7
Ocean - The Mysterious Race of Strange Entities ($14.99)
Note Hungary has its own page. Titles
are arranged alphabetically with the latest additions highlighted in yellow.
7
Ocean - The Mysterious Race of Strange Entities ($14.99)
We’ll be the first to admit that our Belarus section is a bit thin, but as a
start, here is the 2008 debut CD from Belarus band 7 Ocean, a trio of
experienced musicians. The music is 1970’s-style keyboard-centric symphonic prog
with some influence of ELP, The Nice, Rick Wakeman, Greenslade; really an
amalgam of all the keyboard prog from that era, with an Eastern European flavor. The vocals are in what could
be Belarusian. (All those languages with Cyrillic characters sound the same if
you can’t speak any of them.) The music is relatively vocal-heavy, but as the
tracks are long -- 10 tracks totaling 80-minutes -- there is ample room for
instrumental and vocal passages to share the stage.
After -
Hideout ($12.99)
After are an excellent Polish progressive rock sextet singing in English. It was the
case that most of the Polish prog bands that appeared during the 1990’s were
influenced by Collage, and now during the first decade of the 21st century, most of the new Polish prog
bands bear some resemblance to Riverside. After’s 2005 debut Endless Lunatic
features guest appearances by Colin Bass (Camel), Josef Skrzek (SBB), and Jacek Zasada (Quidam).
Here After kind of split the difference
between Riverside and Satellite. There is a strong Pink Floyd influence, with
the expected dark, melancholy moods and lush spacey textures, but updated to the
modern moody aesthetic one can hear in Riverside, Porcupine Tree and Sylvan, to
name just a few. After have some heavy guitar, but they also have strong melodies
and some of the symphonic qualities of Satellite. Their second CD Hideout
(2008) shifts a bit toward Riverside but is essentially similar, and of
very high quality.
Ako Doma - same ($16.99)
Ako Doma must be the best current band in Slovakia. This
is their 1999 debut, an excellent mix of instrumental prog rock and fusion.
They’re a 7-piece band on this one, with sax and cello in the lineup.
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Alters - MILD ($14.99)
MILD is an acronym for Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams and is the 2007
debut CD for Polish band Alters. On this CD, Alters is a quartet (click the
first mp3 icon to see the instrumentation) playing outstanding progressive
jazz-rock with some modern King Crimson flavoring, and probably some debt to
SBB. There are low-key Floydian vocals in English, but the music is heavily
instrumental and strikes a good balance between challenging/angular and
structured/melodic/symphonic. Note Alters added a trumpet player to the lineup
after this album was recorded.
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Animations - same ($13.99)This is the 69-minute 2007 debut by a Polish quartet (keys, guitar, bass, drums)
playing instrumental progressive rock similar to Liquid Tension Experiment and
Planet X: often fast, furious and heavy, with keyboards and guitar getting equal
billing. Here are mp3 excerpts from the tracks
911,
The Four
Symptoms,
Animations,
and Sonic Maze
(full track).
Ankh -
Cachaça ($14.99)
Ankh - Ziemia i Slonce ($9.99)
SALE!
Ankh - Koncert Akustyczny ’94 ($13.99)These are the 2004 re-editions of the first three Ankh CDs, each of which now has two bonus tracks. Ankh is a Polish band featuring violin, guitar, bass and drums, plus male and (on Bedzie Tajemnica) female vocals in Polish. They released three albums during the 1990’s that should be of great interest to King Crimson and Anekdoten fans and to fans of rock violin. Their sound is often dark, with the much more active violin a more than adequate replacement for Anekdoten’s Mellotron. It’s the contrast between the heavy rock of the guitar, bass & drums and the sweetness of the violin that gives them their appeal and their uniqueness. Classical and folk elements are introduced by way of the violin. Their self-titled first is from 1994, while their 2nd Ziemia i Slonce is from 1995. Their 3rd Bedzie Tajemnica (1998) includes a cover of 21st Century Schizoid Man (with rather hilarious accented English vocals).
Expect Unexpected (2003) is their latest studio CD. The violin that defined their sound on their previous albums is present here on only one track, but now there are synths, loops, and samples filling the vacancy. It gives Ankh a much more modern sound and undoubtedly more appeal to the “alternative” crowd, though there are still nods to King Crimson and a general psychedelic feel.
Live in Opera and Koncert Akustyczny are official live CDs released in 2004. Koncert Akustyczny was recorded in 1994. Yes, that word does mean “acoustic” in English, but Ankh still sounds like a rock band playing at full volume here -- the bass sounds like bass and all the instruments are amplified. The only difference is that the guitar is not heavy and distorted, which is not necessarily a negative. Ankh sounds more refined here. There’s no crowd noise, so maybe this was recorded for a radio broadcast? Live in Opera was recorded in 1995 with an expanded lineup. Both are the original Ankh with the violinist front and center.
Not released until 2006,
Cachaça is a live recording of Ankh in Brazil at the 1999 Rio ArtRock
festival. The band was virtually unknown outside Poland at that time, yet this
live album represents Ankh at their peak.
