(108:37; Giant Electric Pea) Track list: 1. A Missile 6:40 2. Rise 6:49 3. Stay Down 7:55 4. Alampandria 3:48 5. Shallow Bay 6:21 6. If Anything 6:03 7. For Another Lifetime 15:22 8. The Great Spirit Way 21:45 9. Fire and Security 5:26 10. Perfect Space 8:33 11. Fallout 19:55 Line-up: Peter Nicholls -vocals Michael Holmes - guitars Neil Durant - keyboards Tim Esau - bass, pedals Paul Cook - drums, percussion Prolusion. Resistance is a double CD, the twelfth studio release by the British prog veterans IQ. Released in 2019, the album features the same line-up, as its predecessor The Road of Bones of 2014. Analysis. Like an experienced long-distance runner, IQ have found an ideal pace of issuing one album in five years – a period, probably, enough for them to detract somewhat from old discoveries, find new inspiration, develop new ideas and bring them into being. Or maybe a little more than enough, given the two recent albums consist of two CDs. But a good tempo is only a small part of wh...

(77:05; Snowdonia) Track list: 1. Not Me: Non Esistono (Senza Valore #1) 3:31 2. NichelOdeon: How Hard Tune! La canzone dei soli (Senza Valore #2) 2:40 3. This Order: Variations on The Jargon King (Senza Valore #3) 5:23 4. NichelOdeon: Il Barbiere degli Occhi (Senza Valore #4) 7:38 5. Not Me: Con Dedica (Senza Valore #5) 2:57 6. Not Me: Senza Ritorno (Senza Valore #6) 3:21 7. NichelOdeon: La Scatola (Senza Valore #7) 6:51 8. NichelOdeon: L'ultima Sigaretta - Fantasmi ad Argun (Senza Valore #8) 5:23 9. NichelOdeon: Idiota - Autoritratto (Tadzio's Death - Senza Valore #9) 2:43 10. This Order & Coucou Selavy: Ho Gettato mio Figlio da una Rupe perche non Somigliava a Fabrizio Corona Pt. I (Senza Valore #10) 5:08 11. This Order & Coucou Selavy: Ho Gettato mio Figlio da una Rupe perche non Somigliava a Fabrizio Corona Pt. II (Senza Valore #10) 2:31 12. This Order & Coucou Selavy: Ho Gettato mio Figlio da una Rupe perche non Somigliava a Fabrizio Corona Pt. III (Senza Valo...

(8:18; Hypnotic Bridge Records) UK threesome Mark & The Clouds released this single on the label Hypnotic Bridge Records earlier this year. The A-side is pulled from their current album "Waves", and is a fine and light toned 60's psychedelic affair with some occasional cosmic effects latched on to some fine and uplifting moods, with the organ, acoustic guitar and the electric guitar all being central instruments. For B-side 'Clocks', the band opts for a darker sound with a bit more dramatic impulses added in, and with the Mellotron taking the place of the organ as the provider of floating textures and the more elegant psychedelic guitar details being replaced with a firmer, grittier and more playful performance by the electric guitar. A single that should be quite the satisfactory experience for those who cherish retro-oriented psychedelic rock. Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, December 2021 Links: http://www.markandtheclouds.co.uk/ https://www.hypnoticbr...

(56:24; Gare Du Nord) Track list: 1. You & Me in Space 4:26 2. Back in Time 3:56 3. You Wanna Put Me Down 3:14 4. Winter Song 3:48 5. All These Plans 3:25 6. Free Me Now 4:02 7. No One Makes a Sound 2:47 8. The Same Old Dream 4:14 9. Waves 2:47 10. Promised Land 3:30 11. Peace Not Religion 4:43 12. Miles & Miles Away 3:47 13. These Heavy Drops of Rain 3:21 14. In the Big Crowd 3:09 15. Somebody Else 5:15 Line-up: Marco Magnani - vocals, guitars, harmonica, keyboards John O’Sullivan - bass, pedal steel, keyboards, vocals, voice Shin Okajima - drums, voice with: Rachel Kashi - keyboards Maya Kasparova - violin Tom Hammond - trumpet Joseph Hammond - trombone DJ Marrs - voice Bonfire - voice Rachel - voice Prolusion. UK band MARK & THE CLOUDS have been around since 2013 or thereabouts, and while I can't really recall how I first became aware of them I suspect it was due to material sent to me by either Fruits de Mer Records or Mega Dodo Records some years ago. A few weeks b...

