(51:45; Melodic Revolution Records) Multi-instrumentalist and singer Ellsworth Hall started Aethellis as a solo project in 2002, releasing his debut album the following year. He then brought in some other musicians so he could perform the music live, and in 2011 returned to the studio with them to record ‘Northumbria’. This was as a full band, but there have been some changes again since then and now Aethellis comprises just two other musicians, both of whom were involved in that, Mark Van Natta (guitar, vocals, bass, keyboards) and Erik Marks (bass), while Ellsworth provides keyboards, vocals, guitar and drum controller. I must confess this never sounds like a modern album, but instead has its heart very much in the very early Eighties, combining American melodic rock with lightweight progressive so it has a very different feel to what we were hearing in the UK with the likes of Twelfth Night, Marillion, Pallas, Dagaband and others. That is due to it being mostly soft melodic rock wit

(43:54; OOB Records) Residuos Mentales is a studio project from Athens, Greece, formed by  Stratos Morianos (keyboards, synthesisers) and Alexandros Mantas (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, bass)  in 2012. It took until 2018 for their debut album to make an appearance, ‘Introspection’, and now a further five years for the next one. There are a lot of guests on this which turn it into a full band with Dimitris Radis (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass), Yiannis Iliakis (drums, percussion), Leonidas Sarantopoulos (saxophone, flute), George Karayiannis (guitar), Vaggelis Katsarelis (trumpet), and Maria Tseva (wordless vocals). Yes, this is an instrumental prog album (way too few of these around), and in true old school fashion it opens with a dynamic track which is more than 17 minutes in length. Actually, there are only four songs on this 44-minute-long release which gives plenty of time for the band to move and shift.   Here we have instrumental music with real purpose and d

(43:44; OOB Records) My Own Army is an alternative/progressive rock band hailing from Rotterdam, and currently comprise Herman de Kok (vocals, guitar), Sven Spierings (drums, electronics), Ferry Westdijk (bass) and Vincent Hekkert (guitar, backing vocals). They have been around for quite a while, releasing their debut album back in 2014, but it has taken until now for them to return with a follow-up. Apparently, they used to be more grunge based, but these days state they are influenced by A Perfect Circle, Tool, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Wheel, and Porcupine Tree which is certainly quite different to what most prog bands would reference. But MOA are not most prog bands, while Porcupine Tree are an obvious starting point it has definitely been moved more into the grunge and rock area, and I would be interested to see where PA would put them as there are grounds for them to be included in neo, or crossover, or even excluded from the site altogether as they are not “Prog” enough. Giv

(71:00; Jam Records) I did a little bit of a double take when I started playing this album, as while “You’re Amazing” ended the previous album, here it starts this one but performed in a very different manner indeed. This album finds Jeremy (vocals, guitars, bass, drums, piano, mellotron, synths, mandolin, dulcimer, e-bow) being joined by Dave Dietrich (drums), Peter Morris (bass), Matt Willsea (guitar) and Stefan Johansson (guitar) as we find ourselves again in power pop territory but this time with a full band and much more of a rock edge. 13 songs this time, and a much longer running time with 71 minutes, so in many ways this is quite different to the last release with the opener being given a new life altogether. This all comes to a head with the closing track, but I’ll get to that in a minute. What makes Jeremy such an intriguing and interesting artist is his ability to record albums in different genres, with different line-ups, yet somehow make each and every one sound as if it i

(41:20; Jam Records) This 2021 release finds Jeremy (vocals, guitars) being joined by Ken Stringfellow (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, drums) of The Posies in a very pleasant psychedelic and power pop romp through a dozen songs with a total running time of 41 minutes. Included in that is a cover, namely Big Star’s “Thirteen”, which is one of their most well-known and best-loved numbers, but here it fits in very well with the rest of the material and if the listener did not know the classic, they would presume this was yet another Jeremy original. He often conjures up thought of The Byrds, and this album is no different in that respect, although there are plenty of The Beatles here as well. I have no idea how many of his albums I have reviewed over the years, “lots” is the best I can come up with without tracking through every bit of writing to date, yet it is rare for me to not enjoy what I am listening to and again that is the case here. It would be very easy to equate such a large

