(50:31; Nefarious Industries) I am fortunate enough to hear music from some incredibly varied and interesting labels, and there is no doubt in my mind that Nefarious Industries is one of the finest around in that they seemingly have no limits to what they release, understanding that there are some of us who enjoy being challenged in what we are presented with to listen to, and any label who delivers up the likes of Gridfailure will always find room for me to explore. Originally founded as a collective of like-minded individuals seeking an outlet to release off-kilter music, Nefarious Industries has grown into a label which has now reached the heady milestone of 100 releases and to celebrate they are releasing ‘Burn After Hearing’, a compilation of fourteen exclusive tracks that showcase the harrowing sonic landscape of their eclectic roster. It features new and exclusive songs from instrumental deviants and label co-founders El Drugstore, freshly reunited sludge thrashers Arbogast, D-b...

(59:45, Boing Music) Given that guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller, and drummer Marco Minnemann came together due to an accidental formation at a NAMM show it is amazing that not only have they stayed together but have released so many albums. I thoroughly enjoyed their 2011 debut, while their 2019 album ‘You Know What?’ is simply wonderful, and now they are back with their sixth studio album, following on from their 2022 foray with Primuz Chamber Orchestra. First and foremost, each player is an incredible musician, and while Guthrie often provides multiple layers of guitars, Bryan and Marco stick to a single track and the three of them then produce some of the most complex, inspired and downright enjoyable instrumental progressive rock music one is ever likely to hear. Govan is allowed to show off his rock skills, often laying down very heavy material, while Bryan and Marco come to the music from a jazz style, and they meet somewhere in the middle. If that is not enough the...

(66:00; Zac Bauman) I have searched through my records and have no idea why I have an album from 2017 on my review list, and cannot find any information on this in my files whatsoever which is a real shame as this is a definite find. Looking on Zac’s FB page I can see he describes himself as a “multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer specializing in fingerstyle guitar and baroque pop”. This album is pretty much a totally solo release apart from trumpet/trombone on five tracks by Joe Espena, a guitar solo by Doug Shernock on one and some female backing vocals on two. This is very much an album out of time, as there is nothing on here that feels more recent than the mid Seventies, and while he is obviously heavily influenced by Ian Anderson there are also some stylings which are more in common with Gryphon, while he also puts in plenty of eclectic ideas which remind me somewhat of Captain of the Lost Waves. Music like this is not supposed to exist in this day and age, where music...

(43:04; OOB Records) Following on from 2022’s ‘Havoc’, Peter Lawson (electric, acoustic, bass and lap steel guitars, mandolin, keyboards and vocals) and Wolfgang Ostermann (drums, percussion, tongue drums, keyboards, mixing and production) have returned with an album which at times is incredibly layered and dramatic with multiple guitars and punchy drums and at others can take the music in a very different tangent indeed. Of course this is telling us about Pandora, the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus, who opened a box left in her care, releasing evil into the world. It is not the first time this theme has been developed in rock music, and it won’t be the last, but there is an energy about tracks such as opener “Inside The Simulation” which immediately grab our attention and bring us deep inside the album. AS with their last release together, I am mightily impressed by the way that Peter and Wolfgang work together as equal partners. “Ouroboros” commen...

(41:24; Soniq Theater) Back in 1996 WMMS released the debut album by Rachel’s Birthday, ‘An Invitation To’, and I remember reviewing it at the time. This was by a full band, and then four years later their keyboard player. Alfred Mueller, released his debut solo album the under the name Soniq Theater. He halved the time for his second, releasing that in 2002, and every single year since he has released a brand new album on January 1st, making this his 24th solo release. That is quite an achievement for anyone, especially when working totally solo with very little outside assistance (there have been guests on a few tracks in the past but they are few and far between), and here he is back with another release which brings in his favoured influences of Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream. Sadly, Alfred has yet to invest in using a real drummer, which is a shame as there are some tracks (“Kopernikus” being a case in point) where the synthesised percussion probably does more har...

(49:09; Shadow Lab) I am not sure just how long ago I first came across Mark Price, but let’s just say it has been a while, and I have followed his musical career with multiple bands including Final Conflict (I was wearing my ‘Redress The Balance’ shirt just yesterday), Framework and Grace while these days he is in High Spy. He has also kept a solo career going through this time, releasing 14 albums since 1983, and here he is with his new project, Shadow Lab. What we have here is a concept album, but one without words so Mark has kindly told us what it is all about on his Bandcamp page, “The year is 2126 AD, the planet Mars is colonised by people from Earth and it boasts modern cities in display of dazzling magnificence, rotating aerial orbs give light to the cities by night in an array of stunning hues and colours.  Further out in the colder reaches of the solar system, Titan, one of Saturn's moons, has undergone major atmospheric transformation, from a former frozen methane world...

