This a great album because it makes a statement like the great albums of the 70's. This is a statement about life and looking at life and we are simple creature who don't really understand life because we live it in real time. I believe that he wants us to look at ourselves from a distance and he choose to have this motif about space to make us see ourselves from this perspective. I always like Mr. Wison's direction because he always want to reinvent himself. With this album, he is channeling his inner Bowie. This is good and I like it. We can always like space because we are space and we will die and go into space. This is a good idea and I can like it and give it my assurance that this will be a competent artistic statement. This is 4.5 stars, no question..

Judging by early reviews of this album I was expecting something a lot worse than it actually is. For the most part it's a return to 'prog' for Steven after the experimental and largely underwelming last few releases which didn't seem to have any real point. I appreciate that it would be hard for anyone to better such releases as Hand Cannot Erase and The Raven That Refused To Sing but it would be nice to know he cares at least!

The Overview is defintely for me a return to form. He is well known to be a Pink Floyd fan (perhaps his favourite band) and this has definite echoes (see what I did there) of the early spacey psyche rock of Floyd. Perhaps he 'bottles' it slightly but not that much. The opening 23 minute suite Objects Outlive Us is as good as anything he has done for 10 years. Great drumming from Russell Holzman especially oushining Craig Blundell who appears on the second piece. It feels to me that a lot more effort went into this part of the album and maybe it could have stretched to being a one album track? The second ( and only other track) is the Overview coming in at 18 minutes long. This is where the album gets slightly derailed and is a much more disjointed long song. Contains some unecessary contributions from wifey Rolem quoting off scientifiic information and then a perfunctory outro. Craig Blundell (not my favourite drummer) takes over the stool and he's about as blunt as usual. This track feels a lot more cobbled together in order to make an album.

Overall though there is enough here to justify a rating of around 8.5/10 (9.5 for Objects Outlive Us/ 7.5 for The Overview)

After hitting the top 10 in the British Album Charts for the first (and sadly only) time with the overall very Proggy Defector LP, one would assume Steve Hackett would follow up with more of the same.Sadly no as the follow up album Cured showed.So what changed? Firstly Hackett simply could not afford a full band this time.Secondly he felt under pressure to provide Virgin with a hit or at leat a more commercial sounding album.Thirdly and perhaps most significantly he wanted to prove himself capable of handling vocals.

Overall this new direction did not automatically have to lead to a sub-standard album.The main problem is he made a couple of mistakes in the presentation of the album.Firstly he decided to not use his wife Kim Poor for a cover unlike all his previous albums and go for a photo of himself enjoying himself with his cure (Cured-geddit?) near a beach.Hmm-shades of Love Beach by ELP....Not only that but like the ELP album he front-loaded the album with a couple of fairly straightforward :"Pop" songs.Not something we expect of this guitar hero.Ofcourse the very light production compounded by his fairly weak vocals and the dreaded use of drum machines made for a fairly underwelming experience for the listener. Fortunately and the truth is Cured is actually quite an enjoyable album in many respects.The songs although with one notable exception not even remotely Proggy, probably arranged to suit his limited vocals are actually quite engaging in their own way.The notable exception is "Overnight Sleeper" which features a particularly engaging Latin style instrumental section showcasing John Hackett's always superb flute playing.The album also includes the dramatic "The Air Conditioned Nightmare" which is one of his best instrumentals.

Overall while not an essential album it is still worthy of 3 stars

ACTIONFREDAG are a six piece band out of Norway, and this is their sophomore release from 2024. And while their debut was just released a year earlier in 2023, that album was recorded in the fall of 2020. I say that because the music here is different. Yes, they walk those familiar Canterbury paths with the keyboards and female wordless vocals, which along with the similar themed art work connects the two recordings. We get the same lineup as well it should be noted.

