— First review of this album —

I am writing this review because its a shame that there is still no review for this wonderful album. Of course,I am a bit biased because Warhorse has legendary status in central Bosnia and is very important band here. Beside personal taste and nostalgia,why 5 stars for this album? Its not one more excellent addition to a collection but a collection is deficient without Warhorse albums,including this one,therefore essential.For many years we have been missing Warhorse live material and then a wonderful gift came. Playing is superb and singing is fantastic. Album is a bit on the rocky side too,but to hear "old" (they will never be actually old) songs so many years later and so superbly played years later is something extraordinary and would yet be enough to deserve minimum 4 stars. Additional new songs and covers take the album to the bright side. Combination of straight rock and straight british 70's Prog in some songs is on this album genial. There were reunions of Prog bands from 70's ,but this one really stands out in my opinion. Live albums are ...live albums of studio songs ,but this has additional musical ingenuity characteristic to top prog studio albums recorded live. I am personally very hard to give a masterpiece etiquette but listening this album many many times and never finding a distasteful moment on complete album with a critical taste acquired by 40 years of listening prog means it is for me an essential and very dear album.Bravo Warhorse!

I saw that this one doesn't have any 5 star review yet, so I decided to do something about it. This is such a glorious splendid album that has been special to me from day one (it was pretty new when I bought it about 20 years ago), and is still among my favourites. It can be thought of as a mix of post rock and the Frank Zappa albums I like most, Hot Rats and Grand Wazoo. It's almost fully instrumental and features a really big sound with brass, woodwind, loud drums and percussion, but never dominating the guitars and keyboards too much. Marimba and Glockenspiel play a good role, too. There are sensitive moments, too, you get stronger contrasts than on your average post rock album, but it is all very organic. It may not have the quirky spontaneity of Zappa's legendary band, but arrangements and melodies are absolutely gorgeous. This album is very much its own beast with a focus on melodies that is rarely found in post rock and (somewhat) jazzy instrumental music, and I just love the musicality with which they develop their material. This may be my favourite way to use a brass section, very subtle in many places but full power when it matters. They also manage to deliver great crescendos in much shorter time periods than most post rock bands. My impression is that every second of this is well thought through and balanced. I still love to marvel at how they develop these pieces 20 years later (I totally disagree with the one who wrote it sounds dated). Perfect powerful mood music. I saw them live touring this, and it was spectacular. Their later albums are good, but for me this is Jaga Jazzist's masterpiece.

Phantom Island by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is a great rootsy psychedelic rock and pop album with symphonic textures and proggy arrangements. Very much a follow up to their previous album Flight b741, it takes the rootsiness of that album and fleshes it out with fantastic musical and vocal arrangements. Alot of fun but not as catchy as their earlier material, but easily still proves that these Australians are one of the most interesting bands going today, able to tackle any style while being overly sincere. I'd give this a mid 7 out of 10. Best song: Grow Wings & Fly

Chercán is a Chilean quintet that plays a lush, complex, and engaging variety of progressive rock. Things are densely layered and smartly composed, and the band incorporates jazz and sounds from their homeland. Everything about this record really impresses me.

"La Culpa" kicks things off with an energetic and exciting passage. The drums thump and roll, and guitar and sax lend some wonderful grit. The vocals are powerful, and the melody stands out above the complex backing. Things calm down as the song progresses, and they skillfully incorporate some significant jazz elements. Entering the final two minutes, the energy picks back up, building to an impressive climax.

Wobbly jazz influences are evident from the first moments in "Caen Las Hojas Blanca". The rhythm section displays amazing dexterity, and palm-muted guitar and sax add tension. The occasional blast of distortion or a metallic riff helps to keep the listener guessing about what may come next.

Following the squalling conclusion of the preceding cut, "Kalimba" provides a nice contrast, with the titular instrument plinking out a pleasant little pattern. Saxophone helps flesh out the somewhat minimal arrangement in this song's early moments, and strings and drums eventually join to add some more weight. Chercán again demonstrates their ability to gradually ramp things up, and the string arrangements are especially impactful here.

