The Mighty Ra - 2025 - Now In A Minute

(58:59; The Mighty Ra)




















I had a very weird week recently, as I found myself having conversations regarding Casual Affair and Walking On Ice (and adding both bands to ProgArchives) when I saw a post regarding Welsh proggers The Mighty Ra where the guitarist and singer is Andy Edwards. I did a doubletake and thought to myself, “Surely that cannot be the same Andy Edwards who was in Ezra and The Fyreworks?” Needless to say, I soon discovered it was, so dropped Andy a line and we were soon chatting as if it was the mid 90’s all over again. Back then I reviewed all of Ezra’s material, I recall two cassettes as well as the three CDs, as well as The Fyreworks, and was disappointed when they stopped. Joining Andy in this endeavour is Dave Rowe (bass, vocals), Rob Griffiths (drums) and new keyboard player Jeremy Robberechts who joined after the debut album, replacing Rob Wilshire (who was a founder member of Multi Story back in the day).

I would be somewhat disappointed if we were facing anything apart from neo prog, and while there are other influences coming in here and there, this is very much the style of music one could hear in select pubs and clubs some 30 years ago. I know some people feel neo is not “proper” prog, but this is what kept the underground scene going back then, and there are not many bands today who still play that style. Most of those who do it best are those who were doing it first time around, which is probably why this feels so genuine and full of spirit. Andy was always a great frontman, and in many ways, this reminds me of Freewill in their short-lived five-piece phase, and I can certainly imagine the two bands having a lot of fun together. The keyboards are important, providing additional finesse and layering, the bass and drums are locked in to provide the foundation, and then over the top we have strong rock melodies and riffs. The production is excellent, allowing us to clearly hear the additional melody line being provided by the bass between the guitar and keyboards.

There are times when they bring in Middle Eastern influences, and they are more than happy to stretch the length of the songs, even though there are no true epics. I know that if I was living in the UK this is certainly a band I would be seeking out to see play live, as this is a load of fun from beginning to end. If you enjoy neo prog, then this is for you. 

Kev Rowland, October 2025

Links:
https://www.themightyra.com/

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