Ambrosia - Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled ($7.99)
Ambrosia - Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled ($7.99) 
If you don’t have these rather affordable CDs in your collection, you’ve been remiss in your duties as a progressive rock fan. Ambrosia is a band from the Los Angeles area whose 1975 self-titled debut is not only their classic, but one of the great American prog albums. Alan Parsons, who mixed the first album, was producer and engineer on Ambrosia’s second album Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled (1976), which features some orchestrations, and while it’s a bit uneven compared to their debut, it’s still an excellent album. It seems that Parsons decided his own ‘Project’ should sound like Ambrosia, and in fact the Ambrosia members played on APP’s debut Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Ambrosia signed to Warner for their third album, leading to a string of chart hits in the sanitized soft-rock style associated with Los Angeles in the late 70’s and early 80’s, songs easily mistaken for the work of Air Supply. Ambrosia are still active as a live band, having played Rosfest 2008, and they are focused purely on their progressive side again. How many times have you seen a band with a catalog of Top 40 hits perform live and play none of them? (OK, they played the Floydian Holdin’ On to Yesterday, a fine song from the first album that happened to chart.)
Port Mahadia - Echoes in Time ($9.99) This is the 2007 debut by a metal-ish American prog band at an introductory price. Damian Wilson (Landmarq, Threshold, Ayreon, Rick Wakeman, etc.) provides the bulk of the vocals, though there is quite a bit of instrumental content as well. David Ragsdale (Kansas) and Hugh McDowell (ELO) guest on violin and cello, respectively. The band describe the CD purely in terms of progressive rock, and yet there’s a lot of metal here. The primary composer is the guitarist, and one often must forgive guitarists below a certain age for confusing metal and progressive rock. Ragsdale always elevates tracks he plays on. One hopes the second Port Mahadia album will focus more on the style of the tracks featuring Ragsdale or McDowell, which are usually the most symphonic and refined, and less on the generic metal riffing sometimes used to fill in the gaps between ideas. A promising debut nonetheless.
Harlequin Mass - same ($14.99) This is the CD reissue of the 1978 album by American progressive rock band Harlequin Mass, their only output. It’s a very good album, a folkier take on the Yes, Genesis, and Renaissance styles. The CD adds four tracks from the follow-on band Stubborn Puppet. Read reviews at Prog Archives.
John Curtis - Short Songs About Affordable Food ($9.99) The rather simple artwork on this CD almost caused us to ignore a great album. Portland, Oregon’s John Curtis has been playing keyboards since the 70’s. Lyrically this CD is in the American satirical tradition of Frank Zappa and The Tubes. Musically, Curtis must be familiar with Dave Stewart, as many of the songs sound like an American Hatfield and the North. Curtis is not kidding when he says “short songs”. There are 43 of them on this one hour CD! Curtis seems to have an endless supply of songs, if not the desire to flesh them out. He rarely repeats a verse. The longest songs get through a verse, chorus and instrumental bridge before moving on, and others are only a verse. Curtis feels that if you need to hear a verse or chorus again, play the song again! It's not a drawback -- the song fragments are really good, and the listener has no time to get bored. There are multi-part suites that last a minute. The songs are about 90% progressive, and the rest are welcome humorous ditties. A few of the songs resemble Jadis, mostly vocally, while most have the Canterbury type harmonic vocabulary. With the use of real drums and a number of guest musicians assisting on guitars, vocals and more, it sounds like a full band effort, and the audio fidelity is very good. Radio Piece III is a good if obscure reference.
Torman Maxt - The Problem of Pain: Part 1 ($10.99) The Problem of Pain: Part 1 (2007) is the third CD by this U.S. band, consisting of five suites. Torman Maxt were initially influenced by Rush circa 2112, but like Rush themselves, they refined their music into a more sophisticated progressive rock. Though Rush remains the dominant influence, Torman Maxt diverged from Rush, adding some Yes influence and making good use of acoustic guitar. The vocals are in the mid-to-high range, with a passing resemblance to Geddy Lee. The vibe is positive, and the musicianship is sensitive rather than technical. Though the arrangements are complex, there is plenty of melody.
Vertical Alignment - Signposts ($12.99) Signposts (2007) is the first full-length (and then some) CD for U.S. symphonic prog band Vertical Alignment, who are one of a loose coalition of prog bands mostly from the southeastern U.S., united by their Christian-oriented lyrics and themes. This is very accomplished progressive rock with Yes as the dominant influence, Genesis as another, as well as the more American flavor of Kansas and Glass Hammer. Among the guests on the CD are Randy George and Wil Henderson of Ajalon; Steve Babb, Fred Schendel and David Wallimann of Glass Hammer; Carl Groves of Salem Hill; and Kevin Jarvis of Farpoint. With Vertical Alignment’s strong vocals and melodies and the CD’s playing time of nearly 80-minutes with no weak tracks, this is highly recommended to fans of classic symphonic prog. Get on board with this band now, as they’ve already mapped out plans for their next three CDs!
Frogg Café - The Safenzee Diaries (2CD, $13.99) |     |
Speechless - Time Out of Mind ($12.99) Speechless is an Atlanta-based instrumental quartet (guitar, keys, bass, drums) playing a typically American style of progressive rock that is a melting pot of many different influences. Their debut Time Out of Mind (2006) eschews drama in favor of a groove-oriented, flowing style, always melodic and emphasizing ensemble playing rather than soloing. They have the sound palette of a jam band, but everything is highly-structured. There are flashes of Yes, ELP, Dixie Dregs, Rush, and a healthy dose of fusion. Think of Djam Karet at their most melodic and when they aren’t making it up as they go along.
Anton Roolaart - Dreamer ($13.99) Released on the same label as Chris Squire’s band The Syn, Dreamer (2007) is the first album by Dutch-born American Anton Roolaart, who happens to also run ProgRockRadio.com. He wrote, engineered and produced this album, handling guitar, keys, vocals and programming. While this is Anton’s baby, he wisely brought in other musicians including a bass player and keyboardist Rave Tesar of Annie Haslam’s band. Drum duties are split between two drummers, one of whom is Rich Berends of Mastermind. It is a meticulously crafted symphonic rock album in which one can spot various influences, certainly Yes and Pink Floyd. Many of the songs were written years earlier, and Anton’s main sources of inspiration are the 1970’s masters of the genre, but his Internet radio station exposed him to newer progressive artists who have had an influence on his style. The album lacks the spark or energy of a band playing together, but if thought of in the same terms as, say, Jon Anderson’s Olias of Sunhillow and similar multi-layered works, Dreamer is an impressive achievment. Read reviews here.
Glass - Live at Progman Cometh ($15.99) Glass, an American trio centered on the brothers Greg and Jeff Sherman, dates back to the 1970’s, though it took them 25 years to release their music. The brothers handle keyboards and bass while Jerry Cook is the drummer. Illuminations is their 2005 studio album, 63 minutes of flowing keyboard instrumentals emphasizing organ, piano, and Mellotron (in that order). It’s definitely 1970’s styled, but closer to the Canterbury style than to ELP. There is also a psychedelic or experimental element present in several tracks. Soloing is kept to a minimum and the instrumental arrangements, while not overtly complex, focus on a rich sound canvas. Hugh Hopper guests on the track Isle Of Dyslexia, while Gaia features Richard Sinclair and Phil Miller.
Live at Progman Cometh (2007) features live recordings from the first and second Progman Cometh festivals in Seattle in 2002 and 2003, plus a bonus track from Baja Prog 2002, 66-minutes total. Among the guests are Elton Dean on sax, Hugh Hopper on bass, Richard Sinclair (vocals), and Bill and Paul Kopecky on bass and snare drum, respectively. Read the Sea of Tranquility and DPRP reviews.
The Third Ending - same ($12.99) This is the 2006 debut by a modern-sounding prog rock quartet from Tasmania (Australia). They have some similarities to Porcupine Tree and Dream Theater, but their style probably comes closest to Spock’s Beard, more the song-oriented side rather than the technical or flashy side of the Beard. There are some great pop hooks embedded in these tracks, and the occasional metal and grunge guitar is more than offset by richly-textured symphonic passages and open, acoustic guitar-driven songs. 54-minutes. Read the DPRP review.
Squonk Opera - Astro-rama: Live Under the Stars DVD ($14.99) 
Squonk Opera - Inferno ($5.99*)* Inferno comes FREE with the purchase of either You Are Here or Rodeo Smackdown (limit one per customer), or $5.99 separately.
This amazing Pittsburgh ensemble have created a unique and contemporary progressive rock style. But even more impressive are their big-budget, highly-imaginative shows, perhaps the best fusion of art-rock and performance art there is. Many reviewers have tried in vain to describe Squonk Opera’s music. Perhaps a collision between However, Clearlight, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Kate Bush, and Laurie Anderson is a starting reference point. They feature piano and accordion, wind synth and Celtic flute, female vocals, electric and double bass, drums and percussion. The music is full of odd meters and a generally dark ambience, with Jackie Dempsey’s classical piano usually at the center of things. The female voice is often used as another instrument.
You Are Here (2006, digipack) is the soundtrack to both touring series (put your hometown’s name here): The Opera and You Are Here. The same lineup that recorded Rodeo Smackdown is augmented by a guitarist (electric & acoustic), further broadening their sound. So You Are Here improves even on Rodeo Smackdown, with a grand symphonic feel to some of the music. Watch video clips here and you’ll also hear some of the music.
Rodeo Smackdown (2004, digipack) is the album from their show of the same name. Squonk Opera like to juxtapose stories from antiquity with modern themes; in the case of Rodeo Smackdown, it’s the myth of the Minotaur and the maze, set against the backdrop of the American West. Rodeo Smackdown is their best album since their debut Howandever (long out-of-print). Video clips here.
Inferno (2002) is the music from their previous production, which applies Danté’s Inferno to the coal town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, where a mine fire simmers underground to this day. Video clip here.
Without the visual element, Squonk Opera’s CDs can only tell half the story. At last in 2009, Squonk Opera have released their first DVD (NTSC, 16:9 widescreen, stereo). Filmed in their hometown of Pittsburgh, Astro-rama is the “biggest, baddest, boldest Squonk Opera yet!,” or so says Pop City. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who chose it as one of the most memorable musical moments of 2008, said “the visuals were outstanding and Squonk’s progressive rock was transcendent.” There, a mainstream U.S. newspaper printed the term ‘progressive rock’ in the correct context and without derision! Watch the show overview video. In an era when nearly everything can be easily traced to a past or current trend, Squonk Opera stand alone. Note the DVD liner states Region 1, but Nero InfoTool says the disc is all-region.
