Nearly six years on from their breakthrough and fifth studio album Deep Politics finds Portland, Oregon instrumental electronica crossover project Grails having refined their sound further on Chalice Hymnal. If I may deploy an over-used reviewers staple, this album is…
View More Grails – Chalice Hymnal
Galahad have characteristically released rather a ‘different’ album in Quiet Storms, displaying a much more contemplative and mellow side to their persona, but with a barely concealed ‘edge’. Galahad is a band which has not been afraid to experiment and…
View More Galahad – Quiet Storms
My first introduction to Schnauser came one night in a Bristol pub a few years ago where they were supporting Knifeworld. I was impressed by their musical presentation, style and performance, a great live band. They now present Irritant, their…
View More Schnauser – Irritant
Prog writer and Whitley Bay enthusiast Sid Smith recently divulged that his desert island Gong album was 1973’s Flying Teapot. Of course, he was wrong to write that, as the best Gong album, from a subjective and objective point view,…
View More Tim Blake – Crystal Machine / Blake’s New Jerusalem
I have to say this is a bit of a weird album all told, almost like a lo-fi Prog album in fact. That said, it is certainly worth at least listening to. The opening track, Into the Void of Emptiness,…
View More Elk Minister – There’s a System Of Control
A solo album in the truest sense, music and lyrics written and arranged by Stewart Bell, as well as the artwork and design, keyboards, drums and much of the vocals. Stewart uses the name of his band, Citizen Cain, to…
View More Citizen Cain’s Stewart Bell – The Antechamber of Being (Part 2): Stories from the Antechamber
The fizzing French confection Aquaserge, makers of highly individual left-field pop-prog that explodes on your tongue like sherbert dip (Google it, non-Brits!), released their second album earlier this year. It is a joyous and celebratory affair, and a welcome tonic…
View More Aquaserge – Laisse ça être
Esoteric have a knack for finding the most obscure records that only bear a passing resemblance or connection to progressive rock. At first glance, The Road seems like an overblown religious folk concept album. And even though this still rings…
View More Quiet World – The Road
Javi Herrera’s website contains the rather delightful disclaimer that Kant Freud Kafka is not actually related to these three philosophers but is “just a joke amongst friends”. After all, he says, “throwing a bit of good humor to prog rock…
View More Kant Freud Kafka – Onírico
Syncage was formed almost a decade ago, by brothers Riccardo and Matteo Nicolin together with their best friends Daniele Tarabini and Matteo Graziani, when they were all teenagers. They have previously released a single, Hellhound in May 2014 which they…
View More Syncage – Unlike Here