(52:50; Cuneiform Records) I always get excited when a promo arrives from Cuneiform as I know my musical experience is going to be somewhat expanded, and that is definitely what happened here. IKP is Itoken (Kenji Ito, Harpy, etc.) Klimperei (Christophe Petchanatz, etc.) and Frank Pahl (Little Bang Theory, Scavenger Quartet, etc). Kenji answers to Itoken, Christophe answers to Klimperei and Frank answers to Frank because he’s never adopted a cool stage name. Individually they have collaborated with a wide range of musicians including Otomo Yoshihide, Tadahiko Yokogawa, Eugene Chadbourne, Amy Denio, Pierre Bastien, David Fenech, Shugo Tokumaru, Ferdinand Richard, Luc Houtkamp, Nick Didkovsky, Daevid Allen, Grimo, Harpy, Anthony Moore, Only a Mother, Shaking Ray Levis, Voxfazer, Madame Patate, Brian Poole, etc. Itoken and Frank have collaborated on and off for more than 20 years, while Frank and Christophe have released albums together (albeit they have never been in the same room at the

(83:33; Liberation Hall) In 2017 Rockbeat Records gained permission to release this radio recording of 3 in concert at The Ritz in New York City, NY on April 14th, 1988. It was this recording which caused Keith Emerson to rethink his views on the band, contact Robert Berry, and for them to start collaborating again on songs which would appear on ‘3.2 – The Rules Have Changed’. Towards the end of 2023 Rockbeat reissued the album again as a double vinyl set with new artwork, and this is what I am currently listening to. When it came to recording the second 3 album Keith had passed away, and Robert undertook the project on his own, but on that night in 1988 it was the full five-piece live band of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Carl Palmer (drums, percussion), Robert Berry (bass guitar, vocals), Paul Keller (guitar), and Jennifer Steele (backing vocals).   I loved 3 when the debut came out, even though I was a diehard ELP fan and had no idea who this American was they had brought into the rank

(53:33; Layered Reality Productions) After two self-released albums, ‘Belief/Relief’ (2013) and ‘Elements’ (2019), Belgian prog/groove metallers Earupt are now with Layered Reality Productions for their third. I have not heard the other albums but can believe the PR when it states they have gone further into these two genres to create something which is both deeper and more eclectic, as this is a fascinating piece of work. They are currently working as a trio with guitarists Tom Kielemoes and Walter Snoeck taking care of the music and arrangements, bringing in guest musicians, when necessary, with singer Hendrik Vanhoutte adding his vocal lines to craft the songs further. Although the basic ideas had started pre-pandemic, most of the songs had to be working on remotely, while the drums were provided by ex- bandmember and friend Thijs Lammertyn. It is when the band are at their most Meshuggah/Mastodon that this comes across with the most power and passion, as their interludes are not al

(57:53; Spirit of Unicorn Music) District 97 are back with their fifth album, with exactly the same line-up as they had for 2019’s ‘Screens’, Leslie Hunt (vocals), Andrew Lawrence (keyboards), Jim Tashjian (guitars, vocals), Tim Seisser (bass), and Jonathan Schang (drums & percussion). That is the only other album I have heard from the band, and although I felt it was very clever, I just could not warm to it at all as I felt something was missing. I commented that their hearts must be in the right place, as Hunt is best known for being semi-finalist in the Top 20 of Season 6 of American Idol, and she joined the band very soon afterwards. No-one is in prog for money, so to move from commerciality to this genre shows a real desire for the music, and here she has the opportunity to show exactly what she can do with a band who appear to have moved strongly into prog metal with dynamic runs and blistering guitar. Hunt is always in control, and it takes someone with serious chops to be t

