Be sure to check our DVDs page on the 5th tab above, including the new Riverside - Reality Dream and Yes - The Lost Broadcasts DVDs.
Most of the CDs on the Canadian Unicorn Digital label are now on sale, with most single CDs priced at $9.99. This sale will continue until stocks are exhausted, or we change our mind, whichever comes first.
Panic Room - Satellite ($14.99)
At the beginning of this millennium, the Welsh band Karnataka were one of the most popular new progressive bands in the UK. In 2004, when they seemed destined to break through to greater success, they disbanded. The original band splintered into at least three new bands: one using the name Karnataka lead by founder Ian Jones, The Reasoning (who nabbed lead singer Rachel Jones), and Panic Room. Four-fifths of Panic Room (everyone but the bassist) are former Karnataka members. Visionary Position (2008, 65-minutes) is the band’s debut album and is not far removed from Karnataka. As before, the focus lies as much with singer Anne-Marie Helder’s powerful but controlled voice as with Jonathan Edwards’ symphonic keyboard parts. Visionary Position does sound like it is further developing the style of the original Karnataka, and is arguably more progressive. Anne-Marie is a wonderful singer (also multi-instrumentalist), and the electric violin from guest Liz Prendergast is a great touch. Now the dissolution of Karnataka no longer feels like a loss, as not only is this a tremendous album, Karnataka have seeded half the melodic prog bands in Britain.
Satellite (2010, 59-minutes) is their second studio CD. The Where Worlds Collide review provides insight into the essential difference between Visionary Position and Satellite. The former was composed in the studio, but the songs proved a challenge to recreate live. The songs on Satellite were road-tested first, recorded in the studio second. That’s probably one reason why there is no violin on this one. The result is an album of polished shorter songs of symphonic/progressive-flavored melodic rock. Which is pretty much what most of the current generation of British prog bands play. It’s remarkable how Anne-Marie Helder has progressed from someone brought in to sing backing vocals in Karnataka to as good a female singer as you’ll find in rock today (and not a bad lyricist either). The band must recognize this, as her vocals are the centerpiece of every song. There are similarities to the band Breathing Space, who are also responsible for transforming a female backing singer from one band into a stellar lead vocalist, not to mention Magenta, Mostly Autumn, Karnataka, The Reasoning, and Touchstone. Also read the Sea of Tranquility and Prog Archives reviews.
Karnataka - The Gathering Light ($14.99) 
Karnataka - The Storm ($15.99)In their first incarnation, the Welsh band Karnataka won the 2000 British Classic Rock Society Award for Best New Band, while lead vocalist Rachel Jones also garnered Best Female Vocalist honors in 2000 and 2001. The strength of the original Karnataka is undoubtedly their vocals, with Rachel joined by Anne-Marie Helder on backing vocals and flute, and the fact that the lovely vocals came from two lovely women did not hamper their stage presence. Instrumentally, the band often shows a Marillion-derived neo-progressive lineage, with keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums, but the combination of their different elements makes them unique. Because of the vocals, Karnataka can be compared to Iona, though they aren’t as Celtic as Iona. There is no denying their appeal, which should include fans of modern Clannad, Renaissance, and October Project, and the band seemed poised for greater success. Except that in August 2004, this lineup broke up.
Strange Behaviour (2004) is their 2CD live album, featuring a 20-page full-color booklet. Karnataka selected the best performances from their 2003 tour, and the sound quality is superb. Since the band improved steadily, the live renditions of songs from their first two CDs are significantly more powerful. Furthermore, this was the first recorded work to fully feature Ann-Marie Helder -- her flute playing and her magnificent backing vocals take many of the songs to a new level. There are also two excellent songs that had yet to appear on a studio album, plus two hidden songs after a gap following Out Of Reach. Newcomers start here. Read the DPRP review.
Delicate Flame of Desire (2003) was the third and final studio album for the original band. It is undoubtedly their best, a sumptuous CD with fantastic vocal harmonies and enough progressive instrumental content to sink one’s teeth into. The 10+ minute finale Heart of Stone is absolutely glorious. The Storm (2000) is their second CD.
The original Karnataka splintered into three different bands: Panic Room, The Reasoning, and the current version of Karnataka who are lead by founder Ian Jones. They debut in 2010 with The Gathering Light. (Description to be added.) Read the reviews at DPRP and Musical Discoveries.
Parade - The Fabric ($15.99) The Fabric (2010) is the debut CD of Parade, the new band formed by Chris Johnson, guitarist for Fish, a member of Mostly Autumn for two years, and a member of Bryan Josh’s live band. Technically, Parade could be considered the fourth splinter band from the original Karnataka, as members include Anne-Marie Helder and Gavin Griffiths, both also members of Panic Room and Mostly Autumn. The album features guest appearances by Mostly Autumn’s Bryan Josh, Heather Findlay and Olivia Sparnenn (also Breathing Space). Someone needs to diagram all this incestuous band construction. (Description to be added.) Read the reviews at BigDistraction and Musical Discoveries.
Ephemeral Sun - Harvest Aorta ($9.99) Ephemeral Sun is a U.S. band formed from the remnants of a doom metal band called Rain Fell Within. Their 2010 CD Harvest Aorta could be from a different band than their 2005 debut Broken Door. We originally wrote about Broken Door: “You could get rid of the metal guitar and be left with a stunning progressive band”, and though they didn’t get rid of the metal guitar, that stunning progressive band is very much in evidence on Harvest Aorta, a spectacular 69-minute instrumental work of heavy symphonic prog comprised of only four pieces. It sometimes sounds like a heavier Genesis. The metal guitar is still present at times, fearing that without it there could be frequencies in the bottom half of the audio spectrum left unfilled, but there is much less of the trivial, generic riffing that characterizes modern metal. With much of the album recorded live in the studio, the energy of a live performance has been captured. One of the most pleasant surprises in a while. (The CD comes in a cardboard sleeve.)
On Broken Door (72-minutes), an important aspect of Ephemeral Sun’s sound is vocalist Laurie Ann Haus, who has a beautiful voice that sounds classically trained. There is frequent metal guitar on this one, but the band is more symphonic progressive than the likes of Within Temptation, while sharing a penchant for the gothic. In addition to traditional proggy keyboards, John Battema adds a lot of ambient electronic textures that sets the band apart. It’s a cliché to talk about a band exploring new musical territory, and it is difficult to do that in prog rock in this century, but at the very least, Ephemeral Sun were already combining the components in a novel and very seductive way.
Vieux Carré - Glispiriti Icorpi Elementi ($17.99) Despite the French name (which refers to New Orleans’ French Quarter), this is an Italian quintet from Umbria. They released their debut CD Glispiriti Icorpi Elementi independently in 2008, and it has been a well-kept secret outside Italy. For Vieux Carré play in the classic Italian symphonic prog style of PFM, Le Orme, and Banco, and this album is way too good to remain unknown. One must also mention Genesis, because three of the songs are sung in English, and singer Marco Rambaldi reflexively switches to a Peter Gabriel style on those songs. (Or maybe it’s a Bernardo Lanzetti style.) The band’s first demo (when they were known as Chiaroscuro) contained covers of Firth of Fifth and The Musical Box, so the Genesis influence is not imagined. There is also some jazz influence, which the best first-generation Italian bands had as well. It’s mostly the songs sung in Italian that have that old magic; lovers of vintage Italian prog will understand.
Morphelia - Waken the Nightmare (2CD, $17.99) Morphelia are a German heavy neo-prog band who, while not ready to displace Martigan at the top of our list of German neo-prog bands, are providing healthy competition. They debuted in 2003 with Prognocircus (72-minutes) and followed that with the ambitious Waken the Nightmare (2009, 117-minutes), a double-CD in a beautiful fat digipack. To oversimplify their style, take the first two Marillion albums and add some metal, with a predominance of darker moods and epic length tracks. There is also some Pink Floyd influence, especially on the 27-minute final track. The second disc is actually stronger than the first, where Morphelia slide into metal less frequently, yielding more unadulterated progressive rock. Read the reviews at ProgressiveWorld.net and Background Magazine.
Prognocircus is similar, though Morphelia honed their playing and production skills in the time between their two albums. One criticism that could be leveled at Waken the Nightmare is that, for an album of its length, it sticks pretty closely to the same script (for a jester’s tear). Prognocircus has a Saga influence heard right off the bat, and overall feels a bit more varied. Start with Waken the Nightmare, and if you enjoy it, you’ll almost certainly want Prognocircus as well.
Martigan - Vision ($15.99) 
Martigan - Live in Köln PAL DVD+R ($12.99)With the addition of Morphelia to this page and with most of the Martigan CDs back in stock, it seemed like a good time to call attention to Martigan again. For many, German band Martigan will be the best neo-prog band you’ve never heard. They were founded in 1994 and have made steady progress with each album, and with Vision (2009, 79-minutes), they are at least on a par with Collage and Deyss at their peak, and ahead of any other continental band who play or played a style similar to early Marillion or IQ. Which is exactly what Martigan play, the original neo-prog style without metal, excessive melancholy, or other modern downgrades. The music is melodic, exuberant, dramatic and majestic, with soaring Rothery-style guitar leads and excellent vocals, and like the best neo-prog bands, the ‘neo’ tag is not always necessary. The 23-minute track that opens Vision will hook any fan of the style immediately. Man of the Moment (2002, 76-minutes) is just as good, some would say better, with more music directly influenced by Genesis rather than Marillion/IQ, while one can also hear the influence of early Saga. Working backwards, the quality only drops off slightly on Ciel Ouvert (1996, 68-minutes). All their albums are sung in English.
Live in Köln is a 112-minute ‘official bootleg’ DVD+R with stereo audio of Martigan performing live in 2003. The disc is all-region but in the PAL system, so those outside Europe, be sure you can play PAL DVDs. It comes in a slimline case with no liner and counts as only one-half CD for shipping. Here is a video sample. Reviews of each CD can be found by following the second mp3 icon above.
Circulus - Thought Becomes Reality ($15.99) Circulus are “Britain’s foremost medieval-influenced progressive psychedelic folk-rock band”, a dancing-around-Stonehenge seven-piece band with male & female vocals, keyboards (including Moog), guitars, bass, drums, flute, recorder, cittern, crumhorn, harmonium, and a few other odd instruments. They do a prog rock take on psychedelic folk plus some trad folk and medieval music, and their records sound like they came straight out of 1971 or 1972. The Lick... (2005) is their first CD. Think Spirogyra and Spriguns, but proggier than either. Magical.
Thought Becomes Reality (2009) is their third. (Description to be added.)
Steve Unruh - Challenging Gravity ($11.99)Challenging Gravity (2010, 51-minutes) continues the style of Steve Unruh’s previous album The Great Divide in a more song-oriented direction (no 36-minute suites), though there are still only two tracks under 5:30. The electric bass gets a waiver, otherwise it’s all acoustic: vocals, acoustic guitars, violin, flute, and drum kit. It is again acoustic progressive rock with strong singer-songwriter and American folk aspects, and weighty lyrics. The album has Unruh’s trademark dynamics shifts and odd time signatures, the sound so big during the high-energy passages that it’s easy to forget you’re listening to acoustic instruments. Here is a 3:28 mp3 album sampler. See Page 2 for the rest of Steve Unruh’s CDs and much more info.
Troy Donockley - The Madness of Crowds ($15.99) The Madness of Crowds (2009) is the third solo CD for former Iona member and always in-demand session musician Troy Donockley. If you’re new to Troy’s music, you’ll find more info on Page 2 along with Troy’s earlier CDs and collaborations with Dave Bainbridge. The cast on The Madness of Crowds includes Joanne Hogg (Iona), Nick Holland (Maddy Prior’s band), Brad Lang, Frank van Essen (Iona), Rosie Biss, Barbara Dickson, Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn), as well as a quintet of harp, oboe, clarinet, flute, and bassoon. This is cinematic Celtic progressive rock: atmospheric, majestic, sublime, and nearly unique. In some ways, this is an extension of what Clannad had begun circa 1983, taken into more classical and progressive realms. “If any modern music can shake off the ravages of fashion and hark back to a time when music was created and listened to as Art rather than as commodity and accessory, then by definition this does precisely that... the essence of that ‘lost world’.” The CD comes in a fat digipack plus slipcase, but it folds out into an 18-panel piece of art that must have cost a fortune to manufacture. Read reviews here.
Iona - The Circling Hour ($15.99) Back in stock, in time for Iona’s first U.S. tour and appearance at NEARfest 2010. For rather stupid legal reasons, The Circling Hour (2006, 65-minutes) is the one Iona CD that is not distributed in the U.S., and it’s their best CD. The band’s first studio album in over five years, it is absolutely brilliant. Those who’d been tracking Iona’s trajectory through Dave Bainbridge’s 2004 Veil of Gossamer album might have anticipated that this would be their most progressive and fully-realized album, and it is. It is progressive rock from start to finish, still with Joanne Hogg’s lovely vocals, and strong Celtic elements particularly from Troy Donockley’s Uilleann pipes and whistles. Emotions range from the most sensitive to the most majestic and high-energy. The mix is notable, and the textural detail has reached a new level. The rhythm section of Frank van Essen (drums) and Phil Barker (bass) is exceptional, and van Essen also plays violin! Dave Bainbridge handles both guitars and keyboards masterfully and remains the main creative force in the band. Heather Findlay of Mostly Autumn has a brief guest appearance. There is no other band that makes music like this, and no band that can call themselves Celtic operating at this level of sophistication. The rest of the Iona CDs are on Page 2.
Patrick Moraz - The Story of i ($15.99)Back in stock. As with Iona, all the Patrick Moraz CDs are distributed in the U.S. except the best one. Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz is known to most for his stint in Yes on the Relayer album, where his playing style had a large impact on Yes’ sound, and for his 1978-1991 tenure with The Moody Blues, which paid the bills. Moraz also recorded two studio albums with Bill Bruford. The Story of i was Moraz’s debut solo album, recorded in late 1975 during a period when all the Yes members recorded solo albums. The album is a concept piece based around a story Patrick had written. The album features Brazilian musicians and rhythms, demonstrating that progressive rock musicians were doing world music before it became fashionable, and doing it better. Other featured musicians on the album are jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon and bassist Jeff Berlin. This is without a doubt Moraz’s best solo album. Not only that, it is unique and is a progressive rock classic. This is the remastered edition on Voiceprint with two bonus tracks. The rest of the Patrick Moraz CDs are here.
Moraz / Bruford - In Tokyo ($17.99)More or less from the press release: On reflection, keyboardist Patrick Moraz and drummer Bill Bruford had obvious commonality. By the mid-1980s, both were Yes alumni, both were tiring of big-stadium excess, both had roots and influences that lay closer to jazz than progressive rock, and both were looking for a more flexible music, stripped of the trappings and associated costs of their regular day jobs. The duo recorded two albums of drum-and-keyboard based music, suffused with upbeat invention and peerless skill. Both Music for Piano and Drums (1983) and Flags (1985) were well-received. Released on Bruford’s Winterfold Records, In Tokyo is an A+ quality 1985 live recording, with ten tracks (62-minutes) that capture Moraz/Bruford at their peak. As commentator Sid Smith remarks: “Though there’s an undeniable jazzy vibe to much of what’s going on, there’s also more than a hint of the symphonically-inclined prog rock in which both players cut their professional musical teeth. Principally this is most evident in the framework provided by Moraz’s likeable and accessible tunes. Though clearly well-structured, they offer plenty of opportunities to display lightning-quick reactions and sharp dynamics”.
Anthony Phillips - Private Parts and Pieces I & II (2CD, $15.99)Voiceprint’s Anthony Phillips reissues continue with the Private Parts and Pieces series. The first two albums in this long-running series are probably the best. The first volume was released in 1978 and contains almost all acoustic material that had been written between Ant leaving Genesis and the release of The Geese and the Ghost. Private Parts and Pieces Volume 2: Back to the Pavilion was released in 1980, with Phillips assisted at times by Mike Rutherford, Mel Collins (flute), Rob Phillips (oboe), and Andy McCulloch (drums). This double-CD combines the two albums and adds three bonus tracks. More Anthony Phillips CDs are on our British page.
Gordon Giltrap & Rick Wakeman - From Brush & Stone ($15.99) 2009 collaboration. (Description to be added.)
PBII - Plastic Soup (CD + PAL DVD, $16.99) The Dutch band Plackband was formed in the mid-1970’s and was most influenced by Genesis. They took an 18-year holiday, reuniting in 2000. After 30 years, Plackband rebooted as PBII with three of the original members and the desire for a more modern sound. They had to find a new bass player, and keyboardist Michel van Wassem assumed lead vocal duties. Guests include John Mitchell and John Jowitt, two guys who never met a neo-prog band they didn't want to play with, and singer Heidi Jo Hines. It's not a radical change from Plackband, as the old Genesis influence is still present most of the time. PBII’s desire for a more modern approach has more to do with the use of modern sounds, modern production and the sound of the mix than a change in musical style. Frost is not a bad comparison in terms of that marriage of classic prog and modern execution.
In addition to a standard CD (69-minutes), this set includes a DVD. The packaging bears the DVD-Audio logo in two places, the only problem is that it is not a DVD-Audio disc. It is a PAL DVD-Video disc (all-region) containing a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix of the entire album, plus two videos (16:9). The 2-disc package comes in what looks like a digipack but lacks the integrated plastic tray; it’s a tri-fold eco-friendly sleeve with pockets for the two discs and booklet. North American customers, be aware that we will not accept returns because the DVD will not play on your NTSC player, though some NTSC players will still play the surround audio, and computer DVD drives will play the entire disc. Read the Background Magazine review.
Flavio Mezzodi - Elements ($15.99) Drummer Flavio Mezzodi was a member of the Swiss prog band Thonk, though his experience goes far beyond that. Elements (2009) is his first CD under his name, containing symphonic prog with fusion touches. Mezzodi also plays piano and synths and contributes backing vocals, while numerous other musicians appear on vocals, guitars, bass, soprano sax, and more drums. There are two songs with English-language vocals and six instrumentals. This is really brilliant. Mezzodi’s masterful drumming is something to behold. No matter how complex the drum parts become, he maintains the groove and doesn’t turn the songs into drum solos. Except for the last track that is, which is a drum and percussion workout with three drummers playing at once. The music is carefully composed and arranged, and the immaculate production makes it especially powerful. In addition to the audio, there is an 8-minute video set to a medley of the Elements songs. It’s well-known among retailers that some prog fans are incapable of buying a CD under an unknown individual’s name, even though for decades studio tracks have been recorded one part at a time, with no need now for the musicians to ever be in the same room together. If ever there was a CD that makes the stupidity of that bias evident, this is it.
Maxwell’s Demon - Diablo ($12.99) Prometheus is the 2001 debut by a U.S. instrumental band going for the Änglagård sound and style and coming very close, adding a slightly more avant-garde flavor a la Univers Zero. The album plays as one long track. Diablo is the follow-up, released at the end of 2009. While retaining the King Crimson (think Providence, but composed rather than improvised) and Änglagård appeal, Diablo is more challenging. Much of the album is very dissonant, with all the tritones the band can muster, consciously avoiding major thirds. Yet the album culminates in more tonal, less diabolical, nearly happy music, so with patience even Diablo resolves. As the band says: “This album was made by the band, for the band, and the few remaining fans of authentic progressive rock who want to be challenged and are willing to explore this difficult yet rewarding music over many undistracted listenings. You know who you are”.
The Watch - Planet Earth? ($15.99) Italian band The Watch, formerly The Night Watch, are a clone of Gabriel-era Genesis. Even their singer sounds like Gabriel. It isn’t really necessary to say much more, though of course The Watch don’t have quite the songwriting abilities and melodic sense of Genesis. No one does. The Watch do mimic all the Genesis sounds and surface details perfectly, so take a little trip back...
Planet Earth? (2010, digipack) sticks to their tried and true style, but with longevity and playing lots of live shows, The Watch are getting rather good at what they do. John Hackett guests on flute. Here are mp3 excerpts from the tracks Welcome to Your Life, Something Wrong, Earth, and Tourist Trap. All prior The Watch CDs are in stock on our Italian page.
Stefano Panunzi - A Rose ($17.99) Timelines (65-minutes, digipack) is the outstanding 2005 debut by Italian keyboardist Stefano Panunzi. It was recorded in Italy, Germany, the UK, and Japan, and features many guest musicians including Mick Karn (Japan, Rain Three Crow), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, Mick Karn), and Peter Chilvers (No Man, Henry Fool). This is highly-polished, moody progressive music in the No Man, Porcupine Tree, Nosound, and David Sylvian veins, with detailed ambient textures and elements of jazz, about evenly divided between songs (sung in English) and instrumentals.
A Rose (2010, 54-minutes, digipack) features Mick Karn, Tim Bowness (No-Man), Giancarlo Erra (Nosound), Theo Travis, Markus Reuter, Robbie Aceto, and many more musicians. It downplays the ambient jazz of the first CD and features more songs: seven songs using seven different singers, plus three instrumentals. The production is immaculate, the music mesmerizing and seductive; this is a masterpiece of ambient progressive rock. Read the review at Prognaut; another review appears on Panunzi’s MySpace page (first mp3 icon above).
Half Past Four - Rabbit in the Vestibule ($12.99) This is the late-2008 debut by Toronto’s Half Past Four, an excellent, eclectic progressive rock band that could be grouped loosely with Echolyn and IZZ in that they have a modern, energetic sound that is nevertheless respectful of the classic progressive rock bands, with some nimble playing and complex arrangements. Likewise, Half Past Four have a true keyboardist (who favors piano), the essential element missing from too many modern so-called prog bands, so the balance between keys and guitar is what it should be for a prog band. Half Past Four’s songs are centered around their talented female vocalist Kyree Vibrant (which is a pretty good surname). The music is often arty and quirky, skirting Squonk Opera territory, simultaneously innovative and catchy. Read reviews here for more in-depth descriptions of a band we hope to hear more from. 63-minutes.
