(82:00; Melodic Revolution Records [2025 Edition] ) 40 years ago illustrator Martin Springett was asked to design the cover for a trilogy by a young Canadian author called Guy Gavriel Kay. That series was ‘The Fionavar Tapestry’, set in both contemporary Toronto and the secondary world of Fionavar. As the years went by Martin and Guy stayed connected and Martin created the maps for many of Guy’s works, feeling so inspired by the words he was reading that over a 20-year period he wrote and recorded this album, which is mostly instrumental with the music taking us on the journeys travelled by the characters. To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the release of the first book, ‘The Summer Tree’, Martin has created the ‘Summer Tree Portfolio’ which led to label boss Nick Katona saying they ought to reissue this album as well to tie in with the celebrations. Quick confession time, although I have been an avid fantasy reader since my teens, reading LOTR for the first time when I was 18 (d...

(50:50; Tiger Moth Records) The latest in the ‘Sanctuary’ series of albums finds Robert Reed revisiting thirteen tracks from his favourite composers, arranged and performed by Robert alongside guests Les Penning, Tom Newman, Terry Oldfield and Angharad Brinn. When I say “revisiting” I mean we get versions here of songs written and recorded by others, but I believe that all these versions (apart from, I think, “Telstar”) have already been available on EP’s. I am pretty sure both “Willow's Song” and “Scarborough Fair” come from the 2014 ‘Willow’s Song EP’ where Robert provided all the instruments and vocals were by Angharad Brinn who has been involved in the Sanctuary project for some time as well as Cyan, plus there have been a number of other EP’s over the years. But this is just a minor quibble, as when working in this format Reed continues to channel his inner Oldfield, and to hear what Oldfield might have done to the “Doctor Who” theme is just delicious, while any excuse to list...

(46:05; Harmonic Heresy) Here we have the second collaboration between drummer Gavin Harrison and guitarist Antoine Fafard. Harrison is best known for his work with Porcupine Tree, Pineapple Thief and King Crimson while Fafard is a well-known guitarist and bassist who has released multiple solo albums. They first collaborated on 2020’s ‘Chemical Reactions’, and they decided with this album to deliberately not follow the same musical path so brought in other musicians and instruments which were not previously featured.  One of the things which is fascinating about this release is that this never feels like a duo and session musicians, but much more like a band project with everyone getting their chance to shine. Each song is based on the dynamic drumming of Harrison, which at times feel so laid back and in the pocket that he is almost horizontal, alongside the warm fretless bass of Fafard. Together they create the platform for everyone else to shine, whether it is piano, keyboards, ...

(47:54; Jam Records) Released in the middle of 2024, here we have another collaboration between Jeremy Morris (vocals, guitar, piano) and Ken Stringfellow (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums). Jeremy may not be well-known to many, but he has more than 100 albums to his name while Ken (The Posies, R.E.M., Big Star) has more than 200, so they definitely know what they are doing. One never really knows what one is going to get when seeing a new Jeremy album, given he works in so many different genres, but as soon as it is opened up and the name of Stringfellow is seen we know it will be another power pop outing with psychedelic stylings which sound as if it could have been released at the end of the Sixties. It will contain loads  of vocal harmonies, 12-string guitars, hooks aplenty and a smile will be on the face of the listener even before it hits the player. This is feelgood pop music, not pandering to any current fashion but instead taking influences from the like of The Byrds...

(85:00; InsideOut Music) It is strange to think that it is nearly 20 years since the debut, ‘Milliontown’, which had a major impact when it came out, and now  Jem Godfrey (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Nathan King (bass, vocals), John Mitchell (guitars, vocals) and Craig Blundell (drums) are back with the fifth, which is a double album concept based somewhat on the band’s last album, 2021’s ‘Day and Age’. In fact, the first track on this album starts with the end of the last track on that one, which is a nice touch. The story revolves around the main character Naio, an aimless kid heading for a meaningless future in an AI run world. He hears an old DJ talking on the ancient AM radio his mother once gave him and decides to trace the source of the signal and find “Livewire” to see if there’s a better future out there. However, the All Seeing Eye is less than impressed at this bid for independent thought and fights back. Soon Naio finds himself pursued across the country by an outraged ...

