Wow ,there was a lot of hype surrounding this release ,did it live up to it ? Absolutely - in spades ! While we had to wave goodbye to beloved drummer & founding member The Bear Lee Kerslake,who also w/Bob Daisley wrote most of Ozzy's first 2 albums - but that discussion's for another time - just expressing his pedigree !New drummer Russel Gilbrook seems to have energized the lads on this release .If you notice most of the tunes on this album were co-written by Mickey Box & Phil Lanzon ,exactly the combo Heep needs ,check out the organ / guitar drenched songs within .No mistake here as the early Heep was fuelled by guitar / organ .Some of their heaviest & humblest -sorry couldn't resist :0) ,since their earlier classic period .As good as Sonic Oragami & Sea of Light were ,& there wasn't a bad track on either as well as flawless production ,this one's catchier & heavier .In this reviewer's opinion their finest since their also underrated masterpiece 1982's Abominog .Classic Rock magazine has rated this album very highly even putting it in the running for album of the year ! No surprise once you've heard it .So if you love classic hard rock & Heep in particular pick this up & witness a band slayin' 'em ! The lads have worked 'ard on this one & should be rewarded ! Long live Heep !

I just can't get into this one at all.I read how beautiful and pastoral it was supposed to be,but found it to be neither for the most part.I think the vocals probably inhibit my ability to feel the wonder or emotion for that matter.Sure there are flashes here and there,but there are so many Italian bands and albums that in my opinion overwhelm this one with their majesty,beauty and emotion. I like the way it starts with the instrumental A Volte Un Istante Di Quiete.I really like the piano and drumming in this one, as well as the flute led section 2 1/2 minutes in. Kind of downhill from there for me. Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu opens with piano as reserved vocals come in.The vocals and sound gets more passionate after 1 1/2 minutes.I like the guitar 3 minutes in. Profumo Di Colla Bianca is spacey to begin with.Lots of synths as drums beat casually.Vocals a minute in then piano.A fairly relaxing song. Cercando Un Nuovo Confine features lots of acoustic guitar with fragile vocals early before piano arrives.I really like the vocal section 1 1/2 minutes in and later at 6 minutes.Some nice flute as well. Sogno Di Estunno opens pleasantly until guitar and aggressive vocals change the mood.Synths and piano are prominant during the calm sections. No Chiudere A Chiave Le Stelle is laid back with relaxing vocals a minute in. Vendesi Saggezza opens with piano and synths.Vocals begin fairly restrained but get passionate quickly.The guitar 2 1/2 minutes in with flute and drums is the best part on the whole album.It goes on until about 3 1/2 minutes.One minute of heaven.Back to vocals,piano and synths.A nice full sound with guitar 7 1/2 minutes in.I like the first and last songs the most. Without question a good album, that personally doesn't have what i need to give it 4 stars.

Return To Forever (RTF) had two phases. RTF Phase I consisted of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Joe Farrell, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira and produced two albums. The self-titled first album seems to be favoured by jazz purists. The second, Light As A Feather, was more widely popular, with songs like Spain being regularly heard on campus radio and played by college jazz bands in the early 1970s. Corea, Clarke, Moreira and Tony Williams also performed with Stan Getz and recorded the Getz album Captain Marvel in 1972. The album consisted of Corea-penned RTF I tunes and should really be considered an RTF I album. The compilation album Return To The Seventh Galaxy contains material from both phases of RTF, with some live material, including a rocked-up live RTF II rendition of Spain.

RTF II began in 1973 with Corea, Clarke, Bill Summers, Steve Gadd and Mingo Lewis, then became a foursome with Lenny White replacing Gadd and Lewis, and later Al DiMeola replacing Summers. RTF II definitely had a heavier jazz-rock sound than RTF I. The Anthology compilation contains the four studio albums recorded by RTF II, so you if want to hear RTF I you'll have to look elsewhere. RTF II was one of the most popular fusion bands of the 1970s, and a listen to The Anthology will show why. The music is inventive, the playing is first rate, and the energy is captivating. Some songs are stronger than others, and fans will have their favourite tunes. One of mine is Corea's Song To The Pharoah Kings, which shows the group's impeccable musicianship, with the song building in intensity until it breaks into a wonderful DiMeola guitar solo. DiMeola also played this song as a solo artist. The Anthology was released to coincide with the RTF II reunion tour, and we can hope for some new material. Fans of RTF II should also check out Clarke and White's Vertu project. Despite the fact that the music is similar to RTF II, Down Beat magazine's reviewer unfairly panned the self-titled Vertu album when it was released in 1999. However, in its August 2008 issue Down Beat has devoted a favourable cover story to the RTF II reunion that's worth a read.

