Showing posts with label symphonic prog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label symphonic prog. Show all posts

March 11, 2026

Atmosphera – Lady of Shalott (1977, 2xCD, Israel)



Tracklist:
1. Lady of Shalott (16:24)
2. Cuckoo (Love's Labour's Lost) (16:47)
3. Tomorrow (10:47)
4. Love Is waiting for a Lover (7:58)
5. Cuckoo (2002 alternate version*) (16:25)


Bonus VCD
1. Video-Track (20:47):
- a) Lady of Shalott (Videoclip) (1977)
- b) Me El-ma
- c) MIO Catalog
2. Announcement (0:36)
3. Tomorrow (live in Beit Lessin) (11:00)
4. Lady of Shalott (live at Galei-Tzahal radio) (12:41)
5. Catharsis (Istopy) (7:46)
6. Nightmare (Me El-Ma) (6:31)
7. Toridtagitar (Me El-Ma) (5:22)
8. The Children Dance (Me El-Ma) (8:59)

* New remix with added Mellotron and digital effects

Musicians:
Efrayim Barak / vocals
Moti Fonseka / electric & acoustic guitars
Yuval Rivlin / keyboards
Alon Nadel / bass
Ami Lipner (later Me El-Ma) / drums, percussion, keyboards (6-8), guitar & violin & celllo (6), vocals (7,8)
With:
Ovadiya Aharony / vocals (3,4)
Tsoof Philosof / bass (3,4)
Yaron Bioch / vocals (5,6)
Zeev Winstok / bass (5)

Releases information
Recorded between 1975-1977, restored and remastered by Asaf Carmeli & Erez Siag

ATMOSPHERA, not to be confused with a Brazilian art-rock band with the same name, is an Israeli progressive rock band from the late 70's. They recorded two long, epic pieces for an album with English lyrics (Shakespeare & Lord Tennyson), but the album was too far-out for the small Israeli music industry, so the master tapes were archived and the album was never issued on vinyl. 25 years later, a small collectors' label, MIO records, gathered all the tapes, videos and information on the lost band, and issued the album on CD, with bonus tracks and a videoclip.

ATMOSPHERA's style is "mainstream prog" - heavily influenced by YES's symphonic style. The music is melodic, classical and well-arranged. The band lineup consists of Efrayim Barak on vocals, Moti Fonseka on guitar, Alon Nadel on bass, Yuval Rivlin on keyboards, and Ami Lipner (later re-named himself to Mi El-Ma) on drums. Mi El-Ma, the drummer, is influenced by Bruford's style, Nadel, the bassist, emulates Squire's sound, the keyboardist, Rivlin, uses some of Wakeman's tricks, and even soloist, Barak, sounds very much like Jon Anderson. YES fans will find delight in this highly-capable group of musicians, who offer virtuoso abilities and solid compositional skills.
The double album boasts three major highlights: "Lady of Shalott", "Cuckoo - Alternate Version" (new remix with added Mellotron and digital effects), and the avant-garde "Catharsis" by a different, later line-up called ISTOPY. In 2002 a double CD was released with the debut tracks and some bonus tracks, live renditions, video clips and VCD material. (progarchives)

January 27, 2026

Popol Ace – Stolen From Time (1976, LP, Norway)


Tracklist:
A1 Bury Me Dead 5:50
A2 Today Another Day 5:45
A3 Jester 3:58
A4 Soft Shoe Dancer 4:37
A5 Mr. Bigalow 4:07
B1 Sweet Tune 5:00
B2 Sleepwalker 4:50
B3 I Can See Tears 6:25
B4 Suicide 8:19

Musicians:
Bass, Bass [Fuzz], Backing Vocals – Terje Methi
Drums, Percussion – Thor Andreassen
Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Electric Organ [Hammond C3], Harpsichord, Mellotron, Synthesizer [Mini Moog], Backing Vocals – Pete Knutsen
Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar – Arne Schulze
Vocals, Glockenspiel, Backing Vocals – Jahn Teigen
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Richard Raux (A3)
Ondes Martenot – Sylvette Allart (A4, B1, B2)
Backing Vocals – Inger-Lise Rypdal (B2)
Effects [Synthesized] – Arne Schulze (B4)

