(68:20; Pat Strawser) It was through pure chance that Pat and I came into contact again, decades after I had reviewed his band Volaré, when I was asked to review an album on which he appeared. Since then I have reviewed his last solo album (2023’s ‘Vignettes’), the latest from French TV where is a member, and now he is back with another solo instrumental release. Apparently, this album is looking back to a period when Pat and his family lived in an old farmhouse in the small west Georgia community of Roosterville, which allowed him to get away from the world  and to prepare for what was to come next. This is mostly Pat, although there is a drummer on a few tracks, and he has multi-layered keyboards to create something which at times feels very Canterbury, is at others more full-on jazz and yet others where he is moving into more eclectic areas of keyboards. The music can be complex and complicated, in your face and dynamic, or it can be more laid-back with restraint and control. On...

(42:58; InsideOut Music) I was a little confused when I started playing this as it was not what I expected at all, then I realised this was not the Japanese avant-prog/RIO act O-U but is actually a Chinese prog metal act. That hyphen is definitely important. The band comprise Lynn Wu (vocals), Anthony Vanacore (drums), Jing Zhang (guitars) and Chris Cui (bass), and there is a very little here to state which country they come from (the vocals are obviously foreign, but while I now know they are Mandarin they could be anything tbh) as they have been heavily influenced by the likes of Devin Townsend and his complex wall of frenetic sound and strange djent, and it is not surprising that the mad Canuck guests on vocals on one track. The only way to describe this is “intense”, as they have taken the heart of Meshuggah and then brutalised it yet somehow also bring in some pop tendencies here and there. Wu has a lovely clear voice which provides a great top end contrast to the heavy bottom, wh...

(57:58; Spirit of Unicorn Music) I often feel that Oliver is somewhat overlooked when compared against his brother Adam, even though he has appeared on more than 60 albums, was a member of Yes, has toured and recorded with The Strawbs, as well as being responsible for a number of well-received collaborations with the likes of Steve Howe, Gordon Giltrap and Clive Nolan. In fact, one of those albums with Clive, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ is still a frequent visitor to my player. Yet even I was not prepared for the sheer majesty and beauty of this album, which is surely going to end up in my Top Ten releases for 2024. The genesis of this album began before Wakeman joined Yes in 2009, but it was only in 2023 that he finally set to and finished writing it. To help him achieve the vision, he then invited in Hayley Griffiths (Riverdance, Karnataka) on vocals, Troy Donockley (Nightwish) on pipes and whistles, Oliver Day (Fragile) on acoustic guitars, lute and mandolin, Scott Higham (Pendrag...

(144:00; Deko Entertainment) Having once been threatened with legal action many years ago by saying in a review which version of a band I thought was the real one I am not going to make that mistake again. All I will say is that this version of Nektar, based in America instead of the one in Germany, had the last three surviving members of the original group in Derek "Mo" Moore (bass, vocals), Ron Howden (drums, percussion, vocals) and special effects maestro Mick Brockett (who was always considered a full member of the band) while Ryche Chlanda (guitars, vocals) had been a member in the Seventies and Randy Dembo (bass, 12-string guitar, Taurus pedals) joined in 2003, which only leaves keyboard player Kendall Scott and backing singer Maryann Castello as “newbies”. Nektar were huge in Germany back in the day, with their early albums like ‘A Tab in the Ocean’ being rightfully regarded as classics, but for some reason they never gained the acclaim in their home country that they ...

(47:42; earMusic) It has been way too long since I heard Myrath, as the last album of theirs I reviewed was 2011’s ‘Tale of the Sands’ and there have been two more since, but at least I now have ‘Karma’ which is a blast of joy from the first note to the last. It is said that when the guys signed to Brennus to release ‘Hope’ back in 2007 they were the first band ever from Tunisia to be signed to an international label. I don’t know how true that is, but I certainly can’t think of any other bands from there (a quick check of PA’s charts for top albums from Tunisia finds them the only band listed). The only true description of their music is prog metal, but they have been through different styles and influences over the years and here we find them quite removed from their more folk influence norms, but they still find room for Middle Eastern touches here and there, plenty of orchestration and loads of polish. Guitarist Malek Ben Arbia has been at the helm for more than 20 years, founding ...

(64:00; Gabadon Records) Haze these days are a quartet of Chris McMahon (keyboards, bass, vocals), Paul McMahon (guitars, lead vocals), Danny McMahon (drums & percussion) and Catrin Ashton (flute, fiddle) along with some guests, Jessica McMahon (backing vocals), Lily McMahon (backing vocals), Hazel McMahon (backing vocals), Charlie Bramald (vocals) and Derek Nash (saxophone). Haze have long been one of my favourite bands, and I was even thanked in their 20th Anniversary live album: one of the things I have always liked about them is that not only have they always been one of the hardest gigging bands around, but even Haze is not enough. I have lost count of times I have seen Chris play outside of Haze, for him playing music is as essential as breathing, and he and Paul have a knack of continually providing songs which are melodic, full of hooks, and refusing to stick with one particular style. While they will always be associated with neo prog, there is an argument to say they ofte...

(40:28; Purple Pyramid Records) The latest Hawkestrel album from Alan Davey again includes contributions from other ex-members of Hawkwind, including quite a few who are dead (Huw Lloyd-Langton, Robert Calvert, Ginger Baker, Nik Turner for example) while  Simon House is still with us, plus plenty of other guests such as Mick Taylor (yes, THAT Mick Taylor), Geoff Downes and others. If my calculations are right, then based on what I can see, only three of the 11 tracks (including the three bonus ones only available on CD) do not have dead people involved, so I do wonder how much longer this project can proceed as surely Alan must be scraping the archives pretty clear.  The album is space rock, massively influenced by one band, and I am sure there are plenty of Hawkwind fans who will be interested in hearing this, but it is only fair that I give you a warning. When you see that track #4 is indicated as having the guests William Shatner on vocals and drummer Carmine Appice you nee...