Alex's Aerostation

I've been a fan of Alex Carpani for years. His 2024 album, The Good Man, was my favorite , with its distinctive blend of strong classical influences and neo-progressive , giving his music a unique identity. Browsing his Bandcamp page, I stumbled upon Aerostation and his self-titled debut album. At first, I assumed it was another Carpani solo project, but I discovered it was a full band, a collaboration between Alex and veteran Italian drummer Gigi Cavalli Cocchi.

Now comes Rethink (2025), a major step forward for Aerostation. While sharing some characteristics with the 2018 self-titled debut, this album feels more compact, inspired, and adventurous. Carpani's keyboards often venture into cosmic territory, creating broad atmospheric layers while keeping his melodic sense intact. The music moves at a slower, more deliberate pace, giving each sound room to breathe.

Cavalli's drums convey the restrained power of Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, while bassist Jacopo Rossi adds a deep, resonant tone that grounds the entire record. Together, they create a sound that feels like full- fledged, mature progressive rock, firmly rooted in the present but with an eye toward the future.

I won't analyze all 11 tracks that make up Rethink's 45-minute runtime, but trust me: it's worth every second. This is Aerostation's most cohesive and ambitious work, but a must-listen for fans of modern progressive rock.

I still remember the impact this progressive band's debut album made on me when I came across it in 2005, and there is no doubt that each of the releases of theirs I have heard since then have had a huge impact on me. The only issue I have ever had is that there tends to always be quite a gap between releases, and that is the same here as it has been six years since 'Fragments of the 5th Element', but apparently they have already recorded drums for their next album so perhaps we will be treated somewhat more quickly for the next one (or not).

All the music is written by guitarist Kim Stenberg, so it is not surprising that it is very guitar forward, and in many ways has the hard rock approach of the likes of classic Uriah Heep and Deep Purple along with The Flower Kings and complexity of Dream Theater, but there is always room for the keyboards to come forward and make an impression. The vocals do not seem to have as many harmonies as I seem to remember, and while the guys are still packing as much of a punch as ever there are some obvious problems on opening track "Opus Imperfectus Pt. 1 - The Missing Chord". There is no other track longer than eight minutes, yet this opening cut somehow manages to come in at more than 18, and there are times within this when the band seem to be just waiting for something to happen. When they are in full flow they are totally glorious, everyone in perfect harmony and moving at rapid pace, but there are times when they lag, and it is at this point they really make me think of The Flower Kings who more than once in their career could have done with an external producer. Kim Sternberg obviously likes to be in control as he not only produced this album but also provided the artwork, and there are times when an external pair of ears may have lifted this to another level.

It is a thoroughly enjoyable release, but in some ways it is something of an opportunity missed so we will need to see what happens next.

I'm not quite sure to describe just how important Kevin Ayers was to the UK music scene of the late Sixties and early Seventies, but possibly it is enough to say he was a founder member of The Soft Machine, playing on their debut album, as well as being heavily involved with Gong. If that was not enough, he can also rightly be accused of bringing Mike Oldfield to public attention. Ayers The Soft Machine left after the American tour for the debut, later releasing his first solo album, the wonderful 'Joy of a Toy', which featured, among others, David Bedford. After touring with Gong, he formed a proper band for his second album, The Whole World, and while he provided vocals, guitar and bass the rest of the band was Mike Oldfield (bass, guitar, vocals), David Bedford (piano & jangle piano, organ, accordion, guitar, marimba), Lol Coxhill (saxes & electric sax, "zoblophone") and Mick Fincher (drums, percussion) along with Robert and Bridget St. John providing vocals on one song each. At the time it was expected this would be a band with whom he would work for some years but sadly that was not to be the case.

