(62:00; Inside Out Music) Haken have rightfully made quite a name for themselves over the years, and what is particularly interesting to me with this one is just how varied it is in its outlook, which is both a blessing and a curse. The line-up has been pretty stable over the years, but here we find the departure of keyboard player Diego Tejeida, who had played on all the albums to date, but he has been replaced by the man he himself replaced, founding keyboard player Peter Jones. There is the impression that the band decided from the off to have no rules, and the result is a wonderfully chaotic release which brings in multiple versions of modern neo prog, and while they do occasionally grab a nod back to Gentle Giant, for the most part their influences are far more recent, encompassing styles such as mathcore, djent and fusion as well as other styles which to my ears do not work quite as well. There are some moments when they stay too long with some modern pop and dance themes, and I ...

(44:35; Masters of Art) A few years ago I was introduced to the wonderful Judge Smith, who will always be regarded highly by progheads for being co-founder of Van der Graaf Generator. Since then we have kept in touch and here we have his latest studio album, which somewhat remarkably is his seventeenth. As well as being a well-known musician and songwriter in his own right, he has also collaborated with many others, especially with those in the theatre, and this is how he and pianist Robert Pettigrew first started working together more than 45 years ago. This album feels as if it has come to us from the theatre as it very much has that musical style, with Judge providing his wonderful insights and way of looking at the world being supported Robert’s delightful and complex piano accompaniment and backing vocals. The rear cover shows Robert sat at a grand piano and Judge on a high stool in the curve, and one can certainly imagine them on a stage performing just like that. Judge still has...

(70:00; A&O Records) This is the second album from the duo of Manuel Schmid (vocals, keyboards), and Marek Arnold (keyboards, programming, saxophone, vocals). I have been following Marek’s career for some years now through bands such as SSTTGD, Toxic Smile and others, and it is safe to say I am a huge fan of much of what he does as he brings his keyboard and saxophone skills to play in songs which invariably are highly commercial and so much fun to listen to. Marek was also a founder of Cyril, which were built out of Gabria, and I smiled when I realised that Denis Strassburg (bass), Ralf Dietsch (guitars), and Clemens Litschko (drums) were all here as guests. It even includes current Cyril drummer Manuel Humpf, while Manuel joined that band in time for their last album, ‘Amenti's Coin - Secret Place Pt. II’, meaning only Larry Brödel is missing so perhaps it of little surprise that Marek informs me they have played some of these songs with Cyril. This album contains many elemen...

(57:47; Black Widow Records) Way back when no-one in the right mind was trying to promote prog in the UK, I was beavering away running ‘Feedback’, and one of the labels who sent me everything they released was Cyclops Records. They were behind a great deal of British bands in particular, later spreading their wings into Europe and America, and one of the artists they sent me was Steve Hillman (guitars, keyboards, synths). I reviewed three of his releases, ‘Matrix’, ‘Riding The Storm’ and ‘Convergence’, but had not come across him for more than 20 years until now. Back in 2016 he met Nik Turner (vocals, saxophone, flute), and they discussed working on an album together. Given that Steve had already written enough material he decided to pull together a band to record this with Nik being the frontman, so he asked two of his bandmates from Ra Rising, drummer Dai Rees and bassist Rob Andrews, to complete the line-up. They also brought in some well-known guests including Angel Flame (dancer ...

(‎75:39; Toff Records) OK, so let’s get the basic information out of the way first. Back in 1993 Pendragon released a compilation called ‘The Rest of Pendragon’, which was a way of bringing together songs which may have been a little more difficult for new fans to find. The first seven were taken from the ‘Saved By You’ and ‘Red Shoes’ EP’s and that is the same here. The difference between this and the earlier album is we then get the songs taken from other tidy up collections, 1994’s ‘Fallen Dreams and Angels’ and 1996’s ‘As Good As Gold’. I already have all these sat on my shelves, as well as plenty of Mob Mag magazines, and interviewed Nick a few times back then as well. Pendragon have changed styles over the years, even though their line-up has been incredibly static (okay, they have been through a few drummers in the last 15 years or so) with Nick and Peter there from the very beginning and Clive joining in 1986. I am not sure if I love the music on this album as it is just so bri...

(44:46; Purple Pyramid) Over the years Billy Sherwood has enjoyed setting up multiple projects, often to record new versions of well-known songs, but a few years back he started Prog Collective, and this is fifth album under that banner, and the first to feature all-new material since 2013’s ‘Epilogue’ . While Billy provides bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals and drums, he also has one or two guests involved as well. Ready? Jordan Rudess, Sonja Kristina, Chester Thompson, James LaBrie, Chad Wackerman, Patrick Moraz, Roine Stolt, Marco Minnemann, Steve Stevens, Steve Morse, David Sancious, Jon Davison, Steve Hillage, Virgil Donati, Graham Bonnet, L Shankar, Todd Sucherman, Geoff Downes, and Frank DiMino. A few of these do play on two tracks, but for the most part these guests only plan on one, so it is not as if we have Steve Hillage displaying his wonderful guitar throughout, and those expecting a major collaboration between Billy and his Yes-colleague Jon will also only find one song on ...