They thank "All the lovely people in..." And they mention Jordsjo, Wobbler, The Chronicles Of Father Robin, Tusmorke, Panzerpappa, The Samuel Jackson Five among others. Some returning guests like the duo from JORDSJO and a couple of others. Unfortunately Steiner Borve is not back from PANZERPAPPA playing sax. Both albums are 40 minutes but this one has ten tracks while the debut has six songs. And while a couple of reviewers whose opinions I respect feel this second one is much better than the debut, I have to disagree. Just my musical tastes really, but I feel the debut is a 4.5 star record while this is a solid 4 stars, so a step down.

I like the debut cover art more as well, especially when you open it up to that two panel scene. Having said that if I could pick one song from either album I would pick the closer from this second one called "Thank You Kleveland". I'm at a bit of a loss to explain why, other than I love how repetitive it is, and the intensity. It turns more powerful late. Now the previous three tracks before this closer are probably my least favourites. So yes I feel this album isn't as consistent as the debut.

I do really like both of the "Dali Lamas Five-Dollar Mamas" tracks very much. They remind me of the debut with so much going on and there's plenty of energy too. Brighter sounds thanks to the keyboards. Catchy and a nod to Canterbury. That opener is a new direction and one I do like. The first section is familiar with those avalanche of sounds that fluctuate. How good is this! But then the change as it turns darker and more intense. A nice contrast as well between the opening two songs.

Track three is mellow with female vocals. Too relaxed really. A miss. But then "Planet Bygningsetaten" makes up for it. Next to the closer this is my second favourite. I love the contrast of the two sections, with one being female vocal led and the other male vocal led. Canterbury keys as well. "Cloudboy Blidbop" starts off in a relaxed way with guitar leading before keys and a more dynamic sound take over after 2 minutes.

This is a band I will be "in on" for a while. So much talent, and I want to see where they go from here. I will be riding this bus for a while. Nice picture of the band doing these challenging poses in the liner notes. Again the keyboardist makes me laugh.

Spectral Mornings Part 2

At first glance- and listen, Defector seems like it is joined at the hip with Spectral Mornings.Similar artwork, same line up and so on.Also as with the previous album Defector is conceptual in nature making references to the uneasy truce between Russa and the USA at the time it was recorded. It opens with"The Steppes"- a terrific brooding and slow burning instrumental showcasing his unique guitar style as well as some fine flute playing by John Hackett.The next track "Time to get Out" is a fairly straightforward rocker but nothing more.The next track, "Slogans" is another excellent instrumental showcasing Hackett's unique style.The whole band is on fire on that track."Leaving" is a fairly straightforward acoustic song and the closing instrumental track on side 1 "Two Vamps as Guests" showcases Hackett's nylon string playing while referencing the opening track.

Side 2 starts promisingly enough with "Jacuzzi" another sprightly and melodic instrumental featuring more excellent flutework.."Hammer In The Sand" is a yet another instrumental this time showcasiing Nick Magnus's keyboard skills."The Toast" is a pleasant song with a particularly beautiful symphonic instrumental section clearly iunspired by Classical Composer Satie. The second last track "The Show" is a surprising;y upbeat with a baseline making it sound a bit dangerously close to Disco for my liking.The closing track "Sentimental Institution" is one of those oddball tracks Hackett is so fond of, this time a cod 4o's crooner using the optigan to create the old school sound.

Overall I have mixed feelings about this album.Parts of it -mainly the instrumentals are flat out brilliant.The songs are a bit pedestrian to be honest but given that half the tracks are instrumental and really do showcase both Hacketts and Magnus so well this is another essental Hackett album

5 stars-just

This week I have decided to review an album that has been out for several years, released in 2016. The album is a collaboration between Jon Anderson (Yes' original legendary singer) and Roine Stolt the founder/guitarist/co-lead vocalist of The Flower Kings (as well as Transatlantic and several other projects). The album is called 'Invention of Knowledge.' Roine Stolt has made no secret of his deep respect for Jon Anderson's talent. Some Flower Kings members and a former unofficial touring member of Yes plus some other notable proggers are on board as well:

- Jon Anderson / lead & backing vocals, synth, percussion, co-producer - Roine Stolt / guitars (acoustic, electric, lap steel, Portuguese), dobro, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals, co-producer & mixing

With: - Tom Brislin / grand piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, synthesizer - Lalle Larsson / grand piano, synthesizer - Jonas Reingold / bass, backing vocals - Michael Stolt / bass, Moog Taurus pedals - Felix Lehrmann / drums - Daniel Gildenl'w / backing vocals - Nad Sylvan / backing vocals - Anja Obermayer / backing vocals - Maria Rerych / backing vocals - Kristina Westas / backing vocals

I have heard many of the tracks individually before, but this is the first time I am giving it a thorough start-to-finish listen. There are four parts to the album as listed before the track that begins each segment.

Part I: Invention of Knowledge

Track 1 - Invention

The track fades in with volume swells on guitar notes, Jon's harp, and other ethereal sounds. Jon sings some parts in harmony as well. It's a beautiful intro. It's like a modern version of the intro to 'The Revealing Science of God,' on Yes' 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' album. Just before the one minute mark, what seems like the first verse begins with acoustic accompaniment. There is a short but very good guitar solo after a phrase or two of vocals, then an ascending instrumental phrase and the true first verse begins'nice! I love the vocal and instrumental arrangements in this track. It truly does sound like a hybrid between Yes and the Flower Kings. There are lots of layered vocal parts. There is a brief but wonderful instrumental break around the 4 minute mark. Stolot takes a guitar solo at around 5 minutes. There is a bridge around 5:45. A softer section begins before 7 minutes. It begins to build up again around 8:30, with some cool sitar flourishes. Stolt is really doing some Howe style playing on this great track. It leads right into:

Track 2 - We Are Truth

The sitar continues, along with strummed acoustic, an electric guitar melody and a BRILLIANT bass fill at 24 seconds. Jon begins singing with acoustic accompaniment. There are lovely backing vocals as the verses progress. At around 2:30, a marching snare drum beat joins in and the song becomes more rhythmic. I love the triplet rhythm figures in the vocals at around 2:45. Although no strings are listed in the credits of the album, it certainly sounds like real strings to me. If they are not then the synths are convincing! This album has a very 'orchestra and choir' feel to it. The ascending line in the guitar and other instruments at around 4 minutes is a VERY Flower Kings sound. Fantastic vocals at 4:30. This could be part of a Broadway musical. There is a nice transition to acoustic guitar and lullaby-like vocals as the track nears its conclusion. Stolt plays a guitar solo as the track prepares to transition to:

Track 3 - Knowledge

This has a grand intro! Once again, the plethora of vocalists is put to good use. I love the instruments around 1:15. This reminds me of 'Keys to Ascension' era Yes. The sound on this album is HUGE; very full arrangements. I like the 3-4 part just before 4 minutes. The music fades to nearly nothing at around 5:10; It reminds me of the transition to the 'I Get Up-I Get Down' section of 'Close to the Edge,' but it doesn't build back up. The song fades out for a good bit of time.

Part II: Knowing

Track 4 - Knowing

Organ and 'distant' sounding vocals fade in to start this one. Jon's crystal-clear voice emerges. A steady rhythm then takes shape. Piano takes the spotlight next, then guitar. Jon sings a rhythmic verse in 5-4 meter, and is joined by harmony singing. Another verse follows a nice transitional section. There is a bridge around the 4 minute point. The music is in 3 by the 5:20 mark. There is a short instrumental break, followed by wonderfully sustained notes by Jon. Excellent guitar work from Stolt at around 7 minutes. We return to 5-4 following the solo.By 9 minutes the music has become floaty and dreamy. It remains so as we transition to:

Track 5 - Chase and Harmony

Moderately slow piano takes the lead on this track. Jon then begins singing. The beat changes at around 1:15. The feel changes again as Roine takes a guitar solo. Cool guitar fill at 2:33, after Jon returned to vocals. Right before the 3 minute mark, Jon is wordlessly singing the melody along with the instrumentation, making a very nice effect. There are many meter shifts in the beautiful section after 4 minutes. Excellent crescendo and key change as we approach the 5 minute point. This section could be on a FKs album. Excellent guitar orchestration around 6 minutes. The music fades out with various sound effects.

