Alquilbencil - From Serengethi to Taklamakan ($15.99)
Titles are arranged alphabetically with the latest additions highlighted in yellow.
Alquilbencil - From Serengethi to Taklamakan ($15.99)This is a live album recorded in 2001 by a Spanish band whose first CD was released in 1999. The sound is excellent, and this is quite an original mélange of progressive styles. These ten mostly-instrumental pieces blend an elegant, symphonic jazz-rock featuring melodic sax, in the vein of Soft Machine; melancholy vocal tracks influenced by Pink Floyd or Pulsar; and intense/complex King Crimson-style rock. There are also some Mediterranean touches in the rhythms and melody lines. A very promising band.
Altair - 3 ($15.99) 
Altair is a Spanish band that released their second album Fantasias y Danzas in the early 1990’s, at that time only available on cassette, thankfully reissued on CD with a 10-minute live track appended. This is instrumental classical/progressive keyboard rock with ELP or Triumvirat as primary influences, plus a touch of Genesis. Housed in a mini-LP style paper sleeve, it counts as only one-half CD for shipping. 3 is their third album, recorded live in Barcelona in 2000 but not released until 2006. It has a couple tracks closer to jazz-rock but otherwise follows the same formula.
Amarok - Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos 2009 ($13.99) 
Sol de Medianoche (Midnight Sun) is the seventh album by this Spanish (more specifically, Catalonian) band, released in 2007. On the one hand, Amarok are capable of playing pure Anglo-prog, and on various tracks you can hear influences of Yes, Jethro Tull, ELP, Banco, the Canterbury bands, and Genesis/Steve Hackett. But they also mix in Mediterranean influences, along the lines of Azigza’s world-prog. There are also Celtic and renaissance music influences, and Amarok use a lot of instruments. The seven-piece band consists of female vocals (in Spanish), drums and percussion, bass, electric guitar, flutes, soprano & alto sax, and keyboards. The keyboardist also plays various ethnic instruments: saz, kanun, charango, santour, accordion, marimba, and more. The songs are sung principally in Spanish, but there are some in Catalan and in English. The variety of instruments used on this release exceeds even Amarok’s previous album, but the arrangements are precise, the instruments employed in an intelligent fashion. The album concludes with a unique version of ELP’s Abaddon’s Bolero that fans of the original really need to hear. 65-minutes.
Retrospectiva (2007) is an 80-minute compilation CD covering only Amarok’s first four albums: Els nostres petits amics (1994), Canciones de los mundos perdidos (1995), Gibra'ara (1998), and Tierra de especias (2000), plus four previously-unreleased tracks. These first four Amarok CDs have seen limited distribution and (apart from the new reworked edition of Canciones...) are hard to come by now. mp3 samples from these four albums can be found here.
Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos 2009 is a new edition of Amarok’s second album, first published in 1995 on a large Spanish label, plus previously-unreleased tracks recorded between 1992 and 2008, 74-minutes total. As the band explains, “Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos (Songs of the Lost Worlds) was recorded and mixed in just nine stressing days in March 1995. Despite our carefully prepared pre-production, we ran out of time, and this was especially notorious in the mix... Twelve years later, going back to the old tapes, I thought it was a good idea to rescue and release them, of course with a little help of modern technology and, why not, some patches here and there.” Amarok became more of a rock band later, but their music was never more beautiful than on this album. The Mediterranean influences and most of the ethnic instruments also came later. The instrumentation on Canciones de los Mundos Perdidos is female voice, keyboards, guitars, violin, oboe, and drums/percussion, and it all feels more English and Celtic. Especially with the oboe, the music is sometimes reminiscent of Anthony Phillips’ albums with Harry Williamson (Tarka, Gypsy Suite), and Mike Oldfield deserves a mention as well.
Bijou - El Profeta ($11.99)Bijou is a young Spanish quintet who released their debut album El Profeta (The Prophet) in 2004. This is the 2005 re-edition on the Luna Negra label, with a new and improved cover. Bijou are instrumental, with two guitarists, keyboards, bass and drums. Though instrumental, you’d have to call this neo-prog with a touch of heavy rock. Mainly this is because the rhythms tend to be steady and straightforward, while most of the interest is generated by the guitars and keys. But Bijou have a style of their own and don’t resemble the usual neo-prog suspects. They are closer to Xang on their Destiny of a Dream album. The music remains melodic throughout, and sometimes the vocal lines are in effect supplied by the instruments. Despite being outnumbered by the guitarists, the keyboards have an equal role, as the band is very ensemble-oriented. This is one of those albums that has appeal to prog-metal fans without being prog-metal, and is recommended to those who like their symphonic rock melodic, energetic, and with a modern style.
