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Progarchives: EMMANUELLE PARRENIN Maison Rose (Prog Folk, 1977)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:18:40 +0100

Review by kenethlevine — Perhaps the best known of Emmanuelle Parrenin's albums, "Maison Rose" might initially
sound like a product of the early 70s. This impression eventually yields to the realization that
such a synthesis of styles could only have come about later in that decade. On the surface an
acoustic folk record by this talented multi-instrumentalist, it transcends easy labeling through
its frequent ambient textures that veer closer to Klaus Schulz than Gabriel Yacoub.

Parrenin possesses an earthy and versatile voice within a range of mellow folk and jazzy
realms, with "Thibault et LArbre D'Or" and "Plume Blanche Plume Noire" being high points of
both respectively. Still more stunning is the appropriately dreamy and hypnotic "Le Reve" that
closes the disk in an minimalist chant of sorts backed by flute and delicate acoustic guitar.

The album is at least half instrumental, and here is where it gets a bit less convincing. Not that
there is anything wrong with the atmospheric nature of most of these pieces, but on a short LP-
length work, they amount to interesting transitional material without the requisite adhesive
effect. "Topaze" is certainly involved and experimental, notable for percussion and studio
effects but not worthy of its near 7 minute length. The one that best stands alone is the eerie
"Apres L'Ondee", an inductive slice of acoustically based electronica.

Viewed through anything other than rose coloured glasses, this very tranquil reissue is not
even a minor classic, but it is still worth hearing if you are into its composite influences and not
hampered too much by labels.

Progarchives: UNTIL SUNRISE Until Sunrise (Post Rock/Math rock, 2010)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:05:42 +0100

Review by memowakeman — A nice debut!

Until Sunrise is a young US post band whose first self-titled album was released in 2010,
but the one I am reviewing now is the re-release with the alternate name of "Oxide Tones",
here it features ten compositions that make a total time of 75 minutes, so yeah, it is a long
album. The music here is post rock in its soft, mellow side, with instrumental tracks that
create beautiful atmospheres, calm passages and peaceful moments.

The first song is entitled "Sunset", and since this piece I could say Until Sunrise shows us
their style and musical tendency; the music starts softly but then it flows and little by little
becomes more intense, creating that inherent emotional sound in post rock acts. "Pink" is
one of the longer tracks of the album, reaching the ten minutes. The first moments are
calm, smooth and relaxing, later it progresses and more elements can be heard, however
the music in my point of view never reaches a climax, never explodes, in spite of that weird
guitar riff after four minutes. So despite it is a good composition, I expected a moment of
seduction, a nucleus, and it may has it, but I simply did not find it.

"Midnight" starts with drums, later bass, guitars and the atmospheric synth join and create a
nice and mellow track. It later takes us to "Insomnia" which has a kind of funky guitar that
creates a funky post rock sound. Before reaching two minutes the music becomes a bit
crazy, they change the direction and try to experiment, but in my honest opinion, the result
fails because it does not attract me at all. Anyway is a nice try, it is always good to
experiment, not all people dare to do it, but well, sorry guys I did not like this particular track,
though its second half is much better.

Until Sunrise surprises us with a challenging 23-minute song in their debut album,
something that has to be applauded just for the fact they were capable to compose it. The
name is "As the City Quietly Sleeps" and it really starts as softly as if people were sleeping
or getting relaxed, that's the good news, the bad news is that all of a sudden after three
minutes they wanted to wake up everybody and make a drastic change into a much heavier
sound, which is out of place in my opinion. Later it becomes rockier, not that heavier, but the
experimentation does not seem to end because they create mini-songs in this whole track, I
mean, we can appreciate different passages, some of them are pretty cool, some others
aren't, the heavier ones in particular, which actually sound really amateurish and as I said,
out of place.

"A Maudlin Interlude" is one of the shortest compositions, with two and a half minutes of
acoustic guitar, delicate percussion, some piano notes and a complementary harmonica,
sweet. "Sunrise" is a nice track that starts with a dark atmosphere that later is becoming
lighter. Here we can listen to a combination of both, acoustic and electric guitar,
accompanied by drums and bass, as usual. The acoustic feeling continues until the song
finishes, but also continues in the next track entitled "First Signs of Summer" which
happens to be the shortest of the whole album. This three-song part of the record seems to
be contrast with what the band offered in the previous tracks, which is not bad at all, but it is
also an indication that they are trying to find out their own identity, their own sound.

The album finishes with "Nostalgic Moment" and "Another Nostalgic Moment", two songs
that judging by the title may perfectly work together. The music is mellow, relaxing and
beautiful mainly due to the piano; later it becomes a bit heavier and more emotional, but
here it perfectly flows, it is not forced like previous tracks. In the second nostalgic moment I
can listen a better quality mainly in the bass, though the music is practically the same, they
could have made a 14 minute track instead of these two, but anyway, I believe this is my
favorite part of the album.

I cannot deny the trio has talent, these guys are working hard and one really appreciates
that, however, I invite them to work even harder because I am sure they have more to learn
offer in the near future. This album shows the first steps, but now I expect their upcoming
productions with surely more mature stuff. My final grade will be 2.75 rounded to three.

