*. The Boxing Lesson .*

Album: Big Hits! (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Crossover/Psych./Alternative)  /  USA

Hard to be cosmic and stay grounded at the same time, but Austin's acid star the Boxing Lesson does so on Big Hits!. The trio's high-octane blend of earthy hooks and psychedelic astronomy gels to perfection under the guidance of Chris "Frenchie" Smith (Sixteen Deluxe), on whose new label this record appears. Rhythm engine Ben Redman of Residual Kid gives riff-monger Paul Waclawsky and electronics wizard Jaylinn Davidson a drive that brings cosmic debris down to Earth. "Sweet Science," "Hawaiian Buffalo," and "Health Is the New Drug" burn like comets plowing furrows through the fields, while "Fight Parade" and "Endless Possiblities" shine with the afterglow of an exploding star inside a dream. The band winks at its Austin daze with "Eastside Possibilities" and "Red River Blues." Arms buried deep in galactic mud, the Boxing Lesson takes an outer space journey to the center of the Earth. Review by "Michael Toland" (www.austinchronicle.com).

RATING:  ??????????????

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*. Latte e Miele .*

Album: Live Tasting (2008)
Genre: Prog Rock (Symphonic Prog)  /  Italy

LATTE E MIELE, one of the classic 1970s RPI bands, released three albums in the 1970s, the first of which, "Passio Secundum Mattheum" is truly one of the essential works of the genre. After the first two albums, the trio (Oliviero Lacagnina - keyboards/vocals, Marcello Giancarlo Dellacasa - guitar/bass/vocals, and Alfio Vitanza - drums) broke up. In 1976, drummer Vitanza reformed the group with three new members, including Massimo Gori on bass, guitar, and vocals. The final album of the classic period was released in 1976. After years of inactivity, the band reunited in 2008 for a series of concerts. The reunion consisted of the original trio--Lacagnina, Dellacasa, and Vitanza--as well as Massimo Gori from the second incarnation. They also added a second keyboard player, Pino Nastasi, whose contributions are very important. Incidentally, this is the same lineup on their wonderful 2009 studio album, "Marco Polo - Sogni e Viaggi." For this concert recorded in Canada in 2008, the band chose excellent selections from each of their three studio albums, as well as adding a couple tracks that hadn't yet seen the light of day. The band faithfully reproduces the wonderful choir and lush orchestral arrangements from the first album, although the production of this live album is even better than the studio version. The singing is beautiful and doesn't appear to have dropped off at all. The sound is very reminiscent of the later "Marco Polo" album, and it's not surprising given the success of this concert that they chose to produce a studio album together. In fact, it's very interesting to hear some songs from the second and third albums treated with this symphonic approach-- fresh insights into old friends. Overall, this is a wonderful live reunion, which thankfully doesn't ever make me ask, "Why in the world did you get back together?" This album is highly recommended to any prog/RPI fan, and is essential to fans of LATTE E MIELE. 
Review by "Todd" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  8.75 / 10   **MARVELLOUS**

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*. Eveline .*

Album: Waking Up Before Dawn (2008)
Genre: Prog Rock (Crossover/Post/Art Rock)  /  Italy

With the majestic 'Happy Birthday, Eveline!' album (Shyrec Italy - 2005) re-released on Sopot Germany (Oct 2007) Eveline have gone through something of a re-awakening with the release of their first 'new' album in 3 years. The praise heaped on 'Happy Birthday' by the Italian and German press inspired the Bolognese band to seek an audience for their 'English' music in it's own back yard and what an inspired decision by Sonic Vista to support what is truly one of the most remarkable releases so far this year. Evoking the 70's Canterbury sound (there was always an element of indie jazz to Hatfield and The North, National Health, Matching Mole and Caravan not to mention Robert Wyatt and Soft Machine). There is still that continental flavour to some of the tracks, 'Why want u' and 's/t' 2 good examples. An eclectic collection of subtle and intricate songs held together by a vocal sound reminiscent of Bernardo Lanzetti (PFM) and Peter Gabriel. Eveline have a 'style/image/aura' which conjures up freeform thinking, experimentation and intelligence. It's a complex blend of post rock, jazz rock, indie and electronica which has the effect of one of those nice deep dreams interrupted by fits of lucidity which tend to serve as a re-assuring confirmation that there are still pleasures ahead. Review by "tribeca" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  7.5 / 10

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*. Night Flight Project .*

Album: Night Flight Project (1990)
Genre: Prog Rock (Symphonic Prog/Exp.)  /  Brazil

Songs / Tracks Listing
01. Pequim
02. Drakkar
03. Night Flight
04. Nite City
05. Pressagio revised
06. Glass House
07. Odyssey
08. Bloodshed
09. Jazzy

Line-up / Musicians
Fernando Costa / keyboards
Felipe Carvalho / bass
Reynaldo Rana Jr. / guitar

RATING:  7.5 / 10

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*. Fungus .*

Album: The Face Of Evil (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Folk/Symphonic/Heavy Prog)  /  Italy

Dopo poco più tre anni, eccomi qui nuovamente a raccogliere le spore dei Fungus, quintetto genovese dedito al più profondo e classico progressive rock, ancora una volta cinto attorno a sensazioni librate tra psichedelia, accenni hard rock, e venature folk di carattere vintage. La nuova riuscita release sembra voler perseguire il sentiero calcato dal precedente Better Than Jesus , attraverso 10 tracce, grazie alle quali la band termina il cammino solitario dell’autoproduzione, arrivando a stringere un’interessante partnership con la Blood Rock Records, label genovese che aggiunge al proprio rooster una band di reale prospettiva, grazie anche alla distribuzione attenta da parte della storica Black Widow. Questa nuova Faccia del male ha inizio ben prima delle note stesse, per merito di un’interessante, ma a tratti poco definita, cover art, in cui un miscuglio metaforico di oniriche immagini definiscono un interludio grafico accattivante, nel quale perdersi durante l’ascolto. L’origine della vita, che sembra partire dal centro del dipinto, si fonde e confonde a richiami biblici, dai quali l’eterna dicotomia tra il male e il bene si mescola in una perversa allucinazione, dovuta e percepita a seguito dell’inquieta somministrazione della particola, che viene elargita ai seguaci in una comunione bislacca e sapientemente mal definita. In questa sorta di filmico trait d’union con l’opera pittorica di Alessandro Mucaria, la band alimenta un dialogo interiore perpetrato, in maniera forse meno accorta, già nelle opere precedenti. Ma di certo non ci sono dubbi nel definire questa opera terza, come il disco che potrebbe dare lo slancio decisivo all’ensemble. Ad aprire The face of Evil sono i sette abbondanti minuti della titletrack, ottimo opener da cui parte un giusto andamento, perfettamente interpretato da Dorian Deministrel che, rispetto al passato, dimostra, sin dalle prime battute, un quadratura di un magico cerchio, qui socchiuso da una partitura interessante che, attraverso piccoli cambi direzionali, porta con sé inquietudini ed aperture sognanti. Il brano avvolge l’ascoltatore in maniera climatica, attraverso momenti ridondanti, particolarmente funzionali ad una esposizione teatrale che sorprende negli spazi più rock. La traccia, pur perdendo parte della sua forza nel suo finale, complici back voice eccessivi, convince al pari di Gentle season, di certo tra le migliori composizioni del nuovo full lenght. Il brano, strizzando l’occhio alla semplicità, si pone sul dorso di una delicata composizione d’altri tempi, incanalata dal wah wah propedeutico all’esplosione in delay analogico. Il mondo si ferma ad ascoltare la quiete e le ottime intuizioni alla sei corde, atto d’anticipo dello schiudersi narrativo, pronto a ritagliare su di sé il solo di J.Blissett, purtroppo troncato da un inatteso e invasivo fade out. Il viaggio della maturità artistica continua poi con The great deceit, in cui la voce si affianca a reminiscenze Serj Tankian, e l’immersione prog di Rain , che va a diluirsi su di un tracciato dai colori fortificati da Claudio Ferreri, versato nel gestire il vortice sonoro che si schiude in maniera deliziosamente scomposta nel cuore della traccia, pronta a farsi narrativa nella sua struttura finale, definita in maniera non troppo distante dal mondo musical dei tardi anni ’70. Proprio da questi sentori si riparte con le fasi iniziali di Better than Jesus, curioso atto di continuità concettuale, che manifesta uno spirito espressivo tipico di Stanley Kubrick, abile a costruire un sottile fil rouge ottimizzato nell’unire impercettibilmente le sue opere. Se poi con Angel with no pain, attraverso una verve espositiva d’impatto, il gruppo si offre ai fan della prima ora, è con l’anima folk di The key of garden che il disco va a palesare personalità e coraggio; giocose spezie southern e risolute stesure easy, portano alla necessità di raccontare note, senza però fossilizzarsi dietro a cliché che non fanno altro che disidratare le idee. Non mancano poi striature cripto new wave intercalate sul verbo prog (Share your Suicide III), né tanto meno diluizioni sonore evocative, proprio come accade nella chiusura The sun, che pecca forse di ostentazione, ma che ci restituisce finalmente una sezione ritmica agile e gradevole, proprio come dimostra l’anima noise della ghost track. Insomma un disco che, nonostante l’eccessiva durata, ci racconta di cinque musicisti muniti di buone idee ed in grado di convogliare l’energia espressiva su di un binario pronto a varcare la soglia. Recensione di "Loris Gualdi" (www.music-on-tnt.com).