(34:05; Melodic Revolution Records) This American band is new to me, but I can see there is some history behind them. They originally came together back in 2006 when  guitarist/keyboardist Scott Kahn and keyboardist Jason Buchwald were joined by vocalist Eric Klein. After an alt rock-styled debut EP that featured drummer Kevin Soffera (Seether), the line-up evolved and solidified around second guitarist Derek Davodowich, bassist Robert “Zeek” Maziekien (Eternity X), and drummer Jason Gianni (Neal Morse Band, Joe Deninzon/Stratospheerius). They shifted more into melodic progressive rock and arena rock which led them to record their debut album, ‘The Sky Is Falling’, which saw them gain numerous accolades including Record of the Year in the 2009 Los Angeles Music Awards and a Grammy nomination, but the group disbanded three years later after recording (but not releasing) a follow-up. Reconciliation among some of the band members left the door to future collaboration open, and in 2022, Sc

(52:35; Inside Out Music) As one can see from the title here is the follow-up to the debut from Nick D’Virgilio, Neal Morse and Ross Jennings. Until I was looking through my records I had forgotten I had reviewed ‘Troika’, and when I re-read the review I had to smile as I had pretty much the same feelings over this one as I did with that. I was again very much reminded of Neal’s second solo release, ‘It’s Not Too Late’, while CSN are the main band influence. Triple harmonies are heard throughout, with everyone taking turns in providing the lead. Three singers, three guitarists, two bassists, two keyboard players but just one drummer, it is amazing what sounds can be produced from a trio when everyone is a multi-instrumentalist and a great performer. Last time around the album was recorded separately due to the pandemic but given there is a live in studio video of “The Weary One”, I am guessing they were able to be in the same place this time around. I have been a fan of Morse ever sinc

(43:20;Viajandao Records) ‘Lúcia McCartney’  was the third album in three years from the trio of Cristiano, bassist Jefferson Ferreira and drummer Davi Machado, released in 2015. This album is somewhat unusual in that while it is instrumental it is also a concept, based on the 1969 novel by Brazilian author Rubem Fonseca, which tells the story of a prostitute who is also a fan of The Beatles. Interestingly, although he wrote novels and short stories throughout his life (winning multiple awards) it was not actually his career, as he was in the police, reaching the heights of police commissioner, one of the highest ranks in the civil police of Brazil. Within the booklet it says the music is inspired by the book, but the expectation is that the listener will know the story and therefore be able to understand what sections are inspired by what part of the story as Cristiano brings together music to provide the soundtrack, but with no knowledge of that it is somewhat harder for the average

(46:47; Viajandao Records) Some years back I reviewed Cristiano’s 2013 album, ‘Aline’, and now I have the next two he released as well. ‘Soundtrack for Imaginary Films’ was released in 2014, with the same core line-up as previously, with Cristiano providing guitars and he is joined by Jefferson Ferreira on bass and Davi Machado on drums. As with ‘Aline’, there are a large number of tracks at 15, and a running time of just 47 minutes, but yet again this does not feel at all fragmented but works very well together as a whole. Again there are a few spoken vocals, but whereas ‘Aline’ felt very much as if it belonged to South America, this time around it is much harder to define a country of origin as there is far less of a Latin feel on most of the material, although it is very to the fore on “Noltes Urbanas”, as the music again movers through multiple styles from folk all the way through, psychedelic, classic rock , prog rock, and blues. It is this variety which makes this such an interes

(23:08; Compassionizer) The latest EP release from Russian Rio/Avant band Compassionizer is somewhat unusual in that it is a tribute to George Harrison, the Beatle I have often felt is overlooked as a composer. Here the quartet of Serghei Liubcenco (guitars, rubab, drums, doira, percussion), Leonid Perevalov (bass clarinets), Ivan Rozmainsky (conception, keyboards) and AndRey Stefinoff (clarinets, bass clarinets) are joined by cellist Darya Barabenova as they work through five Harrison classics in an instrumental/modern orchestral manner. They have transformed these well-known pop songs into something which is far deeper, yet somehow maintaining the light and passion of the original while also taking us on beautiful journeys which show hidden meanings and beauty. The result is something which will be immediately be enjoyed by fans both of The Beatles and Compassionizer, two musical outfits which generally have nothing in common at all. The new arrangements have been undertaken with car

