My favorite Dutch album of all time. Focus isn't an unknown band within the prog world. Van Leer and Akkerman is one of my favorite duo of all time. This album is their first very great and my favorite

Hocus Pocus is their most famous song, and also the most out of place song on this album. It's hard, insanely goofy, and very jammy, miles from what is going to happen later in the album. Still an amazing track, although not my favorite 6/7

Le Clochard is a beautiful acoustic track, I adore it 2/2

Janis is an amazing flute oriented piece. Van Leer is a pretty good flautist, I just love the vibe of this one 3/3

Moving Waves is the title track, and the only one with actual vocals. It's a good track, but not the best on here. 2/3

Focus 2 is also a pretty good track without much to say. Side 1 is full of shorter tracks which are all good, but lack the epicness of other prog stuff 3/4

Eruption is the reason this album is a 5/5. It's one of the greatest prog tracks of all time, and should be put with the all time greats imo. The section at 14:40 is arguably my favorite moment in music...ever. It's just so beautiful. This track alone puts Focus with the all time great prog bands. It also imo makes Side 1 a lot better, they are very different ideas. 23/23 nothing to say apart from it being one of humanity's greatest musical achievements.

FINAL SCORE: 39/42= 92%. Easy 5 stars, Eruption should be discussed a lot more often

Transmissions by Telepathy is a great instrumental progressive metal adding in sound effects, radio broadcasts and audio quotes to give it a very Public Service Broadcasting feel, but with heavier guitars. The English 4 piece show off a wide range of compositional talent, but I do think the addition of post metal screams would have souped up their sound. But for what it is it's very well pieced together and enjoyable. A little bit on the long side, but that's prog metal for you. I'd give this a high 6 to a low 7 out of 10. The song I'd recommend is Knife Edge Effect.

A lost collection from the other half of the Alan Parsons Project. The songs here don't sound too much like APP, unless you only pulled out the simpler, mellower, more pop-oriented songs from each album. You won't find another I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You here, and unlike APP, there's only one singer throughout?Woolfson himself. Also missing are any instrumental songs, long solos, or long songs. There's obviously a lot of talent on display, but for me, it doesn't have the magic of the teamup with Alan Parsons.

Most people around here probably enjoy the more complex, progressive parts of APP's catalogue, so this collection, while pleasant enough, is mostly for collectors and fans only.

[Edit-- important correction: from the band... "Thank you very much Scott Rich ! However, there is a mistake in the presentation, the line-up changed in 2022. Lucas Planque plays the drums and Benoît Toquet plays the bass." I apologize for the error.]

This week, I'll be checking out French proggers PrYzme's (pronounced "Prism") 2nd album, "True Stories? and Other Lies", set to be released on May 30. 2025. While this is only the band's 2nd album (the first being "Four Inches" released in 2021), the band goes back over 10 years to their 2014 inception, when they were originally called Lingus. The band formed in the city of Rennes, which is approximately 215 miles W/SW of Paris. Guitarists/Vocalists David Chollet and Dominique Blanchard met in 2014, and upon discovering that they shared similar influences of classic prog bands like Yes and Pink Floyd, as well as more modern ones like Porcupine Tree, they decided to compose original prog rock music, with the eventual goal of creating a band. After composing 8 songs, they sought out other members who shared their vision. While the initial line-up came about in 2015, the true line-up didn't come together until adding Maxence Marmieysse on bass at the end of 2018, then Gabrielle Duplenne on drums in 2019. They changed the band's name to PrYzme in 2021 in time to release "Four Inches".

[Disclosure for transparency. In March of 2025, Anne-Claire BaddogPromotions of BadDog productions reached out to me to review and feature some of her artists, but there is no compensation outside of digital files of the music for review purposes, and I choose what I want to write about, and express my opinions freely. Anne-Claire did request this review, and there may be something else related on the horizon. I am free to post about any artist, regardless of whether they are represented by her or not.]

Without further ado, let's hear some "True Stories?and Other Lies". This is mostly a "cold" listen, with the exception of track two, which I heard while checking out the accompanying video.

Track 1- Echo of Silent Place

At only 1:10, this is by far the shortest track, and I suspect it functions as an intro to the album. Some sound effects, and electronic percussion and synths set the stage for us before a sudden blast of a riff jumps in during the final seconds!

Track 2 - Earth Song

Sound effects of people talking with a subtle rhythm underneath fades in until a big riff hits at just before the one minute mark which I believe is in 7-4. By 1:30, the music settles down to establish a nice bed before the first verse vocals enter. The vocals (in English) are smooth and clear, with just a hint of a French accent. Excellent harmonies at 2:06, and I don't detect any auto-tune. A variation of the opening riff backs up the pre-chorus. The harmony vocals continue through the chorus. The opening riff is restated, then they set up an instrumental section. There are keyboards involved, but I am not sure who is playing them. This really gives me Porcupine Tree vibes. A well-executed guitar solo begins at 4:40 or so. At times, I'd like to hear the solo be just a bit higher in the mix. A rhythmic bridge follows the extended solo. Nice drum fills as the song reaches its conclusion on an ascending pattern followed by a clap of thunder. Great song! Definitely a good choice as the lead-off single. This full version clocks in at 7:50, but a radio edit is also included on the version I was given, which is just over 4 minutes.