RATING:  ?????????????

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*. Bruce Soord & Jonas Renkse .*

Album: Wisdom of Crowds (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Crossover/Art Rock/Trip Hop)  /  UK

A few weeks back I heard the good news of Bruce Soord collaborating with Jonas Renkse on a new project. Like many of the followers of their respective bands The Pineapple Thief and Katatonia, I was immediately curious and excited to hear the outcome. And to tell you the honest truth, I'm not entirely disappointed by what I heard. While most of us on the scene are aware of Katatonia's favorite subject being depression and loneliness and a terribly broken heart described in songs filled with crisp production and beautiful atmospheric textures, it also happens to be a Pineapple Thief favorite. Their last two records have forayed into similar territory and are absolutely stunning albums, with Soord handling production and songwriting apart from his usual guitar and vocal work. And this record is no different. Jonas Renkse's voice is magic in itself. The heavyset Swede has always made it a point to convey his deepest emotions through his vocals in Katatonia, and he doesn't disappoint here either. While the songs may have more of an electronic feel compared to Katatonia (actually it's a complete 180 degree shift), Renkse's voice doesn't fail to convey the loneliness, depression and a general feeling of a cold Stockholm evening. This, when backed by Bruce Soord's guitar tone, synthesizers and a drum machine, present you what "Wisdom of Crowds" is all about. The band maintains a sound some may consider in the same league as Depeche Mode or other synhtpop acts of the '90s, mainly due to a heavy electronic influence on most tracks. While both artists have been making headlines in the progressive rock news lately, the prog influence is rather scarce on this record. As stated by Soord earlier, the songs were written with Renske's voice in mind, and it suits the tracks well. However some tracks may get a tad bit repetitive in their general presentation. Tracks like "Stack Naked" and "The Light" may go unnoticed and don't come off as shining moments. However, the album still sounds fresh and layered. Album opener "Pleasure" is a sheer delight, where the two musicians actually get to give the listener a glimpse of what they've tried to achieve here. The following title track and the hard hitting "Radio Star" also leave their marks. Overall, repetitive moments do exist in the 8-track album, although they're scarce. // 8 Lyrics and Singing: Jonas Renkse needs no introduction as a vocalist. He's got a remarkable set of vocal cords, and he always manages to use them well without going into falsettos and baritone ranges. His style has always been of holding emphasis on emotions and conveying what he feels more through how he pronounces words rather than what they actually mean. Lyrics on this record deal with similar issues both bands have dealt with in the past - loneliness, anxiety, depression and loss. Both artists don't disappoint with whatever portion of words they've come up with. Songs like "Frozen North" (definitely the highlight of the album) and "Radio Star" come up with lyrics different from the norm. Bruce Soord has a very distinctive writing style which when blended with Renske's creates something heavily variant from what both bands have written in the band while dealing with the same subjects in a different light. // 7 Impression: The album didn't face a large amount of pre-release publicity after it was announced. No music videos, no lyric videos, not many interviews (other than KScope podcasts) and no successive tweets were involved in building the anticipation for it. Very much like Steve Hogarth and Richard Barbieri's earlier KScope release, the anticipation was already built up by Katatonia and Pineapple Thief fans. So to say the album lives up to its "hype" wouldn't fit in this context. The album delivers, and at times it lags in a repetitive fashion. The album clocks in at just under 50 minutes, and most of the tracks exceed the 5 minute mark, but tight production, ambient interludes and good musicianship don't make them seem extra-lengthy for an electronic-influenced rock project. "Pleasure," the blues-influenced "Wisdom of Crowds," "Radio Star" and the magnificent "Frozen North" are the standout tracks, while songs like "The Light," and "Stacked Naked" go unnoticed and run in the repetitive vein. Overall, it's a decent record that lives up to the legacy of its creators. Review by "LeperDog" (www.ultimate-guitar.com).

RATING:  7.5 / 10

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*. Jay Tausig .*

Album: Taurus: Roots Of The Earth (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock (Psych./Space Rock/Reggae/Exp.)  /  USA

The Trip Around The Sun - Albums 2012

Jay Tausig's latest release, from the "Trip Around the Sun" package is "Taurus: Roots of the Earth". This album takes Tausig's music in a completely different direction than the previous albums in the package. The action kicks off with a cool earthy reggae beat void of the spacey introductions from the first two CDs. You get the feel of traveling down some Bahamian back road in a jeep, looking out at the crystal clear blue ocean as the sun bakes your senses. Nice image and wonderful supporting music if you're there. There is some cool narration, but it can be difficult to understand at times. The word happiness is often heard repeated through the piece and that is the state of mind this music helps bring together well. So "Glorious Dub" is a definite keeper and a fine signature opening for the album. "Strength of Will" keeps the reggae beat strong and the tempo full, this time of great percussion, spacey keys and solid drumming. The spacey keyboard effects make their return as sax and other horns are added to the mix with "Solidity". "Of Natural Things", brings some of the best guitar work on this early section of the album. The solos hold you in their grasp as you wait for what's yet to come. Jay's wife, Rhi Jenerate, returns with some cool dreamy poetry reading to highlight "Gaia (Transmission from Within)". "Taurus (Live Dub) Part 1" sheds the reggae beat at the beginning, as the spacey synth keys weave magical vortexes around the soundscape. These keys build within a larger bouncy groove which dominates the sound sphere. Yes…a very cool effect. "No Babylon Way (featuring Natty Congo)" brings back that nice soft, bouncy reggae groove as Natty Congo sings vocals. "Ode to Venus" leaves the reggae beat behind entirely as the cool spacey keys roar and launch you back into new dimensions of space that Tausig has so cleverly taken us before. This is one heck of a new inter-stellar overdrive, and easily one of the album's biggest highlights for me. "Roots of the Earth", the title track is something special. Massive banks of keyboards surround the soundscape with great vocals echoing through the surrounding prism of sound. It is breathtaking to hear, and well placed near the album's conclusion. Most of the tracks on this album are shorter in length than Tausig's previous albums. However, "Everything So Tactile (Parts 1 & 2)", and the closer, "You Are of this Earth", clock in at 8:40, and 7:20 respectively. This gives Tausig more time to develop the themes he uses so well in all of his music. And develop he does, with cool synth keys and rhythms that let your mind drift from the daily concerns of a modern society. The kind of music we definitely need even more today. This is Tausig's fourth in a series of 12 albums, and I think he captured every essence of the earth sign. Review by "Mark Johnson" (www.seaoftranquility.org).