(51:38; Melodic Revolution Records) A few years ago I reviewed ‘Decoupage’ by Refestramus, which at the time was drummer and songwriter Derek Ferguson along with a couple of guests which included Ian Beabout and Jerry King. Here we have their second album, with Refrestramus now a band with Derek again being joined by Jerry (bass), Derek Pavlic (guitars, Mellotron and viola), and  Rogelio Souza (keyboards) along with various guests. I raved over the use of singer Craig Cairns last time, and he is again back on lead vocals but only on four tracks with NIDA on 8 and Ian and Nathan James on one. I noticed there is a statement on Bandcamp which says, “Might appeal to listeners of: Styx, Kansas, Flying Colors, Pattern-Seeking Animals, Lisa Hunt, Motar, Karnataka, and Asia”, and it is with the Seventies bands which this music is most aligned. This is the style of prog which the American do so very well, mixing melodic rock and pomp into the genre to create something which is accessible an...

(75:00; Frontiers Music) I strongly felt Neal’s last album was a real return to form after his previous Christian musical, ‘Jesus Christ The Exorcist’, which was for me one of his weakest releases, although to be fair I do not think it is possible for Morse to put out a truly poor album. Needless to say, I have been looking forward to hearing this, and at long last we have the concluding part of the well-known story. 'The Dreamer - Joseph: Part One' finished with Joseph unjustly imprisoned, and in 'The Restoration - Joseph: Part Two,' we find him becoming the viceroy of Egypt and reuniting  with his family. Neal assumes the lead vocalist role, plus there are a host of guests including Nick D’Virgilio (Spock's Beard, Big Big Train), Ted Leonard (Spock’s Beard, Pattern Seeking Animals, Enchant), Matt Smith (Theocracy), Ross Jennings (Haken), Jake Livgren (Proto-Kaw, Emerald City Council) and Alan Morse (Spock's Beard), along with members of the Neal Morse Band, su...

(77:42; Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella) I have long been a fan of Melanie and Martin, who not only work together in multiple progressive rock bands but have also been producing wonderful albums where they take well-known songs and turn them into something quite different indeed. I have never been a fan of bands attempting to reproduce note for note, especially in a studio, a song which has been already been a hit. One of my very favourite covers is “Hotel California” by Alabama 3 who took the classic and made it something far darker and twisted – it is the taking of something and making it their own which makes the art of doing so totally worthwhile, and that is always the case with Melanie and Martin. When the CD arrived, I was immediately taken by the bright artwork and opened up the digipak to discover a business card and a QR code which I immediately scanned and was delighted to find that as well as the original 14 songs there were another 11 alternate versions which could be do...

(43:36; Melodic Revolution Records) Keyboard player, drummer and singer Leon Alvarado has returned with his latest album which is very much a homage to the mighty Pink Floyd, something which is obvious from the first of the six songs through to the last which is a cover of “Brain Damage” and the only one to feature vocals. We even get small sound additions such as the ticking of a clock, a heartbeat etc which ensures the listener understands fully where the influences are coming from. To assist him in this endeavour, Leon has brought in bassists Tony Franklin and Gary Gnaedinger, guitarists Edoardo Scordo and Damian Darlington (both members of Brit Floyd, who say they produce the world’s greatest Pink Floyd show), alongside Jimmy Griggers (guitars) and saxophonist John Helliwell (Supertramp). Additionally, L.A. session musician Pablo Hopehayn contributes on strings and the backing vocals on “Brain Damage” are provided by Jeff Sanson, Liz Hall, and Linda Alvarado. I mean, just listen to...

(137:00; Moonjune Records) There is no doubt that PAKT are a very special group indeed, and they have been making a significant name for themselves within the improvised music movement since first coming together. They are a true supergroup with very diverse musical backgrounds which allows them to bring multiple styles and ideas in ways quite unlike others within the scene. The name of the group is taken from the first initial of each member, so we have Percy Jones (fretless bass guitar), Alex Skolnick (guitar), Kenny Grohowski (drums) and Tim Motzer (guitar and electronics).  Jones is best known for his tenure in Brand X, while Skolnick has a degree in jazz performance but will always be best-known for his work in the mighty Testament (who are considerably removed from the music here on offer), Grohowski's many recent associations include John Zorn, a reincarnated version of Brand X and masked avant-metal outfit, Imperial Triumphant while Motzer has a long background in free impr...

