Over the years Arnaud has released albums under his own name and under the bandname Moon Dragore, and here he combines both with his latest album which also includes Gong co-founder Didier Malherbe. Arnaud provides vocals, guitar, weissenborn, sitar, keyboards, Didier suling, flute, bawu, ocarina and the line-up is completed by Cherry Pob with vocals, bongos, frame drum, tongue drum and drummer Cloudy Myster. The result is something which truly stands out among the dross of the modern world as Arnaud has taken his influences from world folk and then brought it to life with musicians who truly understand the vision. Didier is in his eighties now, but still as vibrant and important as he was when he was playing on classics like 'Camembert Electrique', 'Flying Teapot' and 'Angel's Egg' and there are times when he and Arnaud combine to create music which is refusing to be bound by any boundaries or preconceived ideas and the listener can just revel in what is going on between their ears.

However, it is not all ethnic, and Arnaud is happy to allow Cherry Pob to provide her vocals on songs like "Looking Across" where he strums acoustic guitar on material which is far more Americana, but then he follows that with a guitar workout which is different yet again. This really does feel like a journey of discovery switching through different origins so one never knows what is going to come next, just that it will be enjoyed. It is an album which moves all over the place, but whereas many releases that attempt this simply fall by the wayside, here there is mastery at play, so we enjoy the myriad explorations and opposed to be confused by it. It is majestic and vibrant, powerful and passionate, thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.

(This review was written in Apr 07 2023)

While I may not have been all that fond of Long Seasons, it did introduce me to Fishmans and I am grateful for it as they definitely do have a great dream pop and dub sound. I think after I listened to their live album of 98.12.28, I became a bit more interested in Fishmans as a whole, and with my recent endeavors of their 1997, and last album of Uchu Nippon Setagaya, they really cemented themselves within my brain.

Unlike making a repeat of Long Seasons and releasing a big song, Fishmans went back to a multi-song structure for this album, but they do dabble a bit more in song structure, clearly as a refinement from Long Seasons. I think the best thing about this album, for me, is how lively, yet very laid back these songs feel. I think it is mostly due to the downtempo and reggae inspired sound found here, but I never feel like these songs ever grow into something super intense, or increasing into tempo, most songs here stay a relative and smooth tempo that are quite slow, but I think it works out in the group's favor as it makes their dream pop and psych rock sounds feel all the more buoyant, and a little nostalgic for me. I don't know why, or how, but these tracks make me feel like I lived in late 90s Japan a long time ago, even though I was born long after the 90s, and I am not even Japanese. Maybe it is some past life deja vu, but the fact this album can make me feel nostalgia for a time and place I never even been in makes this quite a powerful trip.

I also have to take praise where it is due with the long track of Walking The Rhythm. Man, this song is so good, with its first minute consisting of this beautiful piano and rhythm movement and then shifts into this very sweet ambient dream pop soundscape that I just adore. I personally believe, compared to their other long song of Long Season, this track beats it out of the water in terms of consistency and power.

I do have one problem with this record and it is the fact most of the stand out moments on here just seem to be relegated to the last 3 tracks. I mean I really enjoy all the songs on here, but I think if you compared Pokka Pokka or In The Flight with バックビートにのっかって or Daydream, it just ain't no contest to me on which is better. I think if the band spread these last three songs throughout the album and try to make all the other songs into something also truly special, I think we might have a masterpiece on our hands.

A very great record from this little trio from Japan. Sad this is the last album they made, but I am glad they have left us with some great music. Definitely will look into more of their stuff, and who knows, maybe review more. They definitely piqued my interest here, and I think one day, I might find my absolute favorite from them.

(This review was written in Sep 12 2022)

For many, obscurity and popularity are two things that never cross paths. For them, it's either you never heard of them, or you've heard everything from them. I would like to break this process away from the status quo, since I fully believe that an album can be both obscure and very popular, as long as you know where to go. In online music communities, people can find and hear albums they never knew existed before, and that is generally how I discover most of my music. Music circles share albums from one hand to the next like two cars passing by each day. In that sharing of two separate, but equally musical things, people grow attachments and love for some albums, some of which they never heard of before. There are communities built up from the groundwork for finding new and interesting music, such as Rate Your Music, Album Of The Year, a lot of music-focused Discord communities, and even my little darling that is ProgArchives. The internet, while being a bit of a dumpster fire in most places, helped a lot in terms of finding new joys in life that no one in the history of time could comprehend. So in that context, it is safe to say that without the internet, not many people would know about the Japanese band, Fishmans, and their album, Long Season.

Formed in 1987 in Minato, Tokyo, Fishmans was formed by the founding members of the late Shinji Sato (Vocals, Guitar, Trumpet), Kin-Ichi Motegi (Drums, Sampler), and Kensuke Ojima (Guitar, Vocals). Kensuke would leave the band in 1994. Two more members joined the group in the later years of 1988 and 1990, that being Yuzuru Kashiwabara (Bass), and Hakase-Sun (Keyboards). Their music often falls in the same boat as The Flaming Lips, being a blend of dreamy pop music with Neo Psychedelic Rock, however, they have done more ambient pop, and progressive pop music as well, especially found on this album. In recent decades, they have gotten a good following over the years, especially on sites like Rate Your Music, where this album is considered the #1 album of all time in 1996 with a rating of 4.19/5.0 from over 20 thousand ratings. It is clear that this album or more accurately song is one that many people fell in love with, and to be honest, I really do get the hype and care surrounding this entire album, because it is really good, however, I would be remiss to not point on something I do not particularly find that great on this album.

This album is one big 35-minute epic that goes through this abstract valley of sound and noise. Sometimes you get flavors of very dreamy keyboard and drum playing skills, mixed in with a wide array of varying instruments, from violins, to sound effects, bells, and some tribal beats as well. This whole song feels very much like waking up from a dream and having that dazed confusion while hearing your alarm clock blaring in your ears. Everything here feels very abstracted, and I think in some, mostly good areas, it works. I think the best thing about this song is that I always come out of it fairly good, and while that goes for most epics I listen to, hearing this more surreal type of music being pushed to half an hour in length and getting out of it does surprise me a lot. Usually, I would only ever truly love it if it was something like Tangerine Dream or Jean Michel Jarre where you can get very loose and experimental forms of longer music, but here in a more rock/pop context, it makes me surprised to see it come through so well. Every bit and part of this song is very airy, and I think the band was aware of the space they were given for this song since you get a ton out of it while still keeping up with what the intended sound should be. Everything is consistent in its direction, so props have been given. Oh, and also the singing is very well done. I do dig how soft the vocals here are, they feel very in line with the music being played here.

However, the song also can suffer from that abstract sound that I praised in the last paragraph. Like trying to remember a dream, some parts I have trouble trying to remember because sometimes this song can feel very boring at times, or just too Avant Garde to where it gets lost in the weirdness. It seems like a lot of times they get lost in trying to find a new but consistent direction for the song to take, and sometimes they can find their way to a new place that'd improve things, sometimes it feels as though they cannot seem to know how to get through the thicket and end up scraping and bumping into things that do not go well with this epic. Honestly, I feel like they could've made this song even better if they reworked the parts at 14:35 through 27:00, especially that part where it's tribal drumming with a weird repetitive sound effect looping a bit, and that violin part. Honestly, that violin is the worst part of the song, it is so ear-grating that when I hear it I most often than not turn my volume down to be much quieter so I cannot hear it. Honestly, this song would be one of my favorites if it didn't seem like they get lost in their direction and focus on those middle pieces.

I get why this album is very beloved, and I do enjoy a good deal of parts on here, heck I'd say most of the good elements on here outway the bad, but I cannot in good faith say this is a must-listen, or would recommend it to anyone due to those middle parts. It's still a perfectly good album, but not one that I can really adore. If you want some other more dreamy psychedelic or more atmospheric psychedelic rock music then this could be a good place, but I'd suggest being acquainted with other types of bands or projects before hearing this one.

10 years of Prog

If you're into classic modern progressive rock, chances are you already know Jordsjø. But fewer may be familiar with Breidablik, a project that, until recently, flew under my radar. I've been a huge fan of Jordsjø for a while, but I only listened to Breidablik for the first time yesterday?and I was genuinely impressed. Think Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, or Jean-Michel Jarre. It's techno-ambient, old-school, beautifully crafted, and with a distinctly vintage sound. In short: a very good band that deserves more attention.

Now, these two Norwegian acts have come together to release a split album celebrating their 10th anniversaries. One side is Jordsjø, the other is Breidablik. Despite coming from different corners of the prog universe, the combination works surprisingly well. Jordsjø already stands as a major name in the current Norwegian scene, but paired with the atmospheric touch of Breidablik, the result is something even more immersive.

Jordsjø contributes a nearly 20-minute epic titled "Kontraster", and Breidablik answers with a piece of similar length. Both tracks explore the same central theme, but in their own signature styles?Jordsjø through organic, symphonic prog textures, and Breidablik through layered electronic ambiance. It's like hearing two different languages express the same thought, and it works beautifully.

What's most striking is that these two bands have almost nothing in common musically?except that they both come from Norway. Yet this split is a powerful example of the diversity within the prog scene, especially when approached with this level of professionalism and creativity.

I loved the record from the very first listen. It's one of those rare collaborations where both artists elevate each other. Without a doubt, this album deserves to be high on any end-of-year list.

This is the first time I have come across Sacramento-based progressive metal collective Lunar, but apparently, they were formed all the way back in 2013 by drummer Alex Bosson (Helion Prime, Planeswalker) and Ryan Erwin who passed in 2018. This is their fourth album, following on from 2023's 'The Illusionist', which has seen a few line-up changes so on this recording the band was Chandler Mogel (clean vocals), Brian Lewis (growl vocals), Carlos Alvarez (rhythm guitar), Connor McCray (lead guitar), Ryan Price (bass), Alex Bosson (drums) and Anthony Stahl (keyboards). There are many guest guitarists providing solos, while I note cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne (Leprous) is also on one number.

Lyrically, what we have here is a concept album dealing with the passing of time and the effects it has on us physically and mentally. Bosson said, "This album deals with something everyone can relate to, and no one can escape: the passing of time. We get older, our perspective changes, and we gain some things, and lose others? sometimes the things and ones we love. And we struggle and fight along the way. This album deals with some of the highs and lows we deal with along this journey we all share." Musically, there is a lot going on as here we have a band who can be prog metal, mathcore, pronk, often in the same song and sometimes at the same time. It means the listener can never really relax as they have no idea what is going to happen as the band progresses through the songs. In some ways I am somewhat surprised there are not more longer songs on this set, as only one is above 10 minutes, and only three more above six, as this is music designed to extend and stretch both the listeners and players. It will be no surprise to anyone that this will appeal to fans of Tool, Opeth, Caligula's Horse, Haken, and Porcupine Tree, and if you want music which can be highly melodic and almost laid back at one minute and insanely complex and heavy the next, then this is for you.

"The White Death" is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian avant-garde/black metal act Fleurety. The album was released through Peaceville Records in October 2017. It´s the successor to "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" from 2000, so it´s been quite a few years since the last album. Fleurety haven´t been completely inactive though releasing no less than four EPs in the years between 2009 and 2017. Fleurety formed in 1991 and initially played black metal, but eventually drifted towards an avant-garde metal style in the late 90s/early 00s.

The duo lineup of Svein Egil Hatlevik (vocals, drums, percussion, Keyboards) and Alexander Nordgaren (guitars) is still intact from the last album. Fleurety is helped be several session musicians who perform bass, backing vocals, female vocals, keyboards, and flute.

While the musical direction of "The White Death" can still be labelled avant-garde metal, there is a huge difference between the abstract melancholic/often eerie sounding blackened avant-garde rock/metal style of "The White Death" and the all-over-the-place odd avant-garde metal style of "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs". If you didn´t know it you wouldn´t have guessed that it´s the same band releasing the two albums, but you can of course also add Fleurety´s debut full-length studio album "Min tid skal komme" to that pile as it´s a full-on black metal release, which sounds nothing like either "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" nor "The White Death". So, Fleurity is indeed a shape-shifting creature.

There are a few nods here and there to the band´s black metal past ("Lament of the Optimist" for example features blast beating black metal sections) but "The White Death" is predominantly not a black metal release (a track like "Future Day" for example sounds like a combination of Comus and Dead Can Dance). It´s dark, abstract, and melancholic/eerie sounding avant-garde rock/metal which often consists of just a simple beat, some dissonant guitar riffs/keyboards, and some vocals. Other times there are more musical layers, and it´s definitely an interesting and challenging release. The album is not easily compared to other contemporary releases and Fleurity don´t sound like any other artist either, but artists like Virus, Dødheimsgard, Ved Buens Ende, and Code can maybe at least lead you in the direction of what to expect on "The White Death".

