(172:37; Cuneiform Records) Cheer-Accident have been a mainstay of the Chicago independent scene for some four decades, formed by multi-instrumentalist Thymme Jones all the way back in 1981 and have always operated with a floating membership. On this, their 27th studio album, they have one list of the 15 who were involved, and then a separate list of what instruments were used, but no confirmation of who actually did what. However, we do know who played what on the two concerts which are included in the deluxe edition of this album, which somewhat amazingly are the first official live albums of their career even though they have performed hundreds of shows. The first was recorded in Chicago in 2022 with nine members, while that line-up reduced by two for the Chicago show the following year. I confess to coming to the band rather late in that I have only known them for the last 9 years, and I have certainly not heard all of the material during that period, and nothing at all prior to ‘P...

(80:00; Arnaud Quevedo) I have not previously come across Arnaud Quevedo, but he is a French musician who has been teaching music at the  Conservatoire since 2007 and has been performing under his own name since 2020. This live release from Arnaud Quevedo & Friends finds them performing in summer 2025 and features Quevedo (guitar, vocals, keyboards, alto sax) being joined by Noe Russeil (bass, vocals), Hortense Mailhos (drums), Julien Gomila (soprano & baritone saxophones) and Eloïse Baleynaud (lead vocals, keyboards). This is fusion which also contains some Crimson elements, and the band are very tight indeed, and can also be quite heavy at times, which makes for an interesting mix of styles and dynamics. The sax is an integral music as opposed to an afterthought, while the rhythm section certainly set the stage (the bass on this is stunning throughout) and Quevedo is a super guitarist. But, and it was fairly obvious there was a “but” coming, I am not a huge fan of Eloïse ...

(55:23; Moonjune Records) When one looks at the cover one comes away with certain concepts, such as we are looking at different facets of an artist with a fractured point of view stitching together ideas from different areas, yet always with a strong grip on his guitar, and in many ways that is exactly what we hear when we play the album. My first views were Steve Vai and Robert Fripp joined together in battle, with the referee being Frank Zappa, and having listened to this album a lot (by my standards) I still hold true to those beliefs, although musically it is even more fractured and far-reaching than that. Yes, there are undoubtedly some elements which are more Crimson than others, but instead of covering a “straightforward” Crimson track, Garone instead gives us his versions of Fripp’s “Erudite Eyes”, which can originally be found on the 1968 pre-King Crimson album, ‘The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles, and Fripp’, an album Garone grew up listening to. As with many of the songs ...

(43:16; Luminol Records) As one may ascertain from the title, Aether are back with their third album in fairly quick succession, continuing in the similar excellent vein established with their 2024 album, ‘Trans-Neptunian Objects’. It is again fully instrumental, apart from a recitative interlude by Claudio Milano (Nichelodeon) on “Vogon”, and was recorded live in the studio, with the songs themselves developed on themes discovered during rehearsals and improvisations undertaken during 2025. It is the same line-up as on the previous releases, namely Andrea Ferrari (guitars, keyboards), Andrea Grumelli (fretless bass), Andrea Serino (Fender Rhodes, keyboards) and Matteo Ravelli (drums, electronics) and somehow, they are seamlessly combining music from genres as diverse as ambient/New Age, symphonic, classical and jazz to create something which at times is delicate yet at others is incredibly powerful indeed. Depending on what track I am listening to I find myself moving more to the keyb...

(35:07; Greydisc) Recorded on 28th April 2024 here we have Kevin (6-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar, 18-string Contraguitar) recording with Phil Grenadier (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) for their second album together. I note this was mixed and mastered by Sandor Szabo, with whom Kevin has a long relationship, and that has certainly assisted in what is one of his finest releases to date. Neither musician is constrained in any way, and this never feels like an improvised piece of work as the two work seamlessly in the way they bounce off each other. Phil is often the melodic lead, but it is the nuances and additional runs from Kevin that makes them work so well. A trumpet and guitar (no matter how many strings) do not seem like natural bedfellows, but here they combine incredibly well, and when this is playing, I feel the world drop away so that all that exists is the music and the images being created in my mind. I feel like I am walk...