Mindgames - MMX ($17.99) 
International Daylight (2003, 66-minutes) is the debut by Mindgames, a Belgian melodic symphonic progressive band singing in English. After their promising debut on Musea, Mindgames self-released an outstanding second CD Actors in a Play (2006, 67-minutes), followed by MMX (57-minutes, digipack) in 2010. Mindgames have elements of neo-prog (Pendragon, early Marillion, Clepsydra, Saga), while those familiar with the first-generation Benelux progressive bands may feel that Mindgames have much in common with Machiavel, Isopoda, Flyte, and Phylter. Singer Bart Schram’s voice is sort of a hybrid of Nick Barrett’s and Jon Anderson’s, so there are allusions to Yes in addition to the Pendragon similarities. MMX strikes us as being more purely neo-prog (add Castanarc and Multi-Story to the list of references), with crystal-clear production. All their CDs are full of epic tracks combining vocal and instrumental sections. It’s good to see quality symphonic prog coming from Belgium again.
Blackmore’s Night - Secret Voyage ($14.99) 
Blackmore’s Night - Shadow of the Moon ($13.99)For those few yet unaware, this is what guitar hero Ritchie Blackmore has been doing since 1997 and with great success. His wife Candice Night provides the beautiful vocals. Blackmore’s Night do a renaissance faire or medieval minstrel style of symphonic rock, electric but using early music instruments and a lot of other acoustic textures. There are influences of renaissance music, Celtic and East European folk. Blackmore himself concentrates more on acoustic guitar than electric, playing in the style of Gordon Giltrap. This is the most complex progressive music that Blackmore has ever played, and not at all what a Deep Purple or Rainbow fan would expect.
These are the 2010 reissues on the band’s own Minstrel Hall Music label of the first and third Blackmore’s Night CDs: Shadow of the Moon (1998, 65-minutes) and Fires at Midnight (2001, 68-minutes).
This is a good price on Past Times With Good Company, a 2CD live set from 2002, the first live album by Blackmore’s Night and a good summary of their first three studio albums.
Secret Voyage (2008, digipack) contains 12 new tracks plus a bonus video. It is another fine album for Blackmore’s Night, with Blackmore dusting off his electric guitar on several tracks. Read the reviews at Prog Archives. Check our DVDs page for the Blackmore’s Night DVDs.
Kscope - Volume 1 ($0.99)Following McDonald’s lead, we’ve instituted a Dollar Menu, which currently has one item on it, the Kscope label’s first sampler CD. This CD comes in an attractive physical package and contains these tracks: The Pineapple Thief - Tightly Wound, Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul, No-Man - Truenorth (edit), Engineers - Brighter As We Fall, Anekdoten - Gravity, North Atlantic Oscillation - Drawing Maps from Memory, Richard Barbieri - Decay, Nosound - Kites, Anathema - Flying, and Steven Wilson - Harmony Korine.
Engineers - Three Fact Fader ($15.99) Porcupine Tree meets Cocteau Twins and Krautrock? Engineers’ 2009 second album Three Fact Fader is on the Kscope label, home of Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief and bands that sound like them, so not surprisingly, there is a noticeable PT/TPT style at play here. There is also the wall-of-fuzzy-guitars-and-reverb sound of Cocteau Twins, and the unmistakable guitar style of Neu! and Harmonia. So mix the melancholy psychedelia of Porcupine Tree with shoegazing dream-pop, and you have Engineers. Is it progressive rock? Well, only at times, but there is an awful lot of glorified alt-rock and metal being passed off as progressive rock these days. Ultimately, Engineers may find that this blurred sound and style can’t be continued much longer without it becoming redundant, though that didn’t stop Cocteau Twins. But this one 57-minute CD is just about right. Note the Kscope sampler above contains a track from this CD.
Pekka Pohjola - The Mathematician’s Air Display ($17.99) The most revered Finnish progressive rock musician, Pekka Pohjola was not simply a phenomenal bassist (he was also adept at several other instruments), but a composer extraordinaire, his work ranging from a Scandinavian Mike Oldfield style to progressive big band to classical and more. He passed away in 2008 at age 56. These are the 2010 remastered editions on the Esoteric label of his second and third albums, originally released in the UK by Virgin Records, with fully-restored artwork and a new essay. The Love Records release of B the Magpie (1974) was titled Harakka Bialoipokku; The Mathematician’s Air Display (1977) was titled Keesojen Lehto. The latter may be Pohjola’s best-known work because it features Mike and Sally Oldfield and Pierre Moerlen and was released under about five different names. Read reviews at Prog Archives of B the Magpie and The Mathematician’s Air Display. Here is a page with several YouTube videos embedded, including at least one track each from these albums.
Wigwam - The Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose ($17.99)Wigwam was the best known Finnish rock band of the 1970’s (Pekka Pohjola was a member early on), their albums ranging from progressive rock to intelligent pop-rock. Nuclear Nightclub (1975) and The Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose (1976) were released by Virgin Records in the UK. These are the 2010 remastered editions on the Esoteric label, with restored artwork, lavish booklets, and a new essay and recollections from Jim Pembroke. The Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose has two bonus tracks from a 1975 single: Tramdriver and Wardance. These were the first two albums by what is usually considered the second era of the band, during which their English ex-pat singer-songwriter Jim Pembroke became the dominant composer. During this phase, Wigwam were sort of the Finnish Steely Dan. Read the Wigwam overview at DPRP. Read reviews at Prog Archives of Nuclear Nightclub and The Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose. The unofficial Wigwam Nuclear Netclub site has a wealth of information.
Paul Cusick - Focal Point ($15.99) British multi-instrumentalist Paul Cusick’s 2009 debut CD is most often described as a blend of Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd. If that sounds even remotely like something you’d like, you probably will, as this is an outstanding modern prog album. Cusick is assisted by drummer Alex Cromarty, except one track on which drummer Andy Edwards (IQ, Frost) guests. The production is first-rate, the man can sing; there are none of the shortcomings some prog fans associate with solo projects. The songs are melancholy and dark, though the song Hold On has a sing-along chorus full of hope. Read reviews at Sea of Tranquility, DPRP, and Metal Manic (don’t worry, it isn’t metal), or read comments from people who paid for the CD at amazon.com and amazon.co.uk.
Proximal Distance - same ($9.99) What do you get when you combine Slychosis and Majestic? What a stupid question. It’s Proximal Distance of course. Proximal Distance began as a collaboration between Gregg Johns and Jeff Hamel, the masterminds of Slychosis and Majestic, respectively. Majestic’s Jessica Rasche was brought in to handle the vocals, while Jeremy Mitchell and Todd Sears from the Slychosis camp play drums/percussion. The band says: “Taking from both Gregg and Jeff’s progressive influences, the Proximal Distance sound is along the lines of Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Saga and many more 70’s-style influences and should please even the most hardcore progressive rock listeners.” Those influences are present, with Pink Floyd dominant (and we might add early Nektar), but the overall feel is more contemporary than that might suggest. For one, there is a slight metal influence. Not surprisingly, the album sounds like a blend of Majestic and Slychosis, except that the Genesis influence heard on Slychedelia is downplayed. There is a wealth of sonic details in the quieter sections. With a playing time of 74-minutes, there is a lot to absorb here, and it’s difficult to sum it all up in a few words. Ultimately, their sound may be defined most by the fact the composers are both principally guitarists, and guitarists and keyboardists tend to write and arrange differently, particularly when it comes to classical music influences. Since guitarists have come to greatly outnumber true keyboardists in modern prog, that is one reason Proximal Distance sound contemporary even though the music draws heavily from classic prog. Beautiful artwork throughout the booklet from Russian artist Vladimir Moldavsky.
Majestic - Arrival ($15.99)Majestic is the project of American multi-instrumentalist Jeff Hamel, whose CDs are released by the Moscow-based MALS label. Arrival (2009, 77-minutes) comes in a heavyweight mini-LP cardboard sleeve. Whereas the previous Majestic CD Descension suffered from weak vocals courtesy of Hamel himself, he’s brought in singer Jessica Rasche for Arrival, which is part of the reason Arrival is a huge improvement. The Sea of Tranquility reviews will tell you what you need to know, in particular “Arrival does not feel like a one man band in the slightest. The sound is so rich and full it is hard to believe this is the work of one man.” OK, the drums sound like samples and the production is project studio quality, but those are the only clues. There isn’t just a single prog style here. With the slight metal influence, the overall feel is of a modern progressive rock album, and the Majestic press kit does mention Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Dream Theater, and Ayreon (Stream of Passion should also be tossed in there). But the classic prog content is also impressive, with a lot of Pink Floyd, a little Genesis and Yes, even Tangerine Dream style electronics are employed. More review excerpts can be found on the Majestic site, and there should eventually be more reviews at Prog Archives. Here is an mp3 of excerpts from Arrival.
Slychosis - Slychedelia ($9.99)Slychosis is a progressive rock band from Mississippi led by Gregg Johns. On their 2006 self-titled debut (54-minutes, digipack), they display many of their influences, including Genesis, Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Hawkwind, and 70’s hard rock. On a few of these tracks, they wear those influences on their sleeves, but most of the tracks are more original. The debut recording is project studio quality, so while it doesn't have the clarity and sheen of a pro studio recording, it does reinforce the illusion that this is an early 1970’s album.
Slychedelia (2008, 62-minutes, digipack) is a significant step up in both music and production and, unlike its predecessor, doesn’t sound like a 1970’s record. There is still a strong classic progressive rock feel and some 70’s hard rock, but the heavier, more aggressive guitar is from the modern era, and modern technology is employed, for example, the Vocaloid Miriam software, which allows Miriam Stockley (Adiemus) to sing on one’s record without her knowledge. On the latter tracks, the heavy guitar disappears and the Genesis influence becomes dominant, sounding something like the Banks/Rutherford/Collins lineup producing an instrumental progressive track (which they did all too infrequently). Instrumentals dominate over vocals, though the vocals are respectable. This is also one of the most beautiful CD packages you’ll see, featuring the artwork and design of Russian artist Vladimir Moldavsky.
Abigail’s Ghost - Live_RoSfest_2009 DVD ($14.99) 
After two warm-up CD-EPs, this New Orleans-based band formed by two Berklee alumni released their first full-length CD Selling Insincerity in 2007. Here Abigail’s Ghost are extremely close in sound to Porcupine Tree circa Deadwing or the one before that. Porcupine Tree get used as a reference for a lot of modern bands, but Abigail’s Ghost come closer than any other. Not only that, they demonstrate the same high level of arrangement and production finesse, which is saying a lot. Porcupine Tree fans will fall in love with this band, as they are a rare example of an imitator that is in no way second-rate, with so much musical skill and creativity that it feels they are adding to the P.Tree canon and helping define the modern progressive style. 56-minutes, digipack.
d_letion (2009, digipack) is their 53-minute follow-up. It is not a radical change in direction, but it does see Abigail’s Ghost emerging from the shadow of Porcupine Tree. The first half of the CD is also more metallic, and filling tracks up with the same rhythmic low-frequency noise found on any modern metal album does not produce more original music, much less progressive rock. But there is a noticeable shift on the second half of the album, where Abigail’s Ghost do establish a more original style. They back off the metal to allow the more musical elements to be heard, and there are strikingly beautiful, dark atmospheric songs here. They really shine on this material, so Abigail’s Ghost would do well to decide whether to regress to being another dreary metal band or to make the consistently-original modern prog album they are clearly capable of. Read the review at Progressive Melodies.
The DVD captures Abigail’s Ghost’s performance at ROSfest 2009. This is the full set, drawn from both Selling Insincerity and d_letion. Bonus features include behind the scenes footage from the d_letion recording sessions and a photo gallery. NTSC, all-region, 16:9 widescreen, Dolby Digital stereo audio. Here is a preview clip.
Distinguished Panel of Experts - Trans-indulgent ($13.99)This Distinguished Panel of Experts is a new instrumental prog band formed by some familiar names from the progressive rock world: Guy LeBlanc (Nathan Mahl, Camel) on keyboards, Shawn Persinger (Boud Deun, Prester John) on guitars, Mike Sary (French TV) on bass, and Chris Vincent (French TV) on drums. This is their late-2009 debut CD, which contains an amalgam of the Nathan Mahl, French TV, and Persinger’s styles, that is if one considers only Nathan Mahl’s fusion-tinged instrumental style as found on their Shadows Unbound album. Overall, the music is not as convoluted as French TV; rather it’s more of a progressive jam band album with Persinger’s guitar the main feature. Digipack.
Anachronos - Aquí y Afuera ($15.99) This is the 2009 debut by an instrumental symphonic prog band from Chile. Being a young band, the drummer and especially the guitarist play in the metal idiom half the time, but it is keyboardist Alonso Quijada that distinguishes Anachronos from your garden variety prog-metal band. The guitar may be mixed as loud or louder than the keys even when doing nothing more than chugga chugga as metal guitarists are wont to do, but the music is dominated by Quijada’s classically-influenced keyboards, primarily piano. Everything of harmonic interest is in the keyboard parts, and Quijada uses samples for occasional touches of South American folk that add spice. Recommended to fans of modern bombastic prog.
Crisálida - Raco ($15.99) Crisálida are a Chilean symphonic prog/prog-metal band with a very good female vocalist singing in Spanish. When Crisálida play symphonic prog, it’s quite good -- dramatic and powerful, though of course it’s the more modern, streamlined variety. And when they add the metal guitar, it’s... prog-metal. (Pity there are so few progressive guitarists in the current generation.) The self-titled CD is their 2006 debut. Raco (2009) is their second.
Sol y Medianoche - Poeta y Cantor ($15.99) Santiago, Chile’s Sol y Medianoche (Midnight Sun) are known to prog cognoscenti for their 1984 LP 33º 33 Latitud Sur, their most successful album, reissued on CD in 2007. They released a half dozen albums between 1982-1990, and they were an important national band in Chile. After a long absence, they’ve returned in 2009 with Poeta y Cantor on the Mylodon label, still featuring their excellent female vocalist Soledad Dominguez and bandleader Jorge Soto (guitars and keys), with a new bassist (Soto’s and Dominguez’s daughter!) and drummer, plus several guest musicians. Their music is a 1970’s-style (early-80’s in Chile but 70’s for most of us) mixing symphonic prog, hard rock, pop and folk, probably encapsulating the Chilean rock scene during those years. Several of the songs on this CD are new versions of the band’s hits. Soto sings the album’s final song, which is one of the best.
Efecto - Efecto ($15.99) This is the debut CD for Efecto, a six-man Chilean prog band, initially released by the band in 2006, remastered in 2009 for this new edition on the Mylodon label. Efecto have somewhat novel instrumentation, using both synthesizers and vibraphone. They actually have two keyboardists and two drummer/mallet percussionists, plus guitars (electric & acoustic) and bass. Their music straddles fusion and a flowing style of symphonic prog, with vocals (in Spanish), but instrumental content dominates. To some extent, Efecto are of the lineage of Congreso, Fulano, and Los Jaivas, three great first-generation Chilean prog bands, and as such, they are one of the most sophisticated bands on the Mylodon label.
Retsam Suriv - Exégesys ($13.99) Exégesys is the 2009 debut by this Argentine symphonic prog band with powerful female vocals (in Spanish), though much of their material is instrumental. They have a slight metal influence but should definitely not be saddled with the prog-metal tag. For one, their primary composer is their keyboardist. The metal influence manifests only as a slight crudeness in a few spots, mostly early on, otherwise they have a sophisticated style comparable to other mainstream, bombastic South American prog bands such as Nexus, Crisálida, Entrance, and Matraz. Not sure what the significance of Virus Master spelled backwards is though. Read reviews at Prog Archives. 69-minutes. More South American prog CDs.
Mike Oldfield - Music of the Spheres ($11.99) One of the giants of progressive rock, Mike Oldfield’s albums now go virtually unnoticed in the U.S., an indictment of the music industry (if one was needed). Music of the Spheres (2008, Super Jewel Box) is Oldfield’s first completely orchestral album (no synths or electric guitar), and it is a beautiful one, also one that feels familiar. It was written by Oldfield, orchestrated and conducted by Karl Jenkins (Adiemus), and performed by the Sinfonia Sfera Orchestra (which includes a choir), with Oldfield playing classical guitar. Oldfield revisits themes from Tubular Bells on a couple songs, while others sound like an Adiemus album, but it could be argued that Oldfield did the signature Adiemus style before Adiemus did. So it seems fitting that Oldfield and Jenkins have now worked together. You can find videos for most of the songs from this CD on YouTube (most are unofficial). These official videos of the premiere (Part 1, Part 2) are good starting points. More Oldfield CDs can be found on our British page.
Saena - Saena ($13.99) José Luis ernández Ledesma is one of the most important names in Mexican progressive rock. He was the founder of Nirgal Vallis, one of the best Mexican progressive bands ever. Saena is his new band, featuring Margarita Botello (voice, piano, accordion), Alejandro Sánchez (violins), Hugo Santos (Stick, bass) and Adrián Zárate (drums). All have appeared on previous Ledesma albums, and Sánchez was a member of both Decibel and Nazca. Ledesma himself plays acoustic & electric guitars and keyboards, while Botello sings both wordless and in Spanish (English translations in the booklet). Those who’ve heard other Ledesma albums know Botello has a beautiful voice. Saena is one of Ledesma’s symphonic prog works. In fact, Saena could be considered the new Nirgal Vallis, and this 2008 CD the logical follow-up to Ledesma’s Designios album. The music is jazzy symphonic progressive rock, with elements of chamber-rock and ethnic-folk. The violin plays a major role, while the playing of the rhythm section is nimble and nuanced. When the violin and accordion play together, the effect is sublime. Warm, melodic, and colorful, this album contains much of Ledesma’s best work. Read reviews at Prog Archives. 68-minutes. See our Mexican page for José Luis Fernández Ledesma’s other CDs.
Iconoclasta - Resurrección ($13.99) Iconoclasta are a Mexican progressive band and one of the most important from that country. In the 1980’s, they were the leading Mexican prog band, and though they continued throughout the 1990’s, the quality dropped off. Iconoclasta blend symphonic prog, usually with similarities to the Italian 1970’s bands, with some fusion and traditional Mexican music. Since it’s been nearly a decade since the previous Iconoclasta studio album, Resurrección (2009, 60-minutes) probably refers to the band. Iconoclasta’s 1990’s albums were a bit fatiguing to listen to. They were instrumental or mostly so, but the band no longer had a dedicated keyboardist, the production was slightly lacking, and their sound could be somewhat strident. While there still is no dedicated keyboardist on Resurrección, there are two female singers in the lineup now, singing in Spanish (English translations in the booklet) and sometimes wordless. The music is more lyrical than it has been since the early albums, with breathing space in the arrangements and some welcome folk elements. More Iconoclasta CDs and more info are on our Mexican page.
Amarok - Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos 2009 ($13.99) 
Sol de Medianoche (Midnight Sun) is the seventh album by this Spanish (more specifically, Catalonian) band, released in 2007. On the one hand, Amarok are capable of playing pure Anglo-prog, and on various tracks you can hear influences of Yes, Jethro Tull, ELP, Banco, the Canterbury bands, and Genesis/Steve Hackett. But they also mix in Mediterranean influences, along the lines of Azigza’s world-prog. There are also Celtic and renaissance music influences, and Amarok use a lot of instruments. The seven-piece band consists of female vocals (in Spanish), drums and percussion, bass, electric guitar, flutes, soprano & alto sax, and keyboards. The keyboardist also plays various ethnic instruments: saz, kanun, charango, santour, accordion, marimba, and more. The songs are sung principally in Spanish, but there are some in Catalan and in English. The variety of instruments used on this release exceeds even Amarok’s previous album, but the arrangements are precise, the instruments employed in an intelligent fashion. The album concludes with a unique version of ELP’s Abaddon’s Bolero that fans of the original really need to hear. 65-minutes.
Retrospectiva (2007) is an 80-minute compilation CD covering only Amarok’s first four albums: Els nostres petits amics (1994), Canciones de los mundos perdidos (1995), Gibra'ara (1998), and Tierra de especias (2000), plus four previously-unreleased tracks. These first four Amarok CDs have seen limited distribution and (apart from the new reworked edition of Canciones...) are hard to come by now. mp3 samples from these four albums can be found here.
Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos 2009 is a new edition of Amarok’s second album, first published in 1995 on a large Spanish label, plus previously-unreleased tracks recorded between 1992 and 2008, 74-minutes total. As the band explains, “Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos (Songs of the Lost Worlds) was recorded and mixed in just nine stressing days in March 1995. Despite our carefully prepared pre-production, we ran out of time, and this was especially notorious in the mix... Twelve years later, going back to the old tapes, I thought it was a good idea to rescue and release them, of course with a little help of modern technology and, why not, some patches here and there.” Amarok became more of a rock band later, but their music was never more beautiful than on this album. The Mediterranean influences and most of the ethnic instruments also came later. The instrumentation on Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos is female voice, keyboards, guitars, violin, oboe, and drums/percussion, and it all feels more English and Celtic. Especially with the oboe, the music is sometimes reminiscent of Anthony Phillips’ albums with Harry Williamson (Tarka, Gypsy Suite), and Mike Oldfield deserves a mention as well.
Breathing Space - Below the Radar ($15.99) 
Breathing Space (2005) is the first CD from former Mostly Autumn keyboardist Iain Jennings, joined here by Olivia Sparnenn on vocals and Mostly Autumn bandmates Liam Davison and Bryan Josh on guitars and brother Andrew Jennings on drums. Olivia was hired by Mostly Autumn to provide backing vocals, but she is featured prominently on this album as lead vocalist, and she is a very strong singer. Iain wrote or co-wrote a number of Mostly Autumn songs, so it should be no surprise that this is more of a songwriter’s album and not one full of flashy keyboard workouts. Jennings is coming much more from a Tony Banks and Rick Wright direction than Emerson or Wakeman. There are seven tracks with vocals, heavy on the ballads, plus two instrumentals, including the beautiful Vangelis-like Escape that concludes the album with some “breathing space”. This album should please most fans of Mostly Autumn, as much of it sounds like MA with the heavy Pink Floyd influence (coming from Bryan Josh) downplayed and another side of the band emphasized. This is the U.S. edition. (There are no U.S. editions of the later CDs.)
