Threshold - Subsurface. 2004 England

Subsurface is the 7th studio album from the English prog metal band Threshold. This is a band I've heard about for 25+ years, but inexplicably never heard a note of their output until today. Ostensibly a Dream Theater styled prog metal, Threshold manages to separate themselves from the pack rather nicely. Instead of a million-notes-a-second, Threshold restrains the impulse to do so, and rather puts that energy into songwriting instead. There are times the band falls into all-too familiar tropes, and during the chorus sections, I find myself asking them to put a sock in it. But otherwise there's quite a bit of thought within these compositions. 'Ground Control' is the winner of the bunch, and I heard snippets ranging from Voivod to... early 80s UK synth pop! All within the familiar confines of a progressive metal song. 'Opium' has some slight Supertramp references. And so it goes. Subsurface is a fine entry into the there-are-just-too-many-prog-metal-bands genre. I found subsequent listens more enjoyable than the last, always a hallmark of an excellent album.

Ownership: CD: 2012 Nuclear Blast. Recent acquisition from an online retailer. This version contains one new bonus track and 2 live renditions.

1/18/19 (first listen / review / new entry)

Eiliff. 1971 Germany

Eiliff's debut is one of the gems of the Krautrock underground. Seems that in 1971, at least one brilliant album a week was released in Germany. Even with such competition within the country, perhaps only Ash Ra Tempel and Embryo managed to do better in this most landmark year. What separates Eiliff from most of their competition is their musical background, namely jazz rather than rock. As we talk about in the Kraut Fusion (1970s /early 80s) list, Germany had an abundance of underground rockers who turned to jazz. Eiliff was about a year ahead of the pack, and they did it the other way: Jazzers playing Krautrock. If looking for a guidepost, they were closer in spirit to Xhol Caravan than Wolfgang Dauner.

'Bird-Night of the Seventh Day' is the most traditional progressive rock oriented track here, clearly taking their cues from early King Crimson, but with the delicious atmosphere that only comes from Germany at this time, and it's delivered on the very first notes. 'Gammkelloni' is a hot fusion number, but also represents the album's sole flaw - the sax is just too skronky to appreciate. It's a pity, as the guitarist (the brilliant Persian Houschäng Nejadépour) is on fire here. 'Uzzek of Rigel IV' enters into instrumental Italian prog rock territory for its first 3 minutes, with herky jerky metrics, before it goes into slow burn mode for the remainder.

At this point, Eiliff's debut is excellent, but certainly more in line with the high expectations that are set for the time and place.

Then comes 'Suite'. I don't think it's an exaggeration for me to say that this 21 minute opus is a high water mark of my collection. If not the single best long form track, it is in the discussion. From the very first note you know you're in for something special. If you're not drawn in by the 3rd minute (and already 2 or 3 killer moments have happened), then either a) you're not paying attention or b) we probably don't have much in common musically speaking. Because this is exactly the kind of music that puts me in a trance like state, exciting my mind in multiple ways. That driving organ, and then the huge electric sax chords, just evokes images of a strobe lit club with psychedelic screens, dancing girls, and the world flashing by in snippets of images. What's absolutely phenomenal about the entire piece, is that it never stops changing. There's at least one peak moment a minute. Yea, that's right, something like 20 peak moments - in one track! Most bands are lucky to get one or 2 of those in a career, not one-a-minute. One other incredible moment: There's a sitar piece that slows things down a bit, until Nejadépour of course goes wild on the instrument, this is then followed by a few second drum beat. Then... a thunderstorm of Hammond organ. Literally. I don't think I've heard the instrument so thick and wedgy as in this moment. It's breathtaking just writing about this opus, much less when listening to it. Even Thirsty Moon's most stunning 'Yellow Sunshine' doesn't quite measure up. Masterpiece if there ever was one.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Philips. Gatefold. Acquired at the Austin Record Show (1990). This convention, one of the largest in the world, was a giant magnet for folks like me. Drawn to it like a moth to light. And the fact that Austin was only three hours drive from where I lived at the time in the Dallas area, made it a mandatory twice a year pilgrimage. The gentleman I bought it from was someone who turned me onto to a number of great albums back then. The album was expensive for its time (something like $20 - yes, true, the appreciation of value has been enormous). Back then you could still get bargains (shoot many times you could find rarities for $1 or $2). Anyway this guy - who was a spitting image of Conny Veit - always had pretty ladies hanging around him even at these shows. Who was he? Well, he later moved to Seattle and went by Dusty Lee, most famous for the Ventricle label and all the subsequent acts he created (commonly with female vocals and mellotron).

