(30:59; DarWin) Track list: 1. Nightmare of My Dreams 7:07 2. Future History 5:39 3. Eternal Life 5:32 4. A Frozen War 7:31 5. Another Year 5:10 Line-up: DarWin - guitars Simon Phillips - drums, percussion, keyboards Matt Bissonette - vocals, bass With: Billy Sheehan - bass Guthrie Govan - guitars Greg Howe - guitars Derek Sherinian - keyboards Alex Sill - guitars Jeff Babko - piano, keyboards Chariya Bissonette - backing vocals Robert Thorhallsson - bass + more Prolusion. Iceland based project DarWin, spearheaded by the composer and musician using the DarWin moniker as his creative alias, first came to some prominence in 2018 when the double concept album "Origin of Species" appeared. DarWin has since worked on finalizing material for his second album, "A Frozen War", which is scheduled for release in late November 2020. Analysis. One of the striking features of the first DarWin album was the massive amount of prominent guest musicians used throughout, which includ...

(54:07; Layered Reality Productions) Track list: 1. Opening Sequence 3:01 2. The Ghost Syndicate 5:27 3. A President's Speech 6:00 4. Switch On 1:42 5. Blue Light Cage 4:50 6. We'll Become Dust 7:22 7. Going Home 5:45 8. Jump Right In 7:00 9. Breathe and Recover 13:00 Line-up: Claudio Casaburi - bass Francesco Cavezza - guitars Luca Di Gennaro - keyboards, programming Lino Di Pietrantonio - vocals Antonio Mocerino - drums, percussion with: Derek Sherinian - keyboards Marek Arnold - saxophone Tom Gallagher - voice Joe Prestia - voice Prolusion. Italian band SOUL SECRET was formed back in 2004, and from 2008 and onward they have been releasing new material at regular intervals, often with minor line-up alterations along the way too. The band have been attached to quite a few labels over the years, and for their fifth and most recent studio album "Blue Light Cage" the band have joined the ranks of Dutch label Layered Reality Productions. Analysis. Soul Secret are known a...

 (39:33; The Foxholes) Track list: 1. Cruzada 6:54 2. Orbe 5:31 3. Vepar 5:58 4. Who Do You Think You Are? 4:21 5. Foxholesque 10:15 6. La Sed Que Yo Tengo 6:34 Line-up: Jonah A. Luke - vocals, guitars, programming Angel Millan - drums, percussion Max “Mojo” Moritz - bass with: Maese 1001 - programming, synths Prolusion. Spanish band THE FOXHOLES have been an active entity ever since 2006, with the current line-up of the band staying solid since 2017. They have released material at a steady pace over the years, with one live album and seven studio albums to their name so far. "Foxholesque" is their most recent production, and was self-released by the band in the fall of 2020. Analysis. While I see that this band tag their albums on Bandcamp with many familiar phrases revolving around progressive rock, my main impression is that they by and large isn't what one might describe as a straight cut or purebred progressive rock band. They certainly pull in elements from the prog...

 (59:18; Deaton Lemay Project) Track list: 1. Storm the Castle 4:06 2. Day After Yesterday 4:57 3. Tri-Overture 2:21 4. The Past 4:24 5. The Future 4:37 6. The Present 5:34 7. Fade Away 5:46 8. To the End 6:43 9. Silent Stone 7:19 10. Event Horizon Pt.1 2:43 11. Event Horizon Pt. 2 3:51 12. Voice of Freedom 6:57 Line-up: Roby Deaton - keyboards, bass, guitars Craig LeMay - drums, percussion with Hadi Kiani - vocals Ehsan Imani - guitars Joel Gregoire - guitars   Josh Mark Raj - guitars Prolusion. US project DEATON LEMAY PROJECT is spearheaded by composers and musicians Roby Deaton and Craig LeMay. Just how long this creative duo has been collaborating isn't exactly stated anywhere, but as I've seen phrases about a project 25 years in the making somewhere I presume the ideas for this venture has been ongoing for some time. DLP self-released their debut album "Day After Yesterday" towards the tail end of 2019. Analysis. From just about the first second that this album s...

 (58:33; Dark Operative) Over the many years of their existence This Will Destroy You founder members Jeremy Adam Galindo and Christopher Royal King have been known for their work in films such as ‘Moneyball’, ‘World War Z’, and ‘Foxcatcher’, but here they have turned their meme to something quite different, namely musical score the band composed for Chef Jordan Kahn's 2-Michelin Star restaurant ‘Vespertine’. The concept is to provide the soundtrack to a dining experience, and is set in such a way that it starts with the arrival at the building, coming inside, meeting the chef in the kitchen etc. They premiered this album with the release of the song “Kitchen” all the way back in 2017, but the album itself only came out a few months ago. I was somewhat intrigued to uncover what was behind the concept of putting music to a meal, so checked out the restaurant where it all made sense as there is a mission statement which says “Vespertine is the vision of Chef Jordan Kahn. The proj...

 (55:18; Towers Open Fire) I can pretty much guarantee that the vast majority of listeners will have not have heard of this band, but at the same time I can also state I am sure that everyone will have heard of at least one musician in the band, as this is a collaboration between Judge Smith (vocals) and Brakeman (guitar, bass, vocals). Smith was of course co-founder of prog legends Van der Graaf Generator and will always be kinked with that band and his long-time relationship with Peter Hammill, but over the course of his career he has also released 13 studio albums and DVDs. Brakeman was originally bassist with bands such as Discobolus and Jeffery Lee Pierce, before turning his attention to the guitar and developing a unique open-tuned technique. They are joined on this album by cellist Gerry Barnett on four songs and Tim Gallagher, percussion, on two. Here is an album which I confess to enjoying immensely from the first song to the very last. In some ways it reminds me of Da...