RATING:  7.5 / 10

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*. Stanley Steamer .*

Album: Stanley Steamer (1973)
Genre: Prog Rock (Soul/Pop/Rock)  /  USA

This LP, (never released on CD) was barely released even on vinyl (1973). Talk about signing with the wrong company..!! (Jolly Rogers Records aka: Kenny Rogers) STANLEY STEAMER was a ROCKIN band with hints of dramatic production similar to the before mentioned groups, plus a little hint of Ambrosia & Jesus Christ Superstar thrown in there perhaps even a bit of the Elton John album "Friends" as well. Can you imagine a Band so solid & versatile that It could bring the house down, rock style, then turn on a dime with the sweetest orchestration you ever dreamed of, all with incredibly serious, i venture to say even dark lyrics..? This band Pivots on the voice of Holly Vaughn. A singer I had never heard of & now wished I had LONG ago. Holly is capable of belting it out Janis style & can breath sweetness in a verse so soft you could cry. It is SO very clear this girl has been singing ALOT before this album was recorded, the professionalism of ALL the musicians on this record is astounding. I blame the fact that nobody knows who this band is on the Jolly Rogers recording company. Because if this band had signed with a better label, we would all know who they are today & there would have been many more albums to their credit. Fortunately for me, I have just digitally re-mixed a copy for my own use. If you find this album, BUY IT. It's even better than the also very scarce vinyl album "SNAIL". Review by "Beastie" (www.amazon.com).

RATING:  7.75 / 10

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*. Dan Ar Braz .* (Reissue + Bonus)

Album: Acoustic (1982)(Reissue 2006 + 4 Bonus)
Genre: Prog Rock (Prog Folk/Celtic Folk/Crossover)  /  France

The late 70s and 80s kicked both progressive rock and the celtic revival to the shadows. This was especially hurtful to artists who occupied both worlds so comfortably as Dan Ar Braz. While he was less prolific during these dark years, he managed, in "Acoustic", to produce an uncompromisingly beautiful and stark oeuvre. While firmly in the prog folk realm, and less overtly celtic, it also straddled new age and jazzy moods with ease and confidence, especially in "10 Annees Deja". In addition, the sense of space and acoustics in the brilliant production proves sympathetic not only to his well established guitar style but also to his yearning and endearingly rough edged vocals whether in English or French, especially on tracks like "Les Marins" (reminiscent of early Alan Stivell) and the bluesy "Public Inquiry". Then there are the more overtly progressive if stripped down "Les Tisserands" and "Vers les Iles", the latter featuring plaintive lead guitars. Synthesizers provide background color here and there without detracting. A decade ahead of the unplugged craze, Dan Ar Braz showed how it could be done with original material and a genuine gift for acoustics. Review by "kenethlevine" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  7.75 / 10

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*. D'arcana .*

Album: Premonitions (2007)(2Cd's)
Genre: Prog Rock (Psych./Space Rock/Symphonic)  /  USA

I have much disdain for the moniker they've selected, and for a Progressive Rock band in particular, I don't like it one iota. So much, that when asked several times to check it out, I pushed back. My guess was that it was avant-garde from some remote overseas region and you know what? I don't often do countermelody. I figured it would be a providence that I came across in French class; something like the isle of Martinique. Not that there is anything wrong with that, and I wouldn't mind a visit to test my linguistics, but when was the last time we got a band like Kansas or The Tangent from a place like Gilligan's Island or Gill's Rock. Conversely, when told that this band drew Ed Unitsky's attention, I said "Okay, I'll give it a shot." What I found was that my dislikes started and ended with the name, as the music was instantly and consistently sublime. This is good, because it covers two whole discs. Not to mention, I was committed to this article and if it were bad, it would have been an insane sentence. Fortunate for me, this obligation and task did not become a dilemma. It was a snap finding pleasant observations to share in both the design of the graphics as well as the composition of the rhythms. In terms of the image that Unitsky affixed to the jewel case, it bares human statues on various-size stones. There are gullies, ponds, bluffs, seas, and trees in this land; making it as scenic as New Zealand. If the title was censured and I only had the picture to go on, I would have felt this release was associated with Guy Manning or Andy Tillison. What I found after perusing the credits was that I'm not at all familiar with any of the people employed on this album. In this outfit, we have Jay Tausig providing acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards, and drums. Shelby Snow has a sense for the bass plus true sagacity and prudence for percussion. James Camblin has the fewest chores, but he's continuously busy and active with the lead guitar. Despite what I initially thought, there is singing and it's alright. While Tausig leads the verbal charge, the other two participate with viable voices of their own. Michael Snow is the only guest artist, and he squeezes his violin into the mix in more than a couple crucial places. As for the cuts, they contain copious amounts of tropical pleasure. When listening, I can feel the sweltering humidity, leaves and rain. It's quite a stifling experience to stroll through their progressively-profuse foliage. As for an early spoiler, they utilize the sounds of the wild in their enigmatic introduction. Once it gets going, it's all rock from there on out, whether it be modern or neo, or classic tones in the present past-tense. My favorites include "Premonitions: Part One". As the usher to this ceremonious affair, it's not long before they've got me in the door. Subsequently, the guitars in "Chameleons" are creepy, but also virtuous in the chorus. In its structures, progressions, and harmonies, "Crime of the Century" hints to RPWL and The Beatles. On a similar note, "Turquoise Blue" incorporates Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys. "World of Shadow" is a song that's blissful. What good would an album be without the doting state that could only come from a ballad? On the other hand, the interlude in the middle is too harsh to induce the nap that's instituted in the bleary beginning. "Wheel of Life" is not quite Karmakanic, but it calibrates and yanks your karma anyway. It's significant since it completes the first disc whereas the shortest ditty, "Gnome Matters", is different in an eerie sense even after it sprightly opens the second. The mist sprayed from this icebreaker is not as freakish as the fog from "Chameleons", but you get my gist anyway if you realize my point has nothing to do with vapor. "Desert Song" has a similar speech-pattern with The Tangent's maestro and director. "Smoke and Mirrors" is an unusual faction of the Blue Öyster Cult. Much later, "Touch and Go" is extraordinarily amiable and trendy. In between, however, there is plenty of fluff. Since my discs were scratchier than a sore throat and skippier than a popular brand of peanut butter, I couldn't make out most of the epic, "Premonitions: Part Two". A number of random passages elsewhere were unclear, too. I assume these parts were just as sunny as the rest of the material. From what I could tell, the entire album was naturally warm. In general, I enjoyed what I heard and seemed to like the tidier tunes on disc one better. So the unexpected nicks and cuts on the scores didn't really matter in the long-run. While the album is diverse, most songs are lithe and dreamy. In the impenetrable paths I've singled out, the musicians pour it on, and when it comes to my tastes, I prefer the wall of sound. That's why the halves of the title track earn a greater amount of interest - appreciation and respect - from me. The group is very much like Yes, especially in the bass and the singing. The keyboards bring Clive Nolan to mind, and in a way, D'arcana is similar to that never-referenced but excellent anomaly and glitch called Longshot. Overall, the production is casual, but the talent is in there. In the future, it would be wise to focus their efforts on tweaks to the recording and not on the expansion of tracks. I'm sure most fans would prioritize quality over quantity if it were a choice - even to those like me who prefer epics. In this case, a tighter single disc would be preferred over more material. Regardless, this cream puff has a lot of rich filling, and it doesn't really matter if you use a fork, a spoon, or a spork as your cutlery of choice on the chunks and niblets at this fair. By the way, the band is not from France, but Nevada City, California, and to the best of my knowledge, the term has something to do with a deck of cards, a comic book or a role- playing game. Curiously, there is a city in Ohio that also shares the designation. Furthermore, there is a fictional character, a mechanized medical doctor and a genius, with this particular call-sign. He's from the planet Nebulous, so I doubt this robot is related. What's ironic is that the D'arcana doesn't show up in Wikipedia, so the name is as unique as their music. For this reason, it's fitting? And I now adore that too! 