The album features a dusty, raw, organic, and somewhat stripped-down production style, and it suits the material well. To my ears "The White Death" isn´t a perfect release, but it´s much more consistent in style than the eclectic sounding "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs". For avant-garde metal fans eclectic sounding releases usually aren´t an issue and I´m sure there are many who find "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" a more accomplished and challenging affair than "The White Death", but the more consistent and accessible sound of "The White Death" has other qualities, which make it appealing. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

Ever since I discovered Jordsjø in 2017, there were two things I wished for and one was to record a side-length piece, another was to get Lars Fredrik Frøislie to make a guest appearance. Well, it looks like one of my wishes came true, and that's to record a side-length piece. As for Lars appearing, that hasn't happened. Probably because he wishes to record in his own home studio (the fact much of his gear is of authentic vintage, he probably doesn't want to move them around due to reliability issues, especially because much of it is at least 50 years old now). Kontraster is the second split release by Jordsjø with Breidablik, after Songs from the Northern Wasteland back in 2016. Kontraster is Norwegian for "Contrasts", which could have been easily guessed by me. And that aptly describes this. First side is Jorsdjø's piece. No surprise it's all Håkon Oftung on vocals, guitar, flute, and assorted keyboards, and Kristian Frøland on drums. It sounds like what you expect from these two guys, great retro-prog with lots of great vintage keys, vocals in Norwegian, and flute, and it's great to see them pull off an almost 20-minute piece. I knew they could pull that off, so I can't imagine that stopping them on a proper full-on Jordsjø release. I imagine Håkon wasn't confident he could pull off a 20-minute piece, as no Jordsjø piece ever went much beyond 10 minutes. Either that, or he was fearing a Tales from Topographic Oceans type of album from them (I couldn't imagine that. Jordsjø has always been too modest for that). Breidablik's contribution is, unsurprisingly much more electronic, with lots of eerie ambient passages and sequencer-dominated passages as well. He gets Håkon to play guitar and flute, as well as a real drummer, not Kristian Frøland, but Trond Gjellum, a drummer that's not familiar to me. That's the first time I ever heard real drums on a Breidablik recording, as usually it's a drum machine (but only used occasionally), as most of the time, Breidablik recordings is entirely by Morten Birkeland Nielsen himself. This is incredible stuff, and it shows how Jordsjø is some of the greatest prog going these days as Breidablik is for electronic music.

"The Book of Taliesyn" (1968), a title whose origin comes from a medieval manuscript attributed to the Welsh poet Taliesyn (6th century), is the second chapter of Deep Purple's formative trilogy, and where, despite its still very rudimentary production, the great potential of the duo Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord, protagonists of this work, can be glimpsed, after the primitive and agitated pounding rock of "Listen, Learn, Read On", spirited and generous virtuoso displays as in the instrumental "Wring That Neck", a combination of jazz and blues marked by the incontinent interplay of guitars and keyboards, and replicated in the middle section in the country pop of the festive cover of Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman".

On the other hand, "The Book of Taliesyn" also has an important experimental component taken from the psychedelic sixties aesthetics, in tracks like "Exposition", the hyperventilating instrumental intro of the interesting adaptation of the Beatles' classic "We Can Work It Out", in the intriguing "Shield" with Ian Paice incorporating percussive world music sounds, and ventures even further combining it with baroque renaissance elements so admired by Lord who explores with mellotrons, church organs and a violin arrangement in the relaxed "Anthem", and where the robust voice of Rod Evans hits with an Elvis-style imposition, surely the best and most progressive track of the album.

And the cover composed by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich for Ike & Tina Turner, "River Deep, Mountain High", is the band's excuse to indulge in another experimental lysergic dalliance based on a tenebrous wind blowing and with some nods to The Doors, concluding an album that has few intersections with Deep Purple's seventies works, but is nonetheless extremely interesting.

3/3.5 stars

Precisely performed jazzy Math Rock from some youth from Chicago. Gutsy, intelligent, complex and intricate yet delivered tight and with great melodic sense.

1. "Lifeguard of a Helpless Body" (4:15) with the same fast pace and upbeat nature of a TOE (Japan) jam, this sets the tone for the album with some fast-picking (and tapping) guitar work. Such a refreshing sound! (10/10)

2. "I Heard them on the Harbor" (5:56) takes its time in establishing patterns as it opens with several instruments taking turns appearing and disappearing. It is only into the third minute that a rhythm and structure is established and played over--but then is challenged and discarded in lieu of some spacey and then jazzy keyboard. The spacey, spacious soundscape reappears for a while until at 4:18 an entirely new and soft-beat rhythmicity is established and built around. And exquisitely so, I might add! Cool and unusual song. (9/10)

3. "Curry Courier Career" (8:11) opens sounding like an intricate, upbeat WES MONTGOMERY song. It then diverts into I kind of étude in sharp time changes and collective band discipline. Things shift and progress in this song so quickly and suddenly--totally unpredictably. There is, however, a pattern to the song structure here (as opposed to song #2). A song that displays some seriously talented and skilled musicians and some seriously well-rehearsed execution of some seriously well-thought out song composition. Definitely the most jazzy song on the album. (13.5/15)

4. "Exformation" (5:21) opens with some intricate and frenetic guitar tapping leading the band into a stop-and-go kind of rush hour traffic pace. The guitarists melody lines here are seriously (and continuously) fast! Even in the mid-song lull the keyboard and guitar lines are intricate and speedy. STANLEY JORDAN would be impressed! (9/10)

5. "Gilgamesh (R-Texas)" (6:18) lots of interplay between instruments off doing their own thing: staccato rhtymic hits from drums and rhythm instruments, polyrhythmic arpeggi from piano, guitars and synths. It is an amazing display of artistry, vision, discipline and restraint. There's even quite a liteel MUFFINS-like Canterbury play in the chord and melody structures of the third and fourth minutes (and the horns in the fifth minute). Everything drops off at the end of the fifth minute save for an electric piano chord sequence--over which the delicate play of other instruments is added to the end. Another outstanding gem of a song! (10/10)

6. "Country Doctor" (5:25) opens with a simple little piano arpeggio repeated over before countrified big band joins in. The pace is atypically slow for this band until the one minute mark when a wall of KAYO DOT-like electrified sound enters and swallows us. The music vacillates back and forth for a while between the MAUDLIN OF THE WELL like beauty of intricately woven soft-picked instruments and the occasional wake-up call of a blast of heavy metal dynamo then settles into a long section of soft but intricately woven multiple instruments. The final 35 seconds allows instruments final flourishes over a fast piano arpeggio. Beautiful song! My favorite on the album. (10/10)

Every once in a while an album comes out of nowhere to shock and surprise me--and this is one of those. I only wish I had heard it in the year it was released so that I could have had more say in helping to bring attention to it. This is an AMAZING album that is truly worth the while of any prog lover's time and attention. Check it out!

A veritable five star album; a true masterpiece of progressive rock music! But what is it? Post Rock/Math Rock like TOE or ALGERNON? Eclectic Jazz Rock à la FROGG CAFE or UNAKA PRONG? Canterbury jazz like MANNA/MIRAGE/THE MUFFINS? It's a mystery! They're chameleon's! I can't wait to watch their future unfold for the skies are not too high for these talented musicians!

— First review of this album —

This Special Edition album features all eight tracks from 2023's 'Unending Ascending' and incorporates five live tracks to make it seem like a live production, available digitally until the time of writing; no doubt, die-hard fans of this unclassifiable band will have gotten their hands on it under their 80s raincoat, the era of innovative ska. The bonus track 'Musica Per Aprire La Mente, Musica Per Aprire Il Cuore' is the best live track on this album. For the eight tracks, the spotlight goes to the languid Crimsonian 'Ship of Ishtar,' magnified by the bewitching voice of Saskia Maxwell, in fact the vocal engine inspired by the DEAD CAN DANCE or even COCTEAU TWINS. An album that has brought nothing since the death of its founding father, which maintains the legend of a band apart for many fans who remained attached to their sound of the 70s and who will die with an epitaph of said band on their tombstone for sure. An album with an Indian atmosphere, psychedelic above all and quite far from the Canterbury movement that it is supposed to represent. The most 'painful' pieces are those with wind instruments which upset by assaulting the ear.

4.5 stars. Guitarist and vocalist Bob Bryden is from Oshawa, Ontario and he was part of several bands in the sixties. He formed CHRISTMAS in 1969, a four piece with Bob singing and adding guitar, plus there was bass, drums and lead guitar. They released two albums in the early seventies. When it came to that third record Bob recruited vocalist and keyboardist Preston Wynn. He felt the change in the band's sound with this new singer and the added piano and mellotron required a change in the band's name, so it was altered to THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.

Preston can sing! He has such character in his voice. I mean it sounds dated, sounding like he's from the late sixties. but man he can let it rip. There's a folk vibe to his voice, sort of similar at times to the singer from COMUS. The band would then get signed to Capitol Records but when Capitol heard the final result they weren't happy. They wanted a more commercial styled music than what was created on "Lies To Live By". The band stood their ground, and a lawsuit resulted. The album would finally get it's release a year later in 1974, but not on Capitol, and a much smaller release as a result. Sadly this album barely caused a ripple. You gotta love these clueless record executives.

We get six tracks over 41 minutes. The first three songs really bring that folk vibe out with the vocals and stories. Even though the music isn't folk. "All The Wrong Roads" opens with slide guitar as acoustic guitar then vocals join in. It picks up quickly with drums and bass joining the party. And talk about folky, check it out at 1 1/2 minutes. "Stay Dead Lazarus" and the next tune "Voice In The Wilderness" reference the Bible which is interesting since Bob would eventually become a Pastor. The first of those is like a dark, folk inspired piece where the bass leads much of the time. Nice. The latter is quite uplifting to my ears. The bass again is upfront. Some piano later. We're having fun 2 minutes in. Such a feel good tune.

Those first three songs are all under 4 1/2 minutes. The next three are 9 to 11 minutes in length, and no doubt of great interest to Prog fans. "War Story" is an anti-war tune that opens with heavy gun fire that had me looking in confusion at my stereo. I had just spent time with BLISTERING MOMENTS "Therapeutic Dreams" where we get this heavy gun fire on a couple of tracks. I was briefly confused(haha). This is one of two songs with mellotron on it. Love when it kicks in at 3 minutes. The wordless vocals, the ripping guitar solos. An earlier theme returns at 5 minutes. Mellotron and piano follow.

"Factory" is my favourite. Those vocals really shine on this one. Lots of energy right out of the gate. A calm with piano follows. This all changes before 2 minutes as the guitar lights it up and we get those repeated lines "Down at the factory." The guitar gets a little crazy after this then a welcomed calm at 4 minutes. Another calm at 5 1/2 minutes where it's almost silent. Then those words "Everything's under control" over and over. This reminds me of THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS and their "Chemical Playschool 10" record, and in particular the song "Saucers #1" where Ed Ka-Spel announces over and over "We do not have everything under control."

Finally we get the closer "Beyond The Fields We Know" which is the longest at over 11 minutes. Mellotron on here along with some inventive instrumental work. Whispered vocals at one point before it builds before 8 minutes with emotion. Wordless vocals follow. An adventerous way to end this record. I read that a young Alex Lifeson would go and see Bob and his bands many times, while Bob in return would eventually do the same with RUSH. This album and RUSH's debut were released the same year. Bob was on his way of getting out of music while Alex was just getting started. Passing the torch as it were. This album is a monster and it's part of my "best of" Eclectic list.

1. Skin Walker drums by Innuendo, right at the start; 23 minutes later, we wake up from the OSC trance, time has moved, but our limbs haven't, they're stiff, proof that this music affects time and space; in short, simply captivating. 2. Enos Donut for the tinkering around close encounters of the third kind, before and after the famous encounter and the mountain climb; A sound that spins, that comes and goes 3. Orgone Unicorn for its atmospheres combining oriental sounds, reverberating bells with the typical sounds of TANGERINE DREAM, captivating and heady 4. Kraut Toe Trip for its typical OSC signature, indecipherable with dark, cursed guitar sounds, from the era of the Mandarin dream of the early 70s 5. Omnia Magnifico for its syncopal musical impulses, its electronic drums, its violin, in short, OSC jamming with, again and again, the oriental atmosphere in the distance 6. Red Panda in Rhodes for the adjustment of the different keyboards or the short interlude, for the bathroom break? 7. David Graham's Wormhole Ride for this sound reminding me of the metronomic tunes of PIL, yes, PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED also knew how to be repetitive; after that, TANGERINE DREAM returns at a gallop, radically changing the atmosphere; After 5G acceleration into hyperspace! In short, 130 minutes strapped to the seat for a free round trip into space?amazing! (3.5)

Your one stop shop for Can.