Now, some 55 years from when this album was originally released, Esoteric have made this available again on vinyl, fully remastered from the original tapes. I must confess this was not an album I knew well, as I have tended to listen mostly to his debut, so this anarchic, zany and "out there" release has been a real voyage of discovery for me. This is, to me, the definition of a Marmite album as the listener will either hate it or love it (personally I loathe Marmite, and Vegemite come to that), and I can totally understand both sides. This is a strange combination of mindless noodlings and experimentations alongside psychedelic numbers, and if I was informed this had been recorded with everyone under the influence of various different substances I would not have been surprised.

However, there is something incredibly compelling about this, and when a friend of mine posted on FB recently that they were revisiting this album it brought forth a huge response from many others who declared a deep love for this. One can imagine Syd Barrett involved with the likes of "Clarence In Wonderland", and one can certainly hear the influences which Ayers must have consumed from all the times he played with Pink Floyd when he was in The Soft Machine. This may not be something I will play often, but I have a new appreciation for this album, and the remastering has clearly defined the instrumentation, with the bass playing in particular being incredibly important to the overall sound.

If you want to hear something from the Gold Years which these days does not get enough recognition for its importance, then this remastered reissue is a delight.

Prog metal outfit Haken decided to tour 2024 in a rather different way, performing their latest album, 'Fauna' in its entirety before returning to the stage for a second set to run through a selection of the best-loved cuts from their catalogue. In a homecoming of sorts, on 21st September 2024 they played London's legendary O2 Forum, and the document of that evening has now been made available in multiple formats. Filmed by Paul Green Productions (Devin Townsend, Steve Hackett) & mixed by Jens Bogren (Between The Buried and Me, Ihsahn), the 3CD+Blu-ray release comprises all the music played on that evening, in both stereo & 5.1 Surround Sound, as well as bonus behind the scenes interviews with each band member. The Gatefold 2LP edition features the entirety of the 'Fauna' album performed that night. Both formats featuring iconic artwork from Dan Goldsworthy, whose work also graces the cover of 'Fauna'. I only have the music (21 songs, 2 hours 47 minutes), but it is a blast from beginning to end.

I have always enjoyed Haken's albums, but this live set captures them in their home environment, and everything is just 'more'. It is complex, complicated, rugged, metallic, jagged, progressive, intense and massively over the top. Here is a band where everyone understands their place, and by providing contrast it allows their music to be even louder where it needs to be, quieter over there, nice harmony vocals here, while Ross Jennings is in total control and having a load of fun. His vocals can be sweet or gentle, ready for the ballad with a pure sound, or he can reach up into the heights, easily maintaining notes with a smile, while the rest of the take us through one heck of a journey. This is music which is massively complex, with plenty of influences being dragged in from mathcore, yet it is always very heavy indeed, with much of that down to the rhythm section somehow keeping it all together while everyone else is off doing their own thing.

I am somewhat surprised this album has yet to gain more attention as to my ears this is the most essential release from Haken since the mighty 'The Mountain' back in 2013. If, like me, you are unable to see this band in concert then this is simply essential.

Before I get to talking about the band or the music, I must call out the amount of effort which has gone into the booklet which accompanies the CD. It is 28 pages long, full of glorious photos as well as the lyrics and who played what on each track, and is a piece of art all in itself. Anyway, back to The Foundation, which keyboard player Ron Lammers brought back to life in 2020. The original trio from the Nineties is long gone, and again Ron has surrounded himself with many well-known Dutch progressive musicians, most of whom were involved with 2023's 'Mask'. It is interesting to note that while there is very much a group sound, there are multiple writers and lyricists within the band and each song is credited accordingly, yet the move between the songs is seamless.

Ron describes this as a thematic album as opposed to concept, about relationships from us as a human to all kinds of partners and environments. It is a very Seventies feeling release, laid back and reflective, rarely in your face, as if the more guitar heavy neo prog and prog metal had never taken place, with reflection often at play with layers of keyboards providing the backdrop, the bass providing a counter melody with guitars providing nuances here and there and the drums never relaxing. In many ways it feels like a Steve Hackett release with some Camel nuances here and there. There are some very pastoral elements at play, but there are also times when the guitars have plenty of edge, being pushed to the fore by the keyboards, while both flute and violin are used sparingly and make a real impact when they come in.

