(218:32; Giant Electric Pea) Track list: Disc 1 1. Common Goal 4:37 2. Fate 4:57 3. Justify 12:53 4. Take Good Care 8:36 5. Ride 3:44 6. More Than a Dream 5:43 7. Slow Down 8:10 8. Lives Go 'Round 6:31 9. Still Here 6:36 10. Unitopia 4:22 11. There's a Place 5:01 Disc 2 1. Common Goal (Matt's re-work) 3:43 2. Fate (Matt's re-work) 5:10 3. Justify (Matt's re-work) 11:15 4. Take Good Care (Demo) 5:38 5. Ride (Sean's re-work) 7:21 6. Ride (Extended 321 mix) 4:58 7. More Than a Dream (Sean's re-work) 4:55 8. Slow Down (Sean's re-mix) 8:18 9. Lives Go 'Round (Sean's re-mix) 6:30 10. Still Here (Matt's re-work) 5:33 11. Still Here (Sean's re-work) 9:40 Disc 3 1. The Outsider 11:52 2. Decameron Date 6 Tale 9 20:06 3. Haunted Storm 6:41 4. Ride (Dance mix) 5:34 5. There's a Place (Dance mix) 5:43 6. Common Goal (Dance mix) 6:29 7. Fate (Dance mix) 6:29 8. This Life (Demo) 4:26 9. Time for Change (Demo) 4:28 10. The Dream Complete 5:13 Line-up...

(38:53: Karisma Records) Track list: 1. Shaping Mirrors Like Smoke 5:47 2. Heart Listening 5:21 3. Blowing Raspberries 3:43 4. Brother 5:02 5. Let the Mother Burn 4:56 6. Caligula 4:16 7. Agafia 5:55 8. Variola Vera 3:53 Line-up: Aleksander Vormestrand - vocals, guitars Hein Aleksander Olson - guitars, drums Lauritz Isaksen - keyboards Eirik Alfredsen - bass, vocals Leiv Martin Green - drums, vocals Prolusion. Norwegian band Himmellegeme has a history that goes back to at least 2015, and in 2017 they released their debut album "Myth of Earth". It has taken the band a few years to manage to create and finalize a second album, but in October 2021 they will be ready to launch the album "Variola Vera" through Norwegian label Karisma Records. Analysis. One of the fun, interesting but also challenging aspects about covering progressive rock is the sheer number of artists you come across that doesn't really fit into any of the known defined boxes of subcategories music...

(39:47; Oxomoco) Track list: 1. Of Home 12:22 2. The Moment Before It Was Gone 7:28 3. Nice and Heavy Particles 5:37 4. Montana and the Dirty Blues 5:14 5. Elpis 9:06 Line-up: Ulrich Retzow - drums Laurenz Mösbauer - guitars Emanuel Pfitzner - bass, clarinet with: Max Freigeist - vocals Murphy Montana - harp Norman van Haven - vocals Hannah Zieziula - voice Isi Niedermeier - voice Björn Vollmer - voice Prolusion. German band Oxomoco are out with the album "Oxomoco", and as the title suggests this is the debut album by this German threesome. They started out only a year ago from what I understand, and one may assume that the pandemic may well have made the creation of their first album a somewhat quicker creative process than it would have been without it. The band have chosen to self release this production, as is most often the case with new bands these days. Analysis. Oxomoco are open about the fact that their music isn't a shoehorn fit into a progressive rock oriented ...

(35:04; Nefarious Industries) Born in a squat in England, raised in New Zealand, and presently residing in Melbourne, here we have the latest release from dream folk artist Plum Green. I have not previously come across any of her other albums, but somehow, I can see I need to undertake some investigations as this is a very special album indeed. Her wonderful vocals are at the forefront of everything she does, often accompanied by her acoustic guitar, yet the vocals are often multi-layered and there are bowed soundscapes which makes for an arrangement with everything channelling her vocals. A variety of different instruments are featured including classical strings and the Melbourne Town Hall Grand Organ, (apparently the largest musical instrument in the Southern Hemisphere it says here). As soon as I heard this, I was taken back to Talitha Rise and her incredible album, An Abandoned Orchid House, as this has a similar approach, with the clarity of vocals giving us a feeling of fragilit...

