Finally, the moment has arrived to do a review of this band, having the previous 3 albums in my collection, and somehow not getting my thoughts down on paper (paper?) . This quintet has always possessed an original sound, mostly due to vocalist Maartje Meessen rather original tone and her bandmate Eleen Bartholomeus (guitar, synths) , guitarist Ingo Dassen, bassist Ingo Jetten and drum stool director Bob Van Heumen. Six short tracks are the ideal set- up for a monster title track extravaganza of over 20 minutes that really seals the deal, stretching way beyond any previous comfort zone. Adding strings only elevate the orchestral qualities to be found littering the pieces.

The haunting acoustics on "The Settlement" easily set the mood, Maartje's swooning wail a soothing revelation, as the echoing shudder moves along in a contemplative furrow, the glistening slashes of electric guitars giving it a wide birth and establishing the atmospherics which will dominate this recording throughout. Case in point, the clever e- piano droplets on "The Build", a more raucous rampage with overarching keyboard symphonics, amid the criss- crossing riffs, a stunning track that could easily have been stretched out with a more elaborate arrangement. In all fairness, these two initial impressions can and should be considered as one mini-suite.

Catching the ears completely by surprise, the twangy pedal steel guitar ornamentations from Jetten perfectly exemplify the meaning of the title "A New Life", a sunshiny diversion into sweet harmonic flight. The percussion- laden "The Warning" includes audacious raspy guitars colliding with flute meanderings, dense wall-of-sound atmospherics and a driving rhythmic throb.

"Derailment" is a darker sonic train wreck, brooding and despondent in a rather attractive manner, as the piano somehow conveys a positive hope, as orchestral sheets attempt to smother the slippery e-guitar swirls. Segueing perfectly into "Chaos/The Slip Away", the intensity rages on mightily with overflowing mellotron cascades, dam- busting dual heavy guitars unchained, spoken word confusion and escape, leading to a pleading vocal, all at a throttling pace.

All these half-dozen vignettes (that could have easily developed into much more expansive epics) eventually and as promised, give way to the stunning "Babel" and its rather towering (excuse the pun) conviction. The main melody wastes little time in establishing its credentials, with a masterful vocal delivery, as well as a restrained energy that proves my earlier point about the vignettes potential embellishments. The soft flute contrasts slam headfirst into opulent wind-blown mellotron, never a bad idea in my book, and just as the arrangement kicks in to full gear, a sudden acoustic guitar and voice duet changes the mood in an instant, the astute band playing the contrast game faultlessly, daring to infuse strings as well as the countrified pedal steel for another spin around the polder. Van Heumen and Jetten then take over the controls of the rhythmic onslaught, progressively raising the temperature on the underbelly, as the Middle Eastern flute and percussives dance along for the ride. Patiently waiting for the right moment to enter the fray, the dual fretboards come charging through the sandstorm, as if propelled by historical zeal. After the tempest, silence. Back to a sense of normalcy, I am reminded at times of recent Anathema in the keyboard/guitar combinations, as the emotions slowly buildup once again, the piano marking the pace, the lead guitar unable to hold back its emotions, both weighty and heartfelt, constantly adjusting the throttle, as if impatiently searching for an oasis of peace. Without question, one the finest 2025 epics, an exhilarating exploration of power and substance, full of vigorous intensity and profound reflection.

All in all, a thrilling 40-minute album that has gone on in my mind, a lingering sense of enjoyment long after the last note was played. Called afterglow, I think.

4.5 Towering nights

Chops Galore

Moto Perpetuo is an instrumental fusion band from Lombardia who have been playing together since the 1990s. They've been playing live for years, and they finally released their full-length debut, Untitled, in 2023. The reason for the ambiguous album title is that they would prefer the entire experience of listening to them be in the court of the listener. They didn't want to impart any preconceived notions. "Why Untitled? Because it is an album without a real definition, just like the genre we play. Untitled, as instrumental tracks without lyrics should be." Fair enough then.

