3/5 STARS - This is an odd duck to say the least.For those into orchestral or opera will be turned off by the guitar,bass and drums.Those into rock are turned off by the male operatic vocals and horn section.So yes us progressive music fans are the ones who seem to appreciate this album the most.Even then as i noticed on many different sites there is a love or a hate towards this album.Not a lot of people inbetween.Well i think that's really where this belongs,right in the middle.Not that it's an average album but when you combine such different styles you aren't going to please everyone.I honestly can't stand the operatic male vocals.Take them away and this is 4 stars for me.Hard to ignore them of course.On the other hand this band has a fantastic rhythm section, and as an added bonus there's lots of mellotron.The sticker on the back of my cd says "Australian progressive jazz masterpiece from 1976".Unfortunately it's neither. "Rebecca" opens with mellotron before drums and horns join in.Bass and sax lead for a while.Bass and intricate guitar sound good 2 1/2 minutes in.This is an uptempo instrumental that's okay. "Dancer" opens solemnly and vocals come in for the first time after a minute.A fuller sound a minute later then the tempo picks up around 3 minutes.The drumming is outstanding here.Guitar after 4 1/2 minutes.A change before 6 minutes as mellotron then vocals take over.It picks up around 9 1/2 minutes as the vocals stop.Mellotron and horns are back. "Caption For The City Night Life" opens with drums and bass as the horns honk.Nice bass before 2 minutes.Check out the drumming a minute later. "Fantasy Of Horses" opens with piano as those operatic vocals join in.Horns before 2 minutes as it changes.More great bass and drum work follow.Organ before the vocals return around 4 1/2 minutes.A spacey calm 6 minutes in.Vocals and piano are back 7 minutes in.Vocals stop again.Mellotron 9 minutes in then the horns start to lead.Vocals 11 minutes in with lots of mellotron.Horns and drums are back.Huge bass follows.The string section comes in before 14 minutes.Vocals with mellotron ends it. A unique album that deserves to be checked out.Many consider this to be a masterpiece and that alone makes this worth investigating.3 stars.

by sinkadotentree


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3/5 STARS - I have their two studio albums and the live one.This is my least favourite,mostly because of the female singer who's vocals i'm just not a fan of. This is mellotron heaven though and that's what makes it so good along with the tracks i'm familiar with from their live release.Interesting that those songs feature male vocals. "Butterfly Sky" is a dreamy,melancholic tune with lots of mellotron and those laid back male vocals.Great tune. "Rainbow Bridge" is another highlight.It's very mellow to start.Male vocals after 4 minutes.This sounds so beautiful.The vocals become more passionate 5 1/2 minutes in. "Raga" is the other highlight for me. I love the style of music this band from New Zealand plays and if you can get your hands on their "Nooks" album or the live one you will be impressed i'm sure.This one is good but the female vocals bring down the rating for me.3.5 stars.

by sinkadotentree


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5/5 STARS - "It means what it is" - quote from 'The Prisoner' (1960).

How do you pronounce it? I MEANT IT RAY? Don't try to understand it, experience it and it will understand you.

New Magma! What else needs to be said? Incredible album that absolutely floored me and took me by surprise, as I am a newcomer to the group, only having heard online tracks and owning the one live album. I was totally spellbound by the ingenious music which at times sounds like the soundtrack to your worst nightmare, and at other times like a beautiful princess waking from an enchanted sleep. Nothing comes close to this. Magma have outdone themselves, if that were possible. In any sense of the word, masterpiece is the only way to rate this awesome epic album. So much to recommend it but the main thing that can be said is that the album mesmirises you from the moment those haunting strains begin, to the funeral procession at the end. I won't pretend that I understand any of the concept, but it is thought provoking and quite ethereal to immerse yourself in the Magmaverse, that is otherworldy and sinister, perhaps bordering on the macabre. The battle between good and evil is prevalent and heavy handed but it works as a monstrous thematic device to encase this compelling high strangeness.

Christian's vocals are spellbinding but his drumming is the main drawcard and they are off the scale, metronome shaking metrical patterns that I have never heard. The deathly dark choral voices are chilling and yet beautiful, and it is impossible to forget some of those relentless chants that build and build until they explode into nothingness, there are silent moments that are maddening and one must have infinite patience to withstand the high impact time signatures, and let us not forget those off kilter lyrics. I love the way Magma simply defy logic and break every rule in the book, whilst still maintaining some semblance of order. That is Zeuhl of course, that has become integral to the band and in fact encompasses what they stand for, after all they invented the genre. As soon as the album ends I had to listen again and then I completely found myself reliving the music but hearing it differently. It feels Wagnerian or even Brahms but so tender and guaranteed to haunt the listener.