Following a brief interlude of strings, "Tiempos Paralelos" draws significantly from Chilean music. Gentle, pattering drums and subdued strings give this song's opening moments a pastoral feel. Gradually, distorted guitar makes its way in, and the song bursts forth into an emotive storm. The drum pattern does not change much throughout, lending a fantastic sense of continuity to this piece.

"Las Mientras Del Muro" has a more upbeat opening and has a groovy, funky infectiousness to it. Even in the song's mellower moments, its underlying energy is irrepressible. The conclusion is absolutely pummeling, and the guitar line sounds straight out of a doom metal cut. Mixed with the band's jazzy leanings, this makes it exciting and interesting.

What comes next is the two-part, 13-minute "Relato De Una Obsesión". Part one, subtitled "Quimera", opens with a sitar drone and some tabla. Wiry guitar and bass soon enough weave their way in, and the multilayered vocals give this passage a dreamlike quality. Things evolve slowly, but never does it feel like the band is dragging their feet or meandering. Those Indic touches linger throughout this first part, but guitar, sax, and strings all grow in prominence throughout it.

Part two, "El Orate", flows naturally out of part one, but a rock rhythm finally gains prominence. Distorted guitar and wailing saxophone firmly take the lead, and the vocals soar. The slow build of part one is paid off in this exhilarating second half.

Chercán's debut ends on "7 Colores". It's a mellow balm after the fiery conclusion of the last song, with gentle vocals, clean guitar, and violin predominating. The arrangement is still complex and dense, but it doesn't beat you over the head. This is a great way to wrap things up.

Chercán is a fantastic album that has immediately launched itself into contention for the top of my best-of-2025 list. The band does an excellent job of evolving the songs smartly, and the balance between bombast restraint.

Review originally published here: theeliteextremophile.com/2025/06/16/album-review-chercan-chercan/

4.5 stars. This might be my favourite of the band's four studio albums. I always felt that Britain's DIAGONAL were psychedelic based, and this album shows them embracing that side of their sound in a big way. They have incorporated much more in the way of spacey sounds, kosmische and post rock. No less than four of the guys add synths. And this has always been a large six piece band with many of them being multi-instrumentalists. I love that this is 36 1/2 minutes long, over five tracks. They kept the title simple, consciously thinking of SOFT MACHINE doing the same.

I have to give a shout out to Cobbler Records for the very attractive package we get here. Alex Crispin recorded and mixed this record. And this was a surprise that they followed the previous album "Arc" from 2019 so quickly. There guys usually take their time between albums. But they wanted to keep the momentum going and so started the sessions for "4" only a year after the sessions for "Arc". The results speak for themselves.

"Amon" is a reference to AMON DUUL II, again a conscious step into kosmische music. Crispin is on bass and vocals here, and the two guitarists are prominent. But it's the sax that is the wild card when it comes to this band. It adds so much not only to this recording, but of course all of their albums. The organ leads after the guitars step back, and Luke Foster our very talented drummer takes care of that. He adds electric piano on another track. It turns very spacey late to end it with the synths dominating.

I really like the next track "Chroma" . It's one of two instrumental tracks, and shows the band's interest in jazz with the sax having it's way. Crispin not only does his usual bass and vocals stuff, he adds electric piano and synths. Those wordless vocals just hit the spot with me, so into this sound. A lot of depth here and mid-paced. "Spinning Array" is very psychedelic sounding and quite catchy with the vocals being prominent. The sax player adds a Chinese wind instrument along with flute. A rare song where he's not playing sax. The band says this song is the connection with the previous album "Arc".

"Stellate" is quite dense and sax led. The guitar lights it up after 2 1/2 minutes. That density is scaled way back by the 4 minute mark or so as the rhythm section impresses big time. Guitar is back at 5 minutes. So good. Finally we get the closer "Totem" an almost 12 minute piece that builds slowly. Love the wordless vocals here. That build ends around 5 minutes as they change it up. Vocals and guitar get their spotlight as this plays out in what feels like a jam.

Right now I have this in my top five for 2021. I have liked every thing I have heard from this band. This might be my favourite. The "Live At Roadburn" needs a mention as well.

I had a really good first impression when hearing this release for the first time, 'cause I was also considering that Poland wasn't the most remarkable prog land on the 70's. So, I gave it some more listens and decided to review it.

