Over the years Arnaud has released albums under his own name and under the bandname Moon Dragore, and here he combines both with his latest album which also includes Gong co-founder Didier Malherbe. Arnaud provides vocals, guitar, weissenborn, sitar, keyboards, Didier suling, flute, bawu, ocarina and the line-up is completed by Cherry Pob with vocals, bongos, frame drum, tongue drum and drummer Cloudy Myster. The result is something which truly stands out among the dross of the modern world as Arnaud has taken his influences from world folk and then brought it to life with musicians who truly understand the vision. Didier is in his eighties now, but still as vibrant and important as he was when he was playing on classics like 'Camembert Electrique', 'Flying Teapot' and 'Angel's Egg' and there are times when he and Arnaud combine to create music which is refusing to be bound by any boundaries or preconceived ideas and the listener can just revel in what is going on between their ears.

However, it is not all ethnic, and Arnaud is happy to allow Cherry Pob to provide her vocals on songs like "Looking Across" where he strums acoustic guitar on material which is far more Americana, but then he follows that with a guitar workout which is different yet again. This really does feel like a journey of discovery switching through different origins so one never knows what is going to come next, just that it will be enjoyed. It is an album which moves all over the place, but whereas many releases that attempt this simply fall by the wayside, here there is mastery at play, so we enjoy the myriad explorations and opposed to be confused by it. It is majestic and vibrant, powerful and passionate, thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.

(This review was written in Apr 07 2023)

While I may not have been all that fond of Long Seasons, it did introduce me to Fishmans and I am grateful for it as they definitely do have a great dream pop and dub sound. I think after I listened to their live album of 98.12.28, I became a bit more interested in Fishmans as a whole, and with my recent endeavors of their 1997, and last album of Uchu Nippon Setagaya, they really cemented themselves within my brain.

Unlike making a repeat of Long Seasons and releasing a big song, Fishmans went back to a multi-song structure for this album, but they do dabble a bit more in song structure, clearly as a refinement from Long Seasons. I think the best thing about this album, for me, is how lively, yet very laid back these songs feel. I think it is mostly due to the downtempo and reggae inspired sound found here, but I never feel like these songs ever grow into something super intense, or increasing into tempo, most songs here stay a relative and smooth tempo that are quite slow, but I think it works out in the group's favor as it makes their dream pop and psych rock sounds feel all the more buoyant, and a little nostalgic for me. I don't know why, or how, but these tracks make me feel like I lived in late 90s Japan a long time ago, even though I was born long after the 90s, and I am not even Japanese. Maybe it is some past life deja vu, but the fact this album can make me feel nostalgia for a time and place I never even been in makes this quite a powerful trip.

I also have to take praise where it is due with the long track of Walking The Rhythm. Man, this song is so good, with its first minute consisting of this beautiful piano and rhythm movement and then shifts into this very sweet ambient dream pop soundscape that I just adore. I personally believe, compared to their other long song of Long Season, this track beats it out of the water in terms of consistency and power.

I do have one problem with this record and it is the fact most of the stand out moments on here just seem to be relegated to the last 3 tracks. I mean I really enjoy all the songs on here, but I think if you compared Pokka Pokka or In The Flight with バックビートにのっかって or Daydream, it just ain't no contest to me on which is better. I think if the band spread these last three songs throughout the album and try to make all the other songs into something also truly special, I think we might have a masterpiece on our hands.

A very great record from this little trio from Japan. Sad this is the last album they made, but I am glad they have left us with some great music. Definitely will look into more of their stuff, and who knows, maybe review more. They definitely piqued my interest here, and I think one day, I might find my absolute favorite from them.

(This review was written in Sep 12 2022)

For many, obscurity and popularity are two things that never cross paths. For them, it's either you never heard of them, or you've heard everything from them. I would like to break this process away from the status quo, since I fully believe that an album can be both obscure and very popular, as long as you know where to go. In online music communities, people can find and hear albums they never knew existed before, and that is generally how I discover most of my music. Music circles share albums from one hand to the next like two cars passing by each day. In that sharing of two separate, but equally musical things, people grow attachments and love for some albums, some of which they never heard of before. There are communities built up from the groundwork for finding new and interesting music, such as Rate Your Music, Album Of The Year, a lot of music-focused Discord communities, and even my little darling that is ProgArchives. The internet, while being a bit of a dumpster fire in most places, helped a lot in terms of finding new joys in life that no one in the history of time could comprehend. So in that context, it is safe to say that without the internet, not many people would know about the Japanese band, Fishmans, and their album, Long Season.

