NEO-PROG

PALLAS is rightfully known as one of the earliest neo-prog bands that along with Marillion, IQ, Twelfth Night, Pendragon and Solstice ushered in the second wave of popular progressive rock in the early 1980s. What's not well known however is that the band formed as far back as 1974 in Aberdeen, Scotland and spent many years hitting the club circuit with the mission of keeping symphonic prog alive while the entire prog scene was clearly in decline. What's also interesting is that the band was first called Rainbow until Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple and assembled a band of the same name and achieved superstardom. After a brief stint as Pallas Anthene, the second part was dropped and has been simply PALLAS ever since.

While the first proper PALLAS album didn't emerge until 1984 way after its contemporaries jumped on the on the neo-prog bandwagon, the band did predate its competition and in fact released its debut EP simply titled THE PALLAS EP as early as 1978 however PALLAS was an entirely different band in those days with only founder Graeme Murray remaining by the time "The Sentinel" saw the light of day. THE PALLAS EP was a completely different beast than anything that came after and wouldn't even be recognizable as a PALLAS release even by the staunchest of followers. Pressed only once as a 7" vinyl recording with four tracks, this earliest offering from PALLAS found itself in a tug of war between Genesis inspired progressive rock and the contemporary sounds of punk rock. This hard to find musical artifact didn't even have a proper album cover and was simply released in a plain 45 styled sleeve with a simple THE PALLAS EP stamped on it.

One of the most unusual moments for any band that would be called neo-prog, PALLAS delivers a strange hybrid of punk rock simplicity with the progressive rock instrumentation such as a mellotron and 12-string guitar. Avoiding any time signature workouts, THE PALLAS EP focused more on simple punk rock songs with titles like "Reds Under The Beds" and "Thought Police" which displayed an anarchic sense of paranoia right out of the Sex Pistols or Crass playbook however the unusual electronic embellishments and high register vocal style of Peter Gabriel and early neo-prog clearly kept this in a world all its own. While Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf were flirting with punk rock crossover moments, their music provided a much more nuanced approach and greater finesse.

THE PALLAS EP is a crude first attempt at the recording process with a shoddy production and garage rock style songwriting. The four tracks on board do offer distinct melodic developments but stick to a short punchy 4-minute-ish running time. The lyrics almost sound like a parody with the opening "Reds Under The Beds" referring to the Red Scare of the Soviet Union and the ensuing paranoia the West had during the era about commies emerging from every nook and cranny ready to dethrone democracy in a McCarthy-esque coup d'erat. "Thought Police" is equally head scratching as it features a few prog moves such as an opening synth solo while three chord guitar punk banters on in accompaniment. The vocals are fairly bad with a laughable attempt to sound punk but failing to evoke all the proper attitude that made punk rock so effective.

"CUUK" offers a bit of bagpipe sounds to a less punk influenced sound and more reliant on hard rock. Vaguely sounding like what Big Country would conjure up in the 80s, the track was perhaps the most interesting musically speaking. The final "Wilmot Dovehouse MP" almost sounds like a tribute to The Who with its Pete Townsend guitar strumming technique but mixes the punkish guitar and bass moves with a trippy new wave styled keyboard heft. The vocals are in the style of an impish elf half-narrating and half-singing a storyline. The EP is one of a kind really and while not even remotely essential for lovers of the neo-prog style, it certainly is an interesting little curiosity that showcased a band experimenting with its stylistic approach before finally latching onto the 80s scene that would make them one of the top artists in the neo-prog second wave of progressive rock. Hard to find but available for a quick spin on the band's Bandcamp site. It's so bad that it's good in a Shaggs sorta way so i'll give it 3 stars.

While the 80s neo-prog scene is primarily associated with the English revival prog that was launched by Pallas, Twelfth Night, Marillion and IQ, there were really quite a few lesser known bands emerging from other nations around the very same time. In fact of all the earliest known neo-prog releases, only Twelfth Night can claim to have released anything before bands like the Dutch band ARKUS which unleashed its full debut release as early as 1981.

A rather mysterious band formed in the city of Nieuwegein sometime in the late 1970s, ARKUS just kind of snuck in its debut album before the English neo-proggers got their bearing and then disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Strangely the band has periodically reformed and dropped a second album in the 90s and another in 2003. The lineup featured Frans Smits (vocals, guitar), Ron Willems (guitar), Jan-Henk Wiggelinkhuizen (strings, organ, synthesizers), John Bouwman (bass, vocals) and Erik van Duin (drums, percussion, vocals).