Founded in Oslo, Norway in 1972 (as Popol Vuh) - Renamed in 1974 - Disbanded in 1978
Having roots as far back as 1959 with The Scavers and later releasing a single Arman Stumpe Dur Express, this Norwegian quintet that released two albums under the Popol Vuh moniker (a Maya mythology-related name), until they became aware of a German band using the same name, they changed their names to Popol Ace. The group went on to release another two albums before folding at the end of the decade. Musically, they sounded much straigjhter progressive rock than their German mystical homonyms: mellotrons and flute parts , funky jazz-rock and softer ballads were among their usual tricks found in their first two albums (S/T and Quiche Maya) under the Vuh name.
In 75, with the name change to Popol Ace (to avoid confusion with the German Popol Vuh), the group embarked in their most ambitious project the expensive and studio time demanding Stolen From Time, a concept album strongly influenced by Genesis, but too rigidly produced to gather the hoped-for international success. Lead singer Jan Teigen then left the group to become one of the country's leading pop singer and entertainer. The group hired a new vocalist in 78, but their last album is best forgotten by everyone (PV/PA included) and the group disbanded later that year. .
Lately, the full works of this band have been gathered in a 5 Cd box set with all sorts of bonus and unrealeased material, including a live disc (progarchives).

November 01, 2025

Regna – Cinema (2023, CD, Spain)


Tracklist:
1 Opening Credits 0:58
2 Return To... 6:30
3 Spyglass 8:16
4 Tangent 8:38
5 Dramatis Personae 1:31
6 Accolade 20:27
7 Curtains 1:03

Musicians:
Bass Guitar – Arturo GarcĂ­a GonzĂĄlvez
Drums – Eric Lavado DĂ­az
Electric Guitar – Alejandro DomĂ­nguez Moreno
Keyboards – Miquel GonzĂĄlez SĂĄnchez
Electric Guitar – Xavier MartĂ­nez Mesas
Vocals – Marc Illa / vocals

August 17, 2025

Agropelter – The Book Of Hours (2025, CD, Norway)

Tracklist:
1 Flute Of Peril 2:24
2 Leviator 5:49
3 Burial Mound 3:22
4 The Book Of Hours - Part I 11:07
5 The Book Of Hours - Part II 6:21
6 The Book Of Hours - Part III 6:48
7 The Book Of Hours - Part IV 9:03

Musicians:
Kay Olsen / guitars, keyboards leads, Church organ, bass
Andreas Skorpe Sjoen / drums
Mattias Olsson / percussion , overdubs , mellotron, atmospheres
Jonas Reingold / Fretless bass
Jordi Castella / Grand piano
Eli Mine / harpsichord
Norlene M / cello
Eileen Antu / Double bass
Luis Vilca / Alto flute
Hannah Danets / flute
Zhivago / bassoon
Edgar Asmar / duduk

Agropelter is a progressive rock project from Norway. It is the creative outlet of Kay Olsen, a new contender on the blossoming norwegian prog scene. The music lends as much inspiration from the classic prog groups like Genesis, Camel, King Crimson and Eloy, as it does from classic composers Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Bach along with Vangelis and Terje Rypdal. On the debut album you can expect lots of Mellotron, Hammond organs, ARP, cembalo, Minimoogs and Taurus bass pedals. Kay Olsen have played all guitars, bass, church organ, and keyboard leads. Also contributing is Jonas Reingold (Steve Hackett, The Flower Kings, Kaipa, Karmakanic) on fretless bass, Mattias Olsson (ÄnglagĂ„rd, White Willow, Molesome) on percussion, vintage synth overdubs and atmosphere, Andreas SjĂžen (Umpfel, VÅDE, Sean Ashe) on drums along with lots of classical musicians on various strings and woodwinds. The record is mixed and mastered by the great Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, Donner, Solstein)

April 27, 2025

Alpha Centauri – Alpha Centaury (1976, LP, France)



Tracklist:
A1 La Montre (6:03)
A2 L'Arbre (5:50)
A3 Le Rire Des Pierres (2:01)
B1 Cage En BĂ©ton (2:43)
B2 Passant De La Nuit (6:35)
B3 Sans Nom (5:56)