Advent - Cantus Firmus ($12.99) This is the same New Jersey-based progressive rock band whose self-titled 1997 CD was released on Mellow Records. Advent’s long-awaited second release Cantus Firmus improves on their debut in just about every way. The band is heavily influenced by Gentle Giant, which is apparent within the first few seconds, even more so on this album than on their debut. But while Advent has some of the medieval feel and similar-sounding vocals, Gentle Giant isn’t the end of the story. There is some Genesis influence present, maybe a little Yes as well, so Advent’s style is often more majestic and regal than Gentle Giant. The album features wonderfully elaborate arrangements, beautiful guitar work (including a substantial amount of classical and acoustic guitar), and tight vocal interplay. The CD also includes previously unreleased 24-track recordings of two songs from the band’s debut CD as bonus tracks. As explained in the liner notes, Advent recorded 24-track versions of five songs in 1992, but due to various constraints, only one received a proper mix and appeared on their debut CD. The other four songs from those sessions ended up on the album in their original four-track cassette versions. So as you can imagine, the improvement in the 24-track versions is immense, and one of the bonus tracks has also had new drumming added recently. Maybe the best U.S. progressive album of 2006. 69-minutes.
Jim Steele - Neptune Rising ($10.99) Though under keyboardist Jim Steele’s name, this 2006 recording is by a trio with a bassist and drummer. Steele is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was also home to Ethos, one of the best U.S. progressive rock bands. Neptune Rising is instrumental keyboard progressive rock, but different than that produced by any other such trio. There are some similarities to keyboard trios such as Egg or Le Orme, but the music is more floating, ambient, and spacey, influenced most likely by Tangerine Dream circa Phaedra and Rubycon. There are also elements of fusion, making for a creative and very entertaining blend. See, it’s still possible to make old school progressive rock that isn’t derivative, or that at least combines the established styles in a novel way. Read the reviews at Progscape.com and Progressive Ears.
Zen Carnival - Bardo ($11.99) Hailing from the northeastern U.S., Zen Carnival’s 1999 debut Inheritance is instantly-likeable 1970’s-style progressive in a Genesis/Camel direction. Singer Ken Pfeifer has a definite Steve Hogarth quality to his voice. This has that underproduced sound beloved by many fans of 70’s progressive.
Zen Carnival’s second CD Bardo (67-minutes) is a much more mature and original work, and one of the best modern progressive albums of 2006. While Inheritance was a more traditional progressive rock album, Bardo has taken a step in the direction of Porcupine Tree and sounds quite contemporary. There is a suggestion of later Marillion, which has a lot to do with Pfeifer’s voice, but there is that sensuousness. There is also a jazzy ambience at times, but it’s impossible to characterize the album as a whole because there is a greater breadth here than on their debut, fewer stylistic limits. The constants are the excellent songwriting, the rich sound palette, and the exciting instrumental excursions. The production is stellar.
Glass Moon - Glass Moon / Growing in the Dark remastered ($11.99) Glass Moon was a band from Raleigh, North Carolina that may have begun as a progressive rock band, but by the time they got a record deal, they had become a proggy AOR band. Their 1980 debut is their best, containing really catchy songs, and the band’s progressive heritage is easy to hear. The prog fans who bought this LP probably did so to hear Glass Moon’s cover of Peter Gabriel’s Solsbury Hill. Glass Moon followed with 1981’s Growing in the Dark, which is somewhat more pop-oriented, closer to the likes of Toto. Glass Moon / Growing in the Dark is a 71-minute CD on Renaissance Records that reissues both albums on one CD. The first edition of this was a CD-R mastered at the wrong speed -- the 71:32 album was stretched to 77:24! Renaissance corrected this in 2007 with a replicated CD at the correct speed, so finally the first two Glass Moon albums are available on CD in their entirety with decent sound.
Bandleader Dave Adams has remastered some of the Glass Moon tracks to digital on the 79-minute Moon Hits & More CD, and the audio quality here is still superior to the Renaissance Records CD. This compilation covers more than the first two Glass Moon albums. There was a third Glass Moon entitled Sympathetic Vibration (1984), followed in 1986 by Dave Adam’s solo album Dancing In My Sleep, which features some of the Glass Moon members. The Moon Hits & More CD features tracks from all four of these albums plus four previously-unreleased tracks. Well, the 1984 and 1986 albums didn’t get any more progressive, but they are still clever, catchy, keyboard-dominated pop songs that have more of an eighties sound. We can’t really fault the song selection, as the songs taken from the first two albums are the best ones (Solsbury Hill is included), but of course we would have liked more songs from the first album and fewer from the later ones. So the Glass Moon fan needs both CDs, one to get the complete first two albums, and the other to get the best songs sounding their best, plus the rarities. At least both CDs are very long and not expensive.
Akacia - This Fading Time ($15.99) SALE!
Akacia are a Boston-area band whose 2003 debut An Other Life shows an accomplished quartet of musicians playing progressive rock solidly in the 1970’s style, with influences of Yes, Rush, and others. Four long tracks with strong vocals, often favoring organ and a jazz-guitar tone, reinforcing the 70’s feel. Akacia’s lyrics are Christian-oriented, but the music speaks for itself. This is the band’s original pressing; the French label Musea also issued An Other Life with a different cover.
Akacia’s following CDs were released only on the Musea label. On The Brass Serpent (2005), Akacia have expanded to a quintet. This album again deals with Christian themes and comprises four pieces spanning 58-minutes; one track is 36-minutes long. Aside from touches of prog-metal in one song, the music is firmly rooted in 1970’s progressive rock, Yes, Kansas, and Genesis foremost among their apparent influences. The vocals naturally sound American and bring the music close to some of the obscure American prog bands of the 70’s. (OK, virtually all the American 70’s prog bands were obscure.)
Akacia’s third CD This Fading Time (2006), graced with Paul Whitehead artwork, shows a definite progression... backwards in time. Akacia now sound virtually indistinguishable from an early-1970’s British progressive band, though which prog band they resemble varies. Some of the music is symphonic, some is in the early-70’s hard progressive style, and some has that freer, slightly jazzy, slightly spacey vibe. Their new keyboardist adds a freer, atmospheric quality to many of the tracks, and the guitar tones and keyboard sounds are always early-70’s.
Cryptic Vision - In a World ($12.99) 
Cryptic Vision is a progressive rock band from Florida that draw their influence from Yes, Kansas, Saga, and Spock’s Beard. Their debut CD Moments of Clarity (2003) emphasizes lush harmonies and sophisticated instrumental arrangements. The three core members are professional musicians with a lot of experience, and it shows. The CD features former Kansas violinist David Ragsdale (who seems to turn everything he touches into gold) along with several other guests better known in AOR circles.
Live at ROSFest 2005 is an excellent-sounding 73-minute live CD recorded at the 2005 Rites of Spring festival in Pennsylvania. In addition to tracks from Cryptic Vision’s debut CD, it contains a medley of excerpts from The Water (Spock’s Beard), Yours Is No Disgrace (Yes), Song for America (Kansas), Erotomania (Dream Theater), Turn It On Again (Genesis), and Karn Evil 9 (ELP), plus a studio demo of the track In a World.
Cryptic Vision’s second studio album In a World (2006) is nothing if not bigger, more symphonic and more bombastic. Among the guests are David Ragsdale and Spock’s Beard guitarist Alan Morse. It’s a more consistent album than Moments of Clarity, and as with that album, there’s a strong AOR flavor to the prog rock. The AOR is felt primarily in the vocals, especially the massed, high-pitched harmony vocals, something that was certainly more prevalent 25 years earlier. There’s a mix of long tracks and 4-5 minute tracks, the whole album running 73-minutes.
A Triggering Myth - The Remedy of Abstraction ($13.99) A Triggering Myth is an instrumental American outfit recommended to fans of Soft Machine, National Health, and Happy the Man. Collaborating with A Triggering Myth on this 2006 outing are returning guest musicians Vic Stevens (drums) and Scott McGill (guitars). They are joined by bassist extraordinaire Michael Manring and renowned violinist Akihisa Tsuboy of Japan’s progressive fusion outfit KBB. The sound on this album is often close to Happy the Man, but with more overt jazz and classical influence, lacking the compelling melodies that Happy the Man are known for. So ATM is no HTM, but no one else is either! Digipack.
After the Fall - Knowledge ($12.99)
After the Fall - In a Safe Place ($12.99)Connecticut’s After the Fall, who formed in 1986, have perfected their craft with their fourth CD Knowledge (2005). Clocking in at 78-minutes and with three suites in the 20-minute range, this is an ambitious work primarily in the classic 1970’s prog styles. Glass Hammer may be the best reference. Keyboardist Ken Archer has the dominant role, and he often plays in a Keith Emerson style. While there is some ELP influence instrumentally, the vocal sections sound more like Kansas, with those typical American-style vocal harmonies. There are other influences, certainly Yes, also Rush, Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant, and a wee bit of fusion. Time for this band to get a lot more recognition. Read the Sea of Tranquility review here.
Their previous CD The Living Drum (2001, 74-minutes) is similar. Read the Sea of Tranquility review here.
Before... (70-minutes) compiles songs from two previous cassette releases: The Last Hero (1988) and Light and Shadows (1991). In a Safe Place (71-minutes) is from 1997.
Sonic Music - The Prisoner ($13.99) Sonic Music is the work of Larry Benigno, formerly of the band Radio Piece III. The Prisoner (2006) exceeds the work of his old band, and as a one-man project, it’s on the same level as Shaun Guerin, sounding virtually indistinguishable from a full band. It’s a very inventive symphonic prog album with excellent vocals, covering Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant territory and a lot more. Keyboards are in the fore and are often reminiscent of Kit Watkins’ work with Happy the Man, also of Tony Banks, plus a lot of Benigno’s own style. One track is in the early Synergy style. The disc is packed with great melodies, a pop sensibility incorporated into virtuoso progressive rock. This is one of the best things 2006 gave us, and maybe the biggest surprise. 68-minutes.
Radio Piece III - Tesseract & Monuments ($12.99)An unjustly overlooked, mostly-instrumental 1992 CD from a Canterbury-style American band. Radio Piece III are often close to Egg or National Health, favoring the same harmonies and sonorities as Dave Stewart, especially the combination of organ and electric piano, and staying on the melodic side of things. They also add touches of Frank Zappa. 57-minutes.
Salem Hill - Be ($12.99) American progressive rock band Salem Hill have released eight CDs to date, generally operating in the symphonic Kansas style. On Be (2003) though, they pushed their sound much closer to Echolyn and, to a lesser extent, Porcupine Tree or Product. It is their most “modern” sounding album, with a harder edge and more emphasis on guitar, but it still maintains continuity with their more symphonic past. A very impressive and ambitious 71-minute work. Check our DVDs page for Salem Hill’s Mystery Loves Company DVD.