Starts with a sad violin, enhanced by the synthesizer. Therefore begins a dark atmosphere, which grows up, until it gets to a phenomenal toccata on the keys, accompanied by drums. Vocals are a bit difficult to get used to, not only because it's on native language, but also for the reason that it's not much melodic. Musically, still on the first track, they improve some good turnovers on bass, drums and keys. Violin somewhere becomes more accelerated and cheerful. These ideas are followed for almost all the composition. On the last seconds they subtly change arrangements, approaching the mood even more to a celebration.

The fast rhythym of the next track has good interventions from guitar, and versatility on drums. Which is presented as a guide for the bass. There are many vocals, that are even harder to swallow. Some snippets on the second half presents some fabulous violin performances. Close to the end, all musicians collaborate massively.

A beatiful piano, going from melodic to andante, sews the main steps on the beginning of third track. Vocals now are half-toned, and whilst adopting notes a bit longer, make them much more acceptable. On it's half, the keyboard player migrates to synths. Bass, very kind and inspirated, switches magnificently between timbres and tones. They accelerate close to the end, with more presence of the violin, and bass becomes intense, making the whole picture almost apotheotic.

There's more swing, including on the violin, on the first moments of the fourth track. Vocals are on half-tone again, fortunately, and the drumming delivers some inventive key signatures, On the other hand, guitar playing, that started with a good rock vibe, becomes repetitive, and the drummer loses creativity. On the end, when violin comes more to the front scene, the composition improves again, but not so much. Weak track.

An amazing violin opens the next track, with many layers of music, and the other musicians offer a consistent cuisine. This composition makes it very clear how they benefit from leaving the vocals more indented, because it actually happens, or even choosing to execute them exclusively instrumental. I don't know if they would be able to mantain a high level musicality without vocals, since I noticed that on some tracks they lose strength towards the middle and beyond.

An annoying siren is the first sound on the sixth track. A speedy rhythym is developed, with a firm/full-bodied violin, and a relevant bass. Vocals are all over the place. A moment before it's half they change some harmonies, and gradually go back to the first ideas of this song. Henceforth, they get very dull and repetitive. They even bring back that horrible siren, that manages to be even worse.

The last track has an electronic, monotonous and unvaried proposal. Along with the filters on vocals, all looks too much artificial. With no doubt, the worst song of this work.

This record is convincing, almost memorable sometimes, but the two last tracks are awful, taking back at least almost one whole star from my first impressions. So, if the album was made only of the tracks from 1 to 6, it'd receive, IMO, a 3.9 stars. But I'm reviewing it's entirety; therefore, my final note is a 3.2 stars.

Listening to this album was not simply about hearing music ? it was a journey through emotions, images, and inner states. Though I am not an expert in this genre, I approached each composition with openness, letting the sounds speak to my feelings and imagination. What follows is a personal reflection on the atmosphere and emotions each piece evoked in me.

1) The Tragedy of the Ancient Spring A sense of a new beginning arises. Maybe it's about a new period of life or rethinking life, which appears in a bright light. The sound of greatness and heritage fills the soul. Next, the listener hears a transition into a piano section, which creates the feeling of action and gradual movement. Afterward, a development into faster, more dynamic sound appears, and a sense of potential and growth is felt. Finally, the composition ends with a mysterious and hypnotic feeling.

2) Captivated The beginning immediately captures attention. Sleeping or dreaming, the listener seems to awaken from hypnosis. The image of someone inspired arises. He decides to take action in order to get his object of desire. There's a sense of enthusiasm and great effort to handle one's obsession, its nearness evokes a sense of greatness. But there is a confusion and perhaps disappointment, which are the finishing part. Realization and fatigue fill the ending of the composition.

3) Targe A gradual deepening into something mysterious is replaced with soft sounds that prepare the listener for the next part. Its speed and instability induce the feeling of torments of the soul. Uncertainty creates a motive for searching the solution. Harsh sounds make a listener feel on alert, nudging the listener to keep searching and moving forward.