Review by "usa prog music" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  8 / 10

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*. White Willow .* (Remaster 2013 + Bonus CD)

Album: Ignis Fatuus (1995)(Remaster 2013 + Bonus CD 7 Track's)
Genre: Prog Rock (Folk/Symphonic Prog)  /  Norway

"Ignis Fatuus" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian progressive rock act White Willow. The album was released through The Laser's Edge in 1995. White Willow are one of the most prolific acts from the 90s Norwegian progressive rock scene. The music on "Ignis Fatuus" is 70s influenced progressive rock packed in a warm and organic sound production. There is a vintage analogue feel about the album which is further enhanced by the inclusion of instruments like violins, pipes, flutes and vintage keyboards/synths (some of which also provides the music with an occasional folky edge). There are both male and female vocals on the album but they are generally pretty sparse (and delivered in both English and Norwegian). The musicianship is on high level. The atmosphere is generally on the darker side of the progressive rock fence. Even to the point of being sinister at times. Especially the violin adds an eerie darkness to the sound, but also the distorted bass and the heavy drumming does a great job at creating a gloomy sound. White Willow are much more than that though and the album also features more "light" sections. It´s actually quite a varied release and might require a few spins before it sinks in. Featuring 12 tracks and a 66:34 minutes long playing time, "Ignis Fatuus" is also a rather long album, but as the material are as intriguing, well played and well produced as it generally are, that´s not necessarily a weakness and of course not at all uncommon in progressive rock either. The tracks range from 2 to almost 12 minutes in length. Some of the shorter tracks work as interludes between the longer tracks. There are several standout tracks on the album but the two longest tracks on the album, "Cryptomenysis" and "John Dee´s Lament" do stand out the most to me. Fans of dark 70s progressive rock should find a lot to like about "Ignis Fatuus" and overall it´s a high quality release by White Willow. 
Review by "UMUR" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  8 / 10

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*. Heavy Fuel .*

Album: Pink Floyd - A Tribute Performed By Heavy Fuel (2005)
Genre: Prog Rock (Psych./Symphonic Prog)  /  UK

Songs / Tracks Listing - CD1
01. Money
02. Another Brick in the Wall
03. Us and Them
04. Shine on You Crazy Diamond
05. Time
06. Breathe in the Air
07. Wish You were Here
08. Run Like Hell

Songs / Tracks Listing - CD2
01. Learning to Fly
02. Welcome to the Machine
03. Coming Back to Life
04. Hey You
05. Comfortably Numb
06. Great Gig in the Sky
07. Arnold Layne

RATING:  7.75 / 10

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*. Jay Tausig .*

Album: Aquarius: The Revolutionist (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock (Psych./Space Rock/Symphonic/Jazz/Exp.)  /  USA

The Trip Around The Sun - Albums 2012

From the Aquarius Intro, opening, you know you are in for more than a musical adventure. By the end of this masterpiece you may agree with me that even the guitar master Hendrix, may have felt this was an experience. This 1:29 minute female narrated opening welcomes you to the experience with, "From the planet Uranus, this is your cosmic weather report for Aquarius. Greetings intrepid explorers, this is your time, visionaries, radicals, rebels and challengers of the status quo…" Enough said. Get ready for a journey of inner and outer space. Uranus, opens with the slow thud of drums, soft floating flute, chanting, and windblown keys surrounding the tranquil soundscape. Then the melody and rhythm pick up the beat as the power bass chords chime in their tempo. The lead guitar chords arch over the permeating rhythm as soft pillows of keyboards sooth in-between. The experience has begun. Relax and close your eyes. Spacey keys and pounding drums, mixed well with heavy guitar chords greet the opening of The Eleventh Hour. On this track the intensity begins to reach peak performance. Play this one loud in the car and you feel like you are in the room with Tausig, watching his consternation, as he attempts to bring the magical visions, ideas and sounds from his mind to fruition. Tausig meticulously brings that sound and the angst to this recording, just like the guitar legend mentioned above. Tausig knows how to take the listener along for the intense experience. Water Bearer slows things down with some soft keys, more warm flute, and multi – layered guitar rhythms, supplemented with that punctuating bass. The guitar work is magical, as is the percussion floating around the soundscape, in-between the wonderful rhythms of the banks of keyboards. There is so much going on that the multi-layered effects could take months to fully appreciate. Each song is, as I said earlier a mini – symphony of sound. With a name like Amethyst, I knew this one would be special. After a wonderful keyboard intro, the heavy guitar and pulsating bass are back to pound a rhythm that supports the wonderful Gothic arches of guitar chords. Every minute offers new sounds and musical images. The Revolutionist sounds like a bullet train rushing towards you at supersonic speed, with chimes in tow. Imagine that vision. Then the power bass and Brian May - like guitar reflections. But then things take an even harder/edgier tilt with those layers of keys flowing between like a fast moving river. Tausig slows things down, so he can squeeze out some incredible layers of guitar magic, while a symphonic Wind and Wuthering, then haunting Soon – like keys filling the background soundscape. Mystic Crystal Revelations. With a name like that you know it's gonna be good! Yes, Tausig brings the magic of "Hair" back. But this is not your father or mother's 5th Dimension track. No, this goes off in a new space – age direction meant to blow your ever living mind! Full of horns, wind chimes, buzzing guitars and keys, flutes, and that ever present and soothing bass. Consider your mind…blown. Do No Harm opens with some very cool, almost Emerson – like keys. Certainly must be inspired by Keith. The accompanying drums work up a good Tarkus like march. The bass work is special on this track, but it does not supplant the incredible buzz of the lead electric chords. Yeh, the chords play nice and weave their way through your ears without much resistance. In one of the longest tracks on the album you even get to hear what sounds like a tip of the hat to another bass master and his band – Rush. Ocean of Emotion opens with horns, cymbals, bleeding and buzzing guitar, jazzy bass, and keys that take you directly to a musician's vision of, well maybe an ocean on some distant planet. You can feel the slow countdown to blastoff as the buzzing guitars intermingle perfectly with the chimes, percussion, keys and Crimson – like bass. Add in some spicy background effects from The Age of Aquarius and maybe some 2001 A Space Odyssey, and you get quite a nice mix. The Purple Ray of Aquarius is full of spacey keys and equally spacey guitar. The foreboding guitar, keys and bass bring a new direction to the track as the action steps up a notch. Then we're off on a cool guitar and keyboard journey with accompanying echo-choir surroundings. Parallel Lines races forward and brings the Rush – like momentum back. The keys and guitar do an excellent job of gyrating the sound as the cymbals add dramatic effect. Hope for the Future is full of positive vibrations as it opens with soft, magical flute and wispy waves of keys intermingling with guitar and the soft choir – like vocal – key effects in the background. The Bending of Light opens with slow bass and heavy grinding lead electric guitar which floats in and out, before some of the best spacey keyboards soar through the middle of the soundscape. This is the second longest track on the album and it is full of experimental guitar and definitely some of the best keyboard work on the album. Overflow is full of more amazing rhythms, bass, lead electric and some of the best drum and percussion work on the album. Great way to close an album, mastering all of the elements and instruments. Review by "Mark Johnson" (www.seaoftranquility.org).