Apostolis Anthimos - Days We Can’t Forget ($14.99)
Apostolis Anthimos is best known as the guitarist for SBB. Days We Can’t Forget is the 2006 remastered reissue
of Anthimos’ first solo album, which was recorded in New York City in 1994 with the help of
American jazz musicians, including drummer Paul Wertico (SBB, Pat Metheny). It comes in a
digipack with three bonus tracks. The music is jazz-rock, and the eight tracks of the
album proper include five originals plus covers of songs by Miles Davis, Pat
Metheny, and Herbie Hancock.
Apple
Pie - Crossroad ($14.99)
Crossroad (2007) is the debut by a quartet that reviewers almost always
describe as the Russian Spock’s Beard (Neal Morse era). Thing is, you’d never
guess they were Russian because their sound is as American as (wait for it)...
apple pie. Dream Theater is also mentioned often, referring to D.T.’s more
symphonic moments rather than their metallic side. The production is polished
and professional, so this will thrill fans of the Beard and similar contemporary
progressive rock bands. 79-minutes.
Aviva -
Rokus Tonalis ($15.99)Aviva is a Russian virtuoso pianist and multi-instrumentalist, assisted here by a guitarist
and a number of guest voices. Rokus Tonalis (2007) is a 70-minute
instrumental concept album inspired by the Apocalypse of St. John. At the same
time, the composer has incorporated Paul Hindemith’s polyphonic piano cycle
Ludus Tonalis into this electric, rock format. This is sophisticated instrumental
progressive rock that comes closest to ELP, with a more modernist flavor and
some more reflective moments. Emerson of course was influenced by Mussorgsky and
Stravinsky, and most of the Russian keyboard-dominated progressive works show
this same strong Russian classical influence. Aviva is clearly conservatory
trained. Rokus Tonalis is quite an original
work that extends beyond the Keith Emerson universe, symphonic rock masterfully
composed and executed; rich in contrasts, majestic melodies, and luxuriant
arrangements; joyfully blending vintage and modern sounds.
Azazello -
Wings ($15.99)
SALE!Azazello is a prog band (guitars, keys, bass, drums) from the far east of Russia, five days from Moscow by train, maybe the only Siberian prog band. They play mostly prog-metal but also some progressive rock that has nothing to do with metal. The lyrics are in Russian. Upstairs (2001) is their second CD, blending hard rock and some East European folk music into symphonic progressive. The arrangements are quite complex and the level of musicianship is high.
Wings, their 3rd,
was recorded in 2002. While the album proper is
quite interesting and not quite like any other prog-metal you’ve heard, the two
bonus tracks are even more interesting. They were recorded with a folk choir
called Divo, and the singing style of multiple female voices is not too
different from the singing you can hear in Finnish and Swedish folk outfits.
Vladimir
Badirov Project - Greeting from Nostradamus ($14.99)
The dominant style on this 2004 album is a unique progressive world rock
featuring traditional Uzbekistan sounds and high-energy drum/percussion tracks
of great complexity, all blended into a modern style. There are also some
jazz-rock tracks with guitar in the lead, with a nod toward Allan Holdsworth.
Badirov, who was born and raised in Uzbekistan, is a drummer with considerable
live and studio experience and is also a member of Fromuz. He blends his drums with percussion loops and
samples to achieve the complex rhythms on this disc. A large number of other
musicians play on the album, contributing traditional Uzbekistan instruments
plus electric guitar and bass, while Badirov adds electronic textures.
Belgrad - Czas ($16.99)This 2000 release is notable because three members of Quidam and Colin Bass
(Camel) guest. It’s (mostly) progressive rock, though not as symphonic as
Quidam or Camel, with male vocals in Polish. It has more of an organic 1970’s
sound, often Floydian, with the keyboardist using mainly organ and piano.
There’s also a fair amount of flute. A bit uneven, but overall a good progressive album.
Here are mp3’s of the tracks
Black Hills,
Czas,
and Ławki.
Believe -
Yesterday Is a Friend digipack ($13.99)
Believe is the new band of Mirek Gil, guitarist and founding member of Collage. Two other ex-Collage and/or Satellite members are in the band: Przemek Zawadzki (bass) and Tomek Rózycki (English-language vocals, guitars). Wlodek Tafel (drums) and Adam Milosz (keys) were in Gil’s previous band Ananke. The band is completed by female Japanese violinist Satomi. Their 2006 debut Hope to See Another Day blended the Collage style with that of Riverside, meaning Believe sound more contemporary than Collage, the guitar is sometimes heavier and the music more melancholy. The violin is a welcome addition as it almost always is. Note the U.S. edition of Hope to See Another Day has been deleted.
This is the digipack limited edition of Believe’s 2008 second CD
Yesterday Is a Friend (64-minutes), which includes three bonus tracks, one of which
is entitled Best Wishes for Robert Fripp, an excellent piece in the
1980’s King Crimson style. Milosz has been demoted to
guest, while the other five members remain, and two other guests add guitar and
flute. Here Believe further develop the style of their first album, marrying
elements of Satellite and Riverside, with the violin adding another dimension.
The music is sensuous, atmospheric and finely detailed, easily placing Believe
in the same class as Satellite or Riverside. Read a
review at ProgArchives. Believe’s first DVD will be available
soon.