4) Teach Me Your Statutes. This composition can make you feel deeply sad. The listener experiences mutual misunderstanding, disappointment, and desperation while listening to this. Though these are often seen as negative feelings, the strength and beauty of them cannot go unnoticed. In the second part, there is development. Transition to hardly notable sounds and thrill create the tension and anxious atmosphere. Perhaps the beginnings of love or commitment are the most fitting context to experience this feeling.

5) Loneliness-Bringing Power The composition starts gradually, preparing the listener for something important. The slow melody creates a comforting atmosphere. It transitions into something unknown and challenging ? perhaps loneliness. It flows into taking on a challenge and a way to achieve something meaningful, bringing new discoveries and experiences. The denouement brings a sense of joy and happiness.

6) Three Sunny Light Power The beginning immerses the listener and suggests a great power. As it builds up, the feelings of enthusiasm and inspiration arise. It can be determination to create and live. It motivates to enjoy life and to be in the moment. This part ends with the sound of bells. The bells give a final polish to what has been achieved and bring the feeling of satisfaction.

7) Resilience The soft sounds gently awaken the listener in the beginning of the composition. The atmosphere conveys calm, stability, and peace of mind. Subtle hints of mystery transit the listener to loading into realization and meaning. It then gives way to a graceful finale. The feeling of probable resilience can inspire confidence and a quiet sense of satisfaction.

8) Silence Is Waiting It starts in a similar way to the previous composition. There is a hypnotic quality here as well. It creates a perfect atmosphere to meditate and clear thoughts. A sense of peace comes over the listener. The cosmic sounds evoke space, making the listener feel weightless and far removed from earthly concerns.

Each composition on the album felt like a chapter in an emotional and spiritual narrative ? sometimes uplifting, sometimes sorrowful, but always sincere. This album offers more than sound; it offers space for reflection, imagination, and inner movement.

A Lackluster Farewell

Heaven & Earth is, without a doubt, Yes's worst album. It lacks any groove, has no memorable songs, and the band sounds completely flat, making the experience painfully dull. While it's notable for being Chris Squire's last album with the band, that fact alone doesn't justify it. The album remains a disappointment.

Alan White, Chris Squire, and producer Roy Thomas Baker passed away some time later. We all know the legacy and presence of White and Squire, but not everyone knows that Baker was also behind the legendary and unreleased Paris Sessions, the "lost" Yes album planned between Tormato and Drama. Baker also produced classic albums for Queen, Journey, The Cars, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Smashing Pumpkins, and many more. So, naturally, I had high hopes. That only compounded the disappointment.

The road to this album wasn't easy either. Vocalist Benoît David left the band due to a respiratory illness, forcing the cancellation of the final shows of the 2011-2012 tour. He was replaced by Jon Davison, recommended to Squire by Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Before even thinking about recording, the band took advantage of Davison's vocal range and intimate knowledge of classic material with tours that included the complete versions of Close to the Edge, Going for the One, The Yes Album, and Fragile. These shows were executed with impressive precision and artistry, bringing new energy to old masterpieces. But behind the scenes, everything was falling apart. Chris Squire was visibly exhausted and would soon be diagnosed with leukemia. Alan White was also going through difficult times, that would later lead to his death.

Against this backdrop, the band decided to record what could be their last album together. There was even talk of reviving the Paris Sessions or bringing in guest musicians, but in the end they opted to work only with their existing lineup and focus on new material. The results were disappointing from the start.

The recording sessions were chaotic. Steve Howe has been vocal in his criticism of the process and producer Roy Thomas Baker's erratic behavior. Baker seemed disengaged, often leaving the room mid-session, showing little enthusiasm, and repeatedly telling the band "that's enough" with a disinterest that frustrated everyone. He pushed Davison particularly hard, demanding endless vocal takes and insisting on over-producing tracks with excessive effects and unnecessary autotune. As the deadline approached, the band rushed to finish the recording just before a North American tour, forcing them to complete the mixes remotely over Skype, no less which Howe later attributed to a lack of cohesion and missing elements in the final product. Only "Subway Walls" stands out as a track with any impact. The rest feels unfinished or empty. Even promising material was discarded simply due to lack of time.

