(54:39; Gridmusic) Track list: 1. Prologue (7th Movement) 3:21 2. Enigma (8th Movement) 6:40 3. Flow (9th Movement) 4:29 4. Transformation (10th Movement) 5:00 5. Submerge (11th Movement) 6:19 6. Gleam (12th Movement) 4:57 7. Timeless (13th Movement) 4:46 8. Pulse (14th Movement) 5:50 9. Epilogue (15th Movement) 3:15 10. Finale (16th Movement) 10:02 Line-up: Gerald Peter - keyboards, seaboard Aaron Thier - drums Julie Elven - vocals with: Martin Miller - guitars Jordan Rudess - keyboards Prolusion. Austrian venture Gerald Peter Project is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Gerald Peter, and is more of a solo project than his bands Circle of Illusion and Inspirational Corner. "Incremental Changes Part 2" is the first full length album to be released under the Gerald Peter Project moniker, and was self released in the early summer of 2022. Analysis. It is quite the particular creation that Peter has crafted here, an album filled to the brim with engaging material tha...

(316 pages, Gonzo Multimedia) Prolusion. Writer and reviewer Kev Rowland will of course be a familiar name for anyone who read the progressor website, and increasingly also a well known name also for people with less of a close relation to the progressive rock scene due to his series of books featuring music reviews. Among artists and labels he has of course been known as a capacity for more than 30 years, one of the true veterans among reviewers of progressive rock. This year he released his fourth book of progressive rock reviews. Analysis. How to review a review is a challenging task in itself, and how to review a book of them even more so. Trying to do so in an unbiased manner when the author writes for the same website as yourself and is by now a good friend even more challenging, and that I have written the actual Foreword of the book in question will probably make my review one that many will regard as perhaps not quite credible and perhaps not even worthwhile. But hey, at least...

(30:58; [addicted label] ) Now, I enjoy experimental improvised music as much (in fact, probably more) as the next person, but here we have an album which really does sound like a group of people who are thrown into a room and told to make a noise until they decide they have enough material for an album. While drummer Andrew Kim sound as if he would be happier in a grindcore act, and bassist Dmitry “Dimon” Kuzovlev (who also provides vocals) knows what he is doing, I am not sure the same can be said about Roman “Karandash” Karandaev (trumpet, vocals), Ivan “Vanish” Khvorostukhin (horn, congas, vocals) and Violetta Postnova (vocals). They sound as if they are in pain a lot of the time, so I wonder if they were listening to playback while performing, as that would make sense, as while I made my way through this a couple of times, I imagine a few seconds would be enough for most people. Possibly the idea is for it to be played as a torture device? Released in 2019, I do not think I will e...

(76:25; Fruits de Mer Records) Sendelica have created a mighty reputation over the years with their highly improvised albums which create wonderful soundscapes, but when they started working on this in 2019, they decided to undertake a different approach, with just the members of the band being involved, Pete Bingham (guitars and noises), Colin Consterdine (beats, keyboards, electronics), Lee Relfe (sax) and Glenda Pescado (bass). Gone were the weekend sessions and instead they worked together to create something special, which then continued through the lockdowns of 2020, with everyone working remotely. The result was a double album, which as normal has already sold out from the label but may be available through other outlets, and is 76 minutes long, with Elfin Bow guesting on “Seren Golawr”. As with their other albums, this is music which enfolds the listener, wrapping around them so that nothing else exists, the world is the music, and the music is the world. The keyboards are ofte...

(74:18; Burning Shed) Formed in 1986 from the ashes of Liverpool-based post-punk band A Better Mousetrap and Warrington art rockers After The Stranger, Plenty was a group that featured singer Tim Bowness immediately prior to him joining up with multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson to form No-man. Hearing this, one can immediately see where No-man came from as they are heavily influenced by The Blue Nile, Japan (in particular), Talk Talk, David Bowie, Eno, and Peter Gabriel, all with Tim’s vocals at the very heart of everything, bringing in the listener while the accompaniment is designed to be sparse and haunting, allowing his voice to shine.  In 2018, Bowness and fellow original Plenty members Brian Hulse and David K Jones reunited to record and release the well-received album ‘It Could Be Home’, but for ‘Enough’ they took a slightly different approach in that the double CD is clearly divided into three different sections. First we have ‘Old’, which is a mini-album consisting of se...

