(31:42; Fruits de Mer Records) Track list: 1. Look at the Sun 3:31 2. The Band 3:22 3. The Nothing Song 8:22 4. Piper at the Gates of Time 4:19 5. Fuchsia Song     4:00 6. Box of Destiny 4:55 7. Just Another Song 3:13 Line-up: Not stated Prolusion. UK band Fuchsia is among those bands from yesteryear that I suspect most people will have a hard time recognizing, as it was one of many one album bands from the classic era of UK rock history. That album being the self-titled "Fuchsia" from back in 1971. Main man Tony Durant revived the band some 40 years later though, now based out of Australia, and a second studio album then appeared back in 2013. A few years later the compilation album "Song" appeared, released as a double vinyl single through UK vinyl specialist label Fruits de Mer Records. Analysis. Rather than being a compilation album of Fuchsia, I understand that this production really is a brief venture into the various creative efforts of the band's main me...

(73:08; Orphictone) Track list: 1. When 6:50 2. What's Normal 8:50 3. Childless 6:09 4. Immortality 10:03 5. Tired 5:04 6. Labyrinth 6:07 7. Inward Feeling 7:49 8. Solitude 7:16 9. Reflections 9:26 10. Stamp of Personality 5:34 Line-up: Konstantin Jambazov - vocals, instruments Prolusion. Bulgarian artist Konstantin Jambazov doesn't appear to be the most well known artist out there, despite releasing music for at least a couple of decades as a member of various band constellations in addition to more than a dozen solo albums. With a number of different genres taken on over the years. The album "Talking to Myself" dates back to 2017, and was released through Japanese label Orphictone. Analysis. This is an interesting album to get familiar with, at least in terms of how to classify and define the landscapes explored. The moods and atmospheres in particular showcase an artist that appear to be rather familiar with a number of different musical traditions from yesteryear ...

(37:05; CatSynth Records) Track list: 1. Third Overture 1:15 2. But in Ourselves 4:37 3. Put It by Thrice 3:31 4. The Ladder 3:13 5. Count the Clock 4:51 6. Portia and the Soothsayer 2:57 7. Midmarch 3:53 8. This Little Measure 3:03 9. Triumvirate 4:03 10. The Tide 2:25 11. The Ghost at Philippi 3:17 Line-up: Jason Berry - programming, keyboards, electronics, various instruments, sounds with: Steve Adams - saxophone Jason Bellenkes - clarinet, saxophone Myles Boisen - e-bow piano, guitars, sitar, percussion Sheldon Brown - clarinet, flute Dan Cantrell - harpsichord Amanda Chaudhary - keyboards, synthesizers, electronics Mark Clifford - glockenspiel, crotales, vibraphone John Ettinger - violin Chris Grady - trumpet, flugelhorn John Hanes - drums, percussion Scott Larson - trombone Crystal Pascucci - cello Jill Rogers - voice Sami Stevens - voice Brett Warren - bass G Calvin Weston - drums, percussion Prolusion. US venture Nubdug Ensemble is the creative vehicle of composer and musician ...

(48:00; Indel) Pascal Indelicato (composition, piano, orchestral programming) was in the progressive rock band Indelspeen with Nicolas Mourachko in the Eighties, and then in 1998 they formed Silver Lining with Thierry Sportouche. It was Thierry who recently sent me this 2019 CD where Pascal has somewhat revived the old name, and is now playing alongside Claire Mathilde Dufour (violin, electric violin), François Zampa (bass) and Bertrand Moulin (drums). I must confess and say it has been impossible to find anything out about this band, as apart from a few minor mentions on French sites they basically have no presence on the web. At least I have not been able to find any, and that is a real shame as this is one of those unusual albums, something which is obviously scarce and rare which is also worth listening to. François and Bertrand set the platform, and it is up to Pascal and Claire to take the lead, and Pascal is often content to allow his musical partner be dominant. We get a mix of...

(68:57; Wild Thyme Records) There is little doubt that one of the major surprises in the underground prog scene in recent years is the resurgence of Solstice. Originally formed in 1980, they were one of the leaders of the early Neo prog scene, yet while often referenced by others they never truly gained the success they deserved. This dramatically changed with the release of ‘Sia’ in 2020, the first album with Jess Holland on vocals, since when they have also released the excellent ‘Light Up’ and have been a constant on the live scene playing prestigious gigs throughout the land. One of these was their return in 2023 to the famous Cropredy Festival some 25 years on from when they first played there, and now we have the double vinyl release of that show. The line-up for this was Andy Glass (guitar), Jess Holland (vocals), Jenny Newman (fiddle), Peter Hemsley (drums), Robin Phillips (bass), Steven McDaniel (keyboards), Ebony Buckle (keyboards, vocals) and Dyane Crutcher (vocals) who had ...

