(40:48; Karisma Records) I really enjoyed the last release from this Norwegian prog folk psychedelic Canterbury outfit, ‘En Pakt Med Naturen’, but I am having significant issues getting inside this one. There were some personnel changes during the recording, and I am sure that has impacted on an album which at times feels as if the kitchen sink has been thrown at it. There are times when it is sheer genius, especially when they come across as a modern Gryphon, but there are plenty of others when it feels we have been stuck in a repeated loop as they don’t know how to progress to the next stage. The total running time is just shy of 41 minutes, but half of that is devoted to just one track, “Lidskjalv”, which apparently has existed as a demo since the 90’s but this is the first time they have undertaken a proper recording. The other four songs came about in November 2022 for a Winter Solstice  celebration, but to me they are less than the sum of their parts. I am sure the turmoil in...

(50:22; Oob Records) There is a famous story about Rick Wakeman going into the studio to record ‘White Rock’ and realised he had forgotten to compose one piece of music so asked for the film to be played so he could get into the mood and improvised “After the Ball”. No-one realised he had written it on the spot, and when the engineer asked him to play it again, he refused saying he could never recapture that moment, not that he had written it totally on the fly and would not have been able to repeat it. Why do I tell that story here? Well, Ton Scherpenzeel  (Kayak, Camel) has just released an album of solo (mostly) improvised piano pieces which are an absolute delight from beginning to end. Four of these are less than four minutes in length, one of those less than two, but the opener and title cut more than makes up for it at nearly 37. Here we have a master musician putting himself in the zone and playing whatever comes to mind with just some reverb for company. The only word whic...

(45:45; Kscope) Dutch djent-inspired prog metallers Textures are back with their sixth album, only 10 years on from ‘Phenotype’, their last release. I am positive that Textures are a very different proposition indeed when heard in the studio as opposed to when they are playing live, as while the intricacies and complexity are readily apparent, there is a huge swathe of production and commerciality placed over this to make it more palatable to a wider audience. Given that the line-up is the same as the last one I can only assume there were some difficulties in getting this written/recorded, but Daniël de Jongh (vocals), Bart Hennephof (guitars), Joe Tal (guitars), Remko Tielemans (bass), Uri Dijk (keyboards) and Stef Broks (drums) have released something which is full of promise which is then sadly diluted. Even Charlotte Wessels (Delain) who guests on one track doesn’t make a significant difference. They have taken inspiration from the 90’s, and while understand what they are attemptin...

(43:12; Deko Entertainment) Here is the second album from the pairing of Tenk van Dool (Temple of Switches) and Paul Sears (The Muffins) plus a sprinkling of guests including the likes of Ruben Riera and Steve Mitchell from Paul’s band Cho-Zen Few, Dave Newhouse from The Muffins and Clara Belle Hembree from Maheekats. In each case, apart from the improvised “Land of the Free” which was totally improvised, Tenk is credited with the music and Paul with the drum arrangement, showing just how much impact each has. Some of the songs have a guest singer although many do not, and five of the eleven songs feature just Tenk and Paul. Tenk is a multi-instrumentalist so provides whatever is required while Paul provides drums and percussion, although there needs to be a callout on “Cappy’s Sledge” where he also provides “Satan’s cowbell”(!). The set opens with the album version of their 2025 single, “King Koln”, which in itself is a rock version of “Koln” which appeared on ‘Aperiodic Grok’. This i...

(77:00; Fruits de Mer Records) On the FdeM page for this release there is a quote from ‘I Don’t Hear A Single’ which says, in part, that they “have trouble understanding why certain bands are not massive. If this was anytime between 1969 and 1976, you would have needed many trucks to deliver Soft Hearted Scientist to the eagerly awaiting Record Shops.” That is so very, very true indeed as there is an argument to be had that this is their finest album to date. Initially released on CD and digitally by the band themselves, it is now available as a triple vinyl set with the original album on the first four sides along with a sidelong 'suite' put together by Nathan Hall and Frank Naughton which picks up on the themes of the individual tracks, together with another side of instrumental mixes. Nathan states that the influences on this album contain 1940’s big band music, 1950’s doo wop and rock & roll, 1960’s psychedelia and folk rock, early 1970’s prog rock, punk, post punk, ele...

(39:15; Melodic Revolution Records) I have no idea why multi-instrumentalist Stephen Speelman (Unified Past, Chief Big Way) chose this particular name for his latest adventure, but for me Dudley will always be the town between Wolverhampton and Birmingham which forms part of the Black Country and is full of great people, wonderful beer, and lots of industrialisation. This instrumental album is very much a rock release with some progressive tendencies where it is all about the electric guitar, taking us back to the days when the likes of Vai and Satriani were creating a huge impact. I must confess to always being nervous when confronted with a new guitar-led instrumental release as while some are excellent and thoroughly enjoyable, others are exercises in ego and technical ability as opposed to musicality, so what would this one be like? I am happy to confirm this is the former, and while there is no doubt that Stephen is a master of his instrument there is always a reason for what is t...