While sounding more like an English band than any prog rock that came from the Netherlands, ARKUS evoked more of a post-Gabriel Genesis stance rather than the theatrical early English neo-prog bands. More Camel and even Pink Floyd than Marillion so to speak and as much classic symphonic prog as early neo only the dreamy pastoral kind. The band's debut 1914 was a concept album based on a poem written by Dutch poet and translator Bert Voeten. The original album featured seven tacks at 38 1/2 minutes long.

The band delivered a competent slice of early neo-prog and 1914 is actually quite pleasant. It's a dreamy airy affair with softy strummed 12-string guitars in conjunct with those classic Hackett inspired lead guitar sweeps and a thick synthesized atmospheric back drop. The bassist cops a Pink Floyd feel as have many neo-prog bassists throughout the decades and lead vocalist Frans Smits delivered a smooth competent vocal style that while not the cream of the crop was better than many of the neo-prog acts that could often sound atrocious. The compositions are all fairly consistent and the melodies are catchy from the getgo.

Despite its obscure nature and relative difficult status as an easy to obtain collectible, the album was reissued on CD with a couple bonus tracks. Overall this is a fairly decent slab of primeval neo-prog that didn't even emerge from the British Isles and if ARKUS had stuck it out for the long haul perhaps could've been a contender of best bands of the era but as it stands the album isn't perfect and could've used some spicing up as the formula is set to cruise control and the members needed to hone their chops a bit more for prime time. A nice little obscurity bin but there's a reason this one lingers in the shadows behind the bigwigs of the era.

The departure of Peter Nicholls after the successful "The Wake" and the immediate addition of Paul Menel as vocalist for their third album, "Nomzamo", implied a change in IQ's musical direction, leaning towards light and translucent structures dominated by typical eighties synthesizers, to the detriment of the more complex and intricate sonorities timidly present.

And so, after the intriguing introductory keyboards of Martin Orford in the persistent "No Love Lost", the album travels for most of its journey through tame waters of few risks, with developments that approach the most melodic and accessible AOR, such as the jovial "Promises (As the Years Go By)", the ballad "Still Life", which Ray Carless' saxophone tries to save, or the festive "Passing Strangers" and "Screaming", the latter piece even with an undisguised pop wink.

The recessive gene of IQ's progressive vein is visible in fragments that add nuances to the general appearance of the album, such as Paul Cook's tenacious percussions with African reminiscences in the piece "Nomzamo", the extensive "Human Nature", or the emotive and pacifist "Common Ground", with Mike Holmes' arpeggiated beginning and a luminous counterpoint with Orford's synthesizers that lead to a beautiful guitar solo by Holmes towards the end. Surely the best piece on the album.

Despite the always laudable intention of expanding musical horizons, it seems however that with the departure of Nicholls the band loses more than it gains, even in its graphic aesthetics. "Nomzamo" is a decent album, to be sure, but it could have been better.

2.5/3 stars

Although this is a band, and not a project, these guys have had some issue with continuity of line-up over the years, and this has continued through to their fourth album. After 2019's excellent 'A Tower of Clocks' there was a mass departure, leaving singer Al Winter to bring together a brand-new group plus guests for 2021's 'Kites', which for some strange reason I never heard. Now we are back with their most recent release, and this time apart from Al the only musicians retained are the rhythm section of Dave Close (bass) and Alan Wilson (drums) with new members in the shape of John Cook (guitars) and Leigh Perkins (keyboards, whistles, backing vocals) plus two guests contributing on one track each.

Given the turmoil in the ranks one might expect the quality to suffer, but that is not the case as yet again we have a really enjoyable neo prog release which has a lot going for it the first time it is played, with hidden depths becoming apparent after repeated plays. It is a concept release, based on dystopia and steampunk, and Al obviously has a very clear idea on what he wants to achieve, even stepping aside on "Change" for Andre Saint to guest on lead vocals on the heavier track as it is obviously what he felt that song needed. This is very much neo prog, but it has been polished and crafted for the modern age so there are elements of symphonic and even crossover in what is being presented, which means that people who are fans of commercial melodic rock will also get a lot out of this.