On the face of it, this is not an obvious choice for a Can compilation. In their heyday they were famous for thirty minutes plus freakouts on stage and wildly experimental studio albums, neither of which are obvious contenders for chart toppers. They did, however, release a steady stream of singles throughout their career and even enjoyed some success; Spoon was a sizeable hit in Germany, and I Want More got into the UK top 30 and earned them a Top of the Pops appearance.

This collection covers all their studio albums from Soundtracks to Rite Time, with the exception of Out of Reach, and there are several non album tracks and a similar number of edited down versions of their more extended pieces. The editing was mainly done by Holger Czukay, who generally managed to distill the essence of a longer track onto one side of a 7" single. The collection kicks off with Malcolm Mooney's two lead vocals on Soundtracks and then heads into the Damo Suzuki era. There are two non album tracks here, Turtles Have Short Legs and Shikako Maru Ten, both enjoyable slices of eccentricity that would have slotted nicely into Unlimited Edition. Two Tago Mago tracks were used as b sides, including a drastically edited Halleluwah, and Future Days is similarly slimmed down. Then we're into the quartet era, with edited highlights from Soon Over Babaluma, Landed and Flow Motion; the pairing of I Want More / ...and More may not be to everybody's taste, but it works surprisingly well. Silent Night is the first bump in the road - Can's version of the classic German Christmas carol has not aged well, and it is followed by the full version of Cascade Waltz. We then briefly dip into the Rosco and Rebop line up with an edited version of Don't Say No and the non album b side Return, which is like a slightly funkier reboot of I Want More / ...and More. Can Can, the famous Offenbach tune, was performed by the three remaining founders Karoli, Schmidt and Liebezeit, and while it might have seemed like a good idea at the time it is the one total dud in this collection. In the 1980s Malcolm Mooney joined the core quartet for a one off reunion album, Rite Time, and Hoolah Hoolah was picked as the single. Both the single and the album were better than expected, even if they're not exactly vintage quality.

Four stars for this collection. It's the only single disc collection that covers every Can line up, and which traces their development almost from the beginning. It's also the only place to get all the non album tracks in one compilation; none can be considered essential, but aside from Silent Night they are all worth having for completists. The edited versions of longer tracks are sufficiently different from the originals to be of interest, although some are more successful than others. The sleeve notes warn that not all the original tapes were available. so the sound quality is a little inconsistent, but I didn't notice anything particularly jarring. If you're a Can newbie this is a good place to start; if you're an established fan it's pretty good to listen to while driving or exercising.

This is the brand new third album by the young Finnish group -- whose name means Frenzy -- that features violins and carries a strong message about the climate change in their lyrics. The debut from 2019 really impressed me as an eclectic fusion of folk, classical, rock and hip hop elements. The second album from 2023 sounded much poppier, and also enjoyably fresh for that matter. The group's musical direction continues to change further towards tighter, more energetic, in a way more youthful and more passionate/aggressive about the message delivery. What's eventually losing in this progress is the wider, prog-natured musical variety, especially the classical chamber music flavour. The entire brief album is extremely loaded with high-speed, rap-like and often very repetitive vocals of the female vocalist Eeva Rajakangas. Strangely though, my initial listening last Friday ended up being quite positive. I guess I was in the right mood for some real kick-ass attitude. What an energy and passion, who's not to appreciate them?

'Bensa 95' is rather similar to the second album's lead single 'Antrasiitille'. The beginning's punchy riff of violins + hand-clapping is joined by rap-flavoured verses and the beautifully melodic and airy chorus. The arrangement combines pop, rap and folk elements truly deliciously and harmonically, making this track one of the obvious highlights. 'Pestään kädet' (= Let's wash our hands) and 'Kuolematon' (= Immortal) are more rap-oriented as compositions, but the sound full of violins is interesting.

'Tarviin' (= I need) is a charming, electrified, fast-paced pop song with a toy-like synth sound and a melodic, catchy chorus. Reminds me of the British band PRAM. 'Kapina on kuumaa' (= Rebellion is hot) and the album's title track (= Not those others) are hectic, high-speed songs that could be labeled as punk!

Gracefully the 7th and 9th pieces (= You can't change anything; Broken) are calm, slow, spatial and moody, both indeed beautiful. 'Punainen aurinko' (= Red sun) is also relatively slow and has a gorgeous, dynamic arrangement. After the continuity of these three calmer tracks the closing song 'Kuningas Gnu' charms with its poppy brightness and energy.

Well, as I started this review I thought I couldn't give more than three stars, for all the punk and rap, but the highlights are after all forming a majority of the ten tracks. VIMMA remains to be a unique band and now they're more powerful than ever before, there's no denying of that.

1. 'Renaissance' for the cinematic intro before its time, with this beach narration, quickly erased for a layer of synths that gives into neo-symphonic and the song that lasts, lasts and goes on nostalgic lands, 6 years to release a better-made album!! 2. 'Jamais j'aurais faut grandir' with the introduction of the French vocal in the lyrics, ouch that has aged well there, I find SHELLER in the intonation, the flute not helping matters by flirting with the ANGE of yesteryear; a slow, well-crafted drift, but with old-fashioned markers that take me back to the date, ah yes 2001 like for the film, a sidereal space; in short, the flute is eyeing JETHRO TULL now, hey, a little reggae where are we going? It's a bit disparate 3. 'Le roi du temps gris' (The King of Gray Weather) with a preamble, it's beautiful, explanatory, a sound that looks to MAGNESIS or vice versa, for the distinctive vocals that can be disturbing because they're put too much forward, like in a vulgar French song, the Achilles heel of French prog; a touch of ANGEL again, we're right in it with the operetta voices, like in the epic of General Machin; the outro with violin makes us forget these details that the prog fundamentalist of the 70s can't stand; well, a journey to the dark French forests of the Vosges 4. 'Vagues a l'ame' (Waves to the Soul) with its waves, narrates the story of the meditating king; Seagulls, the synth, ah, we're going for the 80s new-wave sound, interesting, hey, a hint of SAGA again, the sound evolves, the flute minstrel, medieval, Scottish... folkloric for the moment, a well-crafted instrumental, which confirms that sometimes music is enough without the vocals. 5. 'Une autre chance' for the title track on side 1 with the melodic importance of the gently reverberating guitar, on the flute of MOODY BLUES, yes, the nostalgic memory has an effect; it's soft, it takes us far away from the prog of yesteryear, the narrated vocal explaining for those who want to know everything.

6. 'La cle' reminds me of the band's adulation for SAGA, hence the immersion in the album; Fresh keyboard layers, the nervous side on MINIMUM VITAL too, the tenacious guitar reminiscent of Ian and the flute more on OVERHEAD infusing the rhythm, a very good musical moment and it rises in quality 7. 'Dans la cite des incredules' with the theatrical vocal return worthy of Christian from the ANGE 70s era; the voice that channels the music and guides it on bucolic tracks; the pleasure of traveling with a majestic finale so as not to take itself seriously; long and well done, to wander on it 8. 'La rumeur' with a wink, whether proven or not on purpose at all, on the magnificent 'Fou' by ANGE, yes we are really on it and the voice integrates again flawlessly with the diabolical orchestration; The sound of MORE REASON is here, not elsewhere. 9. 'Enterre vivant' and its clock, time, the cinematic space of a time when it didn't exist yet; sirens, key sounds, a vague synth in the distance, and then the song gets going; the SHELLER-esque voice again, it's rather pleasant given the compositions of this outstanding singer and composer; a space with the GENESIS-esque keyboard, not bad either; the well-integrated vocals prove it's possible; the guitar even dares to flirt with the melancholic notes of HACHETT, yes, Steve Hackett himself. Come on, a little martial military drumming, yes, I repeat myself, and a few birds in the distance for the album's track, and it's not the frog that will croak at me otherwise. 10. 'Entre reel et imaginaire' concludes this concept album, the slow and long story of man, always a child, loving to lose himself in his imaginary meanders, or the child sleeping precisely in each of us; A playful tune where the lyrics blend in with the notes of this sad melody, because even the prog knows they no longer have a place in today's world; think a quarter of a century later, it's even worse. In short, go get the ball and keep dreaming.

MONA LISA, ATOLL, PULSAR, HALLOWEEN, and especially SHELLER, SAGA, and ANGE as the spearheads, the initiators of this album of yesterday.(3.75)

Medieval dreamscapes and remote castles guarded by dragons - leaving Deep Purple had allowed eccentric guitarist Ritchie Blackmore to explore his visions of high lore and to examine the possibilities of melodic rock with strong progressive leanings, constructing a band of unknowns at the time, in what would become the first iteration (of many to come) of the band Rainbow. The debut album of this new musical outlet had been recorded over in Munich during the spring months of 1975, and later released in September of that year. The music on 'Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow' features prominent melodic licks and powerful, monolithic riffs, occasionally criticized by some who would've expected a greater touch of Purple in the guitar work, but unlike the majority of his work with his former band, Blackmore seems to have been much more invested in the sound and development of the songs rather than gripping guitar pyrotechnics. The result is an album that is quite hard-rocking and melodic, replete with images of fantasy world and the stunning vocal work of Ronnie James Dio, formerly of the band Elf.

The debut Rainbow album, of course, has several emblematic pieces of classic rock, including the sharp-edged 'Man on the Silver Mountain', a song that is quite omnipresent in the world of the band, with a fantastic main riff from Blackmore and tremendous singing from Dio, the prog-ballad 'Catch the Rainbow', one of the band's finest moments, together with the fabulous piece 'The Temple of the King', a song bolstering beautiful vocals from Dio once again, and the frequent live number 'Sixteenth Century Greensleeves'. Apart from these all-time classics, this debut album also features the lesser known but really catchy 'Self Portrait', a well-constructed rock number, the fast-paced 'Snake Charmer', giving us some excellent Blackmore soloing, and the closing instrumental cover of a song by The Yardbirds. One shall also find the mediocre boogie rock numbers 'Black Sheep of the Family' and 'If You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll', two Rainbow songs we might prefer not to talk about... Yet this album has remained definitive for its era and has given us a number of classic tracks so there are no reasons not to love it, a great work of hard rock and perhaps early heavy metal.

IQ are back with their third studio album in just over a decade, with the same line-up for all three, four of whom who played on 'Tales From The Lush Attic' all the way back in 1983. Michael Holmes has been the only constant through the band's career, but there was a stable line-up from 'Ever' to 'Dark Matter', and it is only the one album after that period, 'Frequency', which truly failed to shine, not bad for a band with the longevity of this one. Peter Nicholls (lead & backing vocals), Michael Holmes (guitars), Tim Esau (bass, bass pedals), and Paul Cook (drums, percussion) along with "newbie" Neil Durant (keyboards) may not be the most prolific, but arguably their output has been the most dynamic and consistent of the band's career. This is not a group who are going through the motions but instead are releasing some of their most important and fascinating music yet.

When I reviewed their last album, 2019's 'Resistance' I said that one of the things that truly stood out for me was the confidence of the band, particularly that of Paul Cook, and here we see that being taken to yet another level. Opener "The Unknown Door", which is the longest song on the album (and one of their longest ever) at 22 minutes, tells you everything you need to know about this IQ. Paul can be hard-hitting, blasting around the kit, or providing emphasis by sitting on his hands and doing nothing, Tim provides complexity with his hands and stability with his feet, Neil has long ago moved away from being compared to Martin Orford and has created his own niche in the band with banks of sounds and a happy understanding of the relationship between overplaying and providing support, while Michael can be bombastic and loud or picking an acoustic. There are multiple layers, the threads interweaving and combining the sounds into a majestic whole, and then at the front is the irrepressible Peter Nicholls. To me he has always been as important to IQ as Geoff Mann was to Twelfth Night, or Fish to Marillion. Yes, each band has released highly enjoyable albums without those frontmen, but were they true to the essence? I think not.

This is not an album from people heading gently into older age but instead is a band who still have something to prove, proudly progressive, moving forward. It is a band working together, with little in the way of flashiness as instead this feels like a collective release with everyone knowing their place in the pantheon and what they need to achieve. Consequently, it is a release which I loved the very first time I played it, and it has grown on me even more with the repeated listenings. There is a presence, a dynamic here which is difficult to explain, a majesty which only comes from a band still on the top of their game after more than four decades.

This may well be their finest release since 'Subterranea', not something I say lightly at all. Essential.

When I recently reviewed 'Asleep or Insane' by Bakelit I explained that I have known Swedish multi-instrumentalist Carl Westholm for years through Carptree and Jupiter Society, although others will probably recognise his name more for his time with Avatarium and Candlemass. After I sent out my normal Christmas update email last December Carl asked if I would like to hear the latest releases from his two new projects, Bakelit was the first and Hollingshead is the second. Carl is the only constant between the two bands, and he again provides organ, electric piano, synthesizers, theremin, backing vocals while this time the band is completed by Tony Naima (lead vocals), Johan Niemann (bass, from Evergrey, Therion and Mind's Eye), and Fredrik Haake (drums, Meldrum, Sideburn, God Is My Co-Pilot). There has been a four-year gap between this album and the debut, during which time original singer Gidon Tannenbaum departed.