(47:49; Agonia Records) According to Wikipedia, “A hierophant (Ancient Greek: ἱεροφάντης, romanized: hierophántēs) is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed holy. As such, a hierophant is an interpreter of sacred mysteries and arcane principles.” If ever a band chose the perfect name, then it is this, as here we have a band creating something which is incredibly special, full of meaning, and one can easily imagine it forming part of holy rites. Apparently, this is their third album, and there were some line-up changes not long before they entered the studio for this one, but given I know nothing about the band I cannot say if that has had any impact on their sound or if they have changed direction from their earlier material. This time around Jon (sax) and Kali (guitars, effects) have been rejoined by original drummer/percussionist Chris, along with new bassist Gavin (who is also a member of sludge/doom outfit Bast). I have been trying to th...

(50:52; M.P. & Records) Italian progressive rock band Entity was formed in the early 90’s by Gianluigi Longu (bass and guitar) and Mauro Mulas (keyboards).  They had the normal issues with band members and released some promos during this period (including one with the same title as this album), but it took until 2013 for their debut album, ‘Il Falso Centro’, to be released. It then took another 11 years for the follow-up to come out, with the title coming from a painting by the German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich. Apparently, this is continuing with the lyrical themes started in the last album, although actually going all the way back to the band’s inception, but given it is all in Italian I cannot comment.  We have the same line-up as for the debut, with Sergio Calafiura (vocals), Marcello Mulas (guitar), Gianluigi Longu (bass), Marco Panzino (drums) and Mauro Mulas (keyboards), but the result is somewhat mixed to say the least. It does not worry me that the ly...

(38:23; Tiger Moth Records) Back in the Nineties a young man from Wales released two albums on SI Music before moving to F2 Music for the third. Back then I was getting all the material from those labels and reviewed his debut all the way back in May 1993. At the time Robert Reed was a one-man band, but he changed that with 1994’s ‘Pictures From The Other Side’, bringing in other musicians, before getting involved with other bands such as Ezra and Fyreworks before forming Magenta which led to the demise of Cyan as an entity. He decided to revisit both the band name and music in 2021 and invited Peter Jones (Camel/Tiger Moth Tales) on vocals, Luke Machin (The Tangent/Maschine) on guitar, and Dan Nelson (Godsticks/Magenta) on bass. Firstly they reworked the debut album, with a few guests such as Angharad Brinn on backing vocals, before tackling ‘Pictures’ with the above quintet. One of the issues of revisiting old material is that it tends to be changed and morphed, which meant that when...

(40:47; Tide Records) Track list: 1. Spiritual Ouverture III 1:30 2. Incognito 5:44 3. All I Need 4:07 4. The Ghoul Within 3:52 5. So Beautiful 4:14 6. Not for Me 4:18 7. Let Me In 4:29 8. Disappear 4:12 9. Gambling 4:52 10. The Watcher 3:29 Line-up: David Petrosino - vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar, bass Stefano Barelli - guitars Alphonso Nini - bass, vocals Stefano Toni - percussion, vocals with: Luca Calabro - drums Stefano Falcone - drums Claudio Mosconi - bass Nando Citarella - tammorra Stefano Ribeca - saxophone, whistle, shannai Brian Petrosino - backing vocals Cecilia Amici - backing vocals Prolusion. Italian band Sailor Free has been around for more than three decades at this point, although they did have a period of time when the band was on hiatus during those years. But from 2010 and onwards they have been an active and creative unit again, with three studio albums to their name during the band's second active run. "Spiritual Revolution Part Three" is the mos...

(38:50; Believer's Roast) In between the two collaborations with Matt Baber, Richard Wileman managed to find time not only to record a solo album, ‘The Forked Road’, but also work with Kavus Torabi on two 20-minute-long tracks which became ‘Heaven’s Sun’ where they were joined by Amy Fry (clarinet, vocals) as well as Caron Hansford (oboe) and Mike Ostime (trumpet). Torabi is rightly seen as one of the most interesting and dynamic songwriters and performers in the UK scene, first coming to prominence in The Monsoon Bassoon and after being guitar tech for Cardiacs for some years he joined them as a full member in 2002. He has been the frontman for Gong for the last decade, often tours with Mediæval Bæbes, and has his own bands, including Knifeworld and Guapo.  While Richard’s collaborations are an extension of his own releases, here there are only parts of songs which feel that way as he has been pushed by Kavus in some very different directions. The music here feels very English, an...