The last time I reviewed This Winter Machine I said they contained obvious elements of early Pallas and Marillion, combined with some Pendragon, Galahad and Grey Lady Down, and I still believe that is the case even with a total change in personnel apart from Al, yet here it is polished to a high degree. Hopefully they will find more continuity in the future, as I note they are again looking for a guitarist, as if they can deliver music as strong as this with the line-up in turmoil what is going to happen when they are stable? Yet another solidly enjoyable release.

— First review of this album —

Here we have the latest project from French writer poet, vocalist and lyricist Thierry Sportouche (Anoxie, Silver Lining, Silver Hunter), who is best known in the prog scene for running the indispensable Acid Dragon progzine. Here he has joined forces with Florida-based keyboardist/composer Stephen Gilbert-Rivera (Azureth, Cosmic Singularity), while Norwegian based Kenneth Aspesl'en (Blue Lynx, Wasted) guests on two tracks. With Thierry providing vocals and flute, Stephen keyboards, and Kenneth vocals (on one track), bass, guitars, drums on the two tracks he is involved with, here we have a prog project which is looking backwards to the Seventies, bringing in some classic ELP sounds and styles.

Opening number 'On The Prowl' is one of the weakest, with the vocals and keyboards not really gelling, but in many ways it is false representation of what the rest of the album is like as from here on in there are some very positive elements indeed. To my ears it is a shame that Aspesl'en is not more involved as 'Reason of Truth' is where the guys really come alive, with the additional instrumentation providing a much broader and heavier approach. Here we have a band really firing on all cylinders, powering through the longest song on the album, the keyboards rising, guitar crunching, drums providing the backbone and vocals perfectly in sync. Contrast that to the far more thoughtful and restrained 'Intermission', where Thierry talks us through man's stupidity, then allows Stephen to provide some lovely, layered, keyboards which are both delicate and passionate, with the sung section perfectly capturing the moment.

They even manage to bring us a prog track which is only just slightly longer than 2:30, which is highly unusual, yet works well. This is an interesting project, and I certainly hope it does not take as long for the next one to come out (this took more than three years), and for that one they need to get Aspesl'en onboard as a full member as that is the direction they should be moving in as it is just so powerful.

— First review of this album —

Norfolk-based prog band Mother Black Cap were formed back in 2004 by long-time friends, guitarist Martin Nico and keyboard player Bob Connell. Over the years there have been a few line-up changes, plus they broke up for a while, but are now back with their latest album which also features Andy 'Fizz' Bye (lead vocals, bass) and drummer Dave Dietrich (who has since been replaced by Martyn 'Mac' McCarthy. What make this such an intriguing album in that the guys are following one of the most criticised subgenres within the prog scene, Neo, and not only that but they are actually reaching more into the Eighties than the prog boom of the Nineties.

I never understood why so many people had something against the genre, as in many ways I felt it made perfect sense as we moved away from the overblown nature of the Seventies and combined that with the independent ethic which came out of punk and then the indie and metal scenes. Sure, there was much more rock guitar and a different emphasis than what had come previously, but to me this is music actually progressing and changing its form. Now here we are with an album from 2023 which actually could have come out 40 years earlier. More Tamarisk than Marillion, more Haze than Twelfth Night, with a singer who is more rough and ready than many, this takes us back to a time when the prog scene was alive and well in pubs, even though only a select few knew about it and even less were writing about it. Not for these guys the anthems and swathes of keyboards of many, as instead of polish we have guys playing from the heart and doing exactly what they want. At one time this would have only been available on a grubby much-copied tape, but thanks to modern technology this can be grabbed in full digital splendour from their Bandcamp site, and if you look back at the old days with pleasure (I was playing a Tamarisk live recording just the other day) then this is for you.

MINDGAMES - MMX (5/5)

While perhaps not quite as compelling as their previous work "Actors In A Play", the album maintains the signature Mindgames atmosphere with its well-crafted compositions and overall positive vibe.

What truly sets MMX apart is the band's unwaveringly positive attitude throughout each track. The musicianship is top-notch, with each piece brimming with catchy interplay and solid execution. There isn't a dull moment to be found here, every track is a winner, especially "The Pendulum".