RATING:  7.75 / 10

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*. Flamborough Head .*

Album: Lost in Time (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Crossover/Neo Prog)  /  Netherlands

Songs / Tracks Listing
01. Lost in Time
02. The Trapper
03. Dancing Ledge
04. Damage Done
05. I'll Take The Blame
06. Andrassy Road

Line-up / Musicians
Marcel Derix / Bass
Gert Polkerman / Guitars
Margriet Boomsma / Vocals
Edo Spanninga / Keyboards
Koen Roozen / Drums

RATING:  ??????????????

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*. Nemo .*

Album: Le ver dans le fruit (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Eclectic/Crossover/Exp./Metal)  /  France

Songs / Tracks Listing - CD1
01. Stipant Luporum
02. Trojan (Le ver dans le fruit)
03. Milgram, 1960
04. Verset XV
05. Un pied dans la tombe
06. Neuro-Market
07. Le fruit de la peur

Songs / Tracks Listing - CD2
01. A la une
02. Triste fable
03. Allah Deus
04. Opium
05. Arma Diania

Line-up / Musicians
Jean Pierre Louveton / Guitar and Vocals
Guillaume Fontaine / Keyboards and vocals
Lionel-B Guichard / Bass
Jean Baptiste Itier / Drums

RATING:  9 / 10   ***MARVELLOUS***

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*. Fromuz .*

Album: Sodom and Gomorrah (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Eclectic/Jazz/Exp./Heavy)  /  Uzbekistan

The amazing musicians from Uzbekistan are back with “Sodom and Gomorrah,” a concept CD that features the acclaimed original FROMUZ line-up of Vitaly Popeloff (guitars), Albert Khalmurzaev (keyboards, guitars, vocals, harmonica), Vladimir Badirov (drums), and Andrey Mara-Novik (bass), plus Evgeniy Popelov (keyboards, vocals). “Sodom & Gomorrah” was originally composed by multi-instrumentalist Albert Khalmurzaev as the soundtrack for a theatrical musical production of the same name at the Youth Theatre of Uzbekistan. Reinterpreting the Biblical tale of “Sodom and Gomorrah” as a conceptual foundation, it tells the story of our modern world, ravaged by global addictions and vice that can only be remedied through a change from within the very heart of the human condition. This concept is conveyed through the well-established passion and incendiary musicianship that has become the hallmark of FROMUZ. This is modern progressive rock at ist very finest. FROMUZ originally performed this material live over the course of three years, starting in 2004, actively working with the Youth Theater in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, performing “Sodom and Gomorrah” not only on stage there, but also at prestigious theater festivals in St. Petersburg, Russia, the International Chekhov Festival (Moscow, Russia) and more. The band recorded the soundtrack during this timeframe, but it wasn’t until 2012 that the decision was made to return to those tracks - editing, mixing, and mastering them for an official release. (www.justforkicksmusic.com)

RATING:  ??????????????

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*. Jay Tausig .*

Album: Pisces - Vast Ocean Dream (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock (Psych./Space Rock/Symphonic/Jazz/Exp.)  /  USA

The Trip Around The Sun - Albums 2012

Pisces Transmission opens with that friendly female voice, (Tausig's wife, Rhi Jenerate), greeting us, only this time from the planet Neptune. She provides the cosmic weather report for the planet. This one gets wet…as one might expect with Pisces, "Diving deep, swimming, knowing fresh wet life, we grasp mud oozing between our fingers…" Ready for another cool journey. Close your eyes and prepare to dive deep. Twisting the Tail kicks off over 8 minutes of diving deep into the ocean with female vocal assistance, (imagine Ed Unitsky's cover art mermaid as the female assisting you), as you dive 20,000 leagues. "There is no need to weep, just go to sleep". The beautiful voice is Bridget Wishart of the band Hawkwind, who also penned the poem. The spacey synths and keys help fathom the depths. With all the news of James Cameron navigating the Mariana Trench to capture new film for the return of Avatar, this music matches perfectly the effect you might feel diving below. The cool synth water turbine keys will take your imagination where you let it go. Billy Sherwood, (Circa, Yes), provides synth and lead guitar throughout the track. Now, Let's Focus on the Fish opens with slow acoustic and electric guitar. Tausing's first real vocals on the album set. He does a great job of keeping the calm that permeates the underwater depths we have navigated. The keys and synth water bubble effects surround you. About 2:40 seconds into the piece, early Genesis fans will hear a familiar surprise, bringing a warm smile to your face. But wait…there is more. Sounds like Mr. Hackett's joined us down below. Very cool. Then cool keys forecast a change. The flute work is so wonderfully soothing. The keys, synths and guitar work will make any early Genesis fan reminiscent. Vast Ocean Dream (Reprise) is full of more excellent flute work and Tausig's great vocals. The acoustic guitar is simply amazing set against the soft glow of the keys. This track will again take you back to early Genesis, and that era of music in general. Rhi Jenerate is back, "May I have your ascension please, clean up on "Aisle Earth", opens Tidal Persuasion. She continues describing a soft delicate, sensuous "field of dreams", lost within the web of seaweed in the ocean below. Fins and Scales opens with soft organ, bass, and electric gliding guitar, like the movement of a great whale or shark, right in front of you. The synths and keys continue to create wonderful effects surrounding the warm soundscape. The launching and soaring guitar soloing is some of the best since Aquarius, magnificent to behold. Not Too Far From Pisces is full of more quirky female narration with cool discussions, set to echoing keys, heavy bass, violins, and other soft synth textures. Oceanic is full of the ocean's waves filtering above as ticking and other sound effects fill the soundscape. Then spacey ripping guitar, piercing the silence, as heavy electric guitars roar to fill the soundscape. Heavy bass, drums, echoing psychedelic synths and the roaring guitars continue as if the submarine has just rocketed forward on a new adventure. Incredible Pink Floydian dreamscape guitar work reminiscent of some of their earlier albums helps take you back in time. Water and Stone opens slowly with more synth and keyboard work, before the drums and electric guitars pull through the murky sound. The grinding guitars bring back more Pink Floyd Meddle and other articulated sound memories. Vast Ocean Dream is mostly a narrated track, with soft acoustic guitar and flute supporting throughout the background soundscape. Water Improvisation #1 seems to take off on a Middle Eastern caravan with excellent sitar. In fact it is an ocean of sitar for over 10 minutes. And some of the best sitar I've heard since In the Labyrinth's One Trail to Heaven last year. You Are the Water is mostly spoken word, contributed by Thorn World Poet, with the sound of ocean surrounding. Excellent bass, electric lead guitar, drums, keys, and trumpets helping to build a rhythm, as they support the lead guitar's experimentation. 
Review by "Mark Johnson" (www.seaoftranquility.org).