(51:46; Melodic Revolution Records) When I reviewed Colouratura’s third album, ‘Black Steeple Church’ (2021), I bemoaned the state of the progressive community in that when looking on PA I could see the only review up there for their second album, 2018’s ‘Unfamiliar Skies’, was mine. Here I am in 2024 and there are still no other reviews for those two albums, nor any for this one, which was released in October 2023. The problem is, at least to my mind, is that the vast majority of progheads in the world only listen to bands who were around Seventies, then there is a further subset who go into the Eighties, then a further subset who go to bands they already know or include musicians who they know from elsewhere. Then there are people like me who are fortunate enough to hear music from a much wider spectrum and have the issue of attempting to work out how to convey our feelings about it. As with their last album, the core of the band is still the trio of Ian Beabout (backing vocals, micr

(60:00; Melodic Revolution Records) One of the wonders of the modern recording age is there is no longer any need for musicians to be in the same room to work together, and here we have an example of a band where they have never all been in the same place at the same time. This band came about initially from a project by saxophonist/keyboardist Brent Bristow, who is Professor of Music at Arkansas State University-Beebe, who wanted to feature the saxophone in a non-jazz context to show the versatility of the instrument. To make this a reality he brought in singer Jake Livgren (Proto-Kaw, Kerry Livgren) and drummer Noah Hungate (The Band Perry, son of Toto's David Hungate), along with bassist Jeremy Nichols (Erin Coburn) on bass, and guitarist Seth Hankerson while Brandon Goff (Associate Professor of Music Industry at Francis Marion University) also contributed significant guitar. I have long been a fan of the sax as an instrument, something which is rarely used in the prog context a

(33:38; Nefarious Industries) There are plenty of arguments to be made that Nefarious Industries are one of the most progressive labels around, and yet again we see evidence of that with the second album from New York’s Bassoon. Created in 2007, they initially started as the drum-machine-powered duo of Stuart Popejoy with Harvey Milk bassist Steve Tanner before evolving into the current trio of Popejoy on bass and keyboards with Sean Moran on guitar and John Mettam on drums. They received a great amount of critical respect for their debut release in 2012, but it took until the end of 2023 for their second to be released, and we can only hope it will not take as long for the next one to appear.   This is a very heavy album indeed, almost sludge in its appeal at times, doom at others, but incredibly this is all brought together with a huge dose of RIO and Krautrock to create something quite unlike anything else I have heard recently. It blasts with the force of Mastodon in some areas, mo

(48:52; Arthur Offen) There are quite a few reasons which have kept me writing about music for more than 35 years, and one which certainly cannot be discounted is insanity, but probably the main one which keeps me coming back is that I am fortunate enough to hear music which very few others ever come across and then can do my bit to try and promote them in some small way. Last year I came across the 2021 Air Raid album, ‘Freedom Calls’, which I really enjoyed. Not long afterwards I heard from the man behind that project, Arthur Offen, who wondered if I might be interested in his solo album from 2016, so of course I agreed. I knew Arthur had been in Air Raid in 1973 and that their debut album was produced by none other than Eddie Kramer but was not aware that he had also been the main person behind Flag, who released a trio of albums starting in 1994. He says that in many ways this is a direct continuation of that project, but here released under his own name. Yet again we have a Sevent

