ireland, to
County Galway, where he built a house, Moytura, overlooking Lough Corrib in Connemara. In addition to his
scholarship, Wilde was one of the greatest scholars of Irish folklore, and his life (full of paradoxes) led him to
advocate evidence-based medicine. On the other hand, in his works on mythology, he advocated folk methods. He
was torn between common sense and empirically proven hospital practices and his belief in mythological events,
such as the Battle of Moytura in 3303 BCE. It was this split between the two sides of his personality that became the
starting point for the creation of Argos' latest album, "Doctor Wilde's Twilight Adventure." This split between what is
real, tangible, and what is romantic, Celtic mythological - what we would probably today call a hobby that goes
beyond mere interest and enthusiasm, entering the realm of faith in what the hobby reveals. Moreover, the new
album is also a story about Wilde's complicated fate: work, accusation of rape against a patient, withdrawal from
(whatever one may call) a rather riotous life.
Time for hero number two. This is the legendary Northern Irish prog-rock band FRUUPP, which existed from
1971 to 1976 and released four studio albums and two live albums. The band's musical style is described as follows:
"(...) FRUUPP demonstrates great compositional maturity, fusing diverse styles and presenting a wealth of
instruments and a shifting atmosphere: classical with oboe, folk with acoustic guitars, and symphonic with the
driving interplay of electric guitar and organ." It was this band and its unrealized 1976 plan to create an album
about Dr. Wilde that became the impetus for the Argos album. It should be noted here that the title of this
announced FRUUP album was exactly the same as the title of an Argos album. Furthermore, this continuation and
the use of the same title were fully supported by the surviving members of FRUUPP - Vincent McCusker, Stephen
Houston, and Martin Foye. The entire album was dedicated to Peter Farrelly and John Mason - deceased members
of the band.
Now for hero number three. Robert Cochrane, born Roy Bowers, is an English occultist and founder of the
Wiccan witchcraft tradition known as the Clan of Tubal Cain. He is also the author of poems about Dr. William Wilde.
His work served as the basis for the Argos' lyrics.
Time for music...? Absolutely, because this time we've got an incredibly refined album, meticulously prepared,
arranged, and recorded. We've got an album that doesn't tempt, doesn't evoke any special musical mix. We've got
eight incredibly sublime tracks that should delight with their rich instrumentation, the perfect blend of vocal lines
and melodies, and captivate those seeking a wildly intelligently crafted album straddling progressive rock, art rock,
and something I'd dare call theatrical-atmospheric rock. I'll add a touch of delicate jazz-rock to these descriptions.
We've got another album that could easily become one of the most important albums of 2026.
Argos is no newcomer to the crossover progressive rock scene. They have released seven full-length albums,
the first of which ("Argos") was released in 2009, and the last ("Halfway Between Heaven And Mirth") in 2024. The
shortest description of the band's music is: "(...) Argos explores a musical landscape heavily influenced by vintage
symphonic progressive rock; with leanings towards folk, jazz, and pop ? with contemporary musical details as the
last but vital ingredient." And on their latest album, all of this and more can be heard intensified.
Story No. 1 - " Here's a man in the prime of life / Seeking progress in so many ways / A doctor, starngely
starnge / His fortune's soon to change"
The first track, "A Doctor Strangely Strange," begins with such an unusual, rock-like quality. It's full of
interwoven guitar chords, which, along with unconventional instruments like violin, create an unfolding carpet of
sounds bordering on light jazz improvisation. There's a chorus that would be a credit to an indie-rock band. And an
incredible-sounding jazz improvisation, which, combined with the "Talking Head" vocals, gives the track a multi-
dimensional, interspersed style.
Story No. 2 - " The stars are ghosts, the moon a lie / And still the weaves continue by / In tides of grief, I
disappear / A silent drift through endless years"
A bare piano and voice evade each other in a story about the other side of dreams. About a world beyond,
about sailing beyond the boundaries of reality and the surrounding world. "Sea's Lament" is a magnificent ballad
with percussion reminiscent of pounding footsteps into the unknown and the soft sounds of a violin.
Story No. 3 - "Behold the man, now fallen down / A father to a son / Whose grand descent did echo his / As
if his race was run"
Beneath its lightness, "Under the Influence" conceals a story about a "fall" resulting from a rape accusation.
Musically, it's a delightful, light, almost pop-inflected track with a distinctive guitar solo in the second minute.
However, it doesn't lack the elements that make this album so surprising. The arrangement's flirtations with jazz,
pop, and rock make this track, and the entire album, an incredibly intelligent release that demands attention.
Martin Foye of the band Fruupp appears on percussion.
Story No. 4 - "The purpose of closure / of samll dry tympanic / membrane perforations / is to restore the
continuity / of the tympanic membrane / in order to improve hearing / and decrease the incidence / of middle ear
infections".
The above is an excerpt from a recitation that appears at the beginning of the album's most incredible
instrumental track ? "Aural Surgery." A musical tale of a surgical procedure, filled with numerous inserts from both
jazz and improvisational music. It's also a four-minute test of our imaginative abilities? could we describe a surgical
procedure this way? is this what a procedure from gritty, everyday life "sounds like?"
Story No. 5 - " A theft in silence, born of greed / By hunger so inspired / What will not yield, the ether bends /
To match the souls's desire".
The musical aspect of this story seems at odds with the narrative. It's a story of rape using ether. It's a
story of the collapse of professionalism in the face of desire, a story of lost trust in the doctor-patient relationship.
Musically, it's a piano miniature with an almost melodic vocal. Additional solo threads make the stiff piano narrative
even more eerie. And the violin section at the end sounds like a mournful hymn.
Story No. 6 - "From one lone letter came the law / Then laughter, chasing tears / Absurdity soon followed
close / Her face a mask of fears".
"Speranza" is both the title of the song and the name of the protagonist who accuses Dr. Wilde of rape.
Historically, it's unclear whether this was heroism in exposing evil or a false accusation. Musically, it's the most
unsettling composition on this album. It's unsettling with familiar sounds from previous tracks, blended with
stronger synthesizer passages and jazz-rock arrangements, with incredible guitar work around the four-minute
mark. It's also the longest and most expansive track on this release, revealing the band's compositional mastery. I
particularly recommend the saxophone solo performed by Mark Arnold.
Story No. 7 -" A farthing for your pain, dear girl / A farthing for your pain / Your suffering, hushed to silence
all / Your shame, their small refrain".
We don't know how Speranza's story ended. The musical description in "A Farthing As Reward," still calm,
slightly saddened at the beginning, reveals its sympathetic arrangement, expressed through stronger
orchestrations hidden behind the synthesizers. This composition is also the most progressive track on the album,
blending a somewhat mournful string section with extraordinary guitar solos. For almost eight minutes, we
encounter intertwining styles that separate the musicians' solo performances. Arrangement perfection.
Story No. 8 - " When memories arise / Drawn from another life / Just like the paint, scatterred wide / The
gate is now cvlosed / Doors slammed in the brightest sun / Passions died, does the mood reside".
After Speranza's accusations, Dr. Wilde withdrew from life and settled in a house at the "edge of the world." Or
has he immersed himself in the world of beloved myths and legends? The final track from Argos's incredible album,
"Moytura House," is the perfect culmination of a story about the fate of a realist and a dreamer, a doctor and a
criminal. A multitude of melodies, a multiplicity of styles, and a wide range of musical threads lead this nine-minute
composition along truly diverse musical narrative paths. The whole is accompanied by extraordinary vocal calm and
complete control over the refined instrumental parts.
I haven't yet mentioned the art rock, theatrical approach to the presented stories and the corresponding music.
The words, lyrics, and music work together to create a truly extraordinary performance of words and music. The
performance is perfect in its arrangement, intelligent in its instrumental performance, and captivating from the very
first note. This is not only a perfect story about Dr. Wilde's fate, but also an extraordinary, almost perfect album
that sounds perfect, intelligent, and captivating. You just have to try it to find out. This album ranks very high on my
shelf.
The band consists of: Thomas Klarmann (bass, keyboards, vocals, guitars, flute), Robert Gozon (vocals,
keyboards), Bog]]>��recordings: Martin Foye (FRUUPP) (drums), Alexei Tolpygo (violin), Marek Arnold (Seven Steps To The Green Door,
Cyril, Toxic Smile, Damanek, U.P.F.) (saxophone).

CARAVAN Waterloo Lily (Canterbury Scene, 1972)

Fri, 8 May 2026 04:19:34 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — With a few changes to the lineup, like pieces on a chessboard whose placement is crucial to the game's outcome,
Caravan brought in Steve Miller on keyboards and organ, his brother Phil Miller on guitar, and Lol Coxhill on
saxophone, formerly of Kevin Ayers and the Whole World Band. The result was a distinct album, a departure from
their previous work, more jazzy and funky, more rock-oriented, and freer within the framework of a band that had
always been inherently free-spirited.

Already in "Waterloo Lily," the strong personality of this album is evident, rising on its own merits with those
improvisations on the Wurlitzer electric piano, as well as the bass and Richard Sinclair's vocals, prominent in this
opening movement.
There's a certain excess in "Waterloo Lily," a kind of excessive nobility, of lavish privileges. "Nothing at All / It's
Coming Soon / Nothing at All" plays in a funky, jazzy jam session with piano, then bass and saxophone. The sense of
jazz improvisation, of playing live in the recording studio, is balanced on the album with that great sense of song
harmony in its purest form that the band has always possessed and maintains here as well.

Songs that play between bossa nova and English pop like Songs and Signs, or Aristocracy under this new format of
a funk rhythmic base with a very marked bass and electric harpsichord. They prepare the ground for more
ambitious works such as The Love in Your Eye / To Catch Me a Brother / Subsultus / Debouchement / Tilbury Kecks,
with string arrangements, something they would later experiment with on an entire album; more subtle
arrangements are noticeable, as well as the intrusions of the oboe, and Jimmy Hastings on flute, and at times it
gives the impression of being one of those great Brazilian orchestras where Hermeto Pascoal played improvising.

There are parts very much in the Canterbury tradition, mysterious, keyboard-driven...sinuous, and making us go
through dark and narrow corners...where the band sounds tight and dangerous like King Crimson...then an oriental
riddle like Gong, suspended in the air, until Steve Miller plays the electric harpsichord and plays it until he builds his
own caravan to space, which led him like those black holes that make you travel in time to the France of Versailles.
Caravan has never sounded so funky; it almost sounds like Santana, except for tracks like "The World Is Yours,"
which remind us of that folky and intimate side they also possess, and which balances that world that is so much a
part of Caravan. This is further enhanced when listening to the bonus tracks, "Pye's June Thing," "Ferdinand," and to
close, the best of a psychedelic jazz-rock jam session sung in "Looking Left, Looking Right / Pye's Loop."