Formed in 1987 in Minato, Tokyo, Fishmans was formed by the founding members of the late Shinji Sato (Vocals, Guitar, Trumpet), Kin-Ichi Motegi (Drums, Sampler), and Kensuke Ojima (Guitar, Vocals). Kensuke would leave the band in 1994. Two more members joined the group in the later years of 1988 and 1990, that being Yuzuru Kashiwabara (Bass), and Hakase-Sun (Keyboards). Their music often falls in the same boat as The Flaming Lips, being a blend of dreamy pop music with Neo Psychedelic Rock, however, they have done more ambient pop, and progressive pop music as well, especially found on this album. In recent decades, they have gotten a good following over the years, especially on sites like Rate Your Music, where this album is considered the #1 album of all time in 1996 with a rating of 4.19/5.0 from over 20 thousand ratings. It is clear that this album or more accurately song is one that many people fell in love with, and to be honest, I really do get the hype and care surrounding this entire album, because it is really good, however, I would be remiss to not point on something I do not particularly find that great on this album.

This album is one big 35-minute epic that goes through this abstract valley of sound and noise. Sometimes you get flavors of very dreamy keyboard and drum playing skills, mixed in with a wide array of varying instruments, from violins, to sound effects, bells, and some tribal beats as well. This whole song feels very much like waking up from a dream and having that dazed confusion while hearing your alarm clock blaring in your ears. Everything here feels very abstracted, and I think in some, mostly good areas, it works. I think the best thing about this song is that I always come out of it fairly good, and while that goes for most epics I listen to, hearing this more surreal type of music being pushed to half an hour in length and getting out of it does surprise me a lot. Usually, I would only ever truly love it if it was something like Tangerine Dream or Jean Michel Jarre where you can get very loose and experimental forms of longer music, but here in a more rock/pop context, it makes me surprised to see it come through so well. Every bit and part of this song is very airy, and I think the band was aware of the space they were given for this song since you get a ton out of it while still keeping up with what the intended sound should be. Everything is consistent in its direction, so props have been given. Oh, and also the singing is very well done. I do dig how soft the vocals here are, they feel very in line with the music being played here.

However, the song also can suffer from that abstract sound that I praised in the last paragraph. Like trying to remember a dream, some parts I have trouble trying to remember because sometimes this song can feel very boring at times, or just too Avant Garde to where it gets lost in the weirdness. It seems like a lot of times they get lost in trying to find a new but consistent direction for the song to take, and sometimes they can find their way to a new place that'd improve things, sometimes it feels as though they cannot seem to know how to get through the thicket and end up scraping and bumping into things that do not go well with this epic. Honestly, I feel like they could've made this song even better if they reworked the parts at 14:35 through 27:00, especially that part where it's tribal drumming with a weird repetitive sound effect looping a bit, and that violin part. Honestly, that violin is the worst part of the song, it is so ear-grating that when I hear it I most often than not turn my volume down to be much quieter so I cannot hear it. Honestly, this song would be one of my favorites if it didn't seem like they get lost in their direction and focus on those middle pieces.

I get why this album is very beloved, and I do enjoy a good deal of parts on here, heck I'd say most of the good elements on here outway the bad, but I cannot in good faith say this is a must-listen, or would recommend it to anyone due to those middle parts. It's still a perfectly good album, but not one that I can really adore. If you want some other more dreamy psychedelic or more atmospheric psychedelic rock music then this could be a good place, but I'd suggest being acquainted with other types of bands or projects before hearing this one.

10 years of Prog

If you're into classic modern progressive rock, chances are you already know Jordsjø. But fewer may be familiar with Breidablik, a project that, until recently, flew under my radar. I've been a huge fan of Jordsjø for a while, but I only listened to Breidablik for the first time yesterday?and I was genuinely impressed. Think Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, or Jean-Michel Jarre. It's techno-ambient, old-school, beautifully crafted, and with a distinctly vintage sound. In short: a very good band that deserves more attention.