On each listen something new is gained. Incredible! Listen to that vocal intonation on track 2! It is mind blowing. The dark bass passages absolutely pummel the senses. Am I exaggerating? No, there it is again, that throbbing pulse that just drones like nothing else. Oh, those heavenly female vocals. What is she saying? It has entered the conscious and now it doesn't matter anymore, it is enchanting and hypnotic, causing tears to fill my eyes. How could music like this exist? I leave this review to immerse myself back in the music.

by AtomicCrimsonRush


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4/5 STARS - Masters Apprentices the Aussie prog 70s icons have created many singles in their illustrious career and of course there are a plethora of compilations, but this studio album is more or less the type of track listing found on compilations such as 'Fully Qualified'.

'Because I Love You' is a chart topper that is featured on every compilation in existence on the band. It begins with innovative acoustic guitar that is lilting and beautiful, then Keays croons, 'its because I love you not because we're far apart...' and of course it build to the memorable mantra that is recognisable in pop culture, 'Ooh, Do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah'. It repeats over and over at the end of the song and sticks in the brain. Everything about the track works and it will always be synonymous with the band's eclectic style. An indispensable Aussie treasure.

Rio de Camero is a Latin America sound alike with a great instrumental break and a huge hit for the band.

Easy to Lie has a great bass line that drives it along and it sounds psychedelic with filtered vocals and phasing guitars.

Michael is a strange one with excellent guitar work from Ford and emotive vocally.

Death of a King is a tribute to Martin Luther King with a slice of prog.

Our Friend Owlsey Stanley III is an off kilter track with wild phased guitars and a weird structure that is psych prog at its best.

Song for a Lost Gypsy is another strange one that changes time sigs and features an exceptional lead break.

In any case this is one of the best albums with some of their greatest tracks. I recommend this as an excellent starting point but there is so much more the band produced that are as good, if not better, than this album.

by AtomicCrimsonRush


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4/5 STARS - Tying the knots and thickening the plot, part 1: living the past acoustically

After conceiving the story of aliens watching over humankind as it is some kind of experiment in the brilliant album Into the Electric Castle, the progressive metal mastermind Arjen Lucassen decides to tackle the job of creating or developing a more complex story behind the facts (or behind the story) he presented us in his 1998 album and the album The Universal Migrator is the first part of such development. The album tells the story of the last human being alive after the war that obliterated all life on Earth. The character was possibly born on Mars, because he has never have seen Earth, and lives his last days in a decaying vessel and dome with machines that make his survival possible, along with supplies brought by the Mars colonists, who were escaping the ravaging war back on Earth.

One of the machines that he has is the Dream Sequencer, a machine that makes it possible for him to relive past times in Earth's and humankind's history at will and the first part of The Universal Migrator album, entitled The Dream Sequencer, narrates many different experiences lived by him wile using such machine. He travels through many periods of time, but there are some periods that the main character gives special attention, which are the 21st century, the Renaissance (in the Netherlands and England), early Middle Ages (in the pre-colonial Americas and British Isles) and Antiquity/ Prehistory. Both the first and last tracks are very similar, possibly symbolizing the character's entering and exiting the fake dreams the Dream Sequencer creates.

Regarding the songs, musicianship and related features

Most songs that are in this album, both in part one and two, have a dark tone. However, unlike what many may think looking at the band's genre, all songs in the part one of The Universal Migrator are not progressive metal songs, but actually acoustic-driven progressive rock. Here, Arjen Lucassen really shows us how important Pink Floyd and Van der Graff Generator are important influences in his music: most songs have that dark mood and helplessness that are one of the most noticeable characteristic of both bands, besides the many obvious musical references, being the songs Dream Sequencer and Dream Sequencer Reprise the biggest examples of that, at least concerning Pink Floyd.

The part one of the Universal Migrator album, according to Arjen, was intended to be an acoustic album, but obviously that is impossible to be done with both the matter at hand (scientific fiction) and Ayreon's own style, so, despite the many electric instruments used throughout the album, such as electric guitars, basses and keyboards, there is an honest attempt to make the music sound as if it was an acoustic album: the timbre used on those instruments were not aggressive and there were extensive sampling of acoustic instruments by the keyboards, like string instruments (mostly of the violin family) and brass instruments. The organs were also used in an easygoing way with smooth timbres, as well as the synthesizers.

The album's quality is quite homogeneous, balanced and even: all songs are quite good and are able to make the album flow very smoothly. The highlights go to The Dream Sequencer, One Small Step, Temple Of The Cat, The First Man On Earth and The Dream Sequencer Reprise.