It would be very easy for an album such as this to meander, but there is just enough bite here to keep it pushing along with direction, even when that direction is rather circuitous and may not easily be apparent. For the most part this is a light and refreshing release which progheads would do well to discover.

This is only the second album I have heard from Flor de Loto, but this is their tenth release, and I can certainly see why they are often heralded as being the best progressive band from Peru. When someone as renowned as Roy Z sings their praises, you know they have arrived, "Flor de Loto is what would have happened if Iron Maiden met Jethro Tull in the ruins of Mach Pichu". They have also brought in a couple of guests with both Ray Alder (Fates Warning) and Mike DiMeo (ex-Riot, ex-Masterplan) singing on a song each. I know they are often stated to be a prog folk band, and that may well be the case with the earlier albums (which I have not heard), but these days the word "metal" needs to be added somewhere in there, and one can certainly see where Roy Z is coming from with his statement, which is wonderfully accurate.

Most of the album is in Spanish, but one soon treats the vocals as an additional over the top instrument as the band crunches along, with the flute being an essential part of the overall sound as the band switches tempos and styles throughout, the result being an immersive attack as one never knows what is going to happen next. They can be metal guitar led at some points, acoustic at others, and there are times when the flute, keyboards and guitar are seamlessly following the same intricate melodies to create something quiet special. I am sure the addition of the two guest singers will bring more listeners to the table, but Alonso Herrera is a great singer with a nice edge, and I don't really feel the need for the guests. It is never challenging, always melodic and in your face, and while immediate is also a grower. For various reasons I ended up listening to this album far more than I normally would before writing a review and I am glad I did as it was those additional plays which really got me tuned into what is a wonderful piece of work which is well worthy of investigation by those into prog metal with folk elements.

— First review of this album —

This is one of the finest titles I have ever come across for a space rock album, I wonder how long Scott Heller has had that one up his sleeve? Yes, this is another project from the highly active keyboard player from 'resund Space Collective. This came about when Scott (Hammond, Mellotron, Synthesizers) met with his cousin Craig Wall (Drums, Congas, shakers, bass, guitars, Rhodes piano) and his friend James (Cow Bell, Shakers) when they came to Portugal for five days in July 2023. The result was this Pink Floyd-inspired space rock album which has a 32-minute-long track sandwiched between two six-minute ventures.

Listening to four Scott Heller albums, under three different names with four different line-ups, in close proximity to each other has been hugely satisfying as he has a total command of the space rock genre and knows just how to create music which is compelling and strangely hypnotic. It is certainly not music to be listened to in the car, as there is too much chance of either driving off the road or into someone else, as it just takes control of the brain and there is no room for anything else. Craig is a fine multi-instrumentalist and keeps the sound grounded with his bass while having a close affinity with both Gilmour and Latimer when he lets his guitar sing. Scott often plays repeated melodies and phrases to keep the music grounded, which allows Craig to go off at tangents and just soar away.

There are layers upon layers, yet there is still a freshness and vibrancy here, it is never smothered or constrained, and the freeness allows us to go on the journey. Yet another wonderful release.