I have listened to plenty of The Mars Volta. Before I got this album, I figured I should get one of their CDs. It just so happened, their latest one was just about to come out. Well, why shouldn't I get it?

However, as soon as I listened to it for the first time, it was annoying. The first track seemed to have energy, but the track went nowhere. The placements of riffs are repetitive, and there are tons of pointless instrumental solos. The outro could have been cut entirely.

I hoped the next track would be better, but it picked up right where the first one left off. And instead of a five minute song, it was an eight minute song. Blegh!

The next is brought in by some pointless static (not an atmosphere, may I tell you). Then, almost all the way through the track, everything stops, and a completely different rhythm starts up. The final part goes nowhere. I understand that bands should try to push boundaries, but this is where pushing boundaries fails.

Wax Simulacra is another pointless energetic track, except we are spared of the endlessness because it's only 2 and a half minutes long. Thank you for your mercy, Mars Volta.

The only track making this album not completely pointless is Goliath. Very interesting. If I had to compare it to another track, I would say it's a bit of a latin influenced 21st Century Schizoid Man. Very cool. I really enjoy listening to this one. Maybe because it's the first one I listened to off the album before I actually got it, and since the rest of the album seems to be the same, nothing new was brought to the table.

The rest of the album is just more of the same. There's the pointless wannabe-ambient Tourniquet Man, Cavallettas which is nine minutes of the band not being able to decide between two different riffs so they go back and forth between static fadeouts, the endless Soothsayer and the horrible album ender Conjugal Burns, that gets more of that static without ever being ambient at all. Why this is an album closer is beyond me. Why a band would want to release a song like this is beyond me.

Why a band would actually release this is beyond me. There is no directions, the songs all sound the same, and the experimentation fails to impress. I have heard great stuff from the Mars Volta, but this isn't it. I respect the band for being intelligent musicians and trying new stuff, but this is where it fails.

I wouldn't reccomend this to anybody.

— First review of this album —

Moonsorrow is essentially a Folk Metal band, but while aiming for an epic sound they morphed into a Progressive Metal band...with strong folk elements. Verisäkeet is not their most progressive album. However, it is something of a fan favourite. For the more progressive I would recommend V: Hävittety and for the slightly less progressive but lighter sound I would recommend Kivenkantaja. Verisäkeet is very, very dark. If this appeals to you, please, read on!

As stated before, they are influenced by Metal and Progressive music. However, their music doesn't seem to be written to show off so much as to achieve a certain sound. This album in particular is closer to Black Metal, with the occasional unmistakable Burzum sound being integrated into the many layers. This album makes use of some very interesting folk instruments, including some of the instruments commonly used in Folk Metal, like fiddles and tin whistles. A couple of typically Finnish instruments are played on this record - the jouhikko and kantele. All of these instruments contribute to the massive sound with hidden complexities that allow the listener to hear something new every time.

The instruments themselves allow Moonsorrow to have a rather unique sound, but I feel the compositional style is also very distinctive. They make use of riffs that sometimes sound like those of typical metal bands, but each section of music morphs seamlessly into the next. Even the tracks themselves morph into the next, making the album truly feel like a journey. Clean vocals, choral vocals, and screams are all used. Unlike many bands, these screams make sense within the music and are not often too prominent. All the vocal styles work well and contribute to the overall feel in such a way that even someone who is not a fan of metal vocals can appreciate it. All the lyrics on this album are in Finnish, and I believe this is true of all their work apart from some of the Tulimyrsky EP. The beauty of the language lends itself to the music, which generally evokes images of dark Finnish landscapes. The words need not be understood for the listener to understand the music.

Repetition is definitely used, but not in a tiresome way. Sections morph before getting tiresome and appear again at suitable intervals, sometimes with variations. The mix hides many complexities, not all of which are entirely musical. Birdsong, wind, and battle sounds are all used in the mix, slightly predictably, but work fairly well by adding to the already bleak atmosphere. As the tracks fade out there is often a lot still going on and not necessarily in a repeat 'till fade way. In fact, new musical ideas are often subtly brought in very near the end.

The highlight of the album for me is Pimeä. Ville Sorvali's vocal performance is fantastic. I feel it is even more heart-felt and mournful than on any of the other tracks. There are clean vocals for what could be the chorus. The harmonies rise above the guitar's distortion beautifully. This choral style is used at various points throughout the album using primitive, yet effective harmonies. The guitar solo on Pimeä is also nicely understated and allows the music to flow on without disturbance.

The album then gets a little gentler and the Folk influence becomes more prominent. Jotunheim is a wistful and desolate track which ends on a more triumphant note, quite like the music on the previous album, Kivenkantaja. The last track is acoustic and comparatively simple, yet a necessary end to the album.