Grade and Final Thoughts

As he has done before and after this album, Arjen Anthony Lucassen is able to deliver us a great musical voyage through his cataclysmic future world. The Dream Sequencer is a great moody album that recreates masterfully the desolate atmosphere lived by the last human survivor inside his decaying technological home and coffin. The only downside of this album is that the part two of The Universal Migrator is unable to keep up with part one for not being as balanced.

by CCVP


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4/5 STARS - "Long ago with all the dreamers, I fell into her emerald spell."

Steve Hackett's been on a bit of roll when it comes to his progressive rock output in the past ten years or so, as well as making some fine classical oriented albums. Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth offers up a fine set of prog. To the extent that there is a theme here in the songs, it's about dreams. Roger King confesses in the liner notes that the album was constructed on a computer. But ultimately a quality outcome is dependent on the musicians. Steve's never been one to go it alone on his progressive rock albums and has many of the usual musical suspects working with him, some new names to me, and even Anthony Phillips and Chris Squire are guesting on a couple of tracks each.

An eclectic mix of mellow and heavier tracks. The only disappointment here for me is that a deluxe edition wasn't released.

by Slartibartfast


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4/5 STARS - 'A Toast to Panama Red' is Masters Apprentices most accomplished approach to prog rock and it is a fabulous album. Each track chugs along with some excellent guitar from Ford and the wonderful vocals of Keays. Time sig changes are prevalent throughout and very well structured compositions that begin and end without flourish.

'The Answer Lies Beyond' motorvates along at a nice medium pace with cool riffs and pulsating drum beats of Burgess. The slow meandering phased guitar of Ford carries along 'Beneath the Sun'. The vocals are quiet, and there is no chorus, as is the case for most of the tracks. It changes direction mid way through with a hypnotic riff, strange effects and psychedelic nuances.

This was 1972 and prog had survived the birth pangs and was beginning to flourish with this type of heavy psych approach which was complex and not just designed for pot heads. Keays drew the album cover and his wife wrote out the lyrics in her own hand, it was a real collaborative effort. 'Games We Play 1' is surrealistic and off kilter with an early Sabbath feel in the guitar work with very erratic drumming. The 7 minute track changes moods and launches into an ace bassline by Wheathers that drives it along, than Ford's lead punctuates the track with high pitched fret screams.

'Games We Play 2' is an instrumental that heavily relies on a driving guitar riff and showcases the musical prowess of the band. 'The Prophet' poem is read over the music in true Hawkwind style and choral voices from the Crikey Choir! This enhances the track with an ethereal quality and its worth a listen though only available on this album.

The next track 'The Lesson So Listen' opened the vinyl album side 2 and is held together by a progtastic riff; angular guitar and intricate drum patterns propel it along. The contagious melody of 'Love Is' is a definite highlight, and is a track that boasts some imaginative use of brass and acoustic flourishes. There is an excellent lead break and the estranged lyrics are well sung with multilayered harmonies. 'Memories of St Kilda' is intriguing and works as a rocker that changes signature and blasts to a sudden conclusion.

'Southern Cross' is the highlight of the album featuring an excellent lead guitar solo from Ford, a key to the success of the group. There is some great bass on this too and vibrant drum beats. 'Thyme to Rhyme' is soft album closer with acoustic guitar and is short and to the point.

Conclusively this album is perhaps the best of Masters Apprentices apart from the plethora of compilations that are still being churned out. Great arrangements throughout and innovative structures creating a strange ethereal atmosphere. This is an early 70s look at Aussie Prog and it is well worth a listen. ****

by AtomicCrimsonRush


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4/5 STARS - When I saw this new new CD by former Collage and Satellite guitarrist legend Mirek Gil I was not sure if I should get it. After all his solo output was not really what we should expect from someone responsible for defining the sounds of two of the best polish bands ever. Mr Gil´s debut was nice but a little too bland. His other band Believe had its moments, but recently released the disapponting This Bread Is Mine, so I was not expecting much. However, when I noticed that all the titles in Skellig were in polish I immediatly sensed a kind of ´back to roots´ feeling on it. And, fortunatly, I was right. This new CD brings Mirek Gil doing what he does best, great prog guitar stuff.