Tim Morse - Transformation ($12.99) 
Tim Morse wrote the Yes biography Yesstories and also plays keyboards in the northern California Yes tribute band Parallels. Morse recorded his first album Transformation (2005, 64-minutes) with multi-instrumentalist Mark Dean (guitars, bass, drums, backing vocals), with lead vocals shared between Morse and Richie Zeller. There are also several guest musicians. One might assume that this album would be very Yes-influenced, and while there is some Yes influence, it isn’t dominant. In fact, there is more ELP influence. Transformation is a more modern progressive rock album though, and as such veers close to Magellan, Robert Berry, Spock’s Beard, and Jadis. And the album ranks with the output of any of those artists. This is an excellent symphonic progressive album with superb production. See the reviews on the Tim Morse website, with several former Yes members weighing in.
Mind Sky - Timewise ($12.99) Mind Sky are an American progressive rock quintet from upstate New York, and on their 2005 debut CD Timewise, they use a guest on lead vocals, Josh Gleason of The Waiting Room, a Genesis tribute band. Not surprisingly, Gleason has a Gabriel-esque voice, but there is a lot of instrumental content here too. You can already sit Timewise comfortably next to the works of The Flower Kings, IZZ, and Thirteen of Everything. There is a lot of similarity between these bands. All have influences of multiple first-generation progressive rock bands, but they incorporate those influences into something original and not particularly retro-sounding. They all play pure progressive rock and demonstrate at least some understanding of jazz. Maybe it’s a question of maturity, but it’s getting hard to find a young continental European band that can do the same -- most lapse into metal. 58-minutes.
K2 - Book of the Dead ($13.99) K2 is the band formed by bassist Ken Jaquess after eight years with progressive rock band Atlantis. K2 features Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Ryo Okumoto (Spock’s Beard) on keys, the late Shaun Guerin on vocals, Yvette Devereaux on violin, Doug Sanborn on drums and John Miner supplying additional guitar. Book of the Dead (2005) is a significant improvement on the Atlantis albums. It is very 1970’s Genesis-styled, with Guerin’s Gabriel-like voice reinforcing that comparison. It’s interesting to hear Holdsworth’s trademark guitar leads in a symphonic rock rather than a jazz-rock context. For the Genesis fan, this album is a godsend.
The Colossus of Rhodes (2CD+book, $23.99)After an initial release on Musea, this 2CD set was released in the U.S. in a superior format. The two discs are in pockets inside a 32-page, 8.5" x 11" book, color on the covers (inside and out) and black & white on the inner pages. Paul Whitehead provided the cover art, and this set includes a poster of the full illustration. This is another epic concept album organized by the Finnish prog magazine Colossus. This one is based on one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: The Colossus of Rhodes, and also Sergio Leone’s film of the same name. Six bands contribute new progressive epics: Leviathan (Italy), Greenwall (Italy), Sinkadus (Sweden), Mad Crayon (Italy), Velvet Desperados (Finland), and Revelation (Italy). Once again, Colossus asked the musicians to respect the 1970’s spirit and sound, so there is plenty of Mellotron and other analog keys. Counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping.
Genesis for Two Grand Pianos Vol. 2 ($15.99) out-of-stock Yngve Guddal and Roger T. Matte, two conservatory-trained Norwegian pianists, arranged Genesis songs for two grand pianos and play them in virtuosic style. Volume 1 was released in 2002 on Steve Hackett’s Camino Records label and includes The Fountain of Salmacis, Mad Man Moon, Can-Utility and the Coastliners, One for the Vine, Down and Out, Duke’s Travels, and Evidence of Autumn. Volume 2 was released in 2005 on Musea and includes Me and Sarah Jane, Seven Stones, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, The Battle of Epping Forest, Blood on the Rooftops, Eleventh Earl of Mar, and The Cinema Show. Paul Whitehead provided the cover art for both CDs. The brilliance of these compositions is made even more apparent by these interpretations.
Bolt - Movement and Detail ($12.99) Bolt is an instrumental prog rock trio of guitar/bass/drums with members also adding synths and loops. They play precise and intricate but at the same time fun and melodic rock that owes some debt to post-1980 King Crimson and to the Summers/Fripp collaborations. But Bolt cover a wider range than that, mashing a lot of influences into something original: a touch of metal here and jazz there, some atmospherics, generally staying bright and energetic. Read the Sea of Tranquility review.
Kurt Rongey - That Was Propaganda ($13.99) This is the second album by American Kurt Rongey, begun in 1991 but not released until 1998 by the Italian Mellow label. This is the predecessor to The Underground Railroad, with guitarist Bill Pohl making large contributions. It’s an ambitious concept album with music that mixes Echolyn with Canterbury and other influences. 70-minutes.
Lands End - The Lower Depths (2CD, $17.99) out-of-stockThe Lower Depths (2005), the 6th Lands End album, is a 2CD set of new studio work with a couple of reworked tracks that have not appeared on any previous Lands End releases. This is by far the best thing Lands End have done, and a lot of that has to do with the guest musicians on Disc One. Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief) supplies guitar and vocals on two tracks, Steve Anderson (Sphere3, Grey Lady Down) plays guitar on one track, and Cathy Alexander of the folk-prog rock band The Morrigan lends her wonderful lead vocals to the two epic-length tracks. The usual Lands End style is here, but the guest musicians have added new dimensions to the music. Disc One is dominated by the two epic-length tracks (14:22 and 24:29) that provide the framework for the usual Lands End instrumental workouts. Disc Two is made up of four tracks by the original nucleus of Fred Hunter, Mark Lavellee, Jeff McFarland and Francisco Neto, plus one track with guest guitarist Steve Anderson originally intended for the first disc had space allowed it. The main piece on the second disc is the 53-minute(!) Acquiesce to the Martinets Precept (catchy). This one is a flowing, mind-expanding, spacey progressive track in the typical Lands End style, and as you might expect, it goes through a fair number of changes over its length. All in all, brilliant symphonic prog from a band that, even if they weren’t ever in the same room for this record, have persevered long enough to produce their masterwork.
Transience - Primordial ($7.99) SALE!Transience is the side project of Lands End keyboard player Fred Hunter, though in practice there isn’t much difference between a Lands End and a Transience album. Sliding (1997, 66-minutes) began as Fred Hunter’s solo project but ended up as an unofficial follow-up to Natural Selection, as the other three band members all make significant contributions. The sound and style are very much Lands End, a moderate tempo, atmospheric symphonic progressive often with a Pink Floyd vibe. Long tracks leave plenty of room for instrumental work. Now deleted, last copies.
On Primordial (2003), the similarity to Lands End is more pronounced than ever, as many of the tracks were recorded at the studio sessions for their forthcoming album. All the other Lands End members play significant parts on this recording, with Jeff McFarland contributing three compositions and co-writing two others. Guitarist Francisco Neto supplies some of his most melodic work to date, while Jeff McFarland’s vocal delivery is the perfect vehicle for his lyrics. Mark Lavallee’s drum work compliments Fred’s great keyboard textures and bass work. Long expansive tracks with lots of instrumental work give the guys time to work their own special brand of symphonic progressive. Not only is there over an hour of Transience music here, there is also over 70 minutes of 160 kbps mp3’s of live recordings, alternate versions, and tracks initially intended for this album but eventually replaced.
Thirteen of Everything - Welcome, Humans ($15.99) This Austin, Texas quartet was formed in the late 1990’s and released a promising demo in 2002. Welcome, Humans (2005) is their first CD, and they are the brightest star to appear on the U.S. progressive scene since IZZ, who are not a bad comparison. But Thirteen of Everything are more of a classic 1970’s-style progressive band than IZZ. They blend a Genesis influence with the more complex and angular Gentle Giant and Yes styles, but a couple shades darker than any of them. This 73-minute album includes a 26-minute suite and three other tracks around the 10-minute mark. Instrumental passages are prominent here, with many syncopated rhythms and shifts in dynamics, but also moments of pure lyricism and beautiful melodies.
Magus - Lucid Dreamer ($11.99) 
Magus - Echoes from the Edge of the Millennium ($11.99)Lucid Dreamer contains the original Traveller album the way Andrew Robinson intended it, now remastered with much improved sound. Traveller was the second album from Vermont’s Magus, originally released in 1997 but out-of-print for years. Also included is the entire Highway 375 EP as well as two previously-unreleased live tracks from 2000. Highway 375 was a 1998 EP in the relaxed space-rock style Magus is known for, but all instrumental. 77-minutes.
On The Green Earth (2001), the upbeat tracks are groove-based prog rock with thunderous bass, while the more peaceful tracks combine a Genesis or Jade Warrior pastoral flavor with spacier textures. The Garden (2002) continues to develop the style of The Green Earth, with eight musicians helping band leader Andrew Robinson, including the late Gary Strater of Starcastle and Tomas Hjort of Cross. Both albums feature electronic and exotic touches and soothing vocals that remind us a bit of Tim Blake. Andrew Robinson plays several instruments and sings, while several other musicians contribute, notably on flute and violin. Imagine Jade Warrior joining forces with Ozric Tentacles and using a more melodic, symphonic, and structured approach, not to mention vocals. Magus have carved out a progressive style not directly comparable to anyone.
The mostly-instrumental 74-minute Echoes from the Edge of the Millennium compiles tracks spanning 1987-1999, most having been remixed, and several previously-unreleased. Some tracks bear a Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree mark, while others recall the spacier tracks of 1980’s and 1990’s King Crimson. A lot of quality music here, all sharing a spacey vibe.
Frameshift - An Absence of Empathy ($9.99) SALE! Unweaving the Rainbow (2003) is a project written and produced by Henning Pauly of Chain for James LaBrie, vocalist of Dream Theater and features 79 minutes of modern progressive rock plus some prog-metal. Composer Henning Pauly has worked in a variety of styles, and shortly before he began work on the first Frameshift album, he wrote a film score. Pauly decided to use a similar approach for Frameshift, not wanting to limit the music to what is possible with a rock band lineup, but rather to use the tools a film composer has at his disposal. This didn’t mean forgetting the elements that make progressive rock what it is, only that he would take a slightly different approach to arranging it. Knowing that James LaBrie would be singing the whole album, he wanted to offer this outstanding vocalist an opportunity to sing in ways he had not before. LaBrie is a huge Queen fan and Henning frequently uses large vocal arrangements in his songs. The vocals are given a lot of space -- they were considered the most important element on the album -- with several a capella parts and even some counterpoint a la Gentle Giant and Spock’s Beard, which both Pauly and LaBrie are big fans of. The album features modern studio recording techniques, fused with lush orchestration and diverse instruments such as Warr Guitar and Chapman Stick.