Track 3 - End of the Anger

This begins with keyboard sequences, then a funky guitar riff comes in. This has a very cool fusion vibe. The vocals are well done again; they really like to harmonize! At 2:20, there is some killer odd-meter riffing before the next verse begins. The backing vocals hold sustained notes while the lead vocals continue over the top?nice! This one has me boppin' my head. At about 4:05, the music pauses briefly and enters a new, initially quieter, instrumental section, which crescendos to an a-cappella harmony but that would make Gentle Giant proud! By 5:00 the band kicks in. There are lots of overlapping rhythms and melodies both vocally and instrumentally, but they pull it off with aplomb! At around 6 minutes the keyboards take back over, leading the way to another guitar solo, this one more free-time. I am getting the Pink Floyd influence here. By 7:30 the music is building up in intensity. It explodes into some prog-tastic riffing in 7-8, I believe. The music continues to build until a short keyboard sound takes us to the conclusion. Fantastic track! (The album also includes a shorter radio edit.)

Track 4 - Green Eyes

This is one of the two tracks on the album that clocks in at over 10 minutes (11:04). It begins with acoustic playing, soon joined by vocals. An electric guitar with interesting effects joins between verses. This has a slow but steady tempo. At around 1:45, the full band joins in with more wonderful vocal harmonies. The drums drop back out after the chorus but the bass remains. As the next chorus approaches, synth-strings lead it in and the drums return. These harmonies are full and rich. At around 4:15, a clean electric guitar riff with excellent use of delay effects joins in with hi-hat accompaniment. The synth strings precede the bass and drums coming in. I like the bass tone here, as he plays a simple but effective riff, which is locked in tight with the drums. They have created a fine atmosphere as a guitar enters with a nice riff. After that is established, a guitar solo enters over the top. The solo is melodic and flows nicely with smooth legato playing. The rhythm shifts at 7:38 and becomes more straight forward as the solo continues. I'm betting that PrYzme are tight-as-hell when playing live. I liked the sustained guitar note around 9:35 that was just on the edge of feedback. Excellent drumming around 10 minutes, before the acoustic guitar returns in the manner of the intro. The lead vocals return for a final verse that ends on an unresolved guitar-chord. Superb prog!

Track 5 - Reality of Dreams

A clean guitar riff fades in, then is joined by an acoustic riff. The bass begins doubling the acoustic riff, then there are some drum accents. Synth joins in, then a new acoustic riff takes over with a jazzy feel at around 1:20. The rhythm section joins in and backs the vocals. There are some interesting chord progressions on this track. At around 4:10 we begin to transition to a new section. After a slower moment, the tempo double-times. By 5:30 we have returned to the earlier tempo. At 6:30 the rhythm pauses again. Nice clean riffs in unison from electric, acoustic and bass as we close- out the song. Cool track!

Track 6 - Never Again

This fades in with guitar feedback into a smokin' hot riff. The bass gets featured with some effects on it soon after. Then the band joins back in. A sustained note alerts us that the next section is about to begin. Sustained keys and sound effects take over in a Porcupine Tree manner. A clean but sinister guitar riff fades in next. Fuzz bass provides accents. Then the band comes back in full after the 3 minute mark. Vocals begin around 3:25. The beat pauses again around 4:30. The vocals sing in unison with a guitar part next. A guitar solo begins before the 6 minute point. A heavy riff begins with about one minute remaining. The band joins in with it. Some complex riffing based on the opening riff closes it out. I really feel the more modern Porcupine Tree influence here. Strong track!

Track 7 - Silent Place

This is the longest track at 12:12, and the last proper track of the album sans the radio edits of tracks 2-3. So, we'll call it a closing epic! Sequenced synths and electronic percussion lead us up to a heavy riff. They establish a groove by around 30 seconds with the vocals following soon. The later part of the verse has a more mellow feel. After the second verse there is an instrumental break/guitar solo with a fusion vibe. The following verse is brief, on the same groove, and followed by a shorter guitar solo. The groove then continues with harmony vocals. That abruptly ends with more heavy riffage. The guitars take back over with another solo that leads to a new vocal section at a faster, running tempo. The bass & drums really keep things moving. It goes back to the half-time feel afterwards. The bass gets a bit of a spotlight before the next solo begins in an odd-meter. Vocals then return over that feel. Synth strings float over the top when the next meter begins. There are some interesting accents at around 9 minutes. The guitar is building a nice solo in this segment. I am not sure if poth guitarists take leads but I suspect so. There is a very Spock's Beard transitional riff at around 10:20 that reminds me of a moment in "The Great Nothing". The opening synth vibe returns momentarily before one of the main riffs return. There is a harmonized lead break with about a minute to go, and the band is cooking! With about 20 seconds left the sequenced synths fade the song to a close. Awesome prog!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

What a great album! I believe any prog fan will find something to enjoy on it. These are great players and singers and they have given us some fine compositions to sink our teeth into. I hope that they get some recognition from this. I'll give it a very strong 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Clicked 4, but really 4.5

