So let me set the scene for you. It’s a very 2020 sort of story, you know, musicians can’t tour and so whilst locked down, decide to record that solo album they always wanted to make but never had the…
View More Hosianna Mantra – Particle MythologyAuthor: Graham Thomas
Kyros – Four of Fear [EP]
Hard on the heels of latest album Celexa Dreams, Kyros have released a surprise EP, titled Four of Fear; four further slabs of futuristic prog frenzy. Well, at least the opening track Ace’s Middle is somewhat frenzied. Beginning with a…
View More Kyros – Four of Fear [EP]Steven Wilson – The Future Bites
If there’s one person in contemporary progressive rock circles who needs no introduction, it’s Steven Wilson. Over the last thirty years he has slowly but surely carved out a successful career path and now stands as a solo artist with…
View More Steven Wilson – The Future BitesTrapeze – Trapeze / Medusa / You Are The Music, We’re Just The Band
Cherry Red Records are well known for curating remastered and expanded sets from yesteryear, and the latest band to get this treatment to their early back catalogue is Trapeze. The label really does invest time and effort into doing a…
View More Trapeze – Trapeze / Medusa / You Are The Music, We’re Just The BandDerek Sherinian – The Phoenix
Derek Sherinian probably became well known to many of us during his stint in Dream Theater, and more recently for his keyboard skills in Black Country Communion and his current outfit Sons of Apollo. Whereas he seemed somewhat under utilised…
View More Derek Sherinian – The PhoenixBlue Öyster Cult – Curse of the Hidden Mirror
Curse of the Hidden Mirror was Blue Öyster Cult’s last studio album, released originally in 2001, and re-released in remastered form earlier this year. Given that we are now expecting the long awaited follow up, it seems timely to remind…
View More Blue Öyster Cult – Curse of the Hidden MirrorFlying Colors – Third Stage: Live In London
There’s something which sets Flying Colors apart from the other bands in which the Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy axis feature. Whilst both the Neal Morse Band and Transatlantic are undeniably prog, featuring as they do long complex songs or…
View More Flying Colors – Third Stage: Live In LondonStirrup+6 – The Avondale Addition
A squeak, a muffled belch, some scrapings and scrabblings on strings, more guttural grunts, and gradually, very slowly, we ease into something that sounds like ensemble coherence, a tune even! The instruments begin to play a wonky march, at first…
View More Stirrup+6 – The Avondale AdditionIZZ – Half Life [EP]
Although having been in existence for more than twenty years, IZZ improved their profile considerably with their last album, the excellent and well received Don’t Panic in 2019. Whilst working on the follow up album, they unearthed an old unrecorded…
View More IZZ – Half Life [EP]Zorbonauts – The Unobserved Beaver
I’ve approached this album knowing nothing of Zorbonauts, but frankly intrigued by the line-up. With a reunited Spock’s Beard rhythm section (Nick D’Virgilio and Dave Meros), and Geoff Downes on keyboards, one might expect some prog greatness. The prime mover…
View More Zorbonauts – The Unobserved Beaver