CROSSOVER PROG

The journey begins with "Repentance", a raucous, wake-up call opening salvo with chunky riffs galore, reptilian guitar strokes that screech, bellow, and hassle as if kneeling at a shrine in atonement, with featured vocalist Frank van der Borg bellowing his inner pain. It's a nervous piece, full of piss and vinegar, with a choppy rhythm and an oblique guitar solo to finish of the remorseful outcry. The extended arrangement on the 8 minute + "Slow Down" initiates a slide guitar rant that might be greasy enough for some fried chicken and grits session with the local Louisianna sheriff, a cool Muscle Shoals influenced keyboard tag along, and a swampy drum beat. And then, it swings into a slow blues reflection that would make Gilmour blush with envy, as the bass and organ indicate a new horizon ahead, reducing speed and contemplating another hot afternoon under the blazing sun. Ruud excels at restraining his fretboard caress, highly evocative and deeply adventurous. Damn, the man can play. A final nod returns to the initial free for all, that had initiated this piece. Another extended composition, "The True Story" incorporates some simple yet pleasingly dissonant phrasings, some Celia van Onna harmony vocals in the background at first, before grasping the microphone in between ghostly fretless bass flurries, and letting her carry the swirling tune further. This is a track that would fit nicely into more 90s alternative rock sensibilities, not too far from the Cure, Portishead, or Peter Murphy feel, but armed with a more omnipresent lead guitar solo that goes on quite the tear. Another excellent tune.

Three gripping instrumentals follow in quick succession, and frankly, the real core of this release becomes most apparent. The nasty "Howling at the Moon" provides a more direct rock approach, complex and insistent rifferama not withstanding, it's a spiralling staircase of sound that also possesses a dense appreciation for sustained sonic pressure, a somewhat schizophrenic Stones meet Bauhaus feel. The title track settles into more cinematographic realms, a brooding soundtrack for some undefinable yet perilous excursion, unsure whether to choose introspective or extraverted scenarios. Slithering fretless bass runs a la Mick Karn (always my weakness!), tingling Asian intonations, thrilling percussives, and circuitous keyboard slivers, this could have been on an 80s Japan album, like Tin Drum! The third is the influential "Battlefield", suggesting a strong visual that meanders into sustained jazz-rock domains before skirting into heavier moods, looping axe runs, howling choir mellotron cascades and that unrelenting bass that just shoves this forward. Ruud experimentation is a true joy to behold, as his mastery of the electric guitar is unquestioned, unafraid to sizzle for extended periods as well as shifting the mood at will. Good show!

The nearly 9-minute finale "Beautifully Broken" settles the issue for me. Ruud is a master musician who does not necessarily need to rely on vocals, especially at the risk of deviating the interest away from his main focus. This was the case on previous albums but here it is smartly dosed as Celia does the final chapter absolute justice. Being a huge fan of female prog voices as they often, comparatively speaking, shine way brighter than the male counterparts. Don't start a fight here, there are exceptional masculine singers, and we all know who they are! But the ladies always seem to belt it out with sublime effect. This is definitely a more symphonic piece, contrasting glacial effects with a romantic warm mood, superb drumming for added corpulence and a heavenly, gut wrenching and emotional guitar solo that defines this artist to the fullest.

The third time is such a charm, Glorious Wolf becoming an act that has unquestionably arrived at its destination and is very deserving of having a much wider and appreciative audience.

4.5 Odd voyagers

Started in 1981 by the late Mark Hollis, Talk Talk was once your typical new wave group, creating rather catchy poppy hits. However, by their second record, It's My Life, they showed that they are more than capable of making more than the usual 80s affair of synthpop and new wave, and make more artistic statements that go against the commercial grain. Their third effort, two years after their sophomore wonder, projected the band's trajectory into a genre defining giant of rock and pop music, with The Colour Of Spring.

The Colour Of Spring is my personal favorite release from this band's discography. Sure, it may not be the lush and ambient Spirit of Eden, nor is it the highly defining post rock wonder that is Laughing Stock, but it has its own atmosphere that I think I enjoy much, much more.