(52:24; Generation Prog Records) I didn’t come across Theo’s 2015’s debut album, ‘The Game Of Ouroboros’, until five years after it release, and while it had some strong points, there were others where it felt just too commercial and bland for me. Now they are back with the second, and band leader Jim Alfredson (keyboards, lead vocals) has pulled together pretty much the same line-up with Gary Davenport (Chapman Stick, fretless bass) and Kevin DePree (drums, percussion) while guitarist Jake Reichbart here only features on two songs with Tom MacLean on the other two. Yes, this is just a four-track album, but they are all at least 10 minutes in length, with two about 15. Right from the off, this hits with way more punch, as the gentle birdsong soon gives way to keyboards which lead into sweet guitar, just in time for MacLean to throw in some djent, Alfredson throws some leads over the top, and then when the vocals start they are harsh and we are off. It soon switches into something more ...

(54:37; Timelight) Guitarist/singer Chris Rudolf and I somehow got in contact last year, after which he sent me not only the latest release from Timelight to review, but also their debut from 2016. The band were formed in Portland, Orgeon, by Chris in 2013 as a continuation of his solo work and was initially a trio featuring Steve Lauer (drums) and Stevie Williams (bass, keyboards), before Ron Murvihill (keyboards, vocals, flute) joined in time to record and release the debut. To me this is very reminiscent of much of the prog that was coming out of the American scene in the Nineties, not really neo-prog, but much more with an ear to the melodic rock and AOR scene. These guys certainly understand how to produce powerful, bombastic music with some great riffs and guitar lines. There are times when Ron is relegated somewhat to the rear, providing a secondary support role, while the rest of the guys really kick off. There are some bass/drum/guitar runs in “The Law of Identity” which are a...

(61:22; Timelight) By the time of Timelight’s second album, ‘Selah!’, there had been some significant changes and the band had now become a studio only project of Chris Rudolf (guitars, keyboards, bass, vocals, production) and Ron Murvihill (keyboards, flute, drum programming, vocals), with the addition of guest bassist Ian Siegel on 3 of the 6 songs. As with the debut, most of the songs are lengthy (just one under 5 and all the others past 10), yet here it feels that Murvihill has had a much larger impact on the material and he and Rudolf are very much linked. As well as more keyboards in general, there is a much greater use of piano, which has major impact in some places, such as on the title cut which is huge in so many ways. While I have never been a fan of programming, it must be said that here it has been done incredibly well, and one can imagine this being played by a human and is far more innovative and all over the kit than much I have heard. Whereas the debut showed lots of p...

(40:55; Nefarious Industries) The New York City-based avant/instrumental metal trio Titans To Tachyons comprise guitarist Sally Gates (ex-Orbweaver, ex-Gigan), Kenny Grohowski (Secret Chiefs 3, Imperial Triumphant, Brand X) and Matt Hollenberg (Cleric, John Zorn). Heavily influenced by science fiction for their song titles, anyone who references Red Dwarf (the last track is “Everybody's Dead, Dave,” which also features guest bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantômas)) is alright by me. Add to that their massively complex, distorted, angular slabs of music which are highly experimental while also hitting into RIO, and this is something which is right up my dark alley. This is not music to be sat and listened to sedately, it is visceral and designed to elicit a response, with some areas being incredibly metallic, while at others they add in some light to better reflect the shade. This is disconcerting stuff, music to set your teeth on edge while bashing in your brain. There are secti...