CD: 1994 World Wide. Jewel case. No extras whatsoever. However, it does sound quite good and is taken from the masters. Surprisingly, it remains the only one on the market.

1990 (first listen); 1/11/19 (review/new entry)

Rose - A Taste of Neptune. 1977 Canada

Rose were a band from Barrie, Ontario who managed a 4 album run, including the last two on major label Polydor. And it's easy to see why they were signed up, as 'Ride Away' is the perfect hook laden hard rockin' opener. 'Snakes and Ladders' begins to erode their sound though, as the late 70's styled chorus' were cliched back then, much less today. Still, one cannot ignore the fantastic instrumental work, especially between the guitar and organ. As for the next track, I'm sure the band said to the label "How about we put the lengthy title track here?". "No, no. Label rules state that a lame ballad must go in slot A3". And so it was done. Even here though, a fine guitar solo near the end saves it from the dire straits it was clearly in. And so the album goes between hard rock, AOR, and progressive styled mid sections... basically a Crystal Ball-era Styx combined with the instrumental backdrop of Boston. 'Bangin' My Head Against the Wall' performs an excellent hard rock jam towards the end of the tune. The final track promises an epic length progressive rock extravaganza, but unfortunately it's more of the same, and disappointment ensues. A good album on the whole, one that would have been for certain welcome on the radio in 1977. But it wasn't to be, and Rose was tossed into the trash heap with countless others, remembered fondly by a loyal few. At least they got a fair shot and went for it.

This one did manage one legit CD release from Si-Wan in Korea during the 90s. As you can imagine, given the scarcity of that product these days, it's become expensive.

Orchid - The Mouths of Madness. 2013 USA

There's a lot to admire about the San Francisco based group Orchid. Unlike many modern bands, Orchid took the time to absorb the influences of Black Sabbath rather than just the output, so the possibilities of sound are much greater than what we usually receive. In effect, they are more of a "70's Metal" band, bordering hard rock, prog, psych, and blues rather than generic Stoner or Doom metal. The band are clearly talented, and Theo Mindell emulates a good Ozzy, not plagiarized, but rather influenced by.

The trouble is (no pun intended) that Orchid doesn't do anything with the premise. There are no songs here, no melodies of consequence, no creative breaks, and almost nothing sticks. The long tracks could be half the length, and one would not notice the difference. Sabbath aren't legends just because they were heavy, but rather they could pen a mean tune. Who doesn't get goosebumps on the first air raid sound of 'War Pigs'? There's none of that here. 'Silent One' offers a glimpse of what that could be and 'See You on the Other Side' demonstrates a band who can play within loose jazzy structures, but that's about it. Mind you, everything here is good, no question. But there's no more room in my collection for albums like this anymore. They played it too safe. Perhaps commercially it was the wise thing to do, but creatively it falls short of the mark. And that's where the legacy comes in.

Verto ~ France

Krig / Volubilis (1976)

Verto is the one man guitar / electronic pseudonym of Jean-Pierre Grasset with multiple guests (the group Potemkine primarily, but also Dague) that seems to be modeled directly after Richard Pinhas and Heldon. 'Krig' opens up in Zeuhl territory, but it doesn't take long for it to drift more into the arena of progressive electronic. The Potemkine influence looms largest in 'Locomo'. The long track namesake 'Volubilis' sounds like Archaia emulating Gottsching's Inventions for Electric Guitar. Deep subversive underground sounds here. Krig / Volubilis could be considered Verto's very own Electronique Guerilla. It's probably still on file in Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's government watch list.

Ownership: 1978 Tapioca (LP). Acquired in 1987.

