Tag Archives: prog rock

Album review: SIMON COLLINS – Becoming Human

SIMON COLLINS - Becoming Human

Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20] Fourth solo album by Simon Collins and his first since leaving Sound Of Contact, on whose 2013 debut album ‘Dimensionaut’ he handled lead vocals. Simon Collins played drums and keys on this album, along with vocals. … Continue reading

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Album review: NEAL MORSE – Sola Gratia

NEAL MORSE - Sola Gratia

Inside Out [Release date 11.09.20] Neal Morse hardly seems to be out of the studio, with a covers collection released in the summer under the Morse Portnoy George handle, and last year he released the ambitious double album ‘Jesus Christ: … Continue reading

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Album review: LEE ABRAHAM – Harmony/Synchronicity

LEE ABRAHAM - Harmony Synchronicity

F2 Music/Festival Music [Release date 04.09.20] ‘Harmony/Synchronicity’ was written and recorded during an intense 8 week period between April and early June 2020, and follows less than a year after Lee’s highly recommended ‘Comatose’ album. Lee is joined Gerald Mulligan … Continue reading

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Album review: FLYING COLORS – Third Stage Live In London

FLYING COLORS - Third Stage Live In London

Music Theories Recordings [Release date 07.08.20] Filmed during Flying Colors’ 2019 US and European tour on the 14 December at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on the final night of that tour. They had only played nine shows on the tour, which … Continue reading

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Album review: DUKES OF THE ORIENT – Freakshow

DUKES OF THE ORIENT - Freakshow

Frontiers [Release date 07.08.20] Dukes Of The Orient – vocalist John Payne (ex-Asia, GPS) and keyboardist Erik Norlander (Last In Line, Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists) – return with their second album. Dukes Of The Orient has more of a band … Continue reading

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Album review: MAGENTA – Masters Of Illusion

MAGENTA - Masters Of Illusion

Tigermoth [Release date 10.07.20] It seems a while since Magenta’s last studio release – We Are Legend (2017), and much as I enjoyed it, I have to confess it isn’t an album I’ve felt overly inclined to revisit at regular … Continue reading

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Album review: PINNACLE POINT – Symphony Of Mind

PINNACLE POINT - Symphony Of Mind

Escape Music [Release date 17.07.20] Pinnacle Point released their debut album ‘Winds Of Change’ back in 2017 and the band features vocalist Jerome Mazza (Angelica, Outlaw Son, Steve Walsh) and guitarist Torben Enevoldsen (Fate, Acacia Avenue, Section A). They are … Continue reading

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Album review: KANSAS – All Just Dust In The Wind The Legendary Broadcast

Coda Records Ltd (blue vinyl) This beautiful release (I’ll call it that because it’s great to look at and even better to listen to) features US rock band Kansas at their peak. Coda Records have been doing a fine job … Continue reading

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Album review: STEVE THORNE – Emotional Creatures Part 3

STEVE THORNE - Emotional Creatures Part 3

Own label [Release date 02.02.20] Part 3 of the ‘Emotional Creatures’ trilogy he started back in 2005, which was also his debut album. Less name guests this time around as Steve Thorne plays all the instruments, bar the drums which … Continue reading

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Feature: Call Collect – An introduction to DEMON

Demon - 2016

Jason Ritchie highlights the recording history of NWOBHM band Demon Formed in Stoke back in the NWOBHM the band initially lived up to their name with singer Dave Hill rising up from coffins on stage, along with lots of devil references … Continue reading

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Album review: COMPASS – Our Time On Earth

COMPASS – Our Time On Earth

Escape Music [Release date 24.04.20] The Compass story began back in December 2017 when singer songwriter Steve Newman decided to write a few songs that musically would step outside the barriers imposed by many years writing for his own band … Continue reading

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Album review: HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT’S ADEQUATE – Nostalgia For Infinity

HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT’S ADEQUATE – Nostalgia For Infinity

Bandcamp [Release date 06.05.20] Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate are Malcolm Galloway and Mark Gatland along with Kathryn Thomas on flute and vocals on one song. The theme of the album is the frailty of civilisation, from a variety of … Continue reading

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Album review: YES – The Ladder, Open Your Eyes

YES - The Ladder

YES The Ladder (Collector’s Edition CD, Gatefold Digipack) EarMUSIC/Edel [Release date 20.03.20] How much was producer, Bruce Fairbairn responsible for the the band’s return to creative form on 1999′s “The Ladder”? Considering that his path through the nineties was littered … Continue reading