(73:33; Trope Audio) Track list: 1. Ride by Myself 7:05 2. Underneath the World 6:08 3. Take Out an Ad 5:46 4. Now That the Rush Has Come 8:50 5. Can't Find My Heart 7:34 6. Someone Tell Me Who I Am 7:32 7. Except for Last Tuesday 4:25 8. I Hate the Way You Make Me Feel 3:58 9. I Broke It 7:03 10. Here in the Future 8:31 11. I Have Known Real Love 6:41 Line-up: Jim Anderson - bass, guitars Brett Barnett - keyboards John Mabry - vocals, guitars Greg Miller - drums, percussion with: Anne Feinsod - vocals Tom Emanuel - flute, backing vocals Guitars: Stan Cotey - guitars Nick Karch - guitars Paul Keller - guitars Jack McLoughlin - guitars Dave Nachmanoff - guitars Chris Ogburn - guitars Merdad Parsey - guitars Barrelhouse Jazz Band Prolusion. US band MIND FURNITURE can trace their history back to the middle of the 1990's, and over a period of 25 years they have released a total of three studio albums so far. "An Illustrated Map of the Heart" is their most recent productio...

(55:05; Melodic Revolution Records) Track list: 1. Invisible Killer 9:21 2. Crossing the Line 7:26 3. Against the Tide 6:48 4. Nation for Sale 6:20 5. Daily Lies 6:35 6. Just One Life 7:27 7. Suite en la Gavotte et six Doubles 11:08 Line-up: Andrew Roussak - vocals, instruments Prolusion. Based in Germany for a number of years, Russian born composer and musician Andrew ROUSSAK has been active as a solo artist since 2008, finding the time to create his own albums in between  various band projects he has been involved with. Four full length solo albums have been created by Roussak to date. "Crossing the Line" was released in the fall of 2021 through US label Melodic Revolution Records. Analysis. Roussak has an interest in many different types of music, and the compositions on this latest album of his showcase this versatility quite a bit. He also appears to have a strong affection for classic era progressive rock, which is also notable in just about all of the compositions at h...

(40:53; Klee Music) Track list: 1. Symzonia 3:18 2. Incident in Rio 2:29 3. Solar Monarch 3:43 4. Don and Walt’s Hawaiian Excursion 2:30 5. Land Locked 3:14 6. Passport to Magonia 6:47 7. Another Estuary 3:21 8. September 2:14 9. Masquerade 3:35 10. Spanish Feat 1:57 11. Jazz Hands 2:43 12. The Great Escape 5:02 Line-up: Neil Campbell - guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion Viktor Nordberg - drums with: Amy Chalmers - violin Jon Lawton - percussion, programming Prolusion. UK artist Neil CAMPBELL has been active for quite a few years by now, with his first solo album dating back to 2003. He has been an active solo artist and contributor to various projects ever since, with more than a dozen albums to his CV as of 2021. "The Great Escape" is his most recent solo album, and was released through the label Klee Music towards the end of 2021. Analysis. Instrumental music is what's in store for those who choose to purchase this album, and one centered around the acoustic guitar. ...

(66:00; Greydisc) Over the years I have been fortunate enough to hear quite a few albums by Kevin Kastning, but they are always either solo or working with musicians I have not otherwise come across. However, here we find him collaborating with Mark Wingfield, another musician whose work I have been enjoying, so this is a first for me. Recorded at Studio Tramwauld in Massachusetts 16-17 August 2018, the day after Kevin and Mark performed live in New York City for WNYC radio, here we find two extraordinarily talented guys pushing music to new limits. Both Kevin (36-string double contraguitar, 17-string hybrid extended classical guitar, piano) and Mark (electric guitar, live electronics (software processing)) have reputations for working in improvisational and “free” music, and one would certainly not expect anything different when they combine their resources. The largest difference for me in this instance is the importance of delicate piano throughout, which often acts as a cornerstone...

(54:24; Lifesigns) 2021 saw Lifesigns back with their third album, and although keyboard player and singer John Young (Qango, Greenslade etc.) is the only person still here from the debut, it is wonderful to see both Dave Bainbridge (Iona and others, one of my favourite musicians) and Jon Poole (Cardiacs, The Wildhearts – and I’ve said it before so I’ll say it again, if you ever come across a copy of his solo Zappa tribute album 'What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?' grab it) back for another round. Founder drummer Martin Beedle is not involved this time around, and instead his role is taken by Zoltán Csörsz (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic etc.). The four guys involved in this release have been involved in many bands, normally more than one at the same time, and given the opportunity live their lives on the road (pre-Covid I saw updates from John of his touring with Bonnie Tyler, while David is often out with The Strawbs), so they all know what they are doing. Zoltán is a ve...