"Echo Of Silent Place" begins progressively, spatially, electronically, a dark rise leading to "Earth Song" for the band's unique tessitura; an AOR made in France between melody and suave atmosphere, an electric riff reminiscent of the 80s, hence the two radio edits? In short, fresh rock on recognized markers and a beautiful progressive variation to reflect on the planet which watches from afar these hominid ants destroying themselves slowly. In short, IT BITES, TOTO in hints, SNIFF' N' THE TEARS further on; well calibrated with this continuous aerial riff. "End Of The Anger" follows, slaps from the intro; metallic, aerial, funky, Wilsonian, a fusion of genres with the pervasive bass printing the rhythm and the digression. Reminiscent of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, ENCHANT, YES from the 80s, yes, weigh yourself on the chorus halfway through, it's varied enough not to sound too much like a specific group. The catchy jazzy-groovy break with the guitar lit up on the vibrant, progressive finale smelling of the endings of Steven WILSON's own songs. "Green Eyes" acoustic guitar intro, warm vocals very well sung, the problem with this group which doesn't seem French in fact; if they had sung in French, what would have been my reaction? It's beautiful, clean. A melancholic crescendic structure on a background of classical orchestration. The break arrives, ambient, latent, soft and delicate, marshmallow keyboards, the bass forward, the melody proven, melting. The break takes the time, the time when progressive rock could afford it, this time which allows the execution of a magnificent guitar solo in extension, without great artifice but with sensitivity; The slap.

"Reality of Dreams" opens airily, crystalline, acoustically, yet another one. Two minutes of wandering before the whispered vocals à la SADE?yes, there's a touch of South American, erotic-progressive in it. METHENY's touch leaps out at me, the melody unfolds like a blossoming daisy. The finale takes its time to continue surprising the listener with its fresh, bucolic sounds. "Never Again" bursts forth, incisive industrial prog metal, carved by Dominique and David's furious guitars; a detour into the typical world of PORCUPINE TREE with its exploration, its latency, its dark side. The opening is reminiscent of 80s RUSH with its aggressively controlled rhythm; the vocals, halfway through, Frenchified, chopped up, almost narrated, returning to jazzy-soft, Crimsonian territories with the binary use of the guitar. A finale with a final, frenzied solo, the Wilsonian rhythm returns, modern and creative, excellent. "Silent Place" offers a touch of eclecticism, with TOTO and SADE in the distance, a diffuse Joe JACKSON-esque chord, a hint of FLOYD on "Animals" and METHENY on the guitar. An airy, melodic musical patchwork, the vocals warm, inviting, and ethereal; the final aria between "Et la Croisière S'amuse" and the burning riff of ENCHANT, I persist. The orchestration sits side by side with a final guitar solo on the heavy riff.

Note two radio edits of "Earth Song" and "End Of The Anger" to attract the average listener in need of tracks? A choice, the prog will go for the original title just for its polished intros.

PRYZME releases the album of the month; a fine, delicate sound, evident technicality without overdoing the demonstrative solos; the latency of sounds to make you dream in the complex and emotional progressive world at the same time smelling of TOTO, PORCUPINE TREE, YES and ENCHANT. (4.5)

AEROSTATION, a blend of crossover, alternative rock, and electronic pop. Avant-garde music, evoking cinematic worlds.

1. Voices for the spatial, ambient, mysterious, and progressive cinematic intro, with its buildup to invasive synths. 2. Wide Eyes And Wonder for its well-calibrated 80s rock flavor, the nervous guitar riff here. 3. Straight To The Sun for the mysterious encore intro, the tune then leading into dark, rhythmic synth pop rock. 4. Fourteen Days Of Lightness for its inviting, spatial bass, a minimalist, airy ballad with the appropriate synth slur and a moving solo on top. 5. Coldness opens reverberantly, repetitively, and addictively; a phrased vocal over drums and synth that drifts in an impetuous torrent, typical of the 80s DEVO style. The finale of FROST*'s work in modern, energetic prog rock. 6. Long Distances, with a rushed feel, a keyboard reminiscent of the new-wave style of the early SIMPLE MINDS, is languid, and a fresh, energetic instrumental, both melodic and rhythmic, innovative with the appearance of Davide's guitar.

