Forgotten Gods - 2024 - Memories

(51:36; Speegra Ltd.)

One of the many issues of being a fan of progressive rock music is that it can often be difficult to find the information one is seeking. A strange series of events led to me only recently discovering that classic neo prog outfit Ark actually came out of a band called Damascus, which in turn led me to asking Jerry van Kooten what he knew about them. Jerry is more of an anorak than even I am and confessed he actually had a live recording from Damascus in his extensive files but was not aware of the Ark connection. This in turn led me to wonder how guitarist Steve Harris was doing as it was some years since we had last been in touch, not long after he stopped working with Paul Menel, so I dropped him a line. He soon responded and we caught up on what each of had been doing, and then he mentioned he had been establishing a new band, Forgotten Gods, and that their debut album had been well received and they were working on a new one.

This had totally passed me by, which I why I am now listening to the debut which was actually released in October 2024. As well as guitars Steve is still providing guitar synth, and the rest of the line-up was Mark Cunningham (lead vocals), Dave Boland (keyboards, programming, synthesizers, backing vocals), Michael Kentish (bass guitars, harmony and  backing vocals) and David Hallett (drums and percussion) along with Peter Jones providing whistle on one track. Sadly, David Hallett passed away earlier this year after a long battle with Lymphoma and has since been replaced by Matt Mohangee.

Now, given Steve’s very long association with the Neo prog scene one may well expect Forgotten Gods to fit firmly within that sub genre, but in my opinion, they are borderline at best as while the guitar does sometimes drive them into that area, they are also incredibly melodic and often feel more at home in Crossover. No matter what the sub, this is classic modern British progressive rock which is an absolute blast all the way through. The rhythm section are tight, providing some nice nuances here and there, but for the most part providing the foundation as opposed to doing anything flashy, while the keyboards often contain long held-down chords which provides the backdrop for both Steve and Mark to play against. Steve often switches between electric and acoustic and also undertakes much more picking than one might expect in modern prog, as opposed to always playing chords, while Mark has a wonderful voice which is incredibly inviting and beautifully melodic.

Combine all the above with very strong material and we have a debut album which never sounds like one but instead sounds as if these guys have been together for years and have been touring hard. Steve told me he feels this album is as good as anything he has ever been involved with, and I am certainly not going to disagree with that statement as this is such a fun album to listen to. It is strange to think that Steve is now sharing bills with bands who used to support Ark, but it can only be a matter of time until Forgotten Gods are also reaching the heights as this is an album all fans of modern melodic prog should get out and discover. 

Kev Rowland, January 2026

Links:
https://www.forgottengods.co.uk/