This review is a long time coming, as I was asked to write one all the way back in November, but I'm finally writing it now. The core of the band consists of just a drummer, a bassist, and a guitar player, but there are many guest musicians, including saxophone, trumpet, and strings. This album was actually my introduction into math rock, a genre I have grown to love, and it is still my favorite album of the genre. The piece starts out much like Close to the Edge, building quietly for a bit until it finally comes frantically crashing in. The whole thing is very high energy, with a constant unrelenting rhythm section. Guitar is for the most part the main focus, but sax will occasionally take over and there are times where they both are coming at you at the same time. It being so frantic and high energy you might expect it to kind of meander on at times, but it feels focused, and never tires.

The frantic battle of guitar and sax continues for awhile until about 13 minutes in when it shifts and the sax disappears. The drum and guitar just start hammering in, fading out, and hammering back in. Then starts to dramatically pick back up in a very Crimsonian way. After that it starts to sound very playful and maybe a little Zappa-esque. It then gets a bit jazzier and starts shifting tempo multiple times. It's a very bright sounding piece with tones they use, if also quite chaotic. I have to comment that I love Sean McDermott's guitar tone.

About 19 minutes in trumpet comes, sounding a bit like King Crimson's Lizard, but with perhaps's experimental edge and constant rhythm keeping it sounding their own. As it continues it develops into more of a psychedelic krautrock sound that works fantastically with the addition of trumpet. It starts to progress into more of Hawkwind psychedelia as guitar becomes more and more prominent. It begins to calm down, which is short lived and it becomes louder and energy picks back up as the drums start crashing in louder and louder.

At about 27 minutes in it shifts moods again, becoming more playful, until after a minute it suddenly stops, doing something similar to what they did back at 13 minutes. The drums and guitar keep hammering on for another minute until it descends into a calmer post rock atmosphere. After a few minutes strings are added in as it starts to pick up. It reaches a powerful crescendo until suddenly dropping. It immediately picks back up even higher then it was before. The guitar goes into a solo over the strings and pounding drums that is just fantastic. The drums continue to pound louder and louder over the guitar and the strings until finally it is all brought down into the powerful conclusion of a masterpiece.

This album is truly amazing. I cannot recommend this enough to any fan of progressive music, and it is a fantastic introduction to the post/math rock genre if you've yet to explore it.

ProjeKct Two Space Groove is the best King Crimson album because nobody knows it exists.

I was first introduced to this album by someone who was not really a fan of progressive rock at all. They were big into 80s and 90s alt rock dinosaurs like Dinosaur Jr., Butthole Surfers, and The Flaming Lips. But for whatever reason they had this album as part of their collection and held it in high regard.

So being something of an obsessive King Crimson fan and wanting to impress this other person I began listening to this album. This was nearly a decade ago now, and I'm still not sure what to think.

It does stand out as being one of the most unique albums in the King Crimson discography. Its really hard to find anything else in their catalog that even sounds kind of like this.

Basically this consists of three musicians with some new toys to play with. Trey Gunn with his recently acquired Warr Guitar, Adrain Belew and his V Drums (which had just arrived prior to recording), and Mr. Fribble with his ever expanding collection of effects units and pedals to run his guitar through. The latest and most advanced in late-90s musical instrument technology.

So the three Crimsos gather together and hit record, and these are they results.

Being an album that consists almost entirely of improv (with some vague compositional ideas scattered throughout) it can't really be judged on the same merits as a traditional written and composed album. It is spontaneous music-making by a group of musicians who are basically professionals at it. Probably the most intriguing thing about the music is it is sometimes hard to tell exactly who is playing what. Was that sound I just heard a V-Drum sample, a Frippertronic, or a Warr Guitar worked through some pedals? These sort of things can only be dissected on repeated listens, and even then there's always something new to discover.

The improvisations were always the most interesting part of a King Crimson show anyway, this album is one of the few occasions where the audience gets to experience a candid improv session in a private setting, without the pressures of a live audience and pesky flash photography.

This is what progressive rock is all about. Put on some big headphones, pick out a particular instrument, and listen to all the amazing things going on, the various intricacies and quirks of the musicianship. You know you're a prog! It's time to listen like one.

