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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Gig review: SOUTH OF SALEM – Thekla, Bristol, 27 March 2025
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Gig review: JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE – The Underworld, Camden, March 13 2025
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Gig review: GRAHAM GOULDMAN – Cadogan Hall, London, 20 March 2025
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Gig review: THE DARKNESS – G Live, Guildford, 11 March 2025
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Gig review: FISH – O2 Academy, Glasgow, 9 March 2025
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Gig review: WILL WILDE- 100 Club, London, 4 March 2025
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Tag Archives: progressive metal
Album review: DREAM THEATER – Parasomnia
InsideOut [Release date 07.02.25] Dream Theater’s sixteenth studio album marks the return of drummer Mike Portnoy after a 15 year hiatus. While the album ambitiously explores themes of sleep disturbances it does lack the innovative spark that once defined the … Continue reading
Album review: TERAMAZE – Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace
Wells Music [Release date 24.05.24] teramaze.bandcamp.com/ For some strange reason I have only just become acquainted with this Australian prog metal band. This latest offering is their eleventh full-length album, so I have some catching up to do. Strangely again, over … Continue reading
News: Albums Of The Month (January – March 2024)
MYRATH Karma (earMUSIC) They have big songs and even bigger ideas on how to present them live and are not short on confidence in their collective abilities, and rightly so. ‘Karma’ will only serve to further the Myrath cause … Continue reading
Album review: BALANCE OF POWER – Fresh From The Abyss
Massacre Records [Release date 19.04.24] Balance of Power are a band this reviewer has been aware of, mainly for featuring former vocalist Lance King, but would never class myself as a fan. Balance Of Power seemingly went missing in action … Continue reading
Album review : TURBULENCE – Binary Dream
Frontiers [Release date: 08.03.24] Third album from cutting edge Lebanese Progressive Metal band, Turbulence. Turbulence by name… this truly is a Prog Metal album for genre afficionados. We said that the band’s 2023 Frontiers debut, Frontal was “a defiantly bold … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dream Theater, High Concept, progressive metal, review, Turbulence
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Album review: DISTRICT 97 – Stay For The Ending
Spirit Of Unicorn Music/Cherry Red [Release date 20.10.23] Now here’s something a little different. A prog metal band fronted by a female vocalist, an American Idol finalist to boot! I have been aware of District 97, not least when they … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, DISTRICT 97, fusion, Jazz rock, prog, progressive metal, review, Stay For The Ending
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Album review: KATATONIA – Sky Void Of Stars
Napalm Records [Release date: 20.01.23] Ever since Swedish behemoths Katatonia de-coupled themselves from the doom-metal train to oblivion with the ‘Night Is The New Day’ album way back in 2009, they have been the flag-bearers of a genre best described … Continue reading
Album review: AVANTASIA – A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society
Nuclear Blast [Release date 21.10.22] The ninth studio album from Avantasia, the musical concept created by Tobias Sammet. Vocal wise the list is as impressive as ever with Bob Catley, Floor Jansen, Geoff Tate, Ronnie Atkins and Eric Martin amongst … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society, album, AVANTASIA, Bob Catley, Eric Martin, Floor Jansen, Jorn, metal, progressive metal, Ralph Scheepers, review, symphonic metal, theatrical, Tobias Sammet
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Album review: SEVENTH WONDER – The Testament
Frontiers [Release date: 10.06.22] Sixth album from Swedish Prog Metal band Seventh Wonder, for whom life began at the turn of the century. The band is full of virtuoso musicians. Guitarist Johan Liefvendal and bassist, Andreas Blomqvist are the driving … Continue reading
Album review: TERRA ODIUM – Ne Plus Ultra
Frontiers Records [Release date 11.06.21] In its more expansive moments, Norwegian band Terra Odium’s album resonates with the sci-fi dissonance of tech metal. The kind that Brad Fiedel and Wendy Carlos wielded on “The Terminator” and “The Shining” film scores. … Continue reading
Album review: BEN RANDALL – Before The Rain
Thoroughbred Music [Release date: 02.04.21] www.benrandallguitar.com For me, it’s always been about the guitar. Back in the day, from the moment I heard Paul Kossoff’s wailing Les Paul on the early Free albums, I was hooked. Koss, Blackmore, Iommi, … Continue reading
Album review: SECRET SPHERE – Lifeblood
Frontiers Records [Release date 12.03.21] If Italy’s Secret Sphere aren’t the EU’s Power Metal poster boys, then they should be. They are a relatively unsung band who’ve battled through multiple line up changes, and come up smelling of roses every … Continue reading
Album review: TURBULENCE – Frontal