After the first CD, Iain formed a touring band and gave them the name Breathing Space, retaining Sparnenn as lead vocalist and bringing in a new guitarist, bassist, drummer, and brother Ben as second keyboardist. Coming Up for Air (2007) is a solid second effort. The CD is front-loaded with the most song-oriented and vocal-heavy tracks, after which the music get proggier, with room for instrumental passages. Sparnenn’s voice is often the most recognizable element of the Breathing Space sound, and as her voice has similarities to Joanne Hogg’s of Iona, this album could be compared to Iona’s upbeat vocal tracks, with Jennings’ Genesis influences substituting for Iona’s Celtic elements. Read the review at Musical Discoveries.
Below the Radar (2009) is their third. “Vocalist Olivia Sparnenn has an absolute gem of a voice; clear, strong, expressive with spot-on pitch. Sound and style are very much in the Mostly Autumn vein though a bit more mainstream, emphasizing mid-tempos and power ballads led by Sparnenn’s vocals... The production is simply outstanding, with everything fitting perfectly into place. All the songs are great, especially Run from Yourself. Boasting hot keyboard solos and cool groove, this is the only track where Jennings and Sparnenn harmonize, refreshingly altering the pattern of Sparnenn’s singular/self-harmonized vocals.” [Progression] Reviews of all the CDs here. See below for the Mostly Autumn CDs.
Fromuz - Seventh Story ($12.99) 
Fromuz are a world-class instrumental progressive rock and fusion band from Uzbekistan, very high-energy and fairly heavy. Using the ISO code for their country (UZ), their name literally means “From Uzbekistan”. The drummer/percussionist on their first two CDs is Vladimir Badirov, who released the Greeting from Nostradamus CD on Unicorn Records in 2004. Audio Diplomacy (2007) features an NTSC, all-region DVD of a 2005 live performance, a multi-camera professional production. There is an accompanying 75-minute audio CD containing the same songs on the DVD, the two discs housed together in a jewel box. There is so little crowd noise, and the recording quality is so high, this could pass for a studio CD. Maybe it is and we’re just confused. The DVD includes two bonus tracks. Read the Sea of Tranquility reviews.
Overlook (69-minutes) is Fromuz’s 2008 studio CD. There is little real jazz or fusion here, as Fromuz have focused on the progressive rock side of their style. They get heavy at times, but the music is distinct from the likes of Planet X or Liquid Tension Experiment. Fromuz are much artier, varied and inventive. High marks all around. Read the Sea of Tranquility reviews.
On Seventh Story (2010), Fromuz continue the shift towards symphonic prog, leaving all but a little fusion behind. This may have something to do with lineup changes. While the compositional core of the band remains, drummer Badirov and the bassist have been replaced and a second keyboardist added, with grand piano being used for the first time. The music is now more rock-oriented, more symphonic and classical, and even features some vocals. There are references to King Crimson, a little Camel, proggy jams, the music jumping around between different progressive rock styles so that the album is always interesting. This is the Fromuz CD with the broadest appeal so far.
Kinetic Element - Powered by Light ($11.99) Kinetic Element is a classic prog band out of Richmond, Virginia, let by keyboardist Mike Visaggio. Their debut Powered by Light (2009, 69-minutes) is pure 1970’s-style symphonic prog that sits right alongside the work of Lift, Pentwater, Ethos, and various other American 70’s prog bands, and is on the same level. Like those bands, Kinetic Element have absorbed the influences of Yes, Genesis, ELP, and other first-tier progressive bands. (Refugee is actually a better reference than ELP here.) Significantly, the music is composed by a keyboardist. Contrast that with the ‘modern prog’ bands who, if they have a skilled keyboardist at all, have often relegated him to playing pads if the guitarist has left any space in the music. Visaggio is not someone trying to recreate the sound of an era that predates him; he’s old enough that he was there when progressive rock first emerged. Read reviews here.
Starship Universe is Mike Visaggio’s 2006 solo CD, on which he has help from a drummer on three tracks. The style is largely the same, epic prog influenced by ELP, Yes, and Rick Wakeman. Read the review at Prognaut.
Eloy - Visionary ($14.99) Eloy is Germany’s well-known symphonic space-rock band, who really hit their stride with Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes (1979) and Colours (1980), and peaked on Planets (1981) and Time to Turn (1982). While they may have been influenced by Pink Floyd, Eloy became a reference to which other prog bands could be compared. In simple terms, they combine the symphonic progressive and space rock styles like no one else.
In celebration of Eloy’s 40th anniversary, founder/guitarist Frank Bornemann returned to the studio to create the band’s first studio album in 10 years: Visionary (2009). Bornemann’s goal was to recreate the vintage sound of their most popular period. To that end, he assembled a lineup featuring members of Eloy’s past. Time was spent recording at world-renowned Horus Sound Studios in Hannover, Germany. Actually owned by Bornemann, it is the place where the classic Eloy sound was created. This is the U.S. edition, which comes in a jewel case with a 16-page booklet. The CD includes a video entitled The Making of Visionary.
King Crimson - Lizard: 40th Anniversary Ed. (DVD-A+CD, $21.99) |    |
Intentions - Place in Time ($16.99) Place in Time is a fine 2009 debut by this Dutch melodic prog band. Intentions play the modern style of neo-prog (neo-neo-prog?), darker and melancholic while still lush and melodic, along the lines of today’s Sylvan, the darker RPWL songs, or most of the current crop of Polish prog bands (but without the metal of Riverside and their ilk). Read the DPRP review.
Rare Blend - Sessions ($11.99) 
Rare Blend is a band from Cleveland playing killer instrumental fusion, very rock-oriented and frequently spilling over into progressive rock territory. A good clue to their music is their list of influences, which includes Tribal Tech, Santana, Steely Dan, Yes and Genesis. Cinefusion (1995) and Infinity (2000) were first, followed by Evolution Theory (2002), featuring a guitars/keys/bass/drums lineup, fusing symphonic prog with jazz-rock.
Stops Along the Way (2006, 60-minutes) is generally comparable to Evolution Theory. There are three live-in-the-studio improvisations in which Rare Blend come across as a progressive jam band. There are two tracks with (female) vocals from Bobbi Holt. These vocals are of the soulful/bluesy variety, so these two tracks are probably not going to be the highlight for prog fans. Rare Blend keep the tracks on this CD at six minutes or under, so even the improvs are not long-winded or rambling, making for an entertaining disc that can hit a lot of styles in its 13 tracks.
Rare Blend’s fifth CD Sessions (2009) is a 14-track disc of live instrumental recordings from stage and studio. Unlike their previous CDs, Sessions highlights Rare Blend’s ‘one takes’ and ‘in the moment’ jam-fusion instrumentals. It features new songs and improvisations from shows in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Baltimore, and studio improvs recorded at Odyssey Studios in Cleveland. Also included are selections from a taping for the Crooked River Groove television program as well as performances during their 2008 Bridging the Gap music/film series against the backdrop of such classic films as Phantom of the Opera and Metropolis. “Sessions varies from tasty fusion to spacey improv and occasional symphonic prog flourishes... While Samalot’s guitar shows occasional bite, these tracks exhibit the band’s knack for agreeable pacing and smart use of breathing space. In competently mining the heady realms of Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, etc., Rare Blend joins exclusive company.” [Progression] Also read the ProgNaut review.
No-Man - Mixtaped 2-DVD ($17.99)As most Porcupine Tree fans are aware, No-Man is Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness. Mixtaped is their first DVD (NTSC, all-region), a 2-disc set that captures No-Man’s complete 90-minute August 2008 concert at Bush Hall, London, with both 5.1 surround and stereo audio. The set also includes “Returning”, a career-spanning 85-minute documentary including previously-unseen footage, photos and images, and in-depth interviews with every member of No-Man past and present. Extras include a live photo gallery and complete videos for several No-Man songs spanning 1990-2009, including a newly-commissioned film for Back When You Were Beautiful. Counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping. The No-Man CDs and more info are here.
Camel - Pressure Points (2CD, $21.99) 
Camel - Nude ($17.99) 
These are the 2009 24-bit remastered editions on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. Stationary Traveller (1984) was Camel’s final studio album for Decca Records. In addition to the one constant, Andy Latimer, the lineup included Kayak keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel, David Paton, Paul Burgess, Mel Collins, and Chris Rainbow. This edition includes two bonus tracks, In the Arms of Waltzing Frauleins, and the 12" single version of Pressure Points.
The subsequent tour to promote the Stationary Traveller album was recorded by Decca at Hammersmith Odeon on 11 May 1984 and released as the live album Pressure Points later that year. That LP did not include the entire concert however. The concert saw Camel joined by former member Peter Bardens for certain songs, including a rousing version of Lady Fantasy not included on the original album. Long unavailable on CD, this newly remastered edition has been expanded to a double-CD to include six songs not featured on the original album.
As hinted at by the title, Camel were under pressure to produce more commercial music on The Single Factor (1982). But Andrew Latimer brought in an impressive array of musicians to assist, including Anthony Phillips, Francis Monkman, Simon Phillips, and David Paton, while Peter Bardens returned to play on one track. A rare edited version of You Are the One is included as a bonus track.
Unlike many bands whose careers began in the early 1970’s, Camel continued to enjoy success in the 1980’s, beginning with the concept album Nude in 1981. Camel toured globally to promote the album, with their February 1981 concert at Hammersmith Odeon recorded by the BBC for the “In Concert” program. This remastered and expanded edition includes the 35-minute Excerpts from Nude from that radio broadcast as bonus material, nearly the entire album live! The extensive booklet includes many photographs, memorabilia, and a new essay.
I Can See Your House from Here (1979) was the first Camel album for Kit Watkins, splitting keyboard duties with Jan Schelhaas, and bassist Colin Bass, while Mel and Phil Collins (no relation) guest. Rupert Hine produced and guests on vocals. This edition includes two bonus tracks, the single version of Remote Romance, and a live version of Ice recorded for BBC Radio One in 1981.
Breathless (1978) would be the last studio album to feature Peter Bardens, and heralded more personnel changes for Camel. Former Caravan and Hatfield and the North member Richard Sinclair had already been in Camel for some months and was soon joined by cousin Dave Sinclair in a new Camel lineup. Breathless features traditional Camel music along with the whimsical Canterbury style associated with Richard Sinclair, making for a unique album. The single version of Rainbow’s End is included as a bonus track. As always, these Esoteric reissues have been remastered from the original master tapes. The booklets are lavishly illustrated and include a new essay.
Flash - Flash ($17.99) This is the 2009 definitive CD edition of the first Flash album on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs and extensive booklets. It contains the rare single version of Small Beginnings as a bonus track. Flash (1972) was the first album of Peter Banks’ post-Yes band, who continued the early Yes style. On this album, Tony Kaye is on keyboards, though he was never officially a member and never toured with them. Kaye left after the first album and Flash continued as a quartet, their sound becoming more guitar-oriented on their second and third albums. This first album is the best, with each subsequent album tailing off a little. Flash then morphed into the band Empire, and Banks continued the slow but steady downward trend. This CD however is fairly essential for fans of early Yes.
Peter Banks - Two Sides of Peter Banks ($17.99) This is the 2009 edition on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. Guitarist Peter Banks left Yes following the release of Time and a Word and formed the progressive band Flash. That band enjoyed a degree of success in the U.S., affording Banks the opportunity to record this 1973 instrumental solo album with guest musicians that include Jan Akkerman (Focus), Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, and John Wetton, as well as Flash members Ray Bennett and Mike Hough. Akkerman has the largest role. Read the reviews at Ground and Sky. Check our Bargain CDs page for more Peter Banks CDs.
Pete Sinfield - Still (2CD, $21.99)This is the 2009 2CD expanded edition on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. Pete Sinfield is best known as the lyricist for King Crimson and ELP. His classic 1973 solo album was one of the first releases on ELP’s Manticore label and features contributions from Greg Lake, Ian Wallace, Mel Collins, John Wetton, Keith Tippett, and many more musicians. The album has an early King Crimson flavor. The second disc includes nine previously-unreleased early album mixes plus two bonus tracks. The deluxe package (jewel box + slipcase) restores the album’s artwork, while the booklet includes an interview with Sinfield. Read reviews at Prog Archives.
Darryl Way - Concerto for Electric Violin ($17.99)This is the 2009 edition on Esoteric Recordings, remastered from the original master tapes. The label says: “Concerto for Electric Violin was recorded by Curved Air and Wolf violinist Darryl Way for Island Records and was the subject of much critical acclaim and a feature on ITV’s South Bank Show upon its release in 1978. A unique fusion of rock and classical music, the album made full use of synthesizer technology to produce a truly unique work of classical progressive rock. For the recording sessions, Way was joined by former Curved Air colleague Francis Monkman and drummer Ian Mosley (formerly with Wolf, later to join Marillion).” Check our British page for the CDs by Darryl Way’s Wolf.
Made in Sweden - Made in England ($17.99)This is the newly remastered 2009 edition on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. Made in Sweden was a trio that featured Georg Wadenius (guitar, vocals, organ, piano), Bo Haggenstrom (bass, Mellotron, piano) and Tommy Borgudd (drums). Wadenius became a well-known guitarist in Sweden. This album was recorded in London in 1970, produced by Colosseum bassist Tony Reeves, and featuring some arrangements by Neil Ardley. This is Made in Sweden’s best album and is quite good, sounding very British. While not quite as advanced as what the first-tier progressive rock bands were doing that year, it is comparable to most of the early prog bands, those still retaining some flavor of the late 1960’s. Read the review at Progressor.
Sweet Okay Supersister - Spiral Staircase ($17.99)Released by Esoteric Recordings in 2009 is the remastered and expanded edition of the 1974 album Spiral Staircase by Sweet Okay Supersister. Sweet Okay Supersister was a side project of Supersister founders Sacha van Geest and Robert Jan Stips. As the label says: “This wonderfully eccentric album is musically unique, straying into territory blazed by luminaries such as Gong and Frank Zappa. Van Geest and Stips produced an album of musical virtuosity and eccentricity which also features guest appearances by Elton Dean and Supersister’s Ron Van Eck. This new CD edition replicates in full the limited edition book that came with vinyl copies and adds the bizarre single collaboration with Los Alegres: Coconut Woman b/w Here Comes the Doctor as two bonus tracks.” Read reviews at Head Full of Snow and Music-News. Check our Dutch page for the rest of the Supersister CDs and more info.
Big Big Train - The Underfall Yard ($12.99) 
Big Big Train - Bard ($12.99) English band Big Big Train began in the early 1990’s as a soft neo-prog band. They made what we consider their breakthrough album in 2002 with Bard. The band almost called it quits at that point, but the overwhelmingly positive response to Bard encouraged them to continue. For Gathering Speed (2004), they added a new singer. The music on this CD is more intense than past efforts and far more connected to early Genesis than to the 1980’s prog bands, with tasteful use of Mellotron and that characteristic mix of the pastoral and the majestic. A concept album set in the summer of 1940 during the Battle of Britain, it tells the story of a fighter pilot who is shot down during a combat patrol. If you want to re-experience the way English bands once made progressive rock, this is an essential album.
Though Gathering Speed would exceed it, Bard is a very good album, more complex than Big Big Train’s previous work, the band’s compositions having become quite sophisticated by this time. While you can detect a few similarities to Jadis and IQ (Rob Aubrey engineers the albums of all three bands), Big Big Train have their own sound, a certain fragility and an appealing relaxed vibe permeating the vocal sections (male with some female vocals). They do cut loose during some of the instrumental passages, especially in the 14-minute Broken English, while the 17-minute For Winter is also a highlight. A perfect antidote to all the metal bands masquerading as progressive, this is very English music full of finesse and grace.
Big Big Train’s fifth album The Difference Machine (2007) features significant contributions from Pete Trewavas (Marillion) and Nick D’Virgilio and Dave Meros from Spock’s Beard, and was mixed by Rob Aubrey. The band describes this CD as a combination of classic progressive influences (Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, King Crimson, PFM) and influences from alternative rock (Sigur Ros, Oceansize, Mew). It does represent a significant evolution of their sound from previous albums, and is one of those albums like Marillion’s Brave that defies expectations and may require several listens before it begins to sink in. “The great chord changes and powerful melodies are still there, more so in fact than before, but the music is much more upbeat, more ‘proggy’ if you will than previous albums. In fact it doesn't even sound like the same band as earlier albums, except for some of Gathering Speed. This is in fact one of the most powerful and beautiful albums I have heard in years. This is one of those albums that sound better and better with repeated listens, and the addition of sax and cello give the overall effect of a true classic, somewhere between Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd in their primes. Mellotron abounds as well, in the short breaks that divide the three long songs that make up the bulk of the album.” [Bill Gillham, ProgArchives] One thing is reasonably certain: Big Big Train have gone from being a second-tier neo-prog band to a band that is now breaking new ground. This is the 2010 digipack edition, which adds one bonus track.
Big Big Train’s second album English Boy Wonders was originally recorded on a limited budget and released by GEP (IQ’s label) in a semi-complete state in 1997. It had been unavailable for several years. For this 2008 digipack re-release, Big Big Train returned to the original multi-track tapes but also re-recorded much of the album. Additional sections of music were written to complete the album as it was originally intended. A bonus track featuring Martin Orford has been included and the album has been completely remixed and remastered by Rob Aubrey. Across its 80 minutes, English Boy Wonders tells the heartbreaking story of a doomed relationship.
The Underfall Yard (2009, digipack) is the most ambitious Big Big Train album yet, an astonishing work, dare we say their masterpiece. New singer David Longdon, whose voice is similar to that of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, is the final piece now in place. Longdon also plays many instruments on this album: flute, mandolin, dulcimer, psaltery, glockenspiel, and keyboards. Longdon worked with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford for half a year on what would become Genesis’ Calling All Stations album before losing the job to Ray Wilson. More recently, Longdon sang on Martin Orford’s The Old Road, an album also recorded by Rob Aubrey, and with Martin and Rob’s recommendation, Longdon boarded the Train. Nick D’Virgilio plays the drums, and there is a small orchestra worth of other musicians contributing, including Dave Gregory (XTC, Peter Gabriel), Jem Godfrey (Frost), and Francis Dunnery (It Bites, solo). While The Difference Machine added modern influences, and some of that is still present on The Underfall Yard, this feels much more like a classic prog album. And yet different. The pastoral Genesis and PFM influence is still present, with flute, acoustic guitar, and cello, all bathed in a warm Mellotron glow. But there is more Yes influence than on any previous Big Big Train album. Don’t finalize your Best of 2009 list until you’ve heard The Underfall Yard.
Shadow Circus - Whispers and Screams ($10.99) Welcome to the Freakroom is the debut by a New York City band who go for a classic 1970’s progressive rock sound (Yes, Rush, Kansas, Pink Floyd, Led Zep) with a somewhat more contemporary guitar style and energy. Vocalist David Bobick has a degree in musical theater and brings some of that feel to these songs. The first five tracks are more vocal-heavy, but the album culminates with the 12-minute Journey of Everyman suite, which is the progressive tour de force and is loaded with instrumental fireworks. There is something similar in Shadow Circus’s approach to that of Puppet Show, the way both bands have absorbed mostly British 70’s progressive influences but add a contemporary energy and American flavor. Other modern reference points might be Transatlantic and The Tangent. This album was first released on CD by the band in February 2007, but this second edition on ProgRock Records has been remixed and is a significant sonic upgrade.
Whispers and Screams (2009, 61-minutes) is even better. It begins with the 33-minute Project Blue suite, a roller-coaster ride of classic rock and progressive rock influences, always keeping the listener guessing what comes next. There is a greater American flavor to parts of this CD. The best is saved for the last three tracks (two of which are long ones), which are full of classic symphonic prog with Yes and Kansas as likely influences, and a guest cellist making important contributions. The final track could almost be The Enid. Keyboards and guitar share the spotlight throughout the album, something that is becoming less and less common in what passes for progressive rock, as quality keyboardists seem to be an endangered species. Fortunately, Shadow Circus understand the importance of symphonic tone colors.
The Tea Club - General Winter’s Secret Museum ($8.99) The Tea Club are a young band from New Jersey who play ‘modern’ progressive rock in the sense that, for the most part, they do it with only vocals, guitars, bass and drums, a la Oceansize and others. This naturally gives them a more alt-rock sound than a classic prog band. But they get a very full and varied sound that includes influences of King Crimson (all eras), Nektar, and Echolyn, full of the intricacies required of prog, unafraid to be delicate at times. The predominant mood is melancholy and slightly psychedelic. More keyboard pads could be added without rewriting the songs, but as it stands, this is a surprisingly good debut album, without any tracks we’d want to exclude for being non-prog. The second The Tea Club album is expected soon. Here are lots of reviews.
Höstsonaten - Autumnsymphony ($20.99) Autumnsymphony is the 2009 installment in Höstsonaten’s ‘SeasonCycle Suite’ and again comes in a heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve. It is again instrumental aside from wordless female vocals on one track. This is very much a symphony performed with prog rock instrumentation as well as violin, viola, cello, flute, trumpet, oboe, and more. There is lots of Mellotron and touches of the ambient jazz one can hear in Fabio Zuffanti’s other recent projects. It all feels late autumn, leaves off the trees, heading into winter, as the mood is very melancholy and often somber. The way Zuffanti blends the classical and rock elements is seamless and very sophisticated. See our Italian page for more Höstsonaten CDs and more info.