Musicians:
Drums – Daniel AbhervĂ©
Guitar, Vocals, Bass Guitar – Bruno Nevez
Organ, Synthesizer, Vocals – Serge Nevez
Bass – Gilles Dinner

ALPHA CENTAURY is a rare French band from the seventies. Like many others, they recorded one studio album, and that was it. As you can imagine, information is very hard to find. This is evidenced in the discrepancy in the spelling of the name. On the album, Centauri is spelled with a Y. However, if you try to search with that spelling, you find nothing. The band was comprised of Daniel Abherve on drums, Serge Nevez on keyboards and vocals, Bruno Nevez on guitar, bass and vocals, and Gilles on bass.

ALPHA CENTAURY have a lot in common with other French artists of the time, though not entirely as they have a distinct style of their own. The closest comparison that could be made is the sounds of ASIA MINOR. There is that darkness that was prevalent with other bands of the era, but they have more of a jazz influence. This style is blended with a touch of space prog, almost psychedelic in places. There is even a sprinkling of an operatic tinge in some of the vocals. ALPHA CENTAURY's self-titled album was released in 1976 on Mellow Labels. It is a rather short album at 30 minutes in length but has some amazing lead guitar with the lush sound of Steve Hackett and keyboards that lean towards a blend of GENESIS' Banks and PINK FLOYD's Wright.

December 29, 2024

MariĂĄn Varga, Collegium Musicum – Divergencie (1981, 2xCD, Czechoslovakia)

Tracklist:
Refrény
1 Refrén 6:57
2 InterlĂșdiĂĄ 9:25
3 NemĂ© VĂœÄitky 3:59
4 P. F. [1982, 1983 . . . . . . . . ] 17:27
Musica Concertante
5 IntrĂĄda 2:07
6 Elégia 7:38
7 Scherzo 4:42
8 DialĂłg 4:28
9 RetirĂĄda 2:24
Sadza Do ObĂĄlky
10 Refrén O Prímerí 3:11
11 Sadza Do ObĂĄlky 2:25
12 PomĂŽĆŸ Mi 3:06
13 PrĂ­stavy 2:57
14 Pieseƈ O Blate 6:04
15 P. S. 2:51

Musicians:
Bass Guitar – Anastasis Engonidis (B, D.1 to D.6)
Chorus Master – MariĂĄn Vach (B)
Chorus [Zbor] – DetskĂœ Zbor Čs. Rozhlasu (B)
Drums – Cyril ZelenĂĄk (A.1 to A.3, C.1 to C.5)
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizer [ARP Avatar Guitar] – Peter Peteraj (B, D.1 to D.6)
Ensemble, Brass – BratislavskĂ© DychovĂ© Kvinteto (B)
Ensemble, Strings – SláčikovĂ© Kvarteto V. Magyara (B)
Guest, Bass Guitar – Fedor FreĆĄo (A.1 to A.3)
Guest, Drums – Karol Morvay (D.5, D.6), Pavol Kozma (B, D.1, D.2, D.4, D.5)
Guest, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – LuboĆĄ AndrĆĄt (A.1 to A.3, C.1 to C.5)
Guest, Piano – Vojtech Magyar (C.1, C.5)
Lead Vocals – J. LehotskĂœ (D.2, D.3, D.6), K. RybkovĂĄ (B), P. Hammel (A.1 to B, D.1, D.4, D.5)
Orchestra – SymfonickĂœ Orchester Čs. Rozhlasu V Bratislave (C.1 to C.5)
Written-By, Piano, Electric Piano, Clavinet [Hohner D-6], Synthesizer [Roland Jupiter 4, Minimoog, Arp], Vocoder [Roland Plus], Organ, Organ [Verni] – MariĂĄn Varga


December 21, 2024

Pavol Hammel & MariĂĄn Varga – ZelenĂĄ PoĆĄta (1972, LP, Czechoslovakia)



Tracklist:
1. Domáca Úloha 1:16
2. Z Ďatelín 3:32
3. Tenis 4:41
4. Smutná Ranná Električka 5:26
5. Krajina Bielych Dievčat 6:49
6. PĂĄvĂ­ Ples 6:11
7. Cesty BlĂĄznov 3:36
8. Nechtiac 1:46
9. Slnečnice 3:27
10. Posta 7:09

