(41:02; Flame Dream [2025 Edition] ) Track list: 1. Full Moon 5:22 2. Nocturnal Flight 5:33 3. Out in the Dark 9:29 4. Wintertime Nights 4:04 - Strange Meeting: 5. Part One 9:06 6. Kaleidoscope 5:37 7. Part Two 1:51 Line-up: Pit Furrer - drums, percussion, tapes Roland Ruckstuhl - piano, organ, keyboards, sequencer, vocoder Peter Wolf - vocals, flute, saxophones, percussion Urs Hochuli - bass, pedals, vocals with: Dale Hauskins – guitars Prolusion. Swiss band Flame Dream was formed back in 1977, and in the band's initial run as an active band unit they released 6 studio albums prior to disbanding in 1986. A few years back the band reformed, and since then they have released one further album, "Silent Transition", which appeared in 2024. The album "Out in the Dark" dates back to 1981, is the third studio album by the band, and was reissued on CD in 2025. Analysis. While this is an album that was released in the early 1980s, the sound, style, mood and atmosphere e...

(43:46; Neuma Records) Track list: - My Mother in Love: 1. Reading on the Stairs 3:20 2. Dinnertime 2:28 3. My Sister 1:30 4. Spare Parts 2:24 5. Powers 2:22 6. Lament: Invisible 3:24 7. Laughing 1:26 8. Fierce 0:43 9. Reading Before Sleeping 3:49 10. Okay? 4:08 - 11. Circular Argument 3:44 12. When Girls Learn the Alphabet 5:32 13. The Very Air 4:34 14. Why the Dialectic? 4:22 Line-up: Anna Weesner - piano, composer, lyrics, producer Charles Mueller - guitars, bass, engineer, producer Charlotte Mundy - vocals with: Cameron LeCrone - drums Carrie Frey - viola Helen Newby - cello James Austin Smith - oboe Jessica Thompson - violin, viola Laura Cocks - flutes Madison Greenstone - clarinets Marina Kifferstein - violin Oren Fader - guitars Roberta Michel - flute, piccolo Robby Garrison - trumpet Robert Burkhart - cello Sarah Goldfeather - violin  Sian Ricketts - oboe, recorders, cymbals Yuhan Su - vibraphone Prolusion. US project Professor Girlfriend consists of composer, lyricist and ...

(37:38; Iapetus) I have been fortunate enough to have heard a few of Stephen’s collaborations, and here he is again working with one of my favourite musicians, Markus Reuter. Markus of course provides Touch Guitar and soundscapes while Stephen gives us Organ, strings, e-bow guitar and granular synth. There are just two tracks here, but one is nearly 18 minutes in length and the other 20, which allows the listener to become fully immersed in what is going on. The title cut takes as its base, music created by Markus when he and Stephen were working on another album, ‘Rothko Spaces Vol. 4’, and then Stephen took that and added layers of organ and strings while on a solitary retreat in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. The result is something which is massively over the top, hypnotic yet with a dark edge, combining early Kraftwerk with Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd, but with a more direct crescendo from guitar. The sound is huge, and one feels as if it is being listened to inside a dark cav...

(53:44; Heritage) Originally released in 2002, this album was reissued in 2018, although I do not know if it was remastered although there has been a change to the cover. In many ways this feels like a logical follow-on to ‘Life Underground’, although there were two other solo albums between that and this, plus he had been playing and recording with Greenslade (among others) during this period as well. Only one song, “Closer”, has additional musicians with some delicate acoustic guitar from Matt Prior and some delicious fretless bass from Ed Poole. I don’t know why they only appear on this one, but it would have been nice to have heard them more on others as this is the standout track, again very classic Chris De Burgh in nature (sidenote, if you think C De B is just “Lady In Red” then you have a wealth of wonderful material to discover, and for many fans that is one of his very worse songs).   This feels more polished than the other album I have heard, but that it not surpris...

(44:18; Heritage) There was a discussion taking place on ProgArchives recently as to whether John should be included on the site (the inclusion of artists have to be passed by committee, believe it or not), but someone said it was difficult to find any of his albums to be able to make a decision, so I said I would drop John a line and see if I could get a couple as we know each other. The first time I saw John play was back in 1991 when he was part of The Law who played at Milton Keynes Bowl supporting Bryan Adams and ZZ Top, but he was a collaborator with John Wetton for years, played with Greenslade, has been a session keyboard player for many top acts, and of course he is now well-known for the wonderful Lifesigns. But what about his purely solo material? This album is from 2000, and I surmise it contains the demos for a planned album, but looking at his discography that does not appear to have ever been released, so it could possibly contain demos he had recorded for other purposes...