Gan Eden: Il Giardino delle Delizie - Ritratto di Ballerina ($20.99) This Italian project is headed by Angelo Santo Lombardi, who released the wonderful I Giorni di Eurisko CD under his own name in 2005. Gan Eden is even better, more purely 1970’s Italian symphonic prog in the tradition of the best of them. The previous Gan Eden CD Lavori in Corso (currently out-of-print) was probably the Italian symphonic prog album of 2007. Ritratto di Ballerina (2009) trades off some of the warmth and romantic flavor of Lombardi’s previous work for a more challenging and complex brand of Italian symphonic prog. It is again of very high quality, and the list of progressive rock keyboardists with piano chops like Lombardi’s is a short one. While this album is more instrumental, Lombardi has a tremendous voice and sings entirely in Italian here. As the AMS label says: “This record represents the artistic maturity of the Gan Eden project, that confirms itself as one of the best bands of the current prog scene.” Heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve.
Minstrel - Ahab ($20.99) Faust (2000) is an excellent concept album of romantic symphonic rock somewhat in the vein of Atons, between classic Italian symphonic prog and neo-prog. Minstrel have a very good operatic male vocalist singing in Italian. Read reviews at Prog Archives.
Minstrel’s second CD Ahab (2009, 60-minutes) is heavier and more bombastic, with more of a metallic edge than Faust. It is quite ambitious, with an orchestral arrangement on one track at least. The highlight is the classically-influenced piano work one expects from an Italian prog band, and the operatic vocals. The label says: “This concept CD is dedicated to the mortal journey of Captain Ahab as told in Melville’s Moby Dick, and is characterized by classic guitar riffs, hard rock rhythms, and the astounding lyrical vocals. In Ahab, the typical concept opera meets theatre, operatic melodies, heavy sounds and typical Italian prog rock. The story of the captain of the Pequod is told by dramatic metal passages, romantic piano interludes, Pink Floyd-ish guitar solos, and long opera melodies (with Italian lyrics). This is a unique gem of Italian prog rock.” Heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve, with poster included. On bandleader Mauro Ghilardini’s MySpace page (second mp3 icon above), the clips from Ahab are Vendetta/Revenge, Alba/Sunrise, and Rampone/Harpoon.
Il Ruscello - Paesaggio Solare (Estate 1972) ($20.99) Il Ruscello is a trio of Italian ex-pats living in London, which is where Paesaggio Solare (2009) was recorded. As the AMS label says, “When we first heard Il Ruscello, we thought we had discovered an unreleased Italian seventies prog record. Only afterwards did we realize it was a band at its debut.” This is a very good recreation of an Italian early-70’s progressive rock album, sung in Italian and capturing the vibe of that era: warm, dreamy, sometimes gentle and pastoral, sometimes up-tempo and energetic. Read the band bio and reviews at Prog Archives. Heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve.
Reale Accademia di Musica - Tempo Senza Tempo ($18.99) Today the name Reale Accademia di Musica is being used by singer/songwriter/keyboardist Adriano Monteduro, who back in 1974 made an album that was co-credited to him and Reale Accademia di Musica. The current lineup includes Adriano’s son Antonello on keyboards and two other musicians on bass and drums. Tempo Senza Tempo (2009, 60-minutes) is the second and more progressive album for this incarnation of the band. The music is along the lines of a more powerful and dynamic Jon and Vangelis album, only instead of Jon Anderson, think of an Italian Peter Gabriel. Monteduro’s romantic, majestic Italian vocals work better with the lush symphonic synths than Jon Anderson’s, and the music here is fuller, as there are four instrumentalists rather than one. For those who love those romantic Italian vocals in a progressive rock context, from a singer with a great voice, this is really appealing.
Nodo Gordiano - Flektogon ($20.99) The third CD by Italian prog band Nodo Gordiano sees them back on track. Flektogon (2009) shows a strong Red-era King Crimson influence, a flowing space rock style not far from You-era Gong, and many original components as well. The album is instrumental apart from operatic female vocals on one track. As the label says: “Nodo Gordiano are back with their definitive masterpiece. After their successful 1999 debut and the rather experimental and improvised Alea from 2005, Flektogon is surely the magnum opus of this band hailing from Rome. Their spooky, dark and complex yet dreamy prog rock has an irresistible hypnotic edge that captures the listener from the very beginning. Besides some shorter tracks, the most outstanding moment of this record is the 30-minute psych-opus Avventure di mastarna, a progressive firework in which the music develops its very different moods while keeping a regular pattern and taking the listener on an adventurous and never boring musical trip.” Heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve. Read reviews here. See our Italian page for the other Nodo Gordiano CDs and more info.
Algebra - JL ($19.99)Algebra are an Italian band who released one album previous to this one, 1993’s Storia di un Iceberg, and have contributed to just about every tribute CD released by the Mellow label. Algebra’s JL (2009) is on the AMS label, whose description reads: “JL is a concept album inspired by Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Musically, the basic structure of this album can surely be seen as belonging to progressive rock, embracing at once different influences from jazz to folk, from fusion to opera, from classical music to a more traditional songwriting approach, never forgetting the strength of the typical Italian melody, which has been so appreciated abroad over the years. Apart from the well-known Algebra band, the project features some illustrious guests whose credentials shine in the firmament of progressive rock, beginning with Steve and John Hackett (the former Genesis guitarist plays a short but stunning solo on Il molo deserto, while his brother adds his wonderful flute playing to three tracks), while two of the most characteristic singers of the 70’s can also be heard: the dreamy voice of Le Orme’s Aldo Tagliapietra (who introduces the protagonist of the story) and the raving singing of Osanna’s Lino Vairetti. But the project also showcases artists of completely different backgrounds such as Italian-Serbian songwriter Goran Kuzminac or rocker Graziano Romani.” JL is much better than Algebra’s previous album, though not yet on the level of the best current Italian bands. The Italian vocals and vocal melodies are a strong point, and the music is strongest on the last chunk of the album, where most of John Hackett’s flute is and also the contributions of two guest violinists. Heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve.
Progressive Italia Gli Anni ’70 Vol. 1 6CD boxset ($49.99)Each volume of these limited edition boxsets features six Italian 1970’s progressive rock albums on CD. More importantly, it’s the first time on CD for some of them, and all have been remastered by Maurizio Biancani at Fonoprint in Bologna. Volume 1 includes Balletto di Bronzo - YS, De De Lind - Io non so da Dove Vengo, Jumbo - Vietato ai Minori di 18 Anni, Sensations’ Fix - Portable Madness, Latte e Miele - Passio Secundum Mattheum, and Mauro Pelosi - Al Mercato degli Uomini Piccoli. Volume 2 includes Locanda delle Fate - Forse le Lucciole non si Amano Più, Sensations’ Fix - Finest Finger, Ibis - Ibis, Roberto Cacciapaglia - Sei Note in Logica, G. Vivaldi / P. Minieri - Carnascialia, and Stradaperta - Maida Vale. The individual albums come in printed jackets. Each set counts as 2 CDs for shipping.
Horslips - The Man Who Built America digipack ($14.99)
Horslips were the Irish folk-prog band. Prior to U2, they were arguably the Irish band period (and Bono was a fan). Formed in Dublin in 1970, the Irish folk aspect of their style was strongest early on. By the end of their career (1980), they had become almost purely a rock band. (The band has recently reunited for live performances.) The first CD reissues of the Horslips albums sounded terrible. They were reissued again circa 2000 but didn’t stay in-print long. The Horslips CDs finally began reappearing in 2009 in these remastered digipack editions with live bonus tracks. Apparently Dancehall Sweethearts and Aliens are also out now; we’ll try to get those in. (If price is no object, you can get them for $28 each on Horslips’ site.)
Their second album The Tain (1973) is one of their two best, the other being The Book of Invasions (1976). The latter is more polished, but both are essential. Aliens (1977) followed The Book of Invasions, and progressive rock fans were taking notice, for not only did Horslips often sound like an Irish Jethro Tull at this time, these albums actually charted in the U.S. From Aliens until the end of their career, each subsequent album contained less folk and more rock, and the quality dropped off as the commercialism increased. Well, the story was much the same for most progressive bands during the late 70’s. The Man Who Built America (1978) was still a good album, really Horslips’ last good album, dealing with Irish immigrants in America.
Gryphon - Treason ($14.99) 
Gryphon - Gryphon ($14.99) Gryphon is Britain’s famous progressive rock band who combined early music instruments and renaissance music influences with rock. They played a reunion gig in 2009. These are the latest editions of the Gryphon CDs on Talking Elephant. Their fifth and final album Treason (1977) is the latest to be reissued; it had been unavailable on CD for many years. Their self-titled debut is from 1973, their second Midnight Mushrumps from 1974, and their third Red Queen to Gryphon Three from later in 1974. Their 1975 fourth album Raindance is not available on this label.
Gryphon’s first album is entirely acoustic. They began to ramp up the rock on Midnight Mushrumps, culminating in their masterpiece Red Queen to Gryphon Three, which features longer, more symphonic pieces. Treason is actually the most conventionally progressive of Gryphon’s output and the favorite of many fans; it is more electric, more rock, less folky, and with more vocals. Gryphon had been touring with Yes prior to recording Treason and it shows, though given the instrumentation, comparisons to Gentle Giant are also inevitable.
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Nosound - A Sense of Loss (CD+DVD, $16.99) Nosound is a Roman ambient/prog band headed by Giancarlo Erra. He and his bandmates were once a Porcupine Tree cover band, so it’s not surprising Nosound have ended up on the same label as Porcupine Tree and No-Man. Also, the resemblance of Nosound to No-Man is not simply alphabetical. Lightdark (2008) is NoSound’s second album, following 2005’s Sol29, but is a significantly stronger work, more of a band project, whereas Sol29 was mostly the work of Erra. Tim Bowness sings on one song, and a cellist plays on three tracks, a nice addition to the sound palette. Nosound’s music is in the style of No-Man, softer Pink Floyd and early Porcupine Tree, but even more melancholy, if that’s possible. Erra sings in English. Languid, lush (Mellotron!), richly-textured, intimate, relaxing and beautiful in that melancholy way. This double-CD digipack edition adds four more tracks totaling 27:20 and a 4:48 video for the title track. Read lots of reviews at Prog Archives. Counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping.
A Sense of Loss (2009) is Nosound’s third album. This 2-disc digipack includes a DVD-Video containing the 5.1 surround mixes in both Dolby Digital and DTS, plus the PCM 24-bit/48kHz stereo mixes, video footage and a photo gallery. The DVD is all-region, but in one of Kscope’s less bright moves, it is in the PAL system. (The fact the label has put this through their U.S. distributor and there is no NTSC/PAL indication on disc or packaging leads one to question whether the label understands the issue. If not, they will soon when U.S. customers find they can’t play the DVD.) We will not accept returns because the DVD will not play in your NTSC-only player. Counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping.
The Tangent - Down and Out in Paris and London ($13.99) The Tangent are one of today’s top-tier progressive rock bands. They are centered on extremely-talented composer/keyboardist/singer Andy Tillison, also of the band Parallel or 90 Degrees (Po90). Down and Out in Paris and London (2009) is their fifth studio CD, the name borrowed from the George Orwell novel, though the music and lyrics are not related to the novel. This is the jewel box standard edition. (There is supposed to be a digipack limited edition that InsideOut apparently didn’t send to their new U.S. distributor.) More lineup changes since the previous album: Jaime Salazar and Jonas Reingold are gone, so now The Tangent consists of Tillison, Guy Manning, Theo Travis, Paul Burgess (10cc, Camel) and Jonathan Barrett (Po90). As Tillison notes: “For the first time since 2003, all the members of the Tangent are English. I think that’s an important thing, because one of the most defining things about The Tangent’s sound has been a certain ‘Englishness’ - an affinity with the roots of prog rock.” The CD concludes with the 13-minute The Canterbury Sequence Volume 2, this time sounding less like Caravan, more like Hatfield and the North, National Health, and Gilgamesh. Read the review at Bill’s Prog Blog. The rest of the The Tangent CDs and more info are on our British page.
Parallel or 90 Degrees - Jitters ($15.99) To finish the rather long subtitle of the A Can of Worms double-CD set: ...Plus Unreleased Recordings from 2002. Parallel or 90 Degrees (Po90 for short) was Andy Tillison’s band that evolved into The Tangent. The music of both bands is similar, and Po90 would probably be better known had the Cyclops label simply kept their albums in print longer than a couple years each. This 2CD set not only includes selections from the Po90 CDs released by Cyclops, there is an unreleased 2002 version of Blues for Lear with Roine Stolt, and 30-minutes of tracks from A Kick in the Teeth for Civic Pride, the 2002 album Po90 were working on that was put on hold in favor of The Tangent. It was usually easy to spot the Van der Graaf Generator influence in Po90 -- one of their CDs consisted entirely of Van der Graaf Generator and Peter Hammill covers -- but given this opportunity to look back on their work, one realizes that Po90 were one of the best and most important bands when it came to reinventing classic progressive rock along contemporary lines.
After a seven year hiatus, Po90 return in 2009 with a new studio CD Jitters. With Po90 and The Tangent now running concurrently, there’s no point in one sounding like the other, so it’s pretty clear that The Tangent will be the classic prog band and Po90 the one incorporating a lot of modern influences. But that’s right where Po90 left off on 2002’s More Exotic Ways to Die, already a very contemporary band, and actually, they began to show their intense, hard-edged side on Unbranded (2000). There are still 1970’s progressive influences present on Jitters, and times when Po90 do sound similar to The Tangent, mixed in with more abrasive, noisy stuff, which is what is expected for a band to be called “modern”. There’s at least one review on the Po90 site.
Mandalaband - BC: Ancestors ($17.99) The British progressive rock band Mandalaband released two semi-legendary albums, in 1975 and 1978. (Both CDs are currently out-of-print.) In one of the most unlikely comebacks in the prog world, Mandalaband return in 2009 with their third album BC: Ancestors. But after all, the story in their second album ended with the words “to be continued”, so they planned this all along, though Ancestors is not a continuation of The Eye of Wendor story. Bandleader David Rohl is back in charge. Returning Mandalaband members include Woolly Wolstenholme (Barclay James Harvest, Maestoso), Ashley Mulford (Mike and the Mechanics), and Kim Turner (Maestoso). Also onboard are the ever in-demand Troy Donockley (until recently a member of Iona), Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan, Penguin Cafe Orchestra), Craig Fletcher (Maestoso), and several others. Ancestors is a majestic, melodic symphonic rock album that manages to cover 5,000 years of human history in 68-minutes. It is a richly-orchestrated work, adding Celtic and ambient touches to the Mandalaband sound to reflect the ancient-world subject matter. Imagine a combination of Barclay James Harvest, The Moody Blues (both with orchestra), Maestoso, later Camel, Troy Donockley’s own albums, and Clannad (circa Legend). While the lead vocals are mostly male, the male/female backing vocals are very Clannad-like. A follow-up album is in the works. OK, we’ve heard that before -- The Eye of Wendor was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy -- but this time it seems less likely to get derailed.
IZZ - The Darkened Room ($11.99)The Darkened Room is IZZ’s 2009 studio CD. IZZ have their own quite original style, and if anyone still wants to compare them to Spock’s Beard now, we’ll take IZZ. Instrumentally, IZZ have become so sophisticated that the more mainstream end of the prog fan base is in danger of not keeping up. Yet IZZ balance their challenging side with their strongly melodic side, so their music remains accessible. The piano work that is the foundation of many sections is particularly impressive, incorporating jazz and contemporary classical influences that elude most of their prog peers. As with their previous album, The Darkened Room should be on every Top Ten list for the year. Tracks can be previewed at CDBaby. The rest of the IZZ CDs and more info are on Page 2.
Cross - The Thrill of Nothingness LE 2CD digipack ($23.99) Cross is a Swedish neo-progressive/neo-symphonic band with excellent English vocals and an accessible style. The Thrill of Nothingness (2009) is their latest studio CD. There is a single CD version, but for now we’re only stocking the limited edition double-CD version, which comes in a digipack. This edition adds the 42-minute bonus album The Thrill of Somethingness, containing songs recorded during the same sessions but which the band felt didn’t fit with the concept of the main album. Concept, schmoncept, we’ll take the extra songs. The band feels this album is a logical continuation of Secrets and Playgrounds, with a slightly more 1970’s sound. The specter of late-70’s Genesis is never far away, though often the feel is closer to Mike Rutherford’s Smallcreep’s Day or Tony Bank’s A Curious Feeling. Song tempos stay in the moderate, Pink Floyd range, and there is a Pink Floyd influence in other aspects as well. Tomas Bodin (The Flower Kings) guests, and while Cross’ style is distinct, most fans of The Flower Kings will enjoy this album too, as well as fans of Galleon, Twin Age, and Spektrum. Here are mp3’s of the tracks Universe Inside and Bläckfisken, the latter only on the 2CD. The rest of the Cross CDs are on our Scandinavian page.
Ixion - Garden of Eden ($16.99) Ixion is a project created by Dutch composer/bassist/keyboardist Jankees Braam. Braam also does live sound for Knight Area, S.O.T.E., Ulysses, and Illumion, and members of all these bands plus several other musicians play and sing on his albums. So Braam is following the Ayreon model, and similarly his second CD Talisman (2006, 68-minutes) and third CD Garden of Eden (2009, 56-minutes) are concept albums with original stories. The music is bombastic modern progressive rock featuring a number of different vocalists, both male and female. There is some heavy guitar, and the music is generally dark, which may be enough to interest most prog-metalheads. But it’s primarily richly-textured symphonic prog, with classical touches at times, especially when violin and cello are used. Start with Garden of Eden, the most fully-realized of the Ixion albums. Talisman quantity very limited.
Osada Vida - Uninvited Dreams digipack ($13.99) This is the digipack special edition of Osada Vida’s 2009 album Uninvited Dreams, which contains three bonus tracks: two new songs and one alternate version, 79-minutes total. This is Osada Vida’s best album to date, the one you knew they could make if they chose to. They’ve reined in the metal guitar enough to tip the balance overwhelmingly to their progressive side. They still like some grit in their prog, and that’s fine; it gives Osada Vida an identifiable sound. The previous two Osada Vida CDs and more info are on our East European page.
Tony Banks - A Curious Feeling 30th Anniv. Deluxe Ed. (CD+DVD, $29.99)This is the 2009 30th Anniversary Edition on Esoteric Recordings of Tony Banks’ first and best solo album, 1979’s A Curious Feeling. The CD is not simply remastered, rather it contains a new stereo mix, for the same reason the recent editions of the Genesis albums have new stereo mixes -- it is essentially a byproduct of creating a surround mix. Yes, Genesis house engineer Nick Davis did for this album what he did for the Genesis albums, returning to the multitracks to craft a 5.1 surround mix. To get the surround audio, you need the Deluxe Edition, which adds a DVD (NTSC, all-region). Unfortunately, it isn’t DVD-Audio, and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for a label that puts great effort into getting the best possible sound not to use DVD-Audio or SACD or Blu-ray, but we’ll take whatever surround we can get. In addition to the surround audio, the DVD contains two rare 1979 promotional videos for the songs For a While and The Waters of Lethe. The Deluxe Edition comes in the hardcover digibook format with the large booklet bound in, similar to the B-sides sets in the recent Genesis boxsets, while the less expensive CD-only version comes in jewel box plus slipcase. The booklet contains new liner notes by Tony. This new edition should be viewed as part of the series of Genesis surround editions. The Deluxe Edition counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping.
Glass Hammer - Three Cheers for the Brokenhearted ($12.99) After a string of albums each more grandiose and a bigger production than the last, Glass Hammer had exhausted their epic style, at least for the time being, and would most likely have repeated themselves had they not changed things up. So on Three Cheers for the Brokenhearted (2009), they wisely concentrate on songwriting and sensible-length songs, with Susie Bogdanowicz handling most of the lead vocals. Glass Hammer are hopelessly good at this style too, which shouldn’t come as a surprise as it’s not entirely new for them, especially if one includes the U I Blue album. All the familiar GH elements are still present. There’s a neo-Beatles style on some tracks, while others rock hard. The lighter songs often bring to mind Stewart & Gaskin, which is meant as a high compliment. There are 10 originals plus a cover of The Zombies’ A Rose for Emily. The rest of the Glass Hammer CDs are on Page 2, while the Glass Hammer DVDs are on our DVDs page.
Neal Morse - So Many Roads (3CD, $19.99) After leaving Spock’s Beard, Neal Morse established a solo career with Christian-themed albums, many of which are progressive rock. So Many Roads is a digipack 3CD live set recorded in various European venues in October 2008, featuring Morse’s European touring band. It contains material from Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic, and the later Neal Morse prog albums, 214-minutes total! See the track listing. Counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping. The rest of the Neal Morse CDs are on Page 2, while the Neal Morse DVDs are on our DVDs page.
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind SE (2CD, $20.99) The prog rock supergroup of one-time Spock’s Beard leader Neal Morse, The Flower Kings’ Roine Stolt, Marillion’s Pete Trewavas, and Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy have returned in 2009 with their third studio album. The 2CD Special Edition comes in a digipack and includes the 77-minute The Whirlwind on disc 1 and a 56-minute second disc containing four new Transatlantic studio tracks and four new studio covers: The Return of the Giant Hogweed (Genesis), A Salty Dog (Procol Harum), I Need You (America / The Beatles), and Soul Sacrifice (Santana). Watch the album trailer (video).
SMPT:e (2000) is the album that started it all for Transatlantic. This is the Radiant Records / Metal Blade edition. The Spock’s Beard CDs are on Page 2.
Van der Graaf Generator - Live at the Paradiso DVD ($17.99)Van der Graaf Generator’s Live at the Paradiso DVD (NTSC 4:3, all-region) and double-CD were recorded in Holland in 2007. They feature the three-man lineup of Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Guy Evans performing Lemmings; A Place to Survive; Lifetime; (In the) Black Room; Every Bloody Emperor; All That Before; Gog; Meurglys III, The Songwriter’s Guild; The Sleepwalkers; Man-Erg; Scorched Earth. Peter Hammill wrote the sleeve notes. The DVD also features an interview with Hammill. PCM (uncompressed) stereo audio on the DVD.