Enjoy it!

Progarchives: MYRATH Tales Of The Sands (Progressive Metal, 2011)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:07:21 +0100

Review by J-Man — Although it's a fairly established fact that Africa does not have the world's most abundant metal
scene, an increasingly global economy has allowed plenty of excellent bands from exotic parts of the
Earth to see greater commercial success than ever before. One band that has benefited from the
modern age of internet communication and economic globalization is Tunisian progressive metal act
Myrath. Though their country is currently in political turmoil, they've managed to see an impressive
amount of recognition from metal fans worldwide with their third album, Tales of the Sands.
And well-deserved recognition it is, indeed. Myrath's unique blend of melodic heavy metal,
progressive metal, and traditional Arabic soundscapes immediately sets them apart from other prog
metal acts on the scene today, and the fact that they have plenty of technical chops to back it up
makes their music all the more worthwhile. Tales of the Sands is a highly successful effort
that is both adventurous and professional; fans of progressive metal who are willing to hear the
genre convincingly mixed with Arab influences are going to find lots to love on this record.

At the surface, Myrath's root sound can appear to be roughly similar to bands like Symphony X, Royal
Hunt, Anubis Gate, and Kamelot with a few Arabic tendencies thrown in, but this is actually a rather
false speculation. Rather than taking the established progressive metal formula and sprinkling
Middle Eastern flavorings on top, Myrath instead takes both styles and puts them in a blender, thus
allowing the two radically different genres to be thoroughly integrated into a style that can only
be described as the band's own. Tales of the Sands is also a very heavy album, especially by
your 'traditional non-growling' prog metal standards. The riffs chug along with a clear influence
from more extreme variants of metal, the vocals are dynamic and powerful, and the drums frequently
veer into fast double-kick sections. In spite of the distinctly modern brand of heaviness displayed
by Myrath, they never lose sight of melody throughout Tales of the Sands - most of the songs
are rather straightforward from a structural standpoint, but the melodic and catchy choruses keeps
the band's 'formula' from ever growing stale. Of course, the spellbinding riffs will have an
irresistibly headbanging effect on most metalheads, but I think it's the way these spectacular riffs
are melded with memorable, yet entirely cheese-free, choruses is what will truly make this a
memorable album for years to come. As nice as it would be to see Myrath venture beyond the
five-minute songwriting format, they have obtained such a level of mastery on this style of
composition that it's tough to complain.

Tales of the Sands is also incredibly well executed from all fronts, and the sleek production
is probably what will immediately jump out to many listeners. The powerful, meaty sound perfectly
complements the masculine metal riffs and progressive arrangements, and whilst it may be a bit too
polished for some listeners, the quality of the sound is objectively spectacular. The musicians in
Myrath are clearly quite experienced, and the tight rhythm section is arguably the band's finest
asset - the downtuned, chugging riffs set the backbone for all of the tunes here, and they are
simply hypnotizing. Zaher Zorgati's melodic and powerful vocals deliver every melody with precision
and emotion, and his mid-ranged singing style consistently suits the mood of the music. His voice
bears resemblance to more 'masculine' power metal vocalists like Russell Allen or Ralf Scheepers,
but he still manages to sound like himself throughout the full album.

This is a memorable and professionally executed observation from Myrath, and there's really not too
much to complain about when we're talking about an album with this level of quality. Tales of the
Sands shows a creative young band with the ambition and ability to succeed in the crowded
progressive metal climate, and I'm sure their heavy, melodic, and eclectic take on the genre will
please many fans of the style. This is a truly excellent album, and I'll play it safe right now with
a big 4 star rating. I may raise it even higher sometime in the future, but as of now Tales of
the Sands still stands as a near-mandatory purchase. This is one of the most recommendable
progressive metal albums from 2011.

Progarchives: HELDON Stand By (Progressive Electronic, 1979)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:12:26 +0100

Review by colorofmoney91 — One of the first and most powerful examples of where progressive rock and early electronic music
collide with vigor.

Stand By is a mammoth of purely interesting electronic rock that shows definite
talent in the musicians, but, in my opinion, doesn't always work. The intent and promise is
there, but kind of seems too overly epic for its own good.

Immediately, it becomes obvious that this album is very powerful as "Bolero" pounds its way
through the speakers with a Mahler- or Shostakovich-esque force combined with an
increasingly ham-fisted Force Majeure -like acoustic percussion. It's not a bad track,
and has a very commendable amount of worthy proggy moments, but it often seems too
unrelentingly epic to the point where they seem to be trying way too hard to be so much
more rock than is necessary. Also, I really think Pinhas is a great and innovative
guitarist, but I'm not sold on the post-Hendrix soloing method he employs during the last
half of the track. There are also a few funk-ish moments that sound similar to what a
Tangerine Dream/Goblin collaboration may have sounded like, which doesn't really work
too well in my opinion.