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Album review: JETHRO TULL & IAN ANDERSON

JETHRO TULL - Living With The Past

JETHRO TULL – Living With The Past (CD&DVD Collector’s Edition Gatefold Digipac) EarMUSIC/Edel [Release date 20.03.20] Germany’s Edel/Ear Music continue their ambitious “Classics Range” with a double Jethro Tull whammy. These two boxsets add up to several hours of high … Continue reading

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Gig review: HAWKWIND – Cambridge Corn Exchange,18 November 2019

Now celebrating their 50th tour, Hawkwind have always been one of the giants of the UK rock scene but have, despite their longevity, never seen the plaudits and respect that are heaped on many acts of their vintage and younger. … Continue reading

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Album review: ALAN SIMON – Excalibur The Mythical Concert

ALAN SIMON - Excalibur The Mythical Concert

“Excalibur – The Mythical Concert” (CD&DVD) “Excalibur – Live In Broceliande” (CD&DVD) [Release Date 25.10.19] In the late nineties, Breton’s Alan Simon created “Excalibur”, a Progressive/ Symphonic/ Celtic Folk Rock series, based on Arthurian legend. It proved to be hugely … Continue reading

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Album review: FLYING COLORS – Third Degree

FLYING COLORS - Third Degree

Music Theories Recording/Mascot Label Group [Release date 04.10.19] The third album by the supergroup Flying Colors who feature Casey McPherson (lead vocals, guitar), Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar), Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion, vocals), Deep Purple’s Steve Morse (lead guitar) … Continue reading

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Album review: FOREST FIELD – Seasons

FOREST FIELD - Seasons

Rock Company [Release date 18.09.19] Forest Field are the brainchild of Peter Cox, who plays all the instruments, songwriting and production, with Phil Vincent on vocals and guitarist Vince O’Regan guests on two songs. ‘Seasons’ is a concept piece, based … Continue reading

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Album review: LEE ABRAHAM – Comatose

LEE ABRAHAM - Comatose

F2 Music [Release date 27.09.19] I really enjoyed Lee Abraham’s 2017 album ‘Colours’, a veritable AOR meets prog delight and now Lee Abraham is back with a new solo outing, this time a concept piece. ‘Comatose’ tells the story of … Continue reading

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Quick plays: ATOM WORKS, YES

YES Live At Glastonbury 2003

YES Live At Glastonbury 2003 The Store For Music [Release date 04.10.19] There is not even an inlay for this double album lifted from the soundtrack to the “Director’s Cut” DVD released in 2008.  Roger Dean’s iconic logo is the … Continue reading

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Album review: ELOY – The Vision, The Sword and The Pyre (Part II)

ELOY - The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre (Part II)

Artist Station Records [Release date 27.09.19] German prog legends return with their new album two years after Part I of this 2 part concept (this with Joan of Arc as the central character). Part one featured fantastic reviews, and rightfully … Continue reading

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Album review: PATTERN-SEEKING ANIMALS – Pattern-Seeking Animals

PATTERN-SEEKING ANIMALS - Pattern-Seeking Animals

Inside Out [Release date 05.07.19] Pattern-Seeking Animals maybe a new band, however its members have a long and shared history as it features John Boegehold, who started the idea of this band and writes and works with Spock’s Beard. Joining … Continue reading

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Album review: THIS WINTER MACHINE – A Tower of Clocks

THIS WINTER MACHINE - A Tower Of Clocks

F2 Music [Release date 24.06.19] Second album by the Yorkshire based progressive rockers This Winter Machine, who are relative newcomers having formed in 2016. They consist of Al Winter (vocals), Mark Numan (keyboards, vocals), Graham Garbett (guitars, vocals), Scott Owens … Continue reading

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Album review: DE WOLFF – Live & Outta Sight II

De Wolff -  Live & Outta Sight 11

        Mascot Records [Release date 14.06.19] Dutch rock band De Wolff is a contemporary cross-genre band who tap into the moment to produce a varied, but coherent live album with plenty of innovation and spark. Variously described … Continue reading

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Album review: BIG BIG TRAIN – Grand Tour

BIG BIG TRAIN - Grand Tour

English Electric [Release date 17.05.19] Big Big Train return with ‘Grand Tour’ – the first since the band’s inception without founder Andy Poole – and they are joined by five brass players and 18 string players. Vocalist David Langdon helps … Continue reading

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