(39:26; Brian Tarquin) Following on from the success of ‘Brothers In Arms’, here we have the next in Tarquin’s series of collaborations when he is looking to raise money for charity. He plays all instruments except drums, where studio percussionist Reggie Pryor lends his services, as well as composing the music, engineering and producing the final result. The album’s mission is to support ‘Hope For The Warriors’, who provide medical, mental health, and professional services for ill and injured Marines and Navy members, and to assist in that he brought in a real star-studded line-up. Musically this is prog fusion we have some stars from that scene as well as others who are not normally associated with this style of music: Jean-Luc Ponty, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Dean Brown (David Sanborn), Hal Lindes (Dire Straits), Chris Poland (Megadeth), John Tropea (Billy Cobham), Steve Kindler (Jeff Beck), Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), Larry McCray (John Mayall), Phil Nar

(50:15; Steamhammer) It is always difficult to review a band when there has been a death, especially so when it is the main composer, and even more so when it is a band I have been following for more than 40 years. From the day I saw their ‘Live’ double single available for the princely sum of 50p I was keen to hear what they sounded like which led to me buying it, soon getting ‘Marauder’ and then the two studio albums they had released at that point, ‘Kingdom of Madness’ and ‘II’. There then followed the golden period for Magnum, with ‘Chase The Dragon’ and ‘The Eleventh Hour’ leading directly to ‘On a Storyteller’s Night’. In December 1985 I saw them for the first time (supported by some outfit called IQ!), something I repeated over the years, always in awe of Bob Catley’s vocals and Tony Clarkin’s songs. Magnum broke up in 1995, before Tony asked Bob to sing on his new project Hard Rain, which in turn led to the reformation in 2001, and they have been going ever since. Tony has alwa

(66:00; OOB Records) What we have here is an enhanced re-issue of an instrumental album originally composed for television series, ‘Conquer The Arctic’ (1991). These pieces were then released under the pseudonym Orion, with the album being called ‘Orion’. Now, some 30 years later Ton has revisited this, has rearranged several tracks, added two new ones, and has now reissued it under his own name with new artwork. At the time of the original recording Ton had been a member of Camel for some eight years, following the breakup of his own band Kayak (which of course would later reform), and there is no doubt being involved with them had an impact on this release. In terms of comparisons with other keyboard players, two in particular come to mind as while Rick Wakeman is the most obvious there is no doubt that Jean Michel Jarre has also had an impact, but there is also definitely a Camel feel to much of this, even though this is layers of synthesisers. I have not previously come across the

(38:50; Swell Brothers) Here we have the debut album from the wonderful new hip duo of the brothers Moses Swell and Dewey Swell. On the cover it says that is who is involved, and according to Bandcamp, Dewey provides flute, clarinet, alto clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes, piano, organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, electric bass, double bass, violin, cello, and kanun while Moses provides drums, percussion, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, xylophone, piano, organ, synthesizer, trombone, trumpet, tuba, cimbasso, bassoon, lots of strings, electric and acoustic bass, and pan pipes. Then looking down further it is possible to see they have two guests with Dave Newhouse on pennywhistle and Michael Bass on triangle. Now take a closer look at the cover, and you will soon realise that the Swell Brothers are in fact these esteemed musicians who used to be in The Muffins, and this is a pisstake. That they also then cover “Brix”, which t

(26:37; Space Kitchen) Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Space Kitchen is a duo formed by Rob Howell and Robbie Carvalho, with the former providing keyboards and the latter bass, drums, guitar and lead vocals (apart from closing number “Pain Goblin” where Rob takes the lead and also provide bass and acoustic guitar). I must admit the first time I listened to this I really wasn’t sure as it all felt a little prog lite to me, along with vocals which were more alternative/indie even than neo, but the more I kept playing this the more I realised the issue was more with my own perceptions and attempting to pigeonhole the sound as opposed to really listening to what was going on. The thing is, this actually isn’t a prog album per se, but rather it is an Eighties pop rock album with progressive influences, and once one just listens to the songs without any preconceived ideas of what it should be like it seems all so much better. There are plenty of hooks contained within this EP, which is just se