(42:31 / 39:38; Greydisc) Kevin’s ninth and tenth solo albums are a continuation of his last two, being the third and fourth in the Codex series. In each case he is playing either 36-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Contra-Baritone guitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar or 6-string guitar, and when it is the double necks, he plays with one hand on each and they have been recorded in that manner. This means that when playing on headphones it is possible to hear the two necks on separate channels so the listener can understand a little more of what Kevin is doing. There are no overdubs, everything was recorded live, and knowing Kevin it is probable that he was live composing at the time, going where the music took him as opposed to being fully scored and composed ahead of time. I have lost count of how many of his albums I have listened to and reviewed, and there is always that initial wonder on how he can play so many strings yet always know where ...

(47:04; Atomhenge) While 1977 was the release of one of Hawkwind’s most important albums, ‘Quark, Strangeness and Charm’ (which was actually the first album of theirs I heard), it also saw the band having some issues with more line-up changes, a poor American tour, and Calvert collapsing onstage suffering from mental issues. Hawkwind stopped touring for a while and Calvert was recovering, so Brock’s thoughts turned to having a side project for a while. He had built a relationship with local Devon band Ark, some of whom had played with him and Calvert at the Stonehenge Free Festival the previous year, so not why do something with them again. Brock and Calvert contacted three members of that band, bass guitarist Harvey Bainbridge, drummer Martin Griffin and keyboard player Paul Hayles, and as Sonic Assassins they played Queen’s Hall Barnstaple on 23rd December 1977. It was recorded for posterity, and three tracks were released in 1981 as the ‘Sonic Assassins’ EP, but it is only now that ...

(72:00; Cherry Red) I am not quite sure as to whether to view this as a new studio recording or a compilation, or both, as what we have here is a combination of unheard recordings, newly reworked classics and fresh material from the current line-up, and I am not sure exactly who plays on what. I am aware that the vibrant and upbeat “Hurry On Sundown” is the final recording to feature Huw Lloyd- Langton, who left the band in 2002 and died from cancer in 2012, but have no information as to where and when it was recorded. Hawkwind as a band have probably suffered more than most from having compilations released over which they have had no control, along with many live recordings (some of which have poor sound quality at best), so much so that anyone who says they have a complete collection is either lying or demented, which means that there is always a certain level of trepidation when approaching any of their albums which have been compiled. However, this is a fascinating viewpoint into ...

(34:03; CDN Records) I must confess I knew nothing about this band prior to grabbing the album, which I did just because I thought the name was great (and I also love their logo, the shirts look amazing). Of course, this meant a large part of me thought I was possibly opening myself up for some disappointment, but I am truly glad to report that is not the case. I have never been the biggest fan of pure deathcore, but these guys are technical deathcore combined with progressive death metal, and that makes a huge difference as one truly never knows what is happening next.  It could be quick riffs, some highly complex leads which come in and out, some melodic switches, change in tempo, a totally different drum pattern or vocals which switch between styles. Apart from singer Matt Sherriff who joined in 2018, all the band have been together since their formation in 2012 which means that Tyler Abrams (bass), Justin Whitehead (drums), Chris Chaperon (lead guitars) and Dan Oko (rhythm guit...

(153:40; Friends of the Fish) There are only a very few labels I deal with where I always grab everything I am offered as I have such high respect for what they do, and Fruits de Mer are very much part of that select list and this double CD (gatefold cardboard sleeve) really epitomises what they are about. Firstly, this album is not for sale, it was sent freely to FdeM club members who bought the early June commercial releases. Secondly, this 2½ hour set was funded by the label, not the bands featured, as the label was keen on  bringing new music and new artists, to the attention of fans of the label. Most of the artists featured are new to FdM found by chance, by searching social media, by recommendations, or by the bands finding FdeM and then Keith Jones thinking that regular customers would like them and may want to investigate further. If that is not enough, on the CD it says clearly where each song is taken from, as well as where to be able to purchase it from. For example, th...