The album reminds me of many of the Italian fusion/jam albums I've come across: AIIR, Bella Band, D.F.A., Free Wave System, Kaleidon. Not being a jazz expert by any means or measure, I'll confess that fusion sometimes becomes an experience that blurs together into a similar sounding stew. I don't dislike it. On the contrary, it's pretty awesome. It's just more difficult to discuss. This is an album of technical performance prowess with a nice mix of stylistic shifts and loads of emotion coming through in the playing. For sure in the lead guitar as you'd expect, but also in every position. Some songs are more traditionally jazzy while others offer shots of chunky groove/funk or delicate classical touches. That is the part where I feel some of that lovely RPI intoxicant coming through, and that is where they win me over. There is a ton of piano playing on this album and a small bit of violin, and the beauty in these sections is undeniable. If you are into varied and impeccably performed instrumental rock, this is a release you'll not want to miss. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The main melody wastes little time in establishing its credentials, with a masterful vocal delivery, as well as a restrained energy and the soft flute contrasts slam headfirst into opulent wind-blown mellotron, never a bad idea in my book, and just as the arrangement kicks in to full gear, a sudden acoustic guitar and voice duet changes the mood in an instant, the astute band playing the contrast game faultlessly, daring to infuse strings as well as the countrified pedal steel for another spin around the polder. Van Heumen and Jetten then take over the controls of the rhythmic onslaught, progressively raising the temperature on the underbelly, as the Middle Eastern flute and percussives dance along for the ride. Patiently waiting for the right moment to enter the fray, the dual fretboards come charging through the sandstorm, as if propelled by historical zeal. After the tempest, silence. Back to a sense of normalcy, I am reminded at times of recent Anathema in the keyboard/guitar combinations, as the emotions slowly buildup once again, the piano marking the pace, the lead guitar unable to hold back its emotions, both weighty and heartfelt, constantly adjusting the throttle, as if impatiently searching for an oasis of peace. Without question, one the finest 2025 epics, an exhilarating exploration of power and substance, full of vigorous intensity and profound reflection.

4.5 Towering nights

It's a magnificent album of music overall. It obviously has a notable progressive rock content, but it goes far beyond that?both in terms of composition and in terms of production and sound. Many well-established bands would dream of breaking the norms of production and composition the way they have managed to. Every track is meticulously crafted, with layers that reveal new details on each listen. The album flows seamlessly from start to finish, offering moments as delicate as a baby unicorn's bottom and others as hard-hitting as a concrete building. There's a fearless approach to creativity here ? a refusal to be boxed in by genre or convention. The musicianship is top-tier, but never self-indulgent; everything serves the greater musical vision. Please, give them a chance and let's start putting these people where they truly belong ? at the very least, at the level of recognition they genuinely deserve. This is not just music; it's a statement.

The only SBB recording without leader Jozef Skrzek, in which he was replaced on Fender piano and polymoog by guitarist Piwowar. The performance took place in Nove Zamky, now in Slovakia. Skrzek reportedly had to travel later and separately due to some obligations at home and missed his connecting trains. Piwowar proves to be a surprisingly competent keyboardist. However, this change in the line-up also changed the whole sound of the band, with fewer heavy complex harmonies and a more airy jazz style. The album turned out surprisingly well, though, and is definitely not just a collector's item for SBB fans, but an excellent recording in its own right.

JUPITER FUNGUS are from Greece and they pay homage to the bands and music of the 70's like DEEP PURPLE, FOCUS and JETHRO TULL. Essentially a duo of vocals/keyboards and flute, they managed to get three more musicians to play on this record making them a five piece. I have the legit cd and I would not know this from the liner information as it shows the five members as part of this band. The guitarist and drummer are from LUCIFER'S CHILD with the guitarist coming from another band I won't even repeat due to my world view. Oh, and this was recorded and mixed by him at his Pentagram Studios.

I like that we get four long tracks with the shortest being just under 10 minutes. This is very much either flute or organ led. So yes, DEEP PURPLE and JETHRO TULL came to mind often. I do not like the flute style as it dances all over the place, fluttering away. I love flute but not in that style. Same with the Hammond, I just have never been a big fan of organ led music like this. The guitarist hardly causes a blip here. The keyboardist adds vocals and they are okay, but often mixed low.

The cover art actually impresses me more than anything I hear. The flautist did this and he clearly has a talent. Such a detailed picture that I have to applaud. It's a little bigger than the cover too, as it expands to the back some. So right from the first spin I knew this would be a challenge. If it was just the flute, or just the organ, but it's both giving me problems. My favourite musician on here is easily the bass player George Papageorgiou. Just love his tone, and how upfront he is. A talent for sure.