(99:00; Inside Out) NMB is the new name for the Neal Morse Band, but it still features the same people who were involved in ‘The Great Adventure’, namely Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Eric Gillette (guitars, vocals), Bill Hubauer (keyboards, vocals), Randy George (bass), and Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals). It is not a follow-on to either that album or the one which preceded it, but instead this time around we have a series of unconnected songs, many of which started with Bill and Randy as opposed to coming direct from Neal. I am not sure if that is the reason why, but it definitely took me longer to get inside this album compared to many of Neal’s other works, and given I am such a huge fan that was something of a surprise to me. In fact, it was only when I started to get to the end of the first play with the two lengthy tracks which make up the second CD that it all started to gel, but when I then returned to the beginning I was right in from the off. It is hard to know where...

(63:44; Mick Paul) Bassist Mick Paul has long been a member of the David Cross Band, and it is no surprise to see that in this solo album he has brought in a lot of friends such as Cross (1 track), David Jackson (1 track), Craig Blundell (2) and assorted other guests including the original keyboard player from David Cross Band, Sheila Maloney. Apparently, during the recording of the album ‘Another Day’ in 2015, with David Cross, David Jackson, and Craig Blundell he found there was a lot of material which felt more cohesive as a solo project rather than as band ideas, and this 2021 release is the result. That he is a wonderfully fluid bassist is never in doubt, and of course the musicianship of everyone involved is exemplary, but it is let down by the material and the vocals of Jinian Wilde. This is middle of the road prog which is just boring, and the vocals have little passion or emotion which means the result feels very flat indeed and as soon as a song finishes it is completely forg...

(29:17; Karnel & Gerchambeau) Track list: 1. Selinofilimeni 10:16 2. Nachtseelen 9:08 3. Nat og Dag 9:53 Line-up: Frederic Gerchambeau - synthesizers Bruno Karnel - vocals, guitars, saz, charango, keyboards, recordings with: Polina Faustova - cello Prolusion. French composer and artists Frédéric Gerchambeau and Bruno Karnel are a collaborative duo that started working together just a few years back, with the initial result of that collaboration being the album "Amra" in 2019. This year the twosome returns with the mini-album "N + 8", which was self-released in the early summer of 2022. Analysis. The music on this album is one that perhaps falls a bit outside of the borders of many different types of music, and as such placing inside a progressive rock appears to be both the best overall choice and the most logical one too. After all, progressive rock is about breaking conventions, and this production would appear to fit that description quite nicely. With the sy...

(36:48; Nerissa Schwarz) Track list: 1. Making Plans in the Dark 3:22 2. On Blackout Avenue 5:00 3. Olimpia's Rage 1:46 4. Memories of Being Made 4:46 5. Raised Like a Daughter 5:09 6. My Little Polymath 4:27 7. New Eyes for Laika 5:14 8. Europa Waiting 2:43 9. Making Plans for Departure 4:21 Line-up: Nerissa Schwarz - harp, keyboards, synthesizers with: Andreas Hack - keyboards Prolusion. German artist Nerissa Schwarz has been a member of German progressive rock band Frequency Drift for more than a decade, and in 2016 she also launched a solo career with the release of the album "Playgrounds Lost". Fast forward a handful of years and Schwarz now has her second solo production out. The album is called "New Eyes for Laika", and was self released by Schwarz in the spring of 2022. Analysis. The style of music explored on this production is probably closer aligned to ambient music than progressive rock as such, although there are structural details as well as instru...