Cashmere - Cash-Romantic Music Machine ($16.99)
There’s probably no way to convey how cool this band is, other than to say
they may be our favorite band to come out of Poland. It’s safe to say there
isn’t another band quite like them. Cash-Romantic Music Machine (2006,
52-minutes) is their debut. As the band says: “You can call it what you like.
Call it folk or call it prog, porn-groove or lala-rock. Call it pop, we will not
mind. You can even call it jazz, if you don’t know any better.” The band is
built around Tylda Ciolkosz, who plays violin and sings. She is incredibly
versatile as a vocalist. At times she sounds like Kate Bush at her most
adventurous (The Dreaming), but that only begins to describe her vocal
talents. She’s also a great violinist, as the violin is central to Cashmere’s
sound. Even without the vocals, this is first-rate violin-led progressive rock
that defies expectations. Some other violin-led bands, the original Ankh for
one, are one-dimensional compared to Cashmere. Sometimes there is a European
folk influence; there is a song or two that a progressive-minded Steeleye Span
fan could get into. Sometimes the music is jazz-tinged, but most prog fans
who’ve gotten beyond the basics will identify all of it as progressive rock.
Czech band Stromboli were only beginning to approach this when they shutdown
(insider pun there). Squonk Opera are in the ballpark. The vocals are in English
save one song in Polish and one in German. For some of the songs, it doesn’t
really matter what language it is. Listening to some music clips is essential
here -- the first mp3 icon is to Cashmere’s site; click on DISCOGRAPHY for the mp3’s.
Collage - Safe ($14.99)
Collage - Basnie ($14.99)
These are the 2003 remastered editions of Moonshine, Basnie, Changes, and Safe, all with bonus audio and/or video tracks. Collage was the top Polish neo-progressive band; three members went on to form the band Satellite (see below). At their best (Basnie and Moonshine), they were nearly the equal of IQ and Marillion. Basnie (1989) is sung in Polish, while Moonshine (1994) was their first album with English lyrics and has improved production.
Changes collects material spanning 1986-1992 and is generally comparable to Basnie. Safe
(1995) was their final album, and while it is their best-produced and
best-sounding album, it lacks the spark of the earlier albums, but is still a
decent neo-prog album. Alone is the 1998 solo album from Collage’s guitarist
Mirek Gil; it’s in a similar style to Safe and also features Collage’s keyboardist
and bass player. This is the 2005 re-edition on Metal Mind that adds four bonus video tracks. Check our
DVDs page for Collage’s Living in the Moonlight DVD.
Marian Varga & Collegium Musicum ($17.99)
Slovakian band Collegium Musicum was one of the first and one of the most important
progressive bands in what was then Czechoslovakia. Led by keyboardist Marian
Varga, the band was very classically influenced, an East European counterpart to
The Nice, though Collegium Musicum was usually at least a quartet. Marian Varga
& Collegium Musicum is a 1975 live album, but all the pieces are unique
to this album. The compositions here are tight, without the improvisation that
made some of their longer pieces on earlier albums tiresome.
Colt - From the Fridge ($15.99)This album, recorded in 2001, is by a Polish trio playing pure 1970’s style
progressive hard rock with English-language vocals. The first half of the CD is
just guitar/bass/drums/vocals, with flute on one track. The second half is much
more progressive, with a lot of Hammond organ added, a delicate acoustic guitar
piece, and the best saved for last, the four-part 14-minute title track.
Cytrus -
Tęsknica ($14.99)
Cytrus was one of the most popular progressive rock bands in Poland in the 1980’s. Their music was often compared to Jethro Tull or East of Eden. They had a couple radio hits and performed at most of the important Polish festivals, yet they never released an album. Kurza Twarz is their first ever release, featuring their best-known recordings for Polish radio. There are 15 tracks professionally recorded between 1980-1985, 65-minutes total. Styles behind the Iron Curtain tended to lag the west by several years, so the music here varies from early to late 1970’s styles. The main aspect of Cytrus’s sound is the use of flute and violin in addition to electric guitar, bass and drums, while keyboards appear only sporadically. The tracks are arranged chronologically. The first 11 are instrumental, while the final four have vocals in Polish. The vocal tracks are the most recent and start to shift toward new wave, though still with strong progressive aspects.
The Metal Mind label followed Kurza Twarz soon
after with Tęsknica. Tęsknica is 79-minutes long and contains 18 more tracks
professionally recorded for Polish radio between 1980-1985, four of which are live recordings. The
studio tracks again appear chronologically, so the style again moves from
early-70’s through to tracks with some new wave influence. On this CD, vocal
tracks dominate, with vocals appearing on tracks from all periods rather than
only the latest. Overall this CD is less progressive, though the instrumentation
is the same.
Decadence - Dreams of Nekton ($11.99) SALE!Dreams of Nekton (1999) is from a Russian progressive band and quite a good one, with two
accomplished guitarists, keyboards, bass, drums, and female vocals. The album is
about half instrumental, and while the lyrics are printed in English in the
booklet, it sure sounds like Russian on the CD. There are moments of metal
guitar, but the progressive elements are high caliber and dominate to the extent
that you can loathe metal and still enjoy this album. They don’t imitate
anyone, even if one is reminded at times of the prog rock heavyweights. 58-minutes.