I have not heard the debut, and a new vocalist often changes things quite dramatically, so I have no idea if this is should be viewed as a continuation or a new direction, but I am aware it is very dark and deep indeed. Is there such a thing as doom prog? If not, then these guys may have invented a new musical form. Imagine if you will, a cross between Atomic Rooster and Candlemass and you may get some understanding of just how heavy this is, with Niemann playing a bass which sounds as if Lemmy and Chris Squire have come together and produced a sound as filthy as possible, yet somehow the music is wonderfully melodic. There is no guitar here, as there is no room for it whatsoever as the bass, drums and keyboards are so tight and all rammed together at the bottom end, but I can almost guarantee the average punter will not realise that as so few listen carefully these days. Then over the top are wonderful vocals which contain emotion when the time is right, not too high in the scale so it all gels together as opposed to clashing.

There will be quite a few progheads who will find this release way too heavy for their tastes, or the organ just too dated, but if ever someone wants some darkness on a bright sunny day, yet not too much to totally overpower the senses then this is it. Carl asked me to give this some time, but I enjoyed it the first time of playing and it just gets better with repeats. Not for the fainthearted though.

— First review of this album —

A post from Heather appeared in one of the groups I am a member of on Facebook, and the computer in my head started whirring and I immediately thought of a band I haven't listened to in years, Mostly Autumn. Originally signed to Cyclops, I reviewed the first three albums when they were released, but the last I had heard of theirs was the wonderful 'Passengers' from 2003. I was not aware that Heather had left the band after 13 years and eight studio albums to follow a solo career, nor that she had formed Mantra Vega and released albums in different group formats and styles, as well as books, poetry and art. What I did know, though, was that I always loved Heather's vocals and was intrigued to hear what she was doing more than 20 years after I last reviewed her.

I was soon playing 'Wildflower' and fell into a world where all that mattered was the voice, and the voice was all that mattered. This is mostly a true solo album, with Heather accompanying herself on acoustic guitar and occasional piano and percussion with just Troy Donockley (yes, I know he is in Nightwish, but for me he will always be the guy from Iona), providing a wonderfully emotional vocal and Portuguese Mandola to the lilting duet, "Still Burning". This is an acoustic album, containing a few elements of folk, quite a bit of Americana, a touch of Country and Western, and a ton of beauty. The album is bookended by Heather leaving a message on voicemail, welcoming us and reminding us we are all loved, and although there may be some who will not like this element, it works well to both bring us into the album and leave us with a positive message.

Positivity is a common element throughout this release, as while there are times when it wants us to think, it is never negative or mournful. This is particularly true of the last song, "Love Is All", which is a capella with just a few bird sounds to provide backing. It is uplifting, all-encompassing and incredibly powerful. It is if Heather is in a warm summer's glade, the birds in the trees, and we are sat entranced at her feet, caught in her spell. Although I have found myself enjoying this in the car, there is no doubt the best way to listen to this is on headphones when one has the time to immerse oneself in the world she is creating with her voice.

Having not heard any of Heather's releases in more than twenty years I can see from this that I have been missing out and will have to investigate her Bandcamp page further. For those to whom the name Heather Findlay is new I can assure you this is an album very much worth investigating. If you enjoy acoustic music with wonderful female vocals and lyrics with meaning, then this is simply essential.

1. Bracing for Impact for the prog metal intro that's searching for itself, that DEEP PURPLE-esque rhythm made me listen, it's like ZZ TOP in the distance and that divine keyboard, well, everything is in place to produce typical prog rock. 2. End of the Road for the beautiful long melodic track that lacks creativity; yes, I feel like I'm on the latest FLOWER KINGS; well, no more, it's like Neal MORSE, yes, on familiar ground. The guitar solo is heartwarming, thanks to Luke for adding some pep. 3. Cosmic Love for its latent, progressive intro, quickly erased by the new-wave electro keyboard, yes, very invigorating; with Randy and John, we get our money's worth. 4. We Got the World in Our Hands, beautiful intro and consensual track, damn! It's going around in circles, it's beautiful, but it lacks the spark to captivate, because my ears still remind me of the sound of the Albion bigwigs who had a lot of fun jamming together on consensual prog rock, ideal for prog fans not looking for new sounds.

5. All That Glitters Is Not Gold for the accordion and the captivating chorus that you'd think you'd already heard elsewhere; the best track for the crescendo that deviates into the proven prog metal side, finally showcasing Göran's voice and the guitar solos that really enjoy themselves; the sax à la 'West Side'; in short, I did well to resist. 6. Gotta Lose This Ball and Chain for the calibrated ballad that reignites the debate on the sound of yesteryear; it's beautiful but conventional, we've already heard that, and what's new? It's clean, without any smudges, but I don't find the air that would make me swoon, or rather, I can't find a sound that would distinguish them from the FLOWER KINGS or BIG BIG TRAIN, pillars of a movement losing creativity. 7. Transmutation (The Constant Change of Everything) with its intro, yes, I'll leave you with that; after that, it's the trap track that seeks to melt the listener with numerous guests... and it works. Between Steve HACKETT's guitar and Andy's Hammond, I thought I heard a GENESIS tune, with Dina's vocals and Amanda's help, Nick's pad parts, how can you remain unmoved? Yes, but too much can kill too, so let's be careful! The velvety, melting, melting mid-track disappointed me, repeating the clichés of symphonic prog; The very beautiful jazzy-ethno-crazy jam suite can be shocking to have such a diversion on ZAPPA, PATTERN, MORSE again. The finale is worth its weight and captivates, bewitches the listener. (3.75)

An album by musician Mathieu Torres, who also performs under the name String Theory, recounting the crash of a passenger plane in the Alps, a code name for a harrowing moment. Okay, let's get back to M'Z and his "Emancipés du vide?" for a musical melting pot of pop, rock, jazz, hard rock, and music shaped by genres ranging from Canterbury to Drum 'n' Bass, Rock in Opposition?in short, a diverse, ambient blend bordering on rock, pure and simple. A melancholic fusion with touches of progressive metal, a juxtaposition of complex sounds, layers of fat, invasive synths bringing a dark side, energetic, eclectic crescendi, all accompanied by guitar that is happy, sad, or both at the same time.

Ideas of emotional themes, freedom in a sick world?this is what his music takes us to; a violent and acerbic critique of our world, of our Kleenex society, translated into these singular pieces. Colorful art rock without real drawers, original and captivating compositions, an uncompromising sound, overflowing with creativity with its heroes bearing the signature of Steve VAI and Joe SATRIANI, no coincidence given the riffs and tunes offered. A sound allowing one to dream or meditate at low cost on these different instrumental pieces but brought together in a conceptual way. (3.5).

'Profondo Rosso' is a soundtrack album to the Dario Argento movie of the same name, arranged and performed by the Italian progressive rock band Goblin, a musical act led by organist Claudio Simonetti, also featuring the talents of well-known Italian musicians Fabio Pignatelli, the band's bassist, and Massimo Morante, the guitar player of the collective. This 1975 release is the first official release under this band's name and has since become one of the obscure but rather intriguing places of the Italian prog rock scene; the genre indeed has a rich history of movie soundtracks, and this happens to be one of the most ingenious and original ones to have even graced the Continent. Being a psychological horror movie, the music to 'Deep Red', as would go the translation, is quirky, intense and spooky, bringing in a variety of influences like progressive rock, fusion and even proto-metal, all making up for an eclectic work of great scope.

The original album release lasts for just about thirty minutes and features seven separate tracks, the first one of which is the title track with its menacing organ work and solid but minimal rhythm section working its way through in the background. 'Death Dies' comes second here and is a suspenseful piece that takes advantage of various percussive instruments until the main riff gets introduced, a really effective song. 'Mad Puppet' with its unusual and rather haunting opening actually develops into a trippy krautrock-inspired instrumental, unlike 'Wild Session', which is precisely where the prog rock pedigree of Goblin is completely prevalent, from the wicked introductory section to the quirky interplay between the keys and the bass, to the unhinged sax solo at the final section of this instrumental. 'Deep Shadows' is then the most experimental number on here, technical but haunting, leading to the two shorter closing pieces 'School at Night' and 'Gianna', both of which have this classical crossover feel and provide an excellent ending to this gorgeous soundtrack album from the mid-70s.

'Iron Maiden' is the 1980 eponymous debut album by the legendary British heavy metal band, a record that proclaims the initiation of the NWOBHM movement in many ways, and displaying the ferocity and aggressive approach of those very early metal albums from the beginning of the decade, being informed by and combining elements of both punk and progressive rock, it has since been received as a critical success, having also brought significant amounts of attention to the then-young metal band upon its release, lauded by both fans and critics as a "cult classic". The music on this very first Maiden album is indeed quite heavy but also very rough and unpolished, with difficult-to-appreciate production values, occasional muddy riffs and silly choruses, it is an imperfectly perfect debut album, if that makes any sense. Featuring a unique early lineup with Steve Harris, Dave Murray, and vocalist Paul Di'Anno, Maiden was also then-composed of Dennis Stratton, a guitar player who would leave the band afterwards, and drummer Clive Burr.

What is there to say about the music on here except the fact that this is an early heavy metal music that introduces a variety of interesting influences to the world of heavy rock, serving as somewhat of a blueprint for an entire movement to come. Still, as influential as 'Iron Maiden' may be, this album is definitely not universally appealing, having significant problems in the production and songwriting departments. It opens with 'Prowler', a ballsy and fast-paced number, one of the better songs off the album, followed by the catchy 'Sanctuary', a fine homage to Judas Priest (or even Motorhead) and just a tad bit banal for what concerns its contents. 'Remember Tomorrow' is where we hear the Rainbow lesson on full display, a decent number with great guitar work that anticipates a lot of what the band would go on to explore in the future. 'Running Free', or the revved up R'n'B song of Iron Maiden, is followed by the most far-reaching piece on the album, the 7-minute 'Phantom of the Opera', a more complex and dramatic entry, still played live by the band. 'Transylvania' is a great instrumental arranged by Harris, 'Strange World' is the album's ballad, a good piece of metal music. 'Charlotte the Harlot' is indeed a bit silly, also the riffs here are not as pungent as on other places of the album, and the closing title track is more forgettable than it is impressive, despite the fabulous and ferocious bass playing. A really fine and important metal album from the early 80s that has not necessarily aged too well, 'Iron Maiden' is the first step towards the crafting of the band's signature style of heavy and technical arena rock.

It's always great to hear of a new release from veteran prog rockers (I'm two months late to say this). coming back in action with their own brand of returning to form but with only two of the original three. After having two pandemically conditioned albums in the can from Yay! (2023) to Neigh!! (2024), it's time for them to get back in their spaceship once more and return flight with their latest sole self-titled release.

From prog, cabaret, krautrock, pop-orientated, alternative rock, freak-out sessions, and psychedelic adventures, the band have gone back through the adventures once more to prove themselves that they can kick plenty of butts with mesmerising punches that come out of thin air

When I mention the krautrock genre, I could possibly tell Motorpsycho were listening to bands such as AMON DUUL CAN on 'Balthazaar'. They take listeners aboard the cosmic train into halogenic improvisations that bring to mind the two Michael's; Karoli and Rother. They combine the compositions between 'Mother Sky' and 'Hero' into one. Plus, adding in a bit of Hawkwind's curricular into the bees' knees of a heavy jam session.Then, a touch of the alternative rock vibes of the 1990s and going into a sing-along gem for 'Stanley (Tonight's The Night)' and 'Core Memory Corrupt'. You can just imagine these two songs being played during that time frame in the 90's.

The starting track kicks things off with a bang as they make the jump to light speed returning back to who they were years ago. Bent's revved-up bass sets up the course to light speed as they return to the Heavy Metal Fruit-era during their Rune Grammofon years, making sure that everything in our solar system is going according to plan as Ingvald and Hans lead the way to add in elements of flaming fire inside their hearts and minds to carry on more missions that awaits them.