I give this album 4 stars because it isn't truly essential, but extremely enjoyable. I recommend this to anyone open to Extreme Progressive Metal. Be warned though- the progressive side of it is not incredibly strong.

The second album from Kansas marks the maturation of Kerry Livgren’s compositional abilities, as well as the band’s capacity for playing more extravagant pieces. Their debut album gave us three extended and splendid songs; Song for America treats us to three more.

“Down the Road” Opening the album is a gritty, foot-stomping song interspersed with Robby Steinhardt’s vocals and organ, violin, and guitar soloing. This song sounds like it belongs in a dingy, smoke-filled bar. It’s largely a tightly knit jam session, but it clearly demonstrates the musical prowess of the boys from Topeka.

“Song for America” Undoubtedly the highlight of the album, “Song for America” grants us a magnificent three minute instrumental introduction before launching into the first verse. From the initial guitar riff to the chords of the first verse, there is nothing less than musical grandeur. The words go far beyond typical environmental awareness, giving first a picturesque panorama of America as it must have been before the fifteenth century. The lyrical interlude describes what took place on this “virgin land of forest green” soon after, and the lyrics in the end describe the growing plight of suffocating crowds and soulless commercialism, with a mysterious mention of the fallen and all but forgotten Native American tribes who are prepared to make their second advent. And as for the reoccurrence of the violin theme at the end- there is simply no better way to bring this one to a close. This is a symphonic rock lover’s dream; “Song for America” is chock full of key and time signature changes (including 9/16 and 11/16) tastefully woven together. Kansas may have never produced a twenty minute masterpiece like Yes or Genesis, but this, along with a few efforts to come, is as epic as it gets for this group. This album should have begun with this phenomenal piece; it is one of Livgren’s tightest compositions.

“Lamplight Symphony” A ghost story about a widower seeing the specter of his long lost bride, “Lamplight Symphony” evokes a strange mixture of despair and hope, even by the end. The lyrics have something of the effect of “Turn of the Century” by Yes, albeit not nearly as potent. The music is heavily driven by piano runs, warbling organ, and chunky bass riffs (after a memorable synthesizer theme that serves as an introduction). Following two verses there is a lyrical bridge, and when Steinhardt sings his four lines, it is enough to induce shivers down one’s backbone. While the musical interlude that follows is certainly good, it admittedly doesn’t seem to fit the mood of the piece- listening to the cacophonic drive makes one think the subject of the song is descending into madness rather than actually experiencing a supernatural event. However, the short segment that follows brings us back to sad beauty of the piece, full of elaborate piano runs and a melancholic violin over them. My only other criticism to this otherwise remarkable song is the abrupt ending. The final chord is stately enough, but the build up to it is far too brief, if not uninspired.

“Lonely Street” While by far the weakest track present, this is a very good attempt at a bass-driven blues number in an odd time signature. The guitar fills are decent enough, as are the solos, but it’s Dave Hope’s work here that stands out. The lyrics are grimy, about being down and out and taking revenge on those who’ve done wrong, but they are clearly out of place, especially on this album. Incidentally, I believe this is the only Kansas song containing the word “whore.”

“The Devil Game” This is an adventurous five minute song with an interesting start; Electric guitar and violin interact in an original way. The writers juxtapose an upbeat tempo and colorful melodies with lyrics about resisting the devil. Just after two minutes in, there is a segment that is reminiscent of the introduction of “Journey from Mariabronn.” Richard Williams and Kerry Livgren let the guitars rip on this one almost all the way through. Needless to say, this is by far the best of the shorts on this album. At the risk of displaying some bias, I initially believed Livgren penned this one; as it turns out, he had no direct hand in writing it. Bassist Dave Hope and keyboardist Steve Walsh collaborated on this one, and it makes one wonder what the latter’s output might have been (considering that he was responsible for the short instrumental “The Spider”) had the tenor possessed a desire to write symphonic rock music instead of his questionable attempts at pop.

“Incomudro- Hymn to the Atman” This sprawling and somewhat disjointed piece is an otherwise outstanding way to conclude Song for America. The structure of the introduction is similar to that of “Lamplight Symphony,” with a synthesizer carrying yet another memorable melody. At times, however, this one sounds a bit less structured; after the rather naked sounding violin part, the verse comes in, and there are jazzy guitar licks tossed in here and there throughout. I can’t say I enjoy the delay effect placed on Walsh’s voice, but this may be due to me having first heard this on a live recording. The lyrics again reflect reincarnation, but do so in an even more mystical and poetic way than “Apercu” from the previous album. Every musician gets his opportunity to shine on this finisher, including Ehart. Dave Hope has his diminished bass runs, Steinhardt plays his violin, there’s fitting guitar, and organ and keyboard solos galore. Four and a half minutes in, there is a synthesizer solo that is suggestive of Camel’s “Lunar Sea.” And then there’s an ominous gong. This percussive interruption, which may make one think that Cthulhu has arrived to feed, is actually the harbinger of a different monster- that of Ehart and his thousand (drum) heads. He brings the song back around to set it up for a second verse (nine minutes in, no less). Ehart is also the creature responsible for building up the amazing ending, one with a screaming guitar solo and a rising chorus of instruments that culminate in a finale of a prolonged sound of thunder. This is when the listener may breathe.