Delate
- Delate ($16.99)
Delate is Artur Szolc, Robert Srzednicki, and Łukasz Naumowicz. Szolc
and Srzednicki were responsible for the excellent Music Inspired by Zodiac
and Music Inspired by Tarot CDs. Delate’s 2006 debut CD is powerful
progressive rock with vocals in Polish, more rock-oriented than the Zodiac
or Tarot CDs but having much in common. There are rock guitar and
symphonic keyboards up front, dark atmospheres and creative use of electronics
as well as percussion. Between the Polish vocals and the uncommon melodies, this
progressive rock has a Slavic character to it, a refreshing change from all the
international-standard Anglo-prog. While Delate are by no means a retro band,
the music does harken back to the 1970’s in the sense that bands then were more
likely to sing in their native language and the music more likely to have
national or regional characteristics.
Artur Szolc & Robert Srzednicki - Music Inspired by Zodiac ($16.99)
Music Inspired by Zodiac is a 2002 CD by a Polish duo, two members of the band Annalist, an impressive CD of instrumental progressive music with world music elements, ethnic percussion, and touches of electronics. Much of this is rock but it goes beyond that in an epic soundtrack sort of way.
Nadhir is apparently a pseudonym for Robert Srzednicki. Music Inspired by Tarot (1998) is vibrant
instrumental progressive music combining Nadhir’s electric & acoustic
guitars, flute, and keyboards with Szolc’s complex percussion and drums,
featuring a vast array of ethnic percussion.
Er.
J. Orchestra - On the Hill Again ($16.99)
Er. J. Orchestra is a large ensemble from Kiev, Ukraine. Mellow Records has
reissued their CD On the Hill Again, which consists of 2001 live
recordings plus a few 2001 studio recordings. The sound on the live tracks is so
pristine that it’s easy to forget they’re live until the audience applauds at
the end. It is primarily world music with elements of rock and jazz, sometimes
new age-y, instrumental save one track with English vocals (that may be the
highlight of the album). The ensemble combines rock, brass, orchestral, and
ethnic instruments. 62-minutes.
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Flight 09 - Human Nature ($12.99)
The music scene is heating up in Uzbekistan. Flight 09 have existed
since 1983 and are considered the dean of Uzbekistan rock bands. They’ve had two
previous releases on a U.S. label. Human Nature (2004) is their 3rd,
released on the Moscow-based MALS label. Flight 09 plays a blend of hard rock
and progressive rock, sometimes towards prog-metal but not overly heavy. They
sing in English; the singer has a somewhat rough voice that is more suited to
hard rock than prog. Rather than a prog band that plays hard and heavy, Flight
09 strike us more as a hard rock band that have dressed up their music with
symphonic keyboards. The drummer bashes away in the more straightforward hard
rock style, and the songs and arrangements are not particularly complex. So this
is recommended more to the hard rock fan who wants some intelligence and
sophistication stirred in.
Fromuz -
Audio Diplomacy DVD+CD ($14.99)
Fromuz is a world-class instrumental fusion and progressive rock band from Uzbekistan, very high-energy
and fairly heavy. Using the ISO code for their country (UZ), their name literally means “From Uzbekistan”.
Their drummer/percussionist 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, that this could pass for a studio CD. The DVD
includes two bonus tracks. Click the mp3 icon above for much more info on this
band, as well as long, hi-res audio samples. Note the proggier tracks are the
later ones on the CD, but currently there are only samples of the first several tracks.
Gargantua
- same ($16.99)
2003 debut by a Polish quartet playing complex, original
progressive rock, roughly a combination of RIO, modern King Crimson, and Area.
It is mostly instrumental, while the Polish-language vocals are half-sung and
half-chanted, and only add to the music’s quirkiness. Here are
high-quality mp3’s of the tracks
Obiłaś mi się
(Diabolus in Musica) and
Slowolnosc.
The Gourishankar - Close Grip ($14.99)
This quartet (vocals, keyboards, guitars, drums) with the catchy name is a Russian symphonic prog band singing in English. 2nd Hands (2007, 71-minutes) is one fantastic progressive rock album. The CD begins and ends as a roller coaster ride, with The Gourishankar cramming in as many ideas as possible, the music seemingly changing style every eight bars, going from Genesis-style sympho-prog to prog-metal to classical-rock to electronic-prog to fusion-prog within the space of two minutes, then repeating. Just as you begin to wonder whether this band is capable of a cohesive composition, they settle down and do exactly that. A guest on violin and viola takes a track or two into symphonic Kansas territory; another musician guests on sax and flute. One thing The Gourishankar do really well is integrate electronics into their prog rock. OK, the vocals are often relatively low in the mix, conceding the upper hand to the instrumental content. Despite the occasional metal touches, this is predominantly classic-style symphonic prog, but not at all retro. It is played with great skill by very creative musicians who know what classical music is, know what real progressive rock is, and the 71-minutes flies by without the excitement ever waning. Needless to say, highly recommended.
After 2nd Hands became a best seller for them,
the Unicorn label decided to re-release The Gourishankar’s 2003 first CD
Close Grip. This edition adds one bonus track, a rousing cover of Gentle Giant’s
For Nobody. The music is slightly more conventional than on 2nd Hands,
actually sounding kind of American. The vocals are too low in the mix on this
one too, so it must be a conscious decision (but then why sing at all?) It’s a
very good symphonic prog album with some prog-metal, but start with 2nd Hands.