(41:14; Believer's Roast) A few years after the first album from the duo, Matt and Richard got back into the studio (with Amy Fry again guesting on three tracks) to record a follow-up to their 2022 debut. In many ways this album sees them expanding on what they did previously, so the instrumental tracks have more depth, breadth and power, while the vocal tracks are far more standalone with real hooks. Take for example “Grindhouse Dreamer”, I have found myself singing that in the apartment, which is definitely really unusual. They have used Richard’s rock guitar to greater effect, bringing in some Gilmour touches here and there, while also maintain a Hackett edge. The keyboards are layered and at the base of everything and while there was a lot of space in the debut this one feels much more brought in tight and close. Amy may be used sparingly, but when she is involved, her nuances take the music into different spheres. Still heavily rooted in progressive and modern classical music,...

(39:22; Believer's Roast) Richard Wileman (Lives  & Times, Karda Estra) first met Matt Baber at Roastfest in 2011 where he was performing with Sanguine Hum and they soon started working together. The first results of this could be heard on the 2013 Karda Estra album ‘Mondo Profondo’ where Matt joined to perform on their collaboration “Mondo Profondo 1”. They started playing together in 2020, initially with the idea of doing just a couple of tracks together, but it all went so well that they ended up with a complete album with Matt providing keyboards and drums, Richard guitars, vocals, bass, keyboards, while they were joined on three tracks by long-time musical colleague of Richard, Amy Fry, on vocals and clarinet for three tracks. This 2022 release fits in very well with Richard’s own style, and if this had been released under his solo name or even Karda Estra one would not have been surprised. Where there are vocals, they are laid back and add to the accompaniment while never...

(47:29; The Aphelion) Formed in 2014, this Ottawa-based quartet are back with their second album, following on from 2018’s ‘The Labour Division’, Apparently this is the first part of a double release, as this will soon be followed by ‘Senescence’, the two combining to tell the story of a man’s descent into madness and his own mind in response to the mundanity and repetitiveness of the world around him. The line-up is the same as on the debut so we have  James Cabral (keyboards, guitar), Tyler Davis (guitar, vocals), Evan Haydon-Selkirk (lead vocals, bass) and Nathanael Livingstone (drums, percussion). The guys do also have a few guests who provide additional colour with violin, cello, saxophone, trumpet and flugelhorn, and there is no doubt they have been influenced by Devin Townsend, Haken, Leprous, and particularly Opeth yet there is often a feeling they are somehow missing the mark. I am having difficulty putting my finger on it and am not sure if it is the arrangements, product...

(31:29; Iapetus) I found myself smiling when I read the email from Alexander Paul Dowerk (touch guitars S8) which said, “Shortly after our last album ‘EXTINCTION LEVEL’ we are releasing a brand-new EP ‘AFTERGLOW’ to extinguish the last flame of hope left.” Needless to say, I had to grab the EP, since when I have again been marvelling at the sounds created by Alexander alongside Markus Reuter (touch guitars AU8 & S8, soundscapes), Bernhard Wöstheinrich (keyboards & electronics) and Asaf Sirkis (drums & percussion). Here you have four musicians who consistently refuse to acknowledge that music should be constrained in any way whatsoever and instead move together in a manner which is compelling, dangerous, fragile and jagged in a way which most “music lovers” would find far too uncomfortable to listen to. This is music at the edge of what can be defined as such – it has yet to jump into the chasm and the darkness where one can find the likes of Gridfailure but instead holds ou...

(53:34; Alejandro Matos) My filing system has again let me down, so I have no idea how I am currently listening to the sixth album from Argentinian multi-instrumentalist Alejandro Matos, who is joined on his first release in nine years by drummer Javier García Atencio  and a few guests who only contribute on just one track each. There are no real epics, but there are a few which break the ten-minute barrier, but there are also some which are less than two. The vocals are mid-range and interesting without being dynamic, and possible I would have got more from them if I could understand the lyrics, but they appear to be in Spanish, so I stand no chance. This does very much have a solo musician feel about it as while everything is interesting there is nothing which ever takes it to the next level, the result being an album which is okay but is rarely more than that. I note on PA he is listed as Crossover, but if his earlier albums are anything like this one then that is more for him c...