(73:43; Layered Reality Productions) I have known Tom de Wit for a few years now and have always been greatly impressed by his work and style, which generally involves him telling stories in a truly progressive metallic style quite unlike any other. When we were talking about his next release, he asked me if I would say a few words about his music for the documentary which would accompany it, and of course I agreed, so for the third consecutive week here I am reviewing something where I have a presence. Knowing what the album was about, I felt obliged to play the accompanying DVD first, which not only incudes a lengthy interview, the uncut footage of those who were asked to take part, the music video for ‘Death and Her Brother Greg’, but a full-length documentary on Tom. Given he dislikes being the centre of attention, this must have been incredibly hard and personal for him, as those included in the interview are his parents. Here we discover about his mental struggles with high sensi...

(24:29; Metronhomme) Here we have the latest EP by Italian group Métronhomme, following on from their excellent album, ‘4’, which was released in 2019. There are no guests this time around, so the line-up is Mirko Galli (bass, pedal synth), Tommaso Lambertucci (piano, synth and vocals), Andrea Lazzaro Ghezzi (percussion) and Marco Poloni (guitars, maschine and vocals). They stress that all the percussion was physically played by Andrea, and there is no drum machine, but given they feel the need to explain that, one can imagine what it actually sounds like. Written and recorded during lockdown, each member of the band worked on their individual areas using whatever they had to hand, given that they could not get to their rehearsal space, which may somewhat explain the percussion. There is a definite feeling of separation within these seven numbers, which are mostly instrumental, and there are times when it really hits home, and that separation becomes something deep and meaningful. But ...

(57:46; Festival Music) With a history stretching back nearly 40 years, albeit with a rather extensive break in the middle, most fans of British neo prog will be aware of Multi Story. Original singer Paul Ford and keyboard player Rob Wilsher both played on their 1985 album, something I heard when it was reissued by Kinesis some 10 years later, and then a few years back they decided to form a new version of the band. There may have been nearly thirty years between ‘Through Your Eyes’ and ‘Crimson Stone’, and only Rob played on both, but many fans were intrigued when they returned. A far more respectable four-year gap has now seen them back with ‘CBF10’. Bassist Kyle Jones has now been replaced by Arnie Edwards, but both Aedan Neal (electric & acoustic guitars) and drummer Jordan Neale both played on the last one. The result is a solid right down the middle neo prog album, which apart from a clean and produced sound could well have been recorded more than 30 years previously. It has ...

(69:25: Melodic Revolution Records) Many years ago, I received the download of an album by an American band called Vertical Alignment. Nothing really special in that I hear you say, but for me it was, as ‘Signposts’ was the first time I ever received an album digitally, something which now happens all the time. For various reasons the band then went dormant, until Pete Jorgensen "Phoen1x" brought together a line-up, along with many guests, to record ‘The Trail of Tears Suite’ which was released in 2017. 2020 saw the release of ‘Immaterial Witness’, by which time Pete was calling himself Phoen1x, and the album was released under that name. Alongside Jake Livgren (lead and backing vocals, saxophone), Seth Trotman (bass) and Vertical Alignment drummer Michael Adams, there are also numerous guests, so on this album there are members of Proto-Kaw, Evership, Time Horizon and Stratospheerius among others. The album commences with a woman saying, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen”,...

(86:58; Insideout Music) Can it really be 15 years since Pure Reason Revolution released this their debut album? Inside Out have now reissued it as a digipak and on double vinyl, but it should be remembered that they reissued it with all the bonus tracks back in 2011 on the fifth anniversary, while it was also released as a double record at the same time, although apparently this is the first vinyl appearance of the track “Golden Clothes”. Whether that is enough for you to fork out again if you have an earlier version of this album then that is up to you, but if you have yet to come across this release then now is a good time to look back at it. Released originally through Sony/BMG, the band had been going for some three years when this album came out (the title always made me think I had somehow missed two others), and they made quite an impression on all who heard it. The reason for that is that they take Floyd as a starting point, sometimes staying close and at others moving far awa...