(49:41; Giant Electric Pea) Rain are back with their second album, one which I and many other progheads have been eagerly awaiting given the depth of their 2020 debut, ‘Singularity’. Formed by ex-IQ and ex-Frost* bandmates John Jowitt (bass) and Andy Edwards (drums), they were joined by Rob Groucott, (son of ELO bassist Kelly) on vocals and keyboards along with Mirron Webb (Hey Jester) on guitar and vocals. Although the debut was recorded under lockdown conditions, ‘Radio Silence’ was written through collaboration, with many of the backing tracks recorded live at Mark Westwood’s state of the art studio in Worcestershire. One can certainly hear the way John and Andy have locked in together in a way which only happens through many hours of sharing both stage and studio, and it is this platform which allows Rob and Mirron to really shine. There is a liveliness and real life about this recording which is fresh and exciting, with a vibrancy from a band who sit happily within the crossover s...

(45:04; Gentle Art of Music) For 25 years now, Yogi Lang (vocals, keyboards) and Kalle Wallner (guitars) have been steering the good ship RPWL as they continue to follow their own path on the seas of prog, and while drummer Marc Turiaux has been there since 2008 there has been another line-up change since 2019’s ‘Tales From Outer Space’ with the departure of keyboard player Markus Jehle and the arrival of bassist Markus Grützner. However, for many (me included), RPWL have long been about Yogi and Kalle, the L and W of the name. Yogi’s vocals are clear and melodic, always in total control in unaccented English while with Kalle he has a wonderful songwriting relationship. Again they have chosen a theme for an album, as opposed to being a full-blown concept, this time delving into the dark side. Take for example the love song which is “Red Rose”. At first hearing it sounds pleasant enough, then one realises something isn’t quite right, with the lyrics “All my help appeared to fail, But do...

(60:00; Shepherds of Cassini) A while back I was at a gig at Dead Witch and watching the soundcheck when I realised, I recognised one of the musicians, Felix Lun. I had not seen Felix in years, as I had seen Shepherds of Cassini a few times back in the day but was aware they were no longer active. He was only guesting that night, but it turned out that he and drummer Omar Al-Hashimi were in a new and very different band called Star Control, so I went long and reviewed them when I could as well. I was back at Dead Witch a while later and Omar came up to me and said he was pleased I was there as he wanted to give me something, namely a CD of their second album, 2015’s ‘Helios Forsaken’. I was very pleased as I was sure I only had the download, but it has taken until recently for me to realise that not only did I not have that but had not actually heard the album and had never reviewed it. 2015 was the year we left Auckland for Canterbury, so am sure that must be the reason, but am determ...

(42:49; Progressive Promotion Records) This is the third album since Luxembourg’s No Name reformed as TNNE (The No Name Experience), and it has taken six years since ‘Wonderland’, as yet again there has been a change in guitarist with the departure of Claudio Cordero (Cast), although in fairness, Cédric Gilis did play on two numbers on the last album, while there is also a new bassist in Stéphane Rosset. This is a concept album where singer Patrick Kiefer has based the lyrics on the book ‘Otherland’ by Tad Williams, with all music by keyboard player Alex Rukavina (the line-up is completed by drummer Gilles Wagner). Kiefer and Rukavina have been there since the very beginning, strange to think their debut album, ‘Zodiac’ is now 30 years old. This is solid neo prog, bringing in some other elements here and there, but allowing the guitar to rock when it needs to while rarely moving firmly into prog metal, although there are some elements of it here and there. It is complex and complicated...

(169:00; Inside Out Music) When Transatlantic first came together I don’t believe any proghead could believe it, as here we had four musicians taken from some of the most important prog bands around, coming together for the sheer joy of combining their talents. The first two albums came quickly (more than 20 years ago), but for multiple reasons the rest of the albums came more slowly and then after a seven-year gap they returned in 2021 with ‘The Absolute Universe’. This came in two alternate formats; an abridged 64-minute record known as ‘The Breath Of Life’, and a companion piece entitled ‘Forevermore’ that added a further four songs, clocking in at 90 minutes (I personally prefer the longer version). Though the foundations of both were shared, each format featured lyrics and music independent of the other, and then when they played it in concert, they changed it yet again so now we have a 96-minute arrangement known as ‘The Ultimate Edition’. Of course, they could not just be expect...

