(42:26; 3VE Records [2026 Edition] ) Track list: 1. Blackmail 4:41 2. Dancing into Daylight 2:11 3. Supervision 5:19 4. Signs of Solitude 4:11 5. Tragedy 5:12 6. Time for a Change 5:40 7. Woman's Art? 3:04 8. Paradise Lost 12:08 Line-up: Pit Furrer - drums, percussion Urs  Hochuli - bass, guitars, pedals Roland Ruckstuhl - piano, organ, keyboards, sequencer, vocoder Peter Wolf - vocals, flute, saxophones, percussion  Prolusion. Swiss band Flame Dream were active from their formation in 1977 until they disbanded in 1986, and then returned again as recording artists back in 2024. Following the band's return they have reissued the studio albums they made when they were active the first time around. Now in 2026 it is their fourth album "Supervision" that has been made available again in the good, old CD format. Analysis. While Flame Dream is a band that at least on their earlier albums had mixed aspects of different styles and sounds while also sticking rather close to a ...

(57:24; Layered Reality Productions) Track list: 1. Some Things I 4:08 2. Chameleon 5:22 3. Surface Scratching 3:59 4. Heading Back 2:19 5. Home 4:40 6. Butterflies 3:56 7. Mourning After II 6:30 8. Dreamwalk II. The Descent 8:44 9. Shock Awakening 1:29 10. Jimmy 5:45 11. Some Things II 10:32 Line-up: Tom de Wit – vocals, guitars, bass, synthesizers with: Laura ten Voorde - violin, backing vocals Sander Stegeman - guitars, backing vocals Rosita Reitsma - vocals Elvya Dulcimer - dulcimer Lennert Kemper - guitars Sybren Boonstra - guitars Michiel van der Werff - guitars Norbert Veenbrink - guitars Hanna van Gorcum - violin Tristan Visser - guitars Maarten Gunsing - vocals Joop de Rooij - synthesizers Frank Schiphorst - guitars Ben van Gastel - guitars Prolusion.  Dutch venture TDW is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Tom De Wit, a project that has been active since the early 2000's with close to a dozen productions released under this moniker as of 2026. The album "M...

(52:43; Lizard Records) ‘Volevo Andare Altrove’ (‘I Wanted To Go Elsewhere’) is the debut album by Italian progressive outfit Arianuova (New Air). Daniele Olia (guitars,  keyboards, lute, vocals) had the idea of releasing a concept album about the atavistic desires of human beings, and to assist him in that resolve he brought in Luca Bonomi (drums), Massimo Zanon (lead vocals) and Michele Spinoni (guitar). The press release I read is in English, thankfully, but the album is Italian which means the story itself is rather lost on me. Apparently, the booklet also contains all the lyrics in English, so it will be useful to have that to hand when listening to this. While we do get some classic RPI touches here and there, and some definite nods to PFM, this also has plenty of Neo, Symphonic and Crossover stylings as well, which is where I would have put this on PA if I was still involved with the genre teams. Highlights for me are the delicate eight-minute-long instrumental “La quiete do...

(41:37; Moonjune Records) This is the third album from Dutch multi-instrumentalist Anton Roolart (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synths) who has been joined by Rave Tesar (Renaissance) on piano and keyboards, drummer Bob Kirby, Wouter Schueler (flute, saxophones), Rozh Surchi (backing vocals) and Mark Donato (backing vocals). This is the first time I have come across Anton, and I note it has been more than ten years since his last release, but given how much of this he undertakes himself, perhaps it is not too much of a surprise. This is a carefully constructed and thought through album, which has been heavily influenced by the progressive rock of the early Seventies,  and it is not altogether a surprise to realise that the closing number is a cover of “Yesterday and Today” from Yes’ 1969 debut. This is an album which does take listening to, as there is a lot going on, and it is easy to let this pass by, but when one pays attention, it is possible to hear the many layers and sty...

(30:03, Timezone Records) These days most people will know Jeff from the power trio Ape Shifter, but I first came across him some years ago when he was best known for his acoustic guitar albums and for being a Guinness World Record holder (most concerts performed in different countries in 24 hours, nine!). Here he has gone back to his roots and released an album which is mostly him (guest second guitarist on one track, guest violinist on another). Although this is available in the normal digital formats it has also been released on vinyl, the first of his albums to be treated that way, and we get 12 instrumentals in 30 minutes. There is just one song which makes it over four minutes in length, and another which just scrapes three, and there are also a few which are under two, but it is all about quality as opposed to quality. In many ways this feels like a hybrid of the acoustic work of Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett, with possibly a little Allan Holdsworth thrown in for good measu...