Group
33 - All This World ($14.99)
This is a Russian quartet (singing in Russian) that the label describes as
“melodic gothic-rock with influences of Blackmore’s Night and The Gathering”.
Well, maybe. They do have a female singer with a beautiful voice, but there is
no renaissance music influence as in Blackmore’s Night. Group 33 is much more
electronic, symphonic, and modern, and though they use a lot of acoustic guitar,
it’s a different style than Ritchie Blackmore plays. As far as The Gathering
goes, metal only rears its head in a couple songs, and Group 33 isn’t really all
that gothic. Overall, Group 33 is more of a progressive rock band than either,
and they have great songs and excellent production. Stream of Passion is
probably the best reference point. Beautiful 8-panel digipack.
Hipgnosis -
Still Ummadelling ($13.99)
Sky Is the Limit (2006) is the debut studio CD by this Polish modern progressive sextet plus guests. The band says that this CD is conceptually divided into sides 1 and 2 like a vinyl LP, with side 1 containing gentler songs with child-like female vocals and side 2 containing music with more power and a rock beat, with some male vocals. The music is heavy at times, spacey and Floydian at others. They frequently blend in creative electronic textures and samples, showing some Tangerine Dream influence at times as well as modern electronica. All this should give Hipgnosis appeal to fans of the current Porcupine Tree style as well as Riverside, but of course the female vocals set Hipgnosis apart. The vocals are in English except for one section of one song where one of the guys sings in Polish. It’s an excellent CD, imaginative and unpredictable.
Still Ummadelling (2007, 74-minutes) features one new studio track plus a
10 track live set recorded in 2006 that includes the tracks from Sky
Is the Limit plus a few previously unreleased tracks. Included is Hipgnosis’
rendition of Pink Floyd’s Careful With That Axe, Eugene. Mellotron
strings are used on the studio CD but are much more prominent on some of the
live tracks. Digipack.
Holy
Lamb - Beneath the Skin ($15.99)
Beneath the Skin (2002, 59-minutes) is the 3rd album from Latvian
progressive rock band Holy Lamb, the five
members joined by a number of singers and a flute player. This music is so full
of ideas, with constant twists and turns, that several listens are required to
absorb it all, yet it isn’t difficult to listen to, just highly inventive. This
is a concept album, a “transgressive rock tale”, and the various singers take on
different voices for the numerous characters in the story. (All vocals in
English.) We like it a lot. Salt of the Earth (1999, 63-minutes) is
their 2nd album and is somewhat more of a neo-prog record than Beneath the Skin, sitting
between classic and neo-prog, but you can hear the potential.
Indukti -
S.U.S.A.R. ($13.99)
As the press release says, Polish metal progressive band Indukti channel
Lark’s Tongues In Aspic-era King Crimson through the crunch of Tool while
adding violin and harp. This is their 2005 debut CD. The five classically
trained musicians in Indukti have created a mostly-instrumental, heavy and
complex sound. They were assisted in the studio by Riverside vocalist Mariusz
Duda and Kayanis harpist Anna Faber on several tracks. Indukti would be one
fabulous progressive rock band if they could lay off the metal for more than a
couple minutes at a stretch, but that’s probably asking too much of a young band
today. To retain the spontaneity
and energy of a live performance, S.U.S.A.R. was recorded live in the
studio, recording all instruments simultaneously. As a bonus, this CD includes a
Quicktime video for the unreleased track Mantra.
Karfagen -
The Space Between Us ($14.99) Continium (2006) is an elegant and classy album of instrumental symphonic prog from a new Ukrainian band, 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 with 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 2nd album The Space Between Us
(2007). This album is again instrumental, though there are some wordless vocals.
They continue 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.
Kiuila - Kolo ($13.99)
From the Ukraine, this is progressive world music relying on percussive
rhythm loops and elements of ambient jazz. A trance-like feel pervades many
tracks, while other tracks use multiple female vocal parts. The progressiveness
is in the details, in the carefully constructed layers of sound.
Kwadrat -
Polowanie na Leśniczego ($14.99)
Kwadrat was one of the top Polish rock bands at the beginning of the 1980’s,
and in all, over 20 musicians passed through their ranks. The Metal Mind label
has rescued Kwadrat from obscurity with this 18 track, 79-minute compilation.
All the tracks were recorded at Polish Radio between 1979-1982. The CD is
divided into three distinct styles. The first third of the CD is instrumental,
keyboard-driven, 1970’s-style progressive jazz-rock, on a par with any of the
European jazz-rock bands of that era. The second third of the CD is
semi-progressive rock with Polish vocals. The final third of the CD is
instrumental symphonic progressive mixed with a little jazz-rock, again in a
70’s style. The vocal material is OK, but the instrumental material makes this a
superb find for fans of 1970’s progressive and jazz-rock.
Laboratorium -
Anthology 1971-1988 (10CD box, $114.99)Krakow’s Laboratorium was the most famous Polish jazz-rock band, who
developed their own take on the style, some of it very proggy, using synths and
generally being adventurous. This 10 CD boxset contains their entire
recorded history, including many previously unreleased rarities, the first time
on CD for most of it. All the albums have been 24-bit remastered. The 32-page booklet
has extensive liner notes in both Polish and English. This is a limited edition
of 1000 copies, all hand-numbered.
