Iris - Crossing the Desert. 1996 England-France

Iris' sole release is one of those albums that doesn't look good on paper. Essentially it's an instrumental one man project led by former Arrakeen guitarist Sylvain Gouvernaire bringing the rhythm section of Marillion along for the ride. And the CD makes sure you know that latter fact in the hopes it would generate more sales (and it probably worked too). I mean, these guys can keep a beat but they don't shine in any other way. So the entire album falls on the shoulders of Gouvernaire. I have not heard the French group Arrakeen myself, though the name rings a bell from that era. In reading about them they sound like the kind of band I was avoiding in the late 80s and early 90s, but probably would love today. With all of that, and an overly digital production, I would predict Iris has little chance of making the grade. Shelf space comes at a premium these days.

As the music starts out, my self-fulfilling prophecy was going as expected. But you know, the guitar is very melodic, and I kind of like those Tangerine Dream middle 80s synth tones. And there's some real songwriting going on here. I had wondered why I picked this up in the first place, because by 2010 the days of trying every prog rock album under the sun were way behind me. Something had to impress me about it. It's sort of like the 3rd Malibran album that I just spoke about. You just have to let this one rip - and it grows from there. The song placement is particularly adept as the album builds quite nicely in intensity. Gouvernaire is completely embroiled into this work, and I enjoy his guitar style very much. I can see why only one album was released from this project. The idea was spent.

Ownership: CD: 1996 private (Germany). Jewel case with colorful booklet. Acquired much later (2010).

8/28/10; 12/6/11; 9/7/23 (new entry)

Melting Euphoria - Beyond the Maybe Machine. 1996 USA-California

For Melting Euphoria's 4th album Inside the Gardens of the Mind I wrote: I'll be honest here - I bought way too many space rock albums over the years. I think I was always on the lookout for a new Ash Ra Tempel or Guru Guru experience. The revisits haven't gone well. I hear too much of the same thing. Aimless improvisations with competent, but uninspired soloing. It's not that they aren't any good, or even pleasant to listen to, it's just that it becomes boring after awhile. And this proved to be the case with Melting Euphoria's first 2 albums as well. I have the 3rd, but for whatever reason, their 4th release Inside the Gardens of the Mind came up first. Same result? No! Now this is the kind of space rock that still matters to me. It gets down to the atmosphere of each piece of music. This is not something one can write in words, and yet it is exactly what defines the Kosmische movement itself.

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And here's that 3rd album finally making its way through the pile. Beyond the Maybe Machine is probably a bit less early 70s German influenced, and there's more of the UK variety here - namely Gong and Hawkwind. This is most notable with the female "space whispering" and synthesizer whooshes. Which by itself would normally result in a been-there-done-that ruling. But that didn't happen here. In particular I enjoyed the bass work in conjunction with some fine drumming and rhythms. An excellent representation of the 90s space rock movement.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Cleopatra. Basic jewel case release with booklet laying out recording and lineup details. Obvious cheap computer graphics. Kind of goes with the era though. Picked this up used at Mod Lang in Berkeley back in early 1998 when I had a corporate apartment in San Ramon. Looks like the store eventually moved to El Cerrito and now shows they are temporarily closed, though I see updates as recent as last month on Facebook, so guessing they're just taking a break.

10/4/22 (new entry)

I.E.M. - 1996-1999 England

A few years ago I wrote the following about Incredible Expanding Mindfuck's sophomore effort: "If the idea of lengthy cosmic psychedelic Krautrock jams - with an enormous amount of studio gadgetry and tricks - are your bag, then boy do I have a recommendation for you."

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And that's pretty much what you get with this CD which combines their 1996 debut with 1999's An Escalator to Christmas (EP). There's really not that much more to say here. At this point, Porcupine Tree's main man was at his zenith in terms of creative rock music at a time when his primary vehicle had headed for more commercial waters - and successful at that. Wilson possesses the ear of the late 60s and early 70s underground masters, and his recent production work on classic Tangerine Dream underscores this point.

Or to put it another way: I have way too much music like IEM in the collection that needs to be trimmed. But this isn't one of them. Top of the stack for modern interpretation of the cosmic Krautrock / prog sound.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Headphone Dust. Purchased new upon release. Standard jewel box release with a multi foldout booklet with postage stamp vintage b&w photos.