RATING:  8.25 / 10

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*. Birdland .* (Re-Post)

Album: In a Temple of Silence (1982)
Genre: Jazz Rock Fusion (Prog Rock)  /  Serbia

Songs / Tracks Listing
01.Morning Raga
02.Love
03.1st Time In
04.The Laughing Man
05.Morning Prayer
06.Day of Absence
07.Golgatha
08.2nd Time Out

Line-up / Musicians
Borivoje Vukadinovic / bass, flute
Boris Relja / Keyboards
Peter Hurni / drums

RATING:  8 / 10

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*. Mr Brown .* (Remaster)

Album: Mellan tre ögon (1977)(Remaster 2006)
Genre: Prog Rock (Symphonic Prog)  /  Sweden

It wasn't until the early 90's before Sweden made an important step onto the progressive rock map. Bands such as Änglagård, Landberk, Anekdoten and later on The Flower Kings were largely responsible for what some people like to refer to as "The third wave of progressive rock". In the 70's, when progressive rock had its peak, bands from Sweden weren't very representative. Aside of Kaipa and perhaps Trettioåriga Kriget, Kebnekajse and Made In Sweden, there was little or no recognition. At least not in the terms of the giants of the period. One of the many bands that did try was Mr Brown. During the 70's, Mallorca was a popular place for swedes to visit during holidays. Among the travellers were Håkan Andersson and Bo Carlberg. When in Mallorca, they enjoyed a local band playing covers. Inspired by this, they immediately started a band upon arriving back in Sweden. Soon, the remaining seats were filled and they slowly started to build up a catalogue of their own. Musically, the band members talent exceeded the traditional instruments and they handled mandolin, hammond B3, Logan stringmachine, synthesizer and flute (to name a few). They gained quite a reputation thanks to their live gigs and were on their way of scoring a record contract. Unfortunately, things changed. Due to other duties the members parted ways in '75. A half year later they all met up again and agreed on get an album out, as they fell that the music had potential. They financed the whole process with their own pocket money and they even distributed the the record themselves (prog was out - punk was in and thus no companies were interested). 1000 vinyls were pressed. My review is based on the now re-issued CD on transubstans records (trans 015). The music of Mr Brown is pure symphonic rock and is largely reminiscent of Camel, Barclay James Harvest and Sebastian Hardie. The first track, "Suicide", starts off in a slow, spacey mode which draws the listener to Pink Floyd. This is one of the four tracks that contain lyrics. The vocals are sung in a soft way and fits the atmosphere of the song real good. The second track, "Recall", is surely one of the highlights of the album. A great intro that demonstrates the tight rhythm section kicks off before a grand piano follows and these are executed in a way that leaves the listener, or me at least, with a sense of hope. There are parts here reminding of BJH and, just like Holroyd and c/o, the strength of the song lies in the overall arrangement. The song continues with a mellow flute on a layer of mellotron, drums and piano before a guitar solo bursts in to the melody. Much of the music on Mellan Tre Ögon ("Between Three Eyes") is build up on the grand piano ("Resan till Ixtlan" - "Journey to Ixtlan") and with mellotron and synthesizer ("Universe"). The last track mentioned has an exceptionally soft and atmospheric feel about it. "Karma 74" provides some interplay between the flute and the piano before the rhythm section comes in. This one sounds quite folky at times and speeds up towards the end. "Liv i stad utan liv" ("Life in the City without Life") is the other highlight in my opinion. The verses are spoked whereas the choruses are being sung, all the lyrics are swedish. This song is basically what Mr Brown is all about: the arrangements. Exemplified by the fact that the song changes tempo and speeds up without losing control of the soft, symphonic atmosphere. The album finishes with an acoustically driven song, "I'll Arise" which isn't as good as the other tracks on the album (I don't count "Tornet" - "The Tower" as a real song given its length of 50 seconds) much due to the vocals that aren't that convincing. However, that's just a minor complaint. This is what I like to call one of the best and most accomplished records from a swedish 70's band. I mentioned Kaipa earlier and I'd say, without sounding too over-excited over this piece, that this is better than anything Kaipa ever did. Given the time of its release, I'm sure Mr Brown would've gained more recognition if it had been released prior to the punk wave. Most of the songs, or at least parts of the songs, were already made in '73, '74. These guys had potential, too bad they left us with this single legacy. This is highly recommended to 70's symphonic lovers. Review by "sampo" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  8.5 / 10   **MARVELLOUS**

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*. Jay Tausig .*

Album: Gemini: The Chaos And The Calm (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock (Psych./Space Rock/Symphonic/Jazz/Exp.)  /  USA

The Trip Around The Sun - Albums 2012

Jay Tausig's 5th release, from the "Trip Around the Sun" package is: "Gemini: The Chaos and The Calm". It features a massive, yes, 43 minute epic piece of space rock, "Two Sides to Every Coin", that will make any fan of space rock run to their computer to buy this latest album release.
"Gemini: The Chaos and The Calm" features special guests: Thom Worldpoet, on vocal, poetry, and narration; lyrics by Keith Waye; vocals and lyrics by Kimberly Ross; Cyndee Lee Rule, on viper electric violin; Michael Palschakov, on mini Moog Model D; utilizing compositions and piano from Olga Potekhina; poems by Grace Fae; vocals by Summer Freyja Yarrow; vocals by Rhi Jenerate and Karuna; and more of Ed Unitsky's masterpiece cover artwork that visually captures the power of this magnificent music. This album takes Tausig's music back to the space rock origins of the earlier CDs from the 12 disc set. "Two Sides to Every Coin (Part I)", opens the disc without a warning shot or narrated introduction this time. As the cool synthesizer opens this track slowly, it disguises the guitar and drums that will soon follow right behind, waiting to let loose their torrent of wild rhythm. When they do, your ears are in for a treat. This is an 11:54 minute "Pink Floydian" escape vehicle that will prepare you for the massive epic coming next. Tausig's vocals bear a distinct resemblance to Roger Waters, as he delivers Keith Waye's lyrics, and that only adds to the song's effect. The llyrics were written by Keith Waye and Kimberly Bass. Bass also provides vocals. "Gem in Eyes" is a monumental 43:12 minute epic that should make every space rock fan run out and want to buy this album. If "Two Sides… (Part I)" was Gemini, then "Gem…" is Apollo! You get to go to the Moon and touch down with this track. It is enormous and the one of the best tracks in the entire collection of songs on this "Trip Around the Sun". Tausig left nothing out of this epic and it will reverb through your mind as you sit motionless with the headphones cranked, waiting for the next turn in the journey. The opening is like a starburst sun rise on another planet with Rhi Jenerate and Karuna providing vocals throughout the piece adding to the dynamic effect. Their singing is surrounded by mind-blowing synths, keys, and guitars weaving their magic throughout the soundscape. It literally feels like you are on another planet as you listen to this album. The electric violin from Cyndee Lee Rule brings back memories of Eddie Jobson's work. "Mirabel" brings some great soft keyboards to the mix to replace the heavy synths and power from the first two tracks. The change is wonderful and gives the album a completely different feel. Summer Freyja Yarrow provides narration for Remy Lindsey's interesting story. "Duality", on the other hand is an over eight minute track, with music delivered by multi-instrumentalist Tausig, set to a poem written and narrated by Grace Fae. "Chaos and Calm" blends the talents of two artists, Olga Potekhina, on piano and Tausig playing all other instruments. The track was written and composed by Olga Potekhina. "Two Sides to Every Coin (Part II)", is mostly an over 5 and a half minute instrumental track, full of Lee Rule's viper electric violin, siren vocals by Kimberly Bass, Tausig, singing backing vocals, Mini Moog Model D experiments by Michael Palschakov, to a poem written by Thom Worldpoet. Nice and spacey. This is a wonderful return to the spacey orchestration and other-worldly music Tausig had performed and created on the first discs of the series. You just keep wondering how they can get any better, with seven more to go…but Tausig keeps surprising you. I'm sure he has even more surprises in store for the rest of the set. Review by "Mark Johnson" (www.seaoftranquility.org).