"Une Drole de Journee" is slightly more subdued in needless synth orchestral epicness,
but this is dampened by the continuously heavy-handed drummer and wonky avant-rock
moments. This track is very disjointed in composition and is abound with arbitrary
confusion, like the opening vocals that start this track of sounding like an electronic zeuhl
experiment (which could honestly be done successfully if given more attention) and a
random moment of empty bubbling that serves no purpose.

The title track is the heaviest and rockiest track on the album, strong with the sharp electric
rock guitar soloing and pounding drums flowing at a pace similar to most sludgy doom
metal. It doubles its speed near the half way point and becomes a noisy and flashy metal
showoff powerhouse that simply sounds like self-destruction. However, the bass on this
track is very thick and intense; it sounds great and is the single most interesting element of
this track, but it doesn't save the song entirely.

This was my very first Heldon album and I've been listening to it off and on for almost two
years now, and I feel bad that it hasn't grown on me at all considering the amount of praise
it has received. Regardless, it does have its moments. Their other, less heavy albums
seem more interesting and compositionally complete, but I do think Stand By is a
good jumping off point for fans of progressive rock looking to get into progressive electronic,
only because of it's profound rockiness.

Progarchives: HARMONIA Musik Von (Progressive Electronic, 1974)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:41:16 +0100

Review by colorofmoney91 — Harmonia's first albums sounds exactly like a collaboration effort from Cluster and Neu!
without all of the boring repetitiveness that suffocates some of Neu!'s discography.

Musik Von basically sounds like Cluster, but a lot warmer and eclectic with a stronger
element of poppy Kraftwerkian melody (somewhat comparable to Zuckerzeit ). The
krautrock-inspired strong motorik beat expected from Neu! (experts at this method) propels a
good amount of these tracks.

With the longest track, "Sehr Kosmisch", being just over 10 minutes and along with "Ohrwurn"
being the most experimental and drone-oriented on the album, Musik Von is very manageable for listeners looking for something retro and reasonably accessible and melodic
in regard to krautrock-inspired electronic music.

The range of tempi on this album are surprisingly refreshing, ranging from rather fast and
powerful to slow and sentimental, though always employing the typical '70s German electronic
groove.

A lot of this album sounds a lot like the underrated Kraftwerk and Kraftwerk 2
albums but injected with a considerable amount of emotion while still remaining mostly robotic
and cold. I think fans of Cluster and early Kraftwerk will find much to enjoy about Musik
Von , but for those looking for something even more obviously rooted in krautrock then
Harmonia's follow-up album may be more appropriate.

Progarchives: AYREON Actual Fantasy (Progressive Metal, 1996)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:40:09 +0100

Review by Warthur — Ayreon's second album shows some improvement over The Final Experiment. Avoiding the
rock opera format this time around means that Lucassen doesn't have to hammer his musical
ideas into that constricting format and doesn't feel the need to add any filler to provide narration
or context for the story. That said, it still doesn't scratch the itch for me, with songs that outstay
their welcome and make me lost interest partway through and constant flirtations with
developing the piece into a concept album (about the concept of fantasy) which are never quite
followed through on. Like The Final Experiment, it's more of a blueprint for later Ayreon works.

Progarchives: MANUEL GÖTTSCHING Dream and Desire (Krautrock, 1991)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:18:22 +0100

Review by colorofmoney91 — Dream & Desire is very much in the same style as Manuel Gottsching's Ashra albums
New Age of Earth and Blackouts with a small touch of Schulze. Each of the 3
reasonably lengthy tracks on this album have a unique feel compared to each other, which
makes this a nice sampler of the various Gottsching styles.

As the name might suggest, "Dream" is quite dreamy sounding. The meat of this track is
mainly Gottsching's softly played krautrock style electric guitar looping in the presence of a
typically light and very German beat and intermittent symphonic synths that improve the overall
grandiosity that is implied by its 30 minute runtime.

"Desire" is where the profound Schulze influence comes in. The wavering, ghostly synths are
very Schulze, and the authentic guitar sound of "Dream" is traded for a much more
electronically treated synth guitar effect, but it works to make this track much more epic. What
makes this track stand out, in my opinion, is the strong sense of '80s pop melodicism in the
beat and the main melody, which greatly improves the accessibility of this track and makes it
much positive sounding that it would otherwise.

"Despair" is the shortest of the three tracks and marks the return of the authentic guitar sound
with Gottsching soloing melodically from the half-way point onward. This is also the most
upbeat track, which kind of contrasts with the track's title, but like the others it is very minimalist
symphonic in composition. It's a good track but not as interesting as the previous two, though
the guitar tone will be very desirable for krautrock fans.

Overall, Dream & Desire is a good progressive electronic album in a very krautrock
kind of style that mixes the well-established monolithic sound structures of Schulze and
Tangerine Dream with a strong element of joviality from ethereal (as opposed to the usual
dark) melodic decisions.