The main take away from this album is the beauty. Every song, whether it is the more pastoral April 5th, to the more catchy Give It Up, gives this album a sort of mystical and seasonal energy that usually warms me up. It is strange, this album's whole thematics are based on the season of Spring, yet I find myself listening to this more in the fall and winter time, but I guess an album with such a lonely sound fits well with some more lonely seasons.

I find this album to contain some of Mark's best vocal performances. His voice has always reminded me of Phil Collins, but in a more deeper and sophisticated tone, similar to, say, Brian Wilson. The Beach Boys do feel like an inspiration to the more vibrant Talk Talk sound, especially if you compare this record to Surf's Up. Though, whereas Surf's Up is a rainy, somber record, Colour Of Spring definitely feels lighter, foggy, but still carries out the same sadness that could be found in that 1971 classic. If you like the more experimental side of that California band then certainly check if this album is up your alley.

Now for the 100 dollar question on why I believe this record to be a masterpiece. Simply, it has all to do with the final three tracks of Give It Up, Chameleon Day, and Time It's Time. Give It Up is this smooth, almost jazzy synthpop land of groovy hooks, drumlines, and impressive keyboard works. It is a 5 minute rendezvous of some of the best, more poppy music that Talk Talk has ever produced in my opinion, one that, while certainly a lot more accessible on this album, definitely still creates an aura of cold spring days.

Chameleon Day is a sheer contrast to Give It Up, something a lot more quiet, desolate, and reflective, oftentimes feeling mournful and grim. This is where Mark's vocals take a more front seat in the endeavor, creating a beautiful and melancholic work of art, one that I think truly gives him a particular edge to some of the best performers of the 80s, like Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, and Elizabeth Fraser. His dramatic heights on this track in particular cause an almost emotional whirlwind to flow through me.

The last song is that of Time It's Time, the longest track on the album clocking in at over 8 minutes. This feels kind of like a combination of the last two tracks, featuring atmospheric dream pop workings with nice?groovy synth and drums works. It swirls through a series of varying pop degrees that whirl through emotions of peace, thought, and soon, happiness. This song can certainly warm anyone up, and perfectly encapsulates the feeling of waking up on the first day of Spring for me. The snow is almost all melted, the sun is a lot brighter and hotter, trees are starting to grow a bit more leaves, and a lot more life is starting to sprout and about. Really, this song feels like the inner workings of Mother Nature, morphing the winter snow into white and pink tulips, allowing deer and fauna to rise up out of hibernation. It is a beautiful ending to a beautiful album.

Certainly do check this record out if you haven't, as it is certainly one of the biggest achievements to ever come out of the world of pop music. With a multitude of great songs, scores, and emotions packed into this, it is a wonder how this isn't as talked about in the grand scheme of the 80s. Certainly deserves a bit of light.

Il Giardino Onirico is an Italian progressive rock band that was formed in Civita Castellana in 2008 and it's based near Rome. The band was founded by keyboardist Emanuele "Vastitas" Telli from Consummatum Est doom metal band, guitarist Stefano Avigliana, bassist Ettore Mazzarin from Pioggia Sporca rock band and drummer Massimo Moscatelli ex-Anomal Essence member. Thus, the musical background of the band is really wide and varied as each member has preferences for different genres. So, each musician brought different backgrounds and ideas to the band. The spectrum of their music ranges from prog rock, prog metal, metal, doom, soundtracks, fusion, jazz, electronic and avant-garde.

The band started to develop the first demo composition named "Complesso K", released in 2010, which is a shifting suite filled with a variety of visions. After the release of "Complesso K", Il Giardino Onirico begins to compose new material and in 2012 they released their first full length work, "Perigeo", an ambitious heavy edged prog rock album that is suitable in order to reach for many fans worldwide. In 2013 they released their second full length work, "Complesso K ? MMXIII", which is no more than the re-work on the ideas of their demo "Complesso K". Finally in 2019, they released their third full length work, "Apofenia". So, seven years have passed between the releases of both full length works.