(61:42; InsideOut Music) All the way back in 1997, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, and Tony Levin, joined forces to create Liquid Tension Experiment. They released their debut in 1998, following it with the next just a year later, which led to Petrucci and Portnoy inviting Rudess to join Dream Theater, and the band was no more. I don’t think anyone ever expected LTE to get back together in their original line-up, especially after Portnoy left Dream Theater, but he always kept in touch with Petrucci and Rudess, and during the pandemic they took the opportunity to all self-quarantine, have tests, and then met up secretly in the studio. According to Mike Portnoy, things fell into place almost immediately. “There was one moment, I got here to the studio, and I was standing in the room with Jordan and John, and I was like ‘wait a second, this is the first time the three of us have been in a room together in like over 10 years. It was surreal and then 10 minutes later we're j...

(45:19; Lost World Band) Back in 2005 I came across the debut album by a trio of Moscow Conservatory luminaries which had been released a few years earlier. The band was Lost World and the album ‘Trajectories’: I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommended them to others. Over the years, myself and Andy Didorenko (vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, violin) have become friends, but what I had not realized until he contacted me some months back was that there was in existence a much earlier album, which was originally just released on cassette back in 1992. Andy described it to me as much more of an art rock album than prog, “It was our very first recording. It sounds a bit naïve now, but it has some really nice moments, especially considering that there was literally no art rock in Russia at that time.” When he went back to the original recordings Andy realized there was little which could be done with them, so this is a re-imagined and newly recorded version of the album with Andy being accomp...

(43:37; Melodic Revolution Records) Transport Aerian has always been the vehicle for multi-instrumentalist Hamlet, but over the years he has brought in more people so that for this album it is actually a band for the first time as opposed to Hamlet and associated guests. Rachel Bauer (additional vocals & narration) is back for her third album, and they are now joined by Umut Eldem (keyboards, organ, piano), Paul De Smet (drums) and Stefan Boeykens (guitar), while Hamlet provides vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, and programming. I was a huge fan of the last release, ‘Theriantrope’, so was looking forward to this album, but I must confess that after the first playthrough I really wasn’t sure. Part of that is due to the sheer contrast in the styles being provided within the space of 43 minutes, and there are no doubts that certain sections work better than others, but I must confess that by the time I worked through it for the fourth time I found there was a great deal on here to enj...

(49:30; Moonjune Records) Back in 2010 I was introduced to Dennis Rea when Moonjune sent me his remarkable album, ‘Views From Chicheng Precipice’. I was absolutely mesmerised by a release which attempted to capture traditional Chinese music and make it available to Western ears, and it had a huge impact on me, so much so that it is an album I always have on my iPhone and return to it often. I managed to get in contact with Dennis, and a while later he sent me his excellent book, ‘Live at the Forbidden City: Musical Encounters in China and Taiwan’, which tells of the time he spent living there – he was one of few Westerners in the country at the time of the Tiananmen Incident – and reading that in conjunction with playing the music was an all-encompassing experience. Dennis has long been a stalwart of the Seattle scene, known for being an experimental and improvisational guitarist of some renown, who has had a major impact on other players. Here he has taken time away from his other ban...

(63:00; Downes Braide Association) As can be surmised from the title (on the cover art), here we have the fourth album from DBA (the last few albums have been using this instead of the longer Downes Braide Association), the band put together by keyboard player Geoff Downes (Buggles, Asia, Yes) and singer-songwriter-pianist Chris Braide (Sia, Lana Del Rey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Paloma Faith, Britney Spears and Marc Almond). It is interesting to note that the last of these provides lead vocals on one song, with David Longdon singing on two, with the band being completed by Ash Soen (drums), Andy Hodge (bass) and Dave Bainbridge (guitars). I have been a fan of Dave for some 30 years, and here he has been allowed to not only provide some wonderful acoustic moments but also far heavier driving guitar than I have come across from him previously. There is no doubt that Downes is a wonderful keyboard player who has had major impact on the music scene over the years, but he has also been...