But, wait a minute! What's going on? Do I sense a tip of the hat towards the geniuses of Led Zeppelin's heavy riffs that come into mind when it comes to 'The Comeback?' oh hell yeah! Reine Fiske leads the charge with Olaf Olsen in hot pursuit. Boy, do they know their source materials or what? Then, everything becomes a surreal nightmare when it comes to the ominous dark, clouds that are about to come in. From the haunting, folky lullaby on the 'Bed of Roses' to the 21-minute apocalypse 'Neotzar (The Second Coming)'. Oh, they got the machine guns all revved up and ready to attack.When Thea Grant channels her Lotte Lenya approach in the Cabaret textures, she imagines herself, singing this song during the events of The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and composed by Lotte's husband Kurt Weill. You feel as if Pirate Jenny walking alone in the streets of Germany in 1928, singing alone in a brothel, knowing that things are going to be different for the first two minutes of corruption to take over.The band switches gears as Motorpsycho gets back into their space shuttle as they ride off into massive solar power. Bent's mellotron, Hans' heavy guitar riffs, and Ingvald coming back into the forefront, this is no jam session folks, this is as heavy as far as the eye can see. Somehow, the heaviness moves into a gentle, classical, and ambient under watery effect as if you're in a dream.

Like something out of David Lynch's movies, Motorpsycho imagine themselves doing a film score inside their minds, creating this dark, surreal, yet almost nightmarish terror that's unveiling in front of your eyes. It then reaches a volcanic eruption, waiting to explode at any second as all hell is about to break loose in this rumbling effect the band walk into.I can't tell if its Bent or Hans playing the lead section on the guitar. If its one of them, they are taking it to the nth degree, going on this hypnotic mode as if they're not making a stop signal by returning home to Earth whilst channeling the arrangements of America's 'A Horse with No Name' for 'Three Frightened Monkeys' that come into shape but making it a mid-fast shuffle that'll burn your brain cells, nonstop.

This is a very engaging listen the whole way through, these guys create eclectic masterpieces, lengthy compositions and overall great music. These guys produce a piece that resemble some of their earlier work while bringing in new energy.

5.0

Following the ground-breaking Mysterious Traveller--many prog and jazz-rock fusion lover's all-time favorite Weather Report studio release--was no small challenge.

1. "Man in the Green Shirt" (6:28) I really love the interplay of drumming, percussion, bass, and electric piano in this song. The horns are nice, and the weird synthesized Nature sounds entertaining, but it's the great coordination of high speed play from the rhythmatists that impresses and engages me the most. (9.375/10)

2. "Lusitanos" (7:24) opening with quirky comi-funk before synth, keys, and horns present a WR-type of melodic/chordal statement. Between regular repetitions of this chorded theme Wayne and Joe take turns adding their respective solos but the sonic field is so layered that it's almost full: practically burying any soloist's attempts. But then the band thins it out, keeping only the bare bones, so that Wayne and Joe can trade solos on soprano sax and piano, respectively--Joe even going so far as to solo twice: as if duelling with himself! Then Wayne takes a turn on his tenor sax: first within the full band weave, then with the open field laid out for him. No matter who's soloing, Joe is always adding quirky little sound injections from his circus collection of synth and hand tools. Alphonso Johnson's bass is creatively effected but it seems to handcuff him into playing some rather simple lines and a lot of single tone repetitions. (13.125/15)

3. "Between the Thighs" (9:33) the Weather Report circus show continues as Joe seems pretty set/obsessed with incorporating as many unusual quirky sounds and instruments into his songs as possible. So far in three songs, almost 24 minutes of music, there has really never a minute passed without some randomly fresh sound being injected haphazardly into the mix. It's almost like he's going for a citation in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most instruments played (or included) in a single song (or album). (Being a big fan of Andreas' Vollenweider's "busiest multi- instrumentalist I've ever encountered," Pedro Haldemann, as well as Pat Metheny's legion of upper-stage multi- instrumentalists, Mr. Zawinul may find that he has a little competition.) So many times on this album I'm hearing riffs and samples that predict the cumulative breakout that 1977's "Birdland" will be for them. The best funk and groove in this song is, for me, in the song's final minute. (17.75/20)

4. "Badia" (5:20) reaching into the orient for inspiration. (It's okay: the band had now been there--on their tours-- several times.) Odd percussion, reeds, sqealy synth, pregnant bass couplets, cymbal play, and treated horn and mzuthra make for an interesting and very spacious weave. Melodica and oud are also prominent. How confusing it must have been for dynamic creatives like Alphonso Johnson and Leon Ndugu Chancler to have been so shackled like this. (8.75/10)

5. "Freezing Fire" (7:29) funk that finally taps the tremendous skill and potentialities of the relatively untested and untried bass funk master. A song that grooves and flows, feeling a little more like a Jazz-Rock Fusion tune, despite the continued barrage of incidentals injected as accents throughout the length of the song. Again, it's the drum 'n' bass unity that interests and impresses me, not the parade of creative sound injections that Joe (and Alyrio?) can muster. Just give me Alphonso and Ndugu and I'd be a happy camper! Great foundation; weird and "novelty" level entertainment. (But, Joe: I don't come to your albums for surprise and novelty: I come for the grooves and weaves!) (13.3333/15)

6. "Five Short Stories" (6:56) one of those interesting-but-ultimately-off-putting musical equations (or masturbatory exercises) that Joe and Wayne like to work through with their band. Slow and methodic, sometimes melodic; definitely cerebral and mathematical. Quite the challenge to stay engaged/interested--especially over seven minutes. (13/15)

Total Time: 43:10

The smooth, careful, and calculated side of Jazz-Rock Fusion, here presenting a lot of interesting ideas (many of which will be more fully developed on future albums). With Joe and Wayne monopolizing all of the compositional duties I think they still had not realized what they had on their hands with the recent acquisition of 24-year old bass genius Alphonso Johnson. As demonstrated on Eddie Henderson's Sunburst album that was recorded and released at about the same time as this one, the kid is nothing short of a creative genius; he has ideas, he has the chops to star--to lead-- and he has a bag of his own compositions bursting at the seams (two of which ended up on that Sunburst album). Don't get me wrong: the compositions on Tale Spinnin' are all fine, mature, presenting ground for a lot of great performances and some rather memorable songs and riffs, they're just not quite as dynamic and powerful as those on Sunburst. I think it a terrible thing that Joe and Wayne "wasted" so much talent that came their way (though many would look at it as "mentored," "groomed," or "developed"). There is some great music here, just too much entertainment-oriented circus noise.

B/four stars; an album of sophisticated, busy, multi-layered music that is often overly-gilded in what amounts to circus entertainment tricks. Too bad! as I LOVE the bones and richly constructed first layers of a lot of this music.

Beginning around "Pyragony X", Amon Düül II began embarking on a more streamlined prog sound - more accessible, less weird, and generally less interesting, if still quite good. By the end of the '70's, however, this lineup pretty much petered out, leading to the far more intriguing version known as Amon Düül (UK). But II still had one more album to do, and "Vortex" was the result. And you know what...a lot of fans dislike this one (as they do all the '80's Amon Düül releases), but forget all of that. "Vortex" is a fantastic album, easily the best one Düül II had made since "Hijack". It is still more (cough) commercial (cough) than that one, but what on earth. It is really one outstanding work and a great way for Düül II to go out. Of course, Amon Düül II would return in the '90's, but this was a fine swansong for them and a fitting signpost for what Amon Düül (UK) would go on to achieve.

4.0

"Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" is the second full-length studio album by Norwegian black/avant-garde metal act Fleurety. The album was released through Supernal Music in 2000. It´s the successor to "Min tid skal komme" from 1995, although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the 1999 "Last-minute Lies" EP. Fleurety consists of the duo of Alexander Nordgaren (guitars), Svein Egil Hatlevik (drums, synths, vocals), but in addition to the core duo "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" also features a host of prolific guest appearances from artists like Maniac (Mayhem, Gravetemple, Sinsaenum, Tormentor), Garm (Ulver, Borknagar, Arcturus), Einar Sjursø (Virus, Infernö), and Hellhammer (Mayhem, Shining, Arcturus, The Kovenant), among others.

"Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" opens with "Exterminators" and right off the bat it´s audible that Fleurety have completely changed since the black metal days of "Min tid skal komme". If you´re familiar with the musical direction of the "Last-minute Lies" EP, the avant-garde metal style of "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" probably won´t come as a surprise, but if you come to "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" directly from listening to "Min tid skal komme" and expect that "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" will sound anything like the debut album you will as a minimum be very surprised and in some instances (depending on your tastes and open mindedness) very disappointed by the highly experimental and ever changing avant-garde metal style of "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs".

The vocals vary between semi-jazzy female clean vocals, male clean vocals (of many different types), and more aggressive snarling male vocals. In that respect Fleurety have brought back a few of the extreme metal elements they had otherwise left behind on "Last-minute Lies", but other than a few heavy riffs and punchy rhythms here and there and the aggressive raw vocals, there isn´t much here which reveals that only 5 years before Fleurety were a black metal playing unit. It´s fellow contemporary countrymen Ulver, Atrox, and to a lesser extent Manes that Fleurety have something in common with. The bass, guitars, drums, and vocals are complimented by programmed drums and effects, keyboards, and saxophone, making "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" quite the interesting affair in terms of instrumentation.

"Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" features a decent quality production job, but the distorted guitars at times sound a bit powerless. I´m not sure they are meant to be massive and heavy, but it would have been nice with a bit more punch and power when the music occasionally features heavy riffs. Heavy riffs aren´t the dominant musical element of the album though. That´s instead dissonant lead- and (dis)harmony themes, odd jazzy interludes, and all sorts of other weirdness and abrupt musical shifts. To my ears most tracks have a musical red thread, but there are moments where the avant-garde nature of the compositions almost overpower the songwriting and become weird for the sake of it. Upon conclusion "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" is a bold sophomore studio album from Fleurety. They certainly don´t cater to their original fanbase with this one, but I respect that this ws their musical statement at that point in their career. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

Fantastic OST for a fantastic video game where you explore an infinite universe, the first disc here is prime 65dos, bringing a full set of their trademark post-rock with some electronics. There is no compromise here, this plays like a 65dos album. The 2nd disc is called Soundscapes and is what it says it is; ambient/electronic sound textures (but still featuring some of their trademark post-rock). I imagine this disc is more of what the music in the actual game might sound like. Altogether, this is a great set. It is incredibly long, running almost 2 hrs long (both discs combined) but fans and newcomers alike will find something worthwhile here. Disc 1 is the better of the two but I like Soundscapes as well, especially "Borealis/Contrastellar" which could have fit on disc 1 easily. It's one of the best songs on the entire set. I'm very pleased with this and I think most people will be as well. It is very well written and you can tell the band was really inspired by the game to make this music. This is extraordinary and it matches perfectly with the theme it tries to capture.

5.0

'You Go Now' is the second solo studio album released by Dream Theater founding member and original keyboard player Kevin Moore, under his Chroma Key moniker. It is well-known that Moore had left DT to pursue his personal musical interests, which unlike the branch of progressive metal developed by the US-based band, had inclined much more towards the world of electronic music, and this 2000 release is precisely about Moore's exploration of this style, blending elements of ambient, lo-fi, lounge music, rock and psychedelia, the fascinating underground prog pioneer brings a collection of finely-tuned and mellow pieces, with half of the album being instrumental, and another half focusing on the vocal tracks. 'You Go Now' is quite similar to what Moore had done previously on the first Chroma Key album, although this time there is a greater focus on programming, effects, and production, while his first album was more piano-based and song-oriented.

The music is incredibly moody and mellow, kind of like a contemporary electronic rock rendition of Alan Parsons, but significantly more elegiac and occasionally desperate. Moore proves to be a master of feel and texture as he explores both of these elements in depth on 'You Go Now', as the album offers some of his most memorable songs (the opening track 'Get Back in the Car', 'Another Permanent Address', and 'Astronaut Down', all of which have an incredibly elusive ambient texture to them, yet manage to remain faithful to the structure and expressive force of rock music, with Moore punctuating the atmosphere with bits of psychedelia). On the other hand, this record also goes into some instrumental ventures, and these turn out to be rather enjoyable more often than not - 'Lunar' is quite laid back, while 'When You Drive' introduces some lounge soundscapes. 'Subway' and the title track seem to be a bit muddy, but this does not undermine the quality of an album that is rather unusual. Kevin Moore can be sufficiently eclectic to keep you interested in what comes next and his emotive approach to composing music is what renders his work so potent and evocative.

— First review of this album —

Somehow I came across the band Lunar Mistake and when I asked them for more information I was sent this, "Lunar Mistake is a prog/post-punk/new wave band from Oakland. It features long-time members of the Bay Area music scene, including Matt Lebofsky (Secret Chiefs 3, miRthkon, MoeTar) on keyboards, Steve Lew (New Zombies, Eskimo, Ebola Soup) on bass, David Shamrock (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Free Salamander Exhibit, Slombis) on drums, Drew Wheeler (Free Salamander Exhibit, Young Has Beens) on guitar, and Jackie Wheeler on vocals and percussion. Points of reference may include: Devo, Thinking Plague, Danny Elfman, Rush."