I am really excited about today's album, the new album from Styx- "Circling from Above". Early on in this series, I reviewed "The Mission" and I had intended to do "Crash of the Crown" as well but never got there (yet) before a new one is upon us. Tommy Shaw has said that the album is inspired by his and other bandmates love of "birding". The album is only on YouTube as I type this with an official release date of July 18. There are some line-up changes as producer/co-writer and de-facto member since "The Mission" Will Evankovich in now listed as an official member, and Ricky Phillips left the band in 2024 and has been replaced by Lawrence Gowan's younger brother Terry. This makes the line-up as follows: Tommy Shaw ? guitars, mandolin, banjo, vocals James Young ? guitars, vocals Will Evankovich ? guitars, vocals, occasional mandolin and keyboards Terry Gowan ? bass, stand up bass Lawrence Gowan ? keyboards, vocals Todd Sucherman ? drums, percussion Let's get to it! Track 1 - Circling From Above This is a 2 minute track that begins with a synth fading in until approximately 30 seconds when the band kicks in with lead guitar featured. Beautiful harmonies enter at just before 1 minute. The tempo is moderately slow. The synth sustains a chord as the track ends. Track 2 - Build and Destroy This is the lead off single and the only track I have heard until now. It begins with a funky 6-8 rhythm that reminds me of WYWH/Animals era Pink Floyd. The harmonies on this album are fabulous. At around 1:45 there is a nice band unison run before the bridge. Following the bridge is a nice wah-wah guitar solo. Sucherman has a great drum fill at around 2:30 or so. At around 3:15, the music gets quieter, and it reminds me a bit of Crystal Ball era Styx. I like this one better every time I hear it. Great track! Track 3 - Michigan This begins with a cool steady guitar and bass pulse with bass drum underneath. There are some almost middle- eastern chord changes at times. There is a nice slide solo at around 1:20. I live the steady groove here. There are some interesting synth sounds in the mix. Terry Gowan had a thunderous bass tone. Nice rhythm change at around 2:45 as the short (3 minute) song begins to wrap up. Cool track, wish they'd have stretched out on it a bit more though. Track 4 - King of Love This one begins straight away with harmony vocals, accompanied by keyboards. A syncopated acoustic guitar riff follows, joined by bluesy harmonica. Then JY takes over in his deep, rich, mysterious voice. Tommy takes over on the bridge, with L. Gowan joining on harmonies. The guitar solo comes next. Sucherman and T. Gowan have a very cool shuffle in the rhythm section. Another bridge comes in after the guitar solo. Excellent instrumental build up following the second bridge. Lots of changes in a 3:30 song! There is a quick tradeoff between guitar and synth licks before JY takes back over with an effect on his voice. A synth sequence that speeds up ends the track. Great song! Track 5 - It's Clear After some low-pitch tones. A harpsichord-like part plays a couple of measures before the vocals begin. Larry Gowan is taking the lead this time on the verse. They really start rockin' on the chorus! Verse 2 has harmony vocals. A synth solo follows- nice! A bridge comes in around 1:45. The way they sing the phrase "so long" reminds me of ELO on "Telephone Line". The harpsichord part returns before a big build up into another chorus. An acoustic strum part with a lead-guitar part straight out of early 60s surf-rock (think the bridge in "Pipeline" by the Chantays) on top, very cool and unexpected, brings the song to a close. Track 6 - Forgive A piano part with a ticking clock and sound effects fades in along with sound effects. The crescendo gives way to a slow stummed acoustic and Tommy begins singing, Subtle organ joins then L. Gowan sings a line, before they harmonize. Drums kick in and the bass joins. The next verse is more rhythmic. This is a beautiful ballad. There is a pause and an airplane sound effect passes by before the guitar solo happens. The chorus returns as the song comes to a close. All of the tracks thus far have been quite good, but seem very short. Track 7 - Everybody Raise a Glass After a bit of Auld Lang Syne, a jaunty, Queen-like beat kicks in and L Gowan takes lead vocals. This song is very catchy. A half-time instrumental break gives us a change in the middle. The beat resumes and the guitar feature would make Brian May proud. This is clearly a nod to Queen. The piano and harmonies at the end keep that impression alive. Could be a lost Queen song. Amazing! Track 8 - Blue Eyed Raven A solo gypsy style violin starts this one out. It sounds like a horse-cart is passing by on a cobblestone street. A speedy acoustic strumming pattern takes over and this sounds like it could be a quick tempo counterpart to the late 70s Styx tune "Boat on a River". I believe this is the track on which Terry Gowan plays stand-up bass. Bass drum and tambourine are the primary percussion. Nice orchestration in the bridge. Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli would be pleased with this gypsy-jazz feel. There is a pause at 2:45 then the music begins to build with snare drum entering. We have some power chords but the vibe remains. Not sure who guests on violin, but they are great! Loved that! Track 9 - She Knows A descending synth part leads to steady piano chords, before the vocals enter. The band enters on the second verse. This has a slightly Beatle-esque vibe. Then?didn't see this coming?a clarinet solo! Yeah, this reminds me of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" on Sgt. Peper, especially in the middle. Great arrangement! The song ends with a slow coda. Track 10 - Ease Your Mind This one is only 50 seconds long. It begins with a beautiful arpeggiated piano part and the great harmonized voices return again. But after a verse, a short synth effect brings it to a close. Track 11 - The Things That You Said Vocals start right away on this one, with a staccato piano part supported by the rhythm section. Cool call and response vocals in the classically inspired bridge. L Gowan takes a keyboard solo, then a brief guitar solo takes us to the next verse. At 2:15, though, the dam bursts and big power chords and drums take over. It feels like we are building to something. There is a slight feel resemblance to the "She's So Heavy" part of the Beatles' "I Want You?", although the chord changes are different. Maybe it's the 6-8 meter. Killer track, but like the others, too short. Track 12 - We Lost the Wheel Again A quick acoustic riff gives us Pete Townshend vibes and the vocals that follow almost sound like Roger Daltry. They seem to be invoking a lot of classic bands on this album, in an homage kind of way. I can almost see windmill guitar strums on the power chords. The rhythm section even affect an Ox and Moon vibe. The bridge continues the feel. It's most like "Goin' Mobile". Very cool. Track 13 - Only You Can Decide Let's see what the final track brings. Synth fades in and big acoustic arpeggios set the stage for dramatic vocals. I love when the harmonies enter on the chorus. The beat is slow but powerful. Wonderful arrangement and production. As the final chorus ends a synth note fades out. The album has come to a close. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Great album, but NOT what I was expecting. Not sure what any of this has to do with birdwatching, but I am a music first and lyrics later kind of a guy, so, yeah, I might need to focus on the lyrics on subsequent listens. What I didn't expect was the way they evoked different bands' styles on different tracks. So the Pink Floyd vibe on "Build and Destroy" was certainly no accident! I really liked that album, but maybe it's because I have reviewed so many prog bands at this point, the songs feel super short, as not one is more than 4 minutes long. That is my main complaint. But musically Styx show their diversity with grand style. Terry Gowan impressed on bass in his debut. I'll give this a solid 4.25 out of 5. I may have to revise it after more listens. (Clicked 4, reallyu a bit better at 4.25)