(39:56; Z Machine) It is not unusual for me to do things in a strange manner, so having heard Rob Harrison’s second album I then listened to his debut, and it is only now that I am moving onto the first Z Machine album which was released in 2023 (I hear the second is due soon). What we have here is a Welsh jazz rock/progressive rock quintet featuring Lester Greenhalgh (drums & percussion), Rob Harrison (saxophone, flute), Kristian Rees (bass) and guitarists Gareth Piper and Owen Rosser. The first thing that stands out from their sound is that there are no keyboards (which is not a total surprise in that these guys are so tight they could not fit in another instrument) and that they have far more in common with a “straight” jazz band than rock, but they are very much a rock group. It is not unusual in jazz for a saxophone to be the main melodic lead working with a very technical rhythm section who do way more than just provide a foundation, but what is unusual here is the use of twi...

(59:32; Inside Out Music) There was a time when a new Yes album was a cause for great celebration, but I must confess that like many I have become somewhat jaded over the years and there is a large part of me which thinks that Yes without Anderson isn’t really Yes at all, especially with Chris Squire no longer around either. But, although I may not have been a huge fan of the recent albums, I did enjoy Davidson singing when Yes came to NZ twice (when both Squire and White were still there), and thought he was great in Glass Hammer so maybe it was just me? I think, and I could well be wrong as I often am, that this is the first time in nearly 40 years when there has been a line-up which has produced two albums together, and I am sure that has greatly helped in what is easily their most consistent and enjoyable release since 2011’s ‘Fly From Here’. Is it the Yes of the Seventies? No, of course not – none of the bands from that era are the same, either in line-up or musical style, but is ...

(46:25; Crooked Cat Music) Over the many years I have been reviewing it has become very clear indeed that some bands are more prolific than others, while others take their own sweet time on releasing their debut album then finally get in the groove, but I must confess to this being the first time I have heard of a band taking nearly half a century to get their act together! Stoggam were originally formed as Maggots back in 1977 by  composer/multi-instrumentalist Peter Fallowell and while the initial enthusiasm passed away the band never officially broke up, and everyone kept in touch with each other. Fast forward to 2022 and Peter found the song he was working on (opener and single “Feel Life”) made him think of the guys, so perhaps they should get together and record it? One thing led to another, and the result is their debut album featuring Peter Fallowell – (composition, drums/percussion, rhythm guitars, mphonic orchestra, lead vocals), John Duffy (solo and rhythm guitars, vocal...

(62:36; Moonjune Records) ‘Fractal Guitar 4’ is the fourth instalment in the ‘Fractal Guitar’ series which Swiss composer and guitarist Stephan Thelen initiated in 2015, with the last chapter being released in 2022. This is not the only series he has been working on and along with separate projects this is his 13th release since the first, which in itself was his 12th solo album outside of his work with Sonar. On this he again has multiple guests, many of whom he has worked with before, with only Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset playing on every track alongside Thelen, with the others contributing here and there. These include American guitarist Jon Durant, Israeli drummer Yogev Gabay, Markus Reuter from Germany (touch guitar), Fabio Anile from Italy (electric piano), Stefan Huth from Germany (touch bass guitar), Giri Subramaniam from India (tabla) and Andi Pupato from Switzerland (percussion), so a truly international line-up. When I started listening to this the first person I thoug...

(144:36; Fruits de Mer) This compilation is designed to provide an overview of Space Debris, a still active Krautrock band from Germany. Three of the nine tracks on the triple vinyl set from FdeM, which is already sold out by the way, are more than 20 minutes long while the set is more than two hours in length. If you can find a copy it also comes with a 24 pp A4 booklet, although you may find it easier to search out the digital version which also has two additional numbers. Formed in 2002 by two friends, Tommy Gorny (guitar) and Christian Jäger (drums), to play improvised music inspired by the Seventies’ Krautrock and Psychedelic bands, they were joined by keyboard player Winnie Rimbach-Sator in 2008 and have had a few bassists, although Vroni Frisch has been there for the last decade. However, this material predates her arrival, stretching all the way back to 2005, with “Villamountain” hailing from 2012 and is the only previously unreleased material. I had not heard of this band prio...