Neither before nor after would their music be the same in the band's discography, with Waterloo Lily remaining as
its own French revolution...which would erase everything in its path...but yes, with elegance and style.

GRUPPO D'ALTERNATIVA Ipotesi (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1972)

Thu, 7 May 2026 21:27:05 EST

Review by The Progolyte — Out of all the Italian albums I'm reviewing, Gruppo D'Alternativa and their sole record, Ipotesi, were one of
the most experimental works in the scene. Sure, it may not be at the level of some of the other bands in
the genre they're performing (Henry Cow, Art Zoyd, and Present, just to name a few of the RIO/Avant-Prog
bands), but in terms of their country, they are definitely quite out there. The music is dominated by
intricate keyboard arrangements backed by actual rock instruments, with a very uncanny and at some
points even a scary sound. Overall, I really liked the classic edge of this album, but I didn't like that most of
the songs were based around vocals, and while I think the singer is good (he's very similar to Blocco
Mentale's singer, who has what is easily one of my favorite voices in the Rock Progressivo Italiano scene),
sometimes it doesn't match the more far-reaching sound of the band. Speaking of the vocals, their singer is
Tino Guasconi, and the other players include Gianfranco Fumagalli on flute, Leonardo Dosso on bassoon
and acoustic guitar, Rodolfo Pace on other guitars, Roberto Romano on keyboards, Paolo Rizzi on bass, and
Nino Flenda on drums.

Most of the songs are quite short, and while they are still long enough to have a good impact on me, I
would've liked it more if the songs had lengthy sections that allowed the band to exercise their creative
ability and showcase their talent. And while I still liked how the songs were complex, it felt like they lacked
energy and sometimes felt a little soulless. The music here is still quite good and has its high points for
every rough patch, and you can still find tons of interesting details and sections sprinkled into the whole
record. My favorite composition on the album was La Tua Lotta, which is the longest number on the album
at eight minutes. It has the most technical arrangements and has the peak of power all focused on this one.
Before I reach the end of my review, I want to quickly note that I really liked the album cover, and its
mysterious and unconventional look perfectly fits this album. Moving on, all of the songs have their own
really good qualities. Whether that be influences from jazz rock, Canterbury scene, or folk prog, they each
have their own very unique and distinctive qualities that set them each apart from the other songs and
keep things fresh all the way through, while still retaining the band's own sound present for all the
numbers.

In conclusion, this was a fun piece to explore. I had an intriguing sound that very few other artists had, and
it was overall a great record that had tons of great ideas. This one would probably be a strong 3.75/5 for
me.

LARRY CORYELL Difference (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1978)

Thu, 7 May 2026 17:27:23 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Six Larry Coryell originals and one cover of a Herbie Mann song ("Memphis Underground") were recorded and edited
in New York City between Electric Lady Studios and Sound Ideas Studios and the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival then
released by the French label Egg sometime in 1978.

1. "Octaves" (3:49) Larry, Oregon's Glen Moore, and "the forgotten virtuoso" Arthur Rhames (who died at tragically at
age 32 in 1989 as result of the first wave of the AIDS epidemic) on guitars at the same time while Will Lee and Tony
Williams man the rhythm section. Saxophonist Michael Brecker commands the foreground when he enters, except
when the lead electric guitar is playing, then that person (probably Larry) is stepping on everyone's toes. But it works!
Even when all three guitarists are flying around their fretboards it still somehow works. Even as they slow down in the
fourth minute, it still works! Interesting. And cool! (9.25/10)

2. "Acoustic Solo" (5:35) Yes, Larry is in love with his acoustic guitars--his new Ovations, no doubt. There are some
excellent nods here to Bill Evans and John McLaughlin (intentional?) as well as many other great contemporary
guitarists. As a whole this isn't anything so very exceptional, but as a conglomeration of many styles, riffs and themes
it is a very fun listen. (9/10)

3. "Memphis Underground" (3:38) I know Herbie Mann's version of this song and the opening of this version is actually
something quite refreshing: truly an interpretation not a note-for-note rendering. I barely notice the presence of David
Sanborn's sax or Don Grolnick's keys! (9.125/10)

4. "Improvisation" (2:32) all solo acoustic guitar that would make Al Di Meola fans sit up and drop their jaw. (4.625/5)

5. "Picean Moon" (5:58) a repeat of the line-up for the album's first song, "Octaves" delivers more lushly-guitar-
estrated music with gentle sax woven into the fabric as Tony Williams' (distant) cymbal play seems to enhance and
enrich the weave of the three guitarists but I feel somewhat cheated by having to strain so hard in order to hear
Tony's drums. Overall, this song feels and sounds as much like an OREGON or CoDoNa song as anything by (9.125/10)

6. "Serabond" (4:45) a recording of a live acoustic guitar performance (probably captured at the 1975 Montreux Jazz
Festival) which seems to express various interpretations of Rodrigo's Adagio melodies in his "Concierto de Aranjuez."
(9/10)

7. "Aquarian Mode" (5:07) I can almost hear Tony's drums and Will Lee's bass as Michael Brecker's sax and Arthur
Rhames and Larry's guitars seem to dominate the foreground of the sonic field. I wish the mix were better--I find it
hard to believe that it couldn't have been--despite the fine performances by the lead instruments. Larry and "the
scariest musician of all-time" (sax, piano, and guitar master Arthur Rhames) burn it up. (8.75/10)

Total Time 31:24

It's hard to believe how far into the background Tony Williams' drums are mixed in each and every one of these songs.

A-/4.5 stars; an album of exciting and different Jazz-Rock Fusion songs that are marred (and demerited) by poor sound
mixing and the album's overall brevity.

LARRY CORYELL Larry Coryell and Alphonse Mouzon: Back Together Again (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1977)

Thu, 7 May 2026 16:41:28 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — And John Lee and Philip Catherine as well! The result is some of Larry's finest "classic rock" feeling compositions and
performances of his career. The album was released by Atlantic Records in June of 1977.

1. "Beneath the Earth" (3:03) excellent Power Fusion from Alphonse straight out of the blocks! What an opening! And
then John Lee and Philip Catherine's acoustic guitar support: Awesome! I can't remember hearing this Rock 'n' Roll
electric guitar tone used by Larry before. (9.375/10)

2. "The Phonse" (3:48) Southern-fried funk of the highest order! And, surprise, surprise! It's a John Lee composition!
Larry just cooks it--on multiple tracks, I believe. (9.25/10)

3. "Transvested Express" (3:51) this very complicated Philip Catherine composition sounds as if Al Di Meola were
playing (and composing) with The Dixie Dregs. (Thank you, Mr. Catherine!) It's very sophisticated and unpredictable
Power Fusion with an acoustic orientation; this song cooks and impresses with every turn--and not just the two
guitarists but John and Alphonse as well! Probably my favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)

4. "Crystallization" (3:19) a kind of Steely-Dan-ed two-chord vamp over/within which Larry burns it up using multiple
tracks as if he was with Jan Akkerman in a Thin Lizzy world. (9.125/10)

5. "Rock 'n' Roll Lovers" (4:04) another two-chord blues-rock construct (for the verses) over which Larry just cooks and
delivers on all counts. Al, too! Rockers will absolutely love this song (as promised by the title). It could use a little more
variety and/or development. (8.875/10)

6. "Get On Up (We're Gonna Boogie)" (2:50) Did I mention Thin Lizzy? Surprise! Maybe it's the JB's! One of Al's songs
that inspires Larry to soar. (8.875/10)

7. "Reconciliation" (2:34) one of Larry's songs on which we get to hear John Lee trying out his slap bass techniques
while Al screams out the song title from the background while Larry and Philip duke it out with their rock guitars.
Another song that would have benefitted from a little more development. (8.875/10)

8. "Back Together Again" (3:05) An Alphonse song with singing of the title throughout while John's deep funky bass
reverberates at the bottom and Larry near-constantly flies around on his rock-effected guitar over the top. The sound,
styles, and constructs are sounding too much the same, not varied enough as they were with the opening few tracks.
(8.75/10)

9. "Mr. C" (3:28) A Coryell composition that actually shows some of the sophistication and complexity of the album's
opening songs. Though Philip Catherine is only listed as the rhythm guitarist for this one, it's hard to believe that all of
the layers of lead legatos and ostinati woven together are just Larry (but entirely possible). The team is dialed in! (9/10)

10. "High Love" (5:51) acoustic guitars rule on this one though John and Al are playing as usual (though, a little
mechanically despite the numerous tempo and thematic shifts occurring throughout the song). The first soloist is
Philip and, once again, he proves why he should be included in the conversation of the "greats." So smooth! But then
Larry takes his turn and simply blows me away (and Phillip out of the water). Then Al gets his solo time in the fourth
and fifth minutes--wowing us with subtleties and speed more than power or syncopation. BUT, it's really the two
guitarists who steal the show. (9.125/10)

Total Time 35:53

What we have here is a collection of short but impactful rock tunes that often bridge styles and genres but always
inspiring Larry to very high levels of energy and displays of amazing skill on an instrument that we don't get to hear
him let loose on very often: the Rock 'n' Roll electric guitar. Though John Lee and Alphonse Mouzon represent
themselves very well, they do not feel quite as free or inspired as Larry and Philip (especially Larry). Knowing as I do
what a rough period this was for Larry, I am very pleased and proud of his ability to focus and hone it in for the
recording sessions that led to this album.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of virtuosic guitar playing--electric and acoustic--over some truly powerful Rock-
infused Jazz-Rock Fusion. If you like to impressed by guitar skills, I highly recommend you give this album a listen. An
over-looked gem!

LARRY CORYELL Larry Coryell, John Scofield and Joe Beck: Tributaries (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1979)

Thu, 7 May 2026 15:23:45 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — Though "The Guitar Trio" was made famous with the lineup that included Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia and John
McLaughlin, Larry was actually in the Trio's original touring lineup. Obviously, Larry was really into the trio format.
Though Larry had been doing guitar duet performances, songs, and albums for years (with the likes of John
McLaughlin, Ren]]>�has been attributed to British promoter Barry Marshall. It began in 1979 with Larry serving among the Trio's first
membership (as evidenced by his appearance in the YouTube video footage from 1979 of Larry performing on stage
with John and Paco in their rendition of The Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Meeting of Spirits") but he was soon asked to
leave (and famously replaced by Di Meola) due to issues with his (at the time) severe drug addiction getting in the way
with both his night-to-night skill level during performances as well as his reliability to the tour's schedule.