(45:28; Backwater Records) Over the years I have built very positive relationships with many labels, and one I have come to admire is Backwater Records, who are based in Suffolk. I can honestly say I have yet to receive a poor release from the label, and I never know what to expect except that each release always contains very strong songs and performances. However, it has come to my attention that head honcho Steve Mann sometimes plays a musical part on some (but not all) of them, but he never tells me before I have heard it. In that respect he reminds me of my great mate TeMatera Smith who always wants me to listen to music from AAA Records with a totally open mind, never pushing himself forward as being more involved with a release than normal. That is exactly what we have here, as although there is a drummer on a few tracks, a female singer on two of them, and a cellist on one, the rest is all Steve. 20 songs were recorded using vintage instruments and equipment over Summer/Autumn ...

(59:19; Progressive Promotion Records) This concept album, which tells the story of a musician who has lost his inspiration and turns to alcohol, is the fifth from the French group since they were formed by drummer Didier Pegues and keyboard player Philippe Banabes as Eye to Eye back in 2003. They have been the only constants since then, but it is interesting to realise that this album has the same line-up as 2017’s ‘The Light Bearer’, except that the lead singer from that album, Michel Cerron is now a guest providing backing vocals and narration, and Jack Daly, who was lead singer on 2009’s ‘After All…’ has returned (the line-up is completed by bassist Etienne Damin and guitarist Bruno Pegues). Apart from the slightly accented vocals, one would think this was an American album from the 90’s, from the artwork, presentation and logo through their version of neo prog and would be hard pressed to realise this is a new French release. There are a couple of guests who add significant nuance...

(30:07; Fair Wind Pleases) I have long been a fan of St. Petersburg-based outfit Roz Vitalis, and bandleader Ivan Rozmainsky has become a firm friend. One thing I have always enjoyed about his music is that he never feels the need to constrict or constrain himself to just one musical style, and in recent years has been involved with musicians in other groups, and here we have the second release from Fair Wind Pleases (I must confess to having not heard the debut). He has again aligned himself with bass clarinet player Leonid Perevalov who he works with in other bands such as RMP and Compassionizer, while the line-up is completed by Yury Khomonenko (drums and percussion), Andrey Stefinoff (clarinet) and Anatoly Nikulin (guitar). One thing which is readily apparent is that while Yury provides the foundation (which also means there are sections where he does not play at all), the two clarinets and piano interweave spells, yet the guitar seems almost superfluous at times, almost as if it i...

(12:54; Spencer Park Music) This 12 minute long 3-track EP provides us with a glimpse of what it was like at TFTAD’s final show of 2020. Given that these guys love to play, and this was recorded at the beginning of March, it shows just what an impact the pandemic had on live performances in the UK. I have long been a fan of this merry quartet of noisemakers, as they prove time and again that there is room for instrumental progressive rock in the hands of guys who really know what they are doing. Drummer Stuart Marshall and bassist Kev Feazey are always locked in solidly, providing the foundation for guitarists Matt Stevens (who also provides some synth) and Steve Clayton to either be melodic, or frantic. If ever a band really understood the need for dynamics and contrast then it is this one, as they happily switch from one extreme to another, bringing in post rock, mathcore, space rock and classic rock into a melting pot of music where the universe is one of their own creating. There r...

(49:10; Illegal Aliens) One of the issues with the music scene, is that there is just so much of it. It also does not help that mass media seems to have a very different opinion to myself as to what is worth spending time on. Added to that, I have been spending more years than is probably healthy writing about material which has been sent to me, which means that I have not undertaken as much independent investigation as I should have. This means that until recently I had not even heard of The Muffins, let alone any of their music. Happily, for me, making contact with Jerry King a few years back has led me directly to Dave Newhouse of The Muffins and not only some of their works, but other releases with which he has been involved, which leads me directly to Illegal Aliens. Have you ever heard the saying that if you want something done you should give it to the person who is busy? It is something I have often thought of over the years as while I am always way behind where I need to be, I...

(66:00; Doone Records) For one reason or another, my path and that of Izz did not cross until 2017, when I came across their 2009 album ‘The Darkened Room’, which I loved. At that time, I was still working hard on my books, and didn’t follow-up on their catalogue, which I fully intended to do, and then in 2019 I was sent the masterpiece which is ‘Don’t Panic’ and I was determined not to lose track of them again. Bassist/guitarist/pianist/singer John Galgano and I have since kept in touch, and he thought I might be interested in hearing their 2005 album ‘My River Flows’ and how right he was. This was their third full studio album (the previous year’s ‘Ampersand’ being a collection of outtakes from the first two albums plus some live tracks) and the same core quintet were still here with John joined by Paul Bremner (electric guitar), Tom Galgano (keyboards, piano, organ, vocals), Brian Coralian (drum programming, acoustic & electronic percussion), and Greg DiMiceli (drums, percussion...