Frontiers Records [Release date 12.03.21] Lebanese Progressive Rock/Metal band, Turbulence, are crossing a few boundaries with their provocatively titled Frontiers debut, Frontal. It is a defiantly bold attempt to incorporate the music of the wider world into their work. Something … Continue reading
Album review: ORDEN OGAN – Final Days
AFM Records [Release date 12.03.21] Orden Ogan might not be the band on everyone’s lips when Progressive or Power Metal is the subject of conversation. But they should be. And if their last album, Gunmen, didn’t put them there, Final … Continue reading
Feature: Albums that time forgot…JAMES LABRIE – Elements Of Persuasion
InsideOut (2005) For many band members, the band becomes all consuming. It means, as a result of the constant cycle of touring, writing and recording, they can’t deliver their own solo album. There are 15 years between John Petrucci’s first … Continue reading
Book review: On track…DREAM THEATER (Every album, every song) – Jordan Blum
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 17.07.20] This volume reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the series’ premise. Jordan Blum’s careful expose of all the albums reveals how indebted he is to other writers, websites and magazines. And, let’s be honest, Wikipedia. … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged book, Dream Theater, Every Album, Every Song, James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, Mike Portnoy, On Track, progressive metal, review
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Album review: HAKEN – Virus
Inside Out [Release date 24.07.20] Following the release of their fifth studio album “Vektor” back in October 2018, the members of the British Progressive Metal sextet Haken have rightfully been in the receiving end of various rewards and accolades. For … Continue reading
Album review: SHINING BLACK
Frontiers Records [Release date 10.07.20] For afficionados, these are instantly recognisable protagonists. Shining Black matches up Mark Boals, a gun for hire vocalist, with the perhaps lesser known Olaf Thorsen, guitarist with Labyrinth and Vision Divine. It plays out along … Continue reading
Feature: Albums that time forgot – DOMINICI – O3 A Trilogy (Part 3)
Inside Out [2008] Charlie Dominici may merit a mere footnote in the history of Dream Theater, the band’s original singer who was in the formative Majesty before making the band’s first album. Then in 2005 he produced the first of … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged album, Brian Maillard, Charlie Dominici, Dominici, Dream Theater, interview, O3 A Trilogy, Part 3, progressive metal, review
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Album review: ARCHON ANGEL – Fallen
Frontiers [Release date 14.02.20] Archon Angel is a new project born from a meeting between producer/guitarist Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere) and former Savatage and Circle II Circle vocalist Zak Stevens during the making of Timo Tolkki’s Avalon’s Return To Eden … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Archon Angel, Circle II Circle, Fallen, metal, progressive metal, review, Savatage, Zak Stevens
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Album review: BLIND EGO – Preaching To The Choir
Gentle Art Of Music - [Release date: 14.02.20] German progressive rock titans RPWL have been ridiculously busy lately, both collectively and individually. Their ‘Tales From Outer Space’ album from early 2019 was deservedly five starred, as was their double live … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Blind Ego, Kalle Wallner, Preaching To The Choir, progressive metal, review, RPWL
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Quick plays: ATOM WORKS, YES
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
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged Alan White, album, Atom Works, Chris Squire, classic rock, Finland, Jon Anderson, Live At Glastonbury 2003, prog metal, prog rock, progressive metal, Progressive Rock, review, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, The Life Of Spice, Yes
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Album review: MIND KEY – Aliens In Wonderland
Frontiers [Release date 12.07.19] Nearly a decade since Mind Key’s last offering ‘Pulse For A Graveheart’ the Italian prog/power metallers return. For those who like lots of great orchestration (Dario De Cicco), lots of melody and strong vocals throughout (Aurello … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Aliens In Wonderland, Italy, Mind Key, power metal, progressive metal, review
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Album review: MIDNIGHT SUN – Dark Tide Rising
Sonicbond [Release date 28.06.19] New Stroud-based prog rock/metal band Midnight Sun claim to be ‘an original rock band’. Well, for a kick off, the name’s not original, having been ‘pre-owned’ by Danish prog rockers between 1971 and 1974 (whose main … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Dark Tide Rising, Midnight Sun, prog, progressive metal, Progressive Rock, review
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Album review: RHAPSODY OF FIRE – The Eighth Mountain
AFM Records [Release date 22.02.19] Italian power metal band return with their latest album, cementing the new/current line-up. Formed in the mid 90 as Rhapsody, RoF made the genre of symphonic power metal their own. Founder members keyboard player Alex … Continue reading