(47:00; Karisma Records) Asle Tostrup (vocals, keyboards and programming), Henrik Bergan Fossum (drums), and Bjørn Riis (guitars, bass, keyboards and backing vocals) are back with the sixth Airbag album, and this time around are joined by guests Kristian Hultgren (bass on “Dysphoria” & “Tear it Down”), Ole Michael Bjørndal (guitar on “Dysphoria”, “Tyrants and Kings” & “Tear it Down”), and Simen Valldal Johannessen (keyboards on “Tear it Down”). I felt they lost their way somewhat with 2020’s ‘A Day At The Beach’, but this is a return to form with an album which is incredibly reflective, using acoustic guitars when the time is right and a great use of space to allow the instruments and vocals to breathe and have the room to fully come into their own. At times both the arrangements and melodies are simple yet brought together in a manner which is sheer beauty and delight. Yet there are others when the music is more menacing and direct in its approach. There are only five songs wi...

(48:10; Aether) It must be said that I was not the biggest fan of the Italian quartet’s debut release in 2023, but they are already back with their second and I was intrigued to see how they had progressed. I am not quite sure what has happened but the same line-up of Andrea Serino – (piano, keyboards), Andrea Ferrari (guitars), Andrea Grumelli (bass) and Teo Ravelli (drums & electronics) has this time managed to hit the mark on everything they are doing, with the result being an album which is far more interesting and compelling than the debut. This album was inspired by science fiction and space travel and the band say the tracks are designed to be suggestions of dreamlike messages, sent into space in search of alien listeners. I can certainly understand what they mean with that comment as there really is a sense of space, and of being out in the cosmos and if someone was to use parts of this as a soundtrack to a voyage among the stars I would totally agree. Camel is a good point...

(72:03: Melodic Revolution Records) Track list: 1. Pixelated Friends 5:01 2. Stoned & Horny 7:08 3. Sweet Dark Hypnosis 3:47 4. She's Crying Diamonds 4:56 5. Nothing Can Go Wrong 4:16 6. A Wooden Groove 3:44 7. Collateral Damage 6:33 8. Bad Wolf of the Pack 4:57 9. Wild Flower 5:29 10. Mermaids 4:01 11. Elena 8:25 12. I Came a Long Way [Live] 5:42 13. Dromedaric Expansion 5:18 14. Galadriel [Orchestral Version] 2:46 Line-up: Stef Flaming - vocals, guitars Rene Marteaux - drums Luk Lantin - bass Yolanda Flaming - keyboards Marie Vancamp - percussion. vocals Prolusion. Belgian band Murky Red was formed back in 2009, and since the band's formation they have released two studio albums: "Time Doesn't Matter" in 2012 and "No Pocus Without Hocus" in 2015. The latter of these was later reissued as a Special Edition towards the end of 2016, featuring additional material and remastered versions of some of the songs. All of these have been released through US l...

(38:46; Eclipse Music) Track list: 1. Unia I 4:55 2. Unia II 6:07 3. Unia III 5:01 4. Unia IV 7:38 5. Unia V 5:53 6. Unia VI 9:12 Line-up: Antero Mentu - guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion Otto Eskelinen - flute, keyboards, percussion Amanda Blomqvist - drums, percussion Jesper Anastasiadis - bass Markus Pajakkala - flute Prolusion. Finnish artist Antero Mentu is a bit of an unknown quantity for me, and while it seems that he has been around for the better part of the last decade there is little information easily available about his background nor of his creations. From what I can tell he has released three studio albums at this point. "Näin Unta Kaukaisesta Maasta" is the most recent of these, and was issued through Finnish label Eclipse Music in the spring of 2024. Analysis. This isn't an album that, strictly speaking, revolves all that much around the progressive rock tradition. But it is a creation that might be of interest to fans of progressive music, in that it ...

(53:57; Humu Records) Track list: 1. 1930 5:07 2. Varpunen 3:19 3. Lato 5:02 4. Kupla 3:24 5. Ritariperhonen 1:49 6. Toukokuun Lokit 5:28 7. Maadisko 5:16 8. Iiris 4:20 9. Pelota 5:45 10. Japanin Laiva 5:17 11. Metsälapsi 9:10 Line-up: Susan Karttunen - vocals Pekka Kalliosuo - guitars Jani Häggblom - keyboards, piano, vocals Ayhan Akbez - bass, mouth harp Henri Onodera - percussion, bass Henri Tuomi - drums, chimes with: Sini Palokangas - saxophone Susanna Salama - saxophone Janina Lehto - flute Samuli Peltoniemi - trumpet Prolusion. Finnish band Positive Wave have been around in one form or another for a good while it seems, with the band establishing a presence on social media as far back as 2007 but with the band history going all the way back to 1998. They released their official debut album "Positive Wave" back in 2010, following what appears to be a handful of self-released EPs in the years prior, but since then the band haven't been all that active in the recordin...