12//05; 8/10/22 (new entry)

Liquid Sound Company - Exploring the Psychedelic. 1996 USA-Texas

Liquid Sound Company is the psychedelic outlet for guitarist and bassist John Perez, from Fort Worth, Texas. John comes from the rich musical background that DFW offered in the 80s and 90s - the same one that I was fortunate to learn and participate in. It would be some years before John and I crossed paths, but he's yet another great individual who represents the sprit of the times. And a super cool guy. John's primary claim to fame is his participation/leadership of the doom metal band Solitude Aeturnus, a group who later provided Candlemass with their lead singer. But he's run the gamut from death metal to psychedelic and everything in between. And he's promoted many such bands through his Brainticket label. I don't know where John first heard of Brainticket, but it's very well possible it was through our radio program in the late 80s/early 90s, or a friend of his was turned on that way. That would be satisfying for sure.

Exploring the Psychedelic is the debut for Liquid Sound Company, a brand name that continues to live on, even though there are only 4 releases in a 25 year timespan (including a new release this year). But way back in 1996, Exploring the Psychedelic was indeed doing just that. Perez and crew were tuned into the scales of Asia, while turning the amps to 11. It's mostly instrumental, and the band were able to avoid falling into the common Stoner traps. There's no metal here,  this is pure heavy psych - 1969 moved forward 27 years. Mostly a guitar based trio, with some fakeatron on the last track. There's plenty of variation of sound and songwriting, so it's a fully realized effort, not a one-trick pony. I have many such releases in my collection that I've grown tired of, but Exploring the Psychedelic isn't one of them. It remains a bright light from the burgeoning 90s retro heavy psych prog scene.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Brainticket. Acquired not long after release, from a catalog dealer most likely. I was living in Denver by this point, so I probably didn't buy it locally. Standard jewel case with a hard to read booklet :-) It was also released locally on LP from Dallas' own Rockadelic Records, a label that was trying to promote newer bands after years of great success releasing rare American artifacts.

1996; 5/21/21 (entry)

S.T. Mikael - Soul Flower. 1996 Sweden

S.T. Mikael (Mikael Sundstrom) was one of those born-too-late types who followed his own muse. His earlier, more obscure albums, tend to me more popular with his followers. To me, they sound more like a guy still learning how to compose and play. There's charm in that, and there's also some hits with the many misses. However, by 1996, it all came together for Mr. Sundstrom. Soul Flower is a sprawling double LP opus that is all over the place, but definitely conjures up the spirit of the original Krautrock movement. This album is slathered in atmosphere, that most unique type of sound that we associate with the art loft in Berlin circa 1971. I've said it many times, but it's difficult to pull that off after the fact, as it's nigh impossible to eliminate contemporary influences. S.T. Mikael managed to do that. He has a few albums, so if looking for which to start with, I'd suggest Soul Flower.

Ownership: LP: 1996 Xotic Mind. Purchased new online upon release. Double LP set. Basically it's a colorful folder (like the ones from grade school) inside of a plastic bag. Comes with a cool booklet insert. Very homemade looking.

Therion - Theli. 1996 Sweden

To paraphrase what I said about Don Caballero recently, if there's ever been a group that I only needed one album of, Therion would be that band. I bought Theli real time, and it impressed quite a bit back then. Even my new (at the time) bride liked parts of it! And she despises metal. (Still does). So off I went to buy the album before it, and many after it. They're all long gone from the collection. The predecessor Lepaca Kliffoth was still too entrenched in their death metal roots (never a style I warmed up to), while the later titles were almost sleepy and formulaic in their approach.

Theli captures Therion turning the dial from one to the other, and is truly an excellent album. It has the angst of their youth combined with the sophistication of the later years, to create that one-of-a-kind brilliant statement. Certainly Theli is not a masterpiece, but there are hair raising moments here that one rarely gets to experience. A true blend of aggressive heavy metal and serious symphonic music, complete with choirs. I approached this revisit with trepidation, fearing I had completely misread the band, and wasted way too much time and money on them. Instead, it reinforced my initial position. As far as my tastes go, Theli is the only Therion album worth pursuing.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Nuclear Blast (USA). Purchased new online upon release. Nice new album layout with poster booklet and lyrics.