(112:00 [DVD/Blu-Ray] / 109:34 [CD]; Melodic Revolution Records) When violinist/singer Joe Deninzon was teaching at The New School in New York he came across Alex Skolnick (yes, THAT Alex Skolnick) who was on one of his breaks from Testament and was studying jazz guitar, and together they recorded an album and formed a band called Stratospheerius. The band has been through a few line-up changes over the years, but recently can be found with Joe alongside drummer Jason Gianni, bassist Paul Ranieri and guitarist Michelangelo Quirinale. This four-disc set from Melodic Revolution Records captures two different Progstock concerts, from 2019 and 2021 and includes a CD of each, alongside a DVD and blu-ray, presented nicely with a small booklet. To write the review I am listening to the audio but must confess I have been mostly watching the concerts on TV as the multi-camera recording has fully captured a band who are very much in their element, bouncing off each other and having a great time....

(66:00, Twombley Burwash) Back in 2014 father and son team Kevin and Bruce McDade brought together some musicians and released their debut album, ‘Grak’. This in turn was brought to the attention of the Crossover team at ProgArchives and in 2015 we duly passed them for inclusion on PA and I contacted them to get a biography etc. Fast forward to 2023 and I heard from Kevin to tell me they had just released their second album, with the title a nod to their debut. I must confess I do not know who plays on this release, but the last time around Kevin provided the vocals and he and Bruce most of the instrumentation while they did have a few guests, most notably Gareth Roberts on drums. Given a drummer who really knows what they were doing, but I can’t say if Gareth returned or if it is someone else. This is a very English album in so many ways, with music which is wonderfully complex yet also somehow somewhat simplistic, which fits in well with the vocals which are not at the same level. I ...

( Grupo Editorial Círculo Rojo SL) When it comes to books on progressive rock then I probably have more than the average punter. I own multiple band biographies, have contributed to a couple, and have plenty of books on the wider scene itself (including all three editions of ‘The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock’), and have just compiled my fifth book of my own writings, but I must admit the concept behind this one is new to me, and absolutely fascinating. Published in 2019, and available in both English and Spanish, Gerard works through the progressive scene telling its story through the instruments used, who by, with a vast number of photos and even diagrams detailing how certain instruments operated. Keyboards went under the biggest change during the Golden Age of prog, which is why that particular chapter is by far the largest, but he ensures he covers all areas. Somewhat interestingly he also at times focuses in on instruments which are associated with just one musician...

(37:38; Webb) Track list: 1. You're Going Down 3:32 2. Spread Your Wings 4:11 3. Hate 4:09 4. Keep Fighting 4:00 5. Can't Break Me 4:11 6. Nights in White Satin 5:56 7. Hope 4:10 8. Don't Ask Why 4:10 9. Stay Alive 3:19 Line-up: Ryan Webb - guitars, vocals Luca Massidda - bass Nigel Powell - drums Prolusion. UK band Webb appears to have grown out of the solo career of Ryan Webb, with the band's Bandcamp page showing various releases of Ryan Webb dating back to 2016 prior to seguing over to creations released using the Webb moniker instead. With the band's current formation dating back to the end of 2021, one might suspect that this is also the time when this venture transformed from a solo project into a band venture. "Deadly Sins And Virtues" is the band's debut album, and was self released in the summer of 2023. Analysis. In terms of style and orientation, there's no doubt that this is a metal band. This is a heavy metal production through and th...

(53:11, Inside Out Music) It has been five years since the last album, 2018’s ‘Wasteland’, which was recorded as a trio with some guests, following on from the death of guitarist Piotr Grudziński. They are now back as a full quartet with Mariusz Duda (vocals, basses, electric and acoustic guitars), Piotr Kozieradzki (drums), and Michał Łapaj (keyboards and synthesizers, Rhodes piano and Hammond organ) being officially joined by touring 7There is no doubt that Duda has a fine voice, but the issue with this album is the lack of soul and power and the way the production has sanitised any roughness or power out of existence. My initial thoughts on hearing this was just how much they reminded me of Marillion, not in the musical style but the way the singer had now ripped the passion out of the band and all the focus was now on him. A Polish friend gave me the debut album not long after it was released (can that really be 20 years ago now?), and while I never put them into the same brackets ...

(46:15; Apollon Records) According to Google Translate, the title of this album means ‘Very Cosmic, Very Prog’, which probably tells you all you really need to know about it. Ketil Vestrum Einarsen (flute, clarinet, electric piano, synths, sampler, guitar, programming) has been a mainstay of the Norwegian prog scene for some considerable time, most notably with White Willow, and he decided he wanted to bring together a band to produce music which was inspired by his love of Krautrock. There are just four songs on this 47-minute-long album, two of which are by the trio of Einarsen, Gaute Storsve (guitar, bass) and Mattias Olsson (drums, percussion, sitar) with different people joining for one track and plenty of brass for the other. I am not fully convinced this is Krautrock as many would think of it, as there is also some RIO going on in here at times as well, but there is no doubt this instrumental release is trying to bring new flavours and influences into a style that is now some 50...

