Album review: PROG COLLECTIVE – Dark Encounters

March 11th, 2024 by GRTR! HQ

Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records [Release date 29.03.24]

If this is “dark prog” then dark prog sounds to me like jazz/rock fusion. Once you are past the descriptors, a look at the cast list suggests this might be a rather tasty fusion fest.

The latest in a series put together by Yes bassist Billy Sherwood (who writes all the material and plays on all tracks) is mainly instrumental.

It’s a chance to hear various guitarists outside of the straitjackets usually imposed by their big name masters. So we have Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens on the opener ‘Darkest Hour’ setting the scene with a suitably dramatic and moody edge.

Steve Morse’s workout on ‘Ominous Signs’ will be recognisable to fans of his prime Dixie Dregs era whilst itinerant violinist David Cross provides a King Crimson/Mahavishnu vibe to ‘At The Gates’.

Bumblefoot Thal sings and plays on one of three vocal pieces – the standout ‘Dark Days’ - accompanied by Patrick Moraz and drummer Omar Hakim. Another highlight ‘Between Two Worlds’ features Steve Hillage.

And as if to confirm this is really jazz rock fusion in disguise John Etheridge crops up on ‘The 11th Hour’ which sounds like Allan Holdsworth in an unholy alliance with Hawkwind (Del Dettmar period).

The space keyboard vibe is repeated on several tracks, Sherwood evidently likes this effect but to these ears it can be intrusive and when a piece like ‘Distant Thunder’ also meanders the results aren’t convincing.

Tagged on to 13 tracks are two bonuses which don’t really sit with either the dark theme or the rest of the album. So, bizarrely, there’s an “instrumental version” of ‘I’m Not In Love’ with Rick Wakeman when it’s actually got a vocal (originally featured on a Nektar “covers” album in 2012), whilst Todd Rundgren reprises ‘I Saw The Light’ (previously part of a Todd “covers” release in 2022). To me this is lazy and sloppy programming and detracts from an otherwise consistent offering.

If you can dispense with that dark prog tag, this is still a satisfyingly dark album for lovers of the individual artists, Billy Sherwood, minor keys, or mainly instrumental fusion. ***

Review by David Randall

Album review (‘Worlds On Hold’, 2021)

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