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^^^

True about Cassano, Erik. That's why I have been moderately impressed in seing a more careful and respectuf person during the game. Doing this, his value have turned visible and tangible.

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Andrea Cortese Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411	Posted: June 18 2008 at 17:35
	^^^ True about Cassano, Erik. That's why I have been moderately impressed in seing a more careful and respectuf person during the game. Doing this, his value have turned visible and tangible.

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 19 2008 at 12:23
	Hello fellow progheads. Here some reviews about interesting non-PA progrock bands on www.progwalhalla.com: BREATHING SPACE – Coming Up For Air (1/2)* - Originally this was a solo project by Mostly Autumn keyboarplayer/composer Iain Jennings but after his first eponymous debut album, he founded his own band, started to tour and so the formation Breathing Space was born, including Mostly Autumn background singer Viola Sparnenn. - During my first listening session I noticed that Iain has made a very good choice to turn Olivia into a lead singer, what a voice! She has an important role in the ten varied, accessible and modern sounding compositions. In the more mellow songs her warm voice matches perfectly with the wonderful dreamy piano sound and the sensitive electric guitar runs. In the more dynamic tracks Olivia delivers a powerful voice that can compete with the bombastic keyboards and fiery guitar like in the opener Coming Up For Air (nice mix of rock guitar and electronic sounding synthesizers), When I Hold On To You (bombastic organ and guitar) and The Senses (tight mid-tempo with powerful saxophone solos). I am very pleased with the the beautiful songs Don’t Turn A Blind Eye (wonderful twanging acoustic guitar and strong slide guitar sound), Searching For My Shadow (dreamy piano and strings and warm vocals along howling guitar) and especially the exciting and alternating final pice entitled Turn Of The Tide: from mellow with twanging acoustic guitars like early Genesis to a compelling atmosphere with dramatic vocals and lush choir-Mellotron). I am sure this tasteful, varied and professional sounding album will please the Mostly Autumn fans and the fans of modern prog, I just read that Hans has listed this album #4 in his Album Top 5 of 2007! Info: http://www.myspace.com/breathingspaceband MIND FURNITURE – Hoop Of Flame () - This is an USA progrock band, two members also play in Metaphor (they made 3 albums between 2000 and now). Mind Furniture their debut CD was released in 2000 and this successor Hoop Of Flame in 2007 so the band had some time to spend on their music. I had never heard of Mind Furniture but during my first listening session with Hoop Of Flame I got excited very quickly, what a well balanced and varied album with exciting work on keyboards and guitar and strong vocals. The album contains two long epics, both divided into five parts. - The Trial (23.25): It starts with a slow rhythm and we can enjoy the excellent vocals, accompanied by fiery guitar runs and a lush organ sound. Then an accellaration with propulsive guitar riffs, blended with wonderful Hammond and in the end a wah-wah drenched guitar solo. Suddenly a militairy snare drum, cynical vocals and finally a choir. The atmosphere changes into first dreamy with acoustic rhythm guitar and warm vocals and then in compelling with beautiful work on keyboards and emotional vocals. The final part of this first composition contains a melancholical cello sound, fragile acoustic guitar and a choir, culminating in a compelling ‘grand finale’ with sumptuous organ and a sensitive electric guitar solo. - Hoop Of Flame (29.40): The titletrack opens with twanging acoustic guitar and melancholical vocals and cello, after a few minutes a wonderful strings-sound joins. When the atmosphere has changed into a slow rhythm, we can enjoy a Gilmour-inspired guitar solo with howling runs in a hypnotizing climates that evokes the very distinctive sound of Seventies Pink Floyd. Then a piece with acoustic rhythm-guitar and pleasant vocals and ‘out of the blue’ an accellaration featuring very tasteful duo acoustic guitar play. After spacey keyboard layers, the music turns into a catchy beat with modern sounding keyboards and propulsive guitar riffs, culminating into an exciting final part with a fiery guitar solo. Part four is very alternating and elaborate with beautiful Grand piano work, a Kansas-like cello sound and strong vocals. In the final part the focus is on howling, very intense guitar runs in moods that shift from dreamy to a catchy beat, very dynamic and it erupts in a great build-up, quite fiery guitar solo, loaded with wah-wah, goose bumps! - Mind Furniture needed seven years to make this successor but the result is there, what an excellent, often captivating and exciting album! Info: http://www.mindfurniture.com/ ALMA – Sobre Fantasias - After their splendid new studio album Perpetuum Karma, several Nexus members decided to deliver solo projects: Lalo, Luis en Lito founded the trio Subliminal (album Limbo) en guitarplayer Carlos Lucena invited Roxana Truccolo (vocals and keyboards), their project is named Alma and their debut CD entitled Sobre Fantasias. - The album has a very lush instrumentation: Carlos on acoustic -, classical – and electric guitar (along bass and programms) and Roxanna on acoustic – and electric piano, harpsichord and organ (along Spanish vocals), the colouring of the 11 (often a bit laidback) compositions is wonderful and varied. I like Roxanna her warm voice, it matches perfectly with Carlos his sensitive guitar sound, the best examples are the tracks Before The Day (slow rhythm with howling guitar runs), Silent Witness (compelling with beautiful interplay between guitar and keyboards), the dreamy Dawn (again howling guitar runs and the sound of the Fender Rhodes electric piano along a guest musician on violin) and the rocking final piece Storm featuring fiery guitar and a propulsive rhythm-section. I am delighted about the two songs Greys Of The Afternoon (delivering warm play on classical guitar and Grand piano) and Elf that contains wonderful interplay between harpsichord and acoustic guitar, the electric guitar halfway reminds me of Mike Oldfield. - I am sure this beautiful mellow album will please the progheads who love a blend of prog with classical and folk music. Info: http://www.recordrunner.com.br/rr/ Edited by erik neuteboom - June 19 2008 at 12:46