An Absence of Empathy (2005, 74-minutes) is the second Frameshift CD, this time with singer Sebastian Bach. This one is much more of a prog-metal album, and Bach is a metal singer (they tend to howl a bit when agitated).
Chain - Reconstruct ($8.99) SALE!Chain appears to be a German quintet, though their singer is probably American. Their band leader is Henning Pauly, also responsible for the Frameshift albums and who now resides in the U.S. Chain is a band that does play prog-metal at times, but there is so much pure progressive rock on their albums that it would be unfair to saddle them with the prog-metal tag. Chain’s debut Reconstruct (2003) is notable not only for being 79-minutes long but for featuring lines from Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy throughout, and in fact the album is dedicated to Adams. This is a powerful prog-rock/prog-metal blend that also strikes us as being very clever. Recommended especially to fans of Ayreon.
Eric Mantel - The Unstruck Melody ($15.99) If guitar virtuoso Eric Mantel is not well known outside Chicago, it’s hard to imagine he can remain that way much longer. On The Unstruck Melody (2006), Mantel’s band includes keyboards, bass, drums, and various backing vocalists. A number of the songs on this CD have vocals from Eric, who sounds rather like Phil Collins and likewise has a flair for songwriting. And versatility? It’s as if Mantel is showing he can cover the style of any other guitar god, whether it be the Satriani/Johnson/Vai camp, Steve Morse, Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth, and more. By varying the style, this disc’s generous 79-minutes fly right by, not something you’d expect from a guitarist’s album. The real reason for that is not simply the variety but the writing ability and melodic sense of Mantel. He’s been at this since the late 1970’s, and all that experience shines through. And his tone is like butter. (Eric Mantel’s website is done in Flash. To find the mp3’s, click the icon above, wait for the site to load, click Music, click MP3s.) Read the ProgressiveWorld.net review here.
John Young Band - Live at the Classic Rock Society 2003 ($15.99) John Young is a classically-trained keyboardist/singer/songwriter who has worked with Fish, John Wetton, Asia, Qango, Greenslade and many others, composes music for sound libraries, and has his own solo career. Young has usually co-written as well as played with those other artists. Significance is a 54-minute collection of proggy songs. John Young’s aesthetic here is close to Tony Banks’, striking a balance between pop appeal and power & complexity, though Young’s music is proggier than any Banks albums after A Curious Feeling. Some of the songs show a Peter Gabriel influence in the atmospheric and rhythmic elements, a couple tracks have a Fish feel, while others reflect Young’s long association with John Wetton. John Young has a great voice, writes quality lyrics, and gives even his mainstream material the right touches to endear it to fans of melodic prog rock.
The live CD was recorded in 2003 with John Young on keys and lead vocals, Robin Boult (Fish, Howard Jones) on guitars, the ubiquitous John Jowitt on bass, and Dave Stewart (Camel, Fish) on drums and vocals. Five of the nine songs are from Significance, while the remaining tracks include the 14+ minute Unknown Soldier and the great Crimson-ish instrumental Kings. The audio quality is excellent, and the live versions are superior to the studio versions. 57-minutes.
Man on Fire - Habitat ($11.99) Man on Fire improved significantly over their debut album with The Undefined Design (2003), their sophomore effort. Featuring guest David Ragsdale (ex-Kansas) on violin on three tracks, The Undefined Design is a fresh and innovative take on modern progressive rock. With a wide range of influences, the Man on Fire sound crosses several musical genres, combining melodic vocals, fluent fretless bass, layered keyboards, polyrhythmic grooves, heavy guitar soundscapes, and a dose of something resembling funk into a cohesive whole, fully utilizing the latest studio production techniques. The songs are accessible, the complexity often coming from the many layers of sound. There are moments of aggressive guitar, but always in small bursts. Eric Sands’ fretless bass work is exceptional, while Ragsdale’s violin provides much needed grounding, as the Man on Fire sound is otherwise rather synthetic and hard-edged. This complex approach to what are essentially melodic rock/pop songs makes Man on Fire’s brand of modern prog unique.
Habitat (2005) is a 69-minute concept album that again features David Ragsdale on violin and a new contributor, Adrian Belew on guitar. Not just a guest spot, Belew is the primary guitarist on this album and plays on most of the tracks. Man on Fire continue to make great strides with each album. Ragsdale is utilized even more on this one, and the tracks he plays on are again the standouts. To their credit, Man on Fire avoid any obvious influences, and there are some great hooks on this album.
North Star - Extremes ($15.99) North Star are an American band that existed during the darkest days of U.S. progressive rock, releasing the albums Triskelion and Feel the Cold in the mid-1980’s. They managed to get back together long enough to release Power in 1991 but were dormant again until Tempest (2000). The band’s two major influences are Genesis and ELP, with Kevin Leonard’s keyboards the highlight.
This is the Musea edition of Extremes (2005), an album that is much truer to North Star’s early work than Tempest, and that’s because most of the basic material on Extremes was developed in the late 1970’s, with the lyrics reworked in the early 90’s, and finally recorded this millennium. While Tempest had the feel of fleshed-out solo compositions, the band is back intact for Extremes, with singer Joe Newnam actually present. The band really goes for it on several of these songs, and Kevin Leonard’s signature organ sounds and solos are everywhere. Easily their best since Triskelion and Feel the Cold and arguably their best period. 62-minutes.
Sonus Umbra - Digging for Zeros ($11.99) Sonus Umbra is a band from the Baltimore scene but with roots in Mexico City. Their debut CD Snapshots from Limbo was very well received, eventually getting re-released by Musea, followed by their even better 2004 second CD Spiritual Vertigo (both out-of-print). Sonus Umbra produce a melancholy and brooding progressive rock with slight psychedelic or space-rock overtones, leaning towards dark and mysterious without sacrificing melody. Guitars have the edge over keyboards, but the liberal use of acoustic guitar keeps things sounding warm. Tough to describe their style; at different times you hear traces of Pink Floyd, Rush, and a host of other 1970’s progressives.
Digging for Zeros (2005) sees changes in the vocal department, the lead vocals now shared by Lisa Francis and Jeff Laramee, both of whom are also members of the band Kurgan’s Bane, as is Sonus Umbra bandleader Luis Nasser. Sonus Umbra continue to be at their most compelling when they add acoustic guitar to the mix, which they do frequently. There are occasions when the acoustic guitar is absent, the keys drop out and the music becomes mere hard rock. But in addition to the acoustic guitar, there is plenty of piano and synth to keep things progressive. The dominant tone is again somber and dark but not to the point of ugliness, and there are many lighter, uplifting moments, particularly when Francis sings. Her vocals add a welcome dimension to Sonus Umbra’s music. Luis Nasser has crafted another intense lyrical and musical experience. 61-minutes.
Starcastle - Citadel ($12.99) Starcastle was a very Yes-influenced American band of the mid-to-late 1970’s and one of the best American progressive bands, now active again. They released three good albums during the 70’s before bowing to record company pressure and finishing with the commercial Real to Reel (which even the band feels should never have been released). Fountains of Light (1976), their second, is their best album. Citadel (1977) is their third.
Mirthrandir - For You the Old Women ($14.99) Mirthrandir was another American 70’s symphonic prog band that released only one LP. For You the Old Women was released independently in 1976 and is one of the classic U.S. progressive albums. All the U.S. prog bands of that era were influenced by the British prog giants, but Mirthrandir absorbed those influences to create a more original style than most. Lots of reviews at Prog Archives.
Lift - The Moment of Hearing ($14.99) Lift was one of the great but obscure American 1970’s progressive rock bands, with a style similar to Pentwater, Mirthrandir, Hands, and others of that era. The Lift story takes a while to tell, so best to read the reviews from DPRP or Sea of Tranquility.
Babylon - same ($14.99)For Genesis fans, this is as essential as they come. This is the CD reissue of the sole studio album, released on LP in 1978, from a U.S. progressive band that is the best clone ever of 70’s Genesis. If originality didn’t count, this could be the best symphonic progressive album by a U.S. band. (Since originality does count, Happy the Man wins, crafty hands down.) The sound quality has been dramatically improved over the LP. There are audio samples at CD Baby.
Yezda Urfa - Sacred Baboon ($14.99) Boris is the legendary first album by this remarkable Chicago-area U.S. band, recorded in 1975 with a 1976 bonus track. Originally only 300 LPs were pressed, making this one of the most sought-after U.S. prog albums. Yezda Urfa are very Gentle Giant-influenced, with Yes as a secondary influence. Their two albums are full of dazzling musicianship, the band navigating complex arrangements with seeming ease. Their sound on Boris is a bit more acoustic than on their second album Sacred Baboon (1976), but both albums stand alongside the best U.S. prog albums.
Quill - Sursum Corda ($14.99)Quill was an American prog trio modeled on ELP (Tarkus, Pictures at an Exhibition), though they also had some of Rick Wakeman’s melodic approach. They shared ELP’s penchant for pompous and epic tracks, with Hammond and Moog featured prominently. There are some vocals but the album is primarily instrumental. Sursum Corda was released only as a vinyl test pressing in 1977. It is their only album, though there was an unreleased 1978 second album. The first CD edition of this came in an LP-size sleeve; this is the jewel box edition.
Realm - The Path ($14.99)This 1992 album by an American band is very Yes influenced (during Yes’ prime period), with a singer who sounds very close to Jon Anderson.
Kalaban - Don’t Panic ($14.99)This is the 1989 first album by an American symphonic prog band from Utah. Along with the U.S. bands Now and (later) Under the Big Tree, Kalaban were helping to define a U.S. west coast progressive style of that time, borrowing from the British 70’s melodic prog bands but with an added accessibility, playfulness, and generally American character. Don’t Panic contains two vocal tracks and four instrumentals.
Now - Everything Is Different Now ($14.99)Everything Is Different Now (1986) is the second CD by the U.S. Now, not to be confused with the Belgian band Now. “The music is well within the domain of mid-1970s progressive rock, and is quite comparable to other reissues of U.S. bands such as Easter Island, with long, keyboard/guitar/drums interludes and non-standard time signatures. The vocalist has a style that is reminiscent of Derek Shulman of Gentle Giant, though the music is more structured a la Genesis. Despite the virtuosic style of the music, the lyrics are light and humorous enough to show that the band did not take themselves too seriously.” [Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock]
“This band sounds somewhat like a cross between the Grateful Dead, Yes, and King Crimson. Three of the members write and all three have vastly different styles, so the result contains an extreme diversity of material. Everything is Different Now seems to be the most popular [of their albums], and it's also the most progressive in the traditional sense. The band is rhythmically tighter than many other ‘undiscovered’ progressive groups, and all the members are competent musicians.” [Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock]
Covenant - Nature’s Divine Reflection ($14.99)This 1992 CD is intense 70’s-style keyboard-driven instrumental progressive rock, the work of Texan Dave Gryder, who plays drums as well as keys. Bill Pohl (The Underground Railroad) guests on guitar and bass. ELP is a big influence, though there is no Greg Lake here to balance the Emerson/Palmer. The playing is flashy, the music dense and rhythmically complex and filled with (mostly) vintage keyboards. A bit one-dimensional perhaps as most one-man projects are, but generally it works.