Progarchives: RUSH Power Windows (Heavy Prog, 1985)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:48:30 +0100

Review by 7headedchicken — Power Windows finds Rush at the top of their writing and playing ability, with an album of all
very well-written songs performed impeccably, and produced tightly with a distinctive electric
rock sound with very specific and uniform yet decorated arrangements. The melodies are all
strong, all of the lryics are thought provoking, and Rush have a way of throwing in unique
unexpected twists that keep things interesting. The songs all have a very high level of energy
and a strong, personal spirit to them. Power Windows is not only a showcase of some of the
best production of its time, its also one of the best albums from 1985. There are still many
prog influences in the writing, evident in "The Big Money", "Manhattan Project", and the
sprinting and sparkling "Marathon", and they even go into some neo-prog on "Territories" and
the energetically spacey and lyrically moving "Emotion Detector." "Mystic Rhythms" is a one of
a kind composition for them, with a drum pattern that is just as catchy as the melodic guitar
part.

Progarchives: THE COSMIC JOKERS Galactic Supermarket (Krautrock, 1974)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:38:28 +0100

Review by Neu!mann — Krautrock guru Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser's bid to save the world through music and LSD reached
critical mass with the Cosmic Jokers project in the mid-1970s: a series of informal jam
sessions packaged and sold without consent from the musicians involved. Or so goes the
accepted legend, disputed by at least one participant: Manuel Göttsching of ASH RA TEMPEL, who later claimed he always had a contract and did in fact receive token royalties (he also said there weren't any hard drugs involved).

Sounds to me like a retroactive whitewash. On the other hand, it pays to be skeptical these
days, and who can really say how much of the Cosmic Jokers myth is Internet-Age
hearsay: another web-fed rumor with a viral life of its own?

The only sure thing about the whole messy episode is the music left behind, in many ways
a goldmine for Krautrock anthropologists and armchair astral travelers. The first Cosmic
Jokers album (all five were released in a single calendar year) remains a certified
kosmische classic, but some of that magic was conspicuously missing the second time
around. Obviously the highlights of the studio jams plundered by R.U. Kaiser were reserved
for the first LP; this one is a little more fractured and episodic, presented (like much of the
best Krautrock) in a pair of monumental side-long tracks but assembled with less
underpinning or purpose.

Still, enough momentum was carried over to ensure a good trip. The album opener "Kinder
des Alls" leaps immediately forward on the strength of Manuel Göttsching's distinctive
psychedelic-blues guitar, played in a more recognizably rock-based manner, up to a point
anyway, before the music gradually collapses and coalesces elsewhere. WALLENSTEIN's
Jürgen Dollase is a stronger presence on this album, with his heavenly mellotron chords
and cascading grand piano pushed forward in the mix, often overpowering the desultory
synthesizer outbursts from Klaus Schulze.

The title track holds together with a little more coherence, thanks in large part (once again)
to some heroic riffing by M. Göttsching (keep in mind 'coherence' was always a relative
measure with this group...) And for the first but certainly not last time on a Cosmic Jokers
album the stoned whispers and shrieking of Kaiser's girlfriend Gille Lettman
(aka 'Starmaiden') can be heard, as always through several layers of echo effects, for that
maximum lysergic headrush.

The truth about what actually transpired at the Cologne studio of Dieter Dierks may never
be known. But when considering the balance of the Cosmic Jokers catalogue this much is
obvious: after the second album R.U. Kaiser should have quit while he was ahead.

Progarchives: THE COSMIC JOKERS The Cosmic Jokers (Krautrock, 1974)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:38:19 +0100

Review by Neu!mann — The sordid tale of The Cosmic Jokers is well known by now: how producer/svengali Rolf-
Ulrich Kaiser organized several LSD jam sessions with members of ASH RA TEMPEL and
WALLENSTEIN, and then began releasing LPs without permission from (or the knowledge
of) the musicians themselves.

Not lost in the resulting scandal was the awkward fact that at least on this first album the
Jokers played some of the most urgent and exploratory Space Rock ever heard, in
Germany or anywhere else. If the whole thing had been legitimate from the start The
Cosmic Jokers would now be recognized as Krautrock's ultimate supergroup, instead of a
strictly makeshift party of psychedelic moonlighters exploited by a misguided visionary with
a weakness for hallucinogenic drugs.

Fans of early Ash Ra Temple will feel right at home, especially since the album follows the
same blueprint as that band's better efforts: one LP-side of energetic jamming; the other a
long, ambient chill-out. Both halves include some of guitarist Manuel Göttsching's most
inspired soloing, subtle and intense at the same time, with the meaty subterranean bass of
producer/engineer Dieter Dierks giving the music its ominous momentum, embellished by
what sounds like every flanger and phase effect filter in West Germany at the time.

Klaus Schulze's contributions are less obvious, or at any rate less distinctive for an artist of
his ambition and influence, limited more or less to vague atmospherics and the occasional
eruption of synthesized noise, perhaps one reason why he always regarded these
sessions with such outspoken disdain. But he would soon afterward re-team with
drummer Harald Großkopf for his own solo variation of the same kosmische voyage, on
albums like "Moondawn" and the "Body Love" soundtracks.