Part III: Everybody Heals

Track 6 - Everybody Heals

This one begins very quietly and gradually begins to fade in with orchestral sounds. A drum fill brings in the band with a guitar solo at around 40 seconds. Jon takes over after the big intro with simple piano accompaniment at first. Other instruments gradually enter. This track has a very positive vibe, not just lyrically but instrumentally. I enjoy all of the meter changes. By around 3:20 there is a call and response style to the vocals. Things wind down at around 3:50, to build back up by a bit after 4 minutes. I believe I heard Stolt's voice in an identifiable way just before 4:30 (first time on the album). The call and response returns around 5:45. A cool guitar solo from Stolt follows. After that there is a piano solo, with wonderful rhythm section work on the bass and drums. This takes us to:

Track 7 - Better by Far

A piano tune takes over as the track begins. This is the shortest track at just over 2 minutes long. Jon enters after subtle percussion establishes a beat. Jon's voice is so mesmerising in this one I almost forgot to type. Excellent rhythmic interplay here. At about 1:35 the music becomes ethereal again as we transition to:

Track 8 - Golden Light

This is the second shortest track at 3:30. A fantastic multi-layered vocal arrangement leads the way here, but at 35 seconds there is an extremely complex transition to the next vocal harmony part. After another transitional part that was cool but nowhere as complex as what happened earlier, there is another very broad sounding vocal harmony section. There is an excellent synth run around 2:15, then the music gets dreamy again. Piano takes over around 2:50. I believe it's Brislin, who is outstanding as always. I wonder why he was never offered a permanent spot in Yes? (Oh, well, Kansas gets the benefit of his talents these days.)

Part IV: Know'

Track 9 - Know'

This is the final epic at 11:13 making it the longest individual track, although if the earlier segments of the album are taken as suites, then their cumulative times are longer. Jazzy guitar starts this one off. Jon's lilting vocals join in with subtle bass and keys accompanying. The lyrics on this album are 'Very JON.' The jazzy groove continues until just after 3 minutes. The piano takes over in a ballad style as Jon sings. Excellent key change at around 3:50. At 5:45, Stolt takes over on guitar. A synth feature follows. The music gets dramatic at 6:45. We are making our way toward a big finish for the album. This build up reaches a climax at around 8 minutes. Once again, Jon's vocal melodies remind me of the 'Keys to Ascension' period of Yes. Things are building up again around 9:30. After a long sustained note on the instruments at around 10:15, a piano figure takes over and gradually fades out with synth accompaniment.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This was a wonderful listen! However, I would say, if you are not big on Jon Anderson solo albums, you might not like it as much. While Stolt's style is very much in evidence, this feels more like a very strong JA solo album than a FKs album for much of it (with occasional exceptions). But, I truly did enjoy it. As a longtime Yes fan, though, this album is frustrating in the sense that I believe that Jon was in very fine voice, and could have returned to Yes after his recovery from his health issues in 2008, and handled the role quite well. This is certainly a better album than what was then the most recent Yes album, 'Heaven and Earth.' But I digress. This is an outstanding prog album and wonderful collaboration between two prog giants of different eras. I would have liked Stolt's voice to have a larger role and take on some duets with Jon here and there, as he and Hasse often do in the FKs. But otherwise, great stuff! I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Clicked 4, but really 4.5

The Glaswegians are back with their 11th studio album release. Despite one reviewer's claim that this was a greatest hits album, I have confirmed that it is, in fact, not. Like Steven Wilson, they just draw a lot from their past sounds and styles as well as a lot of history from the music of their childhoods growing up in the UK.