(47:08; Greydisc) Here we find Kevin Kastning (36-string double contraguitar, 17-string subcontra guitar, 24-string double subcontraguitar, 30-string contra-alto guitar, 12-string contraguitar) again joining forces with Soheil Peyghambari (bass Clarinet, Bb Clarinet) for the follow-up to their 2021 album, ‘The First Realm’. Kevin is a master musician, also creating and inventing many of his own instruments, and while on the previous release of his I reviewed he played just one stringed instrument and piano, here he is back with many of his own inventions, somehow knowing where all the notes are on each, and knowing what needs to be played to complement the music being delivered by Soheil. Soheil generally provides lengthy notes, while Kevin is producing sounds which at times could easily have come from a harp with wonderful resonance and sustain with so many strings resonating at the same time. Soheil’s sounds are often low in the register, so in many ways there is space between the tw...

(63:00; Greydisc) Here we have the follow-up to ‘Rubicon I’, recorded at the same time over two days in August 2018, featuring Kevin Kastning on piano and 15-string extended Classical guitar and Mark Wingfield on electric guitar and live electronics (software processing). The day prior to this Kevin and Mark performed live in New York City for WNYC radio, allowing themselves to get into the shared mindspace required when producing improvisational music which makes sense as opposed to being just a noise of disconnected parts. Given this is a second set of pieces taken from the same recording sessions as ‘Rubicon I’ it is not surprising that this feels like an extension of that release as opposed to a brand-new recording. As with that album, I find myself being drawn to the importance of delicate piano throughout, which provides the foundation for Mark to take the music in quite different directions, with a beauty on one hand being put against discord on the other. With just two musician...

(72:00; Moonjune Records) This was originally recorded by the trio of Mark Wingfield (guitar, soundscapes), Gary Husband - synth & piano (all tracks) and drums (tracks 1, 5, 6) and Asaf Sirkis - drums (all tracks) back in 2021 in Spain. It wasn’t until 2023 that Leonardo Pavkovic brought in Tony Levin on electric upright bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8) and Percy Jones on fretless bass (tracks 2, 4, 9, 10) to add their elements. It is somewhat difficult to comprehend that the recording took place like this, as it appears seamless, with all musicians sounding as if they were in the room at the same time bouncing off each other. All five are very well-known musicians who have played countless gigs and albums, and Wingfield has worked extensively with Sirkis and Husband prior to this so it is no surprise at all at how well this all jells together. Some of the songs sound improvised, others with more of an underlying structure, and with the basslines being added later when the rest have ...

(43:32; English Electric Recordings) Back in 1992 I was sent a cassette by Steve Paine of Legend and Pagan Media of a new band he had just signed, formed by four youngsters from Liverpool School of Music. The tape was ‘Thoughts of Fear and Principle’, the band was Mr. So & So and included in their ranks, guitarist Dave Foster and drummer Leon Parr. I was fortunate enough to see them play live a couple of times, and even caught the splinter band Sleeping Giant, where they were joined that night by one Steve Rothery. Rothery has been an important element in Dave’s career, landing the So & So’s support slots with Marillion, while Dave and Leon both joined his band. In fact, it was Rothery who introduced Dave to Dutch singer Dinet Poortman as they had both independently supported Marillion in different outfits. After some co-written songs which appeared on Foster’s solo albums ‘Gravity’ (2011) and ‘Dreamless’ (2016), they formed this group together, and this is their third album. W...

(37:59; Hargadein Music Group) Track list: 1. Necromancer 8:20 2. Show Me the Way 4:38 3. Masquerade 5:39 4. Wasape 9:19 5. Tomorrow Will Come 4:28 6. What Am I without You? 3:35 7. A Month of Sundays 2:00 Line-up: Ron Poulsen - bass, vocals Darrell Masingale - vocals, guitars Steven Osborn - vocals, guitars, ukulele Corey Schenck - keyboards, guitars, vocals Andi Schenck - drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals Prolusion. US band Pangaea have a past history that starts back in the late 1980s, and from the middle of the 1990s and until just after the millennium they released a handful or so of album that were generally regarded as being a part of the US progressive rock legacy. Following 20 years or so with the band being in a state of hiatus, Pangaea returned with the album "Beowulf" now in 2024. Analysis. When I reviewed the reissued version of the band's album "The Rite of Passage" a while back, easygoing and accessible progressive rock was my conclusion in ter...

