T P A

Dec Burke – Life in Two Dimensions

I was – and fervently remain – a huge admirer of Dec Burke’s third studio album, Book of Secrets (released in 2016). From the outset there is a wonderful, infectious energy which drives pulsating rhythms carrying songs bristling with power,…

Hedvig Mollestad – Tempest Revisited

Hedvig Mollestsad is a well respected and very talented guitarist who hails from Norway. She fronts the Hedvig Mollestad Trio, a band that you must hear, if you haven’t done so, as it will help you understand the breadth of…

Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene

In common with most Jethro Tull fans, I was shocked and saddened when Ian Anderson knocked the band on the head nearly 20 years ago. By all accounts, long-time guitarist Martin Barre felt exactly the same. But listening back to…

Nektar – Sounds Like Swiss

Well now, where has this little nugget been hiding for the last 49 years I wonder? I’d have thought all the half-decent Nektar live recordings must have appeared long ago, and then this turns up! A sound board recording of…

Jomo Tuun – One Tuun

One of the first albums I reviewed for TPA was Guranfoe’s debut, Sum of Erda – a wonderful and eclectic fusion of sounds that was thoroughly grounded in the ’70s yet never suffered the pitfalls so many retro prog bands…

Retreat From Moscow – The World As We Knew It

The World as we Knew it is the debut album of the rather strangely named Welsh melodic rock band Retreat from Moscow. They may be new to most people, but when someone with the ear of the excellent Robin Armstrong…

Somalgia – Inverted World

Black Metal. What do those words conjure in your mind? Even though I know and like some black metal that does not fit this stereotype, as soon as I see or hear a band described as black meatal I think…

Monarch Trail – Wither Down

Monarch Trail are a Canadian progressive rock trio, led by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ken Baird, Wither Down is their third release. Now, if the band and the album have gone under your musical radar of late, amongst the other fine…

Involute – Hindsight

Once upon a time there was a prog metal band named Blind Spectrum. I really enjoyed their music, but could never get on with the vocals of Sean Butler. I always felt that they would be better as an instrumental…

Tony Patterson & Doug Melbourne – Dark Before Dawn

Dark Before Dawn is the follow up to The Divide, the excellent 2019 debut album from Tony Patterson and Doug Melbourne, who were previously in the eminent Genesis tribute band Regenesis. Dark Before Dawn has a lot to live up…