(7xCD + 2xBlu-ray Box Set, Esoteric Recordings [2025 Edition] )  When a band has been prolific as Hawkwind, still touring and releasing albums more than 50 years on from their inception, it is likely there will always be some debate among fans about what is the best studio release. When it comes to the ‘Wind then my personal view will probably always be ‘Quark, Strangeness and Charm’, just because that was the first album of theirs I heard, not long after it was released in 1977, but there is no doubt that 1974’s ‘Hall of the Mountain Grill’ is viewed by many as the classic album to have, and now Esoteric have gone full throttle with this newly released nine-disc limited edition boxed set which contains the original album newly remastered from the original master tapes, along with new mixes from the original 16-track master tapes by Stephen W. Tayler of previously unreleased full concerts at Edmonton, January 1974 and the 1999 Party at Cleveland in March 1974 plus a new mix of the ...

(66:00; Desert Comb Music) What we have here is the debut album from Australian trio Ambient Den, who are Ben Craven (guitars, bass, programming, vocals), Tim Bennetts (piano, keyboards, vocals) and  Dean Povey (drums, vocals). Even before playing this I noticed something strange about this release, as while it is not unusual to have a “single edit” as a bonus cut, here we have four. Given the rest of the album is only six tracks in length, and the first one is a short introduction, this does seem a little bit like overkill but only the cynic would suggest this is a way of extending a six-track to a 10-track album lasting 67 minutes, even if 19 minutes of that is “bonus material”. It's a shame as I would definitely have liked to have heard more, as what we have here are a band who have been very influenced by classic Pink Floyd, but with more crossover and commercial elements. Again we have a very modern production, so it feels like we are being hit by a wall of sound as opposed to...

(44:35; Independent Artist Records) Here we have the second album from Italian trio Aerostation, who comprise Alex Carpani (vocals, keytar), Gigi Cavalli Cocchi (drums, electronic pads) and Jacopo Rossi (bass). I have not heard the debut album, which came out seven years ago, but last year I reviewed Alex’s album ‘The Good Man’, while I actually interviewed Gigi all the way back in 2006 (along with Bernardo Lanzetti) after Mangala Vallis released the excellent ‘Lyncanthrope’. As one can see from the line-up, there are no guitars on this album, with the layering coming mostly from Alex’s custom keytar (an instrument I do wish we saw more of in concert). This is a very modern-sounding album, with a very strong focus on the production, and while that is obviously deliberate, it has made it quite difficult for me to listen to. I prefer my music to have more space within the layers, and this is much more of a wall of sound approach. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is not a style I ...

(24:44; Iapetus) It has been way too long since we have had brand-new material from Tony Levin (stick, bowed stick), Pat Mastelotto (acoustic and electronic drums & percussion) and Markus Reuter (Touch Guitars® U8 Deluxe, vocals), but this five-song EP is a prelude to a new album which will be coming out later this year. There is no doubt that Stick Men are one of the most exciting bands around, taking King Crimson as a base, and given that Tony has been involved for four decades and Pat for more than three, perhaps that is no surprise at all. They are all very well-known for their improvisation, but here they have worked together to create something which still contains that excitement and energy but is obviously rehearsed and is somehow both dark and muscular at the same time. It is dramatic, always shifting, with the use of repeated melodies which bring us deep inside the riff, which is so very different indeed to much of the music I hear from Markus where he is composing live a...

(58:50; Half Past Four) During the five years since the debut there had been a minor line-up change, with Kyree Vibrant (vocals), Constantin Necrasov (guitars), Dmitry Lesov (bass and Chapman stick) and Igor Kurtzman (keyboards) joined now by drummer Marcello Ciurleo for this their 2013 second album. Ciurleo is more dramatic than previous incumbent Pisanski and is more focussed on a standard drumkit although he happily bashes his way around it with abandon. Given that the debut is truly eclectic and all over the place, with the new album much the same in many ways, it would be a surprise if the one in the middle was too different from either and I am glad to say that yet again we have plenty of Zappa, Todd Rundgren, King Crimson, Cardiacs, Poisoned Electrick Head, Kate Bush, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Toyah and others, while I have seen some mention District 97 as well. This is a band who definitely follow their own style and refuse to be pigeonholed, so if that means changing tempo du...

(63:00; Half Past Four) Earlier this year I reviewed the excellent new album by Canadian band Half Past Four, bemoaning the fact that so few people seem to know anything about them, and also that I had only ever reviewed their mini album from 2016 and not the first two, which is why I am now playing their debut, 2008’s ‘Rabbit In The Vestibule’. Even before playing it I was intrigued as even though it has been 17 years since it came out, three of the band, Kyree Vibrant (vocals), Igor Kurtzman (keyboards, sounds, effects) and Dmitry Lesov (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals) are still there with the others in this line-up being Constantin Necrasov (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, vocals) and Art Pisanski (drums, percussion) plus a few guests. I described their latest release as a beautiful mess, and in many ways, this is just the same with influences being taken from artists as diverse as Zappa, Todd Rundgren, King Crimson, Cardiacs, Poisoned Electrick Head, Kate Bush, Jethro Tu...

