(57:24; Layered Reality Productions) Track list: 1. Some Things I 4:08 2. Chameleon 5:22 3. Surface Scratching 3:59 4. Heading Back 2:19 5. Home 4:40 6. Butterflies 3:56 7. Mourning After II 6:30 8. Dreamwalk II. The Descent 8:44 9. Shock Awakening 1:29 10. Jimmy 5:45 11. Some Things II 10:32 Line-up: Tom de Wit – vocals, guitars, bass, synthesizers with: Laura ten Voorde - violin, backing vocals Sander Stegeman - guitars, backing vocals Rosita Reitsma - vocals Elvya Dulcimer - dulcimer Lennert Kemper - guitars Sybren Boonstra - guitars Michiel van der Werff - guitars Norbert Veenbrink - guitars Hanna van Gorcum - violin Tristan Visser - guitars Maarten Gunsing - vocals Joop de Rooij - synthesizers Frank Schiphorst - guitars Ben van Gastel - guitars Prolusion.  Dutch venture TDW is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Tom De Wit, a project that has been active since the early 2000's with close to a dozen productions released under this moniker as of 2026. The album "M...

(52:43; Lizard Records) ‘Volevo Andare Altrove’ (‘I Wanted To Go Elsewhere’) is the debut album by Italian progressive outfit Arianuova (New Air). Daniele Olia (guitars,  keyboards, lute, vocals) had the idea of releasing a concept album about the atavistic desires of human beings, and to assist him in that resolve he brought in Luca Bonomi (drums), Massimo Zanon (lead vocals) and Michele Spinoni (guitar). The press release I read is in English, thankfully, but the album is Italian which means the story itself is rather lost on me. Apparently, the booklet also contains all the lyrics in English, so it will be useful to have that to hand when listening to this. While we do get some classic RPI touches here and there, and some definite nods to PFM, this also has plenty of Neo, Symphonic and Crossover stylings as well, which is where I would have put this on PA if I was still involved with the genre teams. Highlights for me are the delicate eight-minute-long instrumental “La quiete do...

(41:37; Moonjune Records) This is the third album from Dutch multi-instrumentalist Anton Roolart (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synths) who has been joined by Rave Tesar (Renaissance) on piano and keyboards, drummer Bob Kirby, Wouter Schueler (flute, saxophones), Rozh Surchi (backing vocals) and Mark Donato (backing vocals). This is the first time I have come across Anton, and I note it has been more than ten years since his last release, but given how much of this he undertakes himself, perhaps it is not too much of a surprise. This is a carefully constructed and thought through album, which has been heavily influenced by the progressive rock of the early Seventies,  and it is not altogether a surprise to realise that the closing number is a cover of “Yesterday and Today” from Yes’ 1969 debut. This is an album which does take listening to, as there is a lot going on, and it is easy to let this pass by, but when one pays attention, it is possible to hear the many layers and sty...

(30:03, Timezone Records) These days most people will know Jeff from the power trio Ape Shifter, but I first came across him some years ago when he was best known for his acoustic guitar albums and for being a Guinness World Record holder (most concerts performed in different countries in 24 hours, nine!). Here he has gone back to his roots and released an album which is mostly him (guest second guitarist on one track, guest violinist on another). Although this is available in the normal digital formats it has also been released on vinyl, the first of his albums to be treated that way, and we get 12 instrumentals in 30 minutes. There is just one song which makes it over four minutes in length, and another which just scrapes three, and there are also a few which are under two, but it is all about quality as opposed to quality. In many ways this feels like a hybrid of the acoustic work of Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett, with possibly a little Allan Holdsworth thrown in for good measu...

(32:25; Deko Entertainment) In 2018 Nektar split into two versions, with drummer Ron Howden asking fellow founder Mo Moore (bass) to return, along with  former members Randy Dembo (bass, guitar), Mick Brockett (lights, projections and atmosphere), and Ryche Chlanda (guitar and vocals), along with new keyboard player Kendall Scott. After a long battle with cancer Howden died in 2023, being replaced by Jay Dittamo, while Dembo left prior to the recording, but in many ways this is another stable line-up, which comes through in the music. This does not sound like a band attempting to replay what they were doing 50 years previously but instead are taking the complexity and melody of Nektar but bringing it somewhat up to date with a modern approach, especially in the keyboard sounds. The vocal harmonies are great, with Mo and Ryche  sounding like they did all the way back in 1978, while Dittamo sits perfectly in the drum seat, providing the complexity with Howden was renowned for. L...

(134:00; Cherry Red Records [2025 Edition] ) As with many bands who have been around a long time, Nektar have had quite a chequered line-up and history, with all founder members leaving the band at one time or another, and there were a few periods when they were totally disbanded, including from 1982 - 2000. It was then that Roye Albrighton and Taff Freeman came back together, this time as a trio with new drummer Ray Hardwick. There were another six line-up changes by the time they got to 2007, by which time Roye had been rejoined by original drummer Ron Howden, and they were now augmented by Klaus Henatsch (keyboards, backing vocals) and Peter Pichl (bass). They stayed together for four years, a lengthy period of continuity for Nektar, during which time they toured frequently. ‘Fortyfied’ was captured on the 2008 European tour and released in 2009 on Albrighton’s own Treacle Music label and has long since been unavailable and has now been remastered and is available once again. Unlike...