Wow, talk about a surprise comeback. After nearly a decade, the American prog masters of Discipline had sprouted once more. It's been a while for me too, ever since I reviewed Unfolded Like Staircase, and I have always kind of been meaning to review their other studio outputs, but never quite got the time or motivation to do so. But, I suppose this release was a calling to me, and since I finished reviewing their brother in the cold north of Sweden, I suppose it would be fitting to start this-hopefully-trend of reviews with their most recent effort.

Now, sad to say, I must admit something. The Discipline discography, for me at least, is rather mixed. While I think Unfolded Like Staircase is a classic that should be in the same ranks as other progressive rock scores, their other albums range from just good, to being kind of mediocre in comparison. Perhaps my opinions can change with time, but there hasn't been a standout Discipline record for me, other than the obvious. Especially Captives of the Wine Dark Sea. That one could've been so much more.

However, Breadcrumbs goes in the good category. Not excellent, but it does have that je nai se quoi that makes Discipline a band to keep an eye on.

Weirdly I find Breadcrumbs to be sort of a successor to Push & Profit, their debut. I suppose it has that going for it compared to Unfolded Like Staircase. It still has that Discipline edge that makes their music standout. The title epic especially has that quality that makes me swoon, alongside the more folksy When the Night Calls. However, the tracks are considerably more mellower, and form a sort of neo-progesque energy that was missing greatly from their recent releases, barring the archival Chaos Out of Order. It's a good sound, and while it may not be the direction I hoped the band would go in, it still isn't bad.

The social commentary especially here is good. Push & Profit was certainly a more politically charged record compared to the fantastical workouts they would follow off from that, but here they hone in that sort of style back in. Mostly because of...ahem, you know who, running the offices in the great big USA. The song is enriched in lyrics that describe how bad it is that radicals can run a country into the ground, whilst also being opposed to becoming so radical yourself. Admittedly I do sometimes fall into more radical ways of thinking, especially lately. It's easy to get into that headspace because the bigots running America right now?as well as bigots running other countries (looking at you England)-are very radical in of themselves.

It's an easy feedback loop, not helped by the fact the internet has since thrived on misery due to the weirdo fests of 2016, and the depressing Covid arcs of 2020. Which is why I like how Discipline takes a stab at this sort of culture directly to the heart. They aren't going to a conservative route of going "go woke, go broke" (which would be funny if they did, like you're a prog band you barely get money lol), nor a liberal route of saying we need a revolution. Hell, they aren't even being centrist, by saying both sides are stupid. They're simply saying that going full throttle in any kind of thinking will not lead to the best results, and that one should do their own research without the need of a bunch of internet nobodies filter feeding them through an influx of hate and deceit. It's a message that feels very disciplined, even if it's not about Greek tragedies.

Though, I do think it does get kind of lackluster with the final two tracks of Aloft and Aria. They're just kind of forgettable, and being forgettable in a Discipline album is a near death sentence for me.

Furthermore, I sort of wish the production was a bit better. It's not egregious, in fact the mixing is pretty good, but it sounds very clean for what it's worth. Way too clean honestly, and while usually clean production should be a good thing, I think in the case of Discipline, they benefit more on harsher, more grimy production values, rather than something you could get out of the average Steven Wilson record. I don't wanna just hear the keyboard, I wanna FEEL them, and honestly, I cannot feel them at all here.

But, that is how the bread crumbles. It certainly gets me hoping for more music from them in the future. Though, usually it takes them a while for them to make one album to the next, discounting all the brief hiatuses. But, who knows, they may turn into the gothic prog King Gizz and release something crazy next year. Either way, Discipline has made a pretty great comeback, one that is slowly becoming a favorite of mine with each listen. Give this one a shot, it's pretty worthwhile.

Best tracks: Breadcrumbs, When the Night Calls

Worst tracks: Aloft, Aria

Two ancient space/psychedelic junkies gathering forces in Portugal for this their 12th album collaboration. (All since 2019!) Much of the album has an almost-continuous flow to it, each song dumping its palette into the next where it is picked up and transmogrified into the next celestial substance.