With Tributaries we get a look at Larry's more personal, more Americana expression of the Trio format with friends
John Scofield and Joe Beck. The music here is actually quite sublime--especially for those of us who like a little less fire
and a little more beauty and emotion in their guitar music--like fans of artists like AMERICA, ANTHONY PHILLIPS, JOHN
PRINE, LEO KOTTKE, BERT JANSCH and JOHN RENBOURNE, PHILL KEAGGY, JOHN FAHEY, and, of course, DJANGO
REINHARDT.

Recommended--especially for guitar lovers.

SPIRIT The Complete Potatoland (Proto-Prog, 2019)

Thu, 7 May 2026 11:41:54 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — A concept album revolving around a tuber couldn't possibly have any other fate than to be buried for years... and so
it happened. The Adventures of Kaptain Kopter & Commander Cassidy in Potato Land was originally recorded by
Randy California and Ed Cassidy during Spirit's hiatus in 1972 and 1973, but when it was about to be released in
1973, Epic Records cancelled it. A version with re-recordings and overdubs was finally released in 1981, but it
definitely didn't do justice to the original, because the themes left out add another layer to the overall work, nor did
another version in 2006.

To begin with, the recording style is strange; the vocals are in the background, and it's a psychedelic space rock,
with folk passages reminiscent of the Byrds. When they got more acid-tinged, they reminded me of what the
Flaming Lips would do years later on some of their albums. 1984 doesn't resemble Bowie's version...interrupted
constantly by dialogues that advance the story...and somehow it works for me. There's something postmodern
about it...as if we were witnessing it from behind frosted glass...not seeing the true essence of things, but rather
what we imagine to be real.

From classic blues we move to a more cosmic one in Turn To The Right with reminiscences of the Doors, it is a link
between Feedback from 1972 and Spirit of '76, it is a more group effort but with this edition blended in the style of
Frank Zappa, which while it contributes to the conceptual story, it does not contribute to the follow-through of the
music. The acoustic version of "Nature's Way" is a highlight, as is the fast-paced, Who-esque "Salvation: Matter Of
Time Suite," which was previously unreleased.
It's with "Oil Slick-Million Years: Suite" that another surprise awaits us, a sound that is very modern and chaotic,
more akin to the psychedelia of the 90s than that of the 60s or 70s.

With "It's Time Now" the original work closes, and Randy somehow pulls a rabbit out of a hat to find feeling and
confirm that something different could be done on a parallel path to the band Spirit, despite continuing under that
name. Fifty percent was guaranteed with him and Ed Cassidy on drums and percussion.

The 1981 version features horns, backing vocals, and at times even a touch of disco and funk, as heard in
"Potatoland Theme." It also includes some very accomplished, almost electronic tracks like "Potatoland Prelude"
and jazzy numbers like "Donut House." In short, it's a nearly completely different album. The bonus tracks add a lot,
such as "Salvation" and a totally different, much rockier version of "We've Got A Lot To Learn."

The live recording from KPFK FM Radio in Los Angeles on September 13, 1972, is pure Randy Hendrixian, a style he
inherited from his time playing with Hendrix. While the sound quality isn't perfect, it doesn't detract from the
enjoyment and the ability to piece together the puzzle of that period. The same applies to the September 6 show
and the demos and studio recordings, among which are several gems that, once unburdened by the passage of
time, shine with justifiable brilliance.

SUFJAN STEVENS Enjoy Your Rabbit (Crossover Prog, 2001)

Thu, 7 May 2026 10:43:24 EST

Review by kenethlevine — Based on the Chinese zodiac with a few liberties taken, including in the lagomorphic vein per the title, "Enjoy Your
Rabbit" is about as far from SUFJAN STEVENS' debut "A Sun Came" as any second album in history, thereby skirting
the sophomore jinx narrative. By this stage he is still relatively unknown anyway, and still charting his own course
seemingly independent of even an internal compass, which is what makes him so fascinating from day 1. Here is a
glitch project, which is a genre that began in the mid 1990s and would probably remain unknown to me were it not
for Sufjan. It appears to simulate the random mutations in the world of viruses caused by errors in their own
apparatuses, only in electronic form. With HIV for instance, that was critical to know since these
glitches resulted in resistance to medications over time. That's where the parallel breaks down for me, well, apart
from any sense of musicality as I have come to appreciate it, so my first question is, why?

Each track of this essentially all instrumental project is supposed to somehow convey the spirit animal for which it
is named in musical (?) form but I only hear snippets, like the kookiness of "Monkey", albeit one of the most bleepy
and blurpy numbers here, and the movements of "Snake", but, while images appear in my pre-verbal musical
mind, they are rarely of anything as concrete as a critter. As the album proceeds, it luckily folds more conventional
electronica and mesmerizing keys into its glitch, no doubt due to an error of some kind, and the best examples of
these are "Rat", which spends most of its relatively short life in a form of postural hypotension that reminds me of
a less playful TALISMA, a contemporaneous group from Montreal; "Ox", with its krautrock pretensions; "Rooster",
which I guess sort of struts and croons; the more maximalist "Dragon"; and the sloppily lovable "Dog". In the best
sequences I am reminded of some of EVELYN GLENNIE's marvelous percussion work, but it could barely aspire to
be as inspired.

The title cut has a brief riff with a TULL-ish vibe but is otherwise nothing but hammering and drilling. I can only
think of the saber toothed rabbit which probably hasn't been part of any zodiac for millions of years, or the
dreaded wererabbit. Best avoided. And so for the finale we get to the point of the whole exercise, "Year of Our
Lord". Chinese zodiac be damned. I'd wager that the cycle is apt to repeat much more often under this paradigm.
Regardless, it's a float without the soda.

So the question after 2 vastly opposing releases is, which way do we go next? I'm hoping this is just a glitch in his
discography but, to be clear, it's decent for what it is, but it's not the way I'd serve hossenfeffer

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

Thu, 7 May 2026 10:41:15 EST

Review by Tobias_Review — After a 6 year gap between the last full album, Plini has given us a new experience. This album expands on Plini's
sound to the point where I wouldn't even class this as Jazz rock/fusion anymore (as listed here on progarchives).
This album sounds a lot more like Jakub Zytecki's music (who is also featured on this album) and has a heavier tone
than the previous releases; it is more along the lines of prog metal.

I believe this to be a step in the right direction as there is a lot more creativity here and experimental songs
compared to the previous albums. From the perspective of a Jazz Fusion enthusiast, this album does fail to deliver
quality soloing and instrumental interplay. However that is not what this album sets out to do. It manages to tell a
darker story which we have not seen before from Plini.

The guitar playing is great as expected from a top class guitarist like Plini. The drumming is the same as on previous
records, managing to add energy when needed but also being great in quieter and ambient sections. The bass is
great for the mix although never has any particular standout moments or interesting sections which is slightly
disappointing, although that is just the state of metal music in 2026.

Standout tracks for me include: An Unnameable Desire, Ciel, Verspertine and After Everything.

I recommend this album to those who enjoy Prog Metal and Math Rock. If you want a purely Jazz Fusion or Prog
Rock experience then this album may not be for you.

Rating: 3.5/5

BONFIRE Bonfire Goes Bananas (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1975)

Thu, 7 May 2026 10:14:24 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — One of the rather unsung Dutch prog groups that existed for a short time was the jazz fusion band
BONFIRE which emerged from the southern city of Bergen op Zoom and only stuck around from 1974 to
the following year but managed to release a single and a complete album in its short-lived history.
The band featured four amazingly adept musicians who sounded as if they had been playing together
for years rather than gathering for this one-off and calling it a day. Notable for their high energy
instrumental jazz-infused rock with a constant shifting from rambunctious energetic rock to slower
emotive almost proto-neo-prog sounding pastoral moments, the band has been compared to fellow
countrymen Finch for the razor sharp guitar work as well as Focus for its highly complex comparisons
that were as much progressive rock as it was jazz fusion.

The band's only album BONFIRE GOES BANANAS arrived when the prog scene was starting to cool off but
many acts were still forming and releasing albums especially in the field of jazz fusion as the
psychedelic haze of the 60s was starting to sober up and more complex musical styles filled the gap
before the new wave and punk takeover a few years down the road. The band featured the amazing
drummer Cees Meerman, the highly talented bassist Kees den Hoed, Eug]]>�guitar and flute and Frank Witte who doubled on keyboards and vibes but also found some flute
playing as well. The original album featured six wild tracks with the highlight finishing it all off
with the near 19-minute multi-segmented "The Sage Of The Running Nose" giving a clue to some of the
Canterbury influences in addition to the Finch and Focus-isms. There are also small whiffs of
Supersister to be heard as well.

What BONFIRE delivers on its sole release it's extraordinary and comparable to the bigwigs of the
day such as The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever's later releases or even Billy Cobham's
energetic solo offerings. The band excelled on all fronts with incessant tempo and mood changes that
created startling shifts without warning all delivered with highly complex musical motifs raging on
with high energy stampedes yet without losing any of the emotive expressionism. The album ticks off
all the progressive rock trademarks as well as the world of jazz fusion. Perhaps an early version of
what now is deemed brutal prog, BONFIRE was a master of bowling your senses over with frenetic
fusion-laced over the top technicality and then without notice delivering a soft tender passage of
highly melodic magic with a never-ending reference book to all kinds of varying rhythmic shifts and
crazy angularities.

In reality this sounds like some sort of supergroup where Keith Emerson is on keys, John McLaughlin
on guitar, Christ Squire on bass and perhaps Bill Bruford on drums. Yeah, it's really that good.
Unfortunately music like this had peaked a couple years prior and complex instrumentally driven
jazzy prog rock was falling out of fashion but despite it all the band found a home on the EMI label
for its one shot but the album remained with no reissues well into the 1990s when the prog revival
was underway but since then it has seen remastered versions. This one is truly a lost gem that has
everything a seasoned stalwart of jazzy prog could ever hope for. It's playful, offers plenty of
technical bedazzlement and shifts mood styles that it's impossible to get bored with this one as
there is never a dull moment to find yourself drifting off.

It's hard to believe none of these guys moved on to better things as they seemed to have come out of
nowhere to deliver this scorcher of an album only to fade into utter obscurity. This is what you
call a lost classic as it works for me on every level. Better than Finch or Focus for me. Overall
it's an excellent album and almost worth 5 stars. The A side is definitely as good as it gets
however what drags the album a bit for me is the multi-suite closer "The Sage Of The Running Nose"
has many points where it plods along and loses the momentum that the A-side so brilliantly captured
however as a whole this is one amazing album and i really wish this band had stuck around to dish
out a few more doses of this intoxicating cauldron of coolness.