(39:15; Snowdonia) Track list: 1. Quigyat (Little Symphony for Frozen Soldiers) 9:02 2. Alla Statua dei Martiri di Gorla (Requiem in Defence of Children's Rights) 10:28 3. Los Pajaros Perdidos 5:00 4. Malamore e la Luna (2024) 5:28 5. Cio Che Rimane (2024) 9:17 Line-up: Francesca Badalini - piano Andrea Grumelli - bass, electronics Claudio Milano - vocals Borda - drums, percussion, electronics Prolusion. Italian band Nichelodeon is the creative vehicle of composer and vocalist Claudio Milano, and for the past couple of decades or so they have been a marked presence in the more expressive parts of the Italian progressive rock scene. This year they are out with the album "Quigyat", a collaboration with Italian musician Borda, which was released on Italian record label Snowdonia Dischi. Analysis. Nichelodeon have, at least from what I can recall, always been a venture that exist a bit on the outside of the conventional traditions of music, whether you regard their output fro...

(45:06; Rob Harrison) Track list: 1. A Severe Lack of Gravitas 5:28 2. A Bountiful Surplus of Grace 7:01 3. A Profound Throb of Dread 8:40 4. An Absurd Case of Iguanas 8:05 5. An Acute Sense of Being 8:57 6. A Fragile Harmony of Desires 6:55 Line-up: Rob Harrison - guitars, saxophone, bass, vocals, effects with: Ian East - flute. clarinet Eliseo Salaverri - drums Lloyd Stratford- drums, percussion Pedro Vieira - piano Julia  - violin Polina Faustova - cello Jess Townsend - violin Tom McCluskey - cello Hannah Buddle - backing vocals Siobhan Hynes - backing vocals Jessica Lucitt - backing vocals Felicity Sage - backing vocals Prolusion. UK artist and musician Rob Harrison isn't a name I'm familiar with, and I can't recall having encountered the music by any of his many band involvements either. Where the bands referenced are Z Machine, Attercopus, The Felix Subway Band, Mascot Moth and Strap the Button respectively. This summer Harrisn is out with his first ever solo album. T...

(56:25; Fastball Music) Track list: 1. Prologue 3:35 2. Caught In 6:54 3. As I Am 4:11 4. Disaffection 4:01 5. Escape Route 6:57 6. Self-Delusion 6:34 7. Serious Doubts 5:37 8. Disequilibrium 7:45 9. Trip to Me 8:42 10. Who I (Really) Am 2:10 Line-up: Michael Gerstle  - vocals Dennis Altmann - guitars Frank Feyerabend - keyboards, synthesizers Frank Schwaneberg - bass Sebastian Moschüring - drums, samples Prolusion. German band Deafcon5 have a history that can be traced back to 2008, although it did take then band a little more time before they became a stable unit. But from 2012 and onward they have released new material at a regular pace, with four studio albums to their name as of 2024. The most recent of these, "Exit to Insight", was released in the summer of 2024 through German label Fastball Music. Analysis. The band and their label describe this unit as being in the progressive hard rock and progressive metal vein. And I guess that this is the best categorization to us...

(55:48; Sykofant) Track list: 1. Pavement of Color 4:30 2. Between Air and Water 12:35 3. Monuments of Old 8:41 4. Between the Moments 5:13 5. Strangers 10:31 6. Forgotten Paths 14:18 Line-up: Emil Moen - vocals, guitars Melvin Treider - drums Per Semb - guitars Sindre Haugen - bass Prolusion. Norwegian band Sykofant is a fairly new addition to the Norwegian progressive rock scene, and I from what I can and can't find on the good, old internet it would appear that 2023 was the first year this band was visible there for others. They self-released their debut album "Sykofant" in the spring of 2024. Analysis. While this is a band that has been described in many different manners by themselves as well as others, for me this album is one that strikes me as being safely tucked inside the sound and tradition of the 1970s, and with just as much inspiration taken from outside of the progressive rock universe as they have incorporated from the inside of it. With classic era hard ro...

(198:30; JPL) This collection from JPL is a triple CD set of 31 tracks, with a total playing time of just under 200 minutes, all of which have either been re-recorded, remixed, or are previously unreleased. He has always had an incredible work rate, and since 2002 has released 11 studio albums with Nemo and 11 as JPL, and this set shows just how diverse he can be, yet always staying firmly within the melodic and symphonic commercial sound we have come to know and appreciate so well. This set has him revisiting old songs to enhance or amend, as well as providing one brand new one, all to provide the listener with a broad understanding of the artist across his solo and band projects. I don’t have a list of the musicians involved, so don’t know how much of this has been replaced or if JPL has kept the same core tracks and we have updated band recordings, or if he has replaced music originally recorded by others. What I can say with some authority is that if Nemo, Wolfspring or JPL are new...