So what does it sound like? Think of early Collage with a much better production and without the dreamy keyboards. Instead Gil makes a complete CD using only guitars as solo and harmonic instruments (usually the acoustic guitar as the basic guide and the electric guitar for soloing and harmonies). For the rhythm section he is accompanied by his old colleagues of original Collage and Satellite times: leader, songwriter and founder member Wojtek Szadkowski on drums and Przemas Zawadzki on bass. For the vocals he called Believe´s newest recruit Karol Wroblewski. You may feel (like me) that some keyboards lines could add a little color here and there. But, really, this a guitar genius solo album and he proves his point very well here. You won´t miss anything.

All songs are of very good quality, if not too varied. Wroblewski´s vocals are just great and he is sounding much better here than on This Bread Is Mine. He truly deserved another chance with a more progressive work and he is the best singer ever to appear on one of Gil´s projects thus far.

Forget all the grunge/alternative/pop experiments Mirek Gil was doing on his various solo projects before. This is the truly prog guitar album we all waited to hear for so long. His guitar is all over the place and full with his melodic, tasteful, trademark solos and licks. But there is room for others to do their part very well. Everything works here and there are no fillers.

If you like a good guitar driven prog album in the vein of Steve Hackett´s best stuff you should not miss this one.

Fans of Collage, Satellite and melodic prog in general, rejoyce!

by Tarcisio Moura


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5/5 STARS - Nobody denies that Italian Symphonic as a genre reached the peak in the early/mid 70's, bands as BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, PFM or LE ORME are only the tip of the iceberg, because almost any album of those days presents us an impeccable style, great musicianship and that unique characteristic that made of this country the second home of Progressive Rock.

It's also truth that in the 80's, 90's and even 00's we can find great Italian bands, but the case of NUOVA ERA is unmatched, they present us an immaculate 70's sound in the late 80's/early 90's, but without sounding derivative at all, their approach is simply unparalleled but at the same time familiar enough for the Prog Fan used to the early Italian sound, and one of the few bands that is able to resist any comparison with the early 70's monsters.

"Il Passo del Soldato" (The March of the Soldier) is the last release by this fantastic band and a concept album about all the stages of a war, which starts with the declaration and ends with an epitaph as usual in every conflict.

Even when NUOVA ERA suffered the loss of Alex Camaiti (guitars and vocals) who left the band, they manage to release an impressive album without guitar and recruiting Claudio Guerrini, who does an absolutely dramatic vocal work with his impressive voice that allows him to sing comfortably the lowest ranges and reach the most acute ones without any problem.

Probably any other band would have terrible problems performing without a guitar, but in this case Walter Pini does such an impressive job with the keyboards that covers any other problem, something impressive when we're talking of a musician who confessed in an interview with "La Caja de Música" not having formal musical education, but who plays piano, Moog, Organ and Mellotron with equal skills.

The album starts with "All'ombra di un Conflitto (La Dichiriazone)" A military march that announces the beginning of a war, in this track Claudio Guerrini takes the lead role proving his skills as vocalist, specially in the sections in which he reaches incredibly high ranges adding pure drama.

While Gianluca Lavacchi keeps the military march mood with his syncopated drumming, Walter Pini does an amazing job with the Hammond and Moog, pure Progressive Rock of the best quality from start to end.

"Lo Spettro dell'Agonia sul Campo (Consternazione)" begins with a lush keyboard solo that reminds me a bit of Jurgen Fritz fron TRIUMVIRAT, but with a delicate feeling that's so unique in Italian bands, until the organ in the vein of PAR LIND appears in the scenario, pure strength, even the vocals are far more aggressive than in the previous track and lead to a passage that reminds me of ELP, a phenomenal performance from start to end.

"La Parata del Simboli (La Truppa)", as the name implies, the song starts with another military march that reminds us of the soldiers going to the front, but a dramatic keyboard adds the sense of nostalgia and feat that arises in the middle of the sense of patriotism, again NUOVA ERA hits the nail precisely in the head transmitting several feelings in an instrumental.

"Il Passo del Soldato (Verso la Battaglia)" is a 12 minutes epic that's opened with a delightful piano solo, that leads after a couple of minutes to an "Emersonian" section with reminiscences of "Pictures at a Exhibition" but with much more feeling and passion than the excellent British band, if Italians are strong in something is precisely in powerful emotions, and this is where NUOVA ERA makes the difference.

But this is only the beginning, after several frenetic passages with radical changes and notable performance the grand finale reaches with absolute naturally, nothing is forced, nothing is out of place, everything is just perfect, something only the great musicians achieve.

"Armicrazia (I Pensieri di Cecchino)" is one of the most mysterious and striking pieces of music, the band manages to present us several passages all "in crescendo" as leading to an explosion that never reaches, creating a perfect sense of transit from one section to another, The vocal part is simply breathtaking. One of the most complex but at the same time emotional tracks I ever listened.

