HACKBERRY

A relatively new collective from Holland (they formed in Groningen in 2015 of veteran musicians) here releasing their second full-length studio album since 2017 (third including their 2016 EP, Desert Orchid). Their style of technically precise instrumental music is more Heavy Prog despite plenty of metal passages.

1. "Lunares" (15:48) impressively precise and coordinated heavy prog with many themes/motifs, time and dynamic shifts, employing a variety of musical styles that provoke some surprising emotional responses. My only problem with this song is that there are several AC/DC- and OZZIE-like sections that are absolutely begging for vocals. (26.5/30)

2. "Solitary March" (10:21) an acoustic guitar opening. (What else would one need/want in order to check off all the boxes for "progressive rock music"?) A nice plodding theme follows over which a single lead electric guitar plays a long solo of continuously sustained notes as the band beneath gradually builds in intensity to match the emotion of the solo. At 2:51 things come to a halt as the band adjusts for the next, more power-chord oriented driving theme. The Hammond beneath the two guitars and bass is noticeable. Mellotron choral voices join in at 4:51 while the theme continues and the twin guitars ramp up. Hammond finally comes to the fore for a flashy solo in the sixth minute but then is pushed aside by one of the electric guitars until 6:10 when the other guitar establishes a new melody riff before everything comes to a stop for a brief guitar picking bridge before everybody comes back over a steady bass and drum line with the twin guitars doing their THIN LIZZY thing, occasionally breaking ranks for individual solos. Interesting song even if nothing is very complex or innovative. (17.75/20)

3. "Foreshadow" (11:44) an interesting collage of somewhat familiar metal styles and themes rendered through a wide variety of (mostly traditionally-prog-related) instrumental inputs. My favorite motifs are the one that begins in the fifth minute and the melodic one that starts at the nine-minute mark with the lead guitar stepping to the fore. (17.5/20)

4. "Manticore" (12:06) again, a song with several familiar motifs. (Reminders of THIN LIZZY came up several times.) Very nice use of the twin lead guitars--and they are used a lot! Also, this song contains some of my favorite melodies on the album--especially in the middle sections and the excellent lead guitar solo of the ninth minute. The bass solo in the tenth minute is nice. And I like the slowed down passage penultimate to the finish. (22.5/25)

Total Time 49:59

The compositions could be a little more complex, thus further earning their inclusion beneath the prog umbrella, but more, they really could use some vocals. The four songs are all solid though very few risks were taken. Also, I wish the drums felt a little more present/forward in the mix so I could hear the nuances better.

B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like variable instrumental Heavy Prog from highly proficient musicians.

Great instrumental Heavy Prog from The Netherlands. These guys draw from many influences old and more recent to present some interesting and eclectic songs--two of epic length and construction.

1. "Ophidian Strike" (17:38) RUSH-like power chords with some very RUSH-like other instrumental tracks are here woven together to open this song to display the band's RUSH-like discipline. In the third minute the band shows some DEATH-like chops before stepping back to give us a more laid back Mellotron-backed weave. At 4:15 the guitarists begin what seems like a slow trek back into Akerfeldt-Gildenlöw territory but then back off and slow down a bit. The sixth and seventh minutes show some slide guitar work giving the music a kind of Allman/Clapton feel but then everything slows down, empties out for a 30 second passage of slowly picked arpeggios on a solo electric guitar. At 7:45 the organ ushers us back into the RUSH-like motif of the opening section. At 8:26 there is a slight shift before another return to Rush territory (despite the Hammond mirroring the guitar's chordal and melodic journey). The end of the tenth minute shows some syncopation with drum fills before everything switches to a space/psychedelic palette with plenty of floaty synths and echoed guitar note play. This reminds me of QUANTUM FANTAY--even when the melodic structure coopts a bit of YES riffing. Nice solid bass and drum throughout this section. Lead guitars return in the twelfth minute, taking the front attention from the spacey keys but even doubling the QUANTUM FANTAY feel and sound. At 13:08 a series of guitar power chords and Hammond arpeggi provide a bridge to a nice 'tron-supported section in which the twin lead guitars establish a very catchy melodic riff to hook us in. But then, in the fifteenth minute, we fall back into a succession of OPETH-like motifs (with the twin guitars both playing the harmonized lead and playing off of each other). Pretty cool. I miss these kind of 1970s twin guitar performances--something that I've heard in recent years from very few bands--most notably (and impressively) from Tennessee's TREE TOPS. Very solid, polished song. (31.75/35)