(49:46; Talking Elephant) Here we have the fifth album by folk-rock group Green Diesel, although I must confess it is the first time I have come across them. Comprising Ellen Care (violin, vocals), Matt Dear (lead guitar, vocals), Ben Holliday (bass), Greg Ireland (rhythm guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, vocals) and Ben Love (drums, percussion) this album contains six originals and some reinterpretations of old Morris tunes, a modern take on a traditional murder ballad and a cover of a Paul Giovanni composition from the cinematic soundtrack to ‘The Wickerman’.  I have listened to and loved folk rock since first coming across Fairport Convention some 50 years ago, soon investigating Steeleye Span, Albion Band and so many more. There is something about the interaction between electric instruments and rock when combined with the tradition which makes for something very special indeed, so much so that may have personally travelled farther to see a folk-rock band than anyone else in the worl...

(58:50; Avalon) No-one is quite sure why it has taken so long for this album to be released, not even the band, but finally we have here the recording of Galahad when they appeared at Night of The Prog V in September 2010. It is possible in some ways to think of this as a bookend for the band, as it was to be the last appearance onstage by bassist Neil Pepper who sadly passed away from Oesophageal cancer less than a year later, yet it was also the first appearance of Mark Spencer (albeit on guitar, and on just one song as a guest), who is now the band’s bassist. The rest of the line-up was of course Stu Nicholson (vocals), Dean Baker (keyboards) and Spencer Luckman (drums), all still there to this day, as well as founder and guitarist Roy Keyworth. Playing a festival is always fraught, as the setlist must fit within a given timeframe and it is quite possible many in the audience will not know much of the material, plus it had been three years since their last album, so what to do? We g...

(54:31; Progrock.com) Jérémie Arrobas (Keyboards, synths, Hammond-B3, piano, guitars, synth bass, lead vocals, and sound machines) and Thomas Szirmay (sound machines, backing vocals) are back with their third album, and have again been joined by guests Alain Roig (guitars) and  Hansford Rowe (bass), plus this time around we also have Alain Bellaiche (guitars) and Rob Harrison (sax, flute). Jérémie and Thomas were childhood friends, both very interested in prog, with Jérémie forming Men Without Hats while Thomas is a well-known reviewer in prog circles.  In the summer of 2023 Jeremie wanted to start recording again, even though he had lost 80% of his hearing, so he contacted his old friend Thomas and together they released ‘Telepathic Waves’. They brought in some guests and expanded the sound and styles on last year’s ‘The Hierarchies of Angels’ and have done the same again with ‘Imperfect Silence’. They are coming into prog from the area of electronic music, with Tangerine Dre...

(54:54; Edenya) Edenya are a French band who are here back with their third album, although it is the very first time I have come across them. Apparently, they commenced as an instrumental project by songwriter, keyboard player and guitarist Marco back in 2010, but they have now evolved into a full band. The rest of the line-up is Ingrid Denis (vocals), Juliette Carradec (violin), Jean-Paul Cartigny (bass) and Sylvie Sj (drums, djembe). Apart from Marco, none of the rest of the band played on the debut album, only Juliette survives from 2023’s ‘Another Place’, and there has been a different female singer on each album, but I can only hope that Ingrid manages to stay the course as her delicate style is an absolute delight. When I first started playing this, I felt I had them nailed as obviously it was an ambient band with folk and prog tendencies, very nice indeed. However, it did not take long for me to realise that Marco has many influences and has no problem bringing them into his mu...

(46:35; Inside Out Music) There is no doubt that Lucassen has been one of the most interesting and significant songwriters and performers in progdom for more than three decades, either releasing material under his own name or as Ayreon, Stream Passion, Star One etc. Here we see him bringing in some old friends such as flautist Jeroen Goossens, singer Irene Jansen (while her sister Floor guests on one song) and others, while he of course plays the multi-instrumentalist role on this concept album. It is possible to get this album as an extended three CD set (the second with no narration, the third being instrumental), but the essential disc to get is the first one which contains narration by Mike Mills. He plays the part of a radio DJ, and we get part of his “broadcasts” before each song, and there is no doubt he has a major part to play (even if he does remind me somewhat of the DJ on The Carpenters’ version of Klaatu’s “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft”). I am a particular fan...