Now, these two Norwegian acts have come together to release a split album celebrating their 10th anniversaries. One side is Jordsjø, the other is Breidablik. Despite coming from different corners of the prog universe, the combination works surprisingly well. Jordsjø already stands as a major name in the current Norwegian scene, but paired with the atmospheric touch of Breidablik, the result is something even more immersive.

Jordsjø contributes a nearly 20-minute epic titled "Kontraster", and Breidablik answers with a piece of similar length. Both tracks explore the same central theme, but in their own signature styles?Jordsjø through organic, symphonic prog textures, and Breidablik through layered electronic ambiance. It's like hearing two different languages express the same thought, and it works beautifully.

What's most striking is that these two bands have almost nothing in common musically?except that they both come from Norway. Yet this split is a powerful example of the diversity within the prog scene, especially when approached with this level of professionalism and creativity.

I loved the record from the very first listen. It's one of those rare collaborations where both artists elevate each other. Without a doubt, this album deserves to be high on any end-of-year list.

This is the first time I have come across Sacramento-based progressive metal collective Lunar, but apparently, they were formed all the way back in 2013 by drummer Alex Bosson (Helion Prime, Planeswalker) and Ryan Erwin who passed in 2018. This is their fourth album, following on from 2023's 'The Illusionist', which has seen a few line-up changes so on this recording the band was Chandler Mogel (clean vocals), Brian Lewis (growl vocals), Carlos Alvarez (rhythm guitar), Connor McCray (lead guitar), Ryan Price (bass), Alex Bosson (drums) and Anthony Stahl (keyboards). There are many guest guitarists providing solos, while I note cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne (Leprous) is also on one number.

Lyrically, what we have here is a concept album dealing with the passing of time and the effects it has on us physically and mentally. Bosson said, "This album deals with something everyone can relate to, and no one can escape: the passing of time. We get older, our perspective changes, and we gain some things, and lose others? sometimes the things and ones we love. And we struggle and fight along the way. This album deals with some of the highs and lows we deal with along this journey we all share." Musically, there is a lot going on as here we have a band who can be prog metal, mathcore, pronk, often in the same song and sometimes at the same time. It means the listener can never really relax as they have no idea what is going to happen as the band progresses through the songs. In some ways I am somewhat surprised there are not more longer songs on this set, as only one is above 10 minutes, and only three more above six, as this is music designed to extend and stretch both the listeners and players. It will be no surprise to anyone that this will appeal to fans of Tool, Opeth, Caligula's Horse, Haken, and Porcupine Tree, and if you want music which can be highly melodic and almost laid back at one minute and insanely complex and heavy the next, then this is for you.

"The White Death" is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian avant-garde/black metal act Fleurety. The album was released through Peaceville Records in October 2017. It´s the successor to "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" from 2000, so it´s been quite a few years since the last album. Fleurety haven´t been completely inactive though releasing no less than four EPs in the years between 2009 and 2017. Fleurety formed in 1991 and initially played black metal, but eventually drifted towards an avant-garde metal style in the late 90s/early 00s.

The duo lineup of Svein Egil Hatlevik (vocals, drums, percussion, Keyboards) and Alexander Nordgaren (guitars) is still intact from the last album. Fleurety is helped be several session musicians who perform bass, backing vocals, female vocals, keyboards, and flute.

While the musical direction of "The White Death" can still be labelled avant-garde metal, there is a huge difference between the abstract melancholic/often eerie sounding blackened avant-garde rock/metal style of "The White Death" and the all-over-the-place odd avant-garde metal style of "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs". If you didn´t know it you wouldn´t have guessed that it´s the same band releasing the two albums, but you can of course also add Fleurety´s debut full-length studio album "Min tid skal komme" to that pile as it´s a full-on black metal release, which sounds nothing like either "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" nor "The White Death". So, Fleurity is indeed a shape-shifting creature.

There are a few nods here and there to the band´s black metal past ("Lament of the Optimist" for example features blast beating black metal sections) but "The White Death" is predominantly not a black metal release (a track like "Future Day" for example sounds like a combination of Comus and Dead Can Dance). It´s dark, abstract, and melancholic/eerie sounding avant-garde rock/metal which often consists of just a simple beat, some dissonant guitar riffs/keyboards, and some vocals. Other times there are more musical layers, and it´s definitely an interesting and challenging release. The album is not easily compared to other contemporary releases and Fleurity don´t sound like any other artist either, but artists like Virus, Dødheimsgard, Ved Buens Ende, and Code can maybe at least lead you in the direction of what to expect on "The White Death".