Atavism of Twilight - same ($14.99)Atavism of Twilight is a Los Angeles instrumental symphonic prog/fusion band that released only this 1992 album. “One of the best bands to emerge in 1992. The music owes equal debt to the symphonic and fusion realms. In fact, AoT reminds me of a cross between two excellent bands, Änglagård (symphonic) and Djam Karet (fusion)... Audion described Atavism of Twilight’s music as an amalgam of Italian progressive, King Crimson, and Mahavishnu Orchestra with flute ala Camel and Solaris, which is pretty accurate. Certainly, the flute playing is very melodic, standing out nicely against washes of Mellotron. The melodic lines often sound pastoral, belying the rhythm section that is always ready to burn and constantly hinting at the barnstormer that could burst forth at any moment. When the rhythm section does finally kick into overdrive, just watch out. The guitar scorches, the flute becomes frantic, the Mellotron sings forth and the whole band explodes in dynamic fury.” [Mike Taylor, Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock]
“An instrumental five piece consisting of flute, guitar, keys, bass and drums, this is the best new band I've heard since Änglagård. An amalgam of fusion and symphonic styles, they draw from bands such as Camel, Jethro Tull, Focus, Kenso, Mirthrandir, and many, many others... They combine sophisticated writing skill with knock-out, fiery playing. The compositions are upbeat without sounding campy. Atavism consists of ever-changing motifs and leads, avoiding the repetition trap that all too many instrumental bands fall into. Each musician is considerably skilled and all contribute equally to lead and rhythm parts... Unlike many bands that play complex music, Atavism of Twilight never become too esoteric or academic. They remain listenable and have a universal appeal. I think most prog-heads will like this album, and I recommend it very highly - this is brilliant material.” [Mike Borella, Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock]
Pangaea - A Time and a Place ($11.99) SALE!2002 third album by an American band with one foot in progressive rock and one foot in AOR. It includes a cover of Pink Floyd’s Time, and there are a few other Floydian passages, while other tracks are closer to Kansas (but no violin). Produced by Robert Berry.
Art Rock Circus - Heaven’s Café Live ($9.99) 
Mantra Sunrise - same ($9.99) These are all related projects centered around the talents of guitarist and composer John Miner. If you’ll dig out your copy of Progression Magazine issue 46, you’ll find a feature article on Heaven’s Café and an interview with Miner. Heaven’s Café is a musical theater production that has been staged in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and Art Rock Circus is the progressive rock band providing the music for it. Probably because of the theatrical production, Heaven’s Café Live has been the label’s best seller, though here Art Rock Circus is a trio with no keyboards. It definitely has that rock opera style, and Miner’s guitar playing frequently recalls Roye Albrighton of Nektar, though Art Rock Circus is not as symphonic nor as clever as Nektar on Nektar’s better albums.
A Passage to Clear has some keys and female vocals throughout and a generally languid feel. The double-CD Tell a Vision is the most fully-realized of the Art Rock Circus CDs, with even more keys and several guest musicians. Mantra Sunrise was Miner’s band prior to Art Rock Circus, though it’s unclear when this CD was recorded – no dates appear on any of the CDs. Mantra Sunrise is also a predominantly languid album, fairly psychedelic, with male vocals that suggest Jim Morrison/The Doors. The 20-minute suite Land of Sprinagar may remind one of the first Nektar album. At times the production on these CDs is not exactly state-of-the-art, though that makes these CDs sound even more like the product of an early 1970’s band. Most though not all of the music falls within the boundaries of progressive rock, and as mentioned, there is a degree of psychedelia as well. There is so much music here that it is difficult to summarize it, but there are extensive audio samples provided.
French TV - 4: Intestinal Fortitude ($12.99) French TV is a band from Louisville, Kentucky that has been around in various incarnations for quite some time now; their self-titled debut album was released on vinyl in 1984. Their music is complex, blending Canterbury-ish progressive rock, fusion, and some avant rock stylings. The core lineup of guitar, keys, bass and drums is usually augmented by additional musicians on woodwinds, violin, and what not. The music is usually all-instrumental, except 4 has some vocals. Intestinal Fortitude includes a Van der Graaf Generator cover and runs 71-minutes. All are recommended to fans of Grits, However, A Triggering Myth, Happy the Man, and The Muffins, all American bands of a similar persuasion, not to mention Frank Zappa, Samlas Mammas Manna, and Univers Zero.
Chaos Code - Propaganda ($12.99) 
Chaos Code’s third CD Propaganda (2005) sees some minor lineup changes, losing their keyboardist but adding a sax player and guests on trumpet and harmony vocals. While bandleader Cliff Phelps adds some keys and flute, he is primarily the guitarist, and so this album is light on keyboards. This is the most King Crimson influenced of their albums, with elements of Pink Floyd and Van der Graaf Generator also present.
On their debut, A Tapestry of Afterthoughts (1999), Chaos Code can be thought of as the American Landberk. This is 55-minutes of generally melancholy, medium-tempo, early-1970’s style progressive rock using vintage sounds (including flute), with debts to King Crimson and Pink Floyd. As with the Scandinavian prog bands, heavy, dissonant passages contrast with pastoral, symphonic sections. Their second, The Tragedy of Leaps and Bounds (2002), still sounds like an album straight out of the early 1970’s, but with a new and improved rhythm section, the melancholy gives way to bolder, more dynamic progressive rock. King Crimson and Pink Floyd are still there among a host of 70’s progressive and heavy rock influences. 60-minutes with a number of long tracks.
Niacin - Organik ($14.99) Prog rock fans, this is the Niacin album to get. The trio of John Novello (keyboards, mostly Hammond B3), Dennis Chambers (drums) and Billy Sheehan (bass), musicians’ musicians all and primarily a fusion band, have gone more towards their early 1970’s progressive rock roots on this 2005 CD. If you think of ELP playing instrumental fusion, you’ll have a good idea of the Niacin style. Yes, it’s a non-stop chops fest, but the songs have groove, are well-crafted, and will leave you energized. After you catch your breath. This U.S. version contains one bonus track, 63-minutes total.
Shaun Guerin - Archives ($13.99) 
Shaun, a Los Angeles native, passed away a few years ago. He was an accomplished drummer (at one point, he was to be Rocket Scientists’ drummer) but also a powerful vocalist and skilled keyboardist and composer. These talents were visible as lead vocalist and second drummer for the Genesis tribute band Cinema Show. This ensemble focused on the Gabriel-era of Genesis and counted Paul Whitehead and Armando Gallo as fans. After a three-year stint playing to large and appreciative audiences, Guerin decided the time was right to focus on his own original progressive compositions and consequently began work on his first solo album By the Dark of Light (2002). Besides singing and playing drums and keyboards, Guerin also plays guitar and flute. His voice resembles Peter Gabriel’s in a natural, unforced way. Primary influences include Peter Gabriel and Genesis, of course, but also King Crimson, Yes, Hatfield and the North, and other 1970’s progressive stalwarts. While all these artists exert an influence, this writing is original and progressive without being overly derivative, music that contributes to the progressive canon rather than copying it. Don’t overlook this album because it’s under an individual’s name -- this is better than what many full bands are capable of.
On the second Shaun Guerin album The Epic Quality of Life (2003), Shaun is joined by three other musicians adding guitars, keys, vocals, and bass. It continues in the same vein as his first but is perhaps even stronger. In addition to the 52-minutes of music, the CD contains a video of a 2002 live performance. Paul Whitehead contributed the cover art for all Guerin’s albums.
Like Jimi Hendrix, Shaun Guerin is proving more prolific after his death than before. 2005 saw the release of Archives, a 78-minute CD containing an assortment of previously unreleased material. But this is no collection of outtakes and substandard material. This is a powerful progressive rock album that, if anything, better showcases Guerin’s songwriting ability than his other albums. The audio quality is uniformly superb. In addition to the originals, there are masterful renditions of Genesis’s Back in New York City and The Colony of Slippermen, ELP’s Karn Evil #9, and Roger Waters’s In the Flesh (featuring Mark McCrite from Rocket Scientists on guitar). The CD comes in a fold-open cardboard sleeve and counts as only one-half CD for shipping.
Systems Theory - Soundtracks for Imaginary Movies ($11.99)This 74-minute instrumental album from 2004 is in a style we’ll call ambient progressive rock; it’s about as original as one can be these days. It definitely isn’t meant to be background music. Significantly, it is chock-full of Mellotron. The “band” is actually an Internet project, with tracks recorded both in southern California and in Scotland. This is a great example of such a collaboration, as the album is very cohesive. It’s also an excellent example of using loop-based software to make music that doesn’t sound like most loop-based music. In addition to keyboards, samples, guitar, and bass, there is viola, violin, flute, and dulcimer, making for a wide and varied sound palette. Rhythms are varied and multi-layered, tending toward acoustic drum sounds but including lots of percussion as well. The band lists their influences as King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, Can, Jade Warrior, Mike Oldfield, Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, Djam Karet, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Porcupine Tree, Radio Massacre International, Heldon, Synergy, David Torn, and David Sylvian, from which you can get an idea of what Systems Theory is about. Here is a RealAudio excerpt from the track Green Miata Baja Bound.
The Illustrated Band - The Forever of Now ($9.99) SALE!This 2004 CD is the debut from The Illustrated Band from Austin, Texas. They have a very American sound palette similar to Phish and the other jam bands, but they aren't a jam band. Well, on one track at least they are, but the rest of the album is highly composed. Their music is littered with progressivisms, with touches of Rush, Genesis, and Yes (more so the acoustic side of the last two) here and there. There is a pop/rock element, but the same can be said of Echolyn, whose style they sometimes brush up against. There are some psychedelic flavors, and above all, well-defined melodies. It’s all a very creative mix that draws the listener in and doesn’t let go. 63-minutes. There are listener reviews and audio samples at CDBaby.
Agent Cooper - Beginner’s Mind ($10.99) The self-titled 1999 debut from Agent Cooper is an excellent example of marrying progressive rock with modern pop/rock. What makes it work is that Agent Cooper has a major league vocalist in Doug Busbee, and the production is outstanding. Excellent musicians playing great songs and melodies, music with depth. With their follow-up Beginner’s Mind (2005), Agent Cooper have pushed their sound in the direction of prog-metal, but the hallmarks of their earlier style are still present. Despite the heavier guitar, they can’t be confused with a metal band. The fact that their music remains based on quality songwriting means they lack the over-the-top, comic book aesthetic of most metal bands.