1. "Intro" (4:00) an entertaining and modernized version of a Tangerine Dream/Pink Floyd "nuclear alarm" song. This MicroFreak combination analog and digital synthesizer is amazing! It leads into: (8.875/10)

2. "Fusing your Synapses" (8:46) enter programmed "future Ibiza" electronic dance rhythms into the virtual space-laser sonosphere and you've got a visit to the video game arcade circa 2079! I really like this, as Blade Runner dated as it might sound (instrumentally): it really satisfies the teenage sci-fi Matrix Reloaded rage/dance orgy geek in me. (18.667/20)

3. "Doomstar" (15:58) reminds me of a combination of Robin Trower and Craig Safan's guitar sound and a bit of EEF ALBERS' Focus Con Proby playing style on the amazing "Final Confrontation" from the 1981 film Thief's OST. Great mood and ambiance to keep the psychedelic trip flowing. This would make ideal music for your lava-lamp-lit, bead- curtained basement hippy den. (28/30)

4. "Down the Ferret Hole you Go" (7:11) I can see where the title came from: the repeating "hammer blows" as well as the mind-numbing hypnotic effect of the seemingly-endless dance pattern loop. It's not always pretty, and is sometimes on the verge of downright annoying, but it is definitely entertaining (and creative)! (13.5/15)

5. "No More Bombs (only Bongs!)" (12:54) more of the HAWKWIND/ELOY like heavy, two-chord psychedelia as "Doomstar" only pervaded by another track, one of modulating analog synthesizer nob-turning, that is equal to or even more attention-grabbing than the awesome ubiquitous and usually-fairly-steady lead guitar shredding. I can't say that we've never heard anything like it but I can say that it still feels deeply engaging and hypnotic with Dr. Space's crazy synth work feeling quite manic and fun. (23/25)

6. "Pinned Codes" (8:31) opens with severely-morphed waves and Edgar Winter "Frankenstein"-like backwards synth mud bubbles and before Star Wars light sabers and laser tracer sounds join in (along with a playful and almost cute/pleasant computer chatter-speak beneath). This latter soon rises to supremacy over all the other sounds that have preceded it before a drastic shift--like walking into a different game arena--occurs at 3:30. Now we're in a lush tropical where swirling synth runs and washes support guitar and, later, Hammond chords--the guitar playing three totally different styles (due to the different parts of the guitar Martin is playing). The weave is continually morphing, each instrument doing their own spacey thing, but mixing together quite congenially, as if taking us down the River Lethe (or Styx). Weird to feel as if the bass line is the only thing keeping us aware of forward movement, and yet, even its strange rhythm is slightly eccentric to everybody else's. Interesting. And definitely entertaining. (17.5/20)

7. "Chick[&*!#] Burger Boy" (12:46) starting out with a New Age drum program that sounds as if it came from the album or studio that spawned A-HA's monster hit, "Take on Me," Dr. Space's bubbly radio space noises and extraterrestrial language transmissions float around over the top while synth bass and fairly normal and un-sustained/delayed fuzz guitar note play and off-time keyboard chord bounces wax and wane, calm and swell within and around. Not quite as engaging as the other two mesmerics. (21.75/25)

8. "Outro" (2:22) more sub-space, radioactive/nuclear wind. (4.375/5)

Total time: 75:32

A fairly odd mix of song themes, the variety of engineering feats perhaps betraying the varied dates of existence of the individual songs, but, in the grand scheme of things, does, in fact, present a very interesting, highly engaging, and, ultimately satisfying listening experience. The effectiveness of the MicroFreak combo analog + digital synth seems to be quite innovative and liberating as I hear solo activity on this album that is more dynamic and akin to Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk dial twisting and the permutational manipulations of a Prophet 5.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of highly creative sound manipulations served up over some somewhat innovative structures and variations on known forms. Highly recommended.

Heavy space/psychedelic rock that satisfies the prog qualities of those looking for music to remind them of their old HAWKWIND, ELOY, PINK FLOYD, and BOWIE (and even early PORCUPINE TREE) heroes.

1. "Cyclical Night" (12:35) interesting. Not bad. Definitely retro-NeoClassic . Everybody on board is sufficiently skilled and versed to pull of solid, polished song that sounds as if it could've come from a 1970s album. Roger Lopes has a strong if-familiar voice and laid back singing style (somewhere between BLUE Ã?YSTER CULT's Eric Bloom, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM's Carl McCoy, and IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson). There's even a bit of BÃ?C's "I Love the Night" quality and feel to the overal sonosphere. The spaciousness and maturity of this song make it quite comforting, even inviting. It just keeps getting better with each and every listen! And the warmth of the wrap-around sound is so amazing! (22.75/25)

