Esoteric have released this re-mastered and expanded edition of Barclay James Harvest’s (BJH) album XII, which was the follow up to the successful Gone to Earth. The original release, on the Polydor label in 1978, helped to consolidate their success…
View More Barclay James Harvest – XII (3 Disc Deluxe Edition)
If you’ve ever been bitten by the record collecting bug then you’ll know that certain records on your wants list remain elusive. In my case one such was Death May Be Your Santa Claus by the very underground and rather…
View More Second Hand – Death May Be Your Santa Claus
Out of This World is the quality third full-length from Hungary’s Ghost Toast, managing at times to be both fun and mellow, both atmospheric and catchy. This seemingly contradictory collection of attributes leads to some brilliant moments in a solid…
View More Ghost Toast – Out Of This World
Karibow is a German progressive rock band, founded and led by multi-instrumentalist Oliver Rüsing, that uses elements on Neo-Progressive rock combined well with traditional rock and metal power. They have been compared to bands like Saga, Marillion and Toto, and…
View More KariBow – From Here to the Impossible
Having sailed H.M.S. Prog as far out from the shore as it could go, the only options were to either turn amidships and repeat himself forever and a day… hmmm, sounds familiar… or abandon the fast sinking lumbering hulk and…
View More Steven Wilson – To The Bone
The release of new music by Crippled Black Phoenix (CBP) always, in this listener’s opinion, peaks the interest. On this occasion we have an EP of what are essentially cover versions; the premise here though is that these are a…
View More Crippled Black Phoenix – Horrific Honorifics [EP]
Another release from rock’s lesser known back pages by Esoteric Recordings, and another raid on my Vertigo spiral collection gives me a chance to wax lyrical over the self-titled album by Clear Blue Sky, which was another of those cut…
View More Clear Blue Sky – Clear Blue Sky
Tim Blake is back! Or at least he was at the turn of the millennium. In fact, besides 1991’s Magick, Blake’s discography had been dormant ever since 1978’s Blake’s New Jerusalem. Nevertheless, it’s not uncommon to see older prog artists…
View More Tim Blake – The Tide of the Century
Beamed in from the outer reaches of known space, or Sheffield to be more precise, is the third instalment from Martin Archer’s Kraut/jazz/experimental space rock troupe Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere. Theta Three finds the band continuing on from the…
View More Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere – θ3
Perhaps I should always read sleeve notes and promotional materials that frequently accompany releases. Sometimes I wonder if I’m missing the point of any album because of this. Then I usually conclude that the album should stand up or fall…
View More Anathema – The Optimist