Project Vector - Reality Show ($10.99) Immovable Mover (2003) is the debut by an impressive one-man studio project from Michigan, the work of Dave Gastambide. The state of the art in music software and sample libraries is such that we should no longer be surprised at what can be achieved by a single talented musician working in a home studio. The music is vocal-heavy mainstream prog rock, most closely resembling Rush, Saga, or the more commercial side of post-70’s Yes, though Gastambide’s voice is in a lower range than either Geddy Lee or Jon Anderson. Fortunately, Gastambide’s voice is strong enough to carry the songs. The CD comes in a printed sleeve rather than a jewel box and counts as only one-half CD for shipping calculations. 59-minutes.
After a change of name to Project Vector, Gastambide’s 2005 release Reality Show (jewel box) is a huge step forward. Gastambide handles keyboards, programming, bass, and vocals. This blends the depth and complexity of progressive rock with modern sounds and approach. The songs are stronger and flow more naturally, and everything is more cohesive. If Rupert Hine made an album today, it might sound like Reality Show. For one thing, Hine’s and Gastambide’s voices and singing style are similar, but the marriage of complex rhythm tracks with great songwriting is also something at which they both excel. For those who don’t know Rupert Hine, you may have seen his name as a producer (Rush, Saga, Anthony Phillips, The Fixx, etc.). After two albums under his own name in the 1970’s, he was the main force in Quantum Jump (two albums in the mid-70’s), after which he released three albums under his own name in the early 1980’s, the Better Off Dead soundtrack in 1985, three more under the Thinkman name in the late 80’s, and another album under his name in 1994. Perhaps a more progressive-minded Thomas Dolby is another good reference point, and yet there are Project Vector tracks that are unlike either of these artists. In any event, Immovable Mover represents Gastambide’s influences (mostly from the 1980’s), while with Reality Show, Gastambide has found his voice.
Suntower - same ($11.99) Suntower are an American band playing a mostly Yes-influenced symphonic progressive rock that sounds like it came straight out of the 1970’s. This 1998 CD is their only release. Its appeal is the same as those privately-released U.S. progressive albums from the 70’s (Lift, Pentwater, Pre, etc.) Lots of Wakemanesque keys and a positive vibe a la Jon Anderson.
Seldon’s Inquisitor - Why Not? (CD-R, $7.99) This 58-minute CD from a Massachusetts duo sounds like the work of a full band. The music is pure 1970’s-style progressive rock, with lots of vintage keys, showing influences of Genesis, Gentle Giant, ELP, perhaps Van der Graaf Generator, Nektar, and others. While the production is a notch below that of a professional studio, it is comparable to many records from the 70’s.
Netherworld - same ($15.99)This is the CD reissue of Netherworld’s 1981 In the Following Half-Light LP, with the addition of a suite of three instrumental bonus tracks. A highly-collectible LP and for good reason, this is among the best U.S. progressive rock albums, inspired primarily by Genesis but with a high degree of originality. Lead vocalist Denny Gorden sounds similar at times to Geoff Mann, at other times more Gabrielesque.
Joe Bergamini - Arrival ($12.99)Joe Bergamini became the drummer for Happy the Man in 2003, but he was internationally recognized before that, performing clinics for Tama, Sabian, Evans, and others; authoring two books and writing a column for Modern Drummer magazine, and spending 11 years as the drummer for Rush tribute band Power Windows. 4Front is his world-class, instrumental prog-rock/fusion band, with Zak Rizvi on guitars & keyboards and Frank LaPlaca on bass and frequent help from other musicians. Though Arrival (1996) is under Bergamini’s name, it is the first 4Front album as the lineup is the same, and it’s at least as good. This is instrumental progressive rock and fusion in the no-nonsense American style, symphonic and melodic and very well-recorded.
Scott Lindenmuth Group - Penalty Phase ($13.99) With a reputation in the jazz and guitarist worlds, the Scott Lindenmuth Group should be equally well-known to prog rockers. These incredible instrumental albums exist somewhere between fusion and progressive rock. As a reference point, they are more melodic, more rock, less improvisational, and higher-energy than, say, Allan Holdsworth. Scott Lindenmuth is a major guitar talent, taking Pat Metheny’s melodic stylings into more aggressive territory.
Ten Jinn - Alone ($15.99) SALE!Ten Jinn was an American band led by keyboardist/singer John Paul Strauss. After a debut of more commercial rock, Ten Jinn returned in 1999 with As on a Darkling Plain, the album they really wanted to make. Although Ten Jinn don’t sound much like Spock’s Beard, there were similarities between the two as they existed in 1999. Besides being Los Angeles bands, both were led by a confident front man on keyboards and lead vocals. Ten Jinn have fewer pop and more dramatic elements than Spock’s Beard, as well as more of a Genesis and Jethro Tull slant. Other influences they cite are Rush and ELP. The many instrumentals are particularly impressive, and Stan Whitaker (Happy the Man) guests on the album. 72-minutes.
Strauss was living in Stockholm when Ten Jinn’s third album Alone (2003) was recorded. Some of the tracks were recorded in California with most of the old Ten Jinn lineup, while others were recorded in Sweden with Swedish musicians. With Alone the band took a step towards classic hard rock, but it’s still progressive -- after all, the bandleader is a keyboardist. Some of the tracks might be compared to Saga, others to Jethro Tull during their hard rock phase, but those are just rough approximations.
Monolith - same ($11.99) SALE!This is a 1998 release from a U.S. keyboard/bass/drums trio that originated in 1977. They are very ELP-like. The main part of the CD is a suite the keyboardist wrote back in 1977, which the band re-recorded in 1995. The last two tracks feature a guest guitarist and are different, closer to the Asia style.
Steve Adams - Maiden Voyage ($12.99) Steve Adams is an American guitarist who recorded and performed with the late Peter Bardens (Camel) and was a member of Mirage, the band comprised of ex-Camel and Caravan musicians who toured and released two live CDs. His first CD Maiden Voyage (1998) is a mostly solo affair, with help from a couple other musicians, but it sounds very close to a full band. You can hear the Camel influence right from the start, also a little Hackett and Hillage, but Adams puts his own stamp on things.
Freehand - Thinking Out Loud (CD-R, $9.99) North Carolina’s Freehand formed in 1985 and were active until 1990. They reunited briefly in 2004 to play a few concerts. Several members went on to form the band Smokin’ Granny. Thinking Out Loud was recorded in 1988 but not released on CD until 1997 on a now defunct label. It was later reissued by the band and that also sold out. This current version is a professionally-duplicated CD-R with a downsized booklet and a lower price. Freehand used to play Happy the Man, UK, and King Crimson covers, and these influences show in their songs. The album is mostly instrumental and combines a hefty 1980’s King Crimson influence with some fusion a la Shadowfax or Brand X. 65-minutes.
Maximum Coherence - Portal ($11.99) Maximum Coherence (who thankfully shortened their name on their second CD) comfortably straddle the worlds of pop, progressive rock, and psychedelic/space rock. On their 2004 album Portal, this five-piece band isn’t making it any easier to describe them, as they meld a number of styles in a unique way, retro at one moment and modern the next. There is a pop aspect to their music, as the prevailing mood on Portal is light and upbeat, with the lovely female vocals playing a greater role than on previous albums, and there is little of the space rock that is heard on their early material. MaxCo is nothing if not musically savvy, carrying on like a small rock orchestra and managing to incorporate classical, folk, jazz, and a half dozen other influences as well. They have a good balance of guitars and keyboards, augmented by many other instruments, and both male and female vocals. Here is Aural Innovations review.
Paul Panebianco - Sense of Self ($9.99)Composer/keyboardist/drummer Paul Panebianco’s first CD is an impressive instrumental work, a one-man show in which he multitracks keyboards and real drums. This is the type of music you don’t produce without at least some formal music education, an adventurous progressive rock with strong fusion and 20th century classical elements. It’s not for everyone, as it does have avant-garde aspects, a complex chordal vocabulary, quirky melodies, and rhythms that constantly twist and turn. Perhaps Univers Zero playing fusion?
Electrum - Standard Deviation ($11.99) On their debut Frames of Mind, Electrum used instrumental Rush as the departure point for their instrumental progressive rock. Their second, Standard Deviation, represents a major leap forward for the band. Having shed most of the Rush influence, this is now first-rate instrumental progressive, with keyboards and melody playing a much larger role than on their debut. The band navigates frequent tempo and time signature changes without drawing attention to them, and the album culminates in a 14-minute piece representing their most symphonic work to date.
Gino Foti - Sphere of Influence ($9.99) 
Gino Foti - Vedic Mantras ($9.99) Electrum band leader Gino Foti has since turned his attention to world fusion music. All these CDs are 2006 releases. Foti plays bass and keyboards and adds loops and samples. Guest musicians are used on only a small number of tracks. Here are Foti’s descriptions:
Sphere of Influence (67:11) - Centered around the universal “Union of Opposites” concept, the compositions contain a dynamic balance of rhythm, melody, and harmony by integrating ethnic sonorities into a jazz-rock palette. Merging diffractive musical arrangements with cohesive ensemble playing, dense percussive layers with ethereal instrumental textures, this release is imbued with both vibrancy and sensitivity, all spearheaded by Foti’s bass guitars.
Orbis Terrarum (66:10) - Exploring the relationships between diverse musical traditions and the dichotomy of rhythm and melody of the bass guitar, this aural travelogue blends intricate ethnic rhythms, spacious melodies, and flowing solos with the passion, intensity, romanticism, and introspection usually associated with first-generation jazz-rock and world fusion artists.
Bhavachakra (68:45) - Inspired by the Buddhist “Wheel of Life”, this collection of ambient soundscapes, acoustic and electric textures with Asian and Indian influences and synthesized exotic atmospheres is meant to direct the listener through all the guideposts of transmigratory existence, evoking myriad memories and emotions along the way.
Vedic Mantras (64:57) - Traditional Vedic chanting is combined with modern instrumentation and elements of jazz, rock, and European classical music in a variant of East-meets-West fusion. Featuring the Taittiriya Upanishad, one of the most important writings of ancient Indian philosophy, the arrangements were carefully constructed to retain the devotional mood and integrity of the sacred texts while creating a multi-genre sonic palette.