(61:52; Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella) Track list: 1. Nur Ein Spiel 4:54 2. The Beast Is Lurking 4:19 3. Soulmate 5:29 4. Where's My Name 6:36 5. Of Witches and a Pure Heart 9:40 6. Calypso 5:08 7. Red Beard 4:55 8. Ein Stummer Schrei 8:00 9. Das Goldene Königreich (The Virgin Queen) 9:18 10. Wholeheartedly 3:33 Line-up: Melanie Mau - vocals Martin Schnella - guitars, vocals Mathias Ruck - vocals Lars Lehmann - bass Simon Schröder - percussion, bodhrán, drums, vocals with: Jens Kommnick - uilleann pipes, low whistle, tin whistle, cello, guitars, vocals Siobhán Kennedy - vocals Steve Unruh - violin   Prolusion. The German duo consisting of Melanie Mau and Martin Schnella have been releasing material at a steady pace for the past handful of years or thereabouts, with cover albums as well as productions focusing on original material being a part of their repertoire. Earlier this year the twosome was ready with their latest production exploring their own creative powers. The album ...

(60:00; Inside Out) This year I am making a determined effort to finally get on top of my outstanding reviews, and a large part of that is cutting back on the material I accept. So, when I was offered the new Ryo Okomuto album, I did have to think twice about it, as while I was not a fan of his last solo album, I have always been a devout Spock’s Beard nut and have loved his work with them. In the end I decided to give it a try as it had been 20 years since ‘Coming Through’, and it was only after I had played it that I read the press release to read more about the gem I had uncovered. It all started when Ryo saw a band called I am the Manic Whale and was impressed by their lead singer/bassist Michael Whiteman, so he contacted him to see if he would be interested in being a collaborator/songwriter for his next solo album and they were soon swapping song ideas. But who would play on the final release? Ryo pulled in his Spock’s Beard bandmates to bookend the album, with Nick and Ted shari...

(57:22; Random Axe) It has been four years since Zan Burnham and the band released ‘It’s Only Natural’, and they are back with another collection of pop numbers which sees them pay homage to Todd Rundgren, David Byrne and classic 10CC while bringing in rock, power pop and even prog (I mean, any album which features theremin must have prog in their somewhere, right?) to create something which at times is very experimental and others straight commercial. The concept is simple in some ways, as the rhythm section of Saadi Zain (fingered electric and acoustic bass) and Marko Djordjevic (drums and percussion) lay the bedrock for Zan to then place his guitars, picked bass, percussion and theremin, and then he and the three other singers (Angela Watson Modeste, Zan’s daughter Arianna, and Philip Dessinger). Since the last album Zan’s wife Marilyn Lisa Feldman died, and this is dedicated to her. Zan has a way of crafting wonderful songs and arrangements which really do cut across a myriad of st...

(41:10; R.A.I.G.) What we have here is IWKC’s 2012 debut album, which when released on R.A.I.G Records also contained three bonus tracks which were originally taken from their 2010 ‘Best Days’ EP. Although the CD itself is no longer available, both ‘Urban Fears’ and ‘Best Days’ are available through Bandcamp. I have previously reviewed their third and fourth albums, so it is interesting to go back in time. Formed by brothers Nick Samarin (keyboards, guitars) and Nik Samarin (drums, electronics, design), by the time of the album release they also included Andrei Silin (keyboards, electronics), Alexander Ivanov (bass), Artem Litvakovsky (cello) and guest violinist Anastasiya Narochnaya. This is instrumental post rock, which is majestic in its style, with the strings adding wonderful depth. There is a grace and tranquillity, yet also a great feeling of mass and it makes me think of a decadent luxurious ocean liner cutting through the waves.  There is no rush, but rather a knowledge th...