(32:25; Deko Entertainment) In 2018 Nektar split into two versions, with drummer Ron Howden asking fellow founder Mo Moore (bass) to return, along with  former members Randy Dembo (bass, guitar), Mick Brockett (lights, projections and atmosphere), and Ryche Chlanda (guitar and vocals), along with new keyboard player Kendall Scott. After a long battle with cancer Howden died in 2023, being replaced by Jay Dittamo, while Dembo left prior to the recording, but in many ways this is another stable line-up, which comes through in the music. This does not sound like a band attempting to replay what they were doing 50 years previously but instead are taking the complexity and melody of Nektar but bringing it somewhat up to date with a modern approach, especially in the keyboard sounds. The vocal harmonies are great, with Mo and Ryche  sounding like they did all the way back in 1978, while Dittamo sits perfectly in the drum seat, providing the complexity with Howden was renowned for. L...

(134:00; Cherry Red Records [2025 Edition] ) As with many bands who have been around a long time, Nektar have had quite a chequered line-up and history, with all founder members leaving the band at one time or another, and there were a few periods when they were totally disbanded, including from 1982 - 2000. It was then that Roye Albrighton and Taff Freeman came back together, this time as a trio with new drummer Ray Hardwick. There were another six line-up changes by the time they got to 2007, by which time Roye had been rejoined by original drummer Ron Howden, and they were now augmented by Klaus Henatsch (keyboards, backing vocals) and Peter Pichl (bass). They stayed together for four years, a lengthy period of continuity for Nektar, during which time they toured frequently. ‘Fortyfied’ was captured on the 2008 European tour and released in 2009 on Albrighton’s own Treacle Music label and has long since been unavailable and has now been remastered and is available once again. Unlike...

(247:00; Esoteric Recordings [2026 Edition] ) 1974 saw the release of the fifth studio album by the classic Nektar line-up of Roye Albrighton (guitars, lead vocals), “Mo” Moore (bass, vocals), “Taff” Freeman (keyboards, vocals), Ron Howden (drums, percussion) and Mick Brockett (visual minority, general hassles). Loosely based on a circus theme, with guests such as Bob Calvert (who played the part of the ringmaster), PP Arnold (backing vocals) and Dieter Dierks (effects) plus many others, it has now been reissued by Esoteric in a 4CD extended version with notes by Mo and Mick (the only surviving members of the band) and an essay by Mark Powell which is simply fascinating and full of information. This set includes the original album, remastered, plus the Chipping Norton mix of the same. When they were close to the end of the recording, they decided to celebrate Mo’s birthday on March 27th by having a live jam session running through ideas, and the result of that is included here. It prov...

(85:00, Space Rock Productions) This is the eighth album by desert space rock band 3rd Ear Experience, but I must confess it is the first time I have come across them, thanks to my good friend Dr. Space who is one of the many musicians involved on this release. What we have here is a concept album which has actually been envisaged as a ballet, with the band currently attempting to raise funds for that to actually take place (and I truly hope they succeed as I can “see” that being an incredible experience). The story is that of a Viking boy and a Celtic priestess who live in parallel universes, often inhabiting the same space as they both sit by the same tree by the same pond, but of course cannot see each other. Slowly they subtly begin to merge, sharing thoughts within their dreams, but their parallel universes are also merging, and what does that mean?  What I find remarkable is the number of diverse influences being somehow combined in a way which should never really work but it...

(38:06; Cuneiform) Roger Clark Miller formed his first band, Sproton Layer, all the way back in 1969 and he views it as his first really good rock band. The second was Misson of Burma (1979), and then in 2012 he decided to move away from post-punk and thought of creating a new band which allowed him to free up his guitar. He had played with Larry Dersch in his duo Binary System, and met multi-instrumentalist Andrew Willis while Andrew was engineering an Alloy Orchestra score and asked him to join Trinary System on bass and synthesizer. This is their second album since then (by their own admission they don’t play together very much) with Roger C. Miller providing guitars, vocals, Mellotron, cornet, piano, P. Andrew Willis provides basses, micro-synths, vocals, with Larry Dersch on drums, whisky flask. In many ways this is what Talking Heads would be doing if they were more angular (so jagged that the chords are coming out of the speakers like razor blades), and if the last 45 years hadn...

(37:37; Sterbus) Here is the latest album from Sterbus, an Italian band based around multi-instrumentalists and singers Emanuele Sterbini and Dominique D'Avanzo along with associated guests who are used on different tracks depending on the need. The last album I reviewed by these guys was ‘Real Estate/Fake Inferno’ which was their homage to Cardiacs, and this is very different indeed. If I was to try and describe it then I would guess it would be psychedelia mixed with art rock and ‘Sgt Pepper’-era Beatles, and that nothing on the album was written or recorded after 1972.  Okay, so that is obviously not right, but that is exactly how the music makes me feel. Strangely, this album also deals with mental illness, the second time I have reviewed a concept album with that topic this week, but whereas The Reticent are dealing with depression from a very personal viewpoint, here we are looking at the story of Virginia Wolfe who suffered from the time she was a teenager (today’s experts b...