Read an extensive bio on the band at Metal Mind’s site.
Counts as 3 CDs for shipping. Quantities very limited.
Little Tragedies -
Chinese Songs Part One ($14.99)
Little Tragedies - Return ($15.99)
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 is Little Tragedies’ third album and 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.
Little Tragedies’ 4th album New Faust (2006) is a double-CD and a brilliant work that their label has unfortunately let go out-of-print already. The Russian classical influence is very strong, and the dominant influence is ELP and their brethren, though Little Tragedies does have a guitarist. The music is keyboard-dominated and heavily instrumental, 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.
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.
Reviews
of all CDs here.
Lizard -
Spam ($13.99) out-of-stock
Lizard - Noc Zywych Jaszczurow ($14.99)
W Galerii Czasu is the excellent 1996 debut by this Polish progressive rock band. This updates the tradition of some of the great East European progressive bands of the 1970’s and 1980’s such as Modry Efekt and Synkopy. Strong vocals in Polish. This is the remastered version with three bonus live tracks. On Psychopuls (2004), Lizard is very influenced by King Crimson circa 1973-1974, even to the extent of including some David Cross-style violin. (So that’s where they took their name.) You’ll hear some Starless and you’ll hear some Red. The Polish language vocals on this album have a cold or distant quality to them, like those in 21st Century Schizoid Man, though without the distortion. Noc Zywych Jaszczurow is Lizard’s 69-minute “official bootleg” live album, recorded in Poland 1996-1997. This is the latest version, which has three bonus tracks. It features covers of King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man, Moonchild, and In the Court of the Crimson King, plus UK’s In the Dead of Night. The covers are sung in English, the originals in Polish.
Tales from Artichoke Wood (2005) is probably our favorite of Lizard’s albums. It’s a concept work revolving around three gentlemen named Vincent, Salvador, and Pablo (three guesses as to their last names), but as the lyrics are in Polish, it will be lost on most of us. The music however will only be lost on some of the young metalheads of Europe, as this is real progressive rock, sometimes heavy but not metallic. There is still some King Crimson influence but it is much less obvious than on Psychopuls, resulting in a more original work, more lyrical, flowing and symphonic, with a subtle jazz-rock influence and some delicate passages worthy of Genesis. There is as much of an influence of UK (first album) here, and Lizard’s keyboardist also doubles on violin like Eddie Jobson. Since the guitarist plays some guitar synthesizer, the synths don’t have to drop out when the violin is present.
Spam (2006) is another superb album from
Lizard, though not simply a continuation of Tales from Artichoke Wood.
This one returns somewhat to the sound of their earlier albums, but the writing
and playing have matured. Some King Crimson influence is present, but there is
more UK influence, specifically the tracks with Jobson on violin. With violin
used on every track, one is also reminded of Ankh, but Lizard is more refined
and complex. The lyrics are again in Polish. As on their first album, Lizard
sound like the successors to Synkopy, East, and other great first-generation
East European prog bands. Now if we could just get Lizard over to this side of
the Atlantic for a prog festival.
Lost World - Trajectories ($13.99)
Lost World was formed in 1996 by three Moscow Conservatory students. They added
a singer in time for Trajectories, their first album, released in 2003
despite what it says on the traycard. It was released on the prestigious Russian
Boheme label, then deleted a few months later for no apparent reason, which is
one reason why few have heard of this band yet. That’s about to change though,
with the band taking matters into their own hands and at least one of the band members now living in New York
City. Lost World play symphonic progressive rock with a strong classical element,
using flute and violin in addition to the standard prog rock instrumentation.
The way they do classical rock is unlike anyone else, and some of it is
outstanding. The closest comparison might be Hungary’s After Crying, another
band of conservatory-trained musicians. But Lost World show little ELP
influence, which is the dominant influence in After Crying. Both bands share
some King Crimson influence, and Lost World add some pastoral Genesis. Of the
14 tracks on Trajectories, only five have vocals (in Russian). Everything on the album
is progressive, but Lost World cover a variety of styles, with moods ranging
from dark and frenetic to gentle, romantic and pastoral. Because the pieces are
generally of modest length, it never gets boring. Read the
Sea of Tranquility review.
Millenium - Numbers and The Big Dream of Mr Sunders
($14.99)
Millenium is a Polish five-piece neo-progressive band with Polish vocals on their self-titled first album (currently out-of-print) and English vocals on everything afterwards. Their earlier material is generally in the Pendragon, Pink Floyd, and early Marillion styles, while Pink Floyd becomes the dominant influence on later albums. You can hear a bit of the influence of Collage (as you can in nearly every Polish neo-prog band).
Reincarnations (2002, 60-minutes) is
their 3rd, more professional than the previous two, full of accessible and
melodic neo-prog. (This is the English-language version.) Numbers and The Big Dream of Mr Sunders is
Millenium’s 2006 studio album, their sixth if we counted correctly. This 58-minute concept album is Millenium’s most successful
blending of the later Pink Floyd and early Marillion styles.