The line up on "Apofenia" is Stefano Avigliana (guitars), Emanuele "Vastitas" Telli (keyboards), Dariush Hakim (keyboards), Ettore Mazzarini (bass guitar) and Massimo Moscatelli (drums and percussion). "Apofenia" had also the participation of Alessandro Corvaglia (vocals), Jenny Sorrenti (vocals), Jenna "Sharm" Holdway (backing vocals), Fuori Dal Coro (chorus vocals), David Morucci (saxophone) and Claudio Braccio (saxophone), all as guest artists.

After the excellent results of "Perigeo" and "Complesso K", the band from Lazio reaffirms its epic and space oriented instrumental atmospheres. This is an album with many guests to embellish the album already full of fascinating sounds with modern prog symphonic atmospheres, at times pulsating and majestic, at times visionary and ethereal fed by the double keyboards by Emanuele Telli and Dariush Hakim. All this shows a talented band that makes a remarkable contribution to the great tradition and regeneration of the actual Italian prog rock scene. This is a forceful, melodic and emotional progressive rock work with epic prog instrumental atmospheres, space mattresses and plenty of symphonic, full of life and vigor and with the quota extra originality and drama that gives this album a very special tone of its own.

The opener "Onironauta" shows the band's preferences for long pieces. It's an atmospheric instrumental with a slightly Eastern mood and with some dark atmosphere. It has a spatial atmosphere that is gradually broken and that tension in crescendo stretches the song to the limits. "Scivolosa Simmetria" is a more technical and faster song where the time changes are continuous. The voice of Alessandro Corvaglia offers a good performance and guitar and keyboards create high level melodies and riffs, between the symphonic moments and the more technical evolutions. "Alétheia" is another instrumental with beautiful chorus arrangements and with a jazzy feel. With almost thirteen minutes of refined catchy music, here lies the secret of the music of Il Giardino Onirico. It has spatial arias and delicate rhythms that support the melodies with an excellent emotionality. "Mushin" is another long track that showcases the talent of one of the guest singers, this time the sister of Alan Sorrenti, Jenny. In ten minutes the track changes its connotations as the minutes pass touching different types of sounds from electronics to Math Rock. "Apogeo" has more ten minutes of instrumental music, always entrusted to the sustained guitars of Stefano Avigliana. It begins in an ambient before a full orchestra, metal guitars and rhythm changes appear, all with personality. "Un Nodo All'Anima" has again the malleable voice of Alessandro Corvaglia. The track has two phases, the first one is made in a soft ambient style and the second one is heavier with electric riffs and keyboards performing amazingly and vocals on point. "Lacrime Di Stelle" is a carefully constructed, evocative and dramatic long track. It's intoned beautifully by Jenna Sharm Holdway because there are no lyrics. The last and longest piece provides a majestic end to a beautiful album that every prog rock fan should listen to.

Conclusion: "Apofenia" is a very welcome return of this Italian prog band, which after seven years proposes a modern work with original sounds and very well arranged pieces. The symphonic basic direction of the album is lush and very colorful with occasional hints of drama, pathos and bombast. "Apofenia" is a fascinating album full of emotions, which still shows cinematic traits. The album is made up of very long but never repetitive pieces. The many guests also enrich a work that is already valid by itself. The saxophone contributions and the vocal parts support the album very well, especially the vocal work of Alessandro Corvaglia whose rough voice fits perfectly well into the concept and Jenny Sorrenti's beautiful voice. "Apofenia" is an album that I would recommend for the freshness and quality of its sound.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

"Gone To Earth" is the eighth studio album of Barclay James Harvest and was released in 1977. The album's name has a curious and interesting signification. The album's title, "Gone To Earth", refers to the fox hunter's cry used to indicate that the quarry has returned to its lair. It was a big successful album, their most successful and popular album, and it was housed in one of the most beautiful die-cut covers ever. It became the band's largest selling album until today, eventually selling more than a million copies worldwide. On "Gone To Earth", Barclay James Harvest dropped all ambitions about being complex as they never were the band for that anyway. Instead, they were focused on what they did best, writing sweet, symphonic and strongly melodic tunes without any interrupting elements or unnecessary turns.