1987; 1/11/19 (review)

Reel 19 36 (1978)

If Krig/Volubilis is Verto's Electronique Guerilla, then Reel 19 36 is their Interface except far more experimental than Heldon's great work, much to its detriment. There are two monster tracks on here, and a lot of noise. Would make for great bonus tracks on a Krig/Volubilis CD reissue if such thing were ever to occur.

Former ownership: 1978 Fleau (LP). Acquired in 1994.

1994; 7/27/09 (review)

No legit CD reissues for either as of 4/7/26.

1/11/19 (new entry)

Pop Workshop ~ Sweden

Song of the Pterodactyl (1974)

Pop Workshop were an all-star fusion band that included Janne Schaffer, Mads Vinding, Tony Williams, and Polish luminaries associated with a one Michal Urbaniak (and where two of these compositions will end up on his Fusion III album a year later). Strong overtones of Mahavishnu Orchestra era fusion and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters funk - with some Coltrane-ish sax. A nice mix of fusion / jazz / funk and not too far removed from another Swedish based international jazz rock ensemble: Ablution (minus the Santana influence perhaps). For those that like the early 70s jazz fusion sound, this album will most certainly be well received.

Ownership: 1974 Midnight Sun (LP). Like their debut, this album was pressed for the domestic market and for "export". Honestly I think the only difference is the label name is in English. No legit reissues exist as of 3/6/25.

1/11/19 (review)

Vol. 1 (1973)

On the same label (Grammofonverket) as the much recommended Ibis album, Pop Workshop are clearly a band operating in the raw jazz rock category (rather than fusion). Founded by two prominent Polish jazz members on keyboards and sax, Pop Workshop - over the course of both albums - features marquee name players such as guitarist Janne Schaffer, drummer Tony Williams, and bassist Mads Vinding. This is definitely music of the underground, and fans looking for slick fusion will have to look elsewhere. I would say Ablution - another international band based in Sweden - is probably the closest comparison here. Vol. 1 finishes particularly strong with 'Equivalent in Nature' and 'Perfect Touchdown', both tracks arguably the best on the album - and certainly the most heavy and (relatively) radical.

Ownership: 1973 Midnight Sun (LP). This version was made for "export". Guessing Grammofonverket wasn't a name grabbing English buyers. But it was only a label name after all. In any case, seems to have been a short lived experiment, and entirely unnecessary. Still no reissues exist as of this update (3/6/25)

7/5/14 (review); 9/14/18 (update)

9/14/18 (new entry)

Sky Dancer ~ USA ~ Nebraska

Alive (1977)

"Deep Purple on the Prairie" I read from one online auction. That's worth quoting and repeating for posterity. Sky Dancer only released just this one album, recorded live in front of an enthusiastic audience in Lincoln, Nebraska one fine evening in 1977. The album opens inauspiciously enough with the crowd pleasing straight-up rockin' 'Rock and Roll Sweetheart'. But even here the guitarist begins to light things up. Once you hear 'Get Down' you know the band has serious chops and a lot of ideas to process. You just don't get to hear this much chunky organ and jamming guitars this late in the 70s - especially from these shores. 'Fear No Evil' has one of the most intense superb second halves of any track I've heard in ages. 'Hang on To Your Life' and 'Hot Rocks' are similar. This is the kind of hard rock you constantly look for - and rarely find. And 'Never Want to Be Tied Down' is the kind of thoughtful melancholic closer I was hoping it would be. All five of these tracks are lengthy, and feature extensive soloing on guitar and Hammond. 'Rock and Roll Circus' is also a solid hard rocker, if not a bit normal for Sky Dancer. The only throwaway here is the mercifully short boogie rock of 'Goody Two Shoes' and even it features some nice guitar work. Essential hard rock here.

This album is screaming for an archival type reissue. One hopes they may have some studio material, or even more from this live set. Sky Dancer strikes me as the type of band who were more progressive than they were allowed to be in public. The perfect setup for front loading the monster tracks, and leaving the more ordinary tracks to wallow in "bonus track" territory. 

No legit reissues exist as of 3/4/25.