4.5 rounded down

THE GATHERING Always (Experimental/Post Metal, 1992)

Thu, 7 May 2026 10:13:53 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — Formed in 1989 in the Dutch city of Oss, THE GATHERING has existed in three distinct forms since its
inception with only guitarist Ren]]>�remaining through all transitions. The band's history can be divided into the early atmospheric
death doom metal years which roughly covered the years 1989-94, the classic era where the band
shifted to atmospheric progressive rock with lead singer Anneke van Giersbergen at the helm and the
last era which kept the style in tact but found Norwegian vocalist Silje Wergeland replacing
Giersbergen. Like many i personally have been most familiar with the classic years that started with
the album "Mandylion" and ending with "Home" but in the beginning the band had a very different
style making it unrecognizable as the band that would find international fame.

The 1992 debut ALWAYS? is where it all started and given the almost universal low ratings for the
first two albums i sorta just ignored them but as it turns out, i seem to be on an opposite spin
from all the others who have joined the cult of THE GATHERING as i've never been blown away by the
band's prog rock years but am actually quite enamored with this debut album that sounds like a mix
of early Amorphis meets Type O Negative. One of the earliest examples of atmospheric death doom
metal with gothic rock influences, the first two albums featured the guttural growly vocals of Bart
Smits with the ethereal goddess charm of clean vocalist Marike Groot offering one of the earliest
examples of the "beauty and the beast" contrasting system. The album has also featured at least
three distinct album covers over the years with two emerging even in the same year 1992 when it was
released.

Stylistically THE GATHERING was quite unique when ALWAYS? hit the scene. It really doesn't sound
like anything else. With the snail's pace flow of something like what would become funeral doom
metal, the guitar tones and playing are more akin to the old school death metal scene yet the
atmospheric touches from the keyboards and piano remind me a bit of what Septicflesh would make a
career out of except THE GATHERING featured a compositional style all their own with lots of
attention paid to developing compositions that contrasted slow plodding tempos with occasional
faster tempos. The keyboards add the melodic touches imbued with gothic rock tones and textures with
a few moments clearly referring to the "Koyaanisqatsi" soundtrack from Philip Glass. The eclectic
touches are topped off by traces of flute, the triangle and wind chimes which offer some folk fueled
flavoring throughout its run.

Perhaps the keyboards come off as a tad cheesy at times but honestly this one works for me and quite
well. The death doom is eerie, gloomy and dark just like the style should be and the gothic touches
offer an extra dose of bleakness. The guitar tones are quite satisfying bringing back that
satisfying 90s distortion style that wasn't overly concerned with making everything so complex that
you had to revisit the album a hundred times like some modern tech death albums can demand. I'm not
necessary hating on the second era of the band but it has never really lit my fire either as it
seems a little too tame in many ways and none of the musical styles really have clicked. This one on
the other hand is as exhilarating as the earliest Amorphis releases bringing "Tales Of The Thousand
Lakes" to mind. For those who are into atmo-death doom and have skipped these early albums thinking
they suck, well i couldn't disagree more!

YOLK Solar (RIO/Avant-Prog, 2017)

Thu, 7 May 2026 09:57:27 EST

Review by VianaProghead — Review N]]>�
Yolk is a RIO/Avant-prog band from Dunkirk, in northern France. Their music is characterized by its subtle approach
to vocals, effects, and electronics, and has taken unique directions under the influence of bands and artists such as
Gong, Fred Frith (from Henry Cow) and The Residents, etc. Yolk is known for its experimental sound that blends
psychedelic rock, avant-prog and elements of Zeuhl. The band's music is characterized by being highly technical and
experimental. Their compositions can be extensive, with abrupt changes in rhythm and atmosphere, ranging from
intense and heavy moments to ambient and haunted passages. The use of saxophone and keyboards, along with
complex guitars and striking bass lines, reinforces their progressive rock vein. Their sound often includes
unconventional vocals. Vocalist Delphine Delegorgue often uses wordless vocal expressions and chants instead of
the traditional use of the lyrics.

Yolk apparently was formed as a pastime for French high school students. Initially, they operated in different music
styles, but a joint visit to a Gong concert then enriched their repertoire with spacey elements and jazz-rock. In 2001,
after several line up changes, the band met Fred Frith at a workshop, which would decisively influence Yolk's music,
transforming them into one of the stylistically improvisational bands quite typical of the new millennium. In that
year the band released their eponymous debut studio work, which established their experimental identity. In 2009,
they released a mini-album and performed at the RIO Festival in France. "You Decide" was released in 2011, a
continuation of the exploration of prog sounds. It was followed in 2017 by "Solar", which is considered their most
ambitious work.

"Solar" is probably their best work and one of the most pleasant and unexpected surprises. The rare beauty of the
beautiful cover is confirmed in the three extensive songs that make up "Solar". It's often cited as Yolk's masterpiece
and a landmark in modern experimental prog rock. It's a minimalist album in terms of the number of tracks, but
colossal in length and sonic ambition. If anything, the structure of epics over 10 minutes long seems to fit Yolk
perfectly. The recipe is based mainly on the stunning performance, interpretation and spark vocals of Delphine and
the energetic orgasmic playing. True to the band's identity, the album doesn't use conventional lyrics. The vocals
function as an additional rhythmic and melodic instrument, evoking rituals or trance states. Melodies and themes
follow one another with an enviable flow that conveys the listener to an avant-prog with a RIO base, intense
pompous and the peculiar psych Yolk element that makes the whole result unique. Rhythm is the main driver and
catalyst with an inviting groove.

The line up on "Solar" is Delphine Delegorgue (vocals), Valent]]>�saxophone), Antonin Carette (bass guitar) and Fabrice Brzoskiewicz (drums).

"Solar" consists of only three long compositions totaling approximately 38 minutes. The album opens with the title
track "Solar", which is more than 14 minutes long. This is an epic piece that begins with tribal percussion and
evolves into a haunting atmosphere, culminating in Zeuhl's style chants and an intense guitar work. It represents an
excellent start and is rather haunting. A catchy rhythm takes all over the track with a true experimental sound. The
second one, "Vanitas", which is more than 13 minutes long, explores dynamic contrasts, alternating between calm
keyboard passages and complex instrumental explosions. It begins with these nice guitar melodies followed with a
very special atmosphere and drums. Then, the vocals appear very powerfully. I like this intricate guitar work, as well
as the keyboard work. This is a powerful and intricate track with some amazing contrasts. The third and last track,
"Sepulchre", which is more than 10 minutes long, was chosen to end the album. The album's closing track, marked
by a strong presence of electric piano and a powerful vocal performance by Delphine. This is a track dominated by
drums, keyboards and guitar and the vocal melodies are amazing. This is really an amazing track in the same vein
as the opener, and is quite great.

One last thing. The cover art of the album features a painting titled "Sepulchre" by artist Marc Burckhardt, reflecting
the dark and surreal tone of the music of Yolk, not to be confused with the other RIO/Avant-Prog band from
Switzerland.

Conclusion: "Solar" is particularly recommended for fans of bands like Magma, Guapo, or the Japanese Avant-prog
universe, due to their ability to blend controlled chaos with hypnotic melodies. As I mentioned above, "Solar" is a
very minimalist work in terms of the number of tracks, but colossal in length and sonic ambition. "Solar" is a fairly
cohesive album. It offers an intense and varied journey through Zeuh influenced and avant rock landscapes, which
develop a quite unique character. But, we cannot say that it's exactly easy listening. "Solar" is quite challenging and
intense for long stretches, which makes it difficult to access the music initially, as it only fully unfolds after repeated
listens. But, in the end, "Solar" proves to be a thoroughly successful album that should appeal to any adventurous
Rio/avant-prog fan.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

RAINBOW Difficult to Cure (Prog Related, 1981)

Thu, 7 May 2026 09:45:36 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — First Rainbow album with new frontman Joe Lynn Turner and newcoming drummer Bob Rondinelli, as we
see the further commercialization of the band's sound, most likely reflecting Ritchie Blackmore's
fascination with Foreigner. 'Difficult to Cure' is, of course, the fifth studio album from Rainbow,
a well-established rock band by the end of the 70s that had to reinvent itself in order to stay
relevant. With the general public's growing fascination with radio-friendly music (in the face of
new wave, synth-pop and AOR), the Blackmore-led collective attempted to record an album that is
heavy but pleasing and accessible, with just the right number of commercial elements. To me, this
record preserves a lot of the characteristic Rainbow traits, particularly the strong melodies and
the classical-inspired guitar riffs, together with the energetic rhythm sections that we were used
to hearing on albums like 'Rising' and 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll', but the overall sentiment is that
of a repetitive and at times mediocre collection.

Starting off rather well, with three really strong songs that are stylistically similar to the
material on 'Down to Earth', we get to experience the powerful voice of Joe Lynn Turner, who would
sing a little higher than usual for Rainbow, and would gradually adjust his technique to this mode
of singing, which is quite interesting. And so, we have 'I Surrender' - one of the most recognizable
Rainbow hits, together with 'Spotlight Kid' and 'No Release', both of which are vibrant rock tunes
with fantastic instrumentation. The last track on side one, however, is pretty underwhelming
('Magic'). Side two then impresses with two excellent instrumentals: 'Maybe Next Time' and the
closing title track, both of which focus on the guitar mastery of Ritchie Blackmore but also feature
some delightfully technical playing from Mr Don Airey on the keyboards. Of the other songs
completing the album, 'Midtown Tunnel Vision' is perhaps the more intriguing one, while the rest is
mostly predictable AOR that once again strongly resembles Foreigner. And while this record is
definitely not among the band's best, it is a decent attempt at a more marketable rock sound, which
is why it is probably one of the more underrated Rainbow albums ever.

PLANETARIUM Infinity (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1971)

Wed, 6 May 2026 22:18:52 EST

Review by The Progolyte — I was originally planning to skip over this record and in its place put a more famous and acclaimed album,
but I was just captivated by the record's really cool cover and decided to check it out. In the end, while it is
far away from being listed as a true classic or masterpiece of Rock Progressivo Italiano, it still did its job as
standing as yet another sole album by a one-and-done Italian band. The music here isn't quite as heavy as
other bands around this time, and instead Planetarium creates a trippy and pastoral atmosphere in their
music, something that's a lot more calming and less insane. While there are no vocals on the record,
judging by the song titles, I'm assuming it's another concept album that was centered on the history of
Earth and its life and surroundings, sort of similar to the idea of Io Uomo by Ricordi D'Infanzia. The lineup
includes Franco Sorrenti and Mirko Mazza on guitar, Alfredo Ferrari on keyboards, Piero Repetto on bass,
and Giampaolo Pesce on drums.