2. "Miraggio" (5:43) a mock classical piano piece? Reminds me of Gleb Kolyadin only it feels a bit Gallic tongue-in- cheeky. But then, after 90 seconds of this the bass and guitars take over in a kind of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA/PAIN OF SALVATION way. At 2:40 we switch into something that sounds like it could come from Polish rockers RIVERSIDE circa 2006. A brief calm before the crescendo of the closing movements beginning at 4:40 and then at 5:20. Very interesting! (8.875/10)

3. "Aboard" (8:20) bursts out of the starting gate at full-power! The guitarists, both rhythm and lead, are wailing away as bass and drums also carry forward the melody and steady pace. Nice, if simple, chord and melody structure established and maintained. I can see the comparisons to "La Villa Strangiato" though this feels more of a study in the rudimentaries of the Rush song. At the three-minute mark there is a cools shift as muted flanged rhythm guitar allows the organ, 'tron, and lead guitar tracks to come forward more. As we return to the original dynamic, the guitarists take turns wailing away while the bass, guitar, keys, and rhythm guitar keep the base rock solid. Even the reset/interlude in the second half of the sixth minute somehow carries forward the plodding bass-led pace with no loss of momentum. The song is quite admirable for its consistent display of unabated power though I would have loved to hear something a little more daring from the rhythm section (especially the drums). (18/20)

4. "Desert Orchid" (13:06) a 120-second BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-like atmospheric intro turns rather SABBATH-like as it picks up speed, mass, and momentum in the third minute. This is the absolute essence of all that made Heavy Metal music win over so many fans and artists in the 1970s. By 2:30 they're all clicking on all cylinders, a full-fledged classic metal weave. At 3:55 everything comes to a halt--as if the juggernaut has been waylaid at a weigh station. The soft weave that follows slowly builds as one of the guitarists starts hitting on some power chords and then wailing away in a nice solo section (from 6:30 to 7:00 he's very impressive). Another stop and start in which another more jagged motif. In the end the song plays out more like a djenty thrash metal song from the late 90s or early Naughties. It's good--much better than the simplistic predecessor--but nothing very groundbreaking. (22.25/25)

Total Time 44:07

This album makes me finally realize what it is about RUSH albums that fail to make me like them: poor production, not enough low end, and vocals. Hackberry provide a Rush-like music with a deep, thick low end coupled with a lush Mellotron and organ fullness that helps ground me (and the music) in the glory of much that is great about progressive rock music. The guitar-hero twin guitars remind me of so many great 70s bands, including THIN LIZZY, THE OUTLAWS, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, and even THE EAGLES and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS, but also of the OPETH guitarists, the Glldenlöw brothers and, at times, a bit of the RIVERSIDE sound.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of well-composed, well-performed progressive rock. Were there vocals or more innovative ideas and structures this might even have been better.

Fast on the heels of their sumptuous debut, I simply had to comply with my urge to see if the follow-up is of the same exceptional level and provide another wordy but precise appreciation via review. With a plethora of fans and critics globally who are raving about this band of expert instrumentalists, I somehow feel that Prog Rogue won't be too "rogue" and anoint this disc with the loftiest praise as well. The Hackberry line-up has not altered one iota, the quintet is rock solid to the core. With twin guitarists Marijn De Boer and Francesco Bonardi pushing the electric envelope, keyboardist Tim Hidskes colouring gloriously the backdrop, while the devastating Rhythm section pummels the propulsion into overdrive.