Cazenave - Ser ($13.99)Guillermo Cazenave is known to many for his collaborations with Anthony Phillips, but much of his solo work is in the cosmic music vein, and Ser (2008, digipack) is probably his best such album. It was recorded at Anthony Phillips’ studio in England. Jeremy Morris has a couple guest vocals, otherwise the music is instrumental. This is not a retro, Berlin School album, though that influence is present. There are acoustic instruments (guitars, flute, sitar, santur) in addition to electronics, so the music has a more organic feel than most electronic music, and crosses over into progressive ala Jade Warrior.
Dificil Equilibrio - Flood ($15.99) SALE!This talented band from Barcelona released their first album in 1997, followed by an album of King Crimson covers amusingly titled The Great Red Lament in Aspic. The guitarist Alberto Diaz was a student of Robert Fripp in Guitar Craft courses. Their third album Trayecto (2000) received critical acclaim, as the band was able to capture the spirit of King Crimson. Dificil Equilibrio’s fourth album Simétricanarquia (2003, digipack) reveals an evolution in their music. The King Crimson influence is still present, but through these 11 mostly instrumental pieces, Alberto Diaz (guitar/vocals), Joan Francisco (bass), and Luis Rodriguez (drums) travel through other musical worlds, with some peaceful acoustic moments and Spanish folk influences, and guests on cello, trumpet, and sax. With this album, Dificil Equilibrio take their place among the better contemporary progressive bands.
Flood (2006) is their fifth album, all previously-unreleased tracks recorded live in the studio. These eleven instrumental pieces continue the evolution away from King Crimson into more original territory, though the influence of Fripp is still easily heard. You have to wonder about the track sequencing though. Dificil Equilibrio open this album with the most experimental improvised piece, perhaps a strategy to drive away any tentative listeners. The rest of the album covers a wide range of intensity, from structured melodic compositions with clean guitar tones to dark, angular pieces using distorted tones. Like King Crimson, Dificil Equilibrio strike a balance between musical experimentation and structured progressive rock.
Dracma - A Fine Stormy Weather mini-LP ($17.99) A Fine Stormy Weather is the 1996 second album from a very good Spanish neo-prog band (Marillion/IQ style) singing in (accented) English. Read reviews at Prog Archives. (There is an audio sample there.) The mini-LP edition is the 2009 limited edition released by the MALS label under license from Musea, which comes in a heavyweight cardboard sleeve. Limits is their 1994 debut.
Factory of Dreams - A Strange Utopia ($13.99) |       |
Forgotten Suns - Innergy ($12.99) Forgotten Suns are a Portuguese band singing in English who began as a neo-prog band with the 2000 CD Fiction Edge 1 (Ascent), which showed a lot of Marillion influence alongside some heavier elements. Their second CD Snooze (2004) showed the heavier elements taking over, with Dream Theater the main influence. Innergy (2009) is their third, with only the guitarist and keyboardist now remaining from the original lineup, and Forgotten Suns have completed the transition to prog-metal band.
Galadriel - Calibrated Collision Course ($15.99) 
This Spanish band (singing in English) began as an early PFM and Genesis-influenced band on Muttered Promises (1988), adding more of their own identity with each succeeding album, always relying heavily on the vocal talents of Jesús Filardi. Chasing the Dragonfly (1992) is their second and distinguishes itself from their debut by the addition of some ethnic touches. Mindscapers (1997) is their third, a 61-minute sci-fi concept album.
After a long wait, Galadriel’s fourth album Calibrated Collision Course appeared at the end of 2008. Most of this album was composed by bassist/keyboardist José Bautista, beginning as early as 1995, and it maintains continuity with the previous Galadriel albums. The new CD includes guests Jean Pascal Boffo and Twelfth Night singer Andy Sears (who has emigrated to Spain). Blending Sears’ backing vocals with Filardi’s lead vocals was a good move, but we still feel that Filardi should allow more instrumental passages, as he sings over just about everything, and always has. That may avoid the problem of the singer having nothing to do on stage during instrumental passages, but more contrast would be welcome. That said, this is a richly-textured progressive rock album, blending symphonic prog with some aspects relating more to Peter Gabriel or modern King Crimson than to Genesis, and more of a jazz/classical bent than any of those artists. 58-minutes.
