PROG FOLK

Male and female voices, likely the same as on the BRAIA releases, harmonize wonderfully and conjure a forested soundscape rather than the windswept moors of BRAIA. Luckily it's song oriented so interminable jigs and fiddle jams are absent, which is a good thing because the totality is barely 26 minutes. But that same limitation makes this less of an immersive experience and more of a snippet of someone's weekend hobby, with their hope that you will return next weekend and evaluate the improvements or additions. I'm not sure I will, but Maia easily deserves 3 stars for some unique wood cuts.

As evidenced by "Frippada Andaluza (La mar limpia)," which combines math rock and post-rock reminiscent of Pelagic Records/RAIG works with pan-Mediterranean acoustic guitar and crisp vocals, this album is a fresh take on new-generation Andalusian rock, combining artistic and modern arrangements with thoughtful intelligence, flamenco influences native to Andalusia, and passion and melancholy in their purest form.

A must for lovers of Spanish progressive rock, this magnificent and essential album follows in the footsteps of predecessors like Triana/Medina Azahara and builds its own uniqueness.

With the heady aromas reminiscent of Concierto de Aranjuez by fellow Spaniard Joaquin Rodrigo, Rafael Pacha introduces the "The Crusade of Earl Birger", utilizing krumhorns , recorders as well as acoustic and electric guitars, aided by the tight rhythmic contribution from Marco and Kimmo, and subtle piano and synth work from Alessandro. It recalls a Swedish military campaign to fight the pagan Hame people in Finland, in the 1320s. Hame Castle can be visited today, between the cities of Tampere and Helsinki. It's just a majestic piece of music.

On the sprawling sonic tapestry that is the colossal 10 minute and change "Where Are You?", a forlorn Oldfieldian vibe rules the airwaves, also offers an exquisite female vocal spot from Paula Porsti. Rafael inserts bouzouki, bodhran, mandolin, zither, electric violin and keyboards to his arsenal, in creating a cinematic soundtrack for a lost friend or cherished one. The Celtic overtones are remarkably proficient in recreating a reflective mood, cyclical repetitions that enchant and captivate from the get-go. When the pulse thickens , we reach the musical highlands, overlooking the fog bound valleys, where the morning dew maintains its wet freshness in undisturbed solitude. Rafael peels off a blistering solo that scours, escalating to the misty mountain tops, searching for the answer to the title's question. The rustling organ tempest is a sheer joy to behold, as the storm increases in depth and volume. A wondrous fairytale instrumental. The swaying "Omnis Saltat ad Solem" is a running leap towards the sun, an acrobatic circular solar dance ,the elders interacting with the common folk , where individualism is replaced by human interaction, all as one. Here, Pacha incorporates Hulusi (type of Asian flute), Cuatro (kind of 4 string acoustic guitar popular in Venezuela) and Nyckelharpa (a medieval Swedish instrument similar to combination of violin and hurdy-gurdy). We arrive to another level altogether, as the mercurial Alessandro di Benedetti shines brightly on the epic "Blood and Oblivion" , his shimmering piano work serves to expand the spotlight on RPWL's Yogi Lang and his soft vocal cameo. As the guitar enters the arrangement, there is a definite transition to a jazzier feel, both in the rhythmic tempo, and the crisp guitar lines and the monster synthesizer foray, building up into heady symphonics and a full prog blow out! When Paula releases her choral aria, it's beyond the edges of sublime. When Rafael reignites the jazz guitar musings , it morphs into outright heaven. The ambient beauty displayed is colossal, full of emotional restraint and penitence , as the story focuses on the criminal mind, sung with poignant words like 'The more I search the light, the more there's darkness deep inside". A magnum opus.

"Lo Prometido es Deuda", translated as "A Promise Is a Debt", a serene melodic pilgrimage that highlights the spirituality of every step one takes in a lifetime, a progression towards a goal, whether fully defined or impulse-drive. Here, the onus is on the dulcimer and viola di gamba, two famed medieval instruments that exert a gentle trait, so naturally, the contrast of a stirring pipe organ flurry is selected as the perfect foil. When the elegant piano settles the urgency, a sense of purpose returns full force. And back and forth, it goes, just like the meanderings of a long journey.

Epic track number 3 is the heavily vocalized "Mary the Jewess", the microphone being handed to Nick Markham (who also wrote the words), recalling the story of Maria, becoming a prominent reference for alchemy and hence, science. The arrangement sits more in the conventional prog-rock channel, the viola di gamba and recorders still in the spotlight, though the uplifting lead guitar solo is a definite highlight. When the majestic keyboard barrage finale enters the fray, the Genesis influence cracks through the shell, as Alessandro di Benedetti does his Banks thingy perfectly (The first Inner Prospekt album was Dreaming Tony Banks, recently remixed).