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 19 2008 at 17:58
	For the first time within 3 weeks I had time to listen to prog and I can tell you that I am absolutely delighted about Brighteye Brison with Believes & Deceives (very exciting Seventies Symphonic Rock inspired music - like Yes and Gentle Giant - from Sweden) and Believe with Yesterday Is A Friend (very warm and compelling blend of modern prog and folk from Poland), I really can't understand that these promising progrock bands are hardly reviewed on this site so hope to publish my reviews about these albums very soon Edited by erik neuteboom - June 21 2008 at 08:14

jimmy_row Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: July 11 2007 Location: Hibernation Status: Offline Points: 2601	Posted: June 20 2008 at 00:31
	Looking forward to your reviews Erik. Il Bacio della Medusa album already has a great reputation and growing fanbase around here. I'm also interested in Willowglass...I heard some of their first album and it had a ton of mellotron on it, very 'easy' and melodic.
	Signature Writers Guild on strike

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 20 2008 at 07:07
	Hello Ryan, good to see you here in this thread I know you love the Hammond organ, well check out Brighteye Brison their latest effort Believers & Deceivers (for sure not Prog Related music but genuine Classic Seventies inspired progrock) , I hope to review it today on the PA homepage, I just wrote the Dutch version for Progwalhalla and awarded it with four solid stars Edited by erik neuteboom - June 20 2008 at 09:41