Volare - Memoirs. 1996 USA-Georgia (archival)

For some reason I had this as a -1 to The Uncertainty Principle, but in retrospect it's very similar. A bit more raw,  but that only adds to the allure. Funny to see a band have an album called Memoirs with only one album to their credit. These recordings come from a cassette release recorded in 1996 + a couple of live spots. I'm not finding existence of this cassette, though not sure if it was ever released for public consumption until this CD. OK, one of our readers owns it - and has provided photos!

Ownership: CD: 1999 Pleasant Green. Nice archival release with detailed liner notes. Purchased new online upon release.

Somnambulist. 1996 USA-Tennessee

One of the many great progressive rock bands that appeared in the 90s and are now a distant memory but of a few. This was one of the gems in The Laser's Edge catalog of albums. While it's not exactly a retro prog album, many elements of that sound exist here. This is for hardcore prog junkies, that's for sure. A little Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, and VDGG. American style. If this is the first time you've heard of this band, grab a sample, and then buy a copy while you still can.

Ownership: CD: 1996 The Laser's Edge. Purchased new upon release. Comes in a standard digi-pak with recording details.

Cliffhanger - Not to Be or Not to Be? 1996 Netherlands

I've spoken of Cliffhanger (and NoVox) before here on UMR. Quite possibly the most unheralded progressive rock group from the 90s. They are traditionally lumped in with the neo prog crowd, but their sound doesn't match. And it seems they are judged through that genre's lens rather than via an older outlook. Cliffhanger are influenced heavily by the usual suspects like Genesis and Yes, just as Marillion, IQ, et al, but their instrument and production choices point more to the early 70s. The only comparable band from this era would be Simon Says (Sweden). Their overall sound is closer to Anglagard than Pendragon, let's put it that way. Not to Be or Not to Be? is Cliffhanger's sophomore album, and probably their best. Certainly their most adventurous work. If you're just learning of this group for the first time, grab an online sample to validate, and then scoop up one of those cheap copies that are still available.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Musea. Excellent new CD presentation with full lyrics and artsy photos.

Amanita - L'Oblio. 1996 Italy

Amanita's sole album is one of those hidden gems buried deep in my collection. I bought this not long after it was released and always found it fascinating, though I'm not sure it struck me as anything great originally. In fact, I probably thought about selling it in the 90s. Times change, and our ears evolve. For some of my collection, the music hasn't aged well for me - usually the cold, clinical, technical side of progressive rock. Amanita is pretty much the opposite of that, and what one would normally associate with the 90s. Basically L'Oblio is old school early 70s Italian prog with a predominant flute presence - it's rough, amateurish at times, and wonderfully adventurous. But it gets better. Not only do they tap into that obscure 70s sound like Capitolo 6 and Delirium, but the guitar sound - and overall production - reminds me of the late 70s American private press hard rock culture! So imagine Legend (Connecticut) playing the music of Osanna. Singing properly in Italian. This is more in tune with what's going on today with the retro prog bands. Ironic in that they were ahead of their time. Not intentional by any means I'm sure. In fact, I doubt they were trying to emulate anyone. Even better as far as I'm concerned. Not for everyone of course, but the review above will resonate with those of us who appreciate these kind of sounds. Even the person who released it only gave it 3 stars on RYM. So there you have it.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Mellow. Standard jewel case new album with a fine booklet. Purchased new online upon release.

Mystere de Notre Dame. 1996 Italy

Mystere de Notre Dame were like many bands of the mid 90s, and definitely engaged in a bit of Dream Theater worship. The chops weren't quite there, and the professionalism was B grade, but no doubt competent all the same. For the first 3 tracks, you will admire Mystere de Notre Dame, but a bit of deja-vu will come about soon enough, Then comes 'Dominus', and it's still Dream Theater - as found in the Twilight Zone. It's not on-purpose attention grabbing either, but rather a tad off-center. In this way Mystere de Notre Dame reminds me of those nutty German bands of the same era like Payne's Gray and Cant. It's as if the band knew they were sleepwalking, and needed to do something else - but weren't quite sure what to do. Was it their Italian heritage? Perhaps Semiramis was on their mind... By no means is this radical in the same way as fellow countrymen Garden Wall are, it's just...different. The album has received relatively low marks across the board on both RYM and Gnosis, and I figure it's because of the typical Dream Theater association, and the first 3 tracks don't help. But a deeper dive reveals something more. I wondered why I kept this CD all these years, and now I know. And I will continue to do so.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Music is Intelligence. Jewel case. Purchased new online upon release.