Musicians:
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Fedor FreĆĄo
Drums – DuĆĄan HĂĄjek
Ensemble, Brass – BratislavskĂ© DychovĂ© Kvinteto
Guitar – Rastislav Vacho
Guitar, Vocals – Pavol Hammel
Orchestra, Strings – SláčikovĂœ Orchester ČeskoslovenskĂ©ho Rozhlasu V Bratislave
Organ, Piano, Synthesizer  – MariĂĄn Varga

MariĂĄn Varga & Collegium Musicum – MariĂĄn Varga & Collegium Musicum (1975, LP, Czechoslovakia)



Tracklist:
1. Mikrokozmos 7:23
2. Nech zije clovek ~ Long live man 16:29
3. Preludium in C Dur (a cast z baletu Romeo a Julia) 8:40
4. Hudba k vodometu C.1 ~ Music to the fountain no 10:38
5. Nesmierny smutok hotelovej izby ~ An immense sadness of Ti 2:37

Musicians:
Bass Guitar – I. BelĂĄk
Drums – D. HĂĄjek
Lead Guitar – J. FarkaĆĄ
Organ, Piano – M. Varga

November 30, 2024

Teru's Symphonia – Egg The Universe (1988, CD, Japan)



Tracklist:
1 Melancholic Garden 11:01
2 Drawer Of Night 6:52
3 You 4:54
4 Tears For A Hermit 7:29
5 Mildah 6:10
6 Egg The Universe 12:49

Musicians:
Bass – Yasushi Inoue
Drums, Percussion – Hide Furui
Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals – Teru Hirayama
Keyboards, Programmed By – Motoi Semba
Vocals – Mē Tokuhisa

October 19, 2024

Posto Blocco 19 – Motivi Di Sempre (2014, CD, Italy)



Tracklist:
1 A Un Passo Dal Cielo (Suite 1) 4:06
2 E La Musica Va 5:12
3 All'alba Del Giorno Dopo 6:48
4 Scandendo Il Tempo 7:01
5 A Un Passo Dal Cielo (Suite 2) 4:48
Bonus Track
6 L'Ultima Acqua (Master 2014) 7:20

Musicians:
Bass – Massimo Casaro
Drums – Vittorio Savi
Guitar, Vocals – Raimondo Fantuzzi
Keyboards – Giancarlo Di Bella (5)
Keyboards, Graphics – Graziano De Palma
Percussion – Stefano Savi
Vocals – Bernardo Lanzetti (5), Francesca Campagna

Italian band POSTO BLOCCO 19 (Check-Point 19) began in the province of Parma in 1972 under the name Collettivo Musicale Collecchiese on the initiative of guitarist Raimondo Fantuzzi and a group of friends with a mutual love of the music of PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, DEEP PURPLE and the SANTANA band. During that decade there was some concert activity for the most part in Emilia, and they also participated in the Pescara Rock Festival in 1979. Active until 1983, the group, due to the music fashions of the time, never had the chance to release an album (although a sole single `E La Musica Va' was issued in 1981) and eventually split.

After a long hiatus the band returned in 2005 but it wasn't until 2014 that they could release a first full length album on the independent label Lizard Records. Entitled `Motivi di Sempre', it collects the band's most significant pieces re-arranged as well as new tracks recorded with a renewed line-up featuring Francesca Campagna (vocals), Massimo Casaro (bass), Stefano Savi (percussion) and Graziano De Palma (keyboards) alongside founding members Raimondo Fantuzzi (guitar, vocals) and Vittorio Salvi (drums). Short but sweet, the results are five tracks (and a bonus recording) full of the magic of the classic Italian symphonic prog-rock sound, close to the textures of PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI and the dynamic keyboard progressions of BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, with sweet melodies and pastoral moments. It also includes a guest appearance by singer Bernardo Lanzetti (P.F.M) on a bonus track. (progarchives)

October 17, 2024

Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble – The Red Planet (2020, CD, England)