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 20 2008 at 12:46
	My latest reviews on PA: Neo Progressive (Studio Album, 2008) 4.54/5 (6 ratings) BELIEVE — Yesterday is a Friend Review by erik neuteboom (erik neuteboom) Special Collaborator Symphonic Prog Expert Two years after their debut CD Hope To See Another Day (2006) the Polish formation Believe (featuring guitarplayer Mirek Gil, known from Collage and Satellite) has delivered a second effort with the nostalgic title Yesterday Is A Friend. To me the 9 songs (between 2 and 9 minutes) sound as a very pleasant blend of modern progrock and folk with an important role for the sensitive guitarwork and intense violinplay (reminding me of Japanese proggers Outer Limits). From the very first song Believe their music carries me away, it sounds as a ‘warm bath’: in general changing from dreamy with twanging acoustic guitars, violin and flute to compelling with moving electric guitar, at some moments you can enjoy a propulsive beat that contains fiery guitar. I am delighted about the contrast between the violin and the electric guitar, also the fair amount of emotion in the vocals (with that distinctive melancholical Polish undertone) gives the music an extra dimension. The short but wonderful final track Together brings acoustic Led Zeppelin (like on III) on my mind. The role of the keyboards is limited to beautiful pianowork in some songs, only in the track Mystery Is Closer the guest musician Adam Milosz shines on synthesizers and organ. Gradually Poland turns into a prolific progrock country, after bands like Collage, Quidam, Riverside, Satellite, Osada Vida and Nemezis, here it is Believe that succeeds to make impression, especially the fans of modern progrock with folky elements will be pleased. Prog Related (Studio Album, 2008) 4.08/5 (3 ratings) BRIGHTEYE BRISON — Believers & Deceivers Review by erik neuteboom (erik neuteboom) Special Collaborator Symphonic Prog Expert FIRST REVIEW OF THIS ALBUM Strange, this band was added by Krigsman but although he named Brighteye Brison a great prog band he didn't write a review. Also strange: despite Krigsman his words about Brighteye Brison their musical direction, this band has been put into the Prog-Related category. After listening to this new album I can only say: THIS NEW BRIGHTEYE BRISON ALBUM IS PURE SEVENTIES ORIENTED PROGROCK!! Swedish formation Brighteye Brison was founded in 2000, after the release of the demo 4:am (2001) Brighteye Brison made the CD’s Brighteye Brison (2003), Stories (2006) and this brandnew album (2008). It contains 4 compositions (between 5 and 35 minutes!) with a total running time of almost 70 minutes. Along the five band members you can also listen to two guest musicians on trumpet and ‘spoken voice’. During my first listening session Brighteye Brison impressed me: what a wonderful, in general quite melodic Seventies progrock inspired music (evoking early Spock’s Beard) with obvious references to mainly Yes but also Gentle Giant and Genesis. Their sound is alternating and dynamic with lots of strong musical ideas and a varied instrumentation, from acoustic guitar and saxophone to a wide range of vintage keyboards and even the Theremin. 1. Pointless Living (5:13) : In a swinging rhythm with powerful bass runs the band showcases her appreciation for early Yes. We can enjoy sensitive guitar, varied pianoplay, some Mellotron waves and a flashy synthesizer solo, what a great start! 2. After The Storm (7:36) : After an intro with acoustic rhythm guitar and Hammond organ, a fiery guitar solo follows, accompanied by a Hammond organ sound that evokes Seventies Focus. Then exciting solos on synthesizer and guitar and captivating interplay between Hammond and synthesizer, I love this Seventies progrock oriented atmosphere. 3. The Harvest (20:27) : This long composition starts with a sumptuous church organ sound, then we can enjoy lots of changing moods, accellarations and breaks, the music shifts from mellow with acoustic rhythm guitar and vocal harmonies to heavy with powerful saxophone and bombastic eruptions, layered with the unsurpassed sound of the Mellotron, Hammond and Moog and supported by a strong rhythm-section. The final part contains a strongly build-up guitar solo, a splendid farewell. 4. The Grand Event (34:44) : This ‘magnum opus’ is a tribute to the Classic Prog, from Yes to Gentle Giant and I can tell you that Brighteye Brison didn’t fail to keep my attention during the more than 30 minutes, from dreamy parts with vocal harmonies and soaring flute – and violin-Mellotron or a ‘churchy’ Hammond organ to compelling with howling guitar and bombastic with vintage keyboards like a fat Moog solo and heavy Hammond waves (again Focus comes to my mind). You can hear that this Swedish formation plays together for many years, to me Brighteye Brison sounds tight and the interplay is fluent, especially the rhythm-section is a very strong foundation (like Alan White- Chris Squire in the Seventies Yes years). After more than 40 years of progrock, Brighteye Brison is a dynamic and exciting example that this often nailed music style is alive, highly recommended!

Angelo Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: May 07 2006 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 13239	Posted: June 20 2008 at 14:14
	Nice as ever, Erik.
	ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected]

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 20 2008 at 14:42
	Nice from you, as ever Angelo !

Andrea Cortese Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411	Posted: June 21 2008 at 01:49
	Believe sounds interesting to me, Erik. I like very much the folk injection in prog. And Poland is a country I still have to investigate. I only have S.U.S.A.R. by Indukti. Why the band is included in the neo-prog genre? What kind of influence from Genesis' experience? Marillion anyhow? It seems - from your description - that their music is different from what I'm should expect from a normal neo prog band.

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 21 2008 at 05:44
	Well Andrea, because there are really a lot of neo-prog haters on this planet I try to avoid the word neo-prog in my reviews/articles if the music is not in the vein of bands like Pendragon (for me the first neo-prog band, I would like to name Marillion and IQ neo-symphonic), Arena and Aragon. In the case of Believe I miss the typical neo-prog elements so I name it modern prog, wonderfully blended with acoustic instruments like the guitar, flute and especially the violin (I love that instrument, it is so expressive like the Grand piano or Spanish guitar). I hope that, like you, progheads find their way to this unique music, despite the fact that Believe is categorized as Neo-Prog. About the European Championship football: the way to the finale is paved for the Germans: the weakest group with Poland and Austria, a disappointing POORtugal, in the semi-finale a weakened Turkey (because of injuries and the suspensions of their best players) and till the finales they have avoided France, Italy, Russia, Holland, Spain, Chech... But before saying that Holland will be their opponent in the finale we have to beat the dynamic and creative Russians, led by the genius of tsar Guus! And what about tomorrow, Spain against Italy, a real classic featuring excellent forwards like Toni and Torres and I hope Fabregas and Del Pierro will be in the starting line-up Edited by erik neuteboom - June 21 2008 at 05:45