RATING:  8 / 10

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*. Jay Tausig .*

Album: Aries: The Fire Within (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock (Psych./Space Rock/Symphonic/Jazz/Exp.)  /  USA

The Trip Around The Sun - Albums 2012

Jay Tausig returns with the next album release for the project: "Aries:The Fire Within".
.. Jay's wife, Rhi Jenerate, does another great job of kicking off this album with some…well…interesting narration on "Aries Ignited". This time with some great backing guitar and drums ala Rush or maybe Zappa…with a little "Leftoverture" thrown in for fun. "I am the beginning…the spring…fast fiery, flirtatious and free". "Come with me if you choose. But do not try to hold me back or control me". 'Nuff said, eh? Let's rock! Saxophone and guitar fill the air to open "Determination". There is a strong… well… determination to vary the groove on this new addition to the "Trip Around the Sun". The synths and keys are beautiful and ever – present. They weave softly in and out of the production as Jay adds new instruments to replaces others, keeping the mix interesting. A flute replaces the power sax for example, with nice transitions. "Vernal Equinox" opens with some awesome '60s era "wha" "wha" guitar, nice bass, and some cool shimmering synth keys from Kerry Chiccoine, that pulse like a strobe light. Otherworldly and cool. The keyboards and guitars set off on a relaxing, yet complex journey with the saxophone tracing behind in their footprints. Cyndee Lee Rule adds some soft violin to the mix. "Focus and Flame" opens with very cool lead synth, soft electric guitar and echoing sax played so soft and nice. Definitely the focus before the flame which will rise as the song develops and builds. That Hammond sounding organ adds a wonderful element to the mix. About three minutes in there is a cool guitar solo that will capture you attention, amongst the sax notes bouncing off the wall. Very cool and powerful electric lead guitar solos flow in and out of "Betwixt the Fish and the Bull", as the surrounding keys and synth orchestration fills the room with sound. But it's the guitar solo at the 4:45 minute mark that really leaves you speechless. Cyndee Lee Rule adds violin that blends well with the poem written by Keith Waye. "The Fire Within – Part I" brings the sitar, cool bells, and chimes with an excellent guitar solo cutting straight through the middle of the sound. Yeh…imagine that. Sounds better than words can describe. Best track…so far. But we're just about to get to…. …"Aries Fire Horse", is the epic 10:07 minute track on the album. This one opens like something out of a Pink Floyd "Saucer Full of Secrets" dream, with Bill Berends on guitar. Very cool bass and electric guitar soothed with cool keys bathing the soundscape in soft elegant sound. Yeh…nice. "The Birth of Intention" opens with excellent spacey synth keys, ala the Alan Parsons or that era and generation of sound. The power lead guitar that plows through the middle brings back memories of early Pink Floyd. "The Fire Within – Part II" opens with deep vocals and surrounding sitar. The soundscape is filled with echoing synths and keys. The singing takes on a hum or chanting effect, as the rhythm builds and slows, like breathing. Slow strings, then bass and lead electric, followed by Jay's wife's narration, bring us to the center of the "Aries" figure, "Ram". Cool effects and surrounding keys, gliding guitars, "stirred but not shaken", with soft drums. "The Quest for Mars" opens with gong like sounds and slow synths, pulsating throughout the soundscape, from Violet Eternia. Yeh…imagine dawn on the Mars landscape. You can feel it all around you within this music. Rhi Jenerate delivers her poem with softness and care. "Aries Spent" is the closer and finale, and just like Aries, it will not go gentle into that sweet night. The echoing synths weave and roll with the launching electric guitar chords creating a magical chemistry and soundscape. Review by "Mark Johnson" (www.seaoftranquility.org).

RATING:  8.25 / 10

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*. Taylor's Universe .*

Album: Worn Out (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Rio/Avant Prog/Jazz/Exp.)  /  Denmark

2013 brings a new album of one of the most original,prolific and creative musicians from Europe-the brilliant Dane-ROBIN TAYLOR and his musical project-TAYLOR'S UNIVERSE! First of all I want to say that this cover is absolutelly fantastic,one of the most bizarre,original and expressive album cover that I've ever seen! Musically speaking-WORN OUT could be considered like one of the most accessible and not dfifficult to listen Taylor's albums! The production is excellent-as usual-and the musical ideas exposed are sensational!Great percussion work ,great instrumental alchemy between all the instruments and one of the most rhythmic albums of Mr Taylor indeed! The sound of the alto sax is brilliant-Karsten Vogel is a trusty and faithful collaborator of Mr Taylor-and his serious and commited involvement in this album is obvious! The only "weird' track of the album can be considered JENS IN AFGHANISTSN-all the others are more song orientated and,definitelly-the song writting on this album is more present,precise and exposed here than on other previous releases of Mr Taylor! -way too adventurous and willing to explore new musical territories! As I ve said before- WORN OUT is a more accessible album under all aspects,with solid avant gardistic musical structures and wonderful soundscapes builded with an unique musical wisdom and solid componistic and musicianship skills by Robin Taylor-very inspired on this fresh and attractive album! In fact,there is a paradox-because the audition of this album is not at all an easy one- but ,in the same time-for those who know the previous releases of Mr Taylor-WORN OUT seems to be something a little different! There's still plenty of musical puzzles here and the combination of it gives something very attractive in the end! There's a little fusion vibe here- some RIO avant prog structures-pure jazz rock moments and maybee some world music too- a clever mix of many styles put together with maximum precission and intelligence by it's author! Definitelly an axcellent album,but I recommend many auditions to fully understand the message and essence of WORN OUT-another musical triumph for Robin Taylor-a sure value of the European innovative prog music! 4.5 stars and all the respect in the world for one of the most fair and a example of musical integrity in today's music-Robin Taylor! Review by "Ovidiu" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  ???????????????

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*. Haken .*

Album: The Mountain (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Heavy Prog/Prog Metal)  /  UK

