Het Pandorra Ensemble - 1978 - III [mini-review]

(148:47; Modulus Records [2023 Edition] )



















Dutch band Het Pandorra Ensemble released the album "III" back in 1978, and this year this album has been reissued with an extensive number of bonus tracks added, expanding this single album production to a double album release in this latest iteration. Instrumental progressive rock with a solid 70's sound is what we get here, more often than not improvised in nature, and with material that cover a fairly wide range inside of the progressive rock universe. Elegant, flowing and pastoral creations closer to classic era Camel represents one extreme here, while on the other side we get disruptive, chaotic creations that in style and execution comes across as closer to free form jazz. In between we get gentle cosmic tinged excursions, quirky progressive rock with jazz undercurrents closer in sound and style to classic era Gentle Giant and also a few trips into landscapes with a bit more of a Krautrock orientation. With a few possible nods to both a band like Focus and towards improvised space rock and psychedelic rock as a part of the package. An album to seek out by those who tend to find 70's progressive rock in general to be fascinating, and especially the bands that explored this style in that era with a creative, liberal and widespread glee.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, October 2023

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