2. "Digital Coma" (17:19) mostly soundtrack-like synthesized space and weather sounds for the first seven minutes: it's like we're floating in the silence of space, hearing the internal computer and machine-generated sounds of our otherwise-uninhabited, barely-functioning, life-support vessel. (It's also quite like Vangelis' music during the scenes in Blade Runner in which Deckard is hunting Sebastian, Pris and Roy in the derelict hotel in the Ninth Sector.) Then the prog song that emerges (and carries through to the end of the 17+ minutes) is one that reminds me very much of the music from one of my favorite Smooth Prog albums from the past 15 years: LIFESIGNS' wonderful self-titled 2013 debut. In the 12th minute the music comes to fullness with a FLOYDIAN palette before going down a kind of BÃ?C tangent in the 14th. The instrumental sections that follows is quite powerful: with perfect electric guitar serving as our guide--within a sonosphere of some very protective bass and keyboard guards. At 14:20 we return to the Lifesigns/Floydian pastiche--complete with strong Floydian background vocal choir (all from Kim Chandler?) The song ends surprisingly, rather suddenly, on a couple of kind of simple guitar riffs, leaving me scratching my head as to what was just (supposed to be) happening over the last 17 minutes. Elements of this song are absolutely great--especially the amazing sound engineering. (It really does feel as if you're inside a sphere of virtual reality in which everything is occurring around you, coming at you, comforting you, from every possible direction.) There are some elements that don't quite work (for me). But the good far outweigh the questionable. (33/35)

3. "Violeta's Dream" (23:44) this one comes across as a total extrapolation of the spaciest of Pink Floyd: the original aim of Steven Wilson's Porcupine Tree project taken to the next levels--taken far beyond Steven/Tree, Bruce Soord, Riverside, Mystery, Airbag or anyone else in NeoProg's Floydian Universe has ever accomplished. To me, it's like taking Floyd into the Eighth Dimension. It is not, however, always the best choices of construct and sound palette to achieve such attention and honor: there are plenty of segments and motifs that fall back onto fairly simple structures and/or minimal sound palettes. It does feel like traveling through someone else's dream but a dream that is often mundane and forgettable. (39.75/45)

4. "Blue" (14:46) Tangerine Dream-like electronic piano and spiraling church organ chords fill the first two minutes of this before the full rock band ensemble kicks into gear. The song that ensues sounds like some solid NeoProg that could come from any number of second-tier NeoProg bands. (Bands like Grand Stand, Silhouette, Cosmograf, Galahad, Drifting Sun, Gandalf's Fist, Comedy of Errors, Evership immediately come to mind.) There are passages in which I'm reminded rather strongly of both Giancarlo Erra's NOSOUND and Jason Hart's I AND THOU projects of the last decade. It's nice, with great sound, but rather simple music and a less-fully-developed sound palette. Nothing to write home about. Gabriel D'Incao's grandiose Gershwinian classical "grand piano" solo in the tenth through thirteenth minutes comes as a bit of a surprise (I'll bet he'd been sitting on that little gem for many years), but it serves as a very nice little interlude and reset. The return to rockdom for the finish is not as pretty or satisfying as one might hope. (I think I like Gabriel's solo piece better.) (26.125/30)

5. "Voice of God" (16:53) now the band is back on track: a wonderful, fully-formed and full-surround sound visceral experience with some very proggy music. (Great drumming, guitar play, and wordless vocalese, courtesy of Kim Chandler. Is this the band's homage to Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky"?) In the middle of the fourth minute the music suddenly stops and then restarts with a vocal-led motif that feels like something off of a lost SEAL album. Incredible! The sixth minute brings heavy power chord explosions before the underlying piano leads us into a race-against-time instrumental passage in which guitar, piano, and percussion take turns leading the way--often in theatric, even jazzy, time-syncopated ways. Pedro D'Incao's searing electric guitar now sounds like a cross between that of cookin' Carlos Santana and Stephen Thelen/SONAR's David Torn. The ninth minute sees the piano-leadership taking the music into a bit of a Billy Joel pop-jazz direction, and then, thereafter, the band trying to bring it back to progland. But first we have to have another classical piano interlude (starting at 10:00). Spacey pitch-warped synth riffs and synth chords join Gabriel's gentle, pensive Chopin-like piano play, keeping me, as a prog hopeful, satisfied--reminding me somewhat of some of Rick Wakeman's interludes in his (or Yes's) prog music. At 12:20 "horns" help us emerge out into a Floydian "Light" for a gorgeous section of "As Sure as Eggs Is Eggs"-like prog orgasm and ecstatic rapture. Return Ms. Chandler's vocalese to the mix, culminating in a scream of seeming-relief, and then a piano, synth, and cymbal crashing finish/dénouement. Well met, boys (and girl), well met! Not quite what I'm expecting beyond the Pearly Gates but a nice human version of that which might be. (31.75/35)

Total Time 85:17

As with the fellow-2025 release from the DOCTORS OF SPACE, Fusing Your Synapses, there is true innovation going on throughout this album. For me it is in the engineering feat of complete surround sound--what I've come to call "the sonsophere," that is, the effect of the sounds coming from the instruments feeling as if they are surrounding, engulfing, swirling, even guiding you--from all directions--directions which change, are somehow able to change (like the old-fashioned "panning" effects one could manipulate on the engineer's sounding board only in all dimensions). I've been hearing and feeling more and more of this effect in the studio productions of recent years (thanks to my wonderful Soundcore Space Q45 noise-cancelling headphones) and am not sure how the sound engineering technologies have accomplished this--what enables them to manipulate sound "directionality" the way they seem to be doing--but it is amazing! It is fulfilling an achievement that I've been seeking, wondering if possible, waiting for, since my Brian Eno audiophile days of the late 1970s. This is, in my opinion, a revolutionary achievement in sound delivery technology. While I'm not ready to grant Atomic Time full credit--nor their engineering and production crew--but they have definitely presented sound in the complete fullness as I've never heard it until now: 85 minutes of complete and total musical immersion. Amazing!