(71:03; Black Widow Records) It has been eight years since the last album, which in turn was released eight years on from the previous one, but Sophya Baccini (vocals), Enrico Iglio (drums, percussion, keyboards) and Sergio Casamassima (guitar, bass) have returned with their seventh studio album. There are not many bands which can say the same people have been involved in all the releases, but when Sophya joined Hell’s Rider in the Eighties, they became Hells’ Rage, then morphed into Orphic before the trio released the debut album as Presence back in 1992. With both Enrico and Sergio having to undertake multiple roles there is no doubt that has an impact on recording time, but there have only been three albums in the last 20 years which is a real shame as here we have a Neo band with RIO tendencies which are very enjoyable indeed. I am not sure how I missed these guys back in the Nineties as I thought I was aware of most of what was going on in the prog world back then, and was certain...

(149:00; Laser's Edge) Somewhat amazingly this is the collective’s 44th release since their debut back in 2006, which I reviewed back in the day. I have only heard a few of theirs since then, but did review 2023’s ‘Everyone Is Evil’ and this contains many of the same musicians with Dr. Space (Hammond, Mellotron, Modular synth, Octave The Cat, ARP Odyssey, Poly D), Mattias Olsson (drums, congas, Mellotron, Poly D), Jonathan Segel (guitar, slide guitar, violin, Fender Rhodes), Martin Weaver (Microfreek & Roland drum machines), Luis Simões (gong, guitar, noise box), Hasse Horrigmoe (bass), Larry Lush (Fender Rhodes, Mellotron) and KG Westman (sitar, Mellotron, synths). Unlike ‘Everyone Is Evil’ which only had four tracks, this time around we have seven, with a total playing time of 136 minutes. OSC are widely known and regarded for their improvisational approach to music and the way they get together and jam their way through recordings which means that while their version of spac...

(47:59; Thrailkill) One of the continual joys of writing about music for so long is that I am contacted by musicians and bands I would not otherwise have come across and that is what has happened here when guitarist Wes Thrailkill  asked me if I would like to hear his latest album. Now, from what I can gather from my research, Thrailkill released four albums as Mammoth before changing their name and becoming Thrailkill for 2018’s ‘Everything Is You’. However the group has had a fluid line-up, normally working as a trio, with Wes being the only constant. But a reunion in 2019 means that what we have here is the same line-up who released ‘Polymorphism’ in 2014 with Wes again joined by bassist Chase Bryant and drummer Aliyar Kinik. It is no surprise to hear that Thrailkill have toured with Haken, as here we have complex prog metal which is being taken to new heights. Animals as Leaders are another obvious influence while Protest The Hero also get a look in alongside Steve Vai. This is...

(41:30; Fruits de Mer Records) London Underground were formed in December 1998 in Florence by Gianluca Gerlini (Hammond, piano, Mellotron), Daniele Caputo (vocals and drums) and Marco Piaggesi (bass), although the origins of the band stretch back to the classic Italian progressive rock band Standarte where Caputo was drummer. Over the years they have released four studio albums and have had various personnel changes with Gerlini being the only constant. 2023 saw them headline the Fruits de Mer summer festival in Wales – the 19th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus Festival. A 68-minute-long version was then released in January of this year, while I am listening to the six-song 42-minute version which was made available on vinyl by FdeM in August. To be honest, even listening to this digitally it feels like a vinyl release in that this is music out of time, music which belongs firmly in the Sixties and sounds like it never progressed. Here Gerlini has been joined by Alberto Capelli (guitars), Stefa...

(74:00; Black Widow Records) Black Widow Records have long been one of my favourite labels, as Mass not only releases new albums but also looks back in time and reissues albums on vinyl which may not have got the love first time around. Here is has not gone too far into the past as this release by Swedish pysch/prog band Khadavra was released in 2021, but then it was only digitally and now it is available on CD and vinyl which is only right given the quality of the music within. Formed in Gothenburg, this is the third (and currently latest) album by Sebastian Eriksson (guitar, vocals, sitar, Mellotron, synthesizer, percussion), Alexander Eriksson (drums, vocals, percussion, glockenspiel) and Jon Klintö (bass, throat singing, whispers, acoustic guitar) who so far have had a different fourth member on each of the three releases to date, this time that role being filled by Marcus Holmström (keyboards, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer). There are also a few guests, the most notable being Liv Fr...