The album's opening is an atmospheric sound collage with minimal input from the band, so I won't really
touch on that, but the next two songs, Life and the two-part suite titled Man, are a soft and easygoing form
of folk and the Rock Progressivo Italiano sound, sometimes even coming close to chamber folk and
chamber music in the second part of Man after a bunch of cool classical instruments are introduced via
various keyboards. Most of the record follows the direction of the second song, Life, where it is mellow and
quiet all the way through, maybe something close to soothing rock is introduced, and then the song ends.
It's not that complex, with all of the tracks being quite short, but they're still enjoyable and have a pretty
element to all of the numbers. All of the tracks have their own characteristics that make them stand out
from each other, but that is basically the whole album. There really isn't much more to add, but the songs
were between good and really good and nothing more or less (ignoring the opening piece).

In conclusion, I think the certain style the band was going for with this album could've worked, it just
needed some more work and a deeper depth in the central core of the music. This one is probably a mid
3.5 for me, as I liked the direction and overall sound, but it could use some improvements.

MIKE OLDFIELD Music of the Spheres (Crossover Prog, 2008)

Wed, 6 May 2026 20:20:33 EST

Review by Dapper~Blueberries — With a career spanning easily five decades, Mike Oldfield has had quite the lofty discography to go
around. It's much thanks to his incredible skills as a composer that he reached some level of
stardom. However, there is something that always bugged me about his composition style, and that it
would be perfectly suited for a classical sound, like Beethoven or Mussorgsky. Well, he does have
one, and that happens to be Music of the Spheres.

Now, normally I don't do this, but I'd actually like to tell you why I am reviewing this record of
his in specific, and not any of his other dozens of records. Simply put, I think this record is
underrated, and yes, I know, underrated is a word that has been thrown around a ton, especially
online. "Everything I like is underrated and everything I don't like is overrated" and yada yada
yada. But in this case, I honestly really do mean it. This record feels like it's rated way too low
for what it is worth.

I find Music of the Spheres to be a joy to listen to, as it feels though this was where Oldfield's
music was naturally heading, ever since his debut of Tubular Bells. He creates a suite that, while
not totally ground breaking, does carry a lot of weight as it certainly does feel like he has always
wanted to make something to this equivalence.

I think aided by the fact this was released in the late 2000s, and thus the production sounds as
good as it does, and this album shines quite well amongst the man's other suites like Ommadawn and
Amarok.

I will say though, this certainly does pull a bit from Tubular Bells, which isn't that surprising as
Mike Oldfield was having a nostalgic frenzy over the thing since 1992. The intro of Harbinger is
very much based on the little piano melody of Tubular Bells and Tubular Bells II, almost down to a
T, and the ending movement of Musica Universalis is basically the ending movement of Tubular Bells
Part 1. I don't mind this as much as some people do, but I will be quite critical. It does kind of
feel like Mike Oldfield is using his own music as a crutch more than anything on here. I think
overall, Music of the Spheres does hold its own, but at the same time feels like it's dipping a bit
into the old.

But yet, I still wonder why this one isn't as popular as it should.

My working theory is that because it's classical, through and through. Mike Oldfield has always had
a knack for making music in more modern styles, throughout his career. Rock music, pop music, new
age, world music, house, trance. All of these are genres that are seen as "new" in some capacity.
Rock music is not even a century old yet, pop changes on a dime, new age has become more
electronically focused, world music may have been around for centuries but has only become public
knowledge fairly recently, house is most certainly new, and trance as well.

And even if Mike's projects in these genres might not make as much of a splash as you would think,
they still have some noteworthiness within the Mike Oldfield fandom. Yet, I rarely see any talk on
Music of the Spheres, and that might be because, since this is purely classical, this record is seen
as much older, or less inventive as Oldfield's other works. Sure it's not hated, but it's not loved
either, which is a shame because if you give it a chance, this record does feel quite magical, and
I'd say just as well as the stuff Mike Oldfield is known for.

I think, if there is one record I'd unironically call underrated, it'd be this one. Music of the
Spheres is a treat that deserves more recognition, even if its negative recognition. Because it
should be as big as the work that Oldfield has been known for in his 50 year long career.

Best tracks: Animus, Shabda, On My Heart, Harmonia Mundi

JAN GARBAREK Places (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1978)

Wed, 6 May 2026 14:04:32 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — I have been avoiding Jan Garbarek albums for a while and they're piling up: nine to go in order to complete his 1980s
projects as bandleader. Wish me luck. (I'm going to need it!) This album was recorded in December of 1977, the
original album being released by ECM in 1978.

1. "Reflections" (15:05) a song that opens with sparse saxophone wailing over droning organ chords with nary a string
or cymbal sound until the fifth minute when light ministrations of both (acoustic guitar strings and drum kit cymbals)
join in. De Johnette and Connors both expand their footprints with snare and toms and guitar chords and legato runs
in the sixth minute--Garbarek even clearing out while the two play off one another. Bill Connors on steel-stringed
acoustic guitar sounds a lot like a cross between Al Di Meola and Larry Coryell: at times deceptively smooth, at others
dynamically abrasive. Jan returns in the ninth minute as Bill returns to chord strumming and arpeggiation as Jack
continues playing his funky syncopation. (Whatever happened to John Taylor? Oh! 11th minute: there he is!) The music
is made far more interesting by Jack's drumming; I'm not sure I could bear it without. (Does Jan Garbarek ever play
anything differently? I feel as if he's playing the same notes and style here that he did back in 1971 and will in 1986!) At
12:30 it sounds and feels as if the song were going into a long, slow fadeout but then the three melodists show
themselves: at first very lightly but then with increasing presence. Meanwhile, Jack just keeps on keepin' on: grooving
on that funky syncopated foundation. (26.25/30)

2. "Entering" (7:50) the sax and organ opening here sounds like we're being prepped for a heart-strings-pulling movie
soundtrack. Connors takes the lead over from Garbarek at the 1:30 mark, but only for a few bars before Jan returns
with the organ swelling slightly. Yes, it's a Burt Bacharach soundtrack to a schlocky rom-com like Arthur's Down in the
Dumps. At 3:40 the intro finally ends and Jack joins in with some organ and guitar chords to set up a forward-moving
pop-rock motif (slow). Jan takes the first verse, then Bill, then back to Jan. It's a duet! Kenny Loggins and Dionne
Warwick! Smooth Jazz without any of the Jazz! (13/15)

3. "Going Places" (14:12) a little Pat Metheny-style take on Star Wars' "Main Theme." I do like this style for Bill Connors-
-and the atmospheric drumming (dominated by cymbal work) from Jack. It reminds me of Pat and Lyle's (and Nana
Vasconcelos)' 1981 epic, "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls." And Jan's octave-oscillating sax play here actually
works--doesn't bore or feel like finger nails on a chalk board. And John Taylor's long-sustaining organ chords feel very
much in line with the stylings used by Lyle in "Falls." In the middle Bill's solo begins to sound a bit like a melodic John
McLaughlin solo (Time Remembered: Bill Evans period)--which I fully endorse. And Jack seems to really be getting into
it, which I always love. But then Jan starts blowing the Star Wars theme notes really hard and I find myself recoiling
despite John and Jack's efforts to distract me. Raise your hand if you really like Jan Garbarek's sax playing! Anybody?
Anybody?! See! Nobody! So why did he get so famous--and how did he get into ProgArchives when so many other
deserving artists have not? (26.75/30)

4. "Passing" (11:18) same palette: organ, sax, acoustic guitar, drum kit, all seeming to celebrate the space they can
create in opposition to their notes. Again, there is something that previews many of the softer, heavily-nuanced
passages that Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays will become quite famous for in the next decade. Is this where they learned
it? Were they just trying to emulate the Jan Garbarek effect? And, if so, why? What is so consuming about Jan's music
(or playing) that people want to make stuff just like it?
My favorite part of this song are the occasional tidal swells of John Taylor's organ play--which, of course, Jack is
quick to react and respond to. The very sudden ending is a bit bizarre but what can the consumer do? You get what
you get! (18/20)

Total time 48:25

B-/3.5 stars; an interesting collection of drawn out, often cinematic or tension-filled spacious music that, for me, is
made most tolerable by the presence of the great Jack De Johnette. The album seems most noteworthy to me for
showcasing a style of music that future artists like Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays would be championing in parts of their
compositions over the next ten to 15 years.

KING CRIMSON Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins: A Scarcity of Miracles (Eclectic Prog, 2011)

Wed, 6 May 2026 12:21:35 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — Sometimes considered the last studio recording of King Crimson, 'A Scarcity of Miracles' is more of
a one-off off-shoot project involving past and future members of the band, as the name of the
project actually suggests. This is a collaborative work between guitar architect Robert Fripp, sax
and flute player Mel Collins (member of Crimson from 1970 until 1972), and gifted English musician
and actor Jakko Jakszyk, who would later go on to become the frontman of the reformed and touring
King Crimson. The trio is joined by longtime bass and Stick player Tony Levin as well as ex-
Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison, who would also go on to spend significant time with Fripp's
updated Crimson. Born from extensive instrumental sessions between Fripp and Collin, 'A Scarcity of
Miracles' is a serene and improvisational record that features a rather ethereal mixture of ambient
soundscapes and jazz fusion playing, laying the foundations for the sound of the future incarnation
of King Crimson.

The basis of most of the songs appearing on this LP are electronic soundscapes recorded by Robert
Fripp, with Jakszyk building upon these existing recordings. While different compositions were
taking shape, originally there had been no intention of recording an entire album. In any case, the
six pieces that became 'A Scarcity of Miracles' do represent a beautifully haunting collection of
Crimson-esque compositions, elegant and soaring, but also inviting and refined, with the excellent
production also shining through quite often. The sound is contemporary yet nostalgic, remotely
echoing some of the mid-70s Crimson records ('Starless', 'Red'), while the vulnerability and finesse
of Jakszyk's voice complement the graceful songs in a befitting manner. The fine balance between the
electronic soundscapes, the swiveling saxes of Mel Collins, the ethereal and melodic guitars of
Jakszyk, and the more angular playing of Fripp speaks of great instrumental mastery, confidence, and
maturity, rendering this album a delightful jazz-rock treat even for the most dedicated of prog
enthusiasts. The highlights on this record would definitely include the gorgeous title track, the
atmospheric number 'Secrets' as well as the poetically determined 'The Other Man', but really, each
piece on here is cinematic and contemplative in its own way.