(47:32; Giant Electric Pea) It was wonderful to be speaking to Mr Bass last year, the one and only John Jowitt, and to be told that he was forming a new band with his ex-IQ and ex-Frost* bandmate Andy Edwards, bringing together once again a powering rhythm section. While they provide the platform, they are joined by Rob Groucott, (son of the late ELO bassist Kelly) on vocals and keyboards along with Mirron Webb (Hey Jester) on guitar and vocals. Any band that comprises people of the pedigree of John and Andy will always be tagged with the moniker “Supergroup”, while one can only imagine the pressure on Rob to deliver, given that his father was such a high-profile presence in the music scene, playing on multiple million-selling albums. Anyone who has followed John’s career like I have will be aware he has played in multiple bands (often at the same time) in different genres, not all of which have been progressive. I first came across him when he was in the mighty Ark, a band who to this...

(59:25; Dur et Doux) Here we have the debut album of Rien Faire, who comprise Marie Daviet (keyboards, cornet, vocals), Lucas Hercberg (bass, big guitar, vocals) and Corentin Quemener (drums, carillon, vocals). One always expects releases on Dur Et Doux to be out in leftfield, and that is again the case here, yet somehow this is also inviting so even though there are tracks which are firmly RIO and experimental, there are others which seem quite mainstream in comparison. Often the most important instrument is the bass, which is rich and heavy, pinning everything to the ground. The drums are quite light in comparison, and there is a lot of restrained cymbalwork as opposed to massive blasts around the kit, and the same is true of the keyboards which are often very much in the background. In fact, the bass reminded me a lot of Peter Hook, such is its importance in the overall sound. But the melodies can be light and fragrant, while there is a huge amount of space inside the music, so that...

(60:08; Artbeat Music) Here we have the second studio album from Ivan Rozmainsky (keyboards, Roz Vitalis) and Vladimir Mikhaylov (guitars, percussion, drill, samples, Enine, Algabas). As with their debut album, 2017’s ‘For The Light’, they are again joined by clarinettist Leonid Perevalov (Yojo, Pustotsvet) and drummer Yurii Groiser, and this time have utilised bassist Max Lokosov as well as some guests. I have long been a fan of Roz Vitalis, who are surely one of the most consistent and innovative bands to come out of Russia, and RMP allows Ivan to work with a melodic partner to take his modern classically inspired music into far more experimental and innovative directions. There are times when the musical threads feel somewhat disconnected and unconnected, and it takes time for the brain to fathom what is really going on. The band themselves describe this album as almost instrumental (with rare female voices) progressive rock combining avant-prog, space-rock, psychedelic rock and imp...

(42:05; Bad Elephant Music) The core trio of Joff Winks (guitar, vocals, piano, string arrangements), Matt Baber (keyboards, synths, drums, field recordings) and Brad Waissman (bass, Chapman Stick, upright electric bass) are back with their fifth studio album, alongside drummers Paul Mallyon and Andrew Booker, who have both previously been involved as well. I was impressed with their last release, 2018’s ‘Now We Have Power’, and was looking forward to hearing this one and I was not going to be disappointed. What makes this album work so very well indeed is the quality of the arrangements, with the guys somehow making their instruments seem much more than they are, with the bass tone, in particular, being incredibly wide and permeating through the songs. This gives the guys a wonderful framework to build on, so the drums hang off the side doing their thing while Joff and Matt twist through multiple styles and phases. Nowhere is this truer than on the epic “The Yellow Ship”, which is mor...

(41:03; Cuneiform Records) As one may be able to guess from the title, Schnellertollermeier are back with their fifth album, following the musical path for which they have become known. Andi Schnellmann (electric bass, electric guitar on “Animate Become”), Manuel Troller (electric guitars) and David Meier (drums & percussion) are experimental musicians, who on this album are also using space as a deliberate instrument. There are times when it seems the musicians are recreating the sound of industrial machinery, taking themselves far away from what many people believe to be melodic music, instead taking the listener into places which allows them to think about what is happening in their ears, and asks them to go on a journey. Each member of the band is tasked with driving the music at different times, always in harmony (or sometimes deliberate disharmony) with the others. Numbers such as “A.o.E.i.n.E.o.A” are immensely powerful, yet at the same time there is little in terms of note ...