The Cosmic Jokers quickly attained an almost mythic status as the classic Krautrock band
that never was. Even today there's something very compelling, very unsettling about this
music, and it isn't just the underhanded way it was recorded and sold. If R.U. Kaiser was
truly hoping to capture some sort of blissfully altered cosmic consciousness he missed by
a light year, tapping instead into an altogether darker corner of the counterculture
experience. And the joke was ultimately on Kaiser himself, who quickly found himself facing
legal action, ignominy, and exile.

But this one album, by itself, may have been worth a lot of his subsequent grief. And while I
would never argue that the ends in any way justified such unethical means, the evidence
here suggests there may have been at least some method to his madness.

Progarchives: THY CATAFALQUE Rengeteg (Experimental/Post Metal, 2011)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:33:35 +0100

Review by bartosso — A forest of sounds

Tamás Kátai, the mastermind of Hungarian experimental, post-black metal, eastern
European folk... *breath*... industrial, "space rock" metal band Thy Catafalque, as you can
see, has an intriguing vision of his music. Having recorded four albums before RENGETEG,
it's actually the first one released by a major record label, namely french/american Season
of Mist. And well, I must admit that it's one of the most interesting metal albums I have heard
lately.

The record is produced in a professional way which means the sound is clear, fairly
selective yet not overproduced or artificial. Distortion is heavy, a little bit fuzzy, kind of
reminding me of sludge and industrial metal. Same for computer generated drums.
Besides heavy distortion, Thy Catafalque uses a whole range of guitar sounds - from soft
space rock overdrive to occasional classical guitar nylon strumming. The vocalist is one of
the most intriguing aspects of RENGETEG. Mostly clean, folk-influenced vocals with a few
shrieked parts here and there are very well performed. However, it's a presence of various
synthesizers and space rock sound effects that determine Thy Catafalque's uniqueness in
terms of sound and ambiance.

For an avant-garde metal album, RENGETEG is surprisingly accessible. The most
prominent element here are Hungarian folk melodic patterns, that pervade the whole with
unique atmosphere and provides the listener with unforgettable musical experiences. All
the more so because they're combined with otherworldly atmosphere of space rock in the
vain of Ozric Tentacles. Experimental approach to composition and general diversity of
moods completed the task - RENGETEG is a very successful release and an excellent
addition to any metal music collection. Despite having many masterpiece qualities, it's not
absolutely flawless though. First of all, some cheap sounding parts could have been
avoided. Some artificially sounding synthesizers could have been replaced with real
instruments ("violin" part in Kő koppan spoiled it for me). Some underdeveloped ideas
could have reached the masterpiece level if developed (e.g.: "Kel keleti szél", "Kék ingem
lobogó"). And finally, some songs could have been better composed and cleansed of
generic riffing (e.g.: "Vashegyek").

I really, really like that album despite all the things I've just said above. It's a great effort that
deserves 7/10 - 8/10 rating, and for its undeniable originality and emotional charge, I'd
gladly give it full 4 star rating. I'm an asshole though. Essential for avant-garde, post-black
metal, dark folk and atmospheric music enthusiasts. Hell yeah!

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 9/10[fantastic!]: Kel keleti szél; Kék ingem lobogó; Az eső, az eső, az
eső|| 8/10[great]: Fekete mezők; Trilobita; Tar gallyak végül; Minden test fű|| 7/10[very good]:
Kő koppan; Holdkomp|| 6/10[good]: Vashegyek||

Progarchives: MASTODON Blood Mountain (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal, 2006)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:30:57 +0100

Review by bartosso — Trample! Trample! TRAAAAMPLE!!!

Holy mackerel, Mastodon! You're trampling my mind like an enraged Cysquatch after blunt
knife castration! That's one of the most energetic albums to ever emerge from sludge, or
even whole modern metal scene. I got into Mastodon's music not so long ago and I must
admit that there are both things I love and dislike about their music. However, BLOOD
MOUNTAIN is definitely an album that contains mostly the things I like about it. In my
opinion, it's the second best Mastodon's release after CRACK THE SKYE.

Production of the record is very good but could have been better. While drums, especially
bass drum, sound heavy and organic, there's something in the way they're produced, that
irritates my ears. I guess the snare drum is to be blamed for that as it sounds a bit flat.
Anyway, the whole sounds heavy and clean and it's not overproduced. Still, I think both
LEVIATHAN and CRACK THE SKYE have better production.

As many reviewers have already stated, the record can be considered as a transitional
episode between sludgy and aggressive LEVIATHAN and spacey/progressive CRACK THE
SKYE. Stomping sludge element is still most prominent one, but experiments with song
structures and spacey/psychedelic and progressive rock influences have become more
noticeable. Most of the compositions are galloping sludge metal songs with Mastodon's
typical leanings towards punk-ish aggressiveness combined with stoner metal feel
(especially in the case of Brent Hinds' vocal delivery). Plenty of time signature changes,
complex structures and incredibly compelling, unmistakable drumming by Brann Dailor,
determines BLOOD MOUNTAIN status as a modern progressive metal album. I think the
biggest drawback this record has, is the fact that there are no songs I consider to be
masterpieces. Mastodon's great talent for long and complex compositions manifested in
their following release, but here - despite a few absolutely fantastic songs - it's still
underdeveloped. Besides that, I found some tracks to be simply uninspired or even terribly
annoying ("Bladecatcher"-> what the hell is that? electro-grind-core-stoner metal?).