"L'armistizio (Le Decisioni del Generalli)" After an aggressive and almost brutal organ intro a soft piano performance clearly reflects a cease of hostilities as in armistice, but at the end the opening is repeated as to reflect that this is only temporal.

Again Claudio Guerrini gives us a superb rendition capable to move the less sensible listener, just brilliant.

"Riflessi di Pace (Ottre il Fronte)" is a softer track that gives us a sensation of hope, as if peace was reaching at last, the incredibly beautiful organ and vocals are perfectly supported by the rhythm section that maintains a military mood in the background, another overwhelming song, this time with Pini playing in the style of Rick Wakeman.

The album ends with "Epitaffio (La morale)" and "Nuova Era Atto Secondo", two tracks that I comment together because they seem to summarize the whole album and both present us absolutely amazing Mellotron and organ performances, "Il Passo del Soldato" ends as strong as it started.

The rating is no problem for me, anything bellow 5 stars would be unfair, a perfect masterpiece for any Progressive Rock listener, absolutely essential.

by Ivan_Melgar_M


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5/5 STARS - So You Say You're Ready for Some Challenging Music???

The music that Belgian band Univers Zero makes sounds more like "classical" music than rock, even though it is neither. The term "modern chamber music" is most fitting though that still does not quite capture the strange creature we have here. Two violins, a bassoon, and a medieval keyboardist playing harmonium and spinet combine with a rock rhythm section and an occasional clean guitar to create a music that sounds most like works of 20th century composers Bela Bartok and Igor Stravinsky. Even then, the rock rhythm section transforms the sound into something that really exists nowhere else. On their debut album (initially a self titled "Black Album" but later renamed 1313), the band seems most rooted in their classical roots. Later albums will see them push the limits of their strange niche, especially under the influence of other RIO and avant-prog bands. But for me, it is this first, least rock-n-roll, album that is the best of them all.

The music of Univers Zero is dominated by melodic and rhythmic figures that first lead and then support, alternating between near unison and polyphonic sounds. The opener "Ronde" is an over 15 minute piece that is unquestionably dark, but also somewhat jubilant. It's almost if a group battle hardened alligators were having a drunken party. That is, we're listening to some weighty characters who are a bit lumpy around the edges but are still very dangerous. This sense of contrast is everywhere. The drum rhythms are repetitive, but extremely syncopated and complex. The melodic instruments pull weird, dissonant sounds from their back pockets but every note seems intentional. In comparison, the darkest moments of KC's LARK'S TONGUES seem like appetizers for this intricate main course.

1313's strength lies in the variety of emotional scenes portrayed (HERESIE, for instance, is so constantly dark that it loses a little of its emotive power for me) and in the ability of the compositions to transcend the repetition of melodic themes (something I hear on the band's more modern albums.) Like the best classical music, there is essentially nowhere on this album where I think to myself as a musician "Maybe that wasn't the best choice." Instead, I get to be a pure listener, absorbed in the mood and scene created by the composer and players. This is what music, or in fact, art in general, is at its absolute best. It transports you to another place. I do not stand back and observe this music. I hop aboard and it carries me on adventures of the imagination.

As a prog fan, one of my favorite UZ songs ever is the track "Docteur Petiot." The song is based on cyclical falling riff in 7 that would even work in a (prog) metal context. Again, the song opens with this riff as a lead element and then it is later used as the backbone for the rest of the song. Similarly, subsequent melodic themes turn and twist in variations before returning. If one song ever truly embodied classical and rock ideals simultaneously, it would be this one. Incidentally, the visual I get from this song is a middle aged woman lost in a strange large house, getting progressively confused and frantic as she tries to get out. Finally she lays down in a deserted room, resigned to both her capture and her lunacy. (I did mention that UZ is a little dark, didn't I?)

I also appreciate very much that 1313 employs almost none of the clanging, abrupt transitioning that is very much in vogue now, not only in avant-garde music but prog in general. Certainly sections move in tonality, instrumentation, and rhythm, but I never feel the clang of the dead stops and turns that seems to be an artistic element used not only in music but recent cinema and visual art as well.

The only hesitation I have in giving this album a masterpiece rating is that I feel like I should be judging it on a completely different scale than virtually anything else on this site. Before writing this review, I bought the new CLIVAGES, listened to some Stravinsky, and had some serious thought about what I enjoyed in this music. In the end, while it is undoubtedly complex, pushes on the outer boundaries of musical genre, and dares to moods far darker than teenage Goths even know exist, this music is good because it allows my inner critic to fall away. It creates scenes into which I am immersed, my imagination alive and absorbed.