What was initially envisioned as a pleasant project, perhaps even a farewell of sorts, turned into something else entirely. Nothing good came of it. Billy Sherwood tried to step in to help with the final mix, but at that point, there was nothing left save the band. What we hear today barely resembles Yes; it's as if the band's sound had a flat tire.

It's a sad way to say goodbye to Chris Squire's legacy; not with a bang, but with a shrug.

After I reviewed the most recent release by Anchor & Burden, 'Afterglow', I mentioned to Alexander Paul Dowerk (Touch Guitars S8) that I had not heard the previous album, which is why I am now listening to their 2024 release, 'Extinction Level' He did also say, "It's for sure some of the most uncomfortable and brutal music out there. You are stronger than most humans!" so I knew I was in for an interesting listen. He is of course joined by Markus Reuter (Touch Guitars AU8 and S8, Soundscapes), Bernhard Wöstheinrich (keyboards and electronics), and Asaf Sirkis (drums and percussion), and the quartet have set out to create music which is not only jagged and heavy, but refuses to conform to any preconceived ideas of what the end result should be like, apart from it being avant garde and incredibly powerful.

This is music which holds no hope or light for those lucky enough to come across it, as this is deep and passionate, jagged and abrasive, a horror show for the ears and the mind follows, creating images which once seen cannot be forgotten. Goblin may have made a name for themselves with the stunning soundtrack to 'Suspiria', but this is on a totally different level with far more menace and music which is coarse and harsh, ripping into the ears as a grater would make mince out of an arm. It is not supposed to be pleasant, it is not supposed to be middle of the road radio pap, but instead is music which is deliberately challenging, asking questions of ourselves as listeners, whether we are mature enough to take on board what is being presented, where we have to decide whether we can find comfort in the extreme, or if our brains find we cannot make sense of it at all. When music has no limits, no boundaries, there is no safe place for the listener to hang onto, and when musicians as skilled and tuned into each other as these, the only thing to do is put this on repeat until nothing else exists, nothing else matters. It is meant to be challenging, it is meant to be extreme, and needs to be heard ? yet another incredible release from Anchor & Burden.

So the masters of gothic, 'dark-progressive' rock are back with their thirteenth studio album - 'Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State' is the latest installment in the discography of Katatonia, as the mighty Swedish band has been steadily releasing new material over the last couple of years. Yet this new record happens to be their first without longtime guitar player and founding member Anders Nystrom, who is replaced by Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland, following the departure of the group's second guitarist the year before. And the main question here would be how has this change affected the band's music? With Nystrom being somewhat detached from the stylistic ventures of the group's more recent material, this new album really feels like a continuation of 'Sky Void of Stars' and 'City Burials' - given the title of the new album, the music can get very dark, dream-like and moody, occasionally featuring a lot of ambient, mellower moments.

As much as 'Nightmares' is a guitar-driven album, there really are no big, prominent riffs, unlike the band's 2023 release. It seems that among all the ominous soundscapes, complex emotionality and drab dreamscapes, there is a general lack of infectious hooks, and the album ultimately becomes uneventful every now and then. Still, it has to be said that the sound and the production on 'Nightmares' are rock-solid as usual, and the presence of punctuative, haunting keyboards and effects and tribal-like jabs of percussion are quite enjoyable elements of the overall sound, contributing to that gloomy, dream-like feel and image that this album aptly pursues. The vocal work of Jonas Renkse is excellent all throughout, and you can occasionally catch glimpses of an Opeth-y influence in the guitar work, especially on the heavier tracks. Opener 'Thrice' is a dark, muscular song that sets a promising tone for the record, while other really strong number on here include 'Wind of No Chage' (kind of satanic and ritualistic sound), 'Lilac' (with its alternative edge), 'Departure Trails' and 'The Light Which I Bleed' (darker and mellower, with a greater use of electronics and ambience) and the Swedish-language track 'Efter Solen', more of solemn hymn of introspection.

'Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State' does indicate that Katatonia are in a state in which they feel comfortable with their style and have little to no intention of exploring sounds and moods that are significantly different from what one would expect from them. And with this in mind, this new album offers a fine collection of new material with enjoyable aspects to it - nevertheless, in the context of their catalogue as well as their most recent output, this is not their best work, neither in terms of scope, nor in terms of substance.