Ancient Veil - 2023 - Puer Aeternus [mini-review]

(54:53; Ma.Ra.Cash Records)



















Italian band Ancient Veil are out with the album "Puer Aeternus", and progressive rock is the style that is explored on this production. It is a romantic and retro-oriented variety of the tradition we get on this album. The inclusion of folk music elements is a defining aspect of this creation, with a multitude of pastoral songs and sequences as a recurring element throughout where the acoustic guitar and the flute are key components. More expressive side steps into jazzrock is a part of the experience too, and various string instruments adds an orchestral touch to many songs with a little bit of a flirt with chamber music added for good measure. Those fond of classic era symphonic progressive rock gets to enjoy some fine excursions where the electric guitar is combined with organ or vintage sounding keyboards in rich and tasteful arrangements, and many songs will of course mix and blend the different elements already described in different manners too. An elegant, sophisticated and well made example of classic era progressive rock, and an album that should be of particular interest for those who enjoy this tradition of progressive rock that is explored with an emphasis on the folk music elements.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, November 2023

Links:
http://www.ancientveil.it/
https://www.facebook.com/MaRaCashRecords/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Deaton Lemay Project - 2022 - The Fifth Element

Image
(63:04; Deaton Lemay Project) Track list: 1. The Great Awakening 5:32 2. A Different Place in Time 7:24 3. Dragonfly 3:35 4. The Nightmare 4:28 5. Exordium 6:24 - Elements of Life Suite 6. Overture 4:43 7. Fire 6:10 8. Water 6:11 9. Air 4:19 10. Earth 6:53 11. Music 7:25 Line-up: Roby Deaton - keyboards, guitars, vocals Craig LeMay - drums, percussion with: Hadi Kiani - vocals Ehsan Imani - guitars Josh Mark Raj - guitars John Haddad - bass Charles Berthoud - bass Liza Evans - violin Prolusion. US band DEATON LEMAY PROJECT started out officially back in 2018, following a 25 year long period of gestation. They released their debut album "Day After Yesterday" in 2019, and following what I suspect has been a rather busy planning and recording period during the years of the pandemic the creative twosome of Deaton and Lemay are back with their second album "The Fifth Element" at the start of 2022. Analysis. While the fifth element apparently used to be defined as aether ...
Read more

Thirteen of Everything - 2023 - Time and Other Delusions

Image
(68:22; Basement Avatar Records) Track list: 1. Timeline 8:57 2. Alternate Life 12:02 3. Where the Time Goes 5:32 4. The Penultimate Flight of Armando the Pigeon 7:11 5. The King of Istanbul 10:35 6. Warmth and Darkness 7:32 7. Count All the Days 16.33 Line-up: Brett Cosby - guitars Mick Peters - Chapman stick, bass, pedals, vocals Ted Thomas - drums, percussion, vocals Bob Villwock - keyboards with: Thad Miller - keyboards Prolusion. US band Thirteen of Everything has been a going concern for a bit over 20 years, releasing their initial demo back in 2002 with official albums following in 2005 and 2019 respectively. Following what has been a brief pause between albums for this band they are now preparing to launch their third studio album "Time and Other Delusions", which will be released on US label Basement Avatar Records. Analysis. In terms of the different variations one can find in the progressive rock universe, Thirteen of Everything resides safely inside the symphonic ...
Read more

Highproject - 2022 - Beyond the Veil, People Stand Silent. Trusted and in Their Prime

Image
(45:14; JackHill Records) Track list: 1. 1000 People 8:48 2. Trust in Me 9:38 3. Prime Time 6:18 4. Rhyader Goes to Town 5:44 5. Silent Treatment 6:58 6. Veil 7:48 Line-up: Anders Altzarfeldt - organ, keyboards Stefan Andersson - bass Bjarne Forsbom - guitars Mikale Grönroos - drums, percussion Robert Johansson Lind - vocals, guitars, percussion with: Lovisa Pingani - vocals, percussion Prolusion. Swedish band Highproject showed its first signs of life as a venture, at least on the internet, all the way back in 2014. A lot of work appears to have been done more in silence since then, before activities started to become more visible to the outside world from 2021 and onwards. In the fall of 2022 the band released their debut album "Beyond the Veil, People Stand Silent. Trusted and in Their Prime" through the label JackHill Records, which I presume is the band's own label. Analysis. Progressive rock is the realm explored by this band, and they appear to have more of a retro...
Read more