Gurth - Tormentes ($14.99) To the list of Spanish progressive fusion bands that includes Iceberg, Secta Sonica, Musica Urbana, Pegasus, Borne, and Guadalquivir, add Gurth from near Barcelona. The band trace their beginnings to 1995 but didn’t record their first demo until 2003. Tormentes (2008) is their debut CD. On this CD, Gurth are a quintet of bass, drums, and three guitarists. One of the guitarists actually plays guitar synth, filling the role of a keyboardist, while the other two play both electric and acoustic. The music is 1970’s-styled, mostly instrumental, with a small amount of vocals which we’ll guess are in Catalan. As with the other Spanish bands mentioned, Gurth have one foot in fusion and one in progressive rock, with similar quality and appeal.
Hannah - A Life in Rock Minor ($15.99) A Life in Rock Minor is the 2008 debut CD for Spanish prog rock quintet Hannah. It is melodic neo-prog sung in English. As with most European bands of this generation, there is nothing in Hannah’s sound unique to their country of origin other than an accent in the singer’s English (which is only apparent when the vocals are exposed in the mix). It isn’t prog-metal, but the guitarist’s style shows some metal influence, which is what distinguishes neo-prog of this decade from neo-prog of the 1980’s. Note the first mp3 icon above leads to Hannah’s Flash-based site. Click MEDIA, then click AUDIO.
In Nomine - Mythos ($15.99) out-of-stock This Spanish band debuted in 2000 with Mutatis Mutandis, an impressive album that makes all the right moves, convincingly combining traditional progressive influences (Yes and Genesis above all) and neo-progressive ones, in particular The Wake-era IQ. There are majestic instrumental passages where you could swear you’re listening to IQ in all their splendor. Read reviews here.
Mythos (2005) is quite a different second album but every bit as good. There is no neo-prog on this disc. Maybe you can compare some of it to Jean Pascal Boffo’s Carillons or to Edhels. There are touches of Echolyn, Steve Hackett, 1980’s King Crimson, and a slight jazz-rock influence. Syncopated rhythms, numerous breaks, complex harmonies, sophisticated vocal arrangements, great progressive guitar (no metal!)... the album is full of great stuff. Remember that it’s a good thing when an album doesn’t strongly suggest something that has gone before. Vocals are in English. Read reviews here.
Kotebel - Ouroboros ($17.99) out-of-stock 
Kotebel - Mysticae Visiones ($15.99) This Spanish band seem to have rediscovered the key to symphonic rock music: an adept synthesis of classical and rock by musicians with a first-hand knowledge of classical music. Mysticae Visiones (2002) is their second album. The two pieces that comprise this album can be considered rock symphonies. Keyboardist Carlos Plaza is the composer and mastermind behind this project, and his piano/keyboard parts form the foundation of Kotebel’s music. Flute, sax, female voices, cello, soaring guitar leads, and of course bass and drums complete the sound, which recalls Camel (especially The Snow Goose), Ezra Winston, and The Enid, plus a few touches of ELP at their most orchestral. Highly refined, mystical, and bombastic, this is first-rate instrumental classical progressive rock.
Fragments of Light (2003, 72-minutes), Kotebel’s third album, is a very impressive work of 1970’s-style progressive rock. Progressive fans will be delighted by the heavenly female vocals and abundant flute parts, the complex harmonies and rhythm changes, and the virtuoso keyboards. Keyboardist Carlos Plaza remains the main composer, aided this time by guitarist Cesar Garcia. Kotebel’s main influences are the classical composers Debussy, Ravel, and Gabriel Fauré and the progressive bands of the “golden age” (Yes, Genesis, Camel, The Enid, etc.), though the music ends up closer to continental bands such as Asia Minor or Ezra Winston than to the British bands.
Omphalos (2006) is Kotebel’s fourth album, and while their previous CDs were excellent, this one is even better. They play ambitious and complex symphonic progressive with strong classical influences, but also touches of jazz. The band has two keyboardists including their composer, and while some passages are slightly similar to ELP, there are also passages dominated by electric guitar. They have a full-time flute player, and they use operatic female soprano vocals, sometimes with lyrics (mostly English), sometimes wordless and used as another instrument. Kotebel has become quite an original band, with complex harmonies and logical shifts in dynamics, tempo, and texture. The album is centered on the 30-minute Pentacle’ Suite. Beautiful tri-fold digipack with color booklet.
Ouroboros (2009, 72-minutes, digipack) is darker, more aggressive and angular than their previous albums. The female voice is gone (except on the live bonus track); this is purely instrumental. This is the most complex, intricate work yet for Kotebel, who must be one of the most overlooked progressive rock bands in the world. Because for those who appreciate the challenging, non-song-oriented style of prog championed by Anglagard and others, Ouroboros is about as good as it gets. Read reviews at Sea of Tranquility and Prog Archives.
