Esoteric Antenna are about to release Nick Beggs’s new solo album, Words Fail Me. It is impossible to review without mentioning his other solo works and the instrument he uses to deliver them. It is for me, anyway. Much-loved and…
View More Nick Beggs – Words Fail Me
Ask any seasoned Genesis fan about their favourite Genesis era and they invariably speak of those golden years in the ’70s. Inevitably much of the focus, at that time, was on charismatic frontman Peter Gabriel and then Phil Collins, who…
View More Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited Band & Orchestra: Live at the Royal Festival Hall
As a band that in certain quarters needs no introduction, a contexture of sorts seems only polite. A bunch of studious musicians playing quirky instrumental metallic avant garde jazzy type crunchy guitar stuff changed direction (slightly) when former American Idol…
View More District 97 – Screens
“Above the towers of prayer and hope Polishing their Poundshop halos by the score They’ve never seen the ground below Whispering their fallacies behind closed doors.” (A Million Heartbeats) Some lyrics instinctively catch your attention; they have a unique and…
View More ESP Project – The Rising
I’ll admit to having an interesting relationship with Haken, having absolutely loved their ’80s inspired album Affinity, whilst I felt Vector was a bit of a step backwards for them, so having heard Richard Henshall, a mainstay of the band,…
View More Richard Henshall – The Cocoon
This review covers the recently released boxed set of three discs from Esoteric Recordings, comprising the sole album, recorded in 1974, for the Charisma label by Refugee, a trio of Patrick Moraz (keyboards), Lee Jackson (bass and vocals) and Brian…
View More Refugee – Refugee [3CD Box Set]
Two years on from the excellent double CD release Proto Mundi/Doomsday Vault, Antoine Fafard returns with album number six. For his latest release he has recalled Gary Husband, solely on keyboards, and occupying the drum throne this time around is…
View More Antoine Fafard – Borromean Odyssey
Dig out the white suit with the wide lapels, and the ass huggin’, flare flappin’ trews, strike your best Travolta pose, point pointedly at the ceiling with one hand, the other resting at a jaunty angle on your hip as…
View More Article 54 – The Hustle [plus interview with Rhodri Marsden]
In relatively dark times it is hardly surprising that art and music reflects some of that angst and uncertainty and Dark Tide Rising from new band Midnight Sun is awash with feelings of loss and anxiety. Midnight Sun is the…
View More Midnight Sun – Dark Tide Riding
This is the new and long-awaited third album from U.S. Progressive Rock supergroup Flying Colors, coming some five years after 2014’s Second Nature. This new album continues in a similar manner with a mixture of shorter and longer songs, some…
View More Flying Colors – Third Degree