(45:11; Ronin Rhythm Records) Kali Trio are described as a post-genre outfit, which I am sure means they don’t identify with any particular genre as such but instead cross through different areas with new ideas and ways of doing things, which by definition means they must be progressive, I guess. This is their second album, and features Nicolas Stocker (drums), Urs Müller (E-guitar) and Raphael Loher (piano), while the fourth member (space) has an integral part to play even though it is uncredited. When asked to describe their music, the band came up with: “It falls somewhere between T.C. Boyle’s prose and Tarkovsky’s dream-like image” which adds nothing to my understanding given I am unaware of either of those apart from what I read on Wikipedia. There are lots of strange signatures, repeated melodies and rhythms, and the result is something which is both alluring and relaxing and hard to listen to. Parts of it seem designed to assist in falling into a meditative state while others ar...

(60:17; Karmamoi) Italian band Karmamoi are back with their fifth album and are to a trio with Alessandro Cefalì (bass) now back as a full member alongside Daniele Giovannoni (drums, keyboards, backing vocals) and Alex Massari (guitars). The line-up is completed with many guests, including Sara Runaldi who is back on lead vocals for her third album yet is still to be credited as a full member of the band. As one may have guessed from the title, this is a concept album based on George Orwell’s idea of a room where the prisoner is subjected to their worst nightmare to break them. One might think that this would mean an album full of angst and drama, yet there are huge parts where it is quite dreamy, and in many ways, it feels quite disjointed. I would have much preferred more aggression, as the few times they come through in that manner the album is quite transformed. Although I did not hear their debut, I have reviewed all their releases since then and it is safe to say that the band ha...

(70:00; InsideOut Music) It is strange to think that soon we will be coming to Kayak’s 50th anniversary, an achievement for any band. Of course, there have been multiple line-up changes over the years, plus the band has had breaks, but the current five-man line-up stands proudly when looking back over their achievements. Of course, at the heart of it is all is Ton Scherpenzeel (keyboards, lead & backing vocals), the founder who has kept it going all these years. Drummer Hans Eijkenaar joined in 2010 before leaving and then rejoining recently, while the others all joined when Ton reset the band after 2014’s ‘Cleopatra – The Crown of Isis’. They are of course Bart Schwertmann (lead & backing vocals), Marcel Singor (guitar, lead & backing vocals) and Kristoffer Gildenlöw (bass, lead & backing vocals). Yes, there are a lot of singers on here, and while Schwertmann can be heard on most of the tracks, Marcel Singor takes lead on three, while Kristoffer Gildenlöw and Ton Scher...

(40:41; League of Lights) Formed in 2010 by Farrah and Richard West, this is their third album but the first I have come across. For those who may think the name of Richard is familiar, that is because alongside Karl Groom he is the only person who has played on every one of the mighty Threshold’s albums. Mind you, anyone seeking these out looking for another prog metal masterpiece will be in for quite a shock as this is electronic pop rock which also contains a large element of piano. It is hard to believe that next year will be the 30th anniversary of the release of Threshold’s debut album, ‘Wounded Land’, and while I have also come across Richard in projects such as Mercy Train it has always been working in a progressive field so to hear this is something of a revelation. With Richard providing the keyboards and Farrah the vocals, they have combined in a manner which is commercial, yet also inviting to people like me who normally stay well clear of this style of music. It is electro...

(53:38; Light) Argentinian progressive rock band Light are back with their second album, and I am sure it is geography which is why they are not better known as I note that on ProgArchives the only review for their 2019 debut album is mine, and as I write this there have not been any for this 2020 follow-up. The line-up has seen two changes since the debut, with Claudio Delgift (guitars, vocals) and  ONE (keyboards) being joined by Leandro Galera (bass) and drummer Nicolas Jourdain. They have also brought in a guest saxophonist on one track in Alex Pedini while none other than Derek Sherinian guests on another. Musically this is a neo-prog outfit who are a lot of fun, with some nice guitar leads and powerful interaction with keyboards. There are times when they are somewhat reminiscent of later period IQ, and others more Galahad, and they often utilise long instrumental passages which gives the music the opportunity to develop. As with the debut, I still feel they would be better i...

(65:00; Moonjune Records) Here we have the fourth studio album from Machine Mass, here amended to Machine Mass Sextet as while they normally have no more than four people involved including guests, this time we are up to six. Founders Michel Delville (guitar, Roland GR09 guitar synthesizer) and Tony Bianco (drums) are at the heart of everything while Antoine Guenet (piano) returns as a full member following on from his guest appearance on the last album, and these are then joined by three new members, Laurent Blondiau (trumpet), Manuel Hermia (saxophones) and Damien Campion (double bass). Only one of the songs is a full band composition, with Delville providing three, and Campion and Guenet one each. They kick off with Coltrane’s “Africa” and ends with Zawinul’s “In A Silent Way”, which was of course originally recorded by Zawinul with John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, and Miles Davis on Miles’s album of the same name. This is jazz, experimental and at times quite avant-garde, but jazz n...

(52:34; Earmusic) I have been a Saga fan for more than 40 years, somehow catching onto the guys just after the release of their second album, ‘Images At Twilight’ (still my favourite). I was overjoyed when I finally managed to catch them in concert in London (although they were way too quiet) and Michael Sadler is one of my favourite singers. When I heard it was going to be a reimagining of material in a more acoustic manner with some guest string musicians and even the return of Jim Crichton I was interested. Given I listen to as great deal of folk and am certainly able to attend way more folk gigs than prog here in New Zealand I was intrigued to see how this would work. The response has been incredibly upbeat, with the band gaining some of their highest chart positions in many years. I have also read loads of incredibly positive reviews, yet for some reason this just leaves me cold. I understand what the band is attempting to do, but it just does not feel honest or true enough for me...