7. The Arrow, for an encore repetita with a fluid, danceable feel, set to an airy nursery rhyme with a jazzy break thanks to the presence of the bass. Repetitive keyboard finale 8. The Ghost Bride for its ambient and invigorating sound, surrounded by keyboards, the band's signature, for synthetic prog-pop rock. 9. From Day To Night for its dark, solemn, and serious break, a hint of John Carpenter's keyboards from the 90s, and the rest of the series in the same musical style. 10. One Billion Steps for its ambient and spatial break and a start of proven redundancy. 11. Kepler 186-F for its synthetic outro from the 80s, its cinematic NASA sound, dark, austere, and repetitive, on OMD or KRAFTWERK. A beautiful, rhythmic and innovative final interlude.

Modern rock with catchy melodies, catchy choruses, a well-calibrated sound, alternating softness and rhythm, and a soaring atmosphere. A distinctive sound with prominent keyboards distilling fluid, crystalline, twisted, and saturated layers to shock the listener.(3.5)

BAKELIT is the new project founded by Carl Westholm, known for his avant-garde CARPTREE albums.

"The Coolest Place on Earth" opens with a disconcerting, electro-syncopated sound; the vocals are in sync, letting their words flow over the orchestration with a catchy chorus from the start; a mix of prog art-rock, velvety keyboards, then vintage, assisted by Cia, who worked in the equally incredible JUPITER SOCIETY; in short, a slap in the face that feels good. "Remember Who You Are" features this vocal duo, the band's strongest, navigating between sung, whispered, and high voices; a nod to the distant sounds of the '60s for the choruses, a reminiscence of new-wave electro sounds, rich and swirling, with Carl playing with genres. The vocals become dramatic, speaking of the fading environment, the sound drastic. "Two Living Things" with that austere, dark, mysterious keyboard again; the sound pleasantly reminds me of CARPTREE's; the track blends industrial prog, electro, and dark wave prog; the break with Cia sharply interrupts this sensation, giving it height; the languid keyboard and Lars' tribal pad build to a unique, captivating crescendo. The bass vibrates, the theremin does the same, adding to the solemnity, imbuing the album with an evolving conceptual effect. "Asleep or Insane" has a cinematic sci-fi vibe from the start; its languid, dark, heady, almost mantranesque sound, on KILLING JOKE and JOY DIVISION. The chorus is enlivened with martial choirs; a keyboard tinkering worthy of AMAROK flirting with an intergenerational sound; a dreamlike and enjoyable break.

"My Punishment" or the conceptually Dantesque intro; GABRIEL era 'III', BOWIE, an aggressive, grinding sound, wanting to hit the listener on our life on earth. The chorus of the refrain hypnotizes, a vocoder emerges, a bit of 'The Wall' in the distance, CHURCHILL preacher. The martial drums amplify the despair, we will be punished; the emphasis is on the velvety synths and the choirs. "This World Belongs to Me" changes tone, metronomic AYREON electro, like a war machine, with superimposed languid, pleading voices. The intimate synthetic piece which explodes moderately on a melancholic crescendo; the sound makes me think of the glacial DEPECHE MODE of 'Music for the Masses' before the finale where the hypnotic choirs and the metallic guitar remind us that this world belongs to us after all. "Silence is Weakening My Thoughts," with its drums, echoes the somber air of Lucassen's work, and its heavy sound; a crescendo with the guitar and keyboards in a duo?yes, it's not just Cia and Öivin who do this. The sound also recalls the work of CEN PROJEKT in its darkest form. "Death Without Angels," a latent electro intro, coming from the Heavens; the message reminding us that we are trapped, this album is coldly real, darkly atmospheric, and strangely premonitory. A deafening bass, a cruel chorus, a heady track; the apocalyptic evolution is measured, controlled, the hope of seeing an unrealizable happy ending. The haunting title track, with a message from the Theremin announcing a possible end without going through the angels, is a long, dark and beautiful crescendo.

BAKELIT is a blend of captivating music, with a touch of progressive dark wave, art rock, and dark contemplative rock. A beautiful album offering a strong, tenacious sound, reminiscent of the aforementioned bands. Originally published on Profilprog.