Ownership: 1977 All in One (LP)

1/4/19 (review / new entry); 4/22/22 (update)

Avalon ~ Canada ~ Ottawa, Ontario

Voice of Life (1977)

Avalon were a band from Ottawa who managed to get out one very professional LP in 1977, and unfortunately that was to be it. 'Celebration Day' opens up in Equinox-era Styx territory and it appears we're in for that unique North American proggy AOR sound, often times pegged with the derogatory pomp tag. A fine opener that quickly gets one engaged. 'Mother Russia' is similar, but there's more of a prog edge here, and yea sure, we can point to early Starcastle if you wish. Fine with me. 'Lady of My Dreams' is the obligatory lame ballad, but at least there's a fine synthesizer solo. In fact regarding the latter, there are many great synthesizer moments to be had on Voice of Life. The title track and 'Land of Mordor' bring out the band's James Young identity, and we're on the heavy side of AOR. Great break/riffs here that require repeat-play. Then whoever was supervising the group fell asleep, because Avalon decided to just go prog rock with 'Smoke and Fire', perhaps the highlight of the album for moi. 'Shadowcaster' is not a one minute interlude, but rather a fully realized song and quite good at that! 'Maranatha' then blends all the elements of the disc so far into one delicious whole. There's a killer riff half way through that sounds so much better on albums like this - primarily because it isn't what is expected.

Avalon had the songs to be radio staples in their day but for whatever reason they were ignored by "those that controlled all". This isn't an album that's going to register with hardcore AOR, hard rock, or progressive rock fans. But if you like all 3 in one, then this album goes to the great column. And I would be one such person.

Ownership: 1995 Pacemaker (CD)

1/4/19 (acquired / review)

La Maschera di Cera - LuxAde. 2006 Italy

Hard working bassist Fabio Zuffanti has many bands (Finisterre, Hostsonaten, Aries, Zaal, etc…), and each one represents a certain sound that he likes to explore more in detail (his initial band Finisterre is the one that is truly eclectic). La Maschera di Cera is his vehicle dedicated to the early 1970s Italian progressive rock scene, with only vintage gear being deployed. Along with the usual keyboard (Hammond, Mellotron, Moog), fuzz bass and guitar sounds, there’s quite a bit of flute, an instrument that was predominantly featured in 70s Italian music. In the end, the group achieves what it sets out to do, though I’d say LMdC are not quite as complex of some of the finest bands of the 70s (Jumbo, Semiramis, Banco, RRR, etc..). LuxAde is their 3rd album, and is arguably one of their finest (as I update this in 2019). It's really hard to imagine being a fan of Italian prog and not walking away from LuxAde completely satisfied. The style has been well-studied and executed here by the band. There's a reason why I chose La Maschera di Cera as my primary group for the renaissance of Italian Progressive Rock list: Italian prog from 1987 and beyond.

Ownership: CD: 2006 Immaginifica. Acquired upon release from online retailer. The CD is stored in a fine gatefold mini-LP sleeve.

1/4/19 (new entry)

Champignons ~ Canada ~ Montreal, Quebec

Premiere Capsule (1972)

Champignons were a band from the Montreal area, and who released this one album that is now much sought after by progressive rock aficionados. The LP starts off in an almost go-go 1960s way, with an energetic keyboard lead instrumental number. This is followed by a very slow, depressing, blues song with French vocals. J'ai eu le blues, j'ai eu le blues vraiment mauvais. There is some nice electric guitar work however to keep one's interest throughout. From track 3 on the first side to the conclusion of the record, it's all aces. The music becomes primarily instrumental while taking on a darker stance. The guitar has that ominous fuzz tone, and there's an underlying jazzy structure lead by the fine flute and sax work. For these excellent tracks I'm reminded of the Eden Rose / Sandrose family out of France, and the relative progression from one to the other. If Champignons were lead by a female vocalist, that would solidify the Sandrose comparison.

Worth noting that the band is Champignons, not Les Champignons. There's one place in the liner notes that refers to Les Champignons, and that's because it begins the sentence that way! As if to say "The Mushrooms...". In another section of the same liner notes it states "...les Champignons..." which is mid-sentence this time.

Ownership: 1972 Les Jeunes Artistes Associés (LP)

No CD reissue as of 9/6/25.

1994 (acquired); 2008; 1/4/19 (review / new entry)