Framauro - Etermedia ($15.99)
Etermedia is a very good 1998 neo-progressive album, showing the influence of
Collage, Marillion, and IQ. Framauro later evolved into Millenium, and
so Framauro’s style is similar to the early Millenium albums. This is the
replicated CD version. (There was a CD-R edition at one time.) Vocals in Polish.
Miscellane - Painted Palm ($14.99)
The debut by a Slovak quartet, released on a Dutch label. Miscellane play
heavy progressive rock and prog-metal with English vocals, very symphonic. They
are typical of the current crop of young European bands who play a generic
mainstream prog/prog-metal with flawless English vocals, with nothing to
distinguish a Slovakian band from an Italian band from a Swedish band. Having
said that, Miscellane stand out in this category because they are much more
symphonic than metallic. As with many of these bands, the metal influence enters
primarily through the guitarist, but with Miscellane, we wouldn’t be surprised
to find that their keyboardist is the main composer. Recommended to fans of
Enchant, Shadow Gallery, Dream Theater, and Rush.
Moonlight -
Integrated in the System of Guilt ($14.99)
DownWords (2005, 60-minutes) and Integrated in the System of Guilt
(2006, 60-minutes) are the 10th and 11th full-length releases respectively by Polish band Moonlight.
This is modern art-rock with female vocals (in English on this version of DownWords, in Polish on
Integrated...). The music is characterized by the modern penchant for coldness and melancholy,
contrasting passages of stark beauty with somewhat harsh passages dominated by
synths and guitar. Vocalist Maja is a great asset, able to carry off the moods
required by the music. Moonlight sometimes sound like the Czech band Stromboli
extrapolated forward in time. The arrangements show a good deal of sophistication,
and once you adjust to the eerie, dark, angst-ridden
moods, the music does have a beauty all its own. Start with Integrated... Here are mp3’s from the tracks
Pati
and
Irreversible
from DownWords (the mp3’s are from the Polish-language version) and
Reset
from Integrated...
Václav
Neckář - Příběhy, Písně a Balady (2CD, $19.99)
Václav Neckář is a famous Czech singer who has been making music since the
1960’s. Some of his 1970’s output was progressive, e.g., his 1977 2LP
Planetárium. Between 1982-1983 he recorded three LPs entitled Příběhy,
Písně a Balady 1, 2, and 3. This 2CD contains all three of these LPs
in their entirety. Neckář is assisted by a number of other musicians, but the
songs here all revolve around his vocals. It is vocal-heavy folk/pop/rock, not
terribly commercial though as there are a lot of synths, lending symphonic and
spacey touches throughout.
Oaksenham -
Conquest of the Pacific ($15.99)
Oaksenham are an
Armenian progressive rock band immersed in English music, and their debut Conquest of the Pacific
was one of the best CDs released by Musea in 2007. Oaksenham have the usual
keys/guitars/bass/drums lineup with the
addition of a violinist and a flute player, while guest musicians add harp,
cello, oboe, bassoon, English horn, French horn, and clarinet. This amazing band play
a lively, airy instrumental progressive rock with renaissance and baroque
influences. The CD includes covers of
Gentle Giant’s Talybont and On Reflection and a theme borrowed
from Jethro Tull’s Velvet Green, and the rest of the CD continues with
those influences, also Gryphon, Flairck, even Kansas when the electric guitar is
present alongside violin and organ. Oaksenham restore the academic component
missing from so many of today’s progressive bands.
Ogród Wyobraźni -
Świątynia Dumania ($14.99)
Polish symphonic rock band Ogród Wyobraźni made their debut at a festival
in 1980. Their career was cut short by a tragic series of events, and that’s
about all we know as the liner notes are in Polish. It appears these 13
tracks spanning 72-minutes were recorded at Polish Radio between 1979-1986. The
music is progressive rock sung in Polish,
with elements of Genesis, Camel, Pink Floyd and others, varying from early-70’s
to early-80’s in style but remains mostly in the 70’s. Overall this could be
filed next to Exodus. The music is professionally recorded except for the last
track, which is tacked on as a bonus. The CD is quite good and a very
pleasant surprise, another valuable document of the Polish progressive scene
from the Metal Mind label.
Omni -
Mermaids ($14.99)
In the mid-1980’s, there were two great Polish electronic bands: El Division and Omni. While the El Division LPs have yet to be issued on CD, the 1985 first album by Omni has. This is the Metal Mind re-edition, which adds three bonus tracks. Omni is a duo making melodic/rhythmic electronic music somewhere between the Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre styles, but very high-energy and very exuberant. Classical themes are blended with racing sequencers and electronic drums.
Nothing more was heard from Omni until
Mermaids (2006). The core of their sound remains late-70s/early-80s
Tangerine Dream. The first of the four tracks is electronic rock, as Omni add
rock guitar, drums and wordless female vocals. The remaining three tracks stick
mainly to electronic music, but each is quite distinct. One member adds cello at
times, which is one element Omni use to elevate their music beyond ordinary EM.
The 23-minute final track is a beautiful example of EM that builds from
ambient/cosmic to a powerful sequencer-driven conclusion. One sample from
each CD can be found on
Metal Mind’s mp3 page.