The more observant of you may have seen a couple of musical genres listed which surely could only mean one thing, and you would be right, as here is a pronk band which Tim Smith would surely be proud of. I cannot believe I don't see a mention of Cardiacs in their influences (is it really more than a quarter of a century since "Sing To God"?) as here is a band who have taken pronk and run with it to make something which is RIO, Avant, yet somehow commercial at the same time. Jackie may not have a great deal of experience in bands but she is happy with everything the band is throwing at her, whether it is the Devo-style punk of "Infinite Loop" or the more comical "Fishies". This is a load of fun which could have come from the stable of either Cardiacs or Poisoned Electrick head and is a blast of punk prog fun which is so very different indeed to what is in the current scene where prog often seems to be quite involved at gazing at one's navel.

What we have here is a band producing music which was underground thirty years, and now is even more so as they are so very different indeed, yet their jagged angular melodies and guitar riffs are literally music to my ears.

From the City to the Sky

Foschia (Mist) is the perfect name for this young band from the Bologna area of Northern Italy. It describes their conflicted---sometimes mysterious, sometimes hopeful---sound pretty well. All band members were born around 2000, making them about 19 years old when they released this debut, Dalla Citta al Cielo (From City to Sky). I found that remarkable because, while there is a youthful perspective in the passion and sense of wonder, there is also a real maturity and patience in the pacing. This is an album for prog rock fans who appreciate the pacing of "Echoes" more than, say, "Blackest Eyes." While there are no 20-minute tracks herein, the first three songs do sort of melt together into one long piece in my own head.

In fact, as tiring as Pink Floyd comparisons can be, I do feel these guys bring a bit of '69 to '71-era Floyd to mind, as well as a bit of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to mention a later song. In many of the songs, there are sections of slow development built around distant-sounding guitar leads---lone notes, soft bends, and space between each---with the same being true of the keyboards and piano that build around thoughtful, sometimes brooding chords. This approach brings an unhurried, contemplative approach that used to be more valued in progressive rock circles. The emotional release and payoffs will come, but they are in no hurry to give you a quick sugar high to sing along with. That space between the somber moods and the hopeful ones play out over the course of the album. The psych and sometimes bluesy feel of the electric guitars overshadow a "typical RPI" vibe generally, but the heartfelt Italian vocals help retain the experience. This debut reminded me most specifically of a 2011 album called Hanblecheya by Labirinto di Specchi, which was roundly enjoyed my many PA regulars at the time. I would say that Dalla Citta al Cielo is similar though less experimental, but perhaps even a better balance.

Love the trippy opening to "Il Viaggio" (The Journey). The wind sound effect is perfect behind the clean guitar, and it acts as a de facto intro to the 10-minute "Entrance." More environmental sound (rain, birds) augment the dreamy guitar opening. Drums enter and eventually a long synth section and electric lead. A beautiful piano solo closes what is perhaps the most Floyd-inspired track. "Il Delirio" (Delirium) continues the hazy guitar and piano meditation style, and it became my favorite track. The haunting romanticism of "Vite appese ad un filo" (Lives Hanging by a Thread) changes gears a bit, modern RPI and yet somehow it could've been written by Jackson Browne or Conor Oberst. Go figure. "Dio Della Morale" has a bit of a Doors or perhaps Traffic vibe. I heard a Mazzy Star vibe in a few corners of the room. I love that there is so much space in these songs; this is Exhibit A that great music need not be overly complex, overly dense, or overly loud. The pure emotion of a standalone voice, guitar note, or soft piano chord are given the space to be nakedly heard, which is powerful. I think that philosophy is now so rare that it truly stands out when a band does it, and it's part of what makes this album so great.

A few minor quibbles: the distorted rhythm guitar tone lacks presence, lacks oomph. It's just a bit thin, and it's more noticeable with the rhythm guitars than the leads. Everything else sounds great, including the drums, which I almost always have issues with when listening to modern bands. Also, I'd say that the album could have ended with "Il paroliere" and been stronger for it. The tracks that follow, a bit more pop and ballad, are fine songs indeed, but they feel unnecessary as they deviate from the sound style of the rest. Being a fan of shorter "vinyl length" albums, I appreciate a tight tracklist. That said, this is without question a compelling and appealing debut, simply luxurious listening. I loved it. I do hope there will be another album someday. The cover artwork could not be more appropriate. It perfectly captures the mood and personality of the music you will hear.

Miss this album and you are missing out.

This is the second and final album by this Canadian trio based in Toronto. And what an unusual setup of electric sax, keyboards and hand percussion. The self-titled debut was released in 1970 and was dominated by synths. The electric sax and hand percussion certainly weren't given equal billing by a long shot. They were more like guests on that one. No dynamics either, and as we know the result is no nose bone. A 2 star record in my world.

This followup from 1971 sounds more like I thought that trio would sound like. Everyone is getting their moment in the sun, very much an equal billing thing happening. We have nose bone as well. Now I must admit that I really don't like the tone of the electric sax. So it becomes be careful what you wish for at this point. We get eight tracks over almost 38 minutes. They brought in an orchestral string section which is heard briefly on "Syren" but in a much greater way on "December Angel". Strings later on "Ibistix" as well, and it's the second longest song at 8 minutes.

The opener and closer feature a memorable melody, but that's it. We do get some experimental sections that I like. And I like that eerie start to the longest tune "December Angel" which is 9 minutes long. The 3 1/2 minute closer called "Aurora Spinray" might be my favourite. It's just nice to have some warmth in the form of those organ sounds. And there's some vocals very late. I should mention the short "Tillicum" which was recorded for CTV and the TV show "Here Come The Seventies". It does sound slightly familiar as I no doubt as a kid heard this opening theme for that show. We were only able to get two TV channels back then, so the odds are pretty good I heard it and saw that show.

So a much better album than their debut, but this just fails to do much for me at all. This just isn't a band that I was able to get into unfortunately. Maybe I still have a bad taste in my mouth from my recent time sent with their debut. I like that other trio from Toronto though that would arrive a few years after this release.

Hard to Love

Hesse Kassel is another Chilean band that released its debut in 2025, alongside Chercan. They bring a splash of color to the often repetitive sounds of some progressive bands, offering freshness and a high level of musicianship. Hesse Kassel is a hard-to-classify group and a source of pride for Diego Portales University. Formed in Santiago in late 2022, the band consists of six members: Renatto Olivares (guitar, saxophone, vocals), Luca Cosignani (guitar, vocals), Mauricio Rosas (guitar), Matthew Hopper (bass), Eduardo Padilla (drums), and Joaqu'n Gonz'lez (keyboards, backing vocals).

A big part of what makes this band special is Renatto Olivares. His vocals are stunning'emotional, raw, and dynamic'often shifting between tenderness and intensity with natural ease. His guitar work is just as vital, cutting through or weaving into the mix exactly when needed. And when the saxophone appears, it's not just a novelty'it's perfectly placed and tastefully arranged, adding texture and depth without ever feeling forced. His versatility gives the band much of its emotional and sonic range, and his presence is felt on nearly every track.

Their debut album, La Brea, has received critical acclaim for its ambitious and emotionally charged compositions. It features eight expansive tracks'including 'Postparto,' 'Anova,' and 'Yo La Tengo'' marked by dynamic structures that move from discordant tension to euphoric release. The lyrics use a present, direct tone and explore sensitive themes like sexuality, adolescence, love, poverty, and identity. The production isn't perfect, but it fits the music well and contributes to the album's overall feel. The cover art is intriguing, beautiful, and mysterious'much like the music itself.

I never expected a clash of two Chilean bands at such a high level, much less that I'd be writing about them. Chile is a complicated country when it comes to music. It's not hard to record an album here'but it's hard to get noticed, especially if you're not making urban music, trap, cumbia, or reggaet'n. That's why I think what these guys are doing is truly commendable and deserves more exposure and recognition.

La Brea is a weird album, in the best sense of the word. It never lets you get fully comfortable, even in its most comforting moments. And that's a strength. It achieves something rare: it moves from lament to rage to peace, evoking a wide range of sensations through intricate musical work. It reminds me of many things, but I don't feel the need to classify or categorize it. If I had to name a reference, I'd point to 'Viva Chile! (1986), the debut masterpiece by Chilean legends Electrodom'sticos'just to give you a rough idea. At times, the band also approaches the monumental scale of Swans' The Seer (2012). That comparison isn't made lightly'it's just to help you imagine the intensity and ambition at play.

The album opens with 'Postparto,' a tense, mantra-like piece that sets the emotional tone. 'Anova' follows with ambient textures and sharp social commentary. 'Americana' stands out for its improvisation and shifting intensity. 'En Tiempo Muerto' leans toward jazz, with brilliant guitar work. 'Moussa' showcases the band's full power, moving between chaos and calm. 'Vida en Terranova' is cryptic and emotional, ending with an open wound. 'A. Latur' blends jazz fusion and folk, while 'Yo La Tengo' closes the album with raw emotional weight'it's the loosest track structurally, but also one of the most powerful.

This is an amazing record. Not perfect, but great. Possibly one of the best albums released this year. It's not for everyone'it's challenging, complex, and deeply emotional. But if you're into avant-garde, post-metal, dissonance, or just music that pushes boundaries, this is worth your time. I may be biased, but even so, La Brea stands out as an extremely interesting and important addition to any serious music collection.

For me this is the best Blackfield album. The first two set the bar but this one went far above it and has more emotion and great ideas. This whole album needs to be listened to as a complete concept and it is very beautiful in its execution. The essence of the ideas is everything is based on water and we are just prisoners of a world that we swim in. The air is water, the earth is water and water is water. Water is the base and we are just people who try to live and start families and become useful in the world. However, the world is not a very forgiving place and we may find happiness but more likely we will suffer. Blackfield may now be over but they put out some really great music. Aviv is a great songwriter and his collaboration with Mr. Wilson really gave the two of them a marvelous symphony of beauty. This album is 4.5 stars.

— First review of this album —

Sophisticated, smart neo-soul jazz-pop from NYC. Like hearing KOOP 20 years after the fact: Koop 2.022! (I love the band's own descriptor of "kaleidoscopic sense of time and texture"!) A big shout out to Progzilla's Epileptic Gibbon for making me aware of these amazing artists and their stunningly beautiful album!

1. "Cicadas" (5:08) strings--multiple tracks filtered through delay and echo and then woven together. So cool! (And so Jean-Luc Ponty like!) Synth pop keys and drums join in as do dreamy horns, vocalize and bass. When Hannah Selin begins to sing with verbal articulation at 2:10 her breathy ingenue voice comes in with such a sexy innocence. Totally reminiscent of 2001 KOOP with the vocal talents of the great contributions of chanteuses Cecilia Stalin Yakumi Nagano. What a refreshing, incredible start! (9/10)

2. "Bear" (1:53) opening as a very folkie tune reminding me of both HANDS OF THE HERON and A FORMAL HORSE, the music soon expands to become a more happy-go-lucky pop song with some jazzy nuances. (5/5)

3. "Dreamhouse" (5:46) a song whose complex rhythms only gain in sophistication and complexity as the song goes. Absolutely brilliant! What a great vocal performance. My favorite song on an album of great songs. (10/10)

4. "At Play" (4:05) representing more of the pure torch singing jazz vocalist, beautiful music/accompaniment certainly helps. The creative Burt Bacharach-like contributions of the horn section really change things; this is not the song I was expecting to unfold from those opening bars. I am very much reminded of the compositional skills and creativity of Philadelphia band iNFiNiEN as I listen to this. (9.5/10)

5. "Makeup" (4:16) a very pleasant jazz torch song. Hannah's breathy voice is so perfect set against the piano-based spacious jazz instrumental accompaniment. (8.875/10)

6. "Ocean's Children" (4:41) this one reminds me of JULIA HOLTER. Such creative genius coming from this vocalist! Another song that benefits so much from the horns, solid rhythm section and wobbly Herbie Hancock-like Fender Rhodes. (9.25/10)

7. "Tides" (4:42) the plodding rhythm line is a bit confusing, but then Hannah's DIANA KRALL-like vocal performance starts and I'm in a totally different universe. (What rhythm line?) I love the way the band/horns swell with the end of Hannah's vocal lines! Absolutely brilliant! Then there's a dramatic switch to a new jazzier blues motif at the three- minute mark, but things seem to settle back a bit for the final minute. (9.25/10)

8. "Prove to You" (4:44) despite Hannah's rock-like core vocal performance, I have to admit that the contribution of the Xanthoria (string) Quartet here is incredible--especially around that gorgeous chorus. (9.25/10)

9. "City Lights" (3:53) on this song Hannah's vocal performance is "hidden" somewhat within/behind the horns and piano. A pretty song, it doesn't quite live up to the amazing effectiveness of the others. (8.75/10)

Lead vocalist Hannah Selin's voice (and the effects the band & engineers have chosen to soak it with) reminds of the singers the Swedish duo calling themselves KOOP used on their 2003 album Waltz for Koop--though more Yakumi Nagano than Cecilia Stalin, though, in actual fact, more like a blend of the two. Gadadu's music is similar, as well, but much more sophisticated.