(64:28; FTF-Music) Eric Bouillette was a multi-instrumentalist best known for Imaginaerium (his project with Clive Nolan and Laura Piazzai), Nine Skies, Nova Cascade, Drifting Sun, Solace Supplice, The Room and others. He lost his battle with cancer last year, which unsurprisingly led to a large number of his friends and bandmates wishing to mark his passing. This is the first of two albums (the second was released last month) and is subtitled ‘Tribute To Eric Bouillette - Vol I’. I never spoke with Eric, and only know him through his music, but there is no doubt he was a very fine musician indeed, and from the outpouring of grief it is obvious he was very highly regarded as a person as well. I have not come across many tribute albums like this with the prog scene, and the one which springs immediately to mind is ‘Mannerisms’, which was recorded after the death of Geoff Mann (again from cancer). That album, which has been released a few times, featured songs of Geoff’s from throughout ...

(53:32; Century Media) Voivod have consistently been one of the most interesting bands to come out of the thrash scene and these days they are warmly embraced by progheads as they are who are way more into metal. There have been quite a few line-up changes over the years, with drummer Michel "Away" Langevin the only constant, but co-founder and singer, Denis "Snake" Bélanger, returned more than 20 years ago while the current line-up has been incredibly stable for the last nine years with Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (guitars) and Dominic "Rocky" Laroche (bass). To celebrate their fortieth anniversary the band selected songs from the first half of their career, going all the way back to 1984, and re-recorded them with the current line-up along the new title cut. In a nice touch they also invited back past members Eric "E-Force" Forrest (vocals, bass) and Jason "Jasonic" Newsted (bass) to play on the song they each originally recorde...

(58:44; Band of Rain) There have been some more changes in the Band of Rain camp since 2020's 'Petrichor', which in itself, had seen some major moves. Chris Gill is still there of course, on guitars and keyboards, as is Jon Camp (Renaissance) on bass, but while Robert Webb (England) is still on keyboards, he has also now taken on the role of lead vocals as Matthew Corry is no longer involved and we have a new drummer in Zsolt Galantai and Michael Steinbacher has joined to provide saxophones and flute. I have followed Chris's career all the way from 2004's 'Deep Space' and is strange to hear him taking such a backseat in a band which was originally a vehicle just for his multi-instrumental talents. Jon's fretless bass is very much a key component of the overall sound, and it is his versatility which provides much of the melodic lead, while the vocals also have a hugely important part to play in a band which is now much more firmly into psychedelic prog or...

(75:35; Music Force) Track list: 1. Eight Seconds of Fame 4:44 2. The Art of Decluttering 4:42 3. Planetesimals 5:39 4. Axis Mundi 4:53 5. Sequeri 4:25 6. Wind 4:12 7. Dear Me! (Sweet Philly) 3:39 8. The Skyline 3:59 9. Life After Life 5:27 10. Whales Weep Not! 2:39 11. Cockles of My Heart 4:36 12. Otherness 3:17 13. Song to Grace 4:52 14. Shadows: My Soul 4:18 15. To Bacharach 3:23 16. I'm Older Than I (with No Younger of the Two) 4:44 17. Crickets (for Klaus) 6:06 Line-up: Davide Riccio - vocals, instruments Prolusion. Italian artist Davide Riccio is a veteran of the Italian culture scene, with a plethora of works to his name as a writer, musician, composer, director and journalist, with a career that goes back to the 1990's. He has been releasing solo albums using the moniker DeaR for the better part of fifteen years, in addition to being a member of different bands over the years and participating in a number of different collaborations. "Dear Me!" is the name of ...

(12:37; Melodic Revolution Records) The latest release from Martin Springett nicely demonstrates different aspects of his musical stylings, with both the West Coast and East Coast collaborations on display on his latest single. It contains two songs, with the first demonstrating his working relationship with Norm Macpherson, and this song itself is neatly divided into two different aspects, “Hotel Nostalgia” and “Enigma 1”. Somewhat unusually, Martin does not provide any instrumentation on these two parts, just vocals, and while he provided the lyrics to the first, he has again worked with Stephen Bennett,  as he did on ‘Mr. October And The Moon Of Madness’, who provided the lyrics for the second. The music was co-written with Norm, who orchestrated both parts before then adding guitars, bass and drum programming to the second. The result is a song which contains sumptuous beauty in the first with an orchestral arrangement which is often pastoral, but with a hidden strength which c...