Joel Hoekstra - The Moon is Falling ($11.99) out-of-stock Two classy, melodic instrumental fusion discs from guitarist Hoekstra, who is not likely to remain unknown for long. On both CDs, Hoekstra is backed by drummer extraordinaire Virgil Donati (Planet X, Steve Vai, Tribal Tech) and equally impressive bassist Ric Fierabracci (Andy Summers, Frank Gambale, Yanni). Three different sidemen contribute keyboards to Undefined (2000), while keyboardist Chris Grove becomes a full member of the band on The Moon is Falling (2003). Hard to pick a favorite between the two discs, but one thing is certain: Hoekstra is a skilled composer and arranger. If these were just shredfests, we wouldn’t bother stocking them. For guitar-oriented instrumental fusion and rock, this is the real deal.
New Eden Orchestra - Anyman ($12.99) This is a band and CD you’ll probably be hearing a lot more about. The New Eden Orchestra is a quintet from Pittsburgh, and though this 2004 album is their debut, the core members of the band have been together for over 25 years, and they’ve spent eight years (on and off) bringing Anyman to fruition. This is a 64-minute melodic prog rock concept album, to quote the band, “in the style of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, The Wall, or Tommy”. You can’t question their ambition. Overall, the music gravitates more toward Kansas and Yes, though there is a fairly wide variety of musical styles present (but all within the boundaries of progressive rock). Glass Hammer may be the best reference of all, Spock’s Beard to a lesser extent. The vocal sections pull the album toward the mainstream, while (not surprisingly) the instrumental sections contain the real proggy stuff. Quality male vocals with a guest female vocalist on one track.
Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra - Ocean: Songs for the Night Sea Journey ($13.99) Jennifer Cutting led the English-style folk-rock band The New St. George, which broke up circa 1995. Ocean (2004) is her new project, which heads off in a slightly different direction. Seven years in the making, Ocean features an all-star cast including Maddy Prior and Peter Knight (Steeleye Span), Troy Donockley (Iona), Dave Mattacks (Fairport Convention, Tull), Polly Bolton (Dando Shaft, Albion Band), Gabriel Yacoub (Malicorne), and many others. Jennifer is the composer and arranger and plays keyboards and squeezeboxes, while four female lead singers are employed, all with beautiful voices. This is a rather novel blend of traditional Celtic/British Isles music with symphonic rock, new age, and some electronic effects, loops, and samples. A Bulgarian women’s singing group adds a world music flavor to one track, while a string quartet plays on two others. Another track is a rearrangement of one of Steve Morse’s baroque instrumentals (Sleep, from The Dixie Dregs’ Freefall), using piano, violin, and low whistle. Gustav Holst and J.S. Bach get in on the act too. The whole album serves as a metaphor for a mid-life transformation, and the tri-fold digipack with 16-page booklet is one of the most elaborate you will see.
“…The quality is staggering as the sheer emotion and beauty of the songs stands head and shoulders above anything else in this vein, with tracks that could have fitted in anything from Titanic through Lord of the Rings to Robin Of Sherwood - you get the drift? Yes, this is an album that makes the likes of Clannad sound like second-raters, so incredibly constructed, played and arranged that forty-four minutes goes by in the blink of an eye, while all you’re left with at the end is an overwhelming desire to put the whole thing on again. Transcending any categorisation, this is symphonic-orchestral-folk-olde worlde music and song at a wide-eyed quality level that you simply can’t fault. No matter what you’re into - prog, electronic, folk, Heavenly Vocals, whatever – if you want something where songs and female voices and rich arrangements and gorgeously melodic instrumentation stand side by side in shining splendour, you simply have to get this album!” [Andy Garibaldi, CD Services]
The New St. George - High Tea ($12.99)During their existence, they were the best British-style electric-folk/ folk-rock band in America. Akin to a more progressive Steeleye Span, with greater diversity of material and instrumentation, Washington DC’s The New St. George combined superb male and female vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, melodeon, accordion, synthesizers, tin whistle, bass, and drums. Most of the material is from the English tradition, arranged in a thoroughly modern way, with a good mix of vocal tracks and instrumentals. Keyboardist/composer/arranger Jennifer Cutting was weaned on progressive rock keyboardists like Emerson and Wakeman, and it shows in her arrangements. For the progressive rock fan who has yet to sample British electric-folk, High Tea may be the best place to start. Here are RealAudio excerpts from the tracks The False Bride, When a Man’s in Love, and All the Tea in India.
Human Factor - Limited Edition ($11.99) Human Factor is a project masterminded by Blake Althen, a former student of Peter Mark Prince of However. Guesting on the album is another former Prince student, bassist Michael Manring. This is probably the most elaborate CD-R package you’ll come across. The CD-R is professionally-duplicated and comes in a DVD case with a color wraparound cover and a color DVD-size booklet inside. It includes all of their debut EP that we sold previously, plus five new tracks, plus videos (playable on a computer) of the track Keeper of Our Souls and a documentary. The music is modern progressive, so good you’ll want to play it over and over. Sharing the spotlight with Althen is Paula Bellenoit, a quality singer who gives some of the tunes a 21st-century Stewart/Gaskin feel, though less pop and more progressive. Despite a very brief bit of rap and silly scratchy noises, every track is solid, with a wealth of details in the mix. As with Porcupine Tree, Human Factor have appeal beyond the prog rock audience, but the music is undeniably progressive, hi-tech, and not a rehash of the same old stuff.
Easter Island - Mother Sun ($12.99) Easter Island returned after a hiatus of about 22 years to make this 1999 CD. They released one of the great American progressive rock albums in the late 1970’s. (The 1991 CD reissue is out-of-print.) Now they’re down to a trio, the Mellotron is gone, and their sound is more contemporary, but they still make convincing prog rock, much of it similar to 1990’s Yes.
Michael West - God Sex Money ($12.99)1992 instrumental keyboard/drums extravaganza. Michael West plays a host of synths, Bill Berends of Mastermind produces and contributes bass and drum sequencing, and Daren Shaltis handles percussion. Recommended to Wakeman/Emerson fans.
Black September - same ($12.99)Two years after his God Sex Money album, 1994 saw the release of the sole album by Michael West’s progressive rock quartet Black September, featuring West on keyboards; Jason Harper on violin, bass and lead vocals; Jon Wilson on drums; and Freddy Lutz on sax, bass and backing vocals. Bill Berends again produced. “The music on the six compositions (between 6 and 13 minutes) is often bombastic, featuring dazzling keyboard runs and a dynamic, very propulsive rhythm section. My highlights are Floodgates (Emerson/Wakeman-inspired keyboard flights and a fiery saxophone solo) and Beast in Plain View (super-bombastic climate delivering swirling electric violin play and an ELP/Ars Nova atmosphere with amazing keyboard work). Despite the obvious hints of ELP and Ars Nova, the sound from Black September is modern, but at some moments a bit too focused on the sensational keyboards and power rhythm section. But in general this album contains lots of exciting, keyboard-driven prog rock.” [Erik Neuteboom]
IT - Order Through Chaos ($12.99)“IT is a project of two American musicians, Scott Munson and Todd Freeman... It’s a mix of classic seventies symphonic prog and psychedelia, with excellent production values and top-notch instrumental work. It doesn’t sound American at all; it has more of a European feel. The songs are all connected and whole thing works as one continuous musical piece. The album is actually compiled from songs recorded over a span of ten years and is representative of the resurgence of progressive music during the early nineties. Order Through Chaos comes highly recommended to all interested in early nineties prog.” [Prog Archives]
Crucible - Curtains ($11.99) The second Crucible CD Curtains (2001) is a worthy successor to Tall Tales (out-of-print) and should please a wide range of prog lovers. Both are neo-prog albums that rely heavily on the vintage keyboard sounds of early Genesis or Kansas. Factor in the vocals and it’s now apparent that Crucible are the new Kansas, that is, the early, progressive Kansas -- only the violin is missing. There are also similarities to Iluvatar, though that has a lot to do with singer Bill Esposito’s voice, which is similar to Glenn McLaughlin’s. Crucible may transport you back to the days of Song for America. Curtains contains a cover of Crack the Sky’s Nuclear Apathy that exceeds the original.
Cos - The Turning Around ($12.99) No relation to the Belgian band, this Cos is a pseudonym for Mark Costoso, who handles nearly everything himself on this album. And as a one-man-sounding-like-a-full-band effort, this ranks up there with Steve Tassler’s CD, as there is almost nothing in the music that gives away the fact this is not a band. Costoso lists his influences as Yes, Kansas, Genesis, King Crimson, UK, Gentle Giant, and Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, but it is the Rundgren and Utopia influence that dominates this album, especially Utopia circa Oops! Wrong Planet. While some of this is very derivative of Rundgren and Utopia, consider that the other bands mentioned have been mimicked ad nauseam, whereas there have been virtually no Utopia imitators, despite their very recognizable sound. Like a Utopia album, you get Rundgren-esque ballads, a few rockers, and a lot of proggy material incorporating strong pop songwriting; the CD is 72-minutes long so there’s room for it all. Costoso is a more than capable singer, and there are those lush, Utopia-trademark harmony vocals as well. There’s nothing second-rate about The Turning Around -- it stands up to Utopia’s records.
Mark 1 - The Criminal Element ($11.99)It’s probably safe to say that Mark 1 sound like no other current American prog rock band. They incorporate an eccentricity, humor, and whimsy normally associated with British bands such as City Boy or The Cardiacs. Their second, The Criminal Element, though a short album at 36:13, is the one to start with as it has a bigger, more symphonic sound than their debut. You know the band is intimately familiar with Genesis; perhaps a cross between Radiohead and Genesis is an accurate description. Consistently inventive and always melodic.
Aaron English - All the Waters of This World ($11.99) All the Waters of This World is the 2002 debut album from Seattle-based keyboardist-vocalist Aaron English. Hard to do this justice in words. It is fairly vocal-heavy; fortunately English not only has a very good voice but his lyrics are outstanding. The music is progressive at its core, with elements of folk and ethno-prog a la Peter Gabriel. English handles vocals, piano, electronics, and various ethnic instruments. He is joined by a four-piece supporting band (guitar, violin, bass, drums), with guest appearances by thirteen other musicians from seven different countries. The scope of the album is epic, featuring at various times full string orchestrations, Middle Eastern and West African drum ensembles, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy or didgeridoo layered with electronics. Consistent with his name, the music sounds more English than American. In English’s words, these are songs from the sea. They’re also night songs: dark, sultry, dreamlike, and burning with a ghostly light… a full moon hanging over the sea.