For as much as this band has excelled at eclectically gathering and blending from pop, jazz, folk, fusion, and avant garde musical traditions, I feel as this is the first album on which the band has most adventurously and confidently expressed their own musical style(s)--as if they have finally begun to express musics of the future more than syntheses of the past.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion and definitely a wonderful addition to any prog lover's music collection.

"Kinship" is the second full-length studio album by Danish metal act Iotunn. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in October 2024. It´s the successor to "Access All Worlds" from 2021. There have been no lineup changes since the predecessor. Iotunn formed in Copenhagen in 2015 and released the promising "The Wizard Falls" EP in 2016 and with the release of "Access All Worlds" they started making headlines.

Stylistically the material on "Kinship" is a natural successor to the material featured on "Access All Worlds". Progressive/power metal combined with both death, black, folk, and even doom metal elements, and all delivered in an epic and atmospheric package (it´s one of the better combinations of melodic tinged metal and extreme metal I´ve heard in a while). Lead vocalist Jón Aldará (Barren Earth, Hamferð) performs both epic clean semi-operatic vocals (both low end and high end cleans), death metal growling, and black metal snarling, and as a result the vocal part of the album is quite varied. The material on the 8 tracks, 68:23 minutes long album is both eclectic in style, epic in sound, but also powerful, heavy, and massive. It´s relatively polished, but still with enough rawness to pack a punch when that is needed. Other than the paatos filled and skilled vocal performance, one of the other great assets of "Kinship" is the harmony- and lead guitar work of the two Gräs brothers, Jens and Jesper. The album is loaded with soaring epic leads that´ll have you picture great mountains and beautiful valleys, fantasy castles and dark wizards. The scope of the music is almost cinematic in nature.

"Kinship" features a high quality production job courtesy of prolific Danish producer Jacob Hansen. This is a perfect sound production for this type of music. As mentioned above the sound is relatively polished and you can hear all details clearly in the mix, but there is still bite and rawness enough for this never to become a sterile listening experience. Combined with the intriguing, sophisticated, and powerful songwriting, and the high level musical performances, this results in a high quality sophomore studio album from Iotunn. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

This may be Deep Purple's greatest album, and if not it still certainly has their masterpiece on it: the brilliant epic Child in Time, a ten-minute musical journey featuring my favorite guitar solo of all time. Blackmore plays with such emotion on this track, not to mention speed and technicality, it just amazes me. Gillan's vocals are so awe-inspiring it is hard to believe. It is not natural how well he sings here. The dueling guitar/organ solo in Speed King is quite fine too. My second favorite track, however, would have to be Hard Lovin' Man, which also includes a brilliant solo by Blackmore.

Rightfully proclaimed one of the first true heavy metal albums, In Rock is one heavy mother. Blackmore moves to the front of the mix, while Lord creeps further below (but still with a strong presence). Let us not forget Gillan's first (and one of his best) appearances. Another must get.

All in all, one of the greatest hard rock albums of all times. It is a landmark of rock 'n roll music. 5.0

I saw two other PA users review Stereolab albums so I decided to review one of my favorites by this art pop six-piece.

This is where all those consolidated sounds and styles in Stereolab's earlier albums suddenly splintered, separated and were given their own space (they hinted at it in Mars Audiac Quintet, but here it sounds charged). They still approach each song with the heavy hand of a rock sensibility (as opposed to their later smoother electro-jazzy- groovy-esoteric stuff), and cram it with experimental and inventive arrangements. A grab bag of unpolished gems. Equal parts orchestral pop, proto-punk, moog rock and funk, without actually adhering to any prefab formula. Yet to a lot of people in a lot of ways, it's the only Stereolab LP where you don't have to develop a whole new philosophy about the structure of popular music in order to appreciate it. But your parameters are challenged and broadened anyway. Take "Spark Plug", a funky number with meat, its groove offset by the robotic chant "auto production / auto organization". Or the buzzing Suicide pulse of "OLV 26", given a melodic warmth. Or the odd rhythm coupled with a Steve Reich-like vibraphone trance in "Tomorrow is Already Here". Like I said, it's heavy-handed. This ain't EZ listening. Even forays into schmaltz like "Monstre Sucre" have a weighted off-kilter quality. While tunes like "Metronomic Underground" and "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" are so catchy, so instantaneously addictive, you'd never guess they were built around riffs lifted from Yoko Ono songs. Everyone should own this, even to see just how influential they were. Subversive in its intelligent sense of fun.

4.5

Most of this CD is great, reminds me very much of the better works the band Yes put out in the 90's which isn`t surprising since three (that I know of) members have worked with Yes in the past.

The big concern for me wasn't about what the music was going to sound like as I expected it to be great, more so I was concerned what the vocals will sound like would they attempt to try and clone the Jon Andersons style (I hoped not) They only sound like Anderson a bit in the harmony vocals, but the lead voice is more like a mixture of Rabin and Anderson in its application with a slight Peter Gabriel sound to his voice (hard to explain what I mean you need to hear it)

There's the odd "throw away" song that to me wasn`t adding to the rest of the collection of well written pieces "INFORMATION OVERLOAD" went over my head I`m afraid .. but the rest of the CD is well played well executed prog rock which sounds very experienced yet fresh and not too overly ambitious. I especially liked "Look inside" and 'Brotherhood of Man".

This is not the Next "Close To The Edge" but it certainly is a pleasant surprise 4.0

Godley and Creme left 10cc at the beginning of the sessions and Eric Stewart, Greg Gouldman and Paul Burgess would give us Deceptive Bends. Obviously, they gave the world a great gift by doing so. I am quite sure that the annoying musical trickery that ruined Sheet Music (excluding "The Wall Street Shuffle") and most of The Original Soundtrack (definitely excluding "I'm Not in Love") was a Godley & Creme thing. Instead, Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart were excellent songwriters who, at this point, needed to lose the shadow of the trickery to stick with the real thing. The result, Deceptive Bends, features the good sides and has lost the bad sides of the 'old' 10cc. This brings it closer to Supertramp, Wings, or ELO with a witty sense of humour.

The opening track "Good Morning Judge" is not very special, but the following three ? "The Things We Do for Love" (the wonderful hit single, a classic), "Marriage Bureau Rendezvous" and "People in Love" ? are all pure gold. "Modern Man Blues" is very different, more rocking, less harmonious, but its rhythmic changes stay within the limits of good taste. The lyrics of "Honeymoon With B Troop" turn annoying now and then but the music is very good. It is followed by a hilarious piece called "I Bought a Flat Guitar Tutor", a more ordinary (but still good) number titled "You've Got a Cold", and finally the magnum opus of the album, "Feel the Benefit" which sure is overlengthy, but sounds good enough to carry the listener through all the way.

Despite not having heard each of those so far, I am very sure that Deceptive Bends is one of he best 10cc albums in my opinion. The quality of the music on this album is very high. Recommended for everyone who likes Breakfast in America, A New World Record, or Band on the Run. It also helps if you like "I'm Not in Love." Stay away if you are looking for a '70s British Mothers of Invention album. At this point that band no longer existed. If you play this you will feel the benefits. 5.0

IN BRAZIL THEY CAN PLAY FOOTBALL, AND THEY CAN MAKE MUSIC, WOW!

Luiz Alvim is a Brazilian keyboardist and composer with a background in classical piano. He has performed live and recorded with a diverse range of artists. Progressive rock is often defined by intricate compositions, virtuosic performances, and a willingness to push boundaries. The LAB Experience, led by Luiz Alvim, takes this philosophy to a new level by completely omitting guitars, one of the genre's most fundamental instruments. The result is an album that challenges conventions while maintaining the depth and complexity that fans of progressive music crave. The album consists of a mix of original compositions and reinterpretations of previous works, enriched by contributions from various guest musicians.

Well, as a huge vintage keyboards aficionado it took very little time to get excited about this instrumental first album by The LAB Experience (only keyboards, bass and drums), what a great sound, and what a skilled musicians.

The first 3 tracks A Long Time Ago, m.a.r.i.k. and Parallel Dimensions deliver bombastic mid-tempo beats featuring dazzling synthesizer runs and swirling Hammond organ, backed by a powerful and dynamic rhythm-section, the interplay is awesome, often Japanese Gerard (the era as a trio) comes to my mind.

The fourth composition The Mind starts with a fat synthesizer sound, then the music delivers more variety, with several breaks, including Mellotron violins, blended with a fat bass sound and propulsive drums, and a short but swinging bass solo.

Next Future Dreaminess, first an ominous spacey climate, like horror soundtrack, then accellaration with Hammond, followed by soaring strings and slow rhythm, spacey synthesizer flights. Halfway a mid-tempo beat and lots of keyboard pyrotechnics, fuelled by a powerful bass. In the second part a break with Mellotron violins and a growling bass and propulsive drums, how exciting.

Then the epic composition Astral Zenith. It opens with a majestic Hammond organ and tremolo Leslie sound and concludes with tender piano runs, in between lots of shifting moods (from dreamy to bombastic) featuring Vintage Keyboard Heaven: Mellotron violins eruptions and soaring Mellotron flutes, dazzling pitchbend driven Minimoog synthesizer flights and spectacular Hammond organ soli, topped with amazing work on bass and drums, wow!

And finally the short The End, a beautiful piece built around tender Grand piano, tastefully blended with soaring Mellotron violins, dreamy bass work, and a churchy Hammond sound.

What a stunning debut album, highly recommended to all keyboard aficionados!

For me this kind of new bands is the reason that I stil write about prog since 1992, obrigado Luiz!

Recorded in December of 1974 in Oslo's Arne Bendiksen Studio with Jan Erik Kongshaug sitting behind the engineering console, it was released during the following year by ECM--perhaps as late as September. Many consider this album as a defining moment--even one the crowning achievements--of Manfred Eicher's ECM label.

A1. "Oceanus" (10:58) a very cool, very fresh sound with Jon Christensen and Ralph Towner keeping busy on their respective instruments while Eberhard Weber almost drones away on his bowed electric bass (or cello) and Jan Garbarek fills the front with periodic exhalations from his sonorous tenor sax. The quartet amps up the intensity and volume a bit in the fifth minute before Ralph enters into a jazzy 12-string solo. I'm hard pressed to tell you whether or not the syncopated rhythm 12-string work is the same track with Ralph playing it all at once or whether there is a completely separate track dedicated explicitly to each (lead and rhythm). Jon Christensen's infinitely-nuanced cymbal and snare work is so patiently deployed, responding to Ralph's guitar work that it almost feels as if the two were joined at the brain. And Jan and Eberhard's contributions are so respectful, so reactive and ego-less. (I think that would be the quality I can claim to like best with regards to Jan's saxophone playing: his patient response to both external and internal "calls to action.") Brilliant and enjoyable song despite lacking much in the way of melody. (Weird to think that Eberhard's drone-like bass notes may have been the most melodic in the song--at least in terms of a Western sensibility of what is "melodic.") (18/20)

A2. "Visitation" (2:32) an exercise in Nature and primordial recreation. (4.333/5) A3. "Drifting Petals" (6:56) Ralph on solo piano playing a playful, gentle, introspective pastoral tune is joined in the second minute by Jan's flute. In the third minute, drums, reverberated fretless electrified bass, and Ralph's 12-string guitar step forward to creepy-crawl an exercise in hypervigilance--one that each of these ECM masters are completely up to task. The whole-band dynamic interplay in the fifth minute--both loud and soft--provides a real emotional peak. And the return to gentle piano arpeggi and guitar flute for the final minute is a display of sheer perfection in symmetry. (13.75/15)

B1. "Nimbus" (6:25) here is where I see fodder and inspiration for Pat Metheny's own solo acoustic guitar work. My favorite song on the album: it's absolutely gorgeous music. After 2:30 of exquisite solo acoustic guitar work the band is slowly coaxed into joining Ralph: first Jan's flute, then a slow entry of Jon' beautifully nuanced drumming, along with more tracks of Ralph's guitars and two tracks of Eberhard: one on bowed cello and one on upright double bass. Once full speed has been reached Ralph's awesome 12-string play is met face-to-face with Eberhard's dynamic double bass play and the entry of Jan's perfectly-balancing tenor sax. I don't always like Jan's work (or that of any saxophonist) but this is amazing--and powerful! Great, rousing band interplay over the course of those final couple minutes. Wonderful music even acoustic musicians can make thanks to the magic of multi-tracking! (10/10)

B2. "Winter Solstice" (3:58) Ralph playing near-Spanish style classical guitar with Jan meeting and matching him all along the way with his soprano sax. Man! These two are so in sync--so attuned! And both are definitely putting their full virtuosity on full display. Though I'm not such a fan of the melodies chosen/played by the two, I am so incredibly impressed by their astonishing timing in conveying them that I can't help but be won over. Standing ovations for this one! (9.75/10)

B3. "Piscean Dance" (3:33) funk in acoustic jazz?!? Jon Christensen and Ralph are definitely trying their best to demonstrate its possibility! Definitely a song that both impresses and endears both artists to me even more. (9.3333/10)

B4. "Red And Black" (1:12) electric guitar, volume-controlled whale sounds from Eberhard's electrified bass, and Ralph's acoustic guitar explorations--all coming together as if purely intended as an exploration of a certain sound possibility. (4.375/5)

B5. "Sand" (4:07) droning (and, probably, heavily-effected) sustained bowed cello notes joined by double bass notes with soprano sax splatterings and, eventually, Jon's funky drum play and effected 12-string guitar strums and gentle pickings all come together to create a sound palette that sounds remarkably similar to that which Corrado Rustici, Elio D'Anna, Percy Jones, Renato Rosset, and Narada Michael Walden will be creating for their 1976 NOVA album, Vimana. (9.33333/10)

Total Time: 40:57

I am emotionally and mentally blown away by the music Ralph and his virtuosic friends (and Manfred Eicher's production crew at ECM) have created for this album!