I found this band and record today, the same day their second studio record was released. The people who play this eight track music record is Gino Terribile (drums, vocals), Giuseppe Terribile (bass, vocals), Franco Piccolini (keyboards), Roberto Giordana (guitar) and Piuccio Pradal (vocal, 12 string guitar). They built this group back in the seventies but the didnt make a full scale record. In recent days they have and they are totally amazing. Perhaps the don't have the best singer but otherwise this music is brilliant. This is amazing symphonic rock. I am so surprised of Italy, what a marvelous prog nation, mostly of what that land has brought us seems to be fantastic.

Every track here is very good. The music is virtous and it has some form of feeling of the seventies prog. The music is very distinct, you can hear every instrument very clear. Mostly they use their common instruments but I can alse hear flute and saxophone it it. One of the best tracks is the instrumental "Labirinto" which is calm but has a wonderful melody with nice organs and flute work. The longest track "La Promesa" starts distinct with vocals and has a great and smart composition driven by guitar and organ. "Una nuova realtà" is another strong and fast track with different sections and the vocals begins at four minutes. A winning piece of prog. "Oggi volerò" has heavy rock. Every track is wonderful and interesting. It happens a lot int their music, it has a lot of drive. It's never indecisive but allways powerful and harmonic. This is very melodical music. Perhaps they didn't experiment so much but this is absolutely a full scale symphonic prog record. I say it again, I am surprised of the music of Italy which is so great. I know very little, almost nothing about this band but I will listen more and do some research. This is splendid prog from the twentyfirst century.

This is a terrific album! This crossover prog band has a great melodic style. They don't try to overdo it on technicality or speed. They write beautiful music that arouses the emotions and lifts the spirits. Amazing, soaring melodies are the key here. The band even plays around with some Spanish sounds here, too.

This album is great from start to finish. "Spanish 411" and "Faded Photographs" are both fantastic songs, but the unequivocally best song on this album is "The Willing Victim". This song is simply stunning in every way. The structure is superb and the vocals are breath- taking!! It takes you and allows you to soar on the crest of the melody. This would have been a 5-star album for sure had the rest of the album been as fantastic. As it is, it is a strong 4-star album. Highly recommended!

What do you look for in your progressive rock? Is it the constant shifting of tempo? Or perhaps you prefer exuberant keyboards or an endless series of solos? Or then again, are you simply looking for sophisticated rock, driven by emotion and a desire to touch others? If you answered that last statement in the positive, then it is likely that you may already be a fan of the Polish progressive rockers of Riverside. If not, then I hope this review will entice you to check them out.

To me, Riverside always had one essential element that makes them, well, Riverside: the voice of vocalist Mariusz Duda. This man has a voice unlike any other that I know. He has a deeply emotive, highly melodic croon which when coupled with the band's equally emotional musical output, creates a whole which makes this band one of my favorite progressive bands out there and a band that I find has some of the most touching concepts and overall vibe. Be it the introspective Out of Myself, the disturbingly familiar concept of Second Life Syndrome ? which by the way, boasts one of my coveted perfect scores ? or the unsettling parasomnia of Rapid Eye Movement, Riverside always delivered some incredibly solid experiences.

However, 2009 brought Anno Domini High Definition (or ADHD, see what they did there?). After Rapid Eye Movement, which was slightly lackluster to many, I think the band thought that it was that they needed to move away from their sound and try something different. So Anno Domini brought a heavier, more "metalized" sound which to me kind of broke the Riverside "vibe". It has its moments ("Egoist Hedonist" is a great song) but didn't appeal to the Riverside fan in me much. It's a great progressive rock/metal album if it came from any other band but it's a bad album for Riverside standards. I really wondered if this was the band running out of ideas or just moving towards a sound which I didn't feel especially keen on. Riverside trying to be heavy doesn't work for me at all.

Enter 2013. It's been four years since the last album and Riverside drops their new opus: Shrine of New Generation Slaves. To say I had mixed feelings about this album is an understatement. As previously said, I was incredibly disappointed by Anno Domini taking a more metal approach. It just seemed to destroy some of the emotion which makes Riverside, well you know, Riverside. Although admittedly, it's always been Mariusz Duda's ridiculously perfect and emotive voice which makes them such a wonderful band to me. I've been putting back listening to this in fear of being disappointed and now that I've already listened to it over 10 times, I can put my worries at rest: Riverside is back in force!

