Tag Archives: prog

Gig review: STONE FREE FESTIVAL Day 2 – O2 Arena, London, 19 June 2016

Rick Wakeman - STONE FREE FESTIVAL Day 2 - O2 Arena, London, 19 June 2016

While the first day of the debut Stone Free festival had an eclectic mix of bands, the second was far more coherent with the theme of progressive rock both in the main arena and the Indigo.  Combined with an older … Continue reading

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Album review: EVELINE’S DUST – The Painkeeper

EVELINE

[Release date 11.03.16] Italian prog anyone? Inspired by the usual suspects – King Crimson, Genesis, et al, and current exponents like Steven Wilson, Eveline’s Dust – a four piece Pisa, Tuscany – have produced a rather fine follow up to … Continue reading

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Album review: MARTIN TURNER – Reissues

Martin Turner - Life Begins

Cherry Red [Release date 08.04.16] Martin Turner albums are like buses.  There’s nothing, and then along come several.  That’s no problem as the one-time Wishbone Ash bassist always maintains a high quality quotient and they are worth the wait even … Continue reading

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Album review: BIG BIG TRAIN – Folklore

BIG BIG TRAIN - Folklore

www.bigbigtrain.com [Release date 27.05.16] Big Big Train return with their first full studio album since 2013, last year’s EP ‘Wassail’ was a nice stop gap and the title track is on this album. Also since their last album they have … Continue reading

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Album review: GANDALF’S FIST – The Clockwork Fable

GANDALF

www.gandalfsfist.com [Release date 01.05.16] I enjoyed Gandalf’s Fist’s last album ‘A Forest Of Fey’, and they have really upped their game all round on this one. First, a mention about the packaging. Not only do we get a sumptuous triple … Continue reading

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Interview: JEM GODFREY of FROST*

Frost* release their new album ‘Falling Satellites’ on 27 May and here we catch-up with Jem Godfrey for more on the album, tour plans and the perils of ironing board keyboards… An obvious one maybe but why has the rather … Continue reading

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News: PANIC ROOM PledgeMusic Campaign and Weekend – May/June 2016

PANIC ROOM - The Citadel, St. Helens, 9 May 2015

On Sunday 15 May, David Randall from Get Ready to ROCK! Radio chatted to Anne-Marie Helder about the weekend event and PledgeMusic campaign.  (26:03)  The full version of this feature – with tracks from Panic Room and associated artists – … Continue reading

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Album review: FROST* – Falling Satellites

FROST* - Falling Satellites

Inside Out [Release date 27.05.16] This album has been a long time coming as the last Frost* album was 2008′s ‘Experiments In Mass Appeal’ and we even had Jem Godfrey announce the end of the band in 2011, only for … Continue reading

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Album review: RIKARD SJOBLOM – The Unbendable Sleep

RIKARD SJOBLOM - The Unbendable Sleep

Gungfly   [Release date: 10.02.16] Rikard Sjoblom, for the uninitiated, is the multi-instrumentalist frontman for Swedish avant-progressive rock darlings Beardfish. He was also the prime mover behind Gungfly, who briefly piqued interest from the music press a few years back and … Continue reading

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Album review: THE ALAN PARSONS SYMPHONIC PROJECT – Live In Colombia

THE ALAN PARSONS SYMPHONIC PROJECT - Live In Colombia

earMUSIC [Release date 27.05.16] 2-CD/DVD/Bluray/Vinyl “Damned If I Do” may have described a personal dilemma in March 2015 as I toyed with the idea of making the pilgrimage to a rare Alan Parsons date in London.  Inevitably, an early look … Continue reading

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News: STEVE HACKETT Charisma Years vinyl box set and deluxe editions May 2016

STEVE HACKETT - The Lowry, Salford, 25 October 2015

Following the success of ‘Premonitions’, the CD box set releasd in 2015, May 2016 sees the reissue of Steve Hackett’s first six Charisma albums on vinyl. “The Charisma Years (1975-1983)’ features 8LPs & 12″ EP and is due out on … Continue reading

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Interview: JON POOLE – THE DOWLING POOLE

The Dowling Poole - One Hyde Park

The Dowling Poole have released their second album, ‘One Hyde Park’, another glorious collection of pop gems recalling greats such as XTC, the Kinks, ELO and the band’s own unique twist. After catching up recently with Willie Dowling, we posed … Continue reading

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Album review: KANSAS – Always Never The Same