First, a word about the cover art, which is simply breathtakingly alluring, at least to this reviewer, with a winning combo of purple and violet being such a charming design combination. Four colossal tracks weighing in for a total of 49 minutes is what is offered here. The proceedings kick of with a grumbling bass line that will take no prisoners, Simon Venema quickly becoming my new four-string hero. Not only is the meaty tone deadly but the execution is devastatingly effective. The bulldozing nearly 16-minute mammoth "Lunares" slaps the unsuspecting listener with a thunderous wallop that will be maintained and at times, even heightened during the course of the set list. The instrumental prowess displayed here easily competes with the perhaps more famous leaders of the heavy prog genre, names such as Metallica, Rush or Riverside (less the vocals). The main difference is that the Hackberry material is composed of longer tracks with no fluff, no cliched licks and genuinely a more progressive disposition, in that their style is way more adventurous, subtle textures mean as much as crushing riffs to these stalwart musicians. Throw in change of speed and pace, radiant swerves, and death-defying dives, and you catch the sweeping drift. I imagined this piece in a live setting and my heart thumped vividly during the entire affair. Hidskes in particular whips out the Hammond organ and supplies that iconic oomph when the axe storm needs a little hurricane-force gust, tossing even some howling mellotron to boot. The softer moments are lovingly expressed with ornate piano solutions that really hit their mark. Simply glorious musical artistry in all facets of their talent.

A woven cord of interspersing acoustic guitars set the tone for "Solitary March", a poignant introduction of a what will become an epic journey, the trembling bass guitar deliberately setting the road to be travelled, as the storm clouds suddenly darken the mood, with bombastic electronic orchestrations galore, jostled along by the authoritative percussive display from Chris Bechtum. The dual interlaced guitars are mind-numbingly audacious to the point of impertinence, fortifying the massive foundation. Then, out of the heaviness, a wicked series of lead guitar solos, amid the back-and-forth deviations and returns, a solemn and SOLITARY piano ending the arduous trek.

The ominously brooding delivery on "Foreshadow" is the perfect example of setting a premise, the foundational platform on which the lads can investigate new sonic horizons whilst incorporating bruising riffs, a stimulating synergy between masculine action and feminine reflection, a mesmerizing trait that this crew does fundamentally as well dazzlingly. The sonic layout is enthralling, pulsating, courageous and daunting. Controlled chaos, organized thunder, intense lightning and evocative to the nth degree, all is present for the outcome. The suspense is skin deep, the cinematic qualities undeniable. And, as per norm, a delicate piano presage finishes off this gargantuan monolith as it plants itself deep into the arid desert sand, between the chimpanzees and the gorillas. There are some bones nearby, Hal.

Can such an onslaught keep on giving? Oh, not just giving but Hackberry kick it up a few notches with a tornado track of mythical proportions, cleverly titled "Manticore", based on the ancient legendary beast. Churning organ blasts only serve to enhance the criss-crossing guitar saturnalia, concussive trappings serve only to further confuse and dazzle and the trembling bass heaping depth onto the matter. Heavy, nasty, stubborn, and resolute, not a single note is taken for granted. A dozen bewildering minutes that encapsulate the intrinsic qualities of a band that should, by these overt standards, become the next sensation in progressive rock. So much for my (false) reputation for loving only pastoral, folk-tinged vaporous ditties whilst eschewing anything with muscle. Well brains and brawn make for a perfect melange in my sonic lair. The piece ends with their usual finesse and class. Surely a top 5 finalist for 2023 album of the year.

5 gasping rooms

I received another top-secret intelligence report from my trusted UK source, agent Steve Lazenby, code org name Lazland who once, long ago, had a namesake named George somewhat briefly related to 007. The For Your Ears Only file was a rather in-depth analysis of a clandestine cell operating out of the Netherlands that had found a way to infiltrate a once famed smartphone company, hence the operational code name Hackberry. Once decrypted and thoroughly investigated, I realized that the latest dispatch Breathing Space, was not yet cleared censors, so I took the liberty of perusing their initial self-titled dispatch. No disinformation here, the subversive quintet is a covert group of expert instrumentalists, who have mastered their tools of the trade to an elite level, licensed to kill and showing little mercy. The shadowy duo of Francesco Bonardi and Marijn De Boer wield the Q sponsored lethal guitars, with reptilian bassist Simon Venema equally adept at garrotting strings, while the electronic keyboards manned by Tim Hidskes add camouflage, sabotage, and the odd disguise. The getaway drum kits are driven by Chris Bechtum, the propulsive force behind the commando hit squad. Their cloak and dagger mission never seems impossible throughout their infiltration.