Talitha Qumi - Despre Cuvinte. 1996 Romania

Not sure I can describe Talitha Qumi any other way than this, but would you believe Eastern European free folk meets early 1970s Italian progressive rock? Atman meets Errata Corrige meets Pholas Dactylus meets Sensations' Fix meets Nu & Apa Neagra meets Museo Rosenbach. Yea... I didn't think you would believe me. This album has the reckless abandon of the early 70's era, something you rarely hear today. Usually it's measured and calculated nowadays. An absolute gem of an album.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Soft

Recently the original cassette from 1996 has emerged as the source. So that proves its provenance which I wasn't sure about initially.

2/7/13 (new entry)

The Great Imperial Yo-Yo - Chicken Island. 1996 England

With a name like The Great Imperial Yo Yo, an album titled Chicken Island, a label named Bongheads, and a booklet filled with cartoons that look like Dilbert on acid, one can be forgiven in presuming this album will sound like part of Gong's Flying Teapot trilogy. And in some ways it does, except mercifully without so much of that Pothead Pixie silliness. What you do get is coherence where it is most needed, and that's with the instrumental component. This is more Hillage's Gong than Allen's, that is to say. And while the icons of the UK Festival movement - that of the Ozric Tentacles - are definitely in the same ballpark, Great Imperial Yo Yo's sound is tilted towards the 70s, with more jazz rock influences than most of their peers.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Bongheads (Belgium)

Chicken Island came along very late in the game for the primary round of the UK Festival Psych scene, and few noticed its existence initially. Bongheads is the cultural magazine Crohinga Well's (Belgium) own label. It took me some years to finally secure my own copy for a decent price, so don't miss out if you happen to run across it.

Hopefully someone will also reissue the Blink! cassette as well (from 1993). I have it on CD-R and it's just as good as Chicken Island.

9/9/16 (new entry)

Maximum Indifference. 1996 USA-California

For their debut Maximum Indifference provides us, in effect, an instrumental version of early 80s Rush. Take out the pop elements and vocals, and focus on Rush's tremendous technical music acumen, and you'll have a good idea what this guitar based trio (with synthesizers) sounds like. For whatever reason, you're likely to read this to be a jazz fusion album. This is an album based in rock, not jazz. These are rock guys, putting out an instrumental tech metal album - without the metal of course. And given this musical outlook, post rock is a good secondary genre for the band. In the 70s and 80's we'd have called this symphonic fusion, a genre tag that has gone extinct I'm afraid. And it's one of my favorite genres. Overall an excellent album, and one I have no intention of parting with. It has aged very well, and I purchased mine not long after release date.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Botched. 

1996; 3/16/15 (new entry)

The Morrigan - Wreckers. 1996 England

Six years after everyone ignored Rides Out comes Wreckers which basically sounds like a re-recording of Rides Out - though the tunes are indeed different. There hasn't been much progression since, and it appears they are trying to re-energize or regain their old audience - or perhaps attain a new one with their first CD on the established English Garden label (which incidentally was an offshoot of the Background reissue label that was focused on some of the most obscure 1970s UK folk rock rarities). I also hear a timid try in a few places for a Dead Can Dance styled Darkwave sound, though they were a day late and a dollar short on that front. There are two odd tracks towards the end of the CD (both originals) that show that The Morrigan are looking to break out from their standard sound. 'Wheels Turning' is a good try at the 80's New Wave of British Progressive Rock sound as popularized by Marillion and Pallas. And 'When the Rain Comes Down' has a reggae base complete with Moog synthesizers, once again demonstrating their Festival Scene roots. So given this premise, I'd have to say Wreckers is the most superfluous album in their canon. Certainly it's a fine work, and if you haven't already heard Rides Out then the sound will be most revelatory on initial impact I'm sure.

Former ownership: CD: 1996 English Garden. Jewel case

8/26/14 (review / new entry); 4/4/24

Mathematicians - Factor of Four. 1996 USA-Indiana

In the late 1980s through the early 90s, there was a movement for rock / jazz instrumental albums (think mid 70's Jeff Beck here), that brought on a slew of interesting releases, most of which are long forgotten today. The indie label I.R.S. started a series call No Speak, of which the majority of their roster was made up of top level electric guitarists whose commercially viable days were at least 15 years behind them (Jan Akkerman, Robbie Krieger, Wishbone Ash, Ronnie Montrose, etc...). They also had a series of compilation albums called Guitar Speak that were highly revered back in the day. In parallel to this, Relativity Records was pushing out albums by more trendy artists such as Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore, and Joe Satriani, while also signing up the middle generation guys like Steve Howe and Gary Moore.