I won't describe what I'm hearing here as I would be repeating myself a lot, but I feel this album will get a lot of Prog fans exited who are more into FOCUS and TULL than I am.

Without losing the memory of their herculean and visceral past, still present, Iron Maiden nourishes "The Final Frontier" (2010), their fifteenth album, with elaborate structures with undisguised progressive components and nuances adapted to the new millennium, visually notorious from the cover where the anthropomorphic Eddie evolved in extraterrestrial predator mode inhabits a devastated and hostile futuristic space environment.

This sensation is reflected in the heavy and gloomy synthesizer-based atmosphere of the introductory "Satellite 15...", marking an unprecedented experimental facet of the English band, after which the most direct and effective tracks flow, impregnated with the band's primordial DNA, like its continuation, the avant-garde and homonymous "The Final Frontier', the galloping "El Dorado" and "The Alchemist", the plaintive "Mother of Mercy", and the splendorous half-time of the emotive "Coming Home".

And it's from there that the songs become especially polished, with the mystical "Isle of Avalon" where Steve Harris' infallible bass and Nicko McBrain's millimetric hi-hat mark the extensive introduction to a middle section starring the lucid riffs and solos of the trio Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, as well as the convoluted and determined "Starblind", the tempestuous odyssey "The Talisman" and its crystalline acoustic intro accompanying the settled and impostured singing of the rejuvenated Bruce Dickinson before the instrumental display in which the three guitars flirt with each other, and the vigour of the introspective "The Man Who Would Be King", loaded with melancholic textures. Along the same route, the wind-blown 'When the Wild Wind Blows' kicks off a definitive epic in which Harris' bass and the trio's guitars advance slowly but surely, following Dickinson's vocal story, and then explode into a determined instrumentation that flows splendidly and infinitely until it returns to the same winds to conclude, in my opinion, the best track on the album.

The very good "The Final Frontier" is not so much more than "Brave New World", but not so much less than "Dance of Death" or "A Matter of Life and Death", and its success in the charts (#1 in the UK and in 27 other countries...) was a reaffirmation of the validity and popularity of one of the most emblematic Heavy Metal bands.

3.5/4 stars

As one of the really fine experimental art rock albums of the early 70s, Roxy Music's 'For Your Pleasure' is also quite significant for its masterful bridging between prog and glam - the daring in-depth exploration of unorthodox ideas, the extended song lengths and the focus on intricate instrumentation, extended soloing and technical acuteness, are combined with the relentless sexualization of the album's lyrical content, and the evocative all-around imagery of the band and their produce, which is a rare sight during this period in the development of rock music. There is an eclectic combustion of styles on this album, which might be an overall more focused and better-executed record than the band's famed self-titled debut album. The supposed clash between Ferry and Eno here, furthermore, is more of an abstraction rather than an actual source of conflict, and I do believe that their differing artistic visions had navigated this album into its more obscure presentation.

Of course, Brian Eno is very prominent on the best tracks off 'For Your Pleasure', and his playing seems to be sprawling into punk, prog, and classic rock, while Phil Manzanera, for example, delivers some substantial solos as well as multiple fine riffs. Andy Mackay dares to play out of key on a few occasions, which gives the album an avant-garde touch, while the rhythm section is working tightly and does not shy away from being minimal, metronomic, or simply punctuative. For what concerns Ferry's vocals, independently of how much one might be into his singing style, it is a fact that his performance is exquisite, and he really experiments with his voice throughout this entire album. Obviously, 'Do the Strand' and 'The Bogus Man' are the best album tracks, perhaps depicting perfectly the band's bold amalgamation of glam, pop, prog and avant-garde. 'Strictly Confidential' and 'In Every Dream Home a Heartache' are also really fine attempts at having an unusual but compelling rock sound that diverges from the standard, blues-based formula and tries to introduce a novelty sound with an inherent progression. At the same time, the trivial 'Grey Lagoons' and the punk-backed 'Editions of You' are far from impressive, which lets the otherwise-excellent album down a little. Nevertheless, 'For Your Pleasure' is a unique and important album from the early 70s that above all introduced a fascinating synergy between glam rock and prog.

