Diagonal. 2008 England

Diagonal are the first modern UK band, that I know of anyway, to truly capture the essence, atmosphere, and sound of the original progressive rock movement from 1970-1971 England. Many groups have come along and tried their hand at generating the sound of Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Renaissance, King Crimson, and Van der Graaf Generator. And while all of those groups are worthy of imitation, they only represented a fraction of the original UK movement. Of course, they were the ones that made the big time, so it's more than understandable how they attracted more admirers than others. But Diagonal has clearly absorbed the record collections of the deep divers - in particular the Neon, Dawn, Transatlantic, Vertigo, and Deram labels and their stable of bands. With Diagonal you'll hear references to bands such as Cressida, Samurai, Raw Material, T2, Beggar's Opera, Gravy Train, Spring, Clear Blue Sky, Diabolus, East of Eden, and Indian Summer. But here's the most important part to understand: They have absorbed the influence, not copy it. And so you get an entirely new album within a familiar context. And because the band has clearly studied this era in depth, not to mention incorporating the period instrumentation (mellotron, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, fuzz bass/guitar, sax), they are able to create an extract of the genre. What that means for us modern buyers is an enhanced product - perhaps even exaggerated. For my tastes, Diagonal have created the perfect retro progressive rock album. An album to be held up as an example of how to do it right. If you're a student of the genre, then let Diagonal be your teacher.

Ownership: CD: 2008 Rise Above

1/20/11 (new entry); 4/21/18

Arcane - Future Wreck. 2000 England

Oh my, what do we have here? Well, we have Rubycon but it flows like a techno album. Introspective flute mellotron and piano is offset by intense sequencing bordering on beats, but it is still pure EM. I haven’t heard anything this devastating since the discovery of Redshift. After the 21 minute+ opening title track, they shift gears to a more modern era of Tangerine Dream. Perhaps to the best of their 1980's albums: Logos. There is something very special about that album that is hard to put in words. It’s a rare combo of melodies and moods. But Arcane is clearly operating in that rarefied territory on track 2 'The Plastic Eaters. By track 3 they are marching through the 80's and hit Hyperborea for The Visible Empty Man. The first part of the track is what that TD album should have been like – with more haunting atmospherics and it doesn't dawdle. Oh dear, the second part of this song heads into bouncy Le Parc land. How did we get from Rubycon to Le Parc? Who’s bad idea was that? Well, this part isn't a highlight of the album for sure. Fortunately they close back in the Logos area. Or maybe Tangram, with a nice introspective sequence. The finale 'Planet of the Blind' gets back to some mellotron/sequence business with a bit of White Eagle thumping and a rare synth solo done in guitar hero fashion. Well, it’s a romp through the Tangerine Dream history book, but what the hell – I like the mix, different from any others I’ve heard.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Neu Harmony

1/15/11 (new entry)