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 21 2008 at 08:23
	In the pipeline for the forthcoming weeks on Progwalhalla and Prog Archives (if included): CD's: - Moth Vellum : Same - Relayer : Facade - Willowglass : Book of Hours - Il Bacio Della Medusa : Same + 2nd CD - Mostly Autumn : Glass Shadows - Nosound : Lightdark - Kalevala 3 CD - After - Unifaun (Genesis-inspired) see: http://www.unifaun-music.com/ - Kansas : Two For The Show Remastered DVD's: - Par Lindh Project : Live In Poland - Oliver Wakeman : Coming to town - Spocks Beard : Live

Norbert Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506	Posted: June 21 2008 at 08:51
	Both Believe and Brighteye Brison sound very promising, nice informative reviews as, usually. I'm very pleasantly surprised by the Holland team at Euro 2008, the best team so far, I hope they won't get too confident with themselfes...

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 21 2008 at 10:18
	Hello Norbert, you Hungarian proghead, thanks for the compliments You are right about the Dutch footballers, we are our our worst enemy Edited by erik neuteboom - June 21 2008 at 10:19

Andrea Cortese Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411	Posted: June 22 2008 at 13:58
	What a pity, Erik. Holland was another team, yesterday. Snejder was the best. It seems he was also the only player to really show a strong will to prevail against Russia. Really a pity. Van Basten & Co. graced us with some of the best football played in the recent years. Edited by Andrea Cortese - June 22 2008 at 14:14

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 22 2008 at 14:38
	Good luck Andrea, I am sure Germany - Italy will be the final. About Holland, our defence was a disgrace and I still blame Marco Van Basten for his bad choices and wrong tactics: he should have started with Kuyt, Van Nistelrooij and Van Persie and no Engelaar (too slow) in order to play forechecking but the first half Holland let the Russians come into the game, incredible, I am so disappointed, indeed, Schneijder was one of the few good players, along with the excellent Van Der Sar

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 22 2008 at 17:40
	Andrea, I don't think you are very disappointed with the elimination of this defensive and calculating Italian team against the positive thinking Spanish squad, they fully deserve the victory And did you know most of the Spanish players listen to the song Abre La Puerta by Triana on their I-pods before every game, it's so inspiring ("Prog Andaluz rules") ! By the way, this evening there was a kind of final analysis on the Dutch TV by the highly praised Jan Van Halst (ex-Twente and Ajax), using his 'infamous video-examples': he showed how poor the marking of the Dutch defence was (especially Mathijssen and Ooijer), how bad Van Basten his choice was to put Boularouz on the right (no building-up qualities, he should have been posted in the center against Pavlachenko) and how clever Hiddink succeeded to stop Sneijder, tactically he was superior to Van Basten. The worldwide media blamed Van Basten for his constantly changing of the line-up, especially in the 3rd game because the rhythm stopped, the 'flow' was gone So in my opinion Van Basten has failed in the years he led our national team Edited by erik neuteboom - June 23 2008 at 03:51

Andrea Cortese Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411	Posted: June 23 2008 at 15:55
	What to say? There will be happier moments, Erik. On about Triana... I've just added the video of Abre la Puerta, from their latest record, a wonderful tribute to Triana!! I wonder if the italian team players listen to The Closed Door (La Porta Chiusa) by Le Orme... Curious to see how Hiddink the magician (as someone called him yesterday...) will succeed to restrain Spain. Let see and hope Arshavin will be in good form. On about Van Basten, I think it was a matter of will (lacking) in the team members. A sin of uncoherence lead Holland to a bad result.

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 23 2008 at 16:22
	The worldwide media was very positive about Spain and very negative about Italy, I think that with Pirlo and Gattuso Italy would have had more chance and also showed more positive football. I hope Spain will feature Fabregas in the starting line-up and I share your thoughts about the super-talent Arshavin. By the way, how strange to spend two days without football but now I have time this evening to watch the Catweazle triple DVD I bought for 6 euros today On July the 5th we will have our one-in-two-months Progwalhalla evening at Hans his home, I will receive the two Il Medusa Della Bacio cd's in order to write reviews, I hope your enthousiastic experiences will match with mine! Nice one about Le Orme and the Italian players, I love that kind of playing with words Edited by erik neuteboom - June 23 2008 at 16:31

Andrea Cortese Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411	Posted: June 23 2008 at 16:29
	^^^ Will wait for your comment on the latest BdM's record. On about the door/puerta/porta joke: The Reds did, De Rossi didn't!

erik neuteboom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659	Posted: June 23 2008 at 16:33
	Andrea, what do you mean with "On about Triana... I've just added the video of Abre la Puerta, from their latest record, a wonderful tribute to Triana!!" ...... ?