Gilgamesh - Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into ($17.99) This is the 2009 24-bit remastered edition on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. The 1978 second album by Gilgamesh is a Canterbury classic. Gilgamesh was centered on keyboardist Alan Gowen, who had been a member of National Health, and Gilgamesh is often thought of as closely-related to National Health / Hatfield and the North. Gilgamesh’s music is jazzier and less idiosyncratic than either of those bands, Gowen’s and Dave Stewart’s contrasting compositional and playing styles largely accounting for the difference. Gowen succumbed to leukemia in 1981. National Health’s D.S. al Coda album contained all Alan Gowen compositions and was a tribute to him.
National Health - Of Queues and Cures ($17.99) These are the 2009 24-bit remastered editions on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. National Health was the continuation of Hatfield and the North, with keyboardist Dave Stewart assuming more control. Both their 1978 self-titled debut and Of Queues and Cures, which followed soon after, are essential progressive rock records, two of the most revered albums to come out of the Canterbury scene.
Hatfield and the North - The Rotters’ Club ($17.99) These are the 2009 Esoteric Recordings remastered editions of two classic progressive rock albums that virtually defined the Canterbury genre. Hatfield and the North comprised former Caravan member Richard Sinclair, keyboardist Dave Stewart, guitarist Phil Miller and drummer Pip Pyle. Their self-titled 1974 debut album features guest appearances by Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow and Robert Wyatt who sang on the track Calyx. This reissue has three bonus tracks: both sides of the band’s first single, and Your Majesty is Like a Cream Donut incorporating Oh What a Lonely Lifetime featured on the Virgin sampler album V and previously unreleased on CD.
The Rotters’ Club (1975) features guest appearances by such luminaries as Jimmy Hastings and Mont Campbell. This reissue adds three bonus tracks from the 1980 compilation Afters and the 1975 live album Over the Rainbow. Both booklets feature restored artwork, notes by Sid Smith and a Dave Stewart interview.
Kharmina Buranna - El Arte de Seguir Vivos ($17.99) This is the 2008 debut CD by a symphonic prog band from Peru. To date, Peruvian progressive rock has consisted of the first album by Fragil and the albums by Flor de Loto and Supay. Kharmina Buranna are likely to be the most popular of all these, as they play all-purpose 1970’s-style progressive rock that, apart from the Spanish-language vocals, sounds like vintage British or Italian prog. There are aspects of many different 70’s prog bands, not dwelling on any one band’s style long enough to sound derivative. Read Cesar Inca’s review at Prog Archives for greater detail. Digipack.
Steve Thorne - Into the Ether ($14.99) 
Emotional Creatures Part One (2005) and Part Two (2007) are two finely-crafted neo-prog albums from English singer/songwriter Steve Thorne. Both were released on IQ’s GEP label and include many well-known prog musicians. Part One includes, among others, Tony Levin, Nick D’Virgilio (Spock's Beard), Geoff Downes (Asia), Martin Orford (IQ), Gary Chandler (Jadis), Steve Christey (Jadis, John Wetton), John Jowitt (IQ, many more), and Paul Cook (ex-IQ). Part Two includes D’Virgilio, Levin, Chandler, Downes, Orford, Pete Trewavas (Marillion), John Mitchell (Arena, Kino, etc.), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), and several more. Both are excellent albums featuring Thorne’s songs, vocals, and multi-instrumental skills in expansive symphonic arrangements that integrate progressive rock with folk and pop leanings. The styles touch upon Hogarth-era Marillion, IQ, Jadis, Kevin Gilbert, Peter Gabriel, Manning, Pineapple Thief, and more. In classic British progressive fashion, Thorne starts with a song; it’s the arrangement that makes it progressive rock. Read the DPRP reviews of Part One and Part Two.
Thorne moved to the Festival Music label for his 2009 third CD Into the Ether. Thorne has again assembled a stellar cast of musicians to realize his songs, including Trewavas, D’Virgilio, Harrison, Levin, Mitchell, Chandler, John Giblin (Brand X, many others), and John Beck (It Bites, Kino). Thorne has taken the production and songwriting on Into The Ether to the next level. With thought-provoking lyrics, very strong melodies and lush arrangements, if ‘singer-songwriter neo-prog’ is a genre, then this is the benchmark. Warning to those who embrace the modern zeitgeist: these songs contain joy and exuberance and may cause you to feel good. The CD comes in a slipcase with 28-page booklet.
Note Festival Music plan to release a 2CD ‘definitive edition’ of Thorne’s Emotional Creatures part one in 2010, so we’ll wait to stock the new edition.
Brother Ape - Turbulence ($17.99) Turbulence (2009, digipack) is the fourth album by Swedish prog band Brother Ape. This CD would be difficult to describe outside the context of their previous work, so head to our Scandinavian page for all the Brother Ape CDs and the full story.
10T Records: Undercover ($12.99) This is a various artists tribute CD from the 10T Records stable. Click the mp3 icon above to see the recording artists and songs covered. The songs are by King Crimson, A Perfect Circle, Led Zeppelin, Japan, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Kraftwerk, Duran Duran, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, and Kevin Gilbert. “The concept behind Undercover is simple. The label asked each of its artists to select a song by another artist that was influential in the development of their own musical identity; a composition that might not sound exactly like what that 10T Records artist has evolved into, but one that significantly inspired their creativity at some point in their musical past. The mission was then to not simply do a faithful cover of that song, but to reinterpret the tune such that it represented where the artists musically find themselves currently.” Read the reviews at Sea of Tranquility and Ytsejam.
Blind Ego - Numb ($16.99) out-of-stock Blind Ego is the side project of RPWL guitarist Kalle Wallner. Among the musicians assisting on Mirror (2007, 61-minutes) are John Jowitt, John Mitchell, Clive Nolan, Paul Wrightson (Arena), and RPWL’s Yogi Lang. Mitchell and Nolan are present as vocalists only. Surprise, the album is guitar-oriented. There is David Gilmour/Pink Floyd influence (RPWL’s main influence), and most of the album is decent Floydian neo-prog, but the inclusion of some modern rock/metal means this falls a bit short of the average RPWL album. Read reviews at Prog4you and DPRP.
Wrightson is the sole lead vocalist on Numb (2009). Jowitt is on board again, along with Sebastian Harnack (Sylvan) and several other musicians, with Yogi Lang producing. While Mirror would have benefitted from more keys, Numb has none at all and is noticeably heavier. Read the review at DPRP.
Sireena Records is a relatively new German reissue label that, among other things, is licensing the Sky Records catalog for CD reissue, a label that had been badly in need of it.
Octopus - The Boat of Thoughts ($17.99) This digipack is the first legitimate CD reissue for the 1977 debut album by German progressive rock band Octopus, their best album. They made one more good prog album, An Ocean of Rocks (1978), then it went downhill rapidly. Octopus’s main influence here is early Camel. The booklet also mentions Beggars Opera, not a bad reference either. Most of the keyboard work is done on organ. What alters the character of Octopus’s music most are the vocals of Jennifer Hensel. She has a unique voice with a more masculine timbre than most, close to the singers for Frumpy and Babe Ruth or a smoother Janis Joplin. We’ve always been fond of this album, though it may be one of those without great appeal to those born too late for the first generation of prog bands. The booklet contains previously-unseen photos and new liner notes in both German and English. Read reviews at Prog Archives.
Shaa Khan - Anything Wrong? ($17.99) These 2009 digipacks are the first-ever CD reissues of the two albums by German progressive rock band Shaa Khan, who debuted in 1978 on Sky Records with The World Will End on Friday. On this album, Shaa Khan sound very close to Grobschnitt circa Rockpommel’s Land. There may be a bit of Solar Music in there too, but the guitar style especially is reminiscent of Rockpommel’s Land. Shaa Kahn followed in 1979 with Anything Wrong?, which includes two live bonus tracks from their 2009 comeback concert. Anything Wrong? is more polished than their debut, as the band had more studio time to work with. The music is similar enough to their debut but with a broader progressive style, taking a step closer to Jane and Eloy. Both booklets contain previously unseen photos, with new liner notes in both German and English.
Snowball - Defroster ($17.99) This is the digipack reissue on Sireena Records of the 1978 album by Anglo-German band Snowball, their first and best. On this album, Snowball comprised drummer Curt Cress (New Triumvirat, Passport, many others), keyboardist Kristian Schultze (Passport, solo, Cusco), bassist Dave King (many sessions and tours), and singer/guitarist Roye Albrighton (Nektar). Cress was often considered to be the best drummer in Germany at the time. The music is a melodic, accessible 1970’s style jazz-rock with lots of electronic keyboards, close to Passport’s style at that time (minus the sax), while the tracks featuring Albrighton’s familiar voice are more rock and song-oriented. The booklet has new liner notes in both German and English.
Ougenweide - Wol Mich der Stunde ($17.99) For the past several years, bands influenced by medieval music have been very popular in Germany. Adaro was one of the most important, and Blackmore’s Night, though not German, are often included in this genre. The bands cover a broad spectrum from folk to progressive rock to metal. It’s a fascinating movement, but the father of all the current German medieval bands is Ougenweide, a folk-rock band whose initial period of activity was 1970-1984. Their impact in Germany is comparable to that of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Gryphon, and Pentangle in the UK, or Malicorne in France. Both of these CDs are collections of unreleased tracks, mostly live, compiled by the band. Here are reviews of Wol Mich der Stunde and Ouwe War.
Traumpfad - Die Kreise schließen sich ($17.99) Traumpfad are that rarity today among German progressive rock bands, one that sings in German. Serious prog fans are familiar with bands such as Novalis, Stern Meissen, Lift, etc, German bands who sang in German. There were more during the 1970’s and 1980’s, but as part of the homogenization of progressive rock, non-English vocals were outlawed in many countries. Now you commonly find Americans (and Brits) who call themselves progressive rock fans even though they’ve only ever listened to bands that sing in English. So we find a band such as Traumpfad refreshing because the German vocals do change the character of the music, but that’s not the main reason. While Traumpfad’s members are young, and their second CD Die Kreise schließen sich (2006, 54-minutes) was recorded in RPWL’s studio, it is purely in the classic German symphonic prog style. The keyboards are piano, organ, Mellotron, and analog synth, including Teutonic electronics on one track. Their singer is very good, and the vocals bring to mind the old DDR prog bands (e.g., Stern Meissen, Lift, Electra), but Grobschnitt, Novalis, and Anyone’s Daughter are also good references. Given how many classic-style German progressive rock records have been recorded in the previous 20 years (approximately none), this for us may be the best German prog album since the first generation bands packed it in. (Yes, bands such as RPWL and Sylvan have made some great albums in a more modern style, but they may as well be British. There is nothing in their music that suggests they have ever listened to the prog bands from their own country.)
Traumpfad’s 2004 self-titled debut CD (64-minutes) is more varied and a bit wilder, not as symphonic nor as melodic as Die Kreise schließen sich. It is still 1970’s-styled, a mix of progressive rock, period hard rock, and Krautrock. Those who prefer the numerous 1970’s Krautrock bands to the symphonic German bands will prefer the first CD. The debut CD comes in non-standard packaging that resembles a hardcover book, while Die Kreise schließen sich is a fat digipack. (Neither is sealed.) In addition to the audio on Traumpfad’s MySpace page (mp3 icon above), here are mp3 medleys from Die Kreise schließen sich and Traumpfad.
Earth and Fire - Atlantis ($17.99) 
Earth and Fire was an outstanding Dutch symphonic prog band featuring the beautiful and distinctive vocals of Jerney Kaagman. These are all the 2009 remastered editions on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. This edition of Earth and Fire’s self-titled 1970 debut features the Roger Dean artwork used on the UK edition of the LP. The CD contains two bonus tracks, the B-sides of their two earlier singles. This album contains more of the psychedelic rock typical of the time period, but shows the promise of what would follow.
Song of the Marching Children (1971) was Earth and Fire’s second album but their first fully progressive one; it is soaked in Mellotron. They followed with two similarly excellent progressive albums: Atlantis (1973) and To the World of the Future (1975); hopefully the latter will be reissued by Esoteric too. 1977’s Gate to Infinity was a transitional album, after which Earth and Fire’s music became quite commercial. Two bands that are often compared to Earth and Fire are the French band Sandrose and the English band Julian’s Treatment. This reissue of Song of the Marching Children includes six bonus tracks, the A and B sides of three singles. These Esoteric CDs feature the typically lavish Esoteric booklet with fully restored artwork and a new essay. Prog Archives has one mp3 along with lots of reviews.
Alquin - The Mountain Queen ($17.99) These are the 2009 editions on Esoteric Recordings, known for their superb remastering jobs. These are the first two albums for Alquin, also their best two. Along with Focus, Golden Earring, and Supersister, Alquin was one of a handful of early 1970’s Dutch bands to gain exposure in Britain and throughout Europe. To quote the bio at Prog Archives: “With a mixture of rock, jazz and classical music, [Alquin] show elements of Soft Machine, Caravan, Pink Floyd, and Curved Air, with tinges of Roxy Music.” Marks was originally released on the Polydor label in 1972, followed by The Mountain Queen in 1973. This Esoteric reissue of Marks features the entire album on CD for the first time (Mr. Barnum Junior’s Magnificent and Fabulous City was omitted from a previous CD issue) and includes the bonus track Hard Royce. Both booklets feature fully restored artwork and a new essay.
Gazpacho - Tick Tock ($15.99) 
Gazpacho - When Earth Lets Go ($17.99)Norwegian band Gazpacho have allied themselves closely with Marillion. One can assume they took their name from the Marillion song and not from a love of cold soup, and the title of their first full-length album is only a vowel shift away from a well-known Marillion album. They were on Marillion’s label for a time and have supported Marillion on tour. Certainly their style shares a lot with Marillion from Brave on. Their music is in the serious-sounding, deliberately-paced modern progressive style that emphasizes atmosphere, texture and melody over demonstrative playing. Other bands frequently mentioned as reference points are Porcupine Tree and Radiohead.
Gazpacho used programmed drums on Bravo (2003), which doesn’t really detract much from the music. The music is spellbinding and dreamlike, with Mellotron strings used here and there and guests on violin and flute adding to the rich textures. Gazpacho added a full-time drummer beginning with their second album When Earth Lets Go (2004). Firebird followed in 2005, with Steve Rothery guesting on one track. Gazpacho made incremental improvements with each album, but Night (2007) is the consensus choice as their best album to that point. The guest violinist of the previous three albums has been promoted to full member, while another guest musician adds several acoustic instruments, further broadening Gazpacho’s sound. Read lots of reviews at Prog Archives, at Ground and Sky and DPRP.
Tick Tock (2009) has now been released in the U.S. It is a natural evolution from Night and of equal quality. Read the roundtable DPRP reviews.
Knight Area - Realm of Shadows ($13.99) 
The Sun Also Rises (2004) is a stellar debut from a Dutch neo-prog band combining the old (Genesis, Camel) with the not-quite-as-old (IQ, Pendragon) progressive rock styles. Actually, The Sun Also Rises is more “modern” than that, as one of the guitarists sometimes plays in a metal style, something the aforementioned bands never did. It doesn’t help the music any but it does help get the album reviewed in the countless metal magazines/webzines. That’s a minor criticism though, as this is a very good neo-prog album. While the first half of the album is heavier and will appeal to fans of Arena, Ayreon, Rocket Scientists, or Enchant, the second half of the album is in more of the classic prog style.
Knight Area’s second album Under a New Sign (2007) improves on this. The first album was a studio project that lead to the formation of a touring band. The second album is the work of a true band. The music is firmly in vintage IQ/Pallas/Marillion territory, full of symphonic bombast, the Genesis influence seemingly filtered through those second generation bands. There is still a little heavy guitar, but the music gets no heavier than Arena. Their third CD Realm of Shadows (2009) is their best yet. With only traces of metal now remaining, Knight Area may be the best Dutch neo-prog band ever. Lots of reviews at Prog Archives.
Life Line Project - The Finnishing Touch ($14.99) Life Line Project is an instrumental project centered around Dutch multi-instrumentalist Erik de Beer. The sequence of these two albums is a bit unclear. Modinha is listed as a 2008 release, though it says 2009 on the disc itself. The Finnishing Touch CD was released in September 2009. (The seeming misspelling is because the main theme of the album is based on a Finnish folk melody.) Some of The Finnishing Touch may predate Modinha, having been recorded between 2007-2009, but the earlier material was partially remixed and completely remastered for this CD, with three new tracks added. De Beer is primarily a keyboardist, cut from the same cloth as Rick van der Linden and Keith Emerson. He favors vintage keyboard sounds, and so these two CDs are keyboard-centric symphonic prog. But many other musicians contribute, so not only are there electric & acoustic guitars, bass, and drums, but also flute, oboe, mandolin, and lute. The DPRP review of Modinha explains the Life Line Project style in more detail. These two CDs are similar, with The Finnishing Touch perhaps the more energetic of the two. To some extent, this is a modern version of Trace, not quite on the same level but very welcome nonetheless.
Anima Mundi - Jagannath Orbit mini-LP ($15.99) We’ve had a hard time keeping this one in stock, but now we have a mini-LP edition of Jagannath Orbit released by the MALS label under license from Musea, which comes in a heavyweight cardboard sleeve. Jagannath Orbit (2008, 67-minutes) is the second CD for Cuban band Anima Mundi, and there is no way this band can fly under the radar now. It’s been six years since their debut, and their sound has changed. For one, they’ve switched to singing in English, using both male and female vocals to good effect. Jagannath Orbit is spectacular, pure symphonic prog with Yes the dominant influence throughout. To be a fan of Yes and not be excited by this album is probably impossible. Like Yes, Anima Mundi take the listener close to the edge of heaven with music that varies from fragile to soaring, breathtaking, and glorious. Here are links to reviews.
Sense - Going Home mini-LP ($15.99) Going Home (2007) is still the most recent CD from this Québec City prog band. Originally released by the Ipso Facto label, it went out-of-print way too quickly, but it’s been rescued by the MALS label who released this mini-LP edition under license. It comes in a heavyweight gatefold cardboard sleeve. Going Home is another good one and the most Yes-influenced of the Sense CDs. Andrew Marshall of Willowglass guests on Mellotron and other keys. The rest of the Sense CDs and more info are on our Canadian page.
Sloche - Stadaconé ($16.99) At last, two of the most requested CD reissues from the Quebec progressive scene appear on the ProgQuebec label in 2009, remastered from the original master tapes. J’un Oeil was released in 1975; Stadaconé followed the next year. “Sloche is one of those incredible bands from the Quebec progressive explosion of the mid-70’s that sadly only managed two albums. They sound like a cross between Mahavishnu Orchestra, a bit of Gentle Giant, but mostly like their compatriots, the incredible Maneige or the emotional Opus 5. Both their albums are absolutely successful, the former being slightly more symphonic, the second being more fusion. If you like the above-mentioned groups and are not afraid of a little adventure, this is highly recommended.” [Hugues Chantraine, Belgium] Read a band biography. Lots of reviews at ProgArchives of J’un Oeil and Stadaconé.
Sylvan - Force of Gravity ($13.99) Sylvan return with their eagerly-awaited seventh studio CD Force of Gravity (2009, 69-minutes). Sylvan have continued to gradually transform themselves from their beginnings as a Marillion copyist into a modern art-rock band of the top echelon. With a new guitarist, this album adds more me-too metal guitar, but not enough to diminish the overall result of a worthy successor to Posthumous Silence and Presets. A string quartet appears on four tracks, a female vocalist on one. Keyboardist Volker Söhl impresses with some classical piano that John Tout would be proud of. Read the Sea of Tranquility reviews. The rest of the Sylvan catalog and more info are on our German page.
The Pineapple Thief - 3000 Days (2CD, $15.99) The Pineapple Thief is the band led by Bruce Soord, a very creative musician who was the guitarist in Vulgar Unicorn. The Pineapple Thief (TPT) combine 1970’s progressive styles and sounds (Mellotron, Rhodes, analog synths, orchestral instruments) with a mélange of modern pop/rock styles, recommended to fans of Radiohead (though TPT are much proggier) and especially Porcupine Tree, though TPT generally avoid the heavy elements that Porcupine Tree have gravitated to of late. TPT have more in common with the bittersweet, song-oriented side of Porcupine Tree, and have a similarly spacious sound and that sensual melancholy.
After a half dozen CDs on the indie prog label Cyclops, TPT signed with Snapper’s K-Scope label, so now they are label-mates of Porcupine Tree. Tightly Unwound (2008, digipack) has much in common with the previous album What We Have Sown, as both albums were written during the same session. The foundation of TPT’s sound here is strummed acoustic guitar mixed with electric leads, while the keyboards are generally Mellotron strings and synths used as pads. Much of the material is in atypical time signatures, frequently seven, but TPT pull it off without drawing attention to it, adding a layer of complexity without sounding contrived. Tightly Unwound can only add to the reputation of this remarkable band. 60-minutes.
3000 Days (2009) is a double-CD compilation of material from the six TPT CDs that preceded Tightly Unwound, in a Super Jewel Box with slipcase. All tracks have been remixed and remastered, and some alternate versions/mixes included. All those previous Pineapple Thief CDs on the Cyclops label have been deleted, and we’re down to just their second CD 137, which you can find on our British page along with the related Persona Non Grata 2CD.
Ajalon - This Good Place ($13.99) Seattle’s Ajalon was ‘discovered’ by Rick Wakeman, who released Ajalon’s first album on his own indie label. On the Threshold of Eternity (2005) is Ajalon’s second, and Rick contributes keyboard solos to two tracks, while Neal Morse contributes vocals to the title track and Phil Keaggy guests on another. If you’ve noticed what all these musicians have in common, then you may have guessed that Ajalon’s lyrics are Christian-oriented. Their music is very professional, most influenced by Yes but with an American style that also relates to Kansas, Ambrosia, and Glass Hammer, with tight harmony vocals. The shorter songs have elements of pop and AOR and are sometimes simply grand arrangements of acoustic folk ballads. The epic tracks are pure melodic progressive rock. The 16-minute title track especially will leave no doubt that this is a first-rate progressive rock band. This 69-minute CD contains a bonus track, a cover of The Moody Blues’ You and Me.