(55:01; Inside Out Music) Dream Theater keyboard player Rudess is back with his latest solo album, and while he has often gone down the fully solo path in the past, this time he has brought in That Joe Payne (The Enid) on vocals, Darby Todd (Devin Townsend) on drums and Steve Dadaian on guitar, as well as guest guitar solos from Bastian Martinez. He also relinquished the task of writing the lyrics this time around, as he decided to focus on the music, and asked by his daughter, Ariana to provide them for him which is a nice way of keeping them in the family. The result is a pleasant release, no more than that, with Payne often spending a lot of time high in the register and falsetto, which provides quite a contrast to the music beneath him which can be quite heavy in nature in places, far more pop in others. I have heard a few of Rudess’s solo releases over the years, while of course being very familiar with his work with Dream Theater, and he is rightly regarded as one of the very fin...

(43:20; Cuneiform Records) As well as releasing a new album with her partner Anthony Pirog, Janel Leppin has also found time to record a new Ensemble Volcanic Ash album which was recorded live in the studio. She provides cello and piano, while Anthony is on guitar, and they were joined by Sarah Hughes and Brian Settles (Jason Moran, Chad Taylor) on saxophones, Larry Ferguson on drums, and Luke Stewart (Irreversible Entanglements, David Murray) on bass. Obviously scored as opposed to fully improvised, this is described by the label as being progressive chamber jazz with the steely avant-garde that descends from Julius Hemphill’s 1972 debut album, ‘Dogon A.D.’.  That landmark recording featured one of Janel’s major influences, the late cellist Abdul Wadud, and she honours him on the first track of this release with “Ode to Abdul Wadud”. She actually bookends this album with a nod to her other great cello influence, Pablo Casals (“Casals’ Rainbow”), while she also pays direct homage t...

(81:04; Cuneiform Records) Janel Leppin (cello, modified cello, vocals, synthesizers, piano, koto, hammered dulcimer, bass) and Anthony Pirog (electric and acoustic guitar, guitar synth, synthesizers, bass, percussion) first encountered each other in high school, with the relationship deepening through their college years and into their careers as full-time professionals on the richly diverse D.C. scene. Although they are partners in life as well as music, they have not actually recorded many albums together, even though they often guest. Janel composes at the helm of her widely celebrated Ensemble Volcanic Ash, recorded a solo cello album ‘The Brink’ in 2023 and has released singer-songwriter records as Mellow Diamond. As a collaborator and multi-instrumentalist, she has contributed to internationally known experimental and indie sounds, from the inquisitive new-music of Eyvind Kang and Oren Ambarchi to the haunting folksong of Marissa Nadler, to the dynamic psych-rock of Rose Windows...

(42:21; Greco Bastian) Greco Bastián is somewhat unusual in that while he is a composer he does not actually play any instruments and instead relies on others to complete his vision. In 2022 he released his fifth album, ‘With A Little Hell From My Friends’, and now he has released his sixth in a similar vein, called ‘With A Little Hell From More Friends’. This is quite a list, but is definitely worth including to show just who enjoys his vision: Matt Hollenberg (John Zorn, Titan To Tachyons), Markus Reuter (Stick Men, The Crimson Projekct), Patrick Gauthier (Magma, Weidorje), Marc Ducret (Tim Berne, Bobby Previte), Bernard Falaise (Miriodor, Ensemble Supermusique), Alan Benjamin (Advent, Pekka Pohjola), Paolo Botta (Yugen, Ske, French TV), Rémi Leclerc (Miriodor, Les Projectionnistes), Vincent Sicot-Vantalon (Unit Wail, Scherzoo), Anthony Beard (Ni, Piniol, Scherzoo), The Mercury Tree (Ben Spees, Oliver Campbell, Connor Reilly), Sterbus, Craig Walkner (Far Corner, William Kopecky), Ed ...

(55:56; Takaprod) Here we have the second album from Lyon-based guitarist Gabriel Keller, who happily moves through genres of folk, rock, prog and even some metal, combining with the wonderful vocals of Emilie Béroule (Emi B), who sings lead on most of these songs, to create an album which is often bright and enjoyable even if the subject matter is not always so. It denounces the absurdity and horrors of war with the despair of a mother terrified by news from her son at the front (“The Letter Part 1” and “The Letter Part 2”) which are separated by “The Guns Are Approaching” where he shares his torments, describing how the war is turning him into a killer. It never ceases to amaze me, even after more than 35 years of writing, that an artist can appear before my ears fully formed and with a professionalism and class which deserves far more notice from the musical world than is currently the state. There is something about this release which typifies that, whether it is the slightly disto...