The onslaught detonates with a 17 minute + tectonic epic (that is my definition of confidence and courage) where the interaction between the musicians is presented with brute precision and vibrant determination, and once the initial tempo is in motion, the interwoven axes conspire mightily as riffs and licks combine to set the stage for a curling cobra bass line to lead the rhythm into overdrive. First overt observation: these guys can play along the very best out there, where inspiration meets method, with complete mastery of mood, drive, and atmosphere. The technical fans will admire the chops and the passionate ones slain by the killer manipulation of the melodies. The moody mid-section even dares to venture into silent lucidity, surely a decoy snare to entrap the unsuspecting listener, coercing them into submission with another powerful sound rampage that takes musical adventure to another level, aided by loads of detailed electronic musings from Hidskes. Very striking sonic penetration.

The mercifully shorter "Miraggio" takes one initially to the other extreme, an elegant and solitary piano solo that exudes classicist tendencies that soothe the senses, before it plummets into a provisional flourishing guitar assault, decelerating into a fleeting lead guitar flurry and then, booting up to a turbo-charged fury. Just like a Saharan mirage, is the blurry image real or imagined? Water, water. The agony of hope for salvation is expressed by colossal choir mellotron dunes. The segue onto "Aboard" is like a last second impromptu caravan of deliverance, a sweltering journey under torrid conditions, sandstorm guitar stings prickling the skin like a million needles. Swirling eddies of dynamic sound urges the dramatic venture forward, reaching nearly hysteria and pandemonium.

The finale is their classic initial piece "Desert Orchid", a 13-minute master stroke of mood and effect, as an arid guitar interplay sets the oppressive tone, then ramping up the intensity with effortless glide, swerving straight into the wilderness of where zero vegetation can grow. The quest for that lonely floral exception is the exhilarating ride the band takes us on, ferried by a masterful synthesized e-piano in the background, recalling Zep's No Quarter. Bonardi's guitar crisses, as De Boer's crosses, the two gunslingers in perfect harmony with each other and devoted to accomplishing the mission at all costs. Hetfield/Hammett (Metallica) move over, Powell/Wisefield (Wishbone Ash) sit down. These two are top notch aces. I as a rule, am not always fond of endless shredding because it can be so darn predictable at times but I found the opposite here, as its always perfectly dosed and mathematically diverse. The finale, as they eventually find the lone blossom in the barren expanse, is one of unrestricted jubilation.

The silence at the conclusion is deafening. What a sensational debut album! This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck Jim! The Breathing Space file is being cleared by M, should be arriving soon. The secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

5 Crypto currants

Sometimes you can be blown away by an instrumental prog rock album from a band that you don't hear a lot. This one has only four songs with 2 big epics. It starts with a song that has a solid melody in the vein of the more progressive side of Dream Theater. The song is played at just the right tempo to enjoy the melody. It's mostly drum/guitar and bass oriented but the keyboards have their space later on. There is some cool bass break in the middle of the first song with some spacey passage that brings things down. "Miraggio" brings another atmosphere with a short piano intro before the heaviness comes back in a pure Opeth style and some powerful guitar riffs. The band enjoys to stretch out their song in a kind of control jamming style keeping at times a frenetic pace with some smooth break and a quieter guitar to gives us a breather after some intense passages. I can't say anything wrong with this album that has solid melodies that keep you engaged throughout the 45 minutes. There's not a minute wasted for fans of Heavy Prog, Prog Metal and beyond...

Ever since their EP ´Desert Orchid´ I followed this band. After hearing the renewed album version of this song I knew that this album was going to be good. The sound is very open and the playing very tight. I especially enjoy the 17+ minute openingtrack ´Ophidian Strike´, which has a very nice into groove, melodic parts with mellotrons, furious guitarsolo´s and even a groovy pshychedelic part, all ending with a bang. Also the spooky piano intro of ´Mirragio´ caught my attention. What followes is a heavy song which reminds me of Opeth. The track ´Aboard´is more stoner-prog, but a welcoming heavy addition to the lenghty prog'adventures. All in all, to me a masterpiece of progressive music!