This Good Place (2009, 60-minutes) is their third, and a new high-water mark for the band. This is the classic American take on symphonic prog, executed with proficiency and class by seasoned musicians. Highlights include the instrumental Abstract Malady, on which Fred Schendal (Glass Hammer) guests, and the 19-minute Redemption.
Believe - This Bread Is Mine digipack ($13.99) Believe is the current band of Mirek Gil, guitarist and founding member of Polish prog band Collage. Believe have joined Satellite and Riverside as the most popular of the current generation of Polish progressive rock bands. This is the digipack limited edition of Believe’s 2009 third studio CD This Bread Is Mine (64-minutes), which includes one bonus track. This album introduces new vocalist Karol Wróblewski, who also adds flute, while a cellist guests. Believe have taken a step backwards here, and you have to question how much they want to be a progressive rock band now. It’s by no means a bad album, but there are virtually no keyboards, so the violin saves the day. Because without the violin, it would be mostly guitar/bass/drums, and a lot of that guitar is alt-rock style. The music is gloomy and melancholy, almost without respite, and little remains of the Collage/Satellite style. But violin improves just about everything, so This Bread Is Mine is still a worthwhile album, it’s just the band’s current direction that is worrisome. Believe’s DVD and second CD and more info can be found on our East European page.
Porcupine Tree - The Incident (2CD, $15.99) The 2009 Porcupine Tree studio album is a double-CD with disc 1 containing the 55-minute title track, divided into 14 segments, and four more sensible-length tracks on disc 2. More Porcupine Tree and related CDs on Page 2.
Blackfield - Live in New York City CD+DVD ($16.99)Blackfield is one of Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson’s side projects, a duo with Israeli musician Aviv Geffen, fleshed out by three other musicians for live performances. This DVD (NTSC, all-region) captures Blackfield live at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on 16 March 2007, performing 18 songs. The DVD also includes three music videos: Hello, Pain, and Blackfield. Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround audio. This DVD originally appeared in a 7.5" x 5.5" digipack case. K-Scope has repackaged it in a Super Jewel Box, added the audio CD and lowered the price.
Steven Wilson - Insurgentes (CD+DVD-A, $15.99) For all the projects that Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson is involved in, usually as the leader, Insurgentes (2009) is yet the first album under his own name. For the album, Wilson recruited a stellar cast of guests including bassist Tony Levin, drummer Gavin Harrison, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, flautist/saxophonist Theo Travis, singer Clodagh Simmonds (presumably the same Clodagh Simmonds who was in Mellow Candle), and others. Disc One of this set is the 10 track CD, while Disc Two is a DVD-Audio disc containing the hi-res (24-bit/48kHz) surround mix plus the hi-res stereo mix of the album. (All DVD-A discs include a DTS version for those who sadly must get by with DVD-Video-only players.) See the Insurgentes website for reviews and more info. “The once and future king of surround has done it again... [Insurgentes] pulsates with the confidence of a master creator at his peak in crafting the multichannel mix.” [Sound and Vision] Super Jewel Box plus slipcase, counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping. The Porcupine Tree and related CDs are on Page 2.
Arpia - Racconto D’Inverno ($15.99) Terramare (2006, 60-minutes) follows more than ten years after the Italian band Arpia’s previous CD Liberazione. Arpia’s sound on Terramare is heavily guitar-driven, with keyboards playing a secondary role. All 12 tracks have Italian-language vocals, mostly male with a guest female singer. This one falls into the prog-metal and progressive hard rock category, with a dark ambience. The more reflective numbers with the cleaner guitar tone come off as more refined and more progressive, while the vocals do much to broaden the scope of the album and give it an Italian progressive feel.
Racconto D’Inverno (2009) is substantially different than Terramare, much more progressive. The hard rock of Terramare is absent here, as all the guitar is acoustic rather than electric, and along with the Italian-language vocals, it is the acoustic guitar that dominates the sound. The role of the female vocalist is increased, complementing the male vocals. The mood is again dark yet beautiful, serious-sounding but not gloomy. Read the DPRP review.
Apogee - Mystery Remains ($15.99) Arne Schäfer is the leader, along with keyboardist Ekkehard Nahm, of the German band Versus X. Apogee is the solo vehicle for Schäfer, though on Mystery Remains (2009, 69-minutes) drum duties are divided between former Versus X drummer Uwe Völlmar and new Versus X drummer Thomas Reiner, and in practice Apogee and Versus X sound pretty similar. The sophisticated orchestrations are one of the things that distinguishes Apogee from Versus X, and they are very good here. Schäfer handles keyboards, guitars, and vocals. Schäfer’s lyrics and vocal style are in the verbose Peter Hammill style, and there is a strong Van der Graaf Generator influence along with King Crimson and the darker side of Genesis. Apogee offer complex, sophisticated structures and musical themes, shifting atmospheres, airy acoustic and intense electric passages, enveloped by Mellotron (lots of Mellotron!), organ, and other keyboard sounds, and enhanced by subtle dissonances. Mystery Remains is not a departure in style except that the lyrics, though still verbose, flow more naturally than before, as does the music itself. The rest of the Apogee CDs are on our German page.
Tuonen Tytär II (3CD, $39.99)Both of these sets are tributes to Finnish progressive rock of the 1970’s. The first Tuonen Tytär is a 2CD set from 2000 containing covers of 22 songs by the first generation of Finnish progressive artists such as Finnforest, Haikara, Pekka Pohjola, Wigwam, Kaamos, Jukka Tolonen, Tasavallan Presidentti, Piirpauke, and others. The participating bands include Haikara (who cover themselves), Scarlet Thread, Holy Lamb, Man On Fire, Overhead, Five Fifteen, and more. See Prog Archives for the complete list of songs and bands, as well as reviews. The booklet includes interesting English-language liner notes about the history of the Finnish scene.
Tuonen Tytär II (2009) is a 3CD set with 31 bands contributing 31 tracks. Prog Archives has the list of participants and songs. Both sets come in the old-style fat case and count as 2 CDs for shipping.
Leap Day - Awaking the Muse ($13.99) This is the very strong 2009 debut by a Dutch symphonic prog band formed by members of Flamborough Head, Trion, King Eider, Nice Beaver, and Pink Floyd Project. Leap Day play upbeat, melodic neo-prog in the old Marillion, IQ, and Egdon Heath styles; The Flower Kings is not a bad reference point either. Simply ear candy for lovers of undiluted neo-prog.
Darwin’s Radio - Template for a Generation ($14.99)Eyes of the World (2006) is the first full-length CD from an excellent English neo-prog band formed by ex-Grey Lady Down members Mark Westworth (keys, backing vocals) and Sean Spear (bass), Declan Burke (vocals, guitars) from the Rush tribute band The Spirit of Rush, and Dave Pankhurst (drums, backing vocals) from space-rockers Unlimbo. Darwin’s Radio is by no means a continuation of Grey Lady Down though. Burke is an excellent singer, and you can often hear the Rush influence in his guitar playing, but it’s integrated into a more symphonic whole than your usual Rush-influenced band. On this CD, Darwin’s Radio are comparable to Kino and the current incarnation of It Bites, with similarly strong melodies. They are what we’ve come to expect from British progressive bands, songwriting abilities and a melodic sense that are sometimes lacking in prog bands who only grasp the technical side. But hey, the British invented this stuff.
Mark Westworth replaced Martin Orford in IQ while remaining in Darwin’s Radio, which has helped raise Darwin’s Radio’s profile. Template for a Generation (2009) consists of just three very long tracks. This CD is a great surprise, as it is much more ambitious than their first and much closer to classic prog. At times it’s closer to early Marillion, which is still proggier than what many young British prog bands are doing. There’s just enough heavy guitar here that more metal-oriented prog fans won’t lose interest and wander off to play video games. Maybe it’s that Westworth’s time with IQ is having a positive effect, and he doesn’t want Darwin’s Radio to appear second-rate next to IQ. Whatever the reason, this is a good template for a 2009 progressive rock album.
Aisles - In Sudden Walks ($12.99) Seems like a rather mundane name for a band, but The Yearning, the 2005 debut of Chilean symphonic prog band Aisles, is anything but. This is a young band with two keyboardists, two guitarists, and a singer who also plays flute. Three of them are brothers. Their music is clearly connected to 1970’s progressive rock, but they are not at all retro. They are highly original and yet somehow familiar, musically mature beyond their years. In stark contrast to the majority of today’s bands, Aisles’ music is delicate and refined. The closest comparisons would be early PFM and Shingetsu. Even if Aisles don’t sound particularly like those bands, they have the characteristic dreamy, gentle passages with lots of acoustic timbres, punctuated by energetic and majestic outbursts. Overall the music sounds more British though, and in the most general terms only, you could compare them to Camel and Genesis. The vocals are in English; the blend of lead and backing vocals is a highlight of their sound.
In Sudden Walks (2009) is their second, and while the elements are familiar (Genesis, Marillion, Yes and Pink Floyd could be mentioned), there is no direct comparison for the music of Aisles. Only a few elements strike the listener as Latin American. What does strike the listener is the production quality, how crystal clear the instruments are and the separation between them, and how refined the music is. The instrumental palette is rich and detailed, with no one instrument dominating. The result is an original yet accessible symphonic prog album, one of the best from Chile.
Bandhada - Open Cage ($14.99)The self-titled Bandhada CD is a 2004 release, but the album was recorded 20 years earlier. Two 1984 live bonus tracks have been added. At this time, Bandhada was an instrumental quintet from Chile, with a lineup of guitar, keys, bass, drums, and flute. As they had a dedicated flute player, the music on this CD is flute-dominated progressive rock in the Camel and Caravan veins, with touches of light fusion, recommended in particular to fans of Snow Goose-era Camel.
Three of the original members now reside in Los Angeles, and that’s where most of the second Bandhada CD Open Cage (2009) was recorded. The album is again instrumental until the final track, a 10:37 epic with vocals in Spanish. In addition to the core quartet of keys/guitars/bass/drums, there are other musicians on sax and flute. This outstanding CD has one foot in progressive rock and one in melodic, symphonic fusion. Camel is still a noticeable influence, but hardly the only one, as there are flashes of UK, Happy the Man, and other prog bands. These influences are blended with influences of the best 1970’s fusion bands. Clearly these are highly-skilled, seasoned musicians, and this is a classy progressive and jazz-rock album in the classic style.
Supay - El Viaje ($14.99) Peruvian band Supay play instrumental flute-led prog, with (initially) two woodwind players in their lineup in addition to keyboards, guitars, bass and drums. The woodwinds include the quena (a traditional Andean end-blown flute), the quenacho (a bigger quena), the tarca (another traditional Andean wooden flute), the zampoña (double panpipes), and the toyo (another bunch of bundled pipes). The music is symphonic prog enriched by Andean folk music. Not surprisingly, that folk element is generated mostly by the Andean flutes while the rest of the band is playing in a symphonic rock style, though the guitarist and keyboardist occasionally slip in a folk-based melody. Think of Los Jaivas at their most progressive.
Their second CD El Viaje was first released by the band in 2007 with a different cover, then by Mylodon in this 2009 edition. (The El Viaje album was preceded by an EP of the same name; this is the full-length CD.) There were some lineup changes and only one woodwind player remains, so there is slightly more guitar and less flute than on their debut, but Supay’s style is largely unchanged. More info at Prog Archives.
La Banda del Gnomo - El Canto del Angel ($14.99)This 2009 CD on the Mylodon label is the work of a Chilean progressive rock band active from the early 1980’s until 1988 who were evidently well-known in their homeland. La Banda del Gnomo recorded the bulk of this album in 1984, but it remained unreleased until this CD. The first half of the album features a female vocalist, then a male vocalist for the second half, all lyrics in Spanish. Many of the songs feature flute played in a Jethro Tull style, and the dominant style is flute-led progressive hard rock similar to early Tull, while some songs are in a 1980’s neo-prog style. At the time of this writing, a full song from this CD can be found on the Mylodon label’s MySpace page, though it won’t remain there forever. There are Spanish-language band bios here and here (they can easily be translated using Google or another service) and a video of the band live in 1983 here. Mylodon reports that the band is working on a new studio album.
Entrance - Entre Dos Mundos ($14.99) Entrance is a hard-edged symphonic prog band with Spanish-language vocals from Chile. Their members include guitarist Richard Pilnik, who also formed the band Australis; keyboardist Jaime Rosas, who has his own prog band Jaime Rosas Cuarteto; and singer Jaime Scalpello, who released an excellent prog album of his own in 2008. The style of Entrance and Jaime Rosas Cuarteto is fairly similar except that Entrance have Scalpello, who has a powerful voice, so vocals play a larger role in their music. Entrance are also slightly more metallic. Odisea (2006) is 77-minute live album recorded for the most part at Baja Prog 2003. Entre Dos Mundos (2008) is their third studio CD. Read the review at Prog Archives. Lots more prog on our South American page.
Castle Canyon - Gods of 1973 ($9.99) Castle Canyon are an unknown early-1970’s American instrumental progressive rock band. Two short tracks on Gods of 1973 (2009) actually were recorded in 1973-74. Four were composed in 1973-74 but not recorded until 2008, and three are new but sound consistent with the others. There is some guitar, but this is keyboard-dominated symphonic prog using vintage sounds. While ELP is the most frequently-heard influence and Trace is often a good reference point, the music ranges wider than that and is fairly original, including some excellent impressionistic soundscapes. Close your eyes and imagine it’s a lost classic from 1973, because in a way it is.
Bondar & Wise - A Live Legacy ($10.99) This is the only existing recording of a previously-unknown American progressive duo from Michigan. Allen Bondar played Hammond B3 & C3, ARP 2600 and bass pedals, while Bob Wise played drums. The music of Bondar & Wise is instrumental and very ELP-influenced, with just as big a sound. This CD is of an early-1970’s concert that was originally recorded on reel-to-reel tape. The band spent 60 hours of studio time restoring it, and the sound is now quite good. This is wild, virtuosic progressive keyboard rock that, like the hair styles pictured in the booklet, is not likely to come back. In addition to the audio available on the Bondar & Wise MySpace page (mp3 icon above), here is an mp3 of the song Quintessence.
The Odysseys - Voyagers ($12.99) This young Toronto band made an amazing retro album for their self-titled 2006 debut. Amazing because it sounds like a British prog album from circa 1970, which is before the band members were born. This is dreamy early progressive rock with a psychedelic feel, or in their own words: “These songs are journeys through the mind. They are an explosion of sounds from a time long past.” With the Mellotron strings & flute and the harmony vocals, The Moody Blues (at their most progressive) are often evoked, although the vocals actually sound more CSN&Y... if CSN&Y ever used Mellotron. There are also suggestions of the earliest King Crimson, early Genesis, even a little Black Sabbath. They even get the period drum sound right, that is, the sound of wet cardboard being slapped. Intoxicating stuff for those who love the sound of progressive rock first emerging from psychedelia.
Voyagers (2009, 65-minutes) is their second studio CD, which has more modern production but retains the charms of its predecessor. The tracks Thought Police and The Freerider are more guitar-oriented and sound like they were intended as candidates for airplay on Canadian radio, while the rest of the album is solidly progressive. Many songs have an early 70’s folkiness featuring a combination of acoustic guitar, harmony vocals, and Mellotron strings that is sublime. There are more intense sections that may suggest early Yes or King Crimson, never plagiarizing with one exception: the middle instrumental section of The Last Relayer makes it obvious the guys were listening to Genesis’ The Return of the Giant Hogweed. Hard to think of another band today that sounds quite like The Odysseys.
The Steve Hillage Band - Live at the Gong Unconvention 2006 DVD ($17.99)Steve Hillage first came to the public’s attention as a member of Gong. He left Gong in 1975 to pursue a solo career, releasing albums such as Fish Rising, L, Motivation Radio, Green, Open, and the double album For To Next. After that, Hillage moved into the ambient and ambient dance field with his project System 7. In November 2006, he reformed the Steve Hillage Band and performed at the Gong Unconventional fan gathering in Amsterdam. The DVD (NTSC, all-region, 16:9, stereo) contains the performance recorded at the UnCon plus interview footage with Steve from the time of the performance. The companion CD contains the performance recorded at the UnCon plus three previously-unreleased 1979 live bonus tracks, plus a rare 1974 Gong performance of the Solar Musick Suite.
Strawbs - Dancing to the Devil’s Beat ($13.99) Dancing to the Devil’s Beat is the 2009 studio CD for the resurgent Strawbs, celebrating their 40th anniversary. The Strawbs lineup now is Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk, Rod Coombes, and Oliver Wakeman. As fans know, Rick Wakeman was the Strawbs keyboardist before leaving for Yes, so his son Oliver returns the keyboards post to the family. Apart from a couple duff tracks (there are always a couple duff tracks), this easily sits alongside the previous year’s The Broken Hearted Bride as the best post-1970’s Strawbs albums. Details of this CD can be found at the Strawbs website.
On May 1-2, 2009, Historic Royal Palaces allowed a concert to take place in front of the magnificent facade of Hampton Court Palace for the first time ever. The event was a full-length performance of The Six Wives Of Henry VIII by Rick Wakeman, his band, choir and orchestra. Rick invited Acoustic Strawbs to warm the audience up - literally. It was quite chilly but, despite frozen fingers, David Cousins, Dave Lambert, and Chas Cronk gave the performance of their lives to 10,000 people over the two nights. This DVD (NTSC, all-region, 16:9) includes Lay Down, New World, Shine On Silver Sun, Midnight Sun, Ghosts, and A Glimpse of Heaven. It also includes bonus audio tracks of Acoustic Strawbs with Rick Wakeman on piano performing Witchwood, We’ll Meet Again Sometime, A Glimpse of Heaven, and Oh How She Changed, plus a bonus video track of Acoustic Strawbs performing Oh How She Changed. Finally, the DVD includes an excerpt from the performance of The Six Wives Of Henry VIII. Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 surround audio, running time 58:30.
Strawbs - The Broken Hearted Bride ($14.99) 
Dave Cousins - Two Weeks Last Summer ($14.99)
Strawbs - Deep Cuts / Burning for You (2CD, $19.99)The single CDs are the latest editions on the Strawbs’ own Witchwood Media label. The Broken Hearted Bride is Strawbs’ 2008 studio CD, with the lineup now Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk and Rod Coombes. John Hawken has retired from touring but does play keyboards on the CD, and Ian Cutler adds fiddle. This is the best Strawbs album in ages. The Strawbs sound young again, they sound like a rock band again, and there are some symphonic songs worthy of the glory days. 60-minutes. More information at the Strawbs’ website.
Dave Cousins’ Two Weeks Last Summer (1972) was recorded between the Strawbs’ Grave New World and Bursting at the Seams albums. Assisting Dave are Dave Lambert (who had not yet joined the Strawbs), Rick Wakeman, Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Jon Hiseman (Colosseum), and others. The album fits in well with the Strawbs’ releases, and this 2004 CD adds the track Going Home, which had been released as a single.
The Strawbs’ prime period was that of Hero and Heroine (1974) and Ghosts (1975), so Deep Cuts (1976) is from shortly after their peak, with the shift from symphonic to pop-rock on. (The story is the same for any number of progressive bands; only the album names have been changed.) Deep Cuts featured a new label, new producers and new keyboardists, and contains some classic tracks, with Simple Visions still a concert staple. One of the great LP covers too. This CD contains one bonus track.
Burning for You followed in 1977, featuring a Patrick Woodruffe cover illustration. It was the last Strawbs album to chart in the U.S. The tracks Burning For Me, Cut Like a Diamond, and Heartbreaker are standouts. One bonus track.
The Deep Cuts / Burning for You double-CD is the 1996 edition on Road Goes on Forever, which is where Witchwood were releasing Strawbs CDs prior to bringing everything in house. Both albums are here in their entirety, though not with the bonus tracks of the Witchwood editions. But it’s cheaper than buying the two separately, and as Geddy Lee once said, “Ten bucks is ten bucks, eh!”
Live at the Calderone, New York ’75 is an official live CD released by Witchwood. In the mid-1970s, the Strawbs were on a roll in the United States. The band had had five consecutive albums on the Billboard charts between 1972-1975, with Hero and Heroine and Ghosts selling over half a million copies between them. This CD was recorded on the Strawbs’ first U.S. headline tour and is the first release of this concert on CD. After John Hawken’s first departure, Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, and Coombes were augmented by Robert Kirby and John Mealing, both on keyboards. This CD shows how the Strawbs’ stage show had evolved from its early folk-inspired tunes into an almost continuous symphonic sequence of hard-hitting songs. Among the established classics were new offerings from the Nomadness album including The Promised Land, To Be Free, and Hanging in the Gallery, which have never appeared before on a Strawbs live album. 68-minutes.
Recorded just prior to the Strawbs reunion tour that saw them headline NEARfest 2004, Deja Fou was not only Strawbs’ first album of all new material in a decade, but the lineup is the classic one that recorded Hero and Heroine and Ghosts, together for the first time in 30 years. No one seriously expected another Hero and Heroine, but Deja Fou is quite a good album, a lot of which sounds like it could have come from an even earlier period in Strawbs history, particularly the acoustic tracks. With keyboardist John Hawken living in the U.S., he contributed little to the writing and not all that much to the playing – he added his parts from the U.S. after receiving the tapes from the UK recording sessions. This is really a Cousins and Lambert album. Nevertheless, there are two tracks of classic Strawbs prog music, and the old magic frequently shines through.
Dave Cousins’ 2007 solo CD The Boy in the Sailor Suit features Chas Cronk, guitarist Miller Anderson (who was also on Two Weeks Last Summer 35 years earlier), fiddler Ian Cutler and drummer Chris Hunt, who along with a couple keyboardists and backing vocalists comprise “The Blue Angel Orchestra”. The album is more or less in the Strawbs’ folk-rock style. The fiddle pushes the sound close to Fairport Convention, though Cousins still rocks harder at times, and between his voice and his songwriting, there’s no mistaking The Boy in the Sailor Suit for the work of anyone else.