Tracklist:
1 Ascraeus Mons 5:54
2 Tharsis Tholus 6:15
3 Arsia Mons 6:40
4 Olympus Mons 5:20
5 The North Plain 6:45
6 Pavonis Mons 7:10
7 South Pole 7:35
8 Valles Marineris 10:03

Musicians:
Bass – Lee Pomeroy
Drums – Ash Soan
Electric Guitar – Dave Colquhoun
Keyboards – Rick Wakeman

August 17, 2024

The Pink Mice – In Synthesizer Sound (1972, LP, Germany)



Tracklist:
A1 Brandenburgisches Konzert Nr. 3, 1. Satz 4:18
A2 Capriccio Italien Op. 45 2:25
A3 TrĂ€umerei Aus „Kinderszenen“ Op. 15 3:07
A4 Marsch Aus „Der Nußknacker“ 3:06
A5 Badinerie Aus Suite Nr. 2, H-Moll 4:34
B1 Sonate Facile, KV 545, 1. Satz 2:07
B2 OuvertĂŒre „Dichter Und Bauer“ 4:01
B3 Ein MĂ€dchen Oder Weibchen, Arie Des Papageno Aus „Die Zauberflöte“ 2:41
B4 Die Wut Über Den Verlorenen Groschen, Rondo A Capriccio, Op. 129 4:49
B5 TĂŒrkischer Marsch Aus Der Sonate A-Dur, KV 331 4:04

Musicians:
Peter Hecht/ keyboards
Peter Hesslein/ guitar, vocals
Dieter Horns/ bass, vocals
Joachim Rietenbach/ drums

June 21, 2024

Shylock – La Somme Des Parties - Re-recorded Best Of Shylock (2016, CD, France)



Tracklist:
1 Le QuatriĂšme 13:38
2 Cascade, Le CinquiĂšme, Choral 20:19
3 Le SixiĂšme 4:00
4 Le SeptiĂšme (Laocksetal) 8:39
5 Le HuitiĂšme (Ile De FiĂšvre) 14:16
6 NeuviĂšme (Le Dernier) 8:28
7 Le DixiĂšme 5:57
Bonus Track
8 La Roche Trouée 3:25

Musicians:
Bass – Laurent James, Serge Summa
Drums – AndrĂ© Fisichella
Guitar – FrĂ©dĂ©ric l'Epee
Keyboards – Didier Lustig, Luca Mariotti

April 27, 2024

Hammel, Varga, Peteraj, Ć trasser – Cyrano Z Predmestia (1978, LP, Czechoslovakia)



Tracklist:
A1 Predohra 3:36
A2 Pieseƈ O LĂĄske Na PrvĂœ PohÄŸad 3:00
A3 Pieseƈ O Nose 2:30
A4 Pieseƈ O NemoĆŸnej LĂĄske (KĂșpim Si Zrkadlo) 2:18
A5 Pieseƈ Roxany A Kadetov (Hráči Mimo Hry) 1:42
A6 Pieseƈ O Úspechu 2:34
A7 Cyranova BojovnĂĄ Pieseƈ (Na Konečnej PÀƄky) 2:02
A8 Medzihra Medzi I. A II. Obrazom 1:44
A9 Pieseƈ Pre Roxanu (Ja Nemám Lásku V Malíčku) 2:55
B1 Predohra II. 2:32
B2 TƕƈovĂĄ KrĂĄÄŸovnĂĄ 2:40
B3 PančuchovĂ© Blues 2:42
B4 Pieseƈ O LĂĄske Na PrvĂœ PohÄŸad II. 2:09
B5 Pieseƈ O Novej Podobe LĂĄsky (Dievča Do DaĆŸÄa) 1:47
B6 Pieseƈ O SmĂștku (Dnes NĂĄhle Umreli Sme Dvaja) 4:36
B7 Medzihra Medzi IV. A V. Obrazom 2:02
B8 NedeÄŸa 1:33
B9 FinĂĄle II. 2:12