Medina Azahara - La Estacion de los Suenos ($13.99)Medina Azahara are a Spanish band in existence since the late 1970’s that have released at least 15 albums to date and sold large numbers of them in Spain. They more or less took over the flamenco rock style from Triana. As time went on, Medina Azahara’s music moved closer to symphonic AOR than symphonic prog, but the Andalucian style of singing and other musical elements plus the symphonic keyboards give the music appeal to progressive fans. Medina Azahara feature strong vocals in Spanish and a high energy level. Dónde Está la Luz (1993) is their eighth album and the first to receive U.S. distribution. La Estacion de los Suenos is from 2005.
Negua - A Way Out ($12.99) Negua is a Spanish band from Barcelona that includes guitarist Fidel Vázquez of Unoma and bassist Jordi Planas (ex-Dracma). A Way Out (2006) is sung in English, though the band’s website is currently only in Spanish and Catalan. The music is neo-prog with guitars dominating over keys, vocal-heavy and crossing over into mainstream rock, though the song lengths tend to be long. 60-minutes.
October Equus - same ($16.99) October Equus is a new Spanish instrumental prog quartet of keys/guitars/bass/drums. They don’t sound like any other Spanish band. Instead, they sound sinister, showing influences of Anglagard, King Crimson circa 1973-74, Present, Shylock, and the Rock In Opposition bands, emphasizing angularity and dissonance over melody. In other words, never use a major third if you can play a tritone instead.
Andrés Olaegui Trio - Como Niños ($11.99) Como Niños (“Like Children”) is a 2005 album by guitarist Andrés Olaegui, formerly of the great Spanish flamenco rock band Guadalquivir. This is a mostly-instrumental jazz record with Spanish touches. 65-minutes.
Omni - El Vals de los Duendes ($9.99) SALE!Omni are an instrumental Spanish band who played at both Baja Prog 2001 and 2002. Their second CD El Vals de los Duendes (The Waltz of the Little Elves) is from 2002. Here Omni play 1970’s Camel-style progressive rock, flowing and melodic, neither heavy nor demonstrative, with nods to various 1970’s Spanish bands such as Iman or Iceberg, plus a touch of Santana. Their star is Michael Starry, a very expressive and melodic guitarist a la Andy Latimer. Behind him are flute, sax, keys, rhythm guitar, bass and drums. While their studio albums can’t capture the energy of their live show, this CD does recapture the spirit of 1970’s Camel while adding some Spanish touches.
Onza - Paradigma ($17.99) SALE!
On Reino Rocoso (1990), Spanish band Onza are an instrumental trio (from Andalucía) assisted by two keyboardists, playing a mix of jazz-rock and progressive rock. The jazz-rock relates to bands such as Iceberg or Borne, with touches of folk and lots of acoustic textures. The progressive side of the band relates more to bands such as Granada or to early King Crimson.
On Zona Crepuscular (2002, 57-minutes), Onza are a quartet (guitars/vocals, keys/flute, bass, drums) with only one person in common with the Onza that recorded Reino Rocoso. Zona Crepuscular is a very good symphonic progressive album that one might compare to the Spanish 1970’s band Mezquita. The nearest Anglo equivalent is probably Camel, and there are passages that remind one of the Italian 70’s progressive bands. There are good vocals in Spanish but the album is heavily instrumental.
Onza’s third CD Paradigma (2007, 57-minutes) is on their third prog label, which for some reason all begin with “M” (Musea, Mellow, margen). Here Onza shift effortlessly between several progressive rock styles, the primary ones being an IQ or Collage style of neo-prog and a flowing melodic style similar to Camel. There is also some Pink Floyd, Rush, and jazz-rock, overall a lively, colorful, melodic symphonic prog. The CD is about half instrumental, with vocals in Spanish, and is capped off by the 17-minute track El Alquimista. Here are mp3 clips from the tracks Paradigma and Piensa en ti.
Pegasus - Nuevos Encuentros ($15.99)The 1982 debut by the Spanish fusion band featuring guitarist Max Suñé from Iceberg. A good progressive fusion album, though not quite on the level of Iceberg.
Petrus Castrus - Ascenção e Queda ($15.99)Good price on this legitimate Korean mini-LP CD reissue of a 1978 Portuguese symphonic progressive rarity. Ascenção e Queda (Rise and Fall) was Petrus Castrus’ second and more symphonic album. This CD adds two bonus tracks taken from a 1974 single.