A-/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of highly creative retro-respective NeoProg that presents Prog World with some truly extraordinary sound innovations. I urge everyone in the Prog community to check this album out--especially if you have good headphones--and especially the first two songs. Highly recommended!

Today I'll be checking out the third album from The Swan Chorus, titled "You're Despicable", released in February of 2025. Although this is their third release, the history of this Liverpool band goes all the way back to 1979. Please see my review of their second album, 2023's "Achilles and the Difference Engine", for more information about the band's history.

The line-up on this album consists of the two partners in the band, David Knowles (all instruments) and Colin McKay (all instruments, lead & backing vocals), supplemented by the following guests:

- Logan Jones / backing vocals - Solaria / backing vocals - Kevin / backing vocals - Natalie / backing vocals - Saros / backing vocals

Disclosure: David Knowles provided me with a digital copy of the album, at my request, so that I can review it.

Let's jump in:

Track 1 - The Upside of Down

The track begins with a chimey keyboard tone, joined by sound effects. A fuzz bass takes over then the keyboards return with other instruments, establishing a groove for the vocals to begin by 35 seconds. As the song transitions to the second verse, there are many layers of sound. The arrangement is warm-and rich, with occasional surprises. At around 2:30. Most of the instruments drop out , except the keys and a bass drone. The vocals join for a bridge based on sustained notes. Whichever member is handling the bass on this track really does a great job. I suspect the drums are a drum machine, but it works. My apologies, if it is not. This is a great, energetic opener.

Track 2 - Got Religion

A church organ with tambourine and crowd sounds opens the track, giving the impression of a southern gospel church. That gives way to a riff that is somewhere between 60's surf-rock and "Secret Agent Man". Colin joins in on vocals soon after, with backing harmonies. The line "I put my trust in Jesus and the KKK?" lets us know the type of "religious person" they are targeting. The lyrical tone of the song is somewhat akin to Genesis' "Jesus He Knows Me" or Frank Zappa's "Heavenly Bank Account". There is a brief guitar solo before we hit the 3 minute mark, followed by a bridge. Fun track.

Track 3 - Estus Pirkle Night

No clue what that title means! Let's see if we find out. It begins with a semi-classical piano riff. The beat is quite syncopated, giving the sense of an odd meter, but I think it's in 4. The first verse begins just before the 1 minute mark. We are continuing the theme of those who use religion to push an agenda, as evidenced by the line "Jesus freaks, I don't just want to reduce you to a meme, but you're co certain." OK?I had to look it up. Estus Pirkle was apparently an actual person?an evangelist minister, and filmmaker. He produced movies from the 50s to the 70s pushing his religious agenda. One such movie was 1974's "Burning Hell" which is a horror movie showing his interpretation of what Hell is like. There is a nice instrumental transition to the bridge around the 4 minute mark. Excellent stereo-imaging. Knowles takes a keyboard solo around the 5 minute mark. Great song, once you know who Estus Pirkle is!

Track 4 - It's Not the End of the World

This is the longest track at 7:28. We begin with delicate arpeggios on a synth with some lead sounds over top of it. The rhythm kicks in just before the 1 minute mark, and begins to build in intensity. Nice accents around 1:30. As we approach 2 minutes we get into a quick, proggy 6-8. We then shift to a chunky, muted guitar chord rhythm in 4-4 and the vocals enter around 2:30. They have an effect on the vocals that make it sound a little bit robotic. At around 3:10 the tempo increases and the full band is in, while the vocal effect disappears. I like the rhythm around the 4 minute mark. A synth solo follows, then a guitar with lots of effects. The next verse begins around 5:40. This is a fun, high-energy track. Very proggy.

Track 5 - Space Force

It begins with what sounds like a warning siren, then a quirky rhythm begins. Great keyboard runs from Knowles. By 30 seconds in, the sound of the track reminds me of silly early 60s monster shows. The lead keyboard bit sounds like it could accompany Casper the friendly ghost. A guitar solo is up next. The vocals don't enter until nearly 2 minutes into the track. This is a great arrangement with many layers of sounds. Great playing throughout. Lyrically, it's another poke at the Tangerine Terrorist. I love the riffing near the end! Killer track, very interesting sound to it.

Track 6 - Little Fools

A cinematic keyboard sound starts this off, then one of the female vocalists sings some melodic "La" sounds, then is joined by another, in harmony. The opening verse follows. The vocals start before 1 minute, discussing how Copernicus stated that we revolve around the sun. Another instrumental section follows with reverse recorded guitars that remind me of the intro of Queen's "My Fairy King". Up next, the now normal guitar leads the rhythm section in. The idea is rejecting those who "don't believe in science", and who believe all the stupid, baseless, conspiracy theories (MAGAts). Good track, lots of interesting things going on musically. The lyrics are very "on the nose".

Track 7 - You'll Never Get to Boston

An accordion sound with applause fades in, with a quick 3-4 waltz rhythm, joined by other instruments. Knowles continues to impress with his unique synth tones. McKay joins in on vocals. He's warning someone not to leave or it won't work out well for them ("...If you leave me, there's gonna be the devil to pay?And you'll live to regret it someday?") Good track with catchy hooks in the chorus. I might get this one stuck in my head later.