Musicians:
Acoustic Guitar – Pavol Hammel
Backing Band – Vivat
Bass Guitar – Ivan BelĂĄk, Ladislav Lučenič
Conductor, Chorus Master – Zdenko Macháček
Drums – Karol OlĂĄh, Peter Szapu
Electric Guitar – FrantiĆĄek GriglĂĄk
Music By – MariĂĄn Varga, Pavol Hammel
Orchestra, Chorus – Orchester A Zbor Novej ScĂ©ny V Bratislave
Piano, Organ, Synthesizer [Arp] – MariĂĄn Varga
Vocals [Cyrano] – Jozef Benedik (A3, A4, A7, A9, B3, B6)
Vocals [JĂĄn] – Martin Danko (B4)
Vocals [Roxana] – Jana JakubcovĂĄ (A2, A6, B4, B5), Kamila MagĂĄlovĂĄ-SlovĂĄkovĂĄ (A5, B2, B6, B8)

March 16, 2024

Marcus Viana – Pantanal (SuĂ­te SinfĂŽnica) (1990, CD, Brazil)



Tracklist:
1 Pantanal (Abertura)
2 PulsaçÔes Da Vida
3 EspĂ­rito Da Terra
4 Onça Pintada
5 Noite
6 Reino Das Águas
7 Paz
8 Respiração Da Floresta
9 A GlĂłria Das ManhĂŁs
10 Sinfonia

Musicians:
Composed By, Orchestrated By, Performer – Marcus Viana
Violin [Zeta 5-string Electric Violin], Piano [Digital], Synthesizer – Marcus Viana
Accompanied By – Sagrado Coração Da Terra (7, 9)
Drums – Marco AntĂŽnio Botelho
Percussion [Atabaques] – Guda
Percussion [Atabaques], Wood Block [Blocos De Madeira] – Gil AmĂąncio

Collegium Musicum – Konvergencie (1971, 2xLP, Czechoslovakia)







Tracklist:
Disc 1
1. P.F. 1972 (Happy New Year 1972) (22:00)
2. Suita po tisĂ­c a jednej noci (After One Thousand and One Nights Suite) (22:33)
Disc 2
3. Piesne z kolovratku (The Spinning-Wheel Songs) (17:53)
4. EufĂłnia (Euphony) (20:06)

Musicians:
Pavol Hammel / vocals
Frantisek GriglĂĄk / guitars, mandolin, vocals
MariĂĄn Varga / Hammond, piano, harpsichord, glockenspiel
Fedor Freso / bass guitar, bass mandolin, vocals
Dusan HĂĄjek / drums
Children's chorus headed by I. Klochåƈ

Collegium Musicum – Collegium Musicum (1970, LP, Czechoslovakia)






Founded in Bratislava, Slovakia in 1969 - Disbanded in 1981 - Reunited thru the 90's and again in 2008

This band was active from 1971 until 1981 with six releases plus one live album. Their style is similar to Emerson Lake & Palmer, Rick Wakeman, and The Nice. There are clear Classical influences. The bands music consisted of LudovĂ­t Nosko (vocals, guitars), MariĂĄn VARGA (keyboards), Karel Witz (guitars), Fedor Freso (bass) and Dusan HĂĄjek (drums).

Their albums contain long tracks all composed by Varga. The compositions are solid and have Classical inspirations. An example is "Hommage a J.S. Bach" or "Concerto in D" and other tracks, the guitar have much space supported by superb keyboards (Hammond organ, mini Moog, piano). I support people who think this is one of the best east Europe bands of ever.

March 10, 2024

Babylon – Live In Concert - Better Conditions For The Dead (2002, CD, Usa)





Tracklist:
1 It Is Time 5:21
2 Dreamfish 9:07
3 Mote In God'Eye 7:46
4 Foam Rubber Philosopher 7:32
5 Forest Of Orelse 8:02
6 Saint Vitus Dance 6:28
7 Pyramid Mask 1:52
8 Cathedral Of The Mary Ruin 8:13
9 You Are Sentenced To Life On Earth 8:49
10 Ultima Thule 9:09

Musicians:

Bass – Rick Leonard
Drums, Percussion – Rodney Best
Guitar – J. David Boyko
Keyboards – Doroccas, G. W. Chambers
Lead Vocals, Synthesizer, Electric Piano, Keyboards [Orchestron], Omnichord – Doroccas
Vocals – G. W. Chambers, Rick Leonard

Live in concert 1977