"Gone To Earth" has nine tracks. The first track "Hymn" written by John Lees is a religious song describing briefly the life of Christ. However, the meaning of the song is dubious and leaves for everyone the true meaning of the song. It's a very powerful song with great melody, incredible instrumental work and it has also a true incredible and luxurious arrangement. This is, without any doubt, a great song, one of their best, one of the most beloved songs by their fans and it's also one of the most performed live on their concerts. The second track "Love Is Like A Violin" written by John Lees is an extremely beautiful song with an ethereal melody that suddenly turns into a rock song. It's also a song with beautiful verses and nice chorus. It represents also one of the best musical moments on the album, indeed. The third track "Friend Of Mine" written by Les Holroyd is, in my opinion, a true surprising track. It shows a country rock side of the group, rarely seen on the band until now. It seems to me that this song reflects yet some influences of the American west coast sound, taken by them when they were in San Francisco. This had been much noticed on their studio album, "Time Honoured Ghosts". This is the weakest track on the album, until now. The fourth track "Poor Man's Moody Blues" written by John Lees is a song that contains two meanings. It's a personal homage of the group to The Moody Blues and their song "Nights In White Satin", and it's also, at the same time, an ironic song whose title song reflects the accusation made to the group, that for many years their music was considered very similar but inferior to The Moody Blues music. As "Hymn", it's also one of their best, one of the most beloved songs by their fans and it's also one of the most performed live on their concerts. It's interesting to note that if Justin Hayward's song is a masterpiece, this John Lees' version is also a great version. The fifth track "Hard Hearted Woman" written by Les Holroyd is a nice song. It's a pleasant song to hear with great bass work, performed by Les Holroyd. It's almost a funky and danceable song but sincerely it doesn't contain anything exciting enough to be considered a true great song. The sixth track "Sea Of Tranquillity" written by Woolly Wolstenholme represents one of the typical pieces of music of him. It's a very pretty piece of music, full of some great bombastic keyboard work and is very well accompanied by great vocal performance performed by him. It's a very progressive song, probably the only totally progressive song on the album. This song represents another high musical moment on the album and gives to it the progressive touch that it needed. The seventh track "Spirit On The Water" written by Les Holroyd is an environment protest song with some good lyrics. The vocal harmonies by the backing vocals are very beautiful and remind me Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or the Eagles. Still, being a nice and pleasant song to hear, it hasn't, in reality, anything special to be considered a great song. The eighth track "Leper's Song" written by Jon Lees is a rocker song, the only truly rock song on the album. This is an interesting song with some nice guitar work. However, despite being a good and nice song of John Lees, it represents, without any doubt, his weakest contribution to this musical work. The ninth and last track "Taking Me Higher" written by Les Holroyd is a nice love song performed almost on piano and organ with tender and beautiful vocals that closes the album in a very soft and quiet way. It's a very calm and nice ballad that finishes the album nicely and harmoniously.

Conclusion: I know that lots of the fans list "Gone To Earth" as their favourite studio album of Barclay James Harvest, mainly because it contains two of the best and most beloved tracks from the band, "Hymn" and "Poor Man's Moody Blues". However, I'm convinced that there are better tracks on their other studio albums. Being "Gone To Earth" a very pleasant and accomplished album, it isn't, in my opinion, a very cohesive and balanced album. It has two great songs, "Hymn" and "Poor Man's Moody Blues", two very good songs "Love Is Like A Violin" and "Sea Of Tranquillity", but the rest is pretty much standard musical material from Barclay James Harvest, actually nothing truly noteworthy, especially the material composed by Les Holroyd is unusually bellow from the quality level in which we were used to. So, my rating of 4 stars is only because "Gone To Earth" has some of the best material ever composed by the band, indeed.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

1. "Twelve Spaceships" (7:20) intriguing opening: almost cinematic, but then it coagulates into what sounds like a clone of IQ (with some awkward compression of lead singer Stuart Nicholson (GALAHAD)'s voice); where's the magic? It drags! It's formulaic! And, where's the passion? the enthusiasm? The DAVE GILMOUR imitation guitar solo in the sixth minute is weak and the sax that follows feels second row (unimaginative). (12.75/15)