FINCH Glory Of The Inner Force (Symphonic Prog, 1975)

Wed, 6 May 2026 09:42:50 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — One of the big three of 70s Dutch symphonic prog, FINCH was formed in Den Haag in 1974 as a rather
latecomer in the prog party but stood out for its eclectic all-instrumental approach that
incorporated healthy doses of jazz fusion and knotty technical virtuosity to the more reserved
symphonic prog acts of the day. Formed by ex-members of the R&B band Q65 that included bassist Peter
Vink and drummer Beer Klaasse, the band evolved into a quartet once guitarist Joop Van Nimwegen and
keyboardist Cleem Determeijer joined ranks. Despite all best efforts to score a competent vocalist,
FINCH settled on crafting wild energetic instrumental compositions which found them compared to
contemporary acts like the Mahavishnu Orchestra or Camel.

The band released three well regarded albums from 1975 - 1977 beginning with the strongest of them
all, the stunning debut release GLORY OF THE INNER FORCE. The album is characterized by four lengthy
tracks, all of which exceeded 9 minutes playing time with the closing "A Bridge To Alice" exceeding
13. Modern reissues include even more bonus tracks titled "Colossus Parts I & II" which were
originally released as a non-album single. What's immediately apparent when the feisty "Register
Magister" begins the album is how heavy and feisty this foursome was with fast tempos, extremely
rough around the edges rock energy and the technical wizardry of the band members playing in tight
unison while navigating hairpin stylistic shifts and a plethora of varying musical motifs.

Emulating somewhat the virtuoso majesty of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, this foursome could pull off the
same technical chops with ease and although the guitar is a lot more pronounced than the average
prog band of the era (save the Mahavishnus), the keyboard antics of Determiner are equally
impressive showcasing a clear reference to Keith Emerson only with a more reserved Rick Wakeman
finesse. Equally dynamic however are the powerful bass and drumming sections which exceed mere
rhythmic time keepers and exhibit crafty skill equally as impressive as the guitar / key combo
effect. The band easily holds their own without the aid of a vocalist to deliver some kind of lyric
based message and although the music can come off as abstract as it almost sounds like a precursor
to prog metal in many ways, the dynamic diversity of tempos, timbres, tones and triumphant energetic
performances is awe inspiring.

Perhaps where FINCH falters is that the influences are rather apparent and despite the technical
displays of a powerfully played album's worth of material that it's clear that Van Nimwegen isn't
quite up there in creative talent as John McLaughlin and Determeijer is clearly in Emerson worship
territory much of the time however despite the band perhaps not rising to the absolute top royalty
thrones of the 70s prog world, there's not denying that GLORY OF THE INNER FORCE is a tour de force
second tier prog act to be noticed laced with enough musical mojo and subtle creative fusion ideas
to keep it fresh enough to warrant an essential tag for prog lovers who want to explore beyond the
absolute cream of the crop. The band's melodic touches are quite beautiful and the attention paid to
the dynamics which cast atmospheric drenched softer passages with more guitar angsty heaviness is
the absolute essential ingredients to craft a cleverly designed prog winner from the era AAAND gotta
love that stunningly gorgeous album cover art. Personally i prefer this album to many of Focus'
works.

MR. ALBERT SHOW Mr. Albert Show (Crossover Prog, 1970)

Wed, 6 May 2026 09:42:36 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — The comically named MR ALBERT SHOW was a short-lived Dutch progressive act that formed in Eindhoven
in 1969 and stuck it out until 1973 releasing two albums along the way and a few singles. Known for
its psychedelic take on bluesy jazz rock, MR ALBERT SHOW was named after their road manager and
known for their robust sound that has been referred to as a cross between Colosseum and the German
Kraut-jazz act Xhol. The band was a six-man act that featured Bertus Borgers (vocals, flute,
saxophone), Tom Fautubun (bass guitar), Bonki Bongaerts (organ, piano, harmonica), Erik Lintermans
(lead guitar) and Roeland (Broer) Boogaart (drums, percussion) along with vocalist Floortje Klomp.

The band scored an instant top 40 hit in their native Netherlands with the single "Wild Sensation"
which demonstrated the band's crossover appeal where 60s psychedelic pop cozily coalesced with the
more demanding sounds of jazz rock and early prog that were gestating about this time. The band's
debut eponymously titled album was released in 1970 after attracting attention with their highly
energetic and captivating live performances throughout Holland and quickly scored a recording
contract on the Philips label with many reissues on various other labels over the years.

While the songs themselves are pretty much geared towards crossover success, the musicians on board
were competent enough to dish out some serious chops which included a beefy bass groove, excellent
funky guitar work and lots of saxophone and jazzy touches. One of the most prominent features is the
trippy psychedelic organ sounds that keep the album rooted in the 60s while capturing the zeitgeist
of the blossoming more progressive realms of music although the album is more akin to proto-prog
than anything from the King Crimson or High Tide camp for sure. The album itself featured nine
tracks at slightly over 37 minutes and brings to mind many of the brassy jazz rock bands of the day
in the same camp as bands like Brainchild, Colosseum, Galliard, The Greatest Show On Earth, Heaven,
If, Walrus and the Keef Harley Band.

Overall MR ALBERT SHOW's debut is a competent and pleasurable slice of the more accessible side of
jazz rock from the era and unlike many of the vocalists of the era, Floortje Klomp's style is quite
pleasing as well reminding me a bit of the vocals in Gnidrolog. A nice throwback to the brackish
waters of 1970 where the rules of the prog playbook weren't established and creativity was running
amok. Unfortunately despite the competency displayed on this debut album, the album doesn't really
stand out in any particular way as the style had been done better by Chicago and Colosseum and MR
ALBERT SHOW doesn't exceed that level of creative edge. For those digging into the nooks and
crannies of early 70s Dutch progressive music though this one should not be missed. The band
released one more album titled "Warm Motor" in 1971 and managed to stick around for another two
years before taking that proverbial permanent leave of absence.

3.5 rounded down

ALPHONSE MOUZON In Search Of A Dream (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1978)

Wed, 6 May 2026 07:29:43 EST

Review by BrufordFreak — What a line-up! My expectations can't help but be elevated. In Search of a Dream was recorded in Stuttgart, Germany,
at Zuckerfabrik, between November 20'24, 1977, for MPS Records, with the album bing released as a vinyl LP early in
the next year.

1. "Nightmare" (6:07) one of the Philip Catherine performances that reminds me that he probably should be
considered among Jazz-Rock Fusion's greatest guitarists. Miroslav Vitous and bandleader Al really shine throughout
this up-tempo Power Fusion tune as does pianist Joachim Kuhn. Al lays down an absolutely awesome drum solo in the
third minute. (9.333/10)

2. "Electric Moon" (4:50) encroaching into the territories being explored by Third Wave J-R Fusion artists like Return To
Forever, Nova, and Brand X, a slower, more television-soundtrack-oriented tempo is played while Stu Goldberg's keys,
Miroslav's fretless "underwater" bass, and Al's drumming sound like NOVA's team of and Narada Michael Walden,
respectively. Nice song with a very comforting sound palette. (9/10)

3. "Shoreline" (4:30) here's one that opens sounding like a Weather Report tune--complete with the Jaco-like fretless
bass sound being played by Miroslav--but then at 0:45 the sax and keys take it into a more Jazzy motif but Miroslav's
Jaco Pastorius-like bass play, Bob Malik's Smooth Jazz tenor sax, and Joachim's Chick Corea-like piano playing bring it
back into a kind of Weather Report area. Thanks to Joachim's wonderful keyboard work I like this better than most WR
songs. Al's work here is subdued, making his contributions practically negligible. (9.125/10)

4. "The Light" (3:21) violin-sounding bowed double bass is the featured instrument on this otherwise-RTF like song. Al's
drumming are right in the Power Fusion category occupied by Lenny White and Narada Michael Walden. Nice. (9/10)

5. "The Unknown Journey" (4:00) opening with a two keyboard-arpeggiated chords within which guitar, bass, and
drums drive us forward at a comfortable, leisurely pace while Bob Malik plays a sax line as the presenter of the main
melody. Nice. I like Al's almost-aggressive play--even the crashing cymbals. Miroslav gets the second solo before an
electric piano gets a turn. (Is that Al or Joachim?) Nice song--especially if you want to really get a listen to some great
drumming. (9.25/10)

6. "The Ram And The Scorpio" (5:53) flying out of the gate like a bat out of Carlsbad Al, Miroslav, Philip, Stu, and
Joachim seem to be on an important delivery run as they collectively support solos from electric guitar, organ, and
electric piano. As with the album's opener, Philip Catherine is really impressive. (Why couldn't he be more consistently
impressive like this on every album I've heard him contribute to?) Stu Goldberg's organ play is also quite impressive
and enjoyable and his MiniMoog duel with Philip is top notch. (9.25/10)

7. "In Search Of A Dream" (4:51) mellowing us out a little after those last few, we're almost in the comforting near-
Smooth Jazz territory of Narada Michael Walden's solo career. But this turns out to be yet another showcase for the
talents of Philip Catherine. (Which begs the question of why was his career so spotty: why weren't all of his
contributions as a collaborator as good as this?) Al, Miroslav, and Joachim are so solid--each worthy of singling out.
Unfortunately, Bob Malik's sax kind of lowers the bar by bringing the music into that Dave Sanborn area of schlocky
Smooth Jazz. (9/10)

8. "Playing Between The Beat" (2:34) flanged drum soloing opens this and then continues for the song's duration with
some clapping and vocalized percussive noises joining in the mix during the song's second half. Weird that it's taken
me so long to appreciate Alphonse's skills and talent because he is good! (8.875/10)

9. "Nothing But A Party (incl. "Happy Birthday")" (3:58) group singing of "Happy Birthday" in a single room setting
opens this before the band set up a Disco funk motif for multi-track sax harmonized melody to play over. Nice to hear
that these guys can play funk and Disco--Philip Catherine rhythm guitar and wah-wah lead, Miroslav Vitous slappy funk
bass and wah-wah bass, Alphonse Disco drums, and even Joachim Kuhn the chord-stylings required of the electric
piano. Kind of cool! (9/10)

Total Time 40:04

Finally Al has realized that his skill set enables himself to make music of the highest caliber of Jazz-Rock Fusion's Third
Wave: as a Power Fusionist--especially if he surrounds himself with the right crew of collaborators. With this album he
has accomplished that.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of excellent Third Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion. Highly recommended for the EXCELLENT
drumming, bass play, and lead guitar work.

WOBBLER Hinterland (Symphonic Prog, 2005)

Wed, 6 May 2026 04:00:34 EST

Review by Fercandio46 — There are bands that have boots from their very first steps and leave their mark; these Norwegian boots leave the
W of Wobbler on the floor in their wake, even in their early days...where inspirations and influences are the starting
point to build something more, perhaps something new, a floor and not a ceiling.