(26:54; Siiilk) It has been quite a while since I last heard from French band Siiilk, but I was a huge fan of their 2017 album ‘Endless Mysteries’ and this four-track set was recorded just two years later at Les Nuits de Fourvière on July 21st, 2019, when they were the opening act for Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets. Given they were the opening act I presume this is the complete set, so we have four songs, with three from the 2012 debut and only one from the previous album. The line-up has been stable with Richard Pick (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Catherine Pick (vocals, Indian harmonium), Gilbert Gandil (electric guitar), Jacques Roman (keyboards) and Guillaume Antoncelli (bass guitar) still there and the only change being the introduction of a new drummer, Clément Vullion. In some ways this material is quite reminiscent of Hackett, but there are undoubtedly also elements of Pink Floyd, Seventies Barclay James Harvest, Camel, Caravan, and so much more. There are times when it...

(73:00; Progressive Promotion Records) Formed in the early 80’s by keyboard player Derk Akkermann, Saris have had different line-ups over the years combined with periods of inactivity. I enjoyed their last album, 2020’s ‘Beyond The Rainbow’, but said there needed to be quite a few changes to be able to move ahead although I never thought they would have a total rethink of approach and alter the line-up but that is what has happened. Henrik Wager (lead & backing vocals) and Lutz Günther (bass) are also still there, but they have now been joined by veteran proggers Jimmy Keegan (drums, percussion), Marek Arnold (saxophone) and Martin Schnella (guitars), which has changed their music in multiple ways, all for the better. More of a thematic album than a concept, it has been influenced by the state of the world, the power, the politics, the paranoia, religion and revenge, technology and temptation, corruption and contradiction. There is a need to save ourselves from others and sometime ...

(42:06; Rory Ridley-Duff) This is Rory’s fourth solo album, released at the beginning of this year, which he describes as a mix of progressive/symphonic rock music with splashes of cool jazz. I noticed that the album available on Bandcamp has seven tracks, while my version has eight, and then I realised the last song on my set is actually the promo for this release, which is also available on Bandcamp. At eight minutes long it contains 30 second snippets of each piece, with Rory explaining what each song represents, and I don’t think I have come across anything quite like this before, and there is no doubt it aided with my understanding of the album as a whole and really works. It is certainly a great way of discovering Rory’s music (and is “name your price” so what do you have to lose?). There are no guests on this release and Rory proudly states that AI was not used at any point and that he plays everything himself, which is great to know. AI is supposed to take the drudgery out of w...

(41:53; Rory Ridley-Duff) Here we have the third solo album from Protos co-founder Rory Ridley-Duff which contains six new songs and a re-recording of a Protos number to honour Stevie Anscombe who had passed away. If one goes to Rory’s Bandcamp page, he provides details of what each song represents which is good to see as when one is faced with an instrumental keyboard album it may not always be possible to understand the artist’s intentions. For the most part this is quite a reflective album, with multi-layers of keyboards and there are times when there is a clear Wakeman influence on the melody and keyboard sound choices, and he can also shift tempo such as on “The Fugitive” which is bright and dynamic with good use of drums. This is definitely the standout track for me and is also the longest at more than 9 minutes, but it never drags and continues to morph throughout. I confess I do have an issue with “Ghost Rap”, which is pretty much as one might expect from the title, and is the ...