A/five stars; a masterpiece of some of the finest, most creative guitar-centered acoustic jazz you are likely to ever hear.

Much of what I think here is similar to what I said in my 'Pictures from the other side' review. No matter how much I listen to the main track I fail to find it 'Proggy' enough. Yes, there are the subtleties, but given 24 minutes one expects more of an memorable journey with a grand finale. I mean, it's all very listenable, but it doesn't really grab you. 'All around the World' seems to end up being blues number, which just leaves me cold. 'Cyan' is an instrumental which developes into a Steve & John Hackett type of song, which is good. Ultimately, despite the musicianship and production being superb, they can't hide what is ultimately a weak primary track.

It's difficult to know what to say really. The overriding thing for me is that much of it isn't strictly Prog, but then what is Prog? If the sound is too familiar then we'll criticise it for not being new, but the vehicle here seems to provide the basis for Love songs/Ballards, which surely isn't Prog. Whatever, if you listen to the album a lot then you'll find plenty of Prog subtleties to enjoy, as both the production and the musicianship are first class. The real winner here, and perhaps the most important musical instrument being used here is Peter Jones's voice, which never fails given the tasks thrown at it. These are heightened with the accompaniment of the female voice of Anghared Brinn, and when the pair of them sing together it's absolutely faultless. Overall, it's a pleasant enough listen, but probably not what you are expecting. Sadly, I feel that I can only award it 3 stars because I don't feel that there's enough of what I define as 'Prog' music to justify giving it more.

With the auspicious and revitalizing "Burn", it seemed that the winds were blowing again in Deep Purple's favor but, as in other occasions in the band's history, particular situations ended up influencing the final result of the following album, "Stormbringer" (1974), the ninth of their discography. The personal problems of Ritchie Blackmore immersed in a hard divorce process derived in his little implication in the creative process of the album, assumed mainly by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, inclined towards more Funky and soulful sonorities in demedro of the hardrock rispidness.

Although, as in "Burn", the auspicious beginning with Blackmore's guitar deployment in the homonymous and robust "Stormbringer" (the best song of the album), the proposal is nevertheless heading towards more accessible harmonies, as with the cloying "Love Don't Mean A Thing", the innocuous "Hold On", or the inconsequential "You Can't Do It Right", accompanied by the lightened boogie rock of the agitated "Lady Double Dealer" and "High Ball Shooter", the latter featuring one of the sporadic appearances of Jon Lord's hammond on the album.

And both the peaceful semi-ballad "Holy Man" with Hughes' spirited vocals, the misty half-time of "The Gypsy", and the melancholic "Soldier of Fortune" with Blackmore's delicate acoustic arpeggios and the best Coverdale on vocals, balance a little more a work that Blackmore belittled with insulting terms.

A few months after the recording of "Stormbringer", whose imposing cover is a colored adaptation of a photograph of a tornado in Minnesota (USA) in July 1927 complemented by the winged horse 'Pegasus' from Greek mythology, the irascible man in black would leave Deep Purple for the first time to form Rainbow.

2.5/3 stars

What a fun album! The most exciting DB live collection you can find, in my opinion. The man himself is in great voice & in an even better mood, and his band simply smoke. Thanks to master drummer Dennis Davis (who does wonders throughout) the climactic third part of 'Station to Station' sounds incredibly funky, and let's not forget lead guitarist Stacey Heydon, who joined Bowie just for this tour and was never heard of thereafter. Who needs Earl Slick when you can have Heydon? In the hands of this particular band, 'Stay' sounds about three times as exciting as the original studio version, and Bowie's performance of 'Word on a Wing' (which I always skip when listening to STATION TO STATION) finally acquires the depth it so sorely needed. It's a pity the 1976 live band never attempted 'Wild is the Wind'; I would have loved to hear Carlos Alomar's elegant guitar stylistics, which also dominated the delightful 'Golden Years' - another '75/'76 tune that's missing here... Alomar seems to be taking a back seat; during the set's highlights (such as 'Queen Bitch', 'Panic in Detroit' and 'Diamond Dogs') it's Stacey Heydon's heavily distorted guitar that stands out. Tony Kaye gets to play the piano part that was devised for 'Life on Mars?' by his eventual successor in Yes - wonder how he felt about that? As you can imagine, he leaves out most of Rick Wakeman's rococo flourishes, and generally speaking his keyboard accompaniments are subtle but highly effective.

Are there any problems with this collection? Well, I guess you could claim that 'TVC15' goes on for a little too long (though it features a splendid little bass solo by George Murray) and the same probably goes for 'The Jean Genie', the final number... (And if I have to be perfectly honest, I should add I could never stand 'Rebel Rebel'.) But let's be grateful for what we've got! Was Bowie still in the throes of addiction when this was recorded? If so, you just can't tell; he sounds like a man who's fully in his element.

(Originally written in 2022)

It seems like I am starting to make a trend of sorts where I review albums with a very similar sound, Yoshimi, Long Season, and now Dots and Loops. A trifecta of sorts of more dreamy psych rock with mixes of experimentation it's sort of funny to review three albums from three of the biggest continents, America, Europe, and Asia. Kinda unique how things manage to work out like that. Anyways, I was recommended to check this album out, so thanks.

So, about Stereolab. They are an English French band formed in the 90s with Tim Gane (Guitar, keyboards), and Lætitia Sadier (lead vocals, keyboard, guitar, percussion), both of whom were involved in the 80s pop group, McCarthy. Members throughout the band's history would come and go, some of which were from bands before, sort of and sort of not making Stereolab a supergroup. The band is considered to be one of the early post-rock bands, mostly from the first wave of post-rock, before the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and modern-day Swans took the world by storm. They, Slint, Talk Talk, and Cul De Sac are considered to be forefathers in post-rock in a way, and while I could argue bands like Faust or Neu (or any krautrock group in general if you really think about it), generally speaking, the late 80s through early 90s is when post-rock was born, and bands like Stereolab are rather popular in small internet circles for this reason alone. However, do I like this record? Yeah, but not entirely.

The album begins with Brakhage, and this is when we have to get familiar with this sound right from the get-go, because the entire album is very closely similar to this one song. It is very easy to listen to, and when I say that I do not mean it's bad, I just say that in general, it is probably one of the most pop-sounding post songs to be conceived. The guitars are lush, the vocals are smooth, and the general vibe of this song is very soft and fuzzy. You can feel that this song is meant to be comfortable in a good way. It is relaxing, never too complex, and very easy to settle into. Not a bad start to the album, though I wish they did experiment a bit more.

Miss Modular, the next track on the album, is sort of the same. It is very easy to listen to and get a hang of, and while I like the song, this shows one of the faults this album has. Every song here doesn't change all that much, they do add new elements to slightly spice things up, but they never experiment with their sound. Each song feels the same, with no new emotions or thoughts and feelings, almost cookie-cutter-like. It feels weird to never see this, especially for an album that is very artsy and is considered one of the early examples of a genre that loves to bend and experiment with each passing song. I cannot say I entirely dislike it. I feel like they knew what they wanted to achieve, and with that, they have achieved their main goal of creating a very easy listening experience, so I do applaud them for that, however, their main goal should have a little more weight. It frustrates me to hear talent not being utilized to create something that could bend and shape rock or pop music, but instead never actually try to be unique or different.

This is an example of the 17-minute long song, Refractions in the Plastic Pulse. When I think of 17-minute songs I think of some big names that are very experimental, very groundbreaking, or very sonically enriched. Stuff like In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly or Ocean Cloud by Marillion comes to mind in which both songs try new stuff throughout, experimenting with the band's sounds to create a new sonic experience like never before in music. That is why I generally call 15+ minute songs epics because they break the mold, they try new things that previous songs might've not had the chance to do before in the album. Here with this song though it all just continues what the album did before, the only difference is that it has elongated itself into the double digits. Due to this reason, I felt immensely disappointed with this one track. It feels almost cheap to not have a long song that has at least some kind of new sound or something along those notes. It is clear they still can create good music with songs before and after this, with Diagonals being my favorite example with it adding horns to the mix. If this track did stuff like that and tried new things more often then I would say it's a great track, but as it stands it doesn't stand well in the face of so many other long tracks.

The rest of the album is again still very solid. Lush and harmonic sounds galore here. However, I have to say I find it odd this album is so popular with its very apparent and needless flaws. Quite frankly, the reception garnered feels undeserved. I do not hate this album, but it doesn't do much for me to love it. I'd say skip this one since for the first wave of post-rock there are much better, much more ground molding and much more diverse albums out there than this one.

— First review of this album —

3.5 stars. STEREOLAB have an interesting sound where we get this stew of percussions, drums, fake beats, electronic beats, bass, and intricate guitar. It's enough to make you dizzy, but then the female vocals come in which are warm and soothing. She will sing words, but she will also add a lot of wordless vocals as well. The music is uplifting, positive and catchy.

This Ep is a nice companion to their 2004 album "Margerine Eclipse", with them sounding very similar since they were from the same sessions. Underneath the information about who engineered it and mixed it etc. it says "Mary, thinking about you." Former band member Mary Hansen had only very recently passed. This Ep is over 20 minutes and five tracks. And my description in the opening of this review applies to these songs as well.

I do like "Microclimate" for the way sounds echo at the start. It's just a little different early on before the beats take over with vocals. A lot of electronics early on during "Mass Riff" but we have at least two themes being contrasted. A driving track that is the longest at 6 1/2 minutes. "Good Is Me" is an interesting mid-paced tune with contrasting themes. Bass, synths and guitar standout on this one.

This Ep along with a second Ep form the bonus disc for the recent re-issue of "Margeine Eclipse". And it's such a great package as it gives us everything associated with the "Margenine Eclipse" sessions.

Karfagen's "OMNI" is not just an album it's a journey. A radiant, multi-layered voyage through soundscapes that feel both timeless and refreshingly new. From the very first notes, it's clear that this is a labor of love and vision, meticulously crafted by Antony Kalugin and the brilliant musicians involved.

What strikes me most about OMNI is its balance it manages to be both complex and accessible, grand yet intimate. The compositions weave in and out of symphonic prog, jazz-fusion, folk, and ambient textures, all while maintaining that unmistakable Karfagen identity.

Melodies soar with emotion, rhythms evolve organically, and the instrumental interplay is just stunning. There's a story in every track sometimes meditative, sometimes playful, often uplifting. The transitions are seamless, and the dynamics flow like a well-told narrative. It's cinematic, but never overwhelming. It breathes.

The production is crystal clear, giving every instrument its space. It feels like you're inside the music, not just listening from the outside. That's a rare thing.

And while I'm grateful for the YouTube upload (thank you again, Antony!), this is one of those albums that deserves to be held in your hands. The artwork, the liner notes, the tangible presence of the CD or vinyl it completes the experience.

In short: OMNI is a triumph. A modern prog gem that pays homage to the classics while boldly forging its own path. I'm already on my third listen and discovering new layers each time.

The mood of this album is contemplative and relaxed. It is instrumental percussion, as the guitar is really percussive and fits nicely with all the beats from the drums. Now over 40 years old but it sounds very fresh as it doesn't really fit in any genre, outside of world fusion or whatever you call alternative music. This is not rock or jazz, it's a lot of acoustic guitar and effects on the electric guitar. The theme is a journey and the cover shows the entrance or the exit. Steve Tibbets is an experimental musician who takes the guitar to interesting places. With this release he has three great percussionists and a bass player making up atmospheric tracks that seem to flow together. A very strong effort and quite nice.