(70:53; Hydraulis Records) In 2024, Antonis Adelfidis (acoustic & electric pianos, Hammond organ, combo organs, Mellotron, Hohner clavinet, digital & analogue synthesizers, Rheem Kee bass) returned to the world of Zantea. Again we have no bass or guitars, and George Katsanos (acoustic piano, Minimoog, theremin, tape effects) and The Swede (drums) are back on board, this time joined by Bob Katsionis (synth solo on “The Screaming Paradise”), Nikos Tzouannis (acoustic piano solo on “The Sword of Doom”) and Apostolis Tsiolis (synth solo on “Take a Sip!”). Three singers return to reprise their roles from the debut album, George Katsanos (Ovaris), Moss "The Boss" Kordakis (Vosar) and Dimitra Preari (Nantou), while Irini Tiniakou takes on a new role, and in total there are nine singers involved this time instead of eight. Although this is a direct continuation from the debut, with a similar style and approach, there is no doubt that this is a major step forward in all areas....

(103:32; Hydraulis Records) Forbidden Myth is a band put together by keyboard player Antonis Adelfidis who is proud to state there are no guitars or bass guitars on this album, released in 2021, which is instead the product of Adelfis (acoustic & electric pianos, Hammond organ, combo organs, Mellotron, Hohner clavinet, digital & analogue synthesizers, Rheem Kee bass), George Katsanos (acoustic & electric pianos, combo organs, digital & analogue synthesizers, vibradoneon, theremin), pianist Nikos Aravanis and drummer The Swede along with eight singers who play the different roles in the world of Zantea, based on a story by Myrto Gregoriadi. Somehow, the Heavy Prog team on PA have decided that is the right genre for the band to be included, which seems somewhat strange given there are no guitars. Mind you, there is plenty of bass from the Rheem Kee Bass which was one of the first monophonic string bass emulators – it is only possible to play one note at a time, as if more...

(42:04; Fernwood) It took until 2015 for Gayle and Todd to release the third (and currently latest) album as Fernwood. They have again used a vast amount of instrumentation, many of which were in use more than 15o years ago, including  Greek & Irish bouzouki, sitar, dilruba, quirquincho, Chinese ruan, Turkish cumbus, Moroccan oud, harmonium, gimbri, rababa, bulbul tarang, jal tarang, dotara, surmandal, tambura, manjira, tumbi, bugchu, gopichand, violin, mandolin, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, tenor banjo, tenor ukulele, bells & chimes, acoustic piano, rhodes piano, upright bass, field recordings and other sounds. There is a loose concept behind this instrumental release, an endless search for an unspoiled wilderness of great beauty, a utopian paradise.  If that paradise includes music like this then please count me in as yet again are presented with something which is sheer beauty from beginning to end. Arguably there are more Celtic influences at play, especially ...

(50:22; Fernwood) In 2009 Gayle and Todd returned with their second album, “all music played by hand, on instruments made out of wood” – at least here I don’t have to go looking up what certain instruments are which I have not previously come across. While last time their palette was mostly European, this album finds them stretching more to the East, and also bringing in some American influences to make this much more of a world album. The album title is a reference to the Sangita-Ratnakarna, an 800 year old book by music theorist Sharngadeva which covers the many different styles of music which is performed in India. Although Gayle and Todd have not been massively influenced by Indian styles (although I am sure I can hear a sitar in there, they have blended together music from different ethnic areas using instruments quite unfamiliar to the Western ear to again create something quite beautiful.  I have always enjoyed the pursuit of music outside the mainstream, due not only for th...

(47:46; Fernwood) I was perusing Facebook one night, and I saw a post from Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet) about Fernwood, a band I had never heard of before. A conversation followed and I was soon presented with three albums by a band I had never heard of, but even before I listened to this 2008 release I knew I was likely in for a treat given the instrumentation. Fernwood comprises just two musicians, Gayle and Todd Montgomery but while there are just two people involved they certainly make up for it in terms of what they play. Gayle provides Greek Bouzouki, ruan, harmonium, oud, guitar, slide guitar, e-bow, bulbul tarang, gobijen, dotara, organ, Rhodes piano, electric 5-string bass, and double bass while Todd gives us Irish bouzouki, sitar, mandolin, guitar, and slide guitar. The result is an album which is stunningly beautiful in every way. In some manners it is quite reminiscent of Anthony Phillips, but there is a density here, somehow combined with space and folk elements while differe...