— First review of this album —

US based workaholic multi-instrumentalist, composer and musician Jeremy has been an active guy for the last 20 years or so.

Rays of Hope is one of three albums I know about that Jeremy released in 2007, and on this one he has been looking towards the good book for inspiration - or the Bible if you prefer it in plain text. No worries for non-believers though, as this is an instrumental album from start to finish.

Uplifting piano melodies is the name of the game here, mostly freely flowing enjoyable tunes dominated by light tones and underscored by darker ones - music without aggression, concentrating on lighter melodies rather than dramatics and contrasts. The compositions are generally fascinating too, and although I can't really back this up on knowledge I get a feeling that classical symphonic music is a musical influence on these tunes just as much as regular pop music; perhaps even more. Good album if you're into this kind of music.

Their debut album Electronic Meditation is what krautrock is all about for me.Their follow up Alpha Centauri sees them going further in the experimentation of spacey soundscapes. Just about all the things i liked about the debut are gone.Gone to are Schulze and Schnitzler. Interesting that AGITATION FREE drummer Christopher Franke replaced Klaus.Christopher played with AGITATION FREE well before they released their first album.The two bands often played together at the Zodiac Club,which is how Froese knew Christopher.This album is named after a star which is perfect because the music and cover art all point to what it would be like taking a trip in cold,deep space. And while they succeed in doing this,it's that very mood that makes me have a lot of difficulty enjoying this. Sunrise In The Third System is haunting and eerie with spacey sounds coming and going.It gets louder towards the end.The organ helps warm things up though. Fly And The Collision Of Comas Sola is especially cold and empty.Spacey sounds echo forever it seems.Thankfully organ then flute arrive after 2 1/2 minutes.Very spacey 7 1/2 minutes in.Drums 9 minutes in end up getting very aggressive as flute continues.Good section. Alpha Centauri is the side long closing suite.Spacey to start with.It gets a little annoying after 3 minutes with those sharp sounds.Flute 10 minutes in.Spoken words 18 minutes in.It sounds like spirits are crying out 21 minutes in.No i didn't enjoy that trip at all.Haha. I usually like these experimental and spacey albums, but not this one.

This album seems to have a lot of mixed reviews. Some people don't seem to think much of it whilst others think it's brilliant. I'm one of the latter. For a debut album this is some amazing stuff. Obviously not as mature as Images and Words and lacking the production values of Scenes From A Memory, but strip away the faults and there are some truly great songs on this album.

One of the biggest complaints (or maybe praises) is Charlie Dominici's vocals. Though I can understand why people don't approve, I find his voice to be really good and really goes well with the majestic feel of this album.

Another strong point of this album is the lyrics, which is some of the most random and yet, well thought- out lyrics I've heard. Especially on the track Only A Matter of Time.

Better things were destined to follow, but don't disregard this album. Not as legendary as Dream Theater's later material, and maybe not the best album if it's your introduction to the band, but this is definitely an amazing album, and I think the 80's production makes it easy to access for fans of all different Prog sub- genres.

After two great albums Symphony X released what I believe to be their greatest achievement, The Divine Wings of Tragedy.

Fans of Dream Theater and other prog metal bands will like what Symphony X have to offer and this album has it all on display in full. Michael Romeo's awesome neo-classical guitar playing is some of the best you will ever hear, and his dueling with Keyboard player Michael Pinella is on the same level as John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess. And Russell Allen's agressive yet melodic vocals have yet to be matched.

Although every song on this album is a classic, I think the main two to look out for are The Accolade and the title track. Both full of amazing twists and turns, taking you on a whole new musical experience. And songs like the Eyes of Medusa work perfectly with Romeo's heavy, crunchy guitar and Pinella's melodic keyboards.

Though this may not be an album for everyone, I think most Prog Metal, and most metal people in general, will like this. I lent this to a friend at work who was into modern stuff like Killswitch Engage, Korn and Slipknot. Now his favourite bands are Symphony X, Dream Theater and Blind Guardian. Prog Rock fans may want to step cautiously with this one, but Prog Metal fans will surely be missing out if they don't give it a chance.