(46:13; Karisma Records) Track list: 1. Bussola do Tempo 5:13 2. Castelos do Ceu 7:15 3. Sonhos Medievais 7:57 4. Mandala 4:47 5. Cruz da Ordem 10:16 6. Ciclos 3:34 7. Filtro dos Sonhos 7:11 Line-up: Jove David Paiva - vocals, bass Ronaldo Rodrigues - keyboards Elcio Cafaro - drums Prolusion. Brazilian band Caravela Escarlate has been a part of the progressive rock scene in their native Brazil for a bit over a decade, with three full length albums to their name at the time of writing. Their third and most recent production is simply named "III", and was released by Norwegian label Karisma Records at the start of 2023. Analysis. Caravela Escarlate is an easy band to place as far as the subset of the progressive rock universe is concerned. Symphonic progressive rock is the name of the game here, and explored in a manner that looks back towards the golden era of this specific form. The organ is a vital instrument on all of the songs here, often as the dominant presence placed on...

(69:46; Issun) Track list: 1. Think I´ll Stay in Bed Today 2:36 2. Lost Generation 5:11 3. Falling Away 7:43 4. Sleep in the Forest 6:20 5. Tempest of Laughter 17:02 6. Twilight Forest 6:42 7. Dark Green Glow 9:24 8. Jessica 2:31 9. Remember Me 8:21 10. Even 3:56 Line-up: Tobias Schröder - vocals, keybaords, percussion Marc Andrejkovits - bass Markus Ottenberg - guitars Simon Schröder - drums with: Martin Schnella - guitars Prolusion. German band Issun has been a going entity since 2015 or thereabouts, initially being a solo project more than a band unit as such. Following the initial album "Issun" in 2015 this venture developed to become a proper band unit, and had stabilized a line-up prior to recording and self-releasing the album "Dark Green Glow" in 2019. Analysis. Issun as of 2019 is a band with one foot firmly placed inside a melodic rock context, while the other one has been wedged somewhere inside of the progressive rock universe. The variety of progressive...

(42:17; The Skys) Track list: 1. Get Rid of This 4:03 2. Automatic Minds 4:40 3. The Guardian of the Water Tower 5:19 4. Singing Tree 3:17 5. Templar’s Last Stand 4:04 6. Love of Life 5:49 7. Dry Water 3:50 8. Dead End 7:51 9. Communication 3:23 Line-up: Jonas Ciurlionis - guitars, vocals Bozena Buinicka - keyboards, vocals Justinas Tamasevicius - bass Ilja Molodcov - drums with: Snowy White - guitars Neil Taylor  - guitars Glenn Sharp  - guitars Justin Klunk - saxophones Rob Townsend - saxophones Durga McBroom - backing vocals India Carney - backing vocals Christopher Alexander Hudiburgh - backing vocals Prolusion. Lithuanian band The Skys have a history that goes back to the 1990's, and their first few studio recordings also dates back to that decade. It would take almost a decade before the band were ready with their debut album "Postmodern Game" however, and a fair few years went by before they were ready with their second album. Following this they have released new ...

(41:23; Soniq Theater) Track list: 1. Robotron 3:58 2. Robert the Robot 4:27 3. Cyborgs 3:36 4. Working Robots 2:55 5. Cyber Space 4:24 6. Robot Brain 4:02 7. Dreaming Robots 2:17 8. Automatic Man 4:42 9. Stumbling Robot 0:53 10. Robot Dance 4:39 11. Robot Food 5:30 Line-up: Alfred Mueller - all instruments Prolusion. German artist Soniq Theater has been a steady creator of music made within a progressive rock context for more than 20 years, usually releasing a new album in the early parts of the year. This is (mainly) a one man operation, where all the music is made and performed by way of synthesizers. And as main man Mueller is something of an enthusiast, his music is available at no cost from his website too. "Robotron" is his most recent album, and was self-released at the start of 2023. Analysis. While many of the Soniq Theater albums is a bit of an acquired taste, due to the at time strikingly artificial sounds made by the synthesizers Muller have at his disposal as we...

(43:07; Open Mind / Lizard Records) Track list: 1. Craig Gets Reanimated 5:08 2. Zap Gun 1:30 3. Q+A 1:13 4. Imperial Enlightenment 9:18 5. Magnetic Objects 2:14 6. Android Coronation Ball 9:15 7. The Antidote Game 11:04 8. In the Hole 3:25 Line-up: Tom Aldrich - keyboards, piano, organ Sean Moran - guitars Chad Langford - bass Theo Lanau - drums Ivo Bol - samples, electronics Prolusion. Netherlands based band Zolder Ellipsis is the creative vehicle of US composer and musician Tom Aldrich, and where one begins and the other ends is perhaps a bit of an open question at times. That is certainly the case with the album "Entropy Override", originally released as an Aldrich solo album named "Zolder Ellipsis" back in 2019. A few years down the line the band Zolder Ellipsis was signed to Italian label Lizard Records, and they subsequently reissued this album under the Zolder Ellipsis band name, with the album given the new name "Entropy Override". Analysis. As on...

(51:20; M&O Music) Track list: 1. Impossible Meeting 2:31 2. Somewhere in My Dreams 5:06 3. The Tree 3:52 4. Inside Your Walls 9:36 5. I Hope 3:17 6. Garden 2:24 7. Another Place 7:37 8. The Shelter 6:53 9. The Other Side 5:20 10. Let Me Go 4:54 Line-up: Marco - guitars, keyboards, piano, programming Clelia Lenoble - vocals with: Julien Perdereau - drums, bass Juliette Carradec - violin Sophie Clavier - backing vocals Prolusion. French band Edenya have been a feature in the French rock scene since 2010, and in 2017 the band released their initial mini-album "Edenya". Since then a further two studio albums have appeared. "Another Place" is the most recent of these, and was released at the start of 2023 through the label M&O Music. Analysis. While Edenya is a band that probably can be categorized in a few different manners, for my sake I find it natural to place them inside of a progressive rock context. While this isn't a band that seeks to tear down boun...

(40:53; White Knight Records) Track list: 1. Overture 2:46 2. A Sea Shanty 4:53 3. Don't Shoot the Albatross 2:44 4. Horsa From Beyond the Grave 6:18 5. Wishing Well 5:58 6. You Better Shut Your Mouth 4:13 7. Never Tell on Me 6:08 8. The Long Goodbye 7:53 Line-up: Lucie V - vocals, violin Danny Chang - guitars, keyboards Chris Egan - reeds, woodwinds, synths Rik Loveridge - Hammond, synths, guitars Phil Warren - bass James Hall - drums Prolusion. UK band The Kentish Spires formed sometime around 2016, with the core of the band made up of friends and musicians with a past going back a number of years. After finalizing the band line-up they recorded and released their debut album "The Last Harvest" in 2018. "Sprezzatura" is the band's sophomore production, and was released through UK label White Knight Records in 2019. Analysis. I understand that The Kentish Spires is among the bands that regard the English Canterbury tradition as something of a key inspiratio...