In 1990 Geoff had the idea of releasing 'I May Sing Grace' and 'Psalm Enchanted Evening', his second and third solo albums after leaving Twelfth Night (originally only on vinyl), as one CD. He felt that 'In One Era' would be the right title, explaining it as follows "In One Era, a pun of course. I do not know if you use the phrase 'In one ear and out of the other', it refers to a statement that no-one listens to!". This did not happen in Geoff's lifetime, but in 1994 Malcolm Parker worked with Andy Labrow to produce a set as close to Geoff's original concept as possible. Two tracks had to be dropped to make them fit onto a single CD, and the two albums were made available as 'In One Era', but it has long been unavailable, and it is only through the reissue series from Brian Devoil that this is now again seeing the light of day.

The cover has been changed, although it is still very much in the same vein as the original, the two missing tracks brought back in the correct places, plus this includes three tracks from Geoff's first post-TN band 'The Earthlings', which have never previously been released, as well as some live recordings and demos.

Geoff had a unique vocal style, and will always be one of my favourite singers, artists and poets and managed to pull together a lot of different styles in a way totally his own. Certainly, he was the most off the wall Christian artist to promote his faith through music. He was still developing his solo styles at this time, and elements can be seen that came through in his later works. Far more immediate than albums such as 'Second Chants', there is no doubting the Mann's talent. Geoff recorded albums incredibly quickly, with the two on here taking less than two weeks in total! There was never a sense of rush, but rather that he knew his own mind very much and what he wanted to achieve. It is also great to hear the additional tracks, as any lovers of the Mann can never get enough and to be presented with "new" material more than 30 years since his life was cut tragically short by cancer is immense.

I really enjoyed hearing the demo to "Piccadilly Square" for the first time, one of my all-time favourite tracks, whilst the version recorded with The Earthlings is very different indeed. There are three versions of "Flowers", with cuts by both The Bond and Godstars, and the result is the most complete version of these two albums ever released. Absolutely indispensable for fans of Twelfth Night and Edmund Geoffrey Mann.

The Kingdom of a buffalo

I've been listening to King Buffalo for many years, and today they stand as one of the best stoner and psychedelic rock bands out there. With six albums, a handful of EPs, and several live recordings, King Buffalo has steadily carved out a path for themselves, maintaining a solid and evolving sound. The band is always led by their extraordinary guitarist, vocalist, and keyboardist Sean McVay, whose skills as both a musician and composer continue to grow with each release. Alongside him, Dan Reynolds on bass and keyboards, and Scott Donaldson on drums, complete this power trio?each member playing a fundamental role in shaping the band's sound.

Among their impressive discography, one album stands out as a bold leap forward: Dead Star, their third record and also their most progressive. Here, King Buffalo commits to crafting longer and more intricate compositions. "Red Star Part 1 & 2" opens the album with 17 minutes of mantric, meditative sound, as the band takes you on a journey through dark and dense space?layers of delay- and distortion-soaked guitars, deep Taurus pedal drones, and looping drums that echo the atmosphere of Obscured by Clouds-era Pink Floyd. At the same time, there's a certain emotional isolation reminiscent of 2112 by Rush, combined with the sheer weight and force of eternal Black Sabbath. It's an album that reveals how far the band is willing to push their sound while still staying true to their roots.

"Echo of a Warning Star" is a more meditative track, driven by vocals that faintly recall Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair, yet with a unique twist that makes it their own. "Ecliptic" dives into a 70's krautrock vibe, which is one of the most fascinating aspects of King Buffalo?they are unafraid to explore any sound they like, and they do so with substance and confidence. "Eta Carinae" leans more into classic Black Sabbath territory, with a heavy riff reminiscent of Tool, delivering a crushing song with incredible solos and textures. The title track, "Dead Star," feels like a mourning song, almost like a lullaby for a dying star, filled with melancholic and Rush-like atmospheres. The album closes with an edited reprise of the opening track, tying the journey together perfectly.

Dead Star is one of King Buffalo best work , showing their ability to blend stoner, psychedelic, progressive rock, and even krautrock into a emotional experience. It's an album that rewards multiple listens, revealing new layers each time.