1. "God Gets You Back" (6:40) quite a nice song that has a nice little cinematic opening before turning into something that takes us back to about 1990 when bands like Toad The Wet Sprocket, Trashcan Sinatras, The Pale Saints, Lush, Ride, Slowdive, and The Kitchens of Distinction were having their heyday. I can see why many listeners are extolling this as one of their favorite songs from the past year. It is definitely one of my favorites from this (quite unusual) album. (9/10)

2. "Hi Chaos" (5:24) sounds like good ole fashioned Post Rock with a rock construct (ABABCAB) instead of slow-build, cresecendo, dénouement. (8.75/10)

3. "What Kind of Mix is This?" (4:11) an interesting mix of individual instrument sounds that is squeezed into one more ABABCAB construct. (8.75/10)

4. "Fanzine Made Of Flesh" (4:34) some 1980s New Wave in this one makes it sound like late-1970s fledgling New Wave. Pre-New Order New Order (no: not Joy Division; Cure-ish New Order--or perhaps OMD, Modern English, or Echo & The Bunnymen). Kind of cool if this were 1979. (8.875/10)

5. "Pale Vegan Hip Pain" (4:24) this one sounds like classic early 2000s Post Rock from the likes of Mono or Red Sparowes. Decent but rather simple and unsophisticated. (8.75/10)

6. "If You Find this World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others" (7:22) and I thought the previous song was simple and unsophisticated--sounded like early MONO! Little did I know that this was coming next! Really great build up and brain-annihilating crescendo. (Those crashing cymbals are among the loudest I've ever heard.) The long aftermath is a little unusual: a bit like walking around the streets of Hiroshima a year after the bomb. (13.375/15)

7. "18 Volcanoes" (6:18) vocals! And they're pleasant, melodic, and even dream-poppy! Again: not what one might expect from a Post Rock band--more like something from RIDE, SLOWDIVE, or even The Pale Saints. The weird guitar (or synth?) sounds are cool. A top three song for me. (8.875/10)

8. "Hammer Room" (5:16) interchangeable piano and guitar arpeggi are interwoven giving this the feel of something light and upbeat from NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA or a collaboration between 1970s Brian Eno and early XTC. Or DIF JUZ! Another top three song. (8.875/10)

9. "Lion Rumpus" (3:33) more New Age sounds and melodies driving this one despite the weird industrial screeches and gratings renting the sonic fabric in the second half. (8.75/10)

10. "Fact Boy" (7:02) floaty cutesie stuff meandering around the sonic field while a Crimsoninan Gamelan-like mathematical weave propels the cart along the ribbon of undulating highway. Nice but not enough to make me want to come back. (13.25/15)

Total Time 54:44

While I do love Mogwai's contributions to film and television soundtracks, I do not find the music of this album particularly compelling, innovative, cinematic, or impressive. It's just simpler, more accessible, more melodic, instrumental Post Rock music. A little too down and depressing for me and my tastes--and too diluted and simplistic.

B/four stars; a nice addition of nostalgic New-Wave-oriented Post Rock but by no means a step forward for the sub- genre.

"9 Song Demo" is the first demo recording by US metal act Mastodon. The demo was independently released in 2000. It´s the only Mastodon recording featuring original lead vocalist Eric Saner. The demo was sold as self-prouced CD-Rs at Mastodon´s early shows. Saner left Mastodon after only a few shows, and the remaining members opted to continue as a quartet and divide the vocals between them. All nine tracks featured on this 28:00 minutes long demo were subsequently re-released featuring re-recorded vocals by guitarist Brent Hinds and bassist Troy Sanders, replacing the original vocal tracks recorded by Saner. The "Call of the Mastodon" track was released on the "Demo 2001" demo, three other tracks were released on the 2001 "Slick Leg" EP and the remaining five tracks were released on the 2001 "Lifesblood" EP. All tracks featuring the re-recorded vocals are also available on the 2006 "Call of the Mastodon" compilation album, which makes them more easily accessible than having to find a demo and two old EPs to listen to them.

