(36:43; Neil Campbell) Track list: 1. The Wild Frontier 3:57 2. On the Other Hand 2:29 3. The Turnaround 2:37 4. Tarantella 3:00 5. Pollen 2:12 6. Beach Scene 2:45 7. One Evening in Palermo 1:41 8. Beltane 4:12 9. Roger Over and Out 2:19 10. Polonaise 2:27 11. Tributaries 3:11 12. No Leaves Left 2:43 13. Second Hands 3:10 Line-up: Neil Campbell - guitars, bass, keyboards, various instruments with: Martin Smith - flugelhorn Marty Snape - guitars, electronics, programming Roger Gardiner - bass Jon Lawton - electronics, programming Prolusion. UK artist Neil Campbell has been a productive artist for the past couple of decades, with 30 or so releases to his name counting his solo albums, collaborations and various band and project albums. His latest solo album is called "The Turnaround", and was self released in the spring of 2025. Analysis. While I first came across Campbell's work when he was exploring a more progressive rock oriented style and expression with The Neil Campb...

(55:21; Digital Life Project) Track list: 1. Out of the Ashes 5:06 2. The Invention 3:44 3. Fight the Good Fight 6:40 4. Simple Complexity Overture 5:26 - Digital Life Suite: 5. Arrival 5:25 6. New Begininngs 6:10 7. Digital Life 5:44 8. Longing 3:23 9. Age of Lies 6:58 10. A.I. Masters (Fall of Man) 6:45 Line-up: Roby Deaton - keyboards Hadi Kiani - vocals John Haddad - bass with: Mike Thorn - drums Phil Hronas - drums Josh Mark Raj - guitars Ehsan Imani - guitars Frank Jung - guitars Danny Miranda - bass Prolusion. US band Digital Life Project is a fairly recent addition to the US progressive rock scene, but it is also a direct continuation of the Deaton LeMay Project. For some reason or other LeMay isn't involved in this venture anymore, and Deaton has decided to continue creating music in a similar vein but under a new moniker. "Digital Life" is the first album to be released under the new band name, and was self released in the spring of 2025. Analysis. As was the ca...

(63:24, Reverie Suite Records) Track list: 1. Amazing Grace (In Memory Of...) 1:28 2. Take the Highway 6:47 3. Smoking Gun 6:19 4. Nowhere Junction 5:23 5. Off the Beaten Path 4:41 6. My Mistake 4:21 7. The Ballad of Grace Malloy 3:16 8. Carolina on My Mind 4:32 9. Sweep Me Away 5:54 10. Here with You 4:07 11. Living for Today 5:34 12. Dusty Roads 5:26 13. November Came Early 5:36 Line-up: Saskia Kraft van Ermel - vocals, percussion Hoyt Binder - guitars, dobro Ronald van Deurzen - piano, Hammond B3 Toss Panos - drums Tollak Ollestad - harmonica Rebecca Kleinman - flute Jorgen Carlsson - bass Steven Leavitt - effects Prolusion. US band Euphoria Station was formed back in 2015, and is an ongoing venture revolving around the creative partnership between vocalist Saskia Kraft van Ermel and guitarist Hoyt Binder. They released their debut album "One Heart" back in 2017, and their sophomore production "The Reverie Suite" followed in 2019. A few years and one Corona-epide...

(33:29; Arnaud Bukwald) Over the years Arnaud has released albums under his own name and under the bandname Moon Dragore, and here he combines both with his latest album which also includes Gong co-founder Didier Malherbe. Arnaud provides vocals, guitar, weissenborn, sitar, keyboards, Didier suling, flute, bawu, ocarina and the line-up is completed by Cherry Pob with vocals, bongos, frame drum, tongue drum and drummer Cloudy Myster. The result is something which truly stands out among the dross of the modern world as Arnaud has taken his influences from world folk and then brought it to life with musicians who truly understand the vision. Didier is in his eighties now, but still as vibrant and important as he was when he was playing on classics like ‘Camembert Electrique’, ‘Flying Teapot’ and ‘Angel’s Egg’ and there are times when he and Arnaud combine to create music which is refusing to be bound by any boundaries or preconceived ideas and the listener can just revel in what is going ...

(77:00; Malcolm Galloway) Composer and musician Malcolm Galloway continues to lead a double life where on one hand he is the leader of UK progressive band Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate, and on the other releases music, which is contemporary classical, minimalist, electronic, and instrumental. This is his seventh solo album, which opens with the longest track on the album, “Metazoa One”, which was released as a single back in May 2023. It also includes a track which will be of great interest to fans of HOGIA as here we get the original version of “The Anxiety Machine” which was later rearranged and became three pieces on the album ‘The Light Of Ancient Mistakes’. There is deliberately a lot of repetition within this album, and while that does take us more into the world of ambient there is undoubtedly far more focus. And while atmospherics are very important, they are there are support to the main melodic thrusts as opposed to being all there is. This is far less whimsical than one m...

(70:00; Mad Parish) Following on from 2015’s debut, ‘Procession’, Montréal-based rock outfit Mad Parish suffered some line-up issues which means it has taken a decade for them to come back with the follow-up. Mind you, they decided they may as well go the whole hog and decided it would be a concept album, complete with a story and a companion comic book. Musically they say they have influences from NWOBHM, progressive rock, 70’s rock, 80’s new wave, punk, pop music new and old, classical and jazz, but to me it sounds just like a good old-fashioned rock/metal album which refuses to stay within any particular genre. The press release says it is for fans of Iron Maiden, Virgin Steele and Camel, which is stretching it just a little, as this is more about being for those who don’t necessarily follow a crowd or labels. On their website Mad Parish list some very famous names they have opened for, but one must wonder if that was around the time of the debut as opposed to now, as I cannot imagi...

(50:44; Saibot Reigns) This is the first time I have come across Sacramento-based progressive metal collective Lunar, but apparently, they were formed all the way back in 2013 by drummer Alex Bosson (Helion Prime, Planeswalker) and Ryan Erwin who passed in 2018. This is their fourth album, following on from 2023’s ‘The Illusionist’, which has seen a few line-up changes so on this recording the band was Chandler Mogel (clean vocals), Brian Lewis (growl vocals), Carlos Alvarez (rhythm guitar), Connor McCray (lead guitar), Ryan Price (bass), Alex Bosson (drums) and Anthony Stahl (keyboards). There are many guest guitarists providing solos, while I note cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne (Leprous) is also on one number.    Lyrically, what we have here is a concept album dealing with the passing of time and the effects it has on us physically and mentally. Bosson said, “This album deals with something everyone can relate to, and no one can escape: the passing of time. We get older, ou...