Hinterland begins by recalling Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but then, with the mellotron, they construct truly original
sections. Later, influences of Peter Gabriel are evident in the vocals, and musically, Gentle Giant, with its guitar and
keyboard progressions. Not many bands have followed such a winding path, with the possible exception of Spock's
Beard at times. But despite all these influences, a unique sound emerges, and more importantly... the will to create
it even before it's fully realized.

When they delve into medieval territory, they do so with such realism that you can almost see the candles until the
wind blows them out during the dark and heavy sections, with guitar and keyboards twisting and turning like Keith
Emerson's, classic and groundbreaking at the same time. Most importantly, they take the time to play, to
experiment with sounds, noises, and atmospheres. You can hear the bass and a keyboard... they take the time to
build connecting sections and leave them in the final mix, and all of this on their debut album!
The final section of Hinterland is reminiscent of Genesis at times, transitioning into almost chamber-like
atmospheres, with that signature sound that Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, and Mike Rutherford knew so well how to
create. Lars Fredrik Fr]]>�composition and sound. A touch of metal in the rock section is welcome, which they skillfully alternate with
keyboards and then flute in a symphonic, flamenco-infused finale.

Rubato Industry has the ability to make us abstract ourselves from reality, from the era we live in, and introduces
us to the Crimson universe, but then it goes further. There's deep metal, more than one arrangement layered
simultaneously, new ideas, and this capacity for abstraction is present throughout the entire album and promises
to be a hallmark of the band, whose imprint will be so strong that it will endure despite future lineup changes. In
this case, the whole is also greater than the sum of its parts.
Kristian Karl Hultgren on bass and Martin Nordrum Kneppen on drums are ever-present, forming an unbeatable
foundation upon which the rest of the band rests.

This is a winter album...it's a Shakespearean album, evident once again in Clair Obscur, and I never cease to be
amazed by such a display of nuances, like in the pioneering bands, and yet it sounds like snow, ice and thawing, the
Baltic Shield.

At times, the trio of keyboards, bass, and drums sounds incredibly rich...only then does the guitar join in,
crystallizing a strange melody, a new harmony. Isn't that what we're looking for?

It's like rolling dice...we know what goes in...each number is an influence, an inspiration...but we don't know what
will come out when we put them on the table, because those same numbers...those same influences...will result in
something completely new.

JETHRO TULL 50 for 50 (Prog Folk, 2018)

Wed, 6 May 2026 03:15:13 EST

Review by fuxi — A fascinating collection, but who is it for? For your long-lost uncle, who was stranded on a far-away island for
over 40 years without electricity and whom you're trying to introduce to classic rock? For your teenage niece or
nephew, but do they ever listen to CD compilations? For yourself perhaps, if you're a Jethro Tull fan and you just
need a collection of juicy bits? (I myself once bought a double album similar to this but less comprehensive: the
1993 ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION.)

Let's presume this is Ian Anderson's visiting card. After all, he compiled the whole thing himself, so it seems this
is how he wants us to remember the band he co-founded. There's just one small problem: ever since 5O FOR 50
appeared, Jethro Tull has been resurrected! At the time of writing (May 2026) they've released three brand-new
studio albums, so in the not too distant future we can probably expect a new compilation called "60 FOR 60".

Did Mr. Anderson do a good job? On the whole, I'd say: 'Yes, definitely.' The collection starts out really strong,
with no less than 14 tracks that mainly cover the band's early blues/heavy rock style. The music is very forceful,
there's not a weak track to be found, but I must immediately modify my statement: (1) Ian's idiosyncratic vocals
and flute-playing have never really been bluesy; right from the start they lend a folksy flavour to the music; (2)
superb as they are, 'Mother Goose' and 'Life's a Long Song' are predominantly acoustic, i.e. not 'heavy' at all.

After that, the music takes a left turn, with a delightful passage from one of the greatest JT albums, A PASSION
PLAY. And things then get REALLY weird: we haven't even heard anything from SONGS FROM THE WOOD, and
suddenly there's the turgid 'Weathercock' (from HEAVY HORSES) which hardly has a tune and which is
completely spoiled for me, by Ian's over-harsh voice.

CD no. 2 starts promisingly, but Ian then makes the mistake of including the full 8:53 min. version of 'Heavy
Horses' (the title track), which just goes on and on and on... Would have been far better if he'd given us a longer
excerpt from THICK AS A BRICK. (He now cuts off just before "The poet and the painter...", which is a shame.)
Now I must admit he's adept at choosing the most appetising tunes from each album (after the quirky 'Hunting
Girl' even 'Bungle in the Jungle' sounds refreshing) but sometimes I wonder if he's fully aware that Jethro Tull
have never been what they once were since John Evan, Dee Palmer and Barriemore Barlow flew the coop.
Anyway, there are no further problems with CD 2, all the remaining compositions are delightful (apart from
'Pussy Willow'), it seems obvious that neither Jon Anderson, nor Peter Gabriel nor Tony Banks have treated us to
as many sprightly tunes as Ian!

CD 3 is the most problematic of the three. The fact that every JT studio LP simply HAD to be included causes
trouble here: 'Kissing Willie', 'North Sea Oil' and 'Broadsword' are all eminently forgettable, but hey, that still
leaves us with ten fully enjoyable tracks and I'm glad both 'Budapest' and 'Farm on the Freeway' are included,
Ian impresses me even as a Mark Knopfler copy-cat.

So if you have that uncle, niece or nephew... You could always encourage them just to stream this collection.
Only one thing's clearly missing, in my opinion: something like 'Back-Door Angels" or 'Black Satin Dancer', which
features one of those incredible (Barriemore Barlow-supported) Martin Barre lead guitar outbursts.

PAIN OF SALVATION Road Salt One (Progressive Metal, 2010)

Wed, 6 May 2026 02:31:59 EST

Review by Fleishmann — Road Salt One by Pain of Salvation is, for me, easily their best album. It feels like a bold left turn that totally pays off.
Instead of leaning into their usual polished, progressive sound, they went for something much rawer and stripped-
down, almost uncomfortably honest at times. That lack of heavy production gives the whole record a gritty, organic
vibe that's seriously refreshing. You can hear every imperfection, and that's exactly what makes it work?it feels real.
The songs hit harder emotionally because nothing is hiding behind layers of gloss. It might not be what every fan
expected, but that's part of its charm. Honestly, this is Pain of Salvation at their most authentic, and I don't think
they've topped it since.

TOOL Lateralus (Experimental/Post Metal, 2001)

Wed, 6 May 2026 02:29:32 EST

Review by Fleishmann — Lateralus is, honestly, Tool at their absolute peak. For me, it's their masterpiece?everything just clicks in a way that
feels almost unreal. The mix of complex rhythms, trippy structures, and deep, almost spiritual themes never feels
overdone; it all flows naturally. Every track pulls you in and demands your full attention, but it pays off big time the
more you listen. There's a sense of balance here?technical but still emotional?that's really hard to pull off. I
genuinely doubt they'll ever reach this level of creative fullness again in any later release. Lateralus isn't just a great
album, it's the kind of record that sticks with you and changes how you hear music.

PENDRAGON Men Who Climb Mountains (Neo-Prog, 2014)

Wed, 6 May 2026 02:24:05 EST

Review by A Crimson Mellotron — Of Pendragon's lesser-known albums, 2014's 'Men Who Climb Mountains' is a record that remains
somewhat of an outlier in the band's catalogue. The follow-up to the heavy-headed albums 'Pure' and
'Passion', on which the band had explored aggressive riffs and fast-paced writing, is a record that
oversees an alternative heavy prog sound, perhaps vaguely similar to the music of Porcupine Tree and
The Pineapple Thief, with a strong focus on the emotional resonance of the songs and the crafty
guitar work of founding member Nick Barrett. Yes, this album is indeed almost entirely deprived of
the symphonic sheen of the classic Pendragon albums, as the keyboards play a more background role
here. And with the songwriting to the fore as well, the arrangements are slightly more complex than
on 'Passion', for example, as the majority of the songs on this LP exceed the 6-minute mark and
feature peculiar shifts and tone changes.

'Men Who Climb Mountains' opens up with a short piece that anticipates and relates to the first big
song on the album, the excellent and moving 'Beautiful Soul'. This track is a perfect blend between
the emotive melodicism within Barrett's music, and his expressive guitar playing, exuding
similarities to what Steve Rothery does with Marillion. 'Come Home Jack' then features several fine
themes but its chorus is definitely not that great; and at eleven minutes, this mini-suite can feel
a little exhausting at times. 'In Bardo' and 'Faces of Darkness' are tremendous songs with a very
strong alternative rock influence, where the melodic guitar playing strikes you as moving but
comforting in a way that resembles some of the classic Camel records. Both of these songs are
slightly darker, however, especially by Pendragon's standards, so they might end up being
misunderstood by the fans of their more symphonic material. The album's finale is unfortunately very
forgettable and features a couple of mediocre songs ('Explorers of the Infinite', 'Netherworld'),
within which I struggle to find an intriguing hook or an astounding sound. And so, it seems like
some of the experiments on this album did not pay off as expected, rendering 'Men Who Climb
Mountains' as a fine and emotive album that nevertheless fails to capture all the qualities of
Pendragon's music.

CINCINNATO Cincinnato (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1974)

Tue, 5 May 2026 21:06:45 EST

Review by The Progolyte — Here we have yet another Italian band who had its life cut short. Lasting between 1970 with the name Eros
Natura and splitting up in 1973, the group Cincinnato has your classic jazz rock sound of the seventies,
although the Rock Progressivo Italiano twist that was found on other Italian jazz bands such as Arti E
Mestieri, Dedalus, and Napoli Centrale is still here, and the sound here is a lot smoother and less complex
overall. While it's still good, I would like if they had more keyboards on here instead of just an acoustic
piano and some minimal background synths. Another problem I had with the record is that it sounds like
their levels of energy on here are low and it isn't all that exciting. On the brighter side, the mostly
instrumental music allows for some great portions of soloing and jams to be sprinkled into the longer
tracks. The album's personnel includes Gianni Fantuzzi on guitar and vocals, Giacomo Urbanelli on
keyboards, Annibale Vanetti on bass, and Donato Scolese on drums.