Progressive rock and metal are the solid base for this structure but as we get to know on their previous albums Haken likes to spice things up with jazzy, folky, avant-gardish (or weird) sounding interludes and that’s certainly the case on The Mountain. But the main, striking element on this 3rd album are the vocal harmonizations in the style of the sadly much overlooked Gentle Giant from the far seventies. The Shulman brother’s a cappella vocal parts will surely frown many young listeners. The bouncing, odd and quirky vocals are an effective tool of dramatizing the story told, something only Spock’s Beard occasionally did as well. And here it’s vocalist Ross Jennings who does the job completely by himself, hats off! I’m only wondering how they will bring these parts live. Let’s have a closer look on the individual tracks then. ‘The Path’ starts the journey quietly with piano, strings and the soft vocals of Ross introducing the spiritual theme of The Mountain. This introspective introduction is a fine opener for the first big track ‘Atlas Stone’, a quirky piece that really starts off like an old IQ song. The guitar parts are very similar to Mike Holmes and even the vocals touches the distinct style of Peter Nicholls. But Haken quickly evolves this track taking bombastic choirs and even some funky elements into the whole, blending the different styles seamlessly. ‘Cockroach King’ is the first of 4 absolute epics on this album and it features for the first time explicitly the Gentle Giant influence: the brilliantly a cappella vocals. This is always a joy to listen to and Haken really pays tribute to this paradigmatic band. But there is much more to enjoy in this track in which the band members show-off their musicianship: progmetal riffs with a lot of twists, jazzy interludes, you name it. Complex time signatures? No problem. This challenging piece of music will for sure impress and disorientate many listeners. ‘In Memoriam’ is a relatively short song but despite the title it’s still quite heavy and has a great melodic hook. It reminds me of Spock’s Beard. The metal riffing, the GG vocals, it’s again perfectly embedded. ‘Because It’s Here’ brings back the lyrical theme of The Path: spirituality. Again a slow, atmospheric intro with impressive choir vocals by Ross. The second part of the song brings us a ballad in which some electronic produced sounds are used. Well done. ‘Falling Back To Earth’ is the longest piece on the album, the central part, clocking almost 12 minutes. In this musical whirlwind the number of influences is countless and it’s unbelievable how Haken manages to mix these together in one smooth, captivating piece of music. I found traces of Beardfish, The Mars Volta, King Crimson, The Flower Kings, Threshold, Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree. But just listen to it and you will discover more for sure. Awesome! ‘As Death Embraces’ is a deserved counter part with piano and emotional vocals, a beautiful contemplating song in which goosebumps are assured. It gives us room for another epic ‘Pareidolia’ (the psychological phenomenon of seeing ‘faces on the moon’ of hearing hidden messages when played backwards) another arduous but rewarding composition: technical proficiency meets intelligent song arrangements. Eastern influences shine through and as far as blending other bands/artist I would say this one has hints of Pain Of Salvation and Steven Wilson. ‘Somebody’ closes off the ‘Journey of Life’ and does this once more impressively. The band clearly slows down and concentrates on a atmospheric, almost ethereal mood in the vein of Anathema. Haken keeps on growing and with their 3rd album The Mountain it is obvious that they are very near the solitary peak in their business. It was for sure a ‘hell of a ride’ to get where they are now but, to stay in the central theme, I hope that Haken has fully enjoyed this journey so far. For us listeners I hope that the guys will take a little detour before reaching the summit, because ‘what goes up must come down’. Review by "Ruud Peters" (http://echoesanddust.com).

RATING:  8.5 / 10

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*. Thea Gilmore .*

Album: Don't Stop Singing (Music: Thea Gilmore, Words: Sandy Denny) (2011)
Genre: Soft Prog Folk (Songwriter/Contemporary/Chamber)  /  UK

Recording this at the same age as Sandy Denny died, it's hard not to feel a little melancholic when listening to this. Nobody has a voice like Sandy, and Thea treads the line careful, there are some distinctive Denny phrases, but it never sounds like a pastiche. Sandy Denny fans should definitely check this out, there's a lot of her in this, and Thea does a great job of bringing Sandy's unused lyrics to life. Review by "baroquepop" (Rate Your Music).

RATING:  7.5 / 10

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*. Sarastro Blake .*

Album: New Progmantics (2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Crossover/Symphonic Prog)  /  Italy

Songs / Tracks Listing
01. The Lady Of Shalott
02. Clare's Song
03. Scotland The Place
04. Sonnet 116
05. Stanzas For Music
06. Prelude To The Highlands
07. My Hearth's In The Highlands
08. Remember
09. Flaming June
10. Beyond
11. Solitary Bench

Line-up / Musicians
Paolo Pigni / Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Nylon String Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Luca Briccola / Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion, Orchestration, Flutes & Backing Vocals
Mirko Soncini / Drums
Richard Allen, Serena Bossi & Marco Carenzio / Additional Vocals

Guest:
Nick Magnus / Keyboards on "The Lady Of Shalott"
Filippo Pedretti / Violin on "The Lady Of Shalott"
Dave Lawson / Electric Piano on "Scotland The Place"
Serena Bossi / Vocals on "Sonnet 116"
Rick Wakeman / Piano on "Stanzas For Music"
David Paton / Vocals on "Stanzas For Music"
Amanda Lehmann / Vocals on "My Heart's In The Highlands"
Richard Sinclair / Vocals and Bass on "Remember"
Billy Sherwood / Keyboards and Guitars on "Flaming June"

RATING:  8.25 / 10

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*. Quasar .*

Album: Planète Sauvage (1986)
Genre: Jazz Rock Fusion (Prog Rock)  /  France

QUASAR est constitué par Henri ROGER, le guitariste Alain BLESING (FOEHN et ESKATON) et le batteur de ANUBIS. La formation prodigue un jazz-rock éloigné des standards aseptisés du genre, par une adjonction non-négligeable de Progressif. Ce qui le rend à la fois inattendu et nuancé, travaillé, tout en finesse et plein de surprises. Les thèmes énergiques de "Planète Sauvage" bénéficient de magnifiques interventions de guitares, de claviers et de saxophone.(www.musearecords.com)

Songs / Tracks Listing
01. Planète sauvage
02. Thème 86
03. Goraan Part II
04. Robot V
05. Résistance
06. Crystal
07. Turkish Dance

RATING:  7.75 / 10

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*. Polarity .* (Album + Ep)

Album: Polarity (2009)
Single: Polarity (2011)(Ep 6 Track's + 1 Extra)
Genre: Prog Rock (Alternative/Crossover/Metal)  /  Canada

POLARITY: The presence or manifestation of two opposite or contrasting principles or tendencies. This definition reflects our new EP released in July of 2011. We embrace duality finding inspiration in the uncharted territories and often frightening truths of self found in the human psyche. With the new release we ask patience from our listeners. Our songs allow you a moment to breath and linger in a state of melodic limbo, listen for harmonizing guitars and painfully insecure lyrics. Once you’re comfortable, before you know it you’ll find senses exploding with pounding rhythm, powerful rifts and strong yet vulnerable melodies. We formed in December of 2008 and released our debut album in October of 2009. Global Entertainment magazine has described our first release as going 'basement gold'. We’ve proudly sold over 2000 copies independently. 2010 saw us touring for the first time to the East Coast of Canada, and in the three and a half years since our bands birth our motto of ‘every show counts’ is clearly visible from our past show list on our website www.polaritymusic.com...we’ve played over a hundred shows in and around the GTA, and have loved every stage and audience in the process. Like most unsigned bands we manage all aspects of our band independently and continue to do so. Our more recent accomplishments include a sold out show at Toronto’s Tattoo Rock Parlour for our EP’s release, playing in the heart of Toronto at the Younge and Dundas for Youthday and helping raise over $11,000 for breast cancer while playing to an audience of over six hundred people. In the upcoming months you’ll find us in our van touring the country exposing Canadian audiences to our progressive style. POLARITY; The positive or negative state in which a body reacts to a magnetic, electric or other field. This definition sums up all we hope for from our listener, that you give into our moment and allow yourself to feel the magnetic pull of POLARITY, allow the electricity of our instruments to course through your body and embrace the positive or negative reaction you have to the field of music we create. (www.facebook.com)

RATING:  7.25 / 10

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*. Brain Connect .*

Album: Handmade (2007)
Genre: Prog Rock (Prog Metal/Exp.)  /  Poland

Songs / Tracks Listing
01. Intro
02. Ballada
03. Brainwash
04. Andrew
05. C-moll
06. Progic
07. Jazzik
08. Outro

Line-up / Musicians
Jan Mitoraj / guitar
Marcin Szlachta / bass guitar
Przemysław Całus / drums
Krzysztof Walczyk / keyboards

RATING:  6.5 / 10

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