2. "Penelope" (4:40) delicate piano and shamisen (?) provide a pensive, emotional fabric upon which Ania Batko sings. It's a very powerful, very emotional vocal--one that starts out sounding very much like the delicate side of KATE BUSH but then becomes more PAT BENETAR-strong with the more forceful phrases. Fretless bass and drums join in while Ania amps up and then Ryszard delivers a top notch electric guitar solo. Ania closes out the song with a return to the delicate, soft, Kate Bush-like voice of the opening. A beautiful, almost perfect song. (9.5/10)

3. "Cyclops Cave" (5:30) opens with a nice even-keeled classic rock foundation over which guest Piotr Płonka (MILLENIUM) solos on an electric guitar for the first minute. Vocalist of Millenium lead vocalist and long-time contributor to Ryszard's solo project, Łukasz Gałęziowski, enters to sing in a standard 1980s classic rock voice. Hammond organ solo over piano and rock rhythm section before coming back for the singing motif. Łukasz' voice is strong but fairly locked into a one-note monotone for much of the song. Ryszard gets the guitar solo in the third instrumental passage--which pretty much closes out the song. (8.66667/10)

4. "The Curse of Circe" (6:10) a fairly steady musical form over which another Millenium singer, Marek Smelkowski sings. Marek has a more variable approach to singing than his bandmate Łukasz Gall--more rock and metal-flexible--but a slightly thinner voice. Still, he does a nice job on what turns out to be a solid yet uneventful song. (Words/lyrics don't click with me. Sorry!) (8.66667/10)

5. "The Killing Songs of Sirens" (6:50) Female vocalist Ania Batko graces us with her presence over this heavier yet equally-straightforward rock song. Ania's vocalise over the muted guitar chord play between verses is quite lovely--my favorite parts of the song. Unfortunately, the melody lines given to Ania's vocal are almost as dull and soporific as the music beneath. Yet another replication of a David Gilmour guitar solo in the sixth and seventh minutes only serves to rankle me. (13.125/15)

6. "Calypso Nymph" (5:15) another plodder given to Marek Smelkowski to sing over. Some nice extended bluesy guitar soloing in the third minute. Again, I wish word comprehension came more naturally to me (and these singers have excellent command of my own native English language!) In the end, it's just another set of nice, clear performances of what sounds like a 1980s rock ballad. (8.5/10)

7. "Ithaca" (5:00) Łukasz "Gall" is back for the lead vocal on this one. For some reason some of the instrumental sounds here (acoustic guitar, synths, Tony Levin-like bass, piano, sax) give this song a more delectable, interesting palette to my ears. Łukasz' voice sounds a little more vulnerable here--which feels good: gives him a more human element with which to connect. Hitting a higher range at the end of the some of the verses makes him sound as close to Peter Nicholls as Stuart Nicholson does. (Why is the IQ sound--and especially the Peter Nicholls voice sound--so attractive to so many bands?) (8.75/10)

8. "Odysseus" (7:04) Gently chord-played piano and strummed acoustic guitar are soon joined by the rhythm section and a bombastic saxophone solo. Entering in the second minute, Stu Nicholson's treated voice sounds a bit more vulnerable and interesting here than on "Twelve Spaceships" though he still tends to sing as if he comes from the PETER NICHOLLS school of NeoProg vocals: almost monotone. I resent the use of the melody lines (and musical chord progression to match) from Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" for the lead singer's melody and phrasing during the verses. And then, to rub salt into the wound, Ryszard's guitar solo note choices are also borrowed from the same song (though here slipping and sliding into many of David Gilmour's sounds and tricks--especially from "Comfortably Numb"). (12.75/15)

Total Time 47:49

I mean, it's good, solid rock, but it's nothing new or exciting and often feels "borrowed" or perhaps (to give Ryszard some credit) bled over from rote muscle memory (from many years of knowing and practicing Dave Gilmour's music and guitar solos). B/four stars; I have no doubt that this would be a nice addition to any NeoProg lover's music collection.

There are moments where we can't even pretend to enjoy anything, and that is where the anhedonia appears, to shield us from pleasure, and that's terrible. This anhedonia happened to Chelsea Wolfe, so she wrote this song and after Covid-19 times, she shared it to fellow singer Emma Ruth Rundle, inviting her to collaborate with her voices and guitar.