The Rub - Three Wishes ($9.99) Three Wishes is the debut CD by Northern Virginia’s The Rub, a band that includes three members of “The President’s Own”, the group of select U.S. Marine Corps musicians who play regularly at White House events and around the country. This CD melds two major styles. The first is the band Illusion (the original Renaissance); it’s questionable whether The Rub have actually heard Illusion, but the similarity is unmistakable. To this they add some of the jazz-inflected Steely Dan style circa Aja. Their sound is dominated by piano, excellent female and male vocals and intriguing vocal harmonies, plus electric & acoustic guitar, bass and drums, with the occasional use of sax, viola, and synths. Very accomplished for a debut, richly-textured and skillfully arranged, but then these are all experienced musicians. Great introductory price too!
Rascal Reporters - The Foul-Tempered Clavier ($12.99) Americans Rascal Reporters’ The Foul-Tempered Clavier contains music composed between 1995-1999, plus four bonus tracks from 1977-1978. This is complex, keyboard-dominated, mostly instrumental rock music in the vein of Frank Zappa, The Muffins, Zamla Mammaz Manna and other RIO bands, Supersister, Soft Machine, and a three-ring circus. However, very little of The Foul-Tempered Clavier is improvised, and it doesn’t wallow in dissonance. It is usually quite melodic, but is often very dense and occasionally neurotic, hurling ideas at the listener at a breakneck pace. The Muffins’ Dave Newhouse is the honorary third member and makes large contributions on woodwinds. Unexpectedly, the one actual song with vocals sounds like early Genesis and The Beatles. Note the mp3 icon above links directly to a single 3.1 MB mp3 of the song Shoe Salad.
Quarkspace - same ($9.99) Quarkspace is undoubtedly among the best U.S. space rock bands ever. Their music is built upon layers of synths and guitar, supported by bass and drums. They tend to emphasize textures and moods and favor slow to mid-tempos, avoiding the sort of raw, primitive space rock that bands like Hawkwind have been known to crank out. Instead, they integrate influences of Pink Floyd, Gong, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Porcupine Tree, Clearlight, and everything in between. Quarkspace’s self-titled debut album dates from 1996. It’s more structured than their more recent work and includes some vocals.
Phreeworld - Crossing the Sound ($12.99) Crossing the Sound (1998) is Phreeworld’s one and only studio album. This is a wonderful vocal prog rock album mixing Yes, Saga, and FM with some Hackett-style guitar work. The lead vocals often remind us of Chris Squire’s voice, and there are plenty of majestic vocal harmonies, with all four band members singing. Phreeworld demonstrate that they can be heavy or complex when they want to, but it is the songwriting and arrangements that elevate them above the mass of neo-progressive bands.
Legacy - Where We Go ($12.99)Legacy are a U.S. symphonic progressive band out of North Carolina with a fine debut. We’re reminded of early North Star especially in the vocal department, while instrumentally it leans more toward Yes, with lots of symphonic textures. Other good reference points might be Alaska and Glass Hammer.
Lou Maxwell Taylor - Cheshire Tree Suite ($13.99) This is a spellbinding work of intimate progressive music by an American artist, probably most similar to the work of Peter Hammill, though Taylor’s voice also recalls Geoff Mann or Ian Anderson. Taylor is assisted by several other musicians and, despite four instrumental pieces, the album’s character derives primarily from his warm vocals and quality lyrics. It’s uniqueness stems from the combination of electric/electronic and acoustic instruments. Taylor mostly plays Korg synths, while the acoustic guitar, fiddle, cello, mandolin, accordion, and clarinet add folk and classical elements and much beauty and warmth. It all has a somewhat understated, dreamlike feel and late-night ambience, mesmerizing and atmospheric, but there is enough going on instrumentally to engage the listener on a fully-conscious level.
Leger de Main - A Lasting Impression (2CD, $11.99) Leger de Main is an American progressive band with a rare ability to mix high energy and great complexity without sacrificing melody and without degenerating into metal. Much of Leger de Main could be described as a more symphonic, intricate, and frenetic Rush with female vocals that are, ironically, lower in pitch than Geddy Lee’s. Though some of the vocal lines integrate well with the music, many tend to meander over the instrumentation without stating any memorable melodies (this is endemic to many modern bands), thus LdM are at their best during the many instrumental sections. The value-priced 2CD set A Lasting Impression reissues Leger de Main’s two albums The Concept of Our Reality (1995) and Second First Impression (1997), plus two bonus tracks which are recently-recorded acoustic versions of songs from the first album. It’s all been remixed and remastered by an experienced engineer for much improved sound, so fans of LdM will be tempted to upgrade. The complex, layered music really benefits from the added detail and clarity. Read the DPRP review.
RH Factor is essentially Leger de Main with a male vocalist. It’s a bit more accessible and song-oriented than LdM, still quite progressive and still in the hyper-Rush vein, and the vocals are better integrated.
Mythologic - Standing in Stillness ($11.99) Mythologic is the band Leger de Main with the addition of guitarist Steve Matusik from Andeavor and sounds pretty much like a third Leger de Main album, with better sound and production than the first two CDs. It continues LdM’s intricate and lush hyper-Rush style of progressive rock and vocal lines of Melissa Rodler (formerly Blair), with Matusik’s Lifeson-like guitar work pushing things toward Andeavor’s prog-metal style. As prog-metal, Standing in Stillness is notable for eschewing most of the Dream Theater clichés. For those looking for prog rock on the heavy and aggressive side, Mythologic is highly recommended, as the instrumental work is always fascinating in its detail and precision.
Gratto - Anakin Tumnus ($6.99) SALE!Gratto is a 2002 release from the Progressive Music Management label (Mythologic, Leger de Main, Andeavor, RH Factor, Jupiter). The Rodler brothers (the core of Leger de Main) handle guitars and drums here, but this album is the brainchild of a singer/keyboardist who calls himself Gratto. This album sounds like it could have come straight out of the 1970’s. Dark, intricate, and energetic, there are elements of Van der Graaf, Genesis, and Yes, but the sound is perhaps closest to some of the obscure American 1970’s prog bands such as Netherworld. There is also a touch of Echolyn. The album is on the short side (36:22) and consists of three long tracks. Read the reviews at Prog-Nose, Axiom of Choice and DPRP. The CD comes in a printed cardboard sleeve and counts as only one-half CD for shipping.
Jupiter - Conscious Dream ($11.99) Jupiter is one of the Progressive Music Management family of bands (Leger de Main, RH Factor, Gratto, etc.). An instrumental quartet of guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums, Jupiter is dominated by Paul Bryson’s guitar playing. This is by no means a guitar hero album though, as this set of flowing, melodic instrumentals is always tasteful. The sound is full, as Bryson overdubs clean and lead sounds simultaneously, while keyboards support with both symphonic and spacey textures.
Razor Wire Shrine - Going Deaf for a Living ($8.99) Razor Wire Shrine is the most recent permutation of the Leger de Main / Mythologic / RH Factor family, featuring as it does Chris Rodler on rhythm guitar and bass, Brett Rodler on drums, and Mike Ohm on lead guitar. It is similar to the aforementioned bands minus any keys or vocals, but it is definitely heavier, a very technical prog-metal. It is all too much for our decidedly non-metallic tastes, but as it comes in a printed sleeve rather than a jewel box, it doesn’t take up much space (and counts as only one-half CD for shipping). If the music you like is described with words such as onslaught, merciless, scorched, and blistering, have at it.
Madrigal - On My Hands ($14.99)1996 second album by an American band playing sophisticated progressive rock influenced by Gentle Giant and Yes.
Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring ($11.99) Very simply, this is Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring arranged for electric guitar, electric bass, and drums/percussion by one John Ringer, who has chosen to keep his name fairly well hidden on the CD and on his website. Because of the limited instrumentation and the frequent use of a distorted rock guitar tone, this is not a symphonic work. It often sounds like a garage band version of Red-era King Crimson or of the earliest Yes lineup sans Tony Kaye. The basic sound palette was Ringer’s intent, and it is a worthwhile exercise and is well-executed. Note the CD is a short one at 31:29. The mp3 and RealAudio icons above link directly to a single clip.
Under the Big Tree - same ($11.99) Ex-Episode keyboardist Nick Peck is joined by 11 other musicians (including Episode’s rhythm section) for a thoroughly enjoyable album of progressive rock with a touch of psychedelia that surpasses the work of his old band. From 1997, this is a large-scale album of 12 interconnected songs, dominated by Peck’s piano and featuring lots of flute, guitar, solo & harmony vocals. There’s a mixture of progressive styles - certainly Genesis is here - but the whole thing emerges as what could be called a U.S. west coast style of prog rock. Those who’ve heard the U.S. band Now will be in familiar territory (Now’s Gary Morrell co-produced).
Makkiwhipdies - His Name is nnnnn ($10.99)This five-piece band’s debut begins as lunatic music performance art, with recurring musical fragments deftly interspersed with found vocals and other samples. The humor gradually gives way to some fantastic instrumental progressive rock, so that by the end of the disc, you’ve forgotten all about the silly bits. The music is often like a more complex and progressive Seventh Wave, or a keyboard-heavy Jethro Tull, with doses of Zappa, Rush, ELP and Steve Hackett thrown in for good measure. It is keyboard-dominated with spice provided by mandolin and other atypical instruments. Well-produced, modern, and nothing else quite like it! 70 minutes.
Big Picture - same ($12.99)Americans Big Picture released only this 1993 CD, firmly in the neo-prog style. Elements of Yes, Marillion, Genesis, and Pink Floyd are present, but Big Picture sound most similar to Multi-Story. Here is a RealAudio excerpt from the track Power of Life.
Blind Owl - Debut at Dusk ($12.99)CD reissue of a 1987 American album that bridges the gap between pomp and progressive rock. Debut at Dusk recalls the first Asia album in the very full-sounding arrangements and harmony vocals, a huge wall-of-prog sound with soaring vocals and thunderous rhythm section combining with the lead guitars/synths and vast backdrops. The synths have the edge over the guitars, there’s some nice up-front bass guitar, and the songs work as songs in their own right but really spark thanks to the wall of sound production, with emotive synth solos recalling classic 1970’s bands. Here is a RealAudio excerpt from the track The Seed Has Been Sown.
Chris Dunnett - Higher Glyphics ($12.99) For a change of pace, this is instrumental Flamenco-influenced guitar music from a former prog rocker. On El Samuraichi, Dunnett also adds some keyboards and is assisted by a bassist, a violinist, and a percussionist. For his second CD Higher Glyphics, Dunnett takes the journey he began with El Samuraichi a bit further by adding choirs and Arabian voices to the mix, and marks Chris' return to the electric guitar with a fiery solo on one track. The energy level is a bit higher on Higher Glyphics, with more percussion, so start there. Expecting to be bored by a couple more self-indulgent guitar albums, we were instead captivated. Dunnett, who can obviously play, puts his energy into melody and feel rather than speed and soloing.
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DVDs