(45:06; Rob Harrison) Having only recently come across Rob with his excellent ‘Overflow’ release it seemed fitting to go back a few years and investigate his 2024 debut, ‘Explode My Head’. At the time of this release he was playing in both Mascot Moth and The Felix Subway Band, had co-founded Z Machine with Owen Rosser and Gareth Piper, and had been under the wing of Ian East (Gong) for four years to improve his sax playing. On this release Rob provides all guitars, saxophone, bass, vocals & sfx, but he has also brought in a few guests to make this much more of a band release as opposed to a one-man project, including the aforementioned Mr. East who contributes both flute and bass clarinet. The excellent drummer Eliseo Salverri is utilised on most tracks, and it is no surprise that Rob also used his talents on his second album. Rob is very much influenced by British progressive bands who are more experimental than many, with Cardiacs and pronk being very much the major style combin...

(49:48; Progressive Promotion Records) Rick is back with his 21st album, which is the 14th in succession which I have reviewed, starting all the way back with 2009’s ‘Falling Through Rainbows’. These days Rick is hugely consistent with his output, with this being is seventh album in seven years, and with exactly the same personnel as last year’s ‘Perspective’, three of whom have been with him for more than 20 years. Heavily influenced by The Moody Blues and the more atmospheric releases from David Gilmour and Steve Hackett, one always knows what one is going to get with Miller, a heavily dreamy version of symphonic rock with his vocals providing another ambient nature. Mind you, those who think he has forgotten what the volume control is for on his guitar, or the use of dynamics, should look closely at the longest track on the album, “The Game”. It is this song which has been used as the inspiration for the cover art, and changes melody and approach during its nine plus minutes. I alwa...

(60:00; Progressive Promotion Records) The guys are more settled on this their latest release, with  Pete Mush (synths), Tom Tee (guitar), and Jaro (bass) now having a full-time drummer in Jazzper Coulier, who was one of three drummers on the ‘Oneironauts’. Flautist Charles Sla is back again as a guest along with cellist Lyssa Toyimbo but no room this time for Ozric’s Ed Wynne which is a shame, as if any band is continuing his work, it must be these Belgians. This is their tenth album, and the fifth I have heard out of the last six, and they are getting even more complex as they mix dance with space rock, psychedelia, tribal and so much more. When this album is on and the music is blasting out it is like nothing else exists as it takes control of the senses, and although they can slow it down when they wish and provide the contrast and dynamics which music needs to breathe, the listener knows it is just time to rest until they come back again with a vengeance. It is Ozrics mixed wi...

(39:37; Protos) Protos was formed in 1977 by Rory Ridley-Duff (keyboards) and Steve Anscombe (guitars), and their 1982 debut album, ‘One Day a New Horizon’, had an expanded line-up which included Neil Goldsmith, Iain Carnegie and Nigel Rippon. By 1984 the band was no more, but Ridley-Duff and Anscombe stayed active in the music scene, and following on from a CD reissue of the album in 2006 they released a new album the following year. What we have here is a new keyboards and drums version of the original with Ridley-Duff being joined by drummer Alex Warwick. Apparently Anscombe was involved in the arrangements but was too ill to be musically active as he was suffering from a terminal illness, and on the front cover it states, “In memory of Stephen Anscombe”. It is somewhat unusual for a band to revisit their debut so long after the original was released, and although I probably know more underground prog than many, I must confess I have never come across the original. This album has th...

(39:41; The Laser's Edge) Poly-Math are a British instrumental act formed in 2013 by guitarist Tim Walters who was originally drummer of post-rock band Monsters Build Mean Robots. He wanted to focus on guitar and instrumental music and was soon joined by bassist Joe Branton and drummer Chris Woollison. Shortly after the release of their 2018 album, ‘House Of Wisdom | We Are The Devil’ they were joined by American multi-instrumentalist Josh Geesner, who had relocated to the UK, and although they moved to a quintet for a short while with saxophonist Chris Olsen joining the ranks they are once again operating as a quartet.  Musically this is all over the place with an incredibly diverse set of influences ranging from early classic prog, Ethio-jazz, post-rock, math rock, African tribal rhythms and so much more. There is a great deal going on at all times with hugely complex and complicated arrangements and massive note density, which means the listener needs to pay close attention to w...