All in all, BLOOD MOUNTAIN is a very good eclectic progressive metal album, deeply rooted
in sludge metal genre. If you're into aggressive and energetic metal with a twist, this record
is for you.

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 9/10[fantastic!]: Crystal Skull 8/10[great]: The Wolf Is Loose;
Sleeping Giant; Capillarian Crest; Colony of Birchmen; Siberian Divide 7/10[very good]:
Circle of Cysquatch; Hunters of the Sky; This Mortal Soil 6/10[good]: Hand of Stone;
Pendulous Skin 3/10[poor]: Bladecatcher

Progarchives: OMBRALUCE Distanze Ravvicinate (Rock Progressivo Italiano, 2011)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:09:04 +0100

Review by andrea — Ombraluce began life in Turin in 2004 with the aim of blending different styles and
experiences shaping something new. The present line up features Alessandro Vitale
(vocals), Andrea Rosso (guitars), Carmelo Contino (drums), Giorgio Gonzi (keyboards),
Roberto Savoca (guitars) and Sergio Alfredini (bass). After many years of hard work, in
2011 they released a very interesting self produced debut album, "Distanze ravvicinate"
(Close), featuring an overall sound influenced not only by historic Italian progressive rock
bands such as Area or Le Orme but by canzone d'autore, psychedelia and funky as well.

The short opener "Intro ? dualità pt. I" (Intro ? Duality part I) recalls Demetrio Stratos and
features wordless vocals and a Middle Eastern flavour. It leads to "Il cerchio" (The circle)
where behind the glass of a window in a rainy day you can follow the footsteps of some
people looking for hidden truths, believing in their own personal God and who can't see
their likes. But if you open the window you can see the world in every raindrop, so do not
waste your time and look around! "Set your eyes free and you'll find... Love!". Here the
music every now and again reminds me of Le Orme and Lucio Battisti.

"Ancora un po' di cose inutili" (More useless things) is about dreams clashing against the
routine of an ordinary daily life. You wake up and your dreams melt, the rhythm picks you up
and carries you away, towards a sea of useless things... As a new, atypical Adam you can
still feel the venomous effects of the apple while sitting on a tram surrounded by unknown
people who look all the same...

"N'gas (nuoce gravemente alla salute)" (It seriously damages health) is a caustic piece
about some side effects of dreams and love... If you inject some substances with a needle
in your arm to dream, beware! Sometimes dreams can seriously damage your health... If
your love is so strong that when you see your lover with another partner you go crazy,
beware! Sometimes love can seriously damage your health and jealousy can lead you to
kill... If you kill someone pushed by your passions later remorse can be overwhelming, so
beware! Killing can seriously damage your health... "Now for me it's time / To close my
eyes and disappear...". Sometimes love turns into hate and death turns into freedom, it
depends on the points of view!

"Prigionia" (Imprisonment) is a short experimental piece featuring recitative vocals in the
style of late Area's vocalist Demetrio Stratos. Sometimes disinformation, prejudice,
involution, intolerance and silence become a cage... "As wound into imprisoned thoughts...
Fragments of thoughts that crumble... Stop! I want to be free...". Awareness is the first step
toward freedom and in the next track, the bittersweet ballad "Libertà" (Freedom), the
imprisoned thoughts break through, soaring from a delicate piano pattern... "The
imprisoned thoughts bang their head as birds closed in a barn... They look for the air, they
dream the air...". But we can't be free, we are slaves of our passions and even love can be
a prison. Our free thoughts broke their chains but now they are prisoners of caresses and
certitudes, of hate and love...

The dreamy "Dualità pt. II" (Duality part II) features a touch of mysticism and an Oriental
flavour. It's about the inner conflict between instinct and rationality, between the need to
pursue our dreams and the need of security that pushes us to give up dreaming and settle
down... "My friend, you are fragile / You're lost in a useless fight / Shadows are swallowing
you... In the illusion of security I try to invent the world I would like / I dream, dream, dream
and I will keep on dreaming / Because no one will dream for me...". It leads to a kind of
instrumental suite in three parts, "Giochi d'ombra" (Play of shadows), featuring a short
experimental intro, a drum solo middle section and a fine jazz rock finale that recalls Arti e
Mestieri.

"Ricordi" (Memories) features a lively rhythm and pulsing bass lines. It about a meeting but
the lyrics don't tell who or what the protagonist meets. For sure this meeting changed his
life... "This is the memory of something that changed me / It began some time ago and it's
still changing me..." Well, every day is full of difficulties but the way you tackle them can
change, it depends on your heart and on your mind...

"Dualità pt III" takes us back to the conflict between dreams and reality. This time the
melodic lines soar from a funky rhythm and the atmosphere is lighter. When you realize
how important your dreams are things change, the sun rises and the breeze sweeps away
clouds and shadows... "My friend, change your mind! / No struggle is useless... The hours
become empty / If you cry on your broken dream instead to take side with Time / My friend,
listen to me / Frequently ashes hide a fire ready to burst out / Revive it, stoke that fire! / The
flame will fill the absence of certitude in your life... A man without hope is nothing but dead
flesh, useless! / I dream, dream, dream and I will keep on dreaming until someone will
dream with me...".