Now, let's get into the meat of the album. I find myself really liking the opener, "New Generation Slave". It serves its purpose as an "intro" quite well and is quite surprisingly heavy at times but thankfully, it doesn't compromise on the melodic side of things with Mariusz's vocals shining as always, even with the slight grit effect in the sound. But then, "The Depth of Self-Delusion" hit me with full force and I had my first "oh my god!" moment in years with the band. What a stupidly beautiful song! As a bonus, it is nicely devoid of this needless metal which Riverside should never rely on again. The band's trademark emotion pierces through that song with conviction, with some sweet keyboards and some terrific guitar playing. That song makes me want to melt.

And you know what is awesome about all that? It's the only the second song and the rest of the album is just as killer! With such strong songs as the beautiful "We Got Used to Us" (which to me almost comes to rival with "Conceiving You" from Second Life Syndrome), the touching and emotional "Feels Like Falling" and the progressive drive of the 12-minute epic "Escalator Shrine", the album is just incredibly strong from start to finish.

I'm infinitely thankful that Riverside didn't feel the need to shift towards a more metal-driven sound. I felt so much resentment towards the last album. And now that I look back, if the heaviness of Anno Domini was part of its concept, I think now that Shrine of New Generation Slaves is here and is so wonderful, I might actually be able to appreciate Anno Domini a bit more once I go back to it.

So even after all that gushing, the album isn't perfect. I already knew "Celebrity Touch" and to be honest, even though it's not bad by any means, it's my least favorite on here and probably the reason I can't give Shrine of New Generation Slaves a perfect note. The lyrics are spot-on, though. I also feel that ? while I do like it ? "Escalator Shrine" drags a little bit and may be a few minutes too long.

The whole concept of the album seems really cool and much better than the denunciation of society's current state from punk bands and their "social awareness", which often is nothing more than complaining about the system without proposing any kind of solution. On this album, Riverside proposes a much more metaphorical and introspective look at our lives and the unstoppable spiral of madness that is the pace we live our lives at. In Mariusz's own words: "It's based on the fact that we all hear almost every day from friends and close people how unhappy they are, how they hate their jobs, how they don't have a time for this or that, how time flies and how they actually feel like slaves in their lives. I thought it was a good option to write about that kind of unhappiness and this "new generation slavery", where people seem to be unable to take control over their own lives".

At this point, any complaints are really just minor nitpicking and other than that, it's just another masterful work from Riverside, which to me truly is one of the best progressive rock acts out there right now. But other than that, Shrine of New Generation Slaves is just a wonderful ride from one end to the other and it will likely get the most spinning time out of all progressive rock/metal albums in 2013.

I was rating 3 stars and writing this review while I was listening to this EP for the second time. Now I get it. Pseudo/Sentai is an alternative/experimental rock band. I'm into Super Sentai, mecha and almost every sci-fi related stuff, so I decided to taste the band after a conversation with Greg (Guitar/Vocals/Blue pseudosentai). Thanks to Greg, I'm glad to meet you. Keep the good work, guys.

It sounds to be their latest review (actually, 2013). Well, there's no boring song here. Nature's Imagination (Chapter 2) is a good EP, and it's interesting how it works. The songs are all different from each other. The first song intro, Landmark of Vascular Catastrophe, is nice. When the vocals start, I clearly remember Coldrain (japanese alternative) vocals. The atmosphere is good, and I like (a lot) the guitar riffage at 1:30" - 2:10". The second song, Photoperiodism, is mainly acoustic and clean, a nice mood frame.

My favorite track here, Oil Hurricane. I love MIDI songs and oldschool video-game ost's, one of my favorite albums ever is the F-ZERO soundtrack, very creative and... Nostalgic tune. And this track is nostalgic, even at the first time. But it's not boring as nintendo-core and modern poop. Foliage Flower and Keeper of the Stars are light hearted and slow tracks, maybe the weakest side of the EP. But not bad. Some good effects. And I like the last half from the last track.

You can find Nature's Imagination (Chapter 2) at their bandcamp. Check it out.

Strictly Naked

I actually got this CD before I was ever able to locate a copy of its official-release counterpart, Strictly Personal. While I do enjoy the heavy handed psychedelic production of that album, the unfettered versions still feel like the definitive versions to me. This particular release has since been made obsolete by the readily available reissues of Safe as Milk and Mirror Man (while Strictly Personal still languishes in relative obscurity), as bonus tracks on those CDs, so don't go out of your way to find this CD unless you're a collector.