From the land of a thousand lakes and forests , "Luonto Puhuu" naturally relates to the importance of nature in the Suomi mindset and culture. The lyrics and vocals are all in Finnish, (Pirkko and Paula Porsti respectively ), while the instrumental side showcases the Chapman stick technique of guest Alfonso Romero, some deft drumming from Kimmo and some cool guitar licks. A lovely distraction.

Keeping the pace constantly evolving, finishing off the album with a simple neo-prog tinged track, "Sea and Sky" features vocalist John Wilkinson (Ellesmere, Random Option, The Swan Chorus, The Samurai of Prog and Bill Bressler) among many others, guitarist Tony Riveryman and flutist Giovanni Mazzotti. There was more than enough adventure and exploration on the all the previous tracks, so a humble little track to end the fanfare on a light note was most welcome. A feelgood piece about 'Eternal Union'.

In a frenzied world of endless confusion, needless stress and constant data overkill, escapism in the form of music and progressive rock particularly, should be the ultimate panacea. Its side-effect free, perhaps addictive, inexpensive, eternal and guaranteed to cure ailments both physical and psychological. Get this before Big Pharma gets in the way and cancels this review.

Already on the podium of finalists for 2025. 5 Shining skies

"My Home" with the echo of the first track in my ears, to the point where I thought it was a radio edit. "Mars" for the solemn ascent to Olympus with the organ; Waters-esque vocals with Olivia saving this track with this crescendo and the Dantesque solo. "Future Is a Child" opens acoustically, flirting with the latest Anathema, a typical latent monotonous air, again with a Wallian flavor. The chorus explodes on a repetitive tune. Angela's beautiful flute solo followed by Josh's furious one. "Seawater" ends the album with the epic prog title; a consensual melodic progression with a stormy break at the 5-minute mark; the tone becomes religious, cinematic, a disturbing siren, prog latency leading to the metronomic decline filled with naiads in the distance. Olivia returns, delivers her verses, and tries her hand at phrasing; Iain's divine, fat break; the whole band has been together for 20 years except for the drummer, demonstrating great cohesion. Another gust of wind and acoustics for the bucolic, elegiac, contemplative, neoclassical finale. Simple but grandiose, with a delicate, rustic outro.

Mostly Autumn releases this new album in a predictable but very well-crafted style. There's little new in this under-appreciated band, which reworks the clichés of Gilmour's solos. A shorter album would have been better received due to a certain amount of repetition. (3.75) Origine on progcensor.

A fascinating release. Ilienses is the collaboration of Mauro Medde and Natascia Talloru, their name taken from the tribes who lived in the heart of Sardinia in Barbagia during the Nuragic Era. They play the contemporary and traditional instruments of Barbagia as well as some they constructed themselves. They sing in Sardinian language and make use of "a tenore" chant, a Sardinian autochthon kind of throat singing. They describe their music as "ritualistic, thickly atmospheric, and deeply evocative of Barbagia's mysteries and spirits." To merge their creative efforts to searching through time for ancient roots, they find that our matter is that of the cosmos and subject to communication. "We tried to understand how the forms that make us up also make up earth, water, fire and stars, and how they reach us through an audible and silent language. We recognize their vibrations but not their location in our mind, and hence the need to find the key, the 'Jae' of the mystery that opens hidden portals."

As I said, fascinating stuff. This is unlike anything I've heard in quite some time. It was an adventure. It was exploration. It was the musical equivalent of an architectural dig and way beyond the convenience of usual genre descriptors like folk or psych or raga or drone, though it certainly crosses into each realm at different times. It is another prime example of the divergence of progressive rock from progressive music, falling completely into the latter camp. This is not rock. Each of the seven tracks are a feast for the senses and put you right there at the campfire with the musicians, under a jet black sky deep in a Sardinian night. During their searching, they claim to have come across some "esoteric figures, some appealing and some ominous," and you are right there with them, a testament to the vision and ultimately the execution of Jae. It feels complete and authentic to me in a way that much of what is sold as "world music" never comes close to.

The songs build up around what feels like bizarre tribal ritual of sorts with hand drumming, drone-like strings or stringed-sounding instruments, and chanting/singing. The volume and densities increase, creating oftentimes a feeling of anxiety and hallucinogenic, out-of-body experience, but also at times serenity. To offer musical comparisons, one could struggle to find appropriate examples. One that I might offer up is what Peter Gabriel did with his soundtrack for the Passion film, in terms of both breadth and sometimes sound. To a lesser degree, moments from Popol Vuh, Third Ear Band, Voice of Eye, and even Antonius Rex come to mind. Vocally speaking, the singing at times reminded me of the experimentation and unique styling that Bjork undertook on her incredible Medulla album. But these examples only give an idea of proximities because this is a completely original work. Despite the foreboding and the warring factions of chaos and order inherent to the material, I was most moved when that fell away a bit into sections of softer beauty that allowed some melody to come through. It is there, but it is sometimes buried in the drama. The CD version comes with a 20-page booklet. Truly an impressive project. 9/10