(49:44; Generation Prog Records) I generally think of myself as being quite clued up with what is going on in the prog scene, but even someone as prolific as myself cannot review everything out there. However, it is something of a surprise to come across an artist who has already released five albums in the last two decades, with this being the sixth, yet I have never heard of them. Although this may seem to be a band, it is actually mostly the work of multi-instrumentalist Chris Hathcock, who is also active as guitarist and singer in symphonic death metal act Xael, and has also drummed in Knightmare and Wehrwolfe. On this album he provides all instrumentation and vocals apart from James Nelson (lead guitar, acoustic guitar), Brian Kingsland (vocals on one track, Nile) and narrator Vienna Gloom. This is a concept album which works through the complex terrain of mental illness, with each song shedding light on a unique psychological struggle, from the disorientation of panic attacks and...

(50:36; Ôresund Space Collective) Here we have what has been lovingly described as jam #17 from the Stockholm Sessions, Dec 10th, 2024. That day in the studio there was Mattias (drums), Jonathan (guitar, violin), Christian (guitar), Jiri (bass), Mogens (synths), Dr. Space (Moog Spectravox), Love (congas, percussion) and KG (Mellotron, Mini- Moog), all looking to each other for inspiration. I admit to having long been a fan of this band, having reviewed their debut when it was released in 2006, and after more than 40 albums containing assorted improvised jams, they keep producing the goods, and this is possibly their strongest yet. As well as the rhythm section and a percussionist we have two guitarists (including one who switches to violin when the time is right) and three keyboard players, and it is down to the latter to provide the atmosphere and the backdrop, the rhythm section to provide some sort of foundation and melody, while all the time we have the guitarists turning up the am...

(39:43; Cuneiform) Not only is this a fascinating album musically, but the performances must be insane, as what we have here is the latest album by Gilles Laval who has been inspired by Arthur Rimbaud’s 1871 poem, ‘Le Bateau ivre’. But Laval has taken this to the next level as not only has he written seven instrumental pieces inspired by the poem, but then he has worked with 20 core guitarists who appear on this album. When it is performed those 20 are spread among four groups of 25 guitarists of varying different ability levels, with the audience sat in the centre of the four stages. Laval has long been an advocate for this type of mass participation, but what is intriguing to me is that even if the listener knew nothing about the background and just listened to the music, they would come away understanding there was something quite special going on even if they did not know what it was. Rimbaud may have felt he was on a drunken boat, but to the listener the sounds being produced make...

(41:00; Iapetus) On May 23rd, 2025, Frankie Cofone went to Berlin to record his second ambient guitar album at the Hansa Studios with Markus Reuter acting as producer. When they had finished there was still an hour of studio time left, at which point Markus spotted a vintage ARP Solina String Ensemble and he asked the engineer to patch it in. Markus and Frankie started playing together, with the result being this album. There has been very little done to the recording since that night when two musicians just sat and created something special, and the result is New Age, Ambient, and simply beautiful.   Markus uses the synthesizer to create a wonderful, lush backdrop for Francis to play against, both following the other’s lead as to what needs to come next, being transported by the music as they go on a journey which is enthralling, enlightening, and incredibly buoyant. There is a steely strength within the fragility, as while there is a gossamer lightness there is also the feel...

(79:32 x 2; Flaming Row) There is no doubt that German Progressive Metal act Flaming Row do not believe in doing anything by halves but instead go full out and can be massively over the top, and that is what has happened with this, their latest album. Although I enjoyed 2019’s ‘The Pure Shine’, I said that using as its concept the story of Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’ was wrong, and they could not possibly do it justice as the story was far too large to condense into an album. I have no idea if that caused a rethink in their approach, but they decided that for their next release they were going to again undertake a concept based on a story, but this time asked a friend of the band to write one they could use. Christian Dolle happily obliged, and provided them with “Hüterin Der Schriften”, a fantasy story about heroines attempting to save humanity as they battle against The Mesh. If one gets the standard version then you get the album twice, once in English and once in German, and th...