And the result is great. Not sure if I ever though I would review Chelsea Wolfe's music here in Progarchives, but well, now her discography is included, it's nice to write a bit about her and share her talent to the prog rock community.

This is a sorrowful track, however, it is enchanted by both Wolfe and Rundle's alternate vocals. Deep lyrics, dark times, acoustic guitars and some atmospheric sounds made by synth, an extraordinary mix because the sound is so profound and will hit you in any moment. The best part to me is where the song reaches "Isolating, bridge withdrawing; isolated I can't take it", it is so deep, indeed.

Both artists have some similarities in their music, even in their voice a little bit, which is why I believe this collaboration is great, and also is not a bad gate to enter if you don't really know their music.

I love it, I hope you like it too.

After conquering the planet TROJA, ULYSSES undertakes a long journey to his native planet ITHAQUE to find PENELOPE, his beloved wife. Eight titles linked together for this remarkable conceptual disc, that goes without saying, nourished by the texts written as in previous albums by Zdzisław ZABIERZEWSKI and great novelty the vocal contributors come to us from diverse backgrounds. As for the musicians themselves, they all or almost all belong to what I will call the LYNX galaxy. Note that David LEWANDOWSKI and Karolina LESZKO are not among the vocalists present this time. Mr. MOONRISE, Kamil KONIECZAK was responsible for mixing the album, and what a mixing damn it! It's loud in the speakers.

Those who read me now know that I don't really like to sausage concept albums with possible notation, which becomes annoying because today we find more and more concept albums... On this " Odyssey 9999", Ryszard starts very strong with the "Twelve Spaceships" sung by a charismatic guest Stuart NICHOLSON (no need to introduce him I think?), a piece of fabulous symphonic progressive (10/10) further illuminated by the saxophone tenor of Lukasz PLATEK, the only one of the participants whom I did not know before, after research it appears that he is above all a jazz musician.

Who else but Ania BATKO, the singer of ALBION, could replace Karolina LESZKO for "Pénélope" and "The Killing Songs of Sirens", let's say it bluntly, no one! (9/10) for the two, which make a pair. Marek SMELKOWSKI ephemeral singer of MILLENIUM in 2020 takes care of the vocals on tracks four "The Curse of Circe" the poisonous magician of the companions of ULYSSES and six "Calypso Nymph" the maritime nymph in love with ULYSSES and he gets away with it very honorably in either case. If we are looking for the little beast, the two tracks sung by Lukasz GALEZIOWSKI (GALL for those who have been following for more than a quarter of a century) namely the three "Cyclops Cave" and seven "Ithaca" are those which stand out the least from the rest although Piotr PLONKA's guitar solo in the Cyclops' cave...it's still something!

The two Grzegorz (FIEBER and BAUER), current and former drummers of MILLENIUM, brilliantly provide the tempi with the help of the inevitable Krzysztof WYRWA who stands out as often on the Fretless bass and whose arabesques dot several titles.

One of the essential records of the year 2023, will find a place among my sixty best progressive music albums of all time, that's saying something. Originally published at profilprog.com

Both sides of the vinyl edition start with a roughly 1½-minute fast-paced instrumental, very much alike. Supposedly referring to large ringroads nearby Helsinki (Kehä I and Kehä III), they indeed have a hectic atmosphere of fast traffic, in a psychedelic space/stoner rock manner. Personally I'm not fond of them but they give some extra dynamics to the album whole -- needed or unnecessary, it's up to the listener. 'Rannalla' (= On shore) is the shortest of the four proper songs, and a very nice one as a naturally flowing, suitably streamlined composition with a vintage prog rock sound. Kimmo Villa's voice doesn't anymore remind me of the young Kauko Röyhkä, but now it's perhaps even more reminiscent of Pekka Streng from the early 70's. That's not a bad thing, since frankly he's more confident as a singer than Streng ever was.