Among the best of the best. 5/5

by Negoba


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2/5 STARS - This is NOT a Peter Gabriel Album ? but It's Not Bad

BIG BLUE BALL is another of the Peter Gabriel's Real World projects, not a solo album by any means. As most know, Gabriel has been active in promoting world music for nearing 30 years now. In the 80's he coordinated the WOMAD festival, and his work (along with Paul Simon's) were instrumental in the world fusion surge in popularity during the 90's. Gabriel still spends most of his time recording and promoting various world artists, and this disc may have simply been a fundraiser for that effort. BIG BLUE BALL is a record of three collaborative sessions in 1991, 1992, and 1995 at Real World studios covering a huge span of musicians. Strangely, this project was not put in to finished form until 2007 for 2008 release.

There is one good Gabriel song on the album, the opener "Whole Thing." It's fairly typical of the US era, featuring plenty of world percussion along with Gabriel's big studio sound. The melodies are good, and it would have stood up as a nice album track had US had a real follow- up (which many of us would have appreciated in the mid to late 90's).

The rest of the album is a sampler of other bands and Gabriel friends. Karl Wallinger of World Party and the Waterboys actually had a large musical role in the album, and singer Joseph Arthur leads several songs. The variety is quite nice, from African voices and percussion to Middle Eastern tonalities to Celtic flavors. Some of the programming is pretty dated, with the ethno-rap "Jijy" sounding particularly dinosaur-like. Overall, this is a pleasant disc to put in on a drive, seamlessly returning to track one for a continual world beat background music. Unfortunately, none of the songs really blow me away. They are all good, but none are truly excellent aside from the world instrumentation.

It's also very hard to give this much prog cred as it wasn't released until long after these sounds were part of common culture. Even in 1995 when the last session was recorded, listeners already would have been somewhat familiar with these sounds. (Thanks in part to Gabriel's own efforts). I got the disc used and certainly don't feel cheated, but this is a non- essential novelty. 2/5 stars.

by Negoba


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5/5 STARS - Nice album for this band. Very balanced and calm in some tracks and more fast in other's. This album is not progressive Folk but, to me, is a bit of psichedelic space rock and synphonic prog. Some guitar calm parts remember me some Floydian contexts and others some Yes parts. The voice have harmony and chorus is adapted in music work. Nice guitar and piano parts. Some symphonic parts made in this work are very nice, not boring because they made fast and strong parts. Very good drums work and balanced. I like this album and to me, one of the best made by Strawbs. Very strong album and I give 5 stars.

by João Paulo


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3/5 STARS - Blues for Tony is a collection of live cuts from a Tony Williams New Lifetime tribute band made up of ex-Lifetimers Allan Holdsworth and Alan Pasqua, with Jimmy Haslip on bass and Chad Wackerman filling in for the deceased legendary Tony on drums. This is an extremely talented band and their take on modern jazz fusion is both intellectual and virtuoustic, unfortunately though, like a lot of modern fusion the music on here seems directed at a 'musicians only' audience. None the less, musicians will find a lot to like here. Holdsworth's guitar work is flawless and a little more aggressive than usual and Pasqua returns to a more 70s pseudo analog sound with fierce distorted faux Fender Rhodes solos that recall a youthful Herbie Hancock.

Some album highlights on disc one include Pasqua's hard bop swingin piano solo on It must be Jazz and his extended aggressive distorted electric piano ride on the remake of Holdsworth's New Lifetime fusion classic, Fred. This disc closes with a beautiful ethereal guitar intro from Holdsworth on his ironically titled Pud Wud.

Disc two opens with Looking Glass, which epitomizes what is so wrong with so much of modern fusion; a listless beat that lacks a defined pulse but allows for endless fills from the drums and bass, ethereal chord progressions that seem to modulate upwards but really go nowhere, and lengthy solos that give the effect of 'building', but also go nowhere. Unfortunately Pasqua's San Michele which follows, continues this more morose style of modern fusion at first, but fortunately this track is resurrected by Alan's bizarre psychedelic keyboard solo, nice stuff which leads to the more dissonant Mahavishnu styled outro and follow up tune, the energetic Protocosmos. Red Alert closes out disc two with some great high energy funk-rock with burning solos from both Al(l)ans and clears out the cobwebs from the disc opener.