The essay inside talks about the whole scandal involving the release of the aforementioned Personal album, how it was released on a small label (Blue Thumb) by producer Bob Krasnow and lots of psychedelic effects were pasted on to the songs after the fact, a move (supposedly, though I have doubts) that was not sanctioned by Beefheart nor the band. This release was the first attempt to set the record straight, even though I doubt Beefheart himself had any involvement in the release of this CD. It presents the majority of the album's tracks in their unfettered form, presenting them as tough blues-based psychedelic rock numbers, with strong hints of the jagged rhythms that would come to full fruition on Trout Mask Replica the following year.

"Trust Us" is my favorite of these, and it's presented here in two versions, though it takes a real close listen to tell them apart. It's probably the tune that comes closest to the Trout Mask sound. My other favorite is a song that never ended up on an official album, the mesmerizing "Moody Liz", a woozy song with brief group vocals at the beginning followed by a long instrumental coda - very similar in approach to the final album's song "Kandy Korn".

What's here is good stuff, certainly very handy for my collection, at least until the reissues came out, which has made this CD somewhat superfluous. Also, several of these tracks are incomplete or otherwise uncompelling ("On Tomorrow" is done as an instrumental, for example, and it doesn't make an especially interesting instrumental). But otherwise it's quite strong.

what a surprise !!!! I think that nobody could think that Deep Purple in 2013 could made a great disc . for me Now What is the better DP album since 1976!!!! Great jam session between Hammond and guitar as the nice years,a good work of Paice and Glover, Ian Gillan has not the voice of 1972, but his work is very very good.

, we can notice the role of Bob Ezrin: i know his work with Pink Floyd and in primis with Kiss (one of my favourite band, also not progressive!!!): in 1992 (after the death of Eric Cass, Kiss' drummer) he produced one of the best Kiss ? record, Revenge, and the same thing happened with Deep Purple after the death of Jon Lord !!!

.Highlight of the cd is Uncomm man (and the most progressive song of the album). great tracks are also Simple song, Weirdistan, blood from a stone and Vincent Price.

at the age of 65 - 70 years DP are better than a lot of youger band !!!

Searching For a Land.

This is the title of the fourth album of the Trolls, published in 1972, and this album is completely different from their predecessors especially by legendary Concerto Grosso.

A double album, with a part of was recorded in the studio and another live; surely, possibly in some Prog Rock Festival from many different numerous avant-garde musical events of those years in the Italian peninsula.

The first is an impact of neo- classicism between Venetian romanticism baroquisms with renaissance atmosphere, blended with sad and melancholy melodies, with some lysergic atmospheres and acoustic parts and some jazz moment.

All this puts reflected the skill of the musicians; the poly instrumentalist Vittorio De Scalzi just alternates with various instruments with skill and a distinctive and velvety voice; the ability of the Maestro Maurizio Salvi making extensive use of Hammond organ, Mellotron, Moog, Piano & Cembalo, makes the arrangement and the atmosphere in a classical way almost like a real orchestra; good taste of guitar solos and guitar arrangements of the great Nico Di Palo and its high tone voice, he gave a hard sound to the musical parties and acid moments; the rhythm section of Gianni Belleno full drums and the new entry in the band of Frank Laugelli on bass instead of (Giorgio D'adamo) they made a rhythmic harmony between the various styles and shares giving a solid sound and a full-bodied to the various musical passages.

The second part is the live album which is just completely different and the recipe is more hard & heavy, do not missing the references to classical and Baroque music but the soul of hard rock is more visible on that formula; heavy fuzz guitar sound with great solo parts, bulky and strong use of the flute, a powerful Hammond organ always present with powerful solos and technical arrangements and bass and drums sounding hard and full-bodied with massive parts, powerful harsh vocals; this brings the new trolls into the heavy progressive, among other things are the sounds that they have never hidden and underestimated.