KANSAS – Always Never The Same

Store For Music www.storeformusic.com An album overlooked in the Kansas catalogue being originally released back in 1998, three years after their last studio album ‘Freaks Of Nature’. I remember reading an interview back at that time where drummer Phil Ehart … Continue reading

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Gig review: HRH PROG – Pwllheli, Wales, 17-19 March 2016

Arthur Brown - HRH Prog - Pwllheli, Wales, 17-20 March 2016

I remember the first time I attended the HRH Prog festival which was held at the ice cold Magna Centre in Rotherham; boy was it cold, even the artists had coats on whilst they performed! But it looks like we … Continue reading

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Album review: CIRCUS MAXIMUS – Havok

CIRCUS MAXIMUS - Havok

Frontiers www.frontiers.it [Release date 18.03.16] Circus Maximus have been around since 2000 and this is album number four from them. Previously they have been more into straight ahead prog metal recalling bands like Kamelot and Symphony X, this time though … Continue reading

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Quick plays: ALMANAC, MOULETTES, BREAK THE SENSES

ALMANAC - Tsar

ALMANAC Tsar Nuclear Blast [Release date 18.03.16] Rage had a major line-up change last year, one of which saw guitarist Victor Smolski leave the band and he wasted little time in assembling Almanac. This album is a concept piece based … Continue reading

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Album review: ADRIAN WEISS – Easy Game

ADRIAN WEISS – Easy Game

CD Baby [Release date 06.07.14] Just in case you dozed off listening to too much AOR, or you’ve have been concussed by too much metal, you may have missed the emergence of a whole new school of prog-metal instrumentalists including … Continue reading

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Album review: LYRIAN – The Jester’s Quest In The City Of Glass

LYRIAN - The Jester

Medieval Records [Release date 01.04.16] Here’s a prog concept album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, judging by the lighter touch in the accompanying press release.  There is no doubt that a lot of effort and enterprise has gone into … Continue reading

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Album review: THE RAPTOR TRAIL – New World

THE RAPTOR TRAIL - New World

MBM Entertainment [Release date 11.03.16] It’s great when a new band takes its cue from anything other than early seventies blues rock.  The Raptor Trail major on well constructed songs, great playing and a definite – even if subconscious – … Continue reading

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News: RENAISSANCE & CURVED AIR – Pioneers of Symphonic/Art Prog tour together in April 2016

Renaissance

ANNIE HASLAM of RENAISSANCE (59:15) David Randall chats to Annie about prog rockers Renaissance Also available in several parts here Symphonic rock icons Renaissance featuring legendary singer Annie Haslam will be performing in the US & UK in support of … Continue reading

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Album review: THE GALACTIC COWBOY ORCHESTRA – Earth Lift

THE GALACTIC COWBOY ORCHESTRA – Earth Lift

Loud Folk [Release date 22.09.15] Minneapolis art rockers The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra take us back to the experimental and adventurous days of early 70’s prog rock and fusion, when bands like King Crimson, Jethro Tull and later the Mahavishnu Orchestra … Continue reading

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Album review: DOCKER’S GUILD – The Heisenberg Diaries Book A: Sounds of Future Past

DOCKER

Lion Music www.lionmusic.com [Release date 21.01.16, digital only] This is the second album from the Docker’s Guild, the brainchild of Douglas R. Docker. This album is part of a series of 4 transitional albums placed between the 5 main “seasons” … Continue reading

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Quick plays: THE WINTER TREE, BRYAN ADAMS, JOE EGAN

THE WINTER TREE Earth Below

THE WINTER TREE Earth Below www.thewintertreeband.com Andrew Laitres is the main force behind this band, who also feature Mattias Olsson (Anglagard/White Willow/Necromonkey) on drums and percussion, Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow/Opium Cartel) who mixed the album plus played some guitar/synths, as … Continue reading

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Album review: OLLOCS – Outer Edge

Ollocs - Outer Edge

Self released  [Release date: 24.10.15] Okay, let’s get the issue of the name out of the way first. Ollocs. What were they thinking of? Ollocs, whilst lending itself to a myriad of infantile jokes (I was thinking of giving it … Continue reading

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Album review: THE MUTE GODS – Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me

THE MUTE GODS - Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me

Inside Out [Release date 22.01.16] The Mute Gods are centred around Nick Beggs, who has worked and toured with Steve Hackett and Steven Wilson among others. He is joined by respected drummer Marco Minnemann (who also plays guitar) and Roger … Continue reading

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