(50:59; Giant Electric Pea) Surely here is a band who need no introduction whatsoever, as when it came to prog in the Eighties these were one of THE bands. I was really late to the party, not hearing 1984’s ‘Silent Dance’ until it was reissued by Progressive Records in 1991, and immediately fell in love with both that and the next album, ‘New Life’. Solstice built up a huge following in the live scene in the UK, but they never really had the stability and release schedule for them to establish themselves on a wider basis, and I am sure there are many of us who wish the breaks had gone their way as they always deserved to be much bigger. Their last album prior to this one was 2013’s ‘Prophecy’, and apart from new singer Jess Holland, this features the same line-up of Andy Glass (guitar, vocals), Jenny Newman (violin), Pete Hemsley (drums), Robin Phillips (bass) and Steven McDaniel (keyboards, vocals). Solstice have always been a band who have used female lead vocals and violin, somethin...

(59:54; Dur et Doux) Lyon collective Le Grand Sbam are back with their second album, which in many ways follows on exactly where ‘Vaisseau Monde’ left off. There have been a few changes in the band, as Mélissa Acchiardi (vibraphone, percussion) is no longer involved, but Antoine Arnera (piano, electronics, voice), Boris Cassone (bass, Mellotron), Jessica Martin Maresco (voice), Guilhem Meier (drums, amplified percussion, voice) and Marie Nachury (voice) have expanded the band with the addition of Grégoire Ternois (marimba, toms, dun dun bells, gong), Mihaï Trestian (cimbalom) and Anne Quillier (Moog, Rhodes, voice). The addition of more voices, percussion, and keyboards, has allowed them to take their music further in the direction of crazed opera/RIO/Zeuhl/experimental prog. It is massively complex, yet also hugely chaotic, and one can imagine Zappa comparing the scoring of this to that of "The Black Page #1", smiling, and saying “yep, they got it”. Musically this is all ove...

(39:52; Dur et Doux) Formed in 2014 by Anthony Fleury (baritone guitar, organ, voice, Fordamage), Thibault Florent (guitar, organ, So-lo-lo/Nist-Nah) and Etienne Ziemniak (drums, Electric Vocuhila/BGZ Trio/Carnalisme), Mange Ferraille are another incredibly experimental and “out there” band which one expects from every release in the Dur et Doux label, which surely must be one of the most consistent and exciting labels around (Moonjune and Cuneiform also fit into this territory). The combination of different approaches, with some elements written ahead of time and others improvised, jazz, rock, industrial and experimental all coming crashing together, combines in a mostly instrumental approach which also has some very mechanical sounds, almost as if it was being put together in a factory. ‘Erba spontanea’ is their second album and has been released as a single 40-minute-long piece of music, although it is in four movements. At times the instruments are living and breathing, moving in d...

(65:29; Moonjune Records) Formed in 2007 by Israeli American guitarist Dani Rabin and Israeli saxophonist Danny Markovitch, (the bandname being taken from 3 letters of one surname, and 3 of the other) this 2014 album was actually their fourth release, and was their first official live recording. Although it has always been based around Dani and Danny, Marbin do seem to go through rhythm sections and this one was recorded with drummer Justyn Lawrence and bassist Jae Gentile, who also appeared on the previous studio album, ‘Last Chapter of Dreaming’, but would not appear on the next studio album, 2015’s ‘Aggressive Hippes’. At the time of this recording the band had played more than 1000 gigs in just over three years, so it is no wonder that they are incredibly tight. The rhythm section provides the backdrop and foundation for the two lead players, who may combine in complex duets such as on “Culture”, then at others they just provide support while the other goes off on a wild ride. Ther...