Track 8 - World in Action

After a brief synth intro, the rhythm section and vocals kick things off. It's in 4-4 with lots of syncopated rhythm. A bit of an "art-rock mixed with 80s AOR" feel on this one for me. Great harmony vocals on the chorus. Pretty good track, I could possibly see this one as a radio oriented single.

Track 9 - Watching

This begins with an upbeat rhythm and lead synth, mostly in 4, but I think (if I am counting it right) there is an occasional measure of 3. The meter changes frequently as we approach the chorus. This one is much more proggy than the last few. At around 1:45, everything except the synth drops out for a moment, before the rhythm kicks back in. At around 2:50, it sounds like a fat analog synth. Not sure what Knowles uses, but he gets some killer sounds. Chunky, lightly distorted guitar chords take over at around 4:20, before the rhythm comes back again. There are some interesting chord changes as the music crescendos prior to fading out at the end. Lots of cool musical things are happening here. Great track.

Track 10 - The Dragon Who Swallowed the Sun

We start with an uptempo 6-8, with a guitar part on the top that reminds me of the "James Bond" theme in a minor key. The music tones down and an organ leads us to the first verse. There are lots of elements making this an engaging listen. There is an instrumental break between verses. This has the feel of a movie theme for me. Cool, but shorter track.

Track 11 - The Devil in ABQ

Not sure what ABQ stands for as I prepare to listen to this, but it could be Albuquerque, New Mexico?we shall see. Piano and a dobro slide guitar tell me I am probably correct. Yeah, as the beat kicks in, we even have a harmonica. At around the 1-minute mark, the underlying rhythm has an "Immigrant Song" but less-heavy vibe to it. The rhythm stops and the vocals come in with sparse backing. By the second verse, the beat locks back in, and Albuquerque is 100% confirmed. Around 2:45, Knowles gives us a super-cool clavinet part, and there is a horn-section thing happening (but I don't think it's an actual horn section). This one is actually kinda funky. I love the electric piano chords in the next verse. A very cool track indeed! This one fades out too. They are really giving off 70s vibes with that technique of ending a track.

Track 12 - Open Minded

Percussion sounds start this off, and it soon takes on an 80s fusion feel. McKay joins on vocals, and then the beat fully kicks in on the chorus. Really cool guitar lines at around 2:40. A bridge follows the instrumental break. Another interesting, if short, track.

Track 13 - Blame on You

This starts with an upbeat bluesy slide lick. We have a straight eighth-note rhythm as the vocals begin. High-energy track. At about 1:30 the beat drops out and delicate keys accompany the vocals, before the beat jumps back in. This is a head-bobber. Lots of fun, but at only 3 minutes long, I want more of it!

Track 14 - What the Butler Saw

The album-closer is the second longest at about 7 minutes. A foreboding sound fades in. A guitar lick joins at around 40 seconds. Percussive sounds and sustained vocals pan across the speakers. The guitar and vocals work in a call and response. The steady rhythm kicks in around 2:15 on the chorus. A cool guitar solo, with lots of effects follows. Another verse follows. A call and response between harmony vocals and vocoder vocals feature in the next chorus. The bridge is almost a-cappella. An instrumental break follows. This one has some new wave vibes happening. I like the countermelodies between the lead and backing vocals. The synth lead overtakes the vocals and keeps the new wave vibes going. Great track!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Another fine outing from the Swan Chorus. They bring a lot of diversity from song to song. There is a lot of energy on this. You can tell that the 2 main partners (McKay and Knowles) have a synergy that comes from a long standing musical partnership. This album is not prog in the 70's symphonic sense, with sprawling arrangements (that I love so much), but more in its open mindedness and willingness to explore different musical vibes. The lyrics are often very directly political, far on the left-side of the aisle, which definitely works for me, but might not for everyone. I'll give this a solid 4.25 out of 5 (Clicked 4, but really 4.25)

I was reading a biography of the GODS Rush and at some point it was mentioned that Max Webster were opening for them and they were an extraordinary band. "Well", I thought, "let's give them a listen then" so I typed their monicker on YouTube and ever since I thank my lucky stars that the top video the algorithm had for me was In Context of the Moon. I was gobsmacked! This song sent me immediately digging into their short, but quality discography.

This album begins in a rocky, upbeat and groovy way and we get off to a good start. Of course, the band is unconventional (in case you missed the point on the cover) and immediately they go for something different. The soft keyboads of Diamonds Diamonds tone things down, but they are absolutely brilliant and the composition as a whole is very soulful. The mildly distorted guitars on Gravity add some edge again and the catchy chorus does the trick to etch the song in our memory. Then comes Words to Words which floors me every time, it is a textbook example how a band can write tender but far from saccharine ballads, absolutely brilliant. Naturally, the boys would balace things right away with America's Veins and it's rather unlikely not to bang your head on this one. For once things don't change drastically and the fuzzy guitar with the distorted voice of Mitchell carry Oh War! in a shuffle pattern. And then comes the awesome final triad starting with On the Road with a beautiful acoustic guitar accompanied by a wonderful vocal melody and occasional touches by the keyboards. Rain Child is hammond-driven and it is carried by smart melodies literally everywhere, vocals, bass, electric guitar, you name it. And finally the song that introduced me to Max Webster which begins in a totally prog fashion, turns into a rock tune and finally morphs into a pop dancing song that it wouldn't surprise me at all if I ever hear it at a summer night club. These guys are geniuses! Their music is accessible, but at the same time so sophisticated and well-crafted. Great album!