On the next track "Allucinazioni" (Allucinations) funky influences are even stronger and Steve
Wonder "Superstitious" comes to mind. The song is about the end of a love. A woman goes
away and her ex boyfriend sees her everywhere, hallucinations and distorted images drive
him crazy... "You know, I saw you running away / You slammed the door on my face / Now
my sight is a bit distorted... You were looking for your own way / You were looking for your
own life / Where are you now?... Hallucinations in the mud are taking me away...".

The brilliant final "Giochi di luce" (Plays of light) is a long, complex instrumental full of
changes in mood and rhythm. It begins calmly, then the rhythm rises and the music flows
away shining and sparkling until the end. The CD features also a ghost track where you
can listen to experimental sounds, hints of disco music and classical inspired passages.
Fragments of a dream that slowly fades away...

Progarchives: MEMENTO WALTZ Antithesis of Time (Progressive Metal, 2010)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:44:35 +0100

Review by UMUR — "Antithesis of Time" is an EP release by Italian progressive metal act Memento Waltz.
The EP is a self-released affair, released in October 2010. While Memento Waltz have yet to
release a debut full-length studio album (one is according to the band in the making as we speak
though), the band are not new to the scene, having existed since 1994.

...and it´s audible from the get go, that Memento Waltz are seasoned musicians. They play a
technical style of progressive metal not far from the sound of acts like Spiral Architect and
Twisted Into Form, and they play that style to perfection. We´re talking musicianship on an
extremely high level. Fusion influenced drumming, odd time signatures and a varied and skillfully
executed vocal style are some of the ingredients on "Antithesis of Time". Lead vocalist
Marco Piu is a versatile vocalist and masters quite a few different vocal styles, sometimes
sounding slightly like Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) or Warrel Dane
(Sancturary, Nevermore) but also occasionally adding more extreme vocal styles
into the mix.

The five tracks on the 30:54 minutes long EP takes us through a technical/progressive journey with a
twisted nightmarish atmosphere. For a progressive metal act, Memento Waltz are definitely
on the darker side of the fence along with acts like Watchtower, Psychotic Waltz and
Zero Hour.

Considering the fact that the EP is self-produced in the band´s own studio, the sound production is
very professional and well sounding.

"Antithesis of Time" display a band in great form. The music is not only performed with great
skill, but the tracks are structurally challenging and quite demanding, which should be a treat to fans of
the more technical part of the progressive metal genre. I´m quite impressed and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%)
rating is deserved. Now give us that debut album!

Progarchives: TRIUMVIRAT Russian Roulette (Symphonic Prog, 1980)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:31:15 +0100

Review by presdoug — Okay, so from the start, Russian Roulette is nothing like the classic Triumvirat
music period that fans knew and loved, and many felt it was a let down because of that.
People-get over it.
I initially made the same mistake in only judging this album by those the band made
previously, and now, after years later, i finally fully realize that that was a big mistake. For
years, i refused to give Russian Roulette a second chance, but on re-evaluating this record totally
as it's own entity has changed my view-it doesn't deserve the bum rap given by so many. The songs
are catchy, but not commercial to the point of irritatingly so, and there is diversity here, which
helps things fit together effectively. "Party Life" is an infectious song that flirts with an almost
new wave/punkish feel and is quite well done. There is the reggae tinged "The Ballad Of Rudy
Torner", the upbeat rockers like "Cooler" and "Were Rich On What We've Got", and the more mellow
"Rien ne vas Plus"
Different songs for different moods-it is obvious in this risky musical experiment,
Triumvirat had no one track mind. And a couple of musical guests from the excellent group Toto,
Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro, help to diversify and shake things up creatively.
When guitar player/singer Helmut Koellen left the band after the "Spartacus" tour in
1975, things were never the same, never on the same quality level-they couldn't be, with Koellen absent.
But 1980 was not like 1975, for any band musically, but Russian Roulette should not
be ignored because of that. For me, you might say it's uniqueness has stood the test of time for me,
in the final analysis.This is not a one star effort-i give it three.

Progarchives: METAMORFOSIS Papallones I Elefants (Jazz Rock/Fusion, 1982)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:46:48 +0100

Review by Guldbamsen — Butterflies & Elephants

Just about sums it up really. This album consists of two different halves, one of them being just a
teeny tiny bit more interesting than the other - at least to this reviewer, -and putting images of
either pachyderms or daytime moths on this kind of music is rather easy. Natural like skiing.

This sole album from Spanish group Metamorfosis is one of those brilliant little gems that simply
defies the actual time-frame of its birth. Luckily so one might add. A lot of albums from 1982,
incidentally the year of my own birth - were marred by the production tendencies of the time. Not
this one though, and maybe apart from the occasional atmospheric synths here and there - it sounds
like a record from 1977.