Overall this double disc is best when Holdsworth, Pasqua and gang avoid the pitfalls of modern limp-wrested fusion for music school grad students and go for the more hard funky/rockin 70s sound when this genre had some grit and genuine life force. This double disc live set is recommended for fans of Alan Holdsworth, and also Alan Pasqua who delivers some of the finest keyboard playing of his recorded career.

by Easy Money


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4/5 STARS - Unrest is my favorite of all of the Henry Cow albums. Not just because it was the first one I heard (although it was). It is more avant garde than Legend, and less irritating than the Dagmar Krause albums. In short, this is very listenable weirdness, very much like Zappa's work around the time of Burnt Weenie Sandwich or Uncle Meat. Even the free jams and vocal improvisations are delightfully odd, but not ear splitting.

The best track on the album is Ruins, one of the best RIO pieces ever recorded. All at once, the song brings up classical, jazz and rock.

I would say, for the Henry Cow initiate, start here.

by Evolver


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3/5 STARS - Ummagumma is one of the albums that is special. Special, because it is a unique album, in a style not done by others, certainly not before. It is also an album that creates a specific atmosphere, a specialty that belongs to Pink Floyd anyway. But is the music exceptionally good? Are there songs on this album that ask for special attention? I am afraid that my answer is no. It is nice to listen to, but it is not the music that you often listen to. I have to say that especially the "solostic" parts on the original second lp weaken the album to a rating of only a 3. That is a pity because the first LP is maybe not excellent but at least essential due to the uniqueness.

by mscbox


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2/5 STARS - After Squarepusher's some very interesting experimental jazz fusion based works, this EP could disappoint you. There is not too much of jazz fusion, almost nothing to be true.

It's just different music. If opener "Iambic 5 Poetry " still have some dreamy warm mid tempo melody and interesting bass sounds, other songs are mostly all just experimental electronics. Not a bad music, bad not focused enough to be attractive, too often remind a lose mix of relaxed experimental electronic sounds. Happily drumming is always there, so there are some dynamics in it."Two Bass"is just another composition rich in bass line and some fusion pulsation.

This short work is not for fusion lover. Some experimental electronics fans can find some interesting moments in strange sounds and rhythms there, but generally release for collectors mostly .

Around 2,5.

by snobb


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4/5 STARS - I have been a huge fan of Mike Patton ever since I picked up a copy of the Tomahawk debut album back in 2002. After listening through most of Patton's collaborations I stumbled on a wonderful release called Six Litanies for Heliogabalus which consisted of some gorgeous compositions penned and conducted by John Zorn. The album also featured some off the wall drumming work by Joey Baron who, together with Zorn have previously worked in a band called Naked City.

Needless to say I read up on Naked City and after finding out that this project also included the legendary Henry Cow guitarist Fred Frith I stopped everything I was doing at the time and just rushed to the nearest record store! Naturally I'm exaggerating, after all, we all know that an average record store doesn't include the works of John Zorn in their inventory.

This album is roughly split up between two different concepts/themes. The first theme consists of avant-garde covers of work by great composers like Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith and a few others. The second theme entails short compositions that at first felt like improvisational pieces but that was an incorrect assumption on my behalf and after exploring more of John Zorn's music I recognized certain patterns that existed within these tracks.

Since I am a fan of Ennio Morricone's music I was very skeptical of hearing Zorn's take on the theme of The Sicilian Clan but after hearing this track I definitely have to hand it to John Zorn for breathing new air into such a perfect piece of work to begin with. His saxophone solo here is just beyond words and gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it!

This is an essential album for fans of avant-garde music but I have a difficulty of calling it a masterpiece of progressive rock music since this material might be considered too extreme for the average prog listener. Approach with caution, but by all means do approach!

***** star songs: The Sicilian Clan (Ennio Morricone) (3:33) Reanimator (1:43) Demon Sanctuary (0:42) Obeah Man (0:20) Saigon Pickup (4:50)

**** star songs: Batman (2:04) You Will Be Shot (1:31) Latin Quarter (4:12) A Shot In The Dark (Henry Mancini) (3:13) I Want To Live (Johnny Mandel) (2:12) Lonely Woman (Ornette Coleman) (2:45) Igneous Ejaculation (0:24) Blood Duster (0:17) Hammerhead (0:11) Ujaku (0:31) Fuck The Facts (0:14) Speedball (0:44) Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith) (4:28) Punk China Doll (3:06) N.Y. Flat Top Box (0:46) The James Bond Theme (John Barry) (3:06) Den Of Sins (1:14) Contempt (Georges Delerue) (2:54) Graveyard Shift (3:32) Inside Straight (4:17)

*** star songs: Snagglepuss (2:20)

by Rune2000


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2/5 STARS - 2.5 stars actually...