(55:34; R.A.I.G.) Their second album, ‘Before We Disappear’, came out at the beginning of 2013, and is the only one of the four to have I Will Kill Chita as the band name instead of IWKC. The band line-up was the same as the previous year, but while the quintet had again brought violinist Anastasiya Narochnaya back as a guest, they added another two string players, three brass instrumentalists and an additional keyboard player. These instruments are all integral on an album which still contains post rock elements but is also moving into modern classical with complex arrangements which sees them form a hybrid of a rock group and a chamber orchestra. The rhythm section of drummer Nikita Samarin and bassist Alex Ivanov are incredibly important in this new setting as one sets up the rhythmic cut through while the other provides the foundation, often controlling the melody as the other layers are placed on top. The result is something which to my ears is the most complex and complete of all...

(18:23; [addicted label] ) Following on from their third album, 2015’s ‘Evil Bear Boris’, IWKC again took a melodic shift with the 2016 4-track EP ‘Cargo Cult’. By now the core band had dropped to a quartet of Nikita Samarin (drums), Nick Samarin (guitars, keyboards), Andrew Silin (keyboards) with Artem Litvakoskiy now adding bass to his cello duties. However, the additional instrumentation and high use of strings they had utilised previously had now fallen away and the only additional guests this time were singer Roman Karandaev (on one song) and Ramil Mulikov (trumpet, trombone). The band has moved away from their post rock and orchestral styles into something where 80’s-style keyboards have a far more prominent role. The bass is often the most important aspect, as we move into more experimental areas which also brings in elements of pop, and the result is something which does not have the gravitas or solemnity of their earlier releases. It feels way more lighthearted, almost as if i...

(17:46; [addicted label] ) I don’t know why, but there have been times when IWKC have played as Evil Bear Boris instead of IWKC, while the third IWKC album is called ‘Evil Bear Boris’ although the track of that name does not appear on the album but does appear on this 2013 3-track EP. Confused yet? The core quartet are still Nick Samarin (bass), Nikita Samarin (drums), Andrew Silin (keyboards) and Artem Litvakovsky (cello) alongside various musical guests and a choir (I must confess to not often seeing “chainsaw” listed as an instrument). It would be easy to surmise that they perform music under a different name so as not to confuse their audience when they perform music which is outside their usual area but given they have changed so much over the years I am not sure of the need. Here the band is much more in your face, far more art rock than post rock, with the bass being the most important instrument. There are times when they bring in the older styles, especially on closer “Geheimn...

(56:04; Inside Out) Before I wrote this review, I looked back at what I had said about 2019’s ‘Pitfalls’, then wondered if I should just copy and paste the same words and see if anyone noticed, as pretty much everything I said back then fits in with this 2021 album. There is no doubt that Einar Solberg is an incredible singer, with an effortless falsetto which is clean and pure, but the band who once produced modern prog metal have long since disappeared. Actually, they have, as apart from Einar, only Tor Oddmund Suhrke (guitars) is still there from the line-up which produced ‘Coal’ in 2013, which in all fairness was their last strong release, at least to my mind. Leprous have done a Marillion on us, so that the music is now very much a vehicle for wonderful vocals, as opposed to being a collected whole. Aside from the vocals, the music is often quite mundane, and middle of the road as opposed to being the driving force it used to be. There is nothing dramatic and exciting here anymore...

(16:52; Silver Hunter) Here we have the latest EP from Anglo-French outfit Silver Hunter who comprise Tim Hunter (guitars, synthesiser, keyboards, sequencing, drums, alto sax, lead vocals) and Thierry Sportouche (lead vocals, spoken words) with Jasmine Isa Butterworth returning to provide backing vocals again. This four-track 17-minute-long EP features two tracks with lead vocals from Thierry, one with Tim (spoken words from Thierry) as well as a short instrumental arrangement of Ravel’s “Bolero”. Since their formation some nine years ago I think I have heard all their releases, and there is no doubt in my mind that this is their most complete and interesting to date. Reminiscent of the early 70’s art rock scene, this is not as mainstream as much prog, but instead is out of left field, and does require some playing to fully get the most out of, but by the third time through I found I was really enjoying it as there is something in this rough naivety which is appealing. They have allowe...