Little Tragedies - The Paris Symphony ($15.99) 
Little Tragedies - Chinese Songs Part Two ($14.99)
Little Tragedies - Return ($15.99) out-of-stock 
Little Tragedies is a Russian band led by composer/keyboardist/singer Gennady Ilyin. Once upon a time, progressive rock bands had first-hand knowledge of classical music, and while this has not often been the case with later generations of prog bands, it isn’t difficult to find prog bands in Eastern Europe with conservatory-trained musicians, which is the case with Ilyin.
Return dates from 2003. This is an excellent album, mixing 1970’s style symphonic progressive rock with some jazz-rock and contemporary classical music. The vocals are in Russian, lending the work a Slavic personality. The instrumentals especially are influenced by ELP and UK, though they are even closer to the style of Japanese bands such as Deja Vu or Social Tension, virtuosic and just slightly over-the-top. 78-minutes.
New Faust (2006) is one of Little Tragedies’ best, a double-CD and a brilliant work that makes them the best current Russian symphonic prog band, as professional as the best bands in the world. The Russian classical influence is very strong, and the dominant influence is again ELP and their brethren, though Little Tragedies does have a guitarist. The music is keyboard-dominated and heavily instrumental, again with poetic Russian lyrics, and varies from frenetic, bombastic and virtuosic to sensitive and peaceful. In addition to the classical and ELP influence, there are elements of Genesis and Yes, but overall the music has a distinct personality. Note there were two versions of this 2CD, the difference being Cyrillic versus English text on the printed materials. The discs and disc labels are identical, and the Cyrillic booklet actually has four more pages. The English text version is out-of-print with no signs of a reprint, so the version sold here now is the Cyrillic text version. As the lyrics are in Russian and didn’t appear in the English version anyway, you’re not missing much.
It didn’t take Little Tragedies long after New Faust to release another CD, The Sixth Sense (2006, 77-minutes). It’s another excellent album of classical progressive rock. This album has less emphasis on the flashier style and includes more tracks of a more sedate and lyrical nature, emphasizing the poetic Russian lyrics.
Chinese Songs Part One and Part Two, both released in 2007, are so called not because they contain any Asian music but because the lyrics are by 8th-13th century Chinese poets, sung in Russian translations but printed in English translations in the booklets. Continuing with the trend established on The Sixth Sense, more of the music on these CDs is of the serene and lyrical side of Little Tragedies, though when they do unleash their full power, it’s about as good as it gets.
Cross (62-minutes) is a studio CD released in the last days of 2008. On The Sixth Sense and the two Chinese Songs CDs, the balance had shifted to the vocal and reflective side, but with Cross, Little Tragedies put things right. Instrumental passages dominate, and the CD is full of the rip-roaring classically-influenced sympho-prog we all crave. This is a return to the style of New Faust, and Cross ranks with that album as Little Tragedies’ best. Heavyweight gatefold mini-LP sleeve with booklet containing English translations of the lyrics.
Though not released until 2009, The Paris Symphony was recorded in 1997 (with some 1996 bonus tracks), making it the earliest Little Tragedies studio work. The band at this time was a trio of keyboards, bass and drums, purely instrumental. “Sonically, this album sounds as if it belongs between New Faust and The Sixth Sense because of its heavy use of polysynths instead of Hammond organ... The heavy polysynth in The Paris Symphony keeps reminding me of Works Vol. 1-era ELP, or to a lesser extent, Eddie Jobson’s keyboard work on the first UK album or (even more) The Green Album. The compositions are excellent: rockin’, bombastic and classically-influenced at the same time, but with that ‘Russian classical’ feel pervading the piece. It also reminds me quite a bit of their countrymen Aviva’s first album, though this has no prog-metal content like Aviva’s second release. The Paris Symphony is a great album... Fantastic.” [Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock] Reviews of all CDs here.
The Sun of the Spirit (1998) and Porcelain Pavilion (1999) are the first solo CDs by Little Tragedies’ leader, but they were originally released by Boheme Music under the name Little Tragedies. Ilyin wrote the music, plays the keyboards and sings, assisted by the guitarist and sound engineer of the Little Tragedies lineup of that time. As Ilyin says, there was still the feeling of a band, albeit studio-like, hence the decision in 1998 to use the band name. These are the 2009 reissues on the MALS label, each of which adds one bonus track and comes in a high-quality mini-LP sleeve. Because Little Tragedies’ lineup has since changed, it was decided to reissue them as a Gennady Ilyin solo projects. As one should expect by now from Ilyin, these are very accomplished progressive works that cover a lot of ground, with complex arrangements and skillful playing. The music was inspired by the lyrics of the Russian poet Nikolay Gumilev. Ilyin sings in Russian (English lyrics in the booklet), but the music is heavily instrumental. There are some classical-rock workouts in the ELP and Little Tragedies styles, but for the most part, Ilyin uses this opportunity for less flash, more nuance and acoustic timbres. Certainly much of the material is classically-influenced, but Ilyin never settles for pure orchestral simulation. His use of expressive synth sounds is similar to Jozef Skrzek of SBB, and Skrzek’s early solo albums are a good reference point for some of this material.
Maze of Time - Lullaby for Heroes ($14.99) Damn if it isn’t another great symphonic prog band from Sweden. Tales from the Maze (2006, 62-minutes) is the first full-length album for Stockholm-based Maze of Time, and it’s full of strong melodies and that know-it-when-you-hear-it Scandinavian quality. There are influences of Genesis, Camel, Yes, Pink Floyd, Kaipa, some neo-prog and a bit of heavy rock. Like The Flower Kings, actually. Overall the style is more soothing than jarring, a lot of that having to do with the softer vocal style and the rich, luxuriant textures.
Lullaby for Heroes (2008, 64-minutes) is their digipack second CD. It seems Maze of Time have made a conscious effort to make their music more accessible, but that no longer means bringing it closer to pop. Today in Europe, it means adding metal. Fortunately Maze of Time stopped well short of damaging the essential progressive character of their music, as there is only a modicum of metal guitar. Overall this is an excellent follow-up, and hopefully we’re not the only ones to hear a slight similarity to Grobschnitt circa Rockpommels Land in spots.
Yak - Journey of the Yak ($11.99) This 2008 instrumental CD is one of the best British progressive rock albums in recent memory, pure classic prog, close to Genesis (or Steve Hackett solo) and Camel. Yak are a keys/bass/drums trio, but their sound is bigger than that -- after hearing this, you will swear that there is a guitarist in the band, one who has the expressive Hackett/Latimer lead style nailed! In fact, keyboardist Martin Morgan is playing the guitar parts from a keyboard, the best emulation of that sustained electric guitar style we’ve ever heard. Of course a guitarist or two will be required live, as the guitar and keyboard sounds are layered. Just when you’ve despaired of ever hearing a British prog band create the real thing again, you are rescued by a Yak. “Sounds like Dave Greenslade jamming with Genesis.” [Classic Rock Presents Prog] Read reviews at Yak’s site and at Prog Archives.
Tinyfish - One Night on Fire: Live in Poland Ltd. Ed. (DVD+CD, $20.99) 
First there was just Fish. Now we have Strangefish, Beardfish, and Tinyfish. London-based Tinyfish bill themselves as “the world’s smallest prog rock band”. Their singer, Simon Godfrey, is the brother of Jem Godfrey of Frost. Tinyfish’s self-titled 2006 debut is on the melodic rock side of neo-prog, with influences of Pink Floyd, Marillion, and others. The focus is on the songs, atmosphere, strong vocals and vocal harmonies, all hallmarks of the current crop of British prog bands. A string quintet on one song is a nice touch, as is the spoken word on several tracks.
Curious Things (2009, digipack) is a 29-minute mini-album containing rare tracks recorded prior to Tinyfish’s first album. The music was recorded, produced and mixed by Jem Godfrey.
The One Night on Fire: Live in Poland DVD (NTSC, all-region) was shot at the Wyspianski Theatre in Poland during the 2009 Prog Rock Festival and features material from the album Tinyfish, the EP Curious Things, and the forthcoming album The Big Red Spark. Bonus features include a documentary video and an interview with Simon Godfrey and Rob Ramsay. This is the Limited Edition, which adds the audio CD and comes in deluxe packaging. DVD playing time 140-minutes, CD 80-minutes. Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo audio, 16:9 widescreen.
801 - Live Collector’s Edition (2CD, $39.99) 801 was one of the first progressive rock supergroups, and their first album was a live one with stellar sound quality. In 1976, while Roxy Music had temporarily disbanded, 801 (the name of the band was taken from the Eno song The True Wheel) got together as a temporary project. The original sextet included Phil Manzanera, Brian Eno, Bill MacCormick, Francis Monkman, Simon Phillips and Lloyd Watson, and after a warm-up show in Cromer in Norfolk, that lineup played just two gigs: at the Reading Festival and at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. The latter concert was subsequently released as 801 Live. The music consists mostly of mutated selections from Quiet Sun’s sole album, Manzanera’s Diamond Head album, and the odd Eno song (they were all odd), plus a version of Lennon-McCartney’s Tomorrow Never Knows that easily tops the original, and an off-the-wall cover of The Kinks’ You Really Got Me. Released at the height of the punk rock scourge in the UK, the LP nevertheless sold well worldwide. This new Collector’s Edition has been remastered and comes in the digibook format, which is similar to a hardbound book, with a 40-page booklet. It includes a second CD of the rehearsal sessions. More detail here. Counts as 2.5 CDs for shipping. Granted this is a lot to pay for a 2CD, so we have only a small quantity on hand. But it does segue nicely into these two CDs:
801 - Live @ Hull ($14.99)In 1977, the year after 801 Live was recorded, a new 801 lineup took to the road in the UK for a 10-date tour. Eno was otherwise engaged, Roxy Music’s drummer Paul Thompson replaced Simon Phillips, and the lineup was completed by Bill MacCormick (bass & vocals), Dave Skinner (keyboards & vocals), Simon Ainley (guitars & vocals) and bandleader Phil Manzanera (guitars). These two 78-minute digipack CDs contain two dates from that tour. Live @ Hull, recorded at Hull University, features Eddie Jobson on violin. Jobson was in Roxy Music at this time, and his performance of Out of the Blue may be the highlight of this album. Manchester features guests Andy MacKay from Roxy Music and 10cc’s Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The setlist on these CDs includes a few songs that appeared on 801 Live but also a number of songs from Listen Now, which was either Manzanera’s second solo album or the first 801 studio album, or both.
Lee Abraham - Black & White ($15.99) Lee Abraham was the bass player of Galahad for a time and has a couple previous CDs under his belt, one under his name, one as half of the duo Idle Noise. Black & White (2009) is a British neo-prog all-star project that includes John Mitchell (It Bites, Arena, many others), Simon Godfrey (Tinyfish), Jem Godfrey (Frost), Gary Chandler (Jadis), Steve Thorne, Sean Filkins (ex-Big Big Train), and Dean Baker (Galahad). That cast leads to certain expectations, and this CD delivers on them. The music is melodic, mainstream, third-generation (unless we’re up to fourth generation now) British prog. The infrequent metal guitar is at odds with the overall genteel, Jadis-like vibe, but you can’t get your CD reviewed on sites with ‘metal’ in the name without it. Read the DPRP review.
TCP - The Way ($12.99) TCP, short for Temporal Chaos Project, are a promising new U.S. progressive band, a collaboration between several east coast musicians with a number of guests helping out on The Way (2009), their 74-minute debut. The music draws primarily from classic early 1970’s symphonic prog but doesn’t strongly resemble any one band. The dark, slightly Gabriel-esque vocals are one element that suggests early Genesis, and the keyboard sounds (mainly organ, piano, Mellotron strings) tend to be of that vintage. The music features extended instrumental passages with layers of keys and guitars over shifting and complex rhythms. OK, we cribbed some of that last sentence from the press release, but it’s accurate. The Way could be grouped with the first Deluge Grander CD. Read the DPRP review.
Karfagen - The Key to Perception (2CD, $13.99) 
Continium (2006) is an elegant and classy album of instrumental symphonic prog from Ukrainian band Karfagen, probably the only progressive rock band there is in the Ukraine now. Camel and Genesis sound like their strongest influences, and the standard instrumentation is augmented by flute and at times bayan (accordion), duduk (an ancient wind instrument), and wheel lira (another ancient instrument). (What do we look like, ethnomusicologists?) The bonus track is a tender song with male and female vocals in English. Keyboards have the primary role, and the emphasis throughout is on beautiful melodies and music that flows gracefully.
Karfagen wasted no time returning with a 65-minute second album The Space Between Us (2007). This album is again instrumental, though there are some wordless vocals. It continues in the same general style, but even more original. Camel is a reference point only to the extent that the music is usually flowing and melodic. There is a strong classical influence, and the bayan and flute are again welcome touches. Both albums are highly recommended to sympho lovers of the 1970’s persuasion.
Karfagen leader Antony Kalugin is also the man behind the Sunchild and Hoggwash projects released on the Welsh Caerllysi Music label, who have released the double-CD The Key to Perception, billed as the complete Karfagen history to date: 39 tracks and a booklet providing comments on each track. This 2CD contains the entire Continium and The Space Between Us albums, so we’ve lowered the price on those CDs to our cost, mainly for customers who already have one but not the other. In addition, The Key to Perception contains 12 tracks of new material and alternate versions, about 55-minutes worth. Note a new Karfagen studio album is slated for 2010.
Sunchild - The Invisible Line Ltd. Ed. (2CD, $15.99) Antony Kalugin’s franchise continues to expand rapidly, with two Karfagen CDs in 2006 and 2007, the Hoggwash CD in 2007 and now two Sunchild CDs. Kalugin has half the musicians in the Ukraine on the Sunchild albums, which continue to develop the style of Karfagen and Hoggwash, with vocals in English primarily by Kalugin. This is melodic symphonic prog that draws from all eras of progressive rock and establishes Kalugin as one of the top contemporary composers in the genre.
The first Sunchild CD The Gnomon (2008) is a double-CD that includes a video of the song Wonderworld and the Making of Sunchild video. This is the limited 2CD edition of the second Sunchild CD The Invisible Line (2009), which adds a four-page booklet and bonus disc containing seven additional tracks including two written for the main album, plus a 24-minute ‘making of’ video. Four of the bonus tracks are demos, three of which are previously-unreleased tracks from earlier in Kalugin’s career. The first disc in this set is itself over 69-minutes long. As the bonus disc adds little to the cost, it will be the only edition we stock until it is no longer available. Read the review at JerryLucky.com.
UK - Night After Night 30th Anniv. ($14.99)
These CDs are the 30th Anniversary editions of the UK albums, released on Eddie Jobson’s Glo Digital label, all remastered by Jobson himself. UK was the supergroup formed by Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Allan Holdsworth, and Bill Bruford. Their self-titled 1977 debut is probably the essential progressive rock album of the late 1970’s. The lineup didn’t last beyond the tour that followed, with Bruford taking Holdsworth along with him to his band Bruford. Jobson and Wetton recruited drummer Terry Bozzio and recorded Danger Money (1978), which is closer in style to ELP. This is the lineup on 1979’s Night After Night, UK’s only official live album, which contains songs from both studio albums plus two new songs.
Our two cents is this. Danger Money is just as remarkable as the first album, but one can’t judge it fairly without hearing the three songs destined for Danger Money as performed by the first UK lineup on that first tour. (Bootleg CDs of radio broadcasts from that tour exist.) As good as the original lineup and first album were, the early versions of The Only Thing She Needs, Carrying No Cross, and Caesar’s Palace Blues make it very clear that the two factions of the band were pulling in different directions. The studio versions on Danger Money are much more powerful. The most intense, structured instrumental sections on Danger Money don’t exist in the early versions -- in their place was Holdsworth improvising over a jazzy groove, and it sounded like the songs switched between two different bands in different sections. By splitting into UK Mk II and the band Bruford, each was free to create the music they wanted, and we benefited from twice as much incredible music.
UKZ - Radiation (CD-EP, $7.99)UKZ is the new band assembled by Eddie Jobson, best known as co-founder of UK, ending his self-imposed 27-year retirement from band and touring activity. The four other members include Trey Gunn, known for his stint in King Crimson and as the leading exponent of the Warr touch guitar. Their first release is this four-song, 21:15 digipack CD-EP. Read the All About Jazz review.
Orphan Project - Spooning Out the Sea ($12.99) Maryland-based Orphan Project debuted in 2003 with Orphan Found and followed with a four-song EP in 2008. Spooning Out the Sea (2009) is their second full-length album. Orphan Project clearly fall into the ‘modern prog’ camp, meaning their music is really a blend of prog rock, contemporary rock and metal, with the mix greatly favoring heavy guitar over keyboards (though Orphan Project do have a dedicated keyboardist). Their greatest strength is the passionate and powerful lead vocals of Shane Lankford, while they also have a very good melodic sense and solid musicianship. As Progression magazine (issue 57) says: “These 10 mid-length tracks mine hard-edged progressive/symphonic rock that stops just shy of metal, due in part to its predominantly upbeat, positive tone.” Well, they could have applied the brakes earlier, as each track has some metal riffs and the tone is not without gloom; this will undoubtedly find its way onto countless metal review sites. But Spooning Out the Sea is sure to impress those who worship at the altar of Riverside and other contemporary heavy prog bands.
The Vital Might - Red Planet ($11.99) The Vital Might are a Boston-based guitar/bass/drums alt-prog trio with all members singing. This is the remastered edition of Red Planet (2009) on 10t Records, who describe it thusly: “On their second full-length CD Red Planet, The Vital Might’s unique sonic palette is on full display with a winning mixture of hard-hitting melody and monster chops that doesn’t shy away from mixing pop-rock with metal, funk with prog, and good old-fashioned songwriting with psychedelic breaks. Although the music on Red Planet has been compared to such modern trailblazers as Radiohead, The Mars Volta, and A Perfect Circle, Red Planet showcases a band that has fully come into its own as a powerful new voice that will soon be exerting its own influence on the modern progressive rock scene.” Read reviews here.
Beardfish - Destined Solitaire ($14.99) 
Beardfish - The Sane Day (2CD, $24.99) We didn’t think anyone made records like this anymore. Beardfish are an outstanding Swedish progressive band blending many 1970’s prog styles. There are elements of Swedish 70’s bands (Trettioåriga Kriget, Bo Hansson, Made in Sweden, Kaipa), the great Dutch bands Supersister and Focus, Gentle Giant, the Canterbury Bands, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, and much more. And yet there are contemporary elements too. There’s so much good stuff here, it’s hard to know where to begin when attempting to describe it all. Destined Solitaire (2009, digipack) is their latest studio CD. Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two (2008, 74-minutes) is their fourth. Sleeping in Traffic: Part One (2007, 66-minutes) is their third.
The double-CD The Sane Day (2005) is their second. This is the 2007 edition on Progress Records. Read reviews here. Från en plats du ej kan se (From a place you cannot see) is their 2003 debut. This is the 2007 remastered edition on Progress Records, which includes two bonus tracks and an expanded booklet.
Eureka - Shackleton’s Voyage ($14.99) Shackleton’s Voyage is the excellent, mostly-instrumental fourth album from German multi-instrumentalist Frank Bossert’s Eureka project. The album tells the true story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-1916 Antarctica expedition, with the songs connected by narration from British actor Ian Dickinson, and the cover art taken from photographs from the expedition. Billy Sherwood (Yes) guests on vocals on two songs, the female vocal trio Kalema sings on one track, and Troy Donockley (Iona) plays Uilleann pipes and low whistle on one. Another guest adds Uilleann pipes on another track. Yogi Lang (RPWL) adds synths here and there and mixed and mastered the album. Shackleton’s Voyage operates at the interface of progressive rock, symphonic electronic, and Celtic music. While there is some mainstream symphonic prog in the later Yes mold, two of the biggest influences one hears are Mike Oldfield and Vangelis, while the couple tracks with pipes and whistle are in Iona territory. Kudos to the InsideOut label for releasing this, as even though it is very accessible, it is still a departure for them. The InsideOut audience tends toward the younger, mainstream, and metal side of prog, and some of that audience is likely clueless when it comes to Oldfield and Vangelis, who are pretty much required listening for prog aficionados. Read reviews here.
Mangrove - Beyond Reality ($15.99) 
Mangrove - Touch Wood ($13.99)Touch Wood (2004, 66-minutes) and Facing the Sunset (2005, 57-minutes) are the first two full-length CDs for Dutch symphonic prog band Mangrove. Their primary influence is pretty clearly 1970’s Genesis, with the keyboardist and guitarist displaying similarities to Tony Banks and Steve Hackett, respectively. But for every passage that recalls Genesis, there is a passage that sounds little like Genesis. So rather than being overly derivative, Mangrove have imprinted their own personality on an otherwise familiar style. They do use some sounds that are more modern than the 70’s, and while it’s fair to say there is some neo-prog in Mangrove’s style, there isn’t all that much that sounds particularly influenced by the British 80’s bands. These two albums are comparable and both are very good, but we’ll give the edge to Facing the Sunset. New lower price on both.
Coming Back to Live is Mangrove’s 2006 live double-CD, which includes songs from Touch Wood and Facing the Sunset plus two tracks from their deleted 2001 mini-album Massive Hollowness. Mangrove have steadily improved with each album and sound like a formidable live act, so these live versions are usually superior to the studio versions. Read reviews here.
Beyond Reality is Mangrove’s 2009 studio CD, with just six tracks spanning 68-minutes, their best to date. In addition to the strong-as-ever Genesis influence, one can hear Kayak in spots, and Mangrove again display characteristics of both classic and neo-prog. After 5bridges, Mangrove are probably the best of the current generation of symphonic bands from the lowlands.