While "MMX" may not reinvent the wheel, it doesn't need to. It's a testament to the band's consistency and craftsmanship that they can deliver such a consistently enjoyable listening experience. From start to finish, "MMX" is a testament to Mindgames' evolution as musicians and songwriters while staying true to the essence of what makes them great. Mindgames has once again delivered a valuable addition to the genre, earning an easy five-star recommendation as a neo-prog.

This release underscores Mindgames' status as a truly great band deserving of wider recognition within the prog community. While some may debate whether MMX surpasses the brilliance of Actors in a Play, there's no denying that it stands as a beautifully composed album and a strong contender for the best of 2010.

If you're looking for some good old classic progressive rock you can't miss this Leviathan album. Born in the mid-80s in Rome, they were among the first bands in Italy to join the new wave of Prog Rock. Originally recorded in 1988, Heartquake is the reissue of the band's debut album of the same name. Of the original lineup, only the vocalist, Alex Brunori and percussionist Andrea Monetta remained, to whom were added Andrea Amici (keyboards, in the band since 1990), the guitarist Fabio Serra and the Sienese bassist Andrea Castelli fresh from the experience with Il Rovescio della Medaglia, one of the most iconic bands of the prog rock scene made in Italy. The result is an album with a classic sound but extremely original. From the first song we understand the solidity of the band which manages to perfectly calibrate virtuosity and groove. The references to Genesis' style are evident without losing originality and freshness. The second piece is extremely interesting and brings to mind bands like Cressida or Camel. The title track is also excellent in which the band's chemistry is evident. An excellent album, well recorded and worthy of five stars. My hope is to be able to hear a new work from the Italian band soon. FabArt

Review Nº 766

'Live From Loreley' is a DVD of Marillion that was released in 2004. It was taken from a recorded live show performed at the Freilichtbuhne Loreley, St. Goarshausen, Germany on 18 July 1987. The recording session was made during the first part of the 1987 'Clutching At Straws' live tour, showing the band at the peak of their best commercial success.

The line up on 'Live From Loreley' was the usual at the time: Fish (vocals), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (keyboards), Pete Trewavas (bass) and Ian Mosley (drums). It had also the participation of Cori Josias (backing vocals).

'Live From Loreley' is a live show that comprises songs from their four studio albums recorded by them up to that point, 'Script For A Jester's Tear' from 1983, 'Fugazi' from 1984, 'Misplaced Childhood' from 1985 and 'Clutching At Straws' from 1987. It includes also non-album's songs, which were released on their debut EP 'Market Square Heroes'.

The cover of the album uses the original 1987 concert poster designed by Mark Wilkinson, a British graphic designer which is best known by his cover art created for a number of British bands, like Marillion and Fish. It shows the central character from the cover of their single 'Incommunicado', taken from their fourth studio album 'Clutching At Straws'.

From the 'Live From Loreley' live tour were released four live documents. It was released a 1987 VHS tape version with thirteen tracks, a 1995 CD + Video Double Pack with twelve tracks on the CD version and thirteen on the VHS Video version, because 'Incubus' wasn't included on the audio CD version, a 2004 DVD version with fourteen tracks, and a 2009 double audio CD version with eighteen tracks, much more complete because it includes four new tracks that had been omitted from the previous versions, 'White Russian', 'Fugazi', 'Garden Party' and 'Market Square Heroes'.

So, 'Live From Loreley' is a DVD with fourteen tracks. About the tracks chosen to be performed in the live set we can say that 'Slainte Mhath' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'Assassing' was released on 'Fugazi', 'Script For A Jester's Tear' was released on 'Script For A Jester's Tear', 'Incubus' was released on 'Fugazi', 'Sugar Mice' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'Hotel Hobbies' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'Warm Wet Circles' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', 'That Time Of The Night (The Short Straw)' was released on 'Clutching At Straws', Kayleigh' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'Lavender' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'Bitter Suite' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'Heart Of Lothian' was released on 'Misplaced Childhood', 'The Last Straw' was released on 'Clutching At Straws' and 'Incommunicado' was released on 'Clutching At Straws'.