Considering that "9 Song Demo" is a demo recording the sound quality is top notch. This does not sound like a demo at all. Saner is an aggressive hardcore shouting/semi-growling vocalist and the vocal part of the demo is quite effectful and well performed. Mastodon were already this early on a very well playing unit and the instrumental part of the music is very well performed. Although Mastodon still had a way to go before they found their core sound, this is not far from how they would sound on their debut full-length studio album "Remission" (2002). Busy and technical drumming, aggressive raw vocals, unconventional riffs and harmonies, and a good balance between sludgy heaviness and faster-paced semi-thrashy tempos (and even a death metal hint here and there), combined with adventurous and often progressive songwriting ideas.

The tracks are quite challenging and entertaining but a few more hooks and memorable moments wouldn´t have hurt. It´s on power, intensity, and performances where Mastodon shine on this demo rather than in the songwriting department. When all is said an done, "9 Song Demo" is still quite the impressive first demo recording by Mastodon and a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

Released in 2005, Deadwing is one of Porcupine Tree's most narrative and cinematic albums, and its conceptual basis has a strong literary influence. Steven Wilson, the band's lead singer and creative mind, revealed that the album was inspired by a script he wrote with Mike Bennion, which explains its dense atmosphere and its almost novelistic progression. The album builds a non-linear story, full of symbolism and mystery, presents elements of fantastic realism and psychological horror, with clear influences from David Lynch and authors such as Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. The protagonist seems to move between different states of consciousness and reality. The narrative structure is fragmented, reminiscent of a postmodern novel where the reader (or listener) must fill in gaps.

Songs like "Deadwing" and "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" suggest a shift between dimensions, as if the character were stuck in a limbo or were a specter wandering through memories. The feeling of displacement is reminiscent of Haruki Murakami's literature, where reality touches on the surreal.

The lyrics of "Lazarus" are an example of introspective and poetic lyricism. The metaphor of the character who "awakens" refers to the biblical myth of Lazarus, but also provokes a reflection on mortality and memory. "Halo" criticizes religious and social hypocrisy with sharp irony, referring to satirical authors such as George Orwell. Meanwhile, "The Start of Something Beautiful" tackles themes of love, addiction and disillusionment with an emotional charge reminiscent of the melancholic prose of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

If Deadwing were a book, it would be a dense psychological novel, with a plot open to interpretation and a protagonist haunted by the past. Its melancholic tone and its references to the supernatural and existentialism bring it closer to Gothic literature and magical realism.

Steven Wilson's latest solo album was much heralded as a return to prog sensibilities in his solo work, and it kind of is and kind of isn't. It consists of two side-long tracks with different subsections, but anyone expecting something high on proggy complexity and a retro sound should remember that Steven Wilson was the original Marillion fan, and Misplaced Childhood had exactly the same structure but also included a bona fide pop hit in that structure.

I don't think there's a Kayleigh here, though - but nor is there a Close To the Edge. Instead, The Overview is a decidedly different animal, weaving its way through ambient textures, propulsive post-rock soundscapes, flashes of the sort of indie-rock-with-prog-inflections style that Porcupine Tree delved into on Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun, easy listening jazz, and more besides.

Wilson doing this project under his own name perhaps makes sense because it really doesn't quite fit into any of his band projects, though there's aspects of many of them here, from dream pop vocals and trip-hop beats worthy of No-Man to New Prog moments that could have come off a late 1990s Porcupine Tree album to the sort of ambient textures that Bass Communion may have touched on, and so on and so forth.

Where it doesn't particularly touch on is the heavier, crunchier sound of Porcupine Tree's more metal-oriented phase - the In Absentia era and its followups - or any of the aspects of that sound that Wilson has drawn on elsewhere in his solo career; there isn't something like Raider II from Grace For Drowning on here. On the other hand, it can hardly be accused of being a left turn into synthpop either. Ultimately, if there's one lesson that Wilson has taught us with these solo albums, it's that he's going to do what he likes with such releases and not be bound by past precedent or the expectations a band project might carry with it. But for my money, he's put out another top-tier effort.