Rivendel - The Meaning ($11.99) SALE!1996 album by this Spanish neo-prog band, with vocals in English, Spanish, and French. The music is symphonic progressive comprised of three long suites, highly composed, with references to Van der Graaf Generator, Genesis, and King Crimson.
Saturnia - Hydrophonic Gardening ($14.99) A spacey, psychedelic progressive band out of Portugal. This 2003 album is their third. This is very lush and organic, much more laid-back and ambient than Ozric Tentacles, with some low-key vocals. The overall effect is dreamy, hypnotic, and mesmerizing, very well done.
Senogul - same ($14.99) This 2007 CD should be considered the first for Senogul, a Spanish instrumental band from Asturias playing refined, melodic 1970’s-style progressive rock. They released a 37-minute CD in 2005, but this new 70-minute CD contains re-recorded versions of all the tracks on that earlier CD. Senogul have diverse influences, with elements of Camel, Caravan, King Crimson, classical, jazz-rock, tango, flamenco, and more. The mainstays of their sound are classical piano married to tasteful guitar work, with exemplary interplay between the instruments. Guest musicians add flute and sax to some tracks. The music is flowing and intricate rather than bombastic or dramatic, but is not lacking for energy. Asturias was also home to Crack and Asturcon, and Senogul is a very worthy successor.
Snowdonia - Pallas ($13.99)Pallas (1995) is the second album by this Spanish retro-prog band. The album sounds as if it was recorded in 1971, as the keyboards and guitar tones are all vintage, the style decidedly British. Guests provide flute, violin and cello. “I found every twist and curve of this album enjoyable right from the start... M José Millon is a wonderful vocalist, she sings in both Spanish and English, her voice mildly reminiscent of Clodagh Simmond’s from Mellow Candle only without the pure folk quality. The production of this album is similar to that band as well, or maybe 70’s recording in general... Between the keyboardist’s skill and arsenal of ivory, this album is vintage keys wonderland... With Pallas, Snowdonia have damn near released the perfect album... For an old dog like me, this album is pure joy.” [Dane Carlson, Exposé] Prog Archives’ review page includes an mp3 of one song.
Soma Planet - Bholenath ($15.99) Bholenath (2008, 58-minutes) is the second CD for this Barcelona band who play mostly-instrumental music blending King Crimson, Gong, the Canterbury bands, and fusion of the more daring variety. There are three songs with English-language vocals that show Soma Planet can also be gentle and melodic. Read the Progressor and Proggnosis reviews.
Tantra - Terra ($16.99) Tantra was Portugal’s top symphonic progressive rock band during the 1970’s and, now reconstituted, remains so today. Their music could be compared to Genesis, Yes (circa Topographic Oceans), Camel, and perhaps Gentle Giant, with touches of jazz-rock at times. Their very lyrical vocals are in Portuguese. Their albums have the refined and complex arrangements of the best 1970’s European progressive bands, and the level of musicianship is high. Like so many prog bands, they disbanded in the early 1980’s but have now reformed, and their 2003 studio album Terra (66-minutes) is even better than their 70’s albums! Tantra today are led by Manuel Cardoso, the lead guitarist and singer.
Tricantropus - Recuerdos del Futuro ($14.99) This instrumental symphonic prog band from Madrid features former members of the great 1970’s band Azahar. Recuerdos del Futuro (Memories of the Future) is their 57-minute 2008 debut. Their music is in the flowing, intricate style of a number of other Spanish prog bands, e.g., Omni, Onza, Senogul (first album). Camel is the closest Anglo equivalent, with touches of Pink Floyd and fusion. Among several guest musicians is a flute player on three tracks, which reinforces the Camel comparison.
Unoma - Croma ($12.99) Croma is the first album by Unoma, a project created by the young Spanish composer/guitarist Fidel Vázquez. Assisted by other musicians on keyboards, bass, drums, and vocals, this is an album of supremely tasteful guitar-based instrumentals, with English vocals from Alex Warner on the 15-minute In the Name of God that closes the album. Although this is a guitarist’s album, there are plenty of keyboards; in a couple places these are downright Genesis-inspired. Vázquez is a talented guitar player, well-versed in subtlety and nuance and thus able to convey emotion, and a clever and gifted composer. Successfully fusing melancholy and power, with nice dialogues between keyboards and guitars, Croma is an excellent album. If you like listening to “shredding” though, best look elsewhere -- this album is about music.