All this makes the second part of the album spectacular and unrepeatable to turn everything into a great album, although that, is not very convincing criticism of those years and so it was understood in the right way, and the album sung entirely in English and the parentheses Hard & Heavy and these two points, although the melodies and the many references purely classical Italian music that can be heard throughout the album, the music critics specialized compares and classifies 'Searching For a Land' and the New Trolls stylistically models of British groups and therefore is not considered a very original album by the Italian music critics of the those years who came from a important predecessor album as a Concerto Grosso per i New Trolls that made the band famous; In those years in Europe, unlike today was very popular musical style and individuality of the music that made it unique and distinctive sound that distinguished the group from another, in any case, this was a decision on Searching for a Land which is then evaluated too hasty and inadequate.

In my opinion, the album is full of news and certainly a step forward musically and style, and the influence of classical and baroque typical New Trolls' and 'always visible in the whole album, what it lacks in "Searching For A Land is certainly the baroque orchestra, but this is what makes the album new, different and very interesting, difficult and highlights the most different styles of music of the band and focuses on the technical and compositional skill of the musicians.

Searching For a Land is one album that in any case he had his right response and consideration over the years as a great album like many other masterpieces that gave the past to the future.

Also especially the vinyl reissue replicates in fidelity his beautiful gatefold cover with a flap top and the replica of the records label company just like the first edition of 1972.

Searching For a Land is highly recommended to all lovers of classic Symphonic Progressive Music & Heavy Prog ; an album to listen and a must-have.

A Fine Way to Go Out

By 1982, Captain Beefheart had gotten tired of the music business, and retired to pursue his painting and sculpting interests. This at a time when it seemed like the world was finally starting to catch up with him -- some high-profile appearances on Saturday Night Live and The David Letterman Show seemed to indicate that his popularity was on the rise. After the razor-sharp fury of Doc at the Radar Station, this album finds Beefheart settling into a more laid back groove. Laid back, but not happy and content. Not depressed or bitter either, just... a bit weary.

The title track opens the album with a jolt of electricity which is inviting and accessible -- the band released a promotional video clip of the song, even -- and it even sounds a bit bright and optimistic, as if the Captain still sees hope and good prospects ahead for delightful mischief. Things quickly settle back down into darker territory with "The Host the Ghost the Most Holy-O", a typically fine spoken piece with typical jagged accompaniment. The third song, "Semi-MultiColoured Caucasian", is less typical - a relatively smooth instrumental focusing on the interplay of the guitars, reminiscent of "Alice in Blunderland" from The Spotlight Kid (1972). My personal favorite Beefheart poem is next, the baffling "Hey Garland, I Dig Your Tweed Coat". Strange images ("...and the rainbow baboon gobbled fifteen fish eyes with each spoon!...") collide in random fashion, with suitably unpredictable and strange backing music. Gary Lucas (guitar) contributes the lovely solo piece "Evening Bell", and side one ends with another spoken piece similar to "Garland", entitled "Cardboard Cutout Sundown". So far we have plenty of odd and weird music, not to mention wild poetry, but these pieces differ from the prior album Doc at the Radar Station in that the Captain's rage and fury seems to be taken down a few notches.

Side two picks up the pace for a couple of peppy tracks, "The Past Sure is Tense" and "Ink Mathematics", both revealing a paranoid worldview in that abstract Beefheart way. "The Witch Doctor Life" brings out Beefheart's cracking falsetto and a bit more of a melodic singing style reminiscent of the Spotlight Kid album. "81 Poop Hatch" is a spoken word piece with no musical accompaniment, spoken in a low, serious tone of voice that intones lines like "my eyes are burnt and bleeding" and "trumpet poop on the ground with peanuts, its bell was blocking an ant's vision" in the same solemn tone. This song as well as the following "Thousand and Tenth Day of the Human Totem Pole" were leftovers from the original Bat Chain Puller album (see my review of that work for details), and the latter piece is one of this album's clear highlights. Totaling nearly six minutes, the music is long- winded and trudging, climbing in a linear fashion to a climax that never comes. Beefheart's recited allegory that accompanies this music is among his most astute and vivid bits of social observation. Ending the album is a scary bit of growling in the grotesque "Skeleton Makes Good", Beefheart's last spit of venom before he bows out of the music business.

In the context of Beefheart's discography, this sits as a very comfortable, self-assured album that indicates that he was on a creative roll, even if his energy level and emotional investment were quickly falling. It was a good note to go out on, a nice cap on a very solid discography.