(330:00; Grapefruit) Somewhat sadly, Andromeda will probably always be best remembered for being the launching pad for John Cann prior to his joining Atomic Rooster to form the original classic line-up (and changing his surname), leaving behind them a solitary album and some scattered other releases. In addition, this was a time when line-ups and band names were changing depending on the weather, and it is incredibly difficult to work out who did what, when, and with whom but David Wells needs to stand up and take a bow as he is the person behind this comprehensive five-disc set and essay, which attempts to finally put all the puzzle pieces together. This collection contains 73 tracks and more than five hours of playing time, which is made up of their sole album and single, alternative versions, out-takes, previously unissued demos, a Radio 1 session and tracks from related bands such as The Attack, Mailtown Blues Band and others. There are even some songs included which Wells does not...

(46:57; Amalgam) Either there appears to be more music being released which is challenging, or I have been fortunate enough to get involved with labels and PR companies who support it, but I definitely hear more music these days in this uncompromising manner than I used to. Here we have the second album from Brian Courage (upright and electric basses, prepared electric bass, electric piano), Erik Fratzke (guitars, electric bass, prepared electric piano, synth), Tim Glenn (drums, cymbals, percussion, door, chimes, bowed metals), and Luke Polipnick (vocals, guitars, prepared electric bass, bowed metals), which was improvised and recorded on April 10th 2022 (note, why has it taken five years to come out?). After that work was completed, they then approached additional musicians to provide additional elements with Jesse Whitney, (electronics, waterphone),  Nathan Hanson (clarinets) and Craig Taborn (Oberheim synth, glass harmonica) contributing on one track each. Musically this is all ...

(52:11; Sound Stuff) The musical gods work in a very strange way indeed at times. I was in one of the team forums on ProgArchives recently to find out what was happening with a band I had proposed, and discovered a band called Zen Orchestra were under discussion. I remembered reviewing a single-track tape from a band of that name back in 1996, surely, they could not be the same outfit? Turns out they are, initially formed by Mark Barrett (vocals) and Steve Smith (keyboards) sometime after they had both left Walking On Ice. The line-up was completed by Stewart Milner (bass) and Steve Rix (drums) and they recorded the aforementioned tape, but after some record label interest nothing eventuated so the band gradually dispersed. In 2014 Steve contacted Mark with enough material for a new album, and while ostensibly being a solo album the idea started to take that possibly it might be time for a rebirth of the band? Stewart and Steve Rix were contacted and they agreed, and it only took until...

(38:49; ArtBeat Music) The latest studio album by Russian band Roz Vitalis is dedicated to their friend and producer Nikolai Bogaichuk who sadly passed away in 2023 and is described by the band as “a concept album about the creative path of a Man with an Endless Love for Music." Roz Vitalis have been following a path being set by keyboard player Ivan Rozmainsky for more than 20 years now, and they continue to move in the realm of avant prog/RIO which also combines modern classical composition techniques to make something which sounds like no-one else. It can indeed be keyboard heavy at times, but it is not unusual for one of those keyboards to be a harpsichord while there is always a large use of woodwind as well.  One never knows quite what to expect with a new Roz Vitalis release except that it will always be interesting, exciting, and take us on a journey to where we know not. They have stuck to their Russian roots and influences throughout their career, and while the war must ...

(131:00; Esoteric) Following on from the wonderful ‘Running Hard - The Albums 1974-1976’ set we now have the next batch from the classic Renaissance line-up, which gave us ‘Novella’, ‘A Song For All Seasons’ and ‘Azure D’or’. Vocalist Annie Haslam, Michael Dunford (acoustic guitars), John Tout (keyboards, vocals), Jon Camp (bass, vocals) and Terry Sullivan (drums, percussion) were on a very successful run at the time, both in the States and the UK, and in many ways this is one of the most complete ways of hearing the band, although musically I do believe the earlier set to be superior. On ‘A Song For All Seasons’ we had the hit single “Northern Lights” (which is not about the aurora borealis, but is actually about the lights of Bolton), but with ‘Azure D’Or’ the band were running out of money so used synthesisers instead of an orchestra, and that combined with shorter material was their death knell as many fans left at that point and although the band has continued on and off since the...

(49:43; Melodic Revolution Records) Translating to ‘Suspended in Time’, the second album from Italian progressive rock band Overture demonstrates a band who are taking a slightly different approach to the one followed previously. In the seven years since the debut they have changed singers from Luigi Ventroni to Pier Mauro Marras and this release is only in Italian, while I am sure the last had some English vocals. Fiorella Piras has also slightly extended his instruments, now also playing bassoon and the deeper sound of this woodwind has quite an impact when it appears. The band have moved even further into the classic RPI style, with PFM obviously being a major influence, and the result is an album full of gravitas. They can be commercial and sensitive in some places, dramatic and bombastic at others, with traditional keyboard and organ sounds being incredibly important, so much so that there are times when one could well believe this was an album from 50 years ago as opposed to a mo...