(53:00; Progrock.com's Essentials) Suzi James (guitars, bass, keyboards, flute, violin, oud, mandolin), Yael Shotts (vocals) and Sharon Petrover (drums) are back with their third album, following on from 2022’s ‘The Difficult Second’. Yet again Suzi has taken on a huge amount of work, providing all the instruments (apart from drums) herself, except for the input of Mark Cook on Warr Guitar on one track. Yet again I must say this never sounds like a project but instead feels like a full band as Suzi truly is a master of many instruments so one never realises it is just one person doing the work. Yet again the arrangements are key, and Suzi maintains interest by using both different instrumentation and approaches to ensure one is never sure what is going to happen from one song to the next.  I must admit to not really enjoying much of the drum sound, and I wonder if Sharon is using an electronic kit this time as while the playing is great the sound is quite muted and somewhat dead at...

(60:00; Erewän) Erewän is a singer-songwriter from Nice in France, and here he has returned with his second album, following from 2021’s ‘How Will All This End’. In many ways this is prog folk with influences here and there from Celtic, film scores, New Age, Ambient etc. Opening track “Greetings From Slumberland” reminds me somewhat of Iona, and I was really enjoying this instrumental as while it does somewhat meander along it is definitely pleasant with flute, mandolin and other instruments combining with the electric guitar to provide plenty of layers and support. I thought this was setting the scene for the rest of the album, but sadly this was the highlight, and it went downhill from there with far less emphasis on Celtic and more of prog folk with little direction. The main reason for my lack of enjoyment is that while Erewän is obviously a good musician who can write enjoyable material, he is not a very good singer, or at least his voice is an acquired taste which I do not apprec...

(44:41; Wild Thing Records) This is the first time I have come across Adelaide’s Dyssidia, who have been releasing material for more than a decade, and here have returned with their second album, five years after their debut, ‘Costly Signals’. The band are a quartet, Corey Davis (guitars), Neil Palmer (bass), Mitch Brackman (vocals) and Liam Weedall (drums): there are also keyboards on this release which are important to the overall sound, but I have no idea who provides these. What we have is hard-hitting technical progressive metal which is bringing in a great deal of influences and extremes and there is no doubt they have been listening a great deal to TessaracT, while one can only wonder how much impact co-producer Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse) had on the final sound. There is also no doubt to my ears that they have also been paying close attention to Protest the Hero, as Mitch has the ability to sing or growl with a huge range, similar in many ways to Rody Walker, while they have ...

(39:50; Astronomy Recording Music) Following on from 2022’s debut EP, ‘Consecuencias’, here we have the debut album from Spanish quintet Demo Rumudo, who comprise Álvaro Fernández ( alto sax, soprano sax, tenor sax, flute, EWI), Gabriel Visinel (guitars), Ángel Rodríguez (drums), Andrés Real (fretless bass, double bass) and Hugo Martsan (keyboards, programming). According to the band, “’Second Nature’ is an entirely instrumental album where progressive structures and jazz-driven freedom coexist naturally. The music moves with precision and intent, balancing technical depth with a strong emotional core.” While I think this is a great summary of what I am listening to, I would actually argue that this is less JRF and way more “straight” jazz, whatever that is. This is one of those albums which is hugely complex and complicated, wonderfully layered and arranged, where everyone has a huge role in the overall proceedings yet at the same time is somehow relaxing and incredibly easy to listen...

(66:00; Ma.Ra.Cash Records) This album has been creating quite a few waves in the prog scene, so I thought I ought to check it out. Daal are an Italian duo formed by DAvide Guidoni and ALfio Costa, and since their debut in 2009 have been fairly active releasing both this, their eighth album, and ‘Live: Waves from the Underground’, their ninth, in 2025. The line-up is the same as it has been for the last few releases with Alfio Costa (piano, Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, Mellotron, Minimoog, Moog Sub-37, Roli Seaboard and other synths) and Davide Guidoni (drums, acoustic percussions, noises and samplers) joined by Ettore Salati (guitars) and Bobo Aiolfi (basses). They are often an instrumental act, but this time there are two songs which have vocals, care of Joe Sal and Alphabeard. According to ProgArchives, reviewers/raters have their other 2025 album at #24 in the top albums of 2025, with this being at #36, but to be honest I just don’t get it at all. There are some reviewers who say h...

(139:00; Crime Records) SPOILER ALERT: In this review I will be discussing some of the storyline and participants, so if you want to listen to the album without this information then just be aware this is the third in the ‘Professor King’ trilogy but in many ways should more accurately be thought of as a sequel to ‘Alchemy’ and if you enjoyed those then this is essential.  Clive and I have known each other for more than 30 years and I have always followed his musical path with interest as he has never been content with staying in just one area, but has spread his talents wide, as a composer, librettist, musician, singer and producer. He has been involved in numerous projects, and I consider myself lucky that I saw him front Shadowland on the infamous ‘Lurve Ambassadors’ tour a million years ago, but I am always honest with my opinions so if I didn’t enjoy this then I would say so. However, this is a wonderful continuation of the story which commenced with 2013’s ‘Alchemy’, and was ...