Despite being around since 1973 and having a good live activity,BLOQUE didn't release anything until 1978.The band got together in Santander under the forces of bassist Luis Pastor, guitarist/vocalist Juan Jose Respuela, drummer Francisco Baños and guitarist/vocalist Sixto Ruiz, but it was the arrival of keyboardist Juan Carlos Gutierrez, which gave the band a richer and more elaborate sound.BLOQUE played in various important festivals,among them a couple of great gigs in Leon and Burgos and finally released their self- titled debut in 1978 on Chapa Records and produced by radio/press pioneer Vicente Romero.

Loving both the sound of ALLMAN BROTHERS and progressive rock, BLOQUE presented a semi-prog disc with varied influences, styles, tempos and atmospheres,but built on the guitars of Respuela and Ruiz...and with two guitarist on the line-up it is reasonable that the musicianship is guitar-driven.The Respuela/Ruiz duo delivers some good solos, powerful grooves, a few fusion touches of the Spanish prog school, while a couple of sweet ballads with acoustic guitars on the front add a more relaxed feeling, sometimes recalling TRIANA, if you add the atmospheric keyboards.Speaking of keyboards, Gutierrez, while he is a great keyboardist and uses a variety of keys including synths,mellotron and organ, actually remains under the shades of Respuela and Ruiz,though in a couple of moments he offers some nice and flashy synths.

The sound and influence of ALLMAN BROTHERS is what really dominates the album,which is a good rock album with some progressive leanings,but it can get a little bit boring for those who expect somekind of complex or more adventuruous listenings.Fortunately the band would soon switch into more progressive fields.Heading almost exclusively to fans of Spanish rock and guitar-based prog rock.

by psarros


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3/5 STARS - II - Livets Ändhållplats is the 2nd full-length studio album by Swedish experimental black metal act Shining. The debut full-length studio album by the band called I - Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) was a good effort allthough a bit imature in the songwriting department.

The same bleak melancholy ( read: extremely depressive mood), that made the debut such an enjoyable album, is featured here in large amounts. Kvarforth still spits out his frustrations with a raspy black metal vocal attack. The sparse lyrics focus on the bleak and depressive sides of life which is quite obvious when you read the titles. The lyrics and as a consequence the titles are in the Swedish language. I guess titles like Ett Liv Utan Mening ( "A life without meaning"), Att Med Kniv Göra Sig Illa ( "to Hurt Yourself with a Knife") and Död ( "Dead") says it all. Kvarforth is notoriously know for self-mutilated himself on stage with a knife during Shining shows. They are an extreme band in every way possible. But when all the sick theatrics are disregarded the music is actually very interesting. There are six tracks on the album. One pretty short one and five longer ones. The tempo is mostly slow to mid-paced and really heavy but not doomy as such. There´s a majestic and dark quality to most of the tracks ( and an actual heavy groove too) and while the songs have a tendency to become a bit too repetitive in nature for my taste, Shining really understand how to build epic songs. It´s on II - Livets Ändhållplats they start incorporating acoustic parts which are great for variation and the melancholic mood. My favorite here is Ännu Ett Steg Närmare Total Utfrysning ( "Another Step Closer to total Exclusion"). It´s such a majestic track that it´s hard not to be affected.

The production is raw but not annoyingly primitive in any way.

II - Livets Ändhållplats is a good album in my world, but only occassionally excellent and it´s hard to disregard the fact that Shining made much more interesting albums later in their career when listening to this one. But this is where the experiments began. A 3 star rating is deserved.

by UMUR


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3/5 STARS - Corridors is a demo CD release by UK experimental/ progressive extreme metal act The Axis of Perdition. The demo is a kind of split release with the band Pulse Fear. Pulse Fear is an earlier incarnation of The Axis of Perdition and the three tracks they contribute to the demo are in a dark ambient style.

The three tracks The Axis of Perdition contribute with are in a twisted, dark and experimental extreme metal style. I´m thinking acts like Dødheimsgard, Void and Ephel Duath. Lots of atmospheric/ eerie samples, aggressive vocals, blasting drums and twisted/ adventurous riffing. The drums are programmed and while they are pretty well programmed it´s a minor complaint that there aren´t real drums on the EP. The sound quality isn´t professional but taking into consideration that this is a demo it´s still quite enjoyable. The most important feature on this demo is the mood though. It oozes dark atmosphere and it´s no surprise that the band´s primary lyrical themes evolve around H.P. Lovecraft novels and the Silent Hill computer games ( and movie). Twisted, dark and supernatural.

Corridors is a very promising start for The Axis of Perdition and it´s definitely worth checking out. A 3 star rating is well deserved.

by UMUR


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