The album features a dusty, raw, organic, and somewhat stripped-down production style, and it suits the material well. To my ears "The White Death" isn´t a perfect release, but it´s much more consistent in style than the eclectic sounding "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs". For avant-garde metal fans eclectic sounding releases usually aren´t an issue and I´m sure there are many who find "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" a more accomplished and challenging affair than "The White Death", but the more consistent and accessible sound of "The White Death" has other qualities, which make it appealing. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

Ever since I discovered Jordsjø in 2017, there were two things I wished for and one was to record a side-length piece, another was to get Lars Fredrik Frøislie to make a guest appearance. Well, it looks like one of my wishes came true, and that's to record a side-length piece. As for Lars appearing, that hasn't happened. Probably because he wishes to record in his own home studio (the fact much of his gear is of authentic vintage, he probably doesn't want to move them around due to reliability issues, especially because much of it is at least 50 years old now). Kontraster is the second split release by Jordsjø with Breidablik, after Songs from the Northern Wasteland back in 2016. Kontraster is Norwegian for "Contrasts", which could have been easily guessed by me. And that aptly describes this. First side is Jorsdjø's piece. No surprise it's all Håkon Oftung on vocals, guitar, flute, and assorted keyboards, and Kristian Frøland on drums. It sounds like what you expect from these two guys, great retro-prog with lots of great vintage keys, vocals in Norwegian, and flute, and it's great to see them pull off an almost 20-minute piece. I knew they could pull that off, so I can't imagine that stopping them on a proper full-on Jordsjø release. I imagine Håkon wasn't confident he could pull off a 20-minute piece, as no Jordsjø piece ever went much beyond 10 minutes. Either that, or he was fearing a Tales from Topographic Oceans type of album from them (I couldn't imagine that. Jordsjø has always been too modest for that). Breidablik's contribution is, unsurprisingly much more electronic, with lots of eerie ambient passages and sequencer-dominated passages as well. He gets Håkon to play guitar and flute, as well as a real drummer, not Kristian Frøland, but Trond Gjellum, a drummer that's not familiar to me. That's the first time I ever heard real drums on a Breidablik recording, as usually it's a drum machine (but only used occasionally), as most of the time, Breidablik recordings is entirely by Morten Birkeland Nielsen himself. This is incredible stuff, and it shows how Jordsjø is some of the greatest prog going these days as Breidablik is for electronic music.

"The Book of Taliesyn" (1968), a title whose origin comes from a medieval manuscript attributed to the Welsh poet Taliesyn (6th century), is the second chapter of Deep Purple's formative trilogy, and where, despite its still very rudimentary production, the great potential of the duo Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord, protagonists of this work, can be glimpsed, after the primitive and agitated pounding rock of "Listen, Learn, Read On", spirited and generous virtuoso displays as in the instrumental "Wring That Neck", a combination of jazz and blues marked by the incontinent interplay of guitars and keyboards, and replicated in the middle section in the country pop of the festive cover of Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman".

On the other hand, "The Book of Taliesyn" also has an important experimental component taken from the psychedelic sixties aesthetics, in tracks like "Exposition", the hyperventilating instrumental intro of the interesting adaptation of the Beatles' classic "We Can Work It Out", in the intriguing "Shield" with Ian Paice incorporating percussive world music sounds, and ventures even further combining it with baroque renaissance elements so admired by Lord who explores with mellotrons, church organs and a violin arrangement in the relaxed "Anthem", and where the robust voice of Rod Evans hits with an Elvis-style imposition, surely the best and most progressive track of the album.

And the cover composed by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich for Ike & Tina Turner, "River Deep, Mountain High", is the band's excuse to indulge in another experimental lysergic dalliance based on a tenebrous wind blowing and with some nods to The Doors, concluding an album that has few intersections with Deep Purple's seventies works, but is nonetheless extremely interesting.

3/3.5 stars

Precisely performed jazzy Math Rock from some youth from Chicago. Gutsy, intelligent, complex and intricate yet delivered tight and with great melodic sense.