5bridges - The Thomas Tracks ($15.99) To find a new Dutch band playing real progressive rock, not neo-prog and certainly not prog-flavored metal, is little short of amazing. 5bridges take their name from the album by The Nice, but their influences are a little Gentle Giant, a little Renaissance, more Yes, and a lot more 1970s Genesis. They are skilled musicians who have first-hand knowledge of classical music and who grew up listening to Yes and Genesis. The Thomas Tracks (2009) is their 74-minute debut CD, parts of which had been released earlier as a demo, but this is the finished product. A wonderful album with no weak tracks, highest recommendation. Read reviews at ProgArchives.
Syzygy - Realms of Eternity ($12.99) 
Cleveland, Ohio-based Witsend released their outstanding debut Cosmos and Chaos in 1993, one of the classiest American prog rock albums. This is the remastered second edition. These guys have chops on the same level as Spock’s Beard, but their mostly-instrumental music lacks the Beatles/pop influences of the Beard. Probably influenced most by Yes and ELP, maybe early Ambrosia, with a bit of Steve Hackett thrown in, this is nevertheless quite contemporary in sound and execution.
Syzygy is the same band after taking time out to raise families, and 2003’s The Allegory of Light vaulted them right back near the top of the American prog rock heap. This is complex, clever, heavily-instrumental prog rock played by top-notch musicians, mixing the old and the new. Influences and reference points include ELP, UK, Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Transatlantic,... you get the picture. 63-minutes.
Realms of Eternity (2009) was originally going to be a double-CD but has been released as a no-filler 77-minute single CD. Syzygy have expanded to a quartet with the promotion of bassist & backing vocalist Al Rolik to full-time status, and brought in veteran session singer Mark Boals as guest lead vocalist, as there is a greater emphasis on lyrics on this album. The vocals, so often the shortcoming of indie prog bands, are completely professional, and yet instrumental content still dominates. There are loads of leave-you-speechless instrumental fireworks, but also acoustic, pastoral passages worthy of Tull and Genesis. Syzygy sound more British than ever (and to be quite frank, none of the current generation of British bands appear capable of a work like this). With excellent production, this is not only Syzygy’s best and most ambitious album, it’s vies with Phideaux’s Number Seven as the U.S. prog album of the year, quite possibly prog album of the year period. It seems a crime that one can buy this much music of this caliber for so little money.
Phideaux - Number Seven ($11.99) 
Phideaux - Chupacabras ($11.99)
The Los Angeles band Phideaux is led by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Phideaux Xavier. Their first album Fiendish (2004) is an intoxicating blend of progressive and psychedelic-folk, with an organic sound from an earlier era. Think of a more proggy/spacey Polyphonic Spree. Xavier’s lead vocals are supported by female backing vocals. In addition to Xavier’s guitar and keyboards, drummer Richard Hutchins is the other constant, while a large number of other musicians contribute vocals, bass, cello, Theremin, oboe, English horn, harpsichord and more. There are elements of The Moody Blues, early Floyd, David Bowie, trippy English folk, and baroque music (Amazing Blondel perhaps?).
Ghost Story (2004) makes it clear that Phideaux are not going to make the same album twice. The female vocals are absent here, the music is darker and rocks harder, with a bigger sound. There is still an Englishness to the more serene numbers, and they still have that mesmerizing psychedelic quality. The rockier numbers sometimes suggest a progressive version of David Bowie. An excellent album from a band that can’t be pigeonholed.
Chupacabras (2005) is a no-holds-barred, Mellotrons-and-all progressive album highlighted by the 21-minute title suite, a true prog rock epic. The effect is often that of David Bowie singing for Van der Graaf Generator with some Floydian spaciness and psychedelia added.
The Great Leap (2006) is more vocal-heavy and guitar-oriented, though there are about a dozen musicians involved and there are all manner of keyboards, Theremin, violin, cello, flute, recorder, brass, hammer dulcimer, sitar and more. Of the previous albums, it is closest to Ghost Story. It sounds like David Bowie’s version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and fans of Roger Waters will likely love this album.
The Great Leap is part of a conceptual trilogy, of which Doomsday Afternoon (2007) is part two and is Phideaux’s first masterpiece. As the band says, Doomsday Afternoon is the yin to The Great Leap’s yang. The Great Leap is an art-rock album, while Doomsday Afternoon is a 67-minute symphonic rock epic, essentially one long song cycle divided into two acts, and includes the instrumental sections missing from The Great Leap. The album features a small chamber orchestra drawn from members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Among the guests are Martin Orford (IQ), Matthew Parmenter (Discipline), and Matthew Kennedy (Eyestrings). The booklet is gorgeous too. Comparisons to earlier progressive rock bands are possible but seem unnecessary at this point. There aren’t many artists today who could make this album, and now the bar has been set very high.
As for Number Seven (2009, 63-minutes), Phideaux says: “This album is a continuation of the long form compositions found on Doomsday Afternoon and Chupacabras. It represents another foray into progressive rock, with perhaps a good dollop of chamber jazz and classic rock. For this release, we stayed completely in-house, inviting no outside musicians to contribute. We wanted to see what we could cook up with our live band. I think you will be surprised!” We dare say Number Seven is the best Phideaux yet. The sound is organic in the same way the classic early-1970’s prog bands were. The keyboards are dominated by classically-influenced piano, there is a lot of acoustic guitar, and there is a folk influence throughout, though the music is never folk per se. Both male and female vocals convey this epic tale. When the lyrics switch briefly to Italian, you’ll think you’re listening to a classic Italian prog band. The music is about as original as one can be today and still remain true to the ideals of progressive rock, and there is a craftsmanship and maturity here that stand in stark contrast to all the half-metal, half-prog bands littering the landscape. All the Phideaux albums are distinct from each other, but the quality is consistent, and the musical ambition of this band is incredible. Read the reviews at ProgArchives.com of Number Seven, Doomsday Afternoon, The Great Leap, 313, Chupacabras, Ghost Story, and Fiendish.
Toxic Smile - Overdue Visit (CD-EP, $7.99) Toxic Smile is the other band of keyboardist/composer Marek Arnold of Seven Steps to the Green Door. This 2009 four song, 23-minute CD-EP is not their first, as Toxic Smile have CDs and DVDs dating back to 2000. Not many prog fans outside of Germany or Korea (where one album was released on a major label) have heard those previous works, so Overdue Visit can be seen as an introduction for the rest of the world, and as paving the way for a new full-length CD that the band have begun work on. Given that the two bands have the same composer and some overlapping personnel, Toxic Smile sound quite similar to Seven Steps to the Green Door, and all the good things said about Seven Steps apply here. There are flashes of metal, but Toxic Smile curtail it before it can drag the music down. There are two excellent energetic songs and two mellower songs; the latter are arguably where Arnold’s songwriting is best displayed. Here are mp3 excerpts: Solitudes Sphere, Insights, Peak of Delight, Freezing Rain.
Cirrus Bay - A Step Into Elsewhere ($11.99) Cirrus Bay is led by American multi-instrumentalist Bill Gillham. On Cirrus Bay’s 2008 debut The Slipping of a Day, Gillham is joined by a drummer/bassist, several singers (male and female), and two musicians providing tenor sax on two tracks. Gillham plays electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, bass, mandolin, recorder, and percussion. Our opinion of Cirrus Bay’s first album changed completely about a third of the way through its 77-minutes, and this is because the album was recorded in different sessions spanning a number of years. The first third of the CD contains a lot of pastoral, folky progressive, reflecting the fact that Cirrus Bay began as an acoustic duo. There are pitch problems with some of the vocals on the early tracks that are not present on the later tracks. The CD then transforms into much more powerful, more instrumental symphonic prog. Gillham’s biggest influences are Tony Banks, Anthony Phillips, Jade Warrior, and Bo Hansson. We can state this confidently because it says as much in the booklet. (Among younger bands, he mentions a fondness for Big Big Train, The Flower Kings, and The Watch.) There are tracks here that would have fit on Banks’ A Curious Feeling and have been the second-best track (after the song You, if you must know). Overall we’re reminded of Canadian Ken Baird. Read reviews here.
The second Cirrus Bay CD A Step Into Elsewhere (2009, 55-minutes) is the CD they really wanted to make, a significant improvement over Slipping... and a cohesive musical statement. It’s female vocals only on this one, from two singers, and the easiest way to describe the album is a blend of Genesis circa Wind and Wuthering and Renaissance. Renaissance because the vocals are in an Annie Haslam style, and there is that breezy folkiness blended with classical piano. Genesis because Gillham is a musician who gets what Tony Banks does. It isn’t about how fast one can play scales, it’s about the chord progressions. There is plenty of electric and acoustic guitar in addition to keyboards, so it sounds closer to Genesis than a Tony Banks solo album, and there are influences of other progressive artists as well. Instrumentally, the appeal of this album is similar to the Willowglass albums, on top of which you get the beautiful vocals. “Had Genesis replaced Peter Gabriel with Annie Haslam instead of Phil Collins in 1975, the band might have sounded something like this. Cirrus Bay... so closely echoes the crisp prog sound of Wind and Wuthering-era Genesis it could double as a tribute band... Most tracks feature lush keyboard swells, delicate guitar-and-flute passages, strong soprano vocal melodies, tricky meter changes and classically-inspired instrumental breaks that would give Tony Banks and Steve Hackett a run for their money.” [Progression]
It Bites - The Tall Ships ($13.99) This CD was released in late 2008 on InsideOut in Germany, but for whatever reason was not put through their U.S. distributor. It has now been released in the U.S. by the good people at ProgRock Records in a nicer looking edition, a tri-fold digipack with 28-page booklet. British prog/pop band It Bites emerged in the mid-1980’s and actually charted in the UK. At that time, the band was Francis Dunnery, Richard Nolan, Robert Dalton and John Beck. Singer/guitarist Dunnery moved to New York City and began his solo career, while keyboardist Beck and drummer Dalton went on to the band Kino. In the 1980’s, It Bites occupied a middle ground that wasn’t proggy enough for some prog fans and not poppy enough for the industry, but they had chops and could write songs. Maybe it was too soon for the pop/prog mix then, but given that the current generation of British prog bands nearly all have one foot in pop or mainstream rock, the time was right for It Bites to reform. Beck and Dalton approached Kino’s singer/guitarist John Mitchell (a huge It Bites fan since his teenage years) and reformed the band with Mitchell assuming Dunnery’s role. So with It Bites and Kino being closely-related, those familiar with Kino already have a good idea what this CD sounds like. And for those familiar with earlier It Bites, this is quite a bit proggier. This is Brit-prog with classic British pop songwriting and excellent production. 70-minutes.
Zingale - The Bright Side ($12.99) Zingale are the most famous Israeli progressive rock band; their album Peace (recorded in 1975, released in 1977) is usually considered to be the best progressive rock album to have come out of that admittedly small scene. The Bright Side (57-minutes) is their 2009 comeback CD. Zingale now are founding members Ephraim Barak and Udi Tamir, both playing electric guitar, bass and keyboards as well as singing, with a new drummer. There was some Yes influence on Peace and there is even more on The Bright Side, but Zingale’s sound has changed, now more modern sounding, more reliant on synths, with a lot of sonic elements competing for space in the mix. Musically and spiritually though, Zingale still have their hearts in the 1970’s. Lyrics in English. The CD comes in a lightweight mini-LP sleeve and counts as only one-half CD for shipping. In addition to the audio clips on the band’s MySpace page (mp3 icon above), here is an mp3 of the song Sooner or Later.
Dead Heroes Club - A Time of Shadow ($14.99) This band from Northern Ireland claim to be Ireland’s only existing progressive rock band. After a 2004 debut, A Time of Shadow is their 2009 second album. They have a very strong singer in Liam Campbell, who has something of a Peter Gabriel and Fish quality to his voice and sings with similar conviction. The music is in the Marillion vein, though often a better reference is Abel Ganz. An excellent band in the British Isles neo-prog tradition, emphasizing melody, strong songs and a singer who can carry them.
Touchstone - Wintercoast ($14.99) Touchstone are one of the current crop of British melodic progressive rock bands, having been voted Best New Band by Britain’s Classic Rock Society in 2007. Following a 2006 EP, their first full-length (63-minutes) CD Discordant Dreams was released in 2007 and led to Touchstone making their first U.S. appearance at Rosfest 2009. Touchstone’s second CD Wintercoast (2009) is an excellent, more ambitious follow-up, featuring narration by actor Jeremy Irons. Like most of the recent British prog bands, Touchstone’s progressive rock has an AOR or melodic rock side to it, with metal guitar more prevalent on Wintercoast. Their great strength is their blended male/female vocals, which brings their sound close to The Reasoning. On Wintercoast, Kim Seviour assumes more of the vocal duties, and she has a very good voice. Relative to The Reasoning, there is a stronger element of the old Marillion/Pendragon neo-prog style in Touchstone’s music. So if you enjoy the albums by The Reasoning, Darwin’s Radio, Tinyfish, Strangefish, JEBO, and Breathing Space, then Touchstone comes highly recommended. Read the reviews of Discordant Dreams at Silhobbit and DPRP and of Wintercoast at Silhobbit.
Jane Relf - Jane’s Renaissance: The Complete Jane Relf Collection 1969-1995 (2CD, $14.99) The complete and rather confusing history of the band Renaissance is beyond the scope of this product description, but the better known Renaissance with Annie Haslam was not the first Renaissance. One Renaissance did morph into the other, even though the full-time personnel were completely different. The first Renaissance emerged from The Yardbirds. Singer Jane Relf is the younger sister of Keith Relf. (Keith passed away in 1976.) Among their members was future Strawbs keyboardist John Hawken. This first Renaissance released two LPs in 1969 and 1970 before giving way to the second incarnation of the band. When the first band reformed in 1976, the name Renaissance was already in use, so they called themselves Illusion, from the title of the last album they recorded as Renaissance. Illusion’s 1977 album Out of the Mist is their best, followed closely by their self-titled 1978 album. Enchanted Caress is their third album. It was recorded in 1979 but remained unreleased for many years, no doubt the punk and new wave plague having something to do with that. This is the Renaissance Records edition.
Jane Relf has one of the most beautiful voices in rock. The jam-packed double-CD Jane’s Renaissance compiles material from Renaissance Mark I, Illusion, and Stairway (a more new age-y Illusion offshoot). Perhaps most important are the Jane Relf solo songs that few have heard before. She released a solo single Without a Song from You b/w Make My Time Pass By in 1971; both songs are included here along with Gone Fishing, a song recorded in the mid-1970’s for a frozen food advertisement! There are also two rare demo versions of Carpet of the Sun with Jane singing, which ties the two incarnations of Renaissance together. The booklet contains photos and a detailed bio. Read the review at Musical Discoveries.
Planet P Project - Levittown: Go Out Dancing Part II ($13.99) 
Planet P Project - same ($13.99)Planet P Project is Tony Carey, one-time keyboardist for Rainbow, with help here and there from other musicians. While recording more commercial albums under his own name, he reserved the Planet P Project name for his progressive output, and his two Planet P Project albums in the 1980’s resulted in some chart success. This CD edition of the self-titled 1983 Planet P Project debut includes four bonus tracks, alternate versions of album tracks. “Their eponymous 1983 debut was defined by the synthesizer-laden style of the day with a nod to the progressive rock of the prior decade.” [All Music Guide] Pink World (1984), the second, was originally a double-LP and was often compared to Pink Floyd’s The Wall. These are the Renaissance Records editions.
1931, released in 2005, is the first part of a planned trilogy entitled Go Out Dancing. While some of the recording for this album dates back as early as 1992, it is a product of the 2000’s in terms of music technology. The subject matter of 1931 is the radical right, from the rise of Nazism to present conditions in the U.S. This is the ProgRock Records edition. Levittown (2008, 66-minutes) is Part 2, which uses post-WWII America as its departure point. These conceptual works will draw comparisons to Pink Floyd and Roger Waters’ work from The Wall on. They also exhibit a Peter Gabriel or Francis Dunnery flavor. Levittown in particular is an exceptional work that so far is getting overlooked -- try to locate a review of it on a prog rock review site.
Quantum Fantay - Kaleidothrope SE (CD+DVD, $17.99) |     |
The Source - Prickly Pear ($12.99)All Along This Land is the 2006 debut CD by a young Los Angeles prog band whose surprising sound is in many ways very early-1970’s retro, with elements that include early Yes, The Beatles, a little Pink Floyd and dreamy psychedelia. But beyond that, they don’t sound much like anyone else today. Much of their sound derives from the low-distortion jazz and country tones favored by guitarist Harrison Leonard, similar to Peter Banks and Steve Howe. Vocalist, principal songwriter, and keyboardist Aaron Goldich favors grand piano, with some Hammond and analog synth sounds. There’s a good balance of vocal and instrumental passages, and like any good prog album, there’s a five-part suite. Charming, to say the least. Read the DPRP review.
All Along This Land was a good start, but Prickly Pear (2009) is a significantly proggier and more ambitious album, with three epic length compositions. The Source’s sound is still early-70’s, with more Hammond and more electric guitar leads this time, everything taken up a couple notches. Amazing that this record has come out of Los Angeles in 2009. Here is an mp3 medley of excerpts from Prickly Pear.
Pendragon - Pure ($13.99) |   |      |
Moon Safari - Blomljud (2CD, $19.99) This Swedish quintet debuted with one of the freshest, most likeable symphonic prog albums you’ll hear. The “summer” in A Doorway to Summer (2005) is apt as Moon Safari display none of the long-dark-winter Scandinavian melancholy and gloom. Instead they have a warm, Yes-like positivism, though their sound comes closer to England, Druid, or Sebastian Hardie. They have harmony vocals that sometimes reach Beach Boys level, and some Beatles flavoring (closer to Klaatu actually). They use all analog keyboards including Mellotron and lots of acoustic guitar. The openness of their sound and their outstanding melodic sense give the album a 1970’s feel and set Moon Safari apart from most of the other current prog bands. Tomas Bodin (keyboardist of The Flower Kings) guests and co-produced, and Moon Safari will almost certainly appeal to fans of The Flower Kings, though their style is distinct. Just five long tracks, one of which is 24-minutes long. Here is an mp3 from the track Dance Across the Ocean.
Despite the Swedish title, the double-CD Blomljud (2008) is again sung entirely in English. The title apparently translates to “sound of flowers”, and so the CD title again gives a clue to the music. Or maybe it’s an oblique reference to The Flower Kings. The style is a continuation of the first CD, but those wonderful harmony vocals are even more striking here, reminiscent of Queen, Yes, The Beach Boys, and Fireballet (second album). It’s almost a lost art these days. The first disc has the lighter, vocal-heavy material, while the second disc tends to have the more energetic material, as if the first disc was warming the listener up for the second. It is all symphonic prog close to Yes with some Genesis influence, the latter felt particularly in the pastoral passages. Its sunny optimism is again in stark contrast to the prevailing mood of darkness, cynicism and metal in today’s music.
Magenta - Seven Special Ed. (CD+DVD, $18.99) out-of-stock Magenta’s 2004 studio album Seven is a sympho-prog feast and was one of the major prog albums of that year. In fact, the consensus is that this is their best album. In 2009, the band reissued Seven in this CD+DVD Special Edition, which comes in a jewel box plus slipcase. The album was completely remixed by Rob Reed and remastered by Bob Katz (Digital Domain), and the CD now runs 78:54. In revisiting the multitracks, Rob found loads of musical parts that had not been used in the original mix and incorporated some of them. The DVD (NTSC, all-region, 16:9) begins with the feature Inside the Mix with Rob Reed (79:56), in which Rob discusses and dissects the multitracks of the original 2004 mix. An interview with lyricist Steve Reed and Rob Reed follows (36:54), with the two discussing each track from a musical and lyrical point of view, the artwork and guest musicians, and reflecting on the impact of the CD five years on. Next up is 42-minutes of bootleg live videos of the songs Lust, Anger, Gluttony, and Pride. But best of all, the DVD contains a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix of the entire Seven album! OK, it isn’t DVD-Audio or SACD or Blu-ray, but we’ll take whatever surround we can get. This 2-disc version is limited to 2000 copies.
Magenta - Live at the Point 2007 DVD ($17.99) Magenta’s 2008 live double-CD features over 100 minutes of live music recorded at their amazing performance at The Point in Cardiff in November 2007. Only two of the tracks appear on Magenta’s previous live 2CD. Live at the Point includes an extended selection from Home, the rarely performed Sloth, and the recent show-stopping arrangement of The Warning from Revolutions. View the setlist here.
The same performance is captured on the DVD (NTSC, all-region), which adds a behind-the-scenes documentary, interviews, and the video for Speechless. Not only was it the last concert in support of their third album Home and the last performance of that lineup, apparently even the venue has since closed! The Live at the Point DVD features a set list largely different from The Gathering DVD released in 2005. 5.1 surround and stereo audio, 147-minutes (concert running time 106-minutes), 16:9 widescreen.
Magenta - Metamorphosis ($13.99) |         |
Josh & Co. Limited - Through These Eyes ($16.99) This is the first solo album for Bryan Josh, the leader/guitarist/singer/composer of Mostly Autumn. Josh is assisted by Gavin Griffiths on drums and singer Olivia Sparnenn. Sparnenn has been providing backing vocals for Mostly Autumn and is the lead vocalist in the band Breathing Space. But Josh is the primary vocalist here, and partly for that reason, Through These Eyes (2009, 55-minutes) has more of the feel of the first two Mostly Autumn albums than the last few Mostly Autumn albums have. Those who’ve followed Mostly Autumn know that Josh initially handled most of the vocals, gradually shifting the workload to Heather Findlay as she blossomed into a fine singer. So consider early Mostly Autumn songs such as The Spirit of Autumn Past and Please as good reference points. Fans of Mostly Autumn have probably figured out that Josh is a big David Gilmour and Pink Floyd fan, and that is the biggest influence present. This is an album of heartfelt songs with an innate spirituality and their own special magic, from a songwriter of uncommon talent. If the song Not a Dream doesn’t move you now, try it again later in life. Read the DPRP review.
Mostly Autumn - Glass Shadows ($16.99) |
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