Getting back to the two sides of this album. One of them is the electric side, that boasts some
seriously mouthwatering synthesizers, ethereal drum work, larger than life guitar sculptures and a
walking clean bass bobbing away underneath it all - all of this together creating some magnificent
symphonic musical sections. These are by far my favourite thing about this album. And while
Papallones I Elefants never really gets unmelodious - these symphonic sprees do overflow in some
kind of natural melody lines that put the rest of this album to shame. Think mid period Genesis or
maybe Grobschnitt, and you're not that far off. This is guitar country and often it'll be
duetting with itself - birdlike - twittering clean and crisp in the morning air. As I mentioned
before these symphonic grandiose sections are beautiful and damn near to die for.

Then you have the other part of this recording, which is the more acoustic side of it. Still the
bass remains electric as does the guitar, but this time around it sticks to muffled rhythmic
splashes and more earth toned traditional jazz patterns. The synths trade in for their older brother
the piano. It feels like some sort of late night jazz club sound this emanates - like the music
you'll hear in one of those old school food programmes: "Then we pop it in the oven for about 15
minutes or so - and just wait..."
I know, I'm not making any sense - as usual, but then again this is music.

There are moments on here that successfully manage to splice up these different trades - piles them
together to form this heavy, docile staccato, jazzy and slightly effervescent thing - just like the
second track called Un Joc Als Cinc Ans, which to me sounds like a somewhat symphonic jazzy
excursion to the northern parts of Egypt. S'got that special melodic slightly skewed phrasing that
truly reminds me of those sand coloured parts of the pyramid country.

If you enjoy melody to go with your fusion, and moreover want something that treads lightly like the
butterfly - y'know those fizzing airy symphonic textures that flap their wings high over the
confines of our world, and yet also incorporate the earthbound, meaty and well trusting confidence
of the mighty elephant - all of this manufactured through deliciously playing instrumentalists -
then Metamorfosis' one hit wonder could be your next purchase. It's truly like fondling a pinkish
daytime moth whilst straddling a big heavy pachyderm under the silhouetted skies of the Hispanic
peninsula. An experience to say the least...

Progarchives nuevos discos: TETRAFUSION - Horizons EP (Experimental/Post Metal)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:45:43 +0100

[Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo · 2012]

1. Aerosolus (1:00)
2. Impetus (5:52)
3. Styrofoam Breath (3:00)
4. Cloudless (4:41)
5. Spider Silk (4:55)
6. No One Sleeps (5:35)
7. Look Away (Pt. 1) (2:55)
8. Look Away (Pt. 2) (2:10)

Total Time 30:08

Progarchives: SECRET CHIEFS 3 First Grand Constitution and Bylaws (RIO/Avant-Prog, 1996)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:43:41 +0100

Review by Warthur — Trey Spruance's major project within the extended Mr Bungle family of side projects features
about as diverse a range of sounds as you could ever expect to find. Later in their career,
Secret Chiefs 3 would put about the idea that they were actually a collection of 7 different bands
which happened to have Trey in common with completely different sounds, all putting out
songs on the same album.

Well, if that's true then the different bands keep treading on each other's feet this time around,
because within individual compositions you can go from alt-rock reimaginings of traditional
Middle Eastern music to a film soundtrack to Zappaesque tape experiments to death metal
screaming without warning. Anyone who digs Mr Bungle's Disco Volante and wonders what a
mostly-instrumental take on the same concept would sound like could do a lot worse than refer
to the Chiefs.

Progarchives: SILENT LAPSE Birthright (Progressive Metal, 2009)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:03:28 +0100

Review by Evolver — I admit that I'm not much of a metal fan. When I listen to prog metal, it's for the prog elements, not
really the metal elements. So I must say that this album does not have much to interest me.

There is one fairly good, and very proggy track. That would be Final Error. That track is
complex and exciting, what I look for in a prog metal song.

The remainder of the album might be interesting to a metal aficionado, and even I must admit that as
metal goes it's certainly not bad, but the prog elements are minimal. For that reason I can only give
this album two stars. A high two, but that's it.

Progarchives: 6LA8 Music Observatory (w/ Rakas) (Progressive Electronic, 2011)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:52:06 +0100

Review by toroddfuglesteg — I have to admit Progressive Electronic is by no means my favorite music, this being my only second
review ever in this genre. But this album is a free download and their nationality (Pakistan) would
hopefully add something more to the genre than the usual fare.

The local flavours is a bit missing on this album, although I may have missed the local flavours.
This album is a coop between Rakas and 6LA8 too. Hence, it is not a normal 6LA8 album.
The first half has some organic flavours of some strings added. But there are also plenty of nifty
computer works here too. All of the album, I guess. In this respect, it reminds me a lot about
Senmuth, their brother in crime from the other side of the Karakoram mountains range. But 6LA8's
music is a lot soft edged and softer than Senmuth's music. But it is still computer music.

This album is pretty decent with the first half of the album having some good melody lines. The
final half is very poor though. This is a decent album, but nothing more. It is a free download
though so make up your own mind as I have made up my mind.

2 stars