The longest piece 'Uisko' (= Sailing Ship) has a mythological / folkloristic feel in its sparse lyrics and some sophisticated details in the arrangement. The electric guitar's lengthy, melancholic solo on the latter half sounds great. The title track (I actually had no idea the strange word kaimalkuu refers to the moon of February) is dynamically progressive; the slow, mystical intro is followed by a faster, Kalevala-inspired lyrics section, which in return is followed by a nearly hypnotic instrumental section, and so on. This 9½-minute composition is among the strongest single pieces of contemporary Finnish prog. The equally long final piece is pretty ambitious too, but to my ears not quite as coherent.

Definitely four stars, no less. The cover art of Jarmo Roine is an excellent companion to the music.

1. "8mm" (4:43) A beautiful, fully engaging song that tells such a meaningful, relatable personal story using an AMERICA "I Need You"/ALAN PARSONS PROJECT "Eye in the Sky"-like sound palette and form to do so. Great team vocals from Frank and Nick. (P.S. I love the accompanying video that the band used to release this song onto the Web via YouTube.) The music here is simple but effective, giving lots of room for instrumental nuance and flourish. The final two minutes seem to offer superfluous material (maybe for the sake of the video) but the ending is satisfying. (9/10)

2. "Collateral Damage" (4:19) piano, strummed acoustic guitars, bass and rhythm electric guitar support Frank Van Bogaert's AMERICA/Dave Gilmour/ALAN PARSONS PROJECT-like vocal. Nick Begg's ChapmanStick really picks up its prominence after the first chorus. Nice motif switch in the third minute after Marty Townsend's pedal steel guitar solo. Nice atmospheric Neo Prog. Though the chorus is not my favorite, which is probably why this one misses out on earning a place in my top three. (9/10)

3. "Overture to Flame" (1:45) instrumental intro to the next song. Great piece! Kind of a combo of Alan Parsons Project, and John Entwistle's bass from "Emminence Front." Definitely the proggiest work on the album. (4.625/5)

4. "Flame" (7:46) another 1:45 of proggy instrumental work bleeding over from the "Overture" leads into a solid song with co-lead vocals of angel-voiced Frank Van Bogaert and Nick Beggs and some very solid acoustic guitar work from Marty Townsend. A lyrics-delivery mechanism, I find myself a bit out in the cold as to the message and, therefore, the fullness of the song's intended impact. The singing here is actually the weakest part of the song: it's just a bit too wispy and smooth whereas I feel a need for some power to match or enhance the intricate instrumental work. (13.125/15)

5. "Jump This Wall" (5:54) opens with a nice APP/TANGERINE DREAM-like synth-led intro section before the full band kicks to create a lush APP/GENESIS NeoProg sound palette. Awesome multi-voiced group vocals (including co- composer, Sofi Dykmans) and some fun Nick Beggs Rickenbacker bass walking. I'm not quite sure what the lyrics are about: "I'm having a ball, Frankie, let's jump this wall," "Mississippi" and "freedom"?!? Bonus fun is the presence of Theo Travis on alto sax and flute. Still: a top three song. (9.25/10)

6. "Don't Lose Your Spirit" (5:43) like two songs in one: the first 2:30 is instrumental, then a shift occurs and a vocal supporting tune plays out (once again using Frank and Nick to share the lead duties in tandem. Man do these two vocalists make a perfect match!) At 4:38 the song switches to yet another mellow motif for Frank to solo outro with only his keyboard and voice. Amazing finish! Definitely a top three song. (9.25/10)

7. "Funerals" (7:39) opens like another electrically-amped AMERICA song (especially the vocal melodies and stylings). The big switch into a completely new "Caribbean yacht" motif at 3:50 is pretty cool: allowing Frank and Marty a chance to show a little of their skills (on Hammond organ and nylon-string acoustic guitar, respectively). At 5:17 we morph back to a vocal section. Incredibly beautiful. Man! I wish there were more bands doing these kinds of group harmony vocals. Very nice synth and electric guitar play on the 1:15 outro. Nice sophistication of the overall construct. Great mix of vocals and awesome bass and guitar play. (13.75/15)

8. "Silently Raging" (4:11) another fairly straightforward song (about the concerns of CCT monitoring, Artificial Intelligence facial recognition and the degradation of human privacy) that benefits from group singing to include representation from the female sector in the forms of Lula Beggs and Sofi Dymans as well as some nice incidentals from all of the instrumentalists. (8.75/10)