It's brilliant. It's mostly an album of covers, but a very imaginative collection of covers. Normally, people will cover things that are roughly in their wheelhouse of sound. Not this bunch. The singer and acoustic guitarist, Meg Baird, sings like an angel. A very depressed angel. She's also a fine guitarist, and studied with Burt Jansch. Greg Weeks plays electric guitar and synth and sings. Brooke Sietinsons played acoustic rhythm guitar, and is also very good. The cello is played by Helena Espvall who has done a lot of avant garde music since then, including with free jazz people like Alan Sondheim.

"Rosemary Lane" (traditional; arrangement influenced by Bert Jansch) Excellent version of a trad folk song, as it restores some of the darker lyrics that are often left out in more sanitised versions. Meg Baird's vocals shine through this bringing a delicacy to this profoundly sad and bleak trad folk tale of power imbalance, sex, and resignation to a horrible fate.

"Tomorrow" (Vini Reilly; originally by The Durutti Column) The Durutti Column are a whole thing unto themselves and to cover them in this raw folky way is remarkable. Again, Meg's voice is a beautiful thing. A song of longing for different outcomes and alienation of affections.

"Black Is the Color" (traditional; arrangement influenced by The Famous Jug Band) Another trad folk song. This one was covered by Nina Simone decades ago, and is the version I was most familiar. No shade to Nina's genius, but I rather prefer this version. There's something deeply spiritual and yet utterly disquieting about this. Brilliant. Weeks sings some fine and oddly complex harmony here.

"Afraid" (Nico) So, it was trad folk, Durutti Column, trad folk - how do you follow that? With a gloomy goth tune by Nico OF COURSE. The song sounds like a toy - gentle guitars, xylophone, cello - sweet, and yet: Nico's lyrics are just open despair. A wonderful counter to the arrangement.

"Blue Mountain" (Michael Hurley) This song by Michael Hurley is from 1965, and is a classic singer songwriter folk song from that time. Only in the hands of the Espers it is vastly more psychedelic and richer. Weeks sings the lead in this and his vocals are OK, certainly no worse than Hurley's, and Baird's harmonies really make this swing.

"Flaming Telepaths" (originally by Blue Öyster Cult) The centrepiece of the album. Stunning. especially as the original is about as unfolky as a song can get, being a brassy loud track from the Hard Rock band Blue Oyster Cult. Love it. 10 out of 10.

"Dead King" (Espers original) This is the only original on the album, and another version was released on Espers 2. Frankly, I think this version is better - it's a bit more open and direct.

This (and Espers 2) while not technically Prog Rock, is a Top Album in my world - required listening, period.

Band members: Greg Weeks Meg Baird Brooke Sietinsons Otto Hauser Helena Espvall Chris Smith.

With the preceding albums I occasionally felt that the Medieval/folk elements and the modern prog rock production were having a tug of war, making me wish for a purer folk approach on some pieces. Now everything is more coherent and unified, rooted on the symphonic prog -- with the blessing of the rich, folky sonic pallette due to the various folk instruments played by Pacha. But what really makes this album my fave of the three is the excellent level of compositions. Being almost as lengthy (64:20) as the 12-track Liber de Dictis, Gathering of Souls has eight tracks, four of them a bit longer.

Pörsti's opening instrumental 'The Crusade of Earl Birger' is inspired by the historic events that took place in the Finnish soil in the mid-13th century and it has a wonderfully dynamic and colourful arrangement. Pacha's long instrumental 'Where Are You?' still improves from that. One moment you may think of Ommadawn-era Oldfield, the next moment has a Wakemanesque synth run, and the cherry on the top is the beautiful wordless singing of Paula Pörsti. Also the third piece is a colourful folk prog instrumental, composed by Pacha.

Di Benedetti's sole composition, epic 'Blood and Oblivion' is an outstanding emotional highlight sung by Yogi Lang of RPWL. Then one more fine Pacha instrumental, after which the album takes a bit more vocal oriented course. Nick Markham (neverheard) sings with his smoky voice the ambitiously proggy 'Mary the Jewess' which however is not among my highlights. Also composed by Pacha is 'Luonto puhuu' where Paula sings in Finnish. This piece has a peculiar atmosphere. Pörsti's second composition 'Sea and Sky' features the mid-70's Phil Collins reminding vocals of John Wilkinson, and a lovely flute contribution of Giovanni Mazzotti.

Now I only need to decide how to round my 4,5 stars. Ok, let's round it up because, as I said, this is the most solid and symphonic Guildmaster album this far. Hats of especially to Rafael Pacha who's at his strongest here.