Osada
Vida - The Body Parts Party digipack ($13.99)
Three Seats Behind a Triangle is the 2006 CD by Polish progressive rock band Osada Vida, their fourth according to the band’s bio, but the first sung in English. This is the 2007 remastered edition on Metal Mind, which includes two 2007 bonus tracks and comes in a jewel box. (If you’re remastering a year later, then it probably wasn’t properly mastered the first time around.) The music is progressive rock with a fair amount of metal. It will probably appeal to fans of Riverside, though Osada Vida’s style is distinct enough. When Osada Vida play progressive rock, more often than not they play real progressive rock. It’s just that there’s metal inserted here and there when they’ve run out of ideas, or to appease the guitarist. As such, it ranges from Satellite (though not as polished) to Pain of Salvation on the prog spectrum. When present, the metal drags the music’s IQ down, but with a playing time of nearly 79-minutes, there’s more than enough quality prog to give this a recommendation. Read the reviews at ProgArchives.
This is the digipack special edition of Osada Vida’s
2008 album The Body Parts Party, which contains two bonus
tracks. It’s a concept album that uses various body parts and organs to
symbolize something or other. As usual, the pancreas gets short shrift, but on
balance, this is an improvement over Three Seats. As is usually the case,
when Osada Vida play progressive rock, the music is quite good, and when they
shift over to metal and hard rock it’s, well, metal and hard rock. There is often
a spacey Pink Floyd or Eloy element to the keyboards, while at other times the
keys are jazzy and classy. The keys have to bow out sometimes to make way for
overly distorted guitar and bog-standard thrashing and pummeling, but if you’re
a fan of modern heavy rock, this is presumably something you look forward to. While
virtually all prog-metal bands have adopted the sonic conventions of modern
metal, i.e., brutally ugly, Osada Vida lean toward a grungier sound between
metal and hard rock, i.e., reasonably ugly. That grunginess is only during the
non-progressive bits between the progressive bits. It’d be wonderful if Osada
Vida decided to
be a full-time progressive rock band, but the CD is over 73-minutes long, so
there’s a full album of progressive rock in there. Read the
reviews at
Sea of Tranquility and
ProgArchives.
Point
of View - Disillusioned ($12.99)
Point of View are an excellent Polish prog-metal quintet, and like most
prog-metal bands, nothing in their sound reveals their country of origin.
Disillusioned is their 2007 debut. Reviewers have mentioned Fates Warning,
Queensryche, and Dream Theater. Point of View have a good keyboardist, and there
are times when they sound like Satellite, and times when they sound like
Satellite with metal guitar overdubbed. Read the
Proggnosis review.
Progres
2 - Mozek / Změna (2CD, $24.99)
Czech band Progres 2, from Brno, was one of the top East European progressive
rock bands. They began in 1968 but didn’t begin using the name Progres 2 until
1978. This double CD reissues their final two albums: Mozek (1984) and
Změna (1988), plus six bonus tracks.
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Riverside -
Rapid Eye Movement ($14.99)
Riverside - Out of Myself ($13.99)
Out of Myself is the 2004 debut by a Polish band that has carved out a style that now seems to be a standard of sorts among the newer Polish progressive bands. Their brand of modern prog is on the dark and moody side, influenced by Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd while blending in psychedelic and metal elements a la Opeth. Riverside has an outstanding singer in Mariusz Duda; his vocals are in excellent English. Second Life Syndrome (2005, 64-minutes) is their follow-up. No sophomore slump here, as this album is even better, a bit darker perhaps, with Riverside finding their own style even though the core styles of their debut are carried over. Yes, there are more metal elements and the tempo is often quicker than on their debut, but it would be a disservice to call this a prog-metal album. Much of the guitar work actually derives from the Steve Rothery style, and there is a Collage influence present at the music’s heart. The album has been reviewed by every metal website, but it is primarily a progressive rock work that has appeal across a broad spectrum.
This is the 2006 edition of Voices In My Head on InsideOut. It contains five studio tracks that Riverside released after Out of Myself, three live versions of tracks from Out of Myself with excellent sound, a video of one of the studio songs, lyrics and photos. The studio tracks here do not appear on their other albums, and they are weighted toward the softer, more sensuous and intimate side of Riverside’s style, presenting a side of the band not always apparent on their other albums.
Riverside’s 2007 studio album
Rapid Eye Movement further refines the style they’d established on
their previous albums. The metal elements are still there, but Riverside is
outgrowing them. The overall style is again close to Porcupine Tree, with some
Hogarth-era Marillion, but Riverside are easily in the same league as both.
Roz
Vitalis - Compassionizer ($12.99)
Roz Vitalis is primarily the vehicle for keyboardist/composer Ivan Rozmainsky of
St Petersburg, though on Compassionizer (2007), approximately his 8th
album, the band includes a guitarist and a clarinet player. Rozmainsky is very
influenced by 20th century classical music, so though his instrumental
progressive rock has passages of beauty, overall it is dark, dissonant and
complex avant-prog in the vein of Univers Zero and Art Zoyd. Because the drums
are used to provide counterpoint and never simply to keep a beat, Rozmainsky is
able to use high-quality samples and lose nothing. The audio samples at the mp3
link above are long enough to tell you all you need to know.
RSC - Parakletos ($14.99)