9. "Instillers" (5:19) opens with some Peter Gabriel-like electric piano over which the boys sing collectively (though it sounds as if Nick might have more of the lead). Nice lower range soloing from the electric guitar during the fourth minute's instrumental section. As usual, really nice melodies and very solid sound and construction. Nick Beggs' sound in the fourth minute's instrumental section is to die for--and the key changed reprise of the chorus near the end is absolute ear candy. (9/10)

10. "A New Home" (4:25) a pretty standard lush pop song in the vein of 10CC or Alan Parsons Project with the delightful addition of Lula Beggs on background vocals while her father flourishes his ChapmanStick prowess within. Nice lap pedal steel work from Marty Townsend. (8.75/10)

11. "Life Is Like the Weather" (2:31) (I love the accompanying video as created for the band by Nick's daughter Willow.) (8.875/10)

Total Time 54:15

Comparisons (and valuations) to my all-time favorite NeoProg album, Equations of Meaning by British artist Tony Patterson are not only warranted but necessary. This is incredibly intimate and evocative music for me and definitely my favorite (and the best) album by Fish On Friday (that I've heard so far).

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Prog Pop music that most prog lovers will love--especially if you're into the lush soundscapes of the NeoProg world.

So to the album itself, this is a two disc album containing seven songs. The first disc includes the first five songs and the second includes the remaining two. These two songs on the second disc are epic, "Helen" which is 19:14 and "The Uncertain" which 18:33 long. Unitopia does nothing small.

The premise of this album is interesting and familiar to me and as I'm sure to many others. It imparts that health gives way during our lives and those of our family and friends. We fall to injury, disease and aging. My mother became a paraplegic for 16 years of her life from cancer. For me personally I recently suffered an embolism and also was diagnosed a type 2 diabetic some years ago. As this album suggests, such things change your life and your outlook of it. I won't make this a comment on my life, I just wanted to support how I identify with the message. As to the music, what adjectives will I use to describe their mastery? "Brilliant", "remarkable" "wonderful"? All these and more. I suggest place them anywhere and often repeated.

Each song has an emotional resonance and expert playing. Sean Timms' composing and musicianship are skilfully apparent. I can't describe with any efficiency how creative this man is. He knows where to place the appropriate instrument at the right moment of the song. The song "Mania" is a good example of this. Showing the increasing frustration of a patient not knowing the results of the ongoing diagnoses the medical staff are working towards. The worry that builds with uncertainty. We hear the synthesiser that highlights the possible terrible mystery that could invade our health. The guitar that represents the anger, the symphonic piano representing our reasoning and the fear of losing our control through the fast-paced violin. This is how I hear it. Other listeners may hear differently. All emotions are portrayed over the seven songs.

Singer Mark Trueack takes us foremost into these emotions, with each change clearly translating every aspect of fear, despair, relief and acceptance. Steve Unruh is an orchestra in himself. You are better asking what can't he play rather than what can he play? He is a musical dynamo. With Alphonso Johnson and Chester Thompson, we have one of the great rhythm sections of our time. You need such musicians to precisely capture the ebbs and flows and ever-changing tones and time changes. And what a find with guitarist John Greenwood. I've enjoyed his playing on this and his solo album. Both his careers as surgeon and guitarist serves this album to perfection. His playing is heartfelt, his touch, both light and heavy, explores the depths of him and the subject of this music.

The second disc which is engaged by the epic tracks aren't epic in just length alone. They are epic in scope, in emotion, in composition and heart. There is a section in the last song, "The Uncertain" about halfway through which I call the 'Pastoral' moment. Steve's violin plays a lonely passage which soon builds to a symphonic wonder where the whole band unites and delivers an overwhelming swell. I describe this as a crescendo of wood crafted beauty. A strange description, I agree but I'm sticking with it. I found this album encompasses the very spirit we all face in such times of stress and uncertainty during major health issues. Every instrument plays its part in delivering this message with subtlety, grace and punch.

Seven Chambers.

Seven Songs.

Seven reasons to listen.