The set list is very interesting, as it differs significantly from 'The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra)'. The focus here is more on 'Clutching At Straws' than on 'Misplaced Childhood'. So, there's relatively little overlap in the song selection between both live albums. Fish interprets the pieces with a lot of expression and power and I don't think that he falls off in any way compared to the interpretations on the other recordings that I know. Fish is also dressed appropriately in a brightly coloured Jester costume and heaves his massive figure across the stage. Also, the background singer doesn't bother me at all. She's used subtly and supports the pieces well dosed. The stage is wide and illuminated with many colours. The enthusiastic crowd, at that time were about 18,000 spectators, was offered something not only musically, but also visually. The picture on the DVD looks a bit fuzzy and glaring in certain colour tones, particularly with a lot of red, but is otherwise okay. However, it doesn't meet today's standards. But that hardly matters, because the music is able to grab. The sound on the DVD is okay. It's not a real 5.1 sound, but a subsequently highly mixed surround sound, but it makes a good impression. Additionally, the DVD offers as an extra, a Photo Gallery from the band at the time.

Conclusion: To see again 'Live From Loreley' after so many years is a very nostalgic experience for me. It represents unfortunately the last live tour of the band with Fish. As I wrote in other occasions, I like of both Marillion's lines up with Fish or Hogarth. However, with Fish on board Marillion is a completely different kind of band. And when I see this DVD is totally clear for me, this is the Marillion that I love most. On 'Live From Loreley' we can see a band doing a great live performance, where all musicians are great and know what they are doing on stage. However, what impressed me most was the stage performance of Fish. It shows an artist with an absolute control of the stage and the audience. In Loreley, he fully demonstrates that beyond his great vocal capacity he also owns a great and impressive personality on stage. In relation to the video and the sound of the DVD, I must say that they're excellent, in the same quality line of the concert.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Canadian band Mystery released their eighth studio album 'Redemption' in 2023, adding up another valuable piece of music to their incredibly consistent discography. A band that is currently quite recognizable within the progressive rock community, Mystery have actually been around since the second half of the 80s, however, releasing their first studio album in 1996. For a history that has lasted for more than thirty years, naturally there have been numerous lineup changes, with guitarist and founding member Michel St-Père being the sole constant one for all these years. And in 2023, with a solid lineup that has been around for the last decade, Mystery present a fantastic follow-up to their 2018 album 'Lies and Butterflies', a record that still resonates strongly with many people who are familiar with it, which is what will probably happen with 'Redemption', too.

While their style may broadly be described as neo-prog, they do take in some influences from symphonic rock and hard rock, but the thing with Mystery is that one always knows what to expect, to a certain extent, and they have become incredibly consistent and excellent at delivering precisely this brand of very emotive and melodic neo-prog, full of cinematic guitar playing, thoughtful lyrics, and warm, lush and beautifully produced soundscapes, necessarily being able to deliver both the memorable hooks and the long, intricate epic pieces, always bringing in some great vocalists, including Jean Pageau, the one singing on 'Redemption'. As for the songs and the album, this record has been recorded over the course of five years, carefully crafted by honing some old recordings of songs left unfinished, or by introducing entirely new material of gorgeous and intelligent modern prog rock - all of the band's qualities are gorgeously displayed on songs like track one, 'Behind the Mirror', which is a melodramatic and dynamic piece, with smart bass playing and lovely sweeping guitars. The shadowy undertones added by the keyboards surely enhance the atmosphere not only on this song, but on the entire album all throughout.

Then comes the emotive splendor of the title track, a more haunting piece featuring a great vocal performance by Pageau. 'The Beauty and the Least' is a mini-epic clocking in at around nine minutes, with Mystery slowly building up a tense fabric of soundscapes, climaxing in a dramatic instrumental section unfolding in the second half of the song. 'Every Note' is a lovely ballad-type entry from Mystery, something familiar for them, as they manage to write memorable shorter pieces, in which they never compromise the usual richness of the music that is associated with them. 'Pearls and Fire' is a 12-minute composition going through multiple movements, simply a neo-prog delicatessen. 'My inspiration' is a hopeful and more playful piece that occasionally could remind someone of IQ, or another great band from the higher ranks of neo-prog. 'Homecoming' displays a welcoming, warm playing, topped by the excellent vocals and the great hooks. The 20-minute-long closing piece 'Is This How the Story Ends?' is a stylish outro for a fabulous album in which a very experienced band decidedly displays their craft of composing textured and memorable progressive rock defined by strong melodies and playful sonic intricacy.