(40:45; Meritorio Records) Firstly, this is an album which must be played on headphones as otherwise much of it will be lost, and secondly here we have music which is going to challenge a lot of what people expect from that term. However, of the many words used to describe my musical tastes (my children say it is weird, while I would rather use the term broad minded), conservative is not one of them and for me this is a delight. It sounds like an artist who has a blank canvas and then is using different mediums to build up a picture, but while it is textural there is also a great deal left untouched so that each individual element has a greater impact. Ben’s vocals are deliberately atonal, yet at the same time he is gently crooning the lyrics, so there is the contrast between the style and the tone, while at times there can be delicate female vocals which are wistful and delicate, accentuating the strangeness of his voice. Nothing is off limits, so Speaking Belt has a bowed double bass...

(33:07; [addicted label] ) There are times when one is sent an album, after it is played the only reaction is “how on earth am I going to describe that?”. The Grand Astoria are a Russian band who describe their music as “Psychedelic jam rock having sex with heavy metal”. Not too sure about the sex or metal, but add in blues, punk, Mars Volta, Pink Floyd, 90’s neo-prog with 70’s King Crimson and VDGG plus a warped sense of humour then you might just get close. Looking at their Bandcamp page reveals more than 30 releases, the vast majority of which are full albums, so these guys are nothing if not prolific, and they have released another studio album since this one came out in 2020. There is an energy and enthusiasm in this which is infectious, and unlike many releases on this label, many of the lyrics are in English which makes it more approachable for some (the language never bothers me). At times they sound like they are going to Americana with picked guitar but then they shoot off at...

(106:00; Frontiers Music) If Alan Parsons had never performed, he would still be highly acclaimed in the music world for his work on both ‘Abbey Road’ and ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, yet with Eric Woolfson he created Alan Parsons Project whose early albums are wonderful. After Woolfson left, he changed the name of releases just to Alan Parsons and put out three albums in the Nineties and another in 2004. There was then a long gap, but over the last few years there has been a flurry of activity with a new album, ‘The Secret’, in 2019 as well as a new one in 2022, ‘From The New World’, and some touring which has resulted in at least two live albums. The first of them is this one, which was recorded live on May 5th, 2019, and showcases the performance of the Alan Parsons Live Project at the Tivoli in Utrecht, Netherlands. To me, Alan’s works have always been less of a band and far more of a revolving series of session musicians, some of whom have stayed longer than others, but it worked well...

(99:00, Frontiers Music) On June 4th, 2019, Alan Parsons and his band appeared at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv, which was recorded and has now been made available in multiple formats. Why record a live album just a month on from the last one? Because this time they were performing alongside the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, that’s why. There has been a rather mixed history of bands performing alongside classical musicians, as sometimes it can be truly inspired while at others it can be incredibly flat with both sides feeling at odds when working with the other. However, with Alan it makes perfect sense as he aims to reproduce his studio efforts very closely with little room for improvisation or musicians going off at tangents, so in many ways it feels like they are working to a score anyway. The strange thing is that not only does the use of the orchestra add both depth and lightness to the performance, but the band also themselves seem more relaxed than in the other li...

(45:33; Frontiers Music) The latest album from Alan Parsons features most of his band plus assorted guests such as guitarist and singer Joe Bonamassa, Tommy Shaw of Styx, vocalist David Pack (Ambrosia), and vocalist James Durbin. This means we have nine lead singers across the 11 songs, and Bonamassa adds a guitar solo on a couple of the tracks. The burning question about this album can be boiled down to just one word, “Why?”. This is solid middle of the road stuff with no songs which can be said to be any more than that although a couple towards the end are even worse. Of course, it has been produced within an inch of its life, and of course the vocals are great throughout, but there is virtually nothing here to get anyone excited. I have been a fan of Alan’s work since I first came across ‘Tales Of Mystery And Imagination’ not long after it had been released. I was still at school then and was fully enamoured by the complexity of the arrangements and how it all fitted together. But, ...