1. "Lifeguard of a Helpless Body" (4:15) with the same fast pace and upbeat nature of a TOE (Japan) jam, this sets the tone for the album with some fast-picking (and tapping) guitar work. Such a refreshing sound! (10/10)

2. "I Heard them on the Harbor" (5:56) takes its time in establishing patterns as it opens with several instruments taking turns appearing and disappearing. It is only into the third minute that a rhythm and structure is established and played over--but then is challenged and discarded in lieu of some spacey and then jazzy keyboard. The spacey, spacious soundscape reappears for a while until at 4:18 an entirely new and soft-beat rhythmicity is established and built around. And exquisitely so, I might add! Cool and unusual song. (9/10)

3. "Curry Courier Career" (8:11) opens sounding like an intricate, upbeat WES MONTGOMERY song. It then diverts into I kind of étude in sharp time changes and collective band discipline. Things shift and progress in this song so quickly and suddenly--totally unpredictably. There is, however, a pattern to the song structure here (as opposed to song #2). A song that displays some seriously talented and skilled musicians and some seriously well-rehearsed execution of some seriously well-thought out song composition. Definitely the most jazzy song on the album. (13.5/15)

4. "Exformation" (5:21) opens with some intricate and frenetic guitar tapping leading the band into a stop-and-go kind of rush hour traffic pace. The guitarists melody lines here are seriously (and continuously) fast! Even in the mid-song lull the keyboard and guitar lines are intricate and speedy. STANLEY JORDAN would be impressed! (9/10)

5. "Gilgamesh (R-Texas)" (6:18) lots of interplay between instruments off doing their own thing: staccato rhtymic hits from drums and rhythm instruments, polyrhythmic arpeggi from piano, guitars and synths. It is an amazing display of artistry, vision, discipline and restraint. There's even quite a liteel MUFFINS-like Canterbury play in the chord and melody structures of the third and fourth minutes (and the horns in the fifth minute). Everything drops off at the end of the fifth minute save for an electric piano chord sequence--over which the delicate play of other instruments is added to the end. Another outstanding gem of a song! (10/10)

6. "Country Doctor" (5:25) opens with a simple little piano arpeggio repeated over before countrified big band joins in. The pace is atypically slow for this band until the one minute mark when a wall of KAYO DOT-like electrified sound enters and swallows us. The music vacillates back and forth for a while between the MAUDLIN OF THE WELL like beauty of intricately woven soft-picked instruments and the occasional wake-up call of a blast of heavy metal dynamo then settles into a long section of soft but intricately woven multiple instruments. The final 35 seconds allows instruments final flourishes over a fast piano arpeggio. Beautiful song! My favorite on the album. (10/10)

Every once in a while an album comes out of nowhere to shock and surprise me--and this is one of those. I only wish I had heard it in the year it was released so that I could have had more say in helping to bring attention to it. This is an AMAZING album that is truly worth the while of any prog lover's time and attention. Check it out!

A veritable five star album; a true masterpiece of progressive rock music! But what is it? Post Rock/Math Rock like TOE or ALGERNON? Eclectic Jazz Rock à la FROGG CAFE or UNAKA PRONG? Canterbury jazz like MANNA/MIRAGE/THE MUFFINS? It's a mystery! They're chameleon's! I can't wait to watch their future unfold for the skies are not too high for these talented musicians!

— First review of this album —

This Special Edition album features all eight tracks from 2023's 'Unending Ascending' and incorporates five live tracks to make it seem like a live production, available digitally until the time of writing; no doubt, die-hard fans of this unclassifiable band will have gotten their hands on it under their 80s raincoat, the era of innovative ska. The bonus track 'Musica Per Aprire La Mente, Musica Per Aprire Il Cuore' is the best live track on this album. For the eight tracks, the spotlight goes to the languid Crimsonian 'Ship of Ishtar,' magnified by the bewitching voice of Saskia Maxwell, in fact the vocal engine inspired by the DEAD CAN DANCE or even COCTEAU TWINS. An album that has brought nothing since the death of its founding father, which maintains the legend of a band apart for many fans who remained attached to their sound of the 70s and who will die with an epitaph of said band on their tombstone for sure. An album with an Indian atmosphere, psychedelic above all and quite far from the Canterbury movement that it is supposed to represent. The most 'painful' pieces are those with wind instruments which upset by assaulting the ear.