The album is composed of only four tracks, with side one having the three shorter ones and side two
containing the giant twenty-minute-long side-long suite. Most of the music here is low and smooth jazz,
with the guitar tone rarely going into distorted territory and always remaining at a quieter level. Most of the
keyboard arrangements, as I mentioned above, aren't really taken up by real keyboards and are instead
filled with acoustic pianos. Moving on to the actual music, the album's opener, Ribelle Ubriaco, is a really
good ten-minute-long composition that is full of really interesting arrangements, though it still isn't the
most complex thing on the album. The shorter two minutes of material on Tramonto D'Ottobre and the
seven minutes of Esperanto are both okay pieces, although they are a lot quieter and smoother and lack a
driving force in them. Side two's lengthy suite called L'Ebete is probably the best thing on here. It can get
quite technical at points and is full of intricate passages. This is also the only song to actually contain vocals,
but they're only in the opening minutes so the band has space to fully exercise their creativity.

In conclusion, sure, it may not be the best Italian jazz album out there, but there is still some pretty decent
material on here that does a good job at pleasing me musically. I'll be awarding this album a very strong
3.25/5, but it might also reach the territory of a low 3.5/5.

DE DE LIND Io Non So Da Dove Vengo E Non So Dove Mai Andr�, Uomo � Il Nome Che Mi Han Dato (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 1973)

Tue, 5 May 2026 21:03:46 EST

Review by The Progolyte — Getting their name from the American model of the sixties, De De Lind is one of the most acclaimed Italian
progressive rock artists of the seventies, and like so many others at the time, they created a singular album
before disappearing and never coming back. Not even a reunion or a released archive recording, nothing.
They have also become known for their one and only album having one of the longest album names ever
known, with that title being Io Non So Da Dove Vengo E Non So Dove Mai Andr]]>��Han Dato, and it roughly translates to I Don't Know Where I Come From And I Don't Know Where I'll Ever
Go, Man Is The Name They Gave Me. Moving on to the music, it's an interesting blend of heavy symphonic
prog with minimal influences of jazz and folk, so it isn't one of the most original sounds in the Rock
Progressivo Italiano sub-genre. When looking at the personnel, it includes Vito Paradiso on vocals and
acoustic guitar, Matteo Vitolli on the other guitars and flute (among other various instruments), Gilberto
Trama on woodwinds and brass instruments along with keyboards, Eddy Lorigiola on bass, and Ricky
Rebajoli on drums.

There are only seven tracks that make up the record, most of which are around five to seven minutes, but
some can get as short as two minutes. Most of the music switches between pastoral and calming folk music
and heavy and psychedelic progressive rock, all wrapped in the excellent talent of the members and how
they play their respective instruments. One of my main problems, as with most Rock Progressivo Italiano
bands of this period, is the lackluster production. Yes, I understand that some of these guys probably
weren't in the best financial position, so that could explain it, but that was just a note I wanted to quickly
add. My two favorite tracks were Fuga E Morte and Paura Del Niente for their complex and constantly
moving structures combined with some great soloing and deep emotion in the tracks. I also really liked the
flute solo on the second one of these songs and how it sort of continues into the fourth and longest track,
Smarrimento. Overall, all the tracks here are great, and while they do blend in when it comes to what's in
their musical core, each of them is still fantastic.

In conclusion, De De Lind could've accomplished a lot more if they had stayed together and released a few
more records in that same Rock Progressivo Italiano realm. They definitely had the talent both
instrumentally and musically, but unfortunately, as of June 30th, 2025 (the time of writing this review), no
such album has come out. This one is probably a strong 4/5.

TRIANGLE Square The Circle (Neo-Prog, 2000)

Tue, 5 May 2026 19:52:58 EST

Review by siLLy puPPy — A popular band name that has been used countless times throughout the decades but not one of those
acts have exactly been popular. Here's yet another. This band named TRIANGLE is from Rotterdam in
the Netherlands although the band originally formed under the moniker SQUARE THE CIRCLE in 1993
before changing its name in 2000. As you can see once the this quartet of Martijn Paasschens
(vocals/keyboards), Roland ven der Stoep (guitars), Jan-Willem Verkerk (bass), and Paul van der
Zwaal (drums) finally got to releasing its debut, the band name became the album title and the rest
is history. Still active in the modern day these core members have remained staunchly faithful to
their trade and have worked together ever since, an amazing feat in the modern age of disposable
band members.

Modeled after the English neo-prog bands such as IQ, Arena, Pendragon and Fish-era Marillion,
TRIANGLE also added a touch of Canadian band Rush to the mix with its crafty time signature changes
and harder rock heft. SQUARE THE CIRCLE hit the scene in the year 2000 just when the progressive
rock revival was hitting full steam which may explain why this excellent debut release has remained
somewhat of an unknown entry in the neo-prog scene. The album features seven tracks with four of
them extending past the 10-minute playing time and features all those exquisite neo-prog attributes
of thick synthesized atmospheres reminiscent of the best known neo-prog acts along with the expected
guitar sweeps out of the Steve Rothery and Steve Hackett playbooks.

While not the most original style of neo-prog out there which may explain many not latching onto
this, one thing is for sure and that is that TRIANGLE were masters of crafting a beautifully
designed slightly darker version of the classic prog revival sound with eerier than usual
synthesizer effects and a touch of a downer vibe in the vocal department. Like most excellent neo-
prog albums, SQUARE THE CIRCLE is chock full of instantly lovable melodic constructs drenched in
synthesized excess and pulling the expected punches of tension building and climactic crescendoes.
What appeals to me most is that much neo-prog is more like extended arena rock music rather than the
angular type of progressive rock but TRIANGLE isn't afraid to dabble in shades of knotty time
signatures and polyrhythms although the songwriting structures are very traditional in approach.

While upon first listen TRIANGLE may not sound overly original in style but the band is actually a
bit more adventurous than many contemporary neo-prog bands of the era with the exception of perhaps
some of the Polish bands like Abraxas. SQUARE THE CIRCLE features the expected neo-prog shtick while
dressing it up with more moments of contrast with the usual softer ballad runs along with more heavy
rock however it's not just a build up from one to the other at all. Often the dynamics shift without
notice and all done in a respectful organic way that adds a sense of excitement to it all. I was not
expecting to really like this debut album by TRIANGLE but upon further review it's a nice surprise
that it's done so meticulously well and graced by a stunningly gorgeous production and mixing job.
Every musician really stands out in a good way as the bass lines are tastefully integrated and
although vocalist Martijn Paaschens may not have the most operatic vocal style, he certainly has a
charisma all his own.

ABSENTHIA Novecento (Atto primo) (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2016)

Tue, 5 May 2026 19:50:00 EST

Review by Finnforest — Stately, Heavy, Dramatic

Absenthia are a third wave RPI band from Vicenza who began in 2005 and were still active on social
media as of 2018. Time will tell if further releases are forthcoming. After their well-received 2009
debut "Tenebrae Vincunt"---five stars from my old friends Andrea and Chris!---they returned in 2016 with
"Novecento Atto Primo," which some places refer to as an album while others as an EP. To me, it's
their second album, just a short one as is very common in the history of Italian progressive rock.

The second album pretty much picks up where their debut left off and with essentially the same line-up although they have dropped from two guitarists to one. Their sound, which was somewhat unique
when they started, has now been replicated by many. The historical tenets of symphonic prog rock
were updated and supercharged with heavier guitars and more guitar presence, in somewhat of a break
from the second wave which could often be mellower and keyboard led. Bands were now taking their
guitar presence closer to the popular prog-metal sound. Although this is not fully prog metal in my
book, there is certainly full-on flirtation in many places. They often employ metal-tinged guitar
riffs and large, flanged, ringing chords not unlike bands like VIII Strada and S91. Bau's keyboard
work is modern sounding with cool samples of orchestral flair, clean piano, and even electronica to
contrast the dominating sound of the guitar.

Speaking of pushing back on the guitar dominance, this album is built around the stunningly good
Italian language vocals of Igor D'Aoconte, who is the most potent weapon in the Absenthia arsenal,
though every musician here is playing absolutely top notch. D'Aoconte brings a deep voice with a
very commanding and formal-sounding delivery. The dude could easily be employed in a world class
opera. He can turn on a dime from a soft, clean, vulnerable voice to a huge, majestic roar and even
occasionally spit a bit of metalish growl. In only 33 minutes, we are taken on a ride that covers
plenty of ground. There is a lot of depth and songwriting variety, even pulling in some classical
and folkish bits, much drama, and even some playfulness. Most important, the feel of the tracks
connect with me emotionally. Despite the language barrier, I can feel this.

Once again, it proves to me how short albums are wonderful; rarely do we need these 70-minute
behemoths. Sometimes warranted, sure, but too often feeling more like obligation in prog these days.
If you were one of the many who loved their debut, this is a slam dunk that you will dig this one
too. The CD comes with an extra bonus track that is not on the digital versions.

RIFFSTONE Mythical Creatures (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 16:16:42 EST

Review by luisanchez19 — Mythical Creatures is Riffstone's third album in two years, and it is their most ambitious and fully realised work to
date. The duo of Dave Allen and Colin Powell have constructed a ten-track concept album of just over eighty
minutes, in which each piece is dedicated to a specific mythological creature ? Griffin, Dragon, Phoenix, Hydra,
Basilisk, Manticore, Selkies, Chimera, Leviathan and Unicorn ? treated not merely as folkloric subject matter but as
psychological archetypes, mirrors of ambition, fragmentation, conflict and eventual integration.

The music is dense, melodic and consistently inventive throughout its considerable runtime. Mellotron is the
dominant keyboard voice, present across the album in waves that give the music its characteristic warmth and
weight, alongside synthesizers, organ and piano. The bass playing is a particular strength, carrying both harmonic
and rhythmic authority in a manner that recalls the more assertive end of the classic prog tradition. Programmed
drums serve the music well despite their synthetic nature, with the arrangements structured to minimise any
mechanical quality.

Individual tracks reward close attention. "The Phoenix" builds from acoustic guitar and keyboards into a piece of
considerable emotional power, with guitar work that touches on early King Crimson territory. "The Manticore" is the
album's longest and most structurally diverse piece, blending folk textures, flute-like keyboards and medieval
atmosphere with more forceful progressive passages. "The Selkies" brings a Celtic edge and strong melodic
momentum, while the closing "The Unicorn" resolves the album in a warmly Beatles-inflected finale that provides
genuine emotional release after the weight of what preceded it.

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

Tue, 5 May 2026 13:09:28 EST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:57:20 EST

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

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

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

MOONRISE No Rewind (Neo-Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:49:18 EST

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

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

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

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

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:47:42 EST

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

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

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

EINAR SOLBERG Vox Occulta (Crossover Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:46:00 EST

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

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

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

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

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

CZYSZY Electric Egg (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:43:39 EST

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

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

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

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

35 TAPES Veil on Life (Symphonic Prog, 2026)

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:40:21 EST

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

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

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

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

Tue, 5 May 2026 10:37:54 EST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total Time 37:18

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

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