Indianapolis based Mathematicians were clearly a product of this movement. It's hard edged guitar fronted fusion, with mild complexity, and a few good melodies. Keyboards are there primarily to provide accompaniment to the guitar pyrotechnics. Make no mistake, Mathematicians aren't a "guitar hero" band, as the compositions are fleshed out enough to enjoy in a listening session rather than as a "how to record" for budding guitarists. While the debut is well done, the level of intensity and songwriting improves on Factor of Four, and thus is the recommended place to start.

If you're a "man of a certain age", then this review will most assuredly bring back memories of that era, and you'll probably want to investigate this CD (or at the very least go digging through your closet for the IRS / Relativity albums you own... somewhere). As noted above, I bought this in the 1990s, and it's held the test of time well. In fact, the music has improved with age.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Acme. Basic layout with photos of the band. 

1/11/13 (new entry); 8/6/20 

Holy River Family Band - Haida Deities. 1996 Sweden

Haida Deities is an excellent debut album by Holy River Family Band, a group born from The Spacious Mind, and shortly thereafter also bred Kundalini. The album starts off, perhaps predictably, more peaceful and tranquil before launching its first full force acid guitar fronted jam on 'Eztetl'. The 29 minute closing track is like eating only the frosting on the cake - especially if you're a psychedelic instrumental freak. There's quite a bit to take on at once, and watch out for the sugar rush if not careful. Guitars, organs, synthesizers, hand percussion, and a slew of exotic stringed and percussive instruments are on display. If you love the 1990s Swedish psychedelic sound, itself spawned from the early 70's works by Flasket Brinner, International Harvester, and Algarnas Tradgard, then Haida Deities is a no-brainer purchase.

Ownership: CD: 1996 The Wild Places (USA)

8/19/12 (new entry) 

Kundalini - Asylum for Astral Travellers. 1996 Sweden

Mauro at Mellow has released a great number of amazing albums over the years, and many sadly fell way under the radar. This album may well be his most hidden gem.

In the 1970's, there was a splendid little Swedish instrumental group called Lotus, who put out two wonderful albums, and then drifted into obscurity.

Kundalini is the second generation of the Lotus blueprint, but with a distinct Middle Eastern and Southeastern Asian focus. Band leader Arne Jonasson (also of the Holy River Family Band) plays a remarkable amount of stringed and wind instruments here. At once he plays the electric guitar in the fiery space rock tradition of Ozric Tentacles or Omnia Opera, while at others he seems comfortable strumming the traditional world string instruments of bouzouki (Greece), saz (Turkey / Iran), cümbüş (Turkey), nyckelharpa (Sweden) as well as wind instruments such as the mey (Turkey), zurna (Turkey), näverlur (Sweden), and recorder (mainly European). This is all backed by a crisp and energetic bass and drum team. And despite the wide variation of world sounds, the melodies are memorable, and the music rocks hard. To highlight but one track, 'Calusari' is brilliant and the melodies stay with you long after the listen is over. Kundalini also dabbles in the odd jazz instrumental, especially towards the end of the disc. Great album this one and it's too bad this was the end for Kundalini. A must pickup for fans of exotic space rock and fusion.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Mellow (Italy)

10/1/11 (new entry); 11/10/20 

Algaravia - Breve e Interminável. 1996 Brazil

There was a time in the 1990's when PRW was one of progressive rock's leading lights in terms of discovering new acts. And Algaravia was one of their true gems. Some 15 years later, the band is sadly and completely forgotten.

Algaravia, who open with a track named 'Crimsoniana', leave little doubt to who their heroes are. A dual guitar quintet, with minimal keyboards and an extra percussionist (giving it a slight Santana flair), Algaravia no doubt worship at the Red and Starless & Bible Black altar. But just like fellow South American's Exsimio (Chile) demonstrated a few years later, Algaravia took a portion of the King Crimson sound and moved it further and into new areas of development. Some classic 90's Djam Karet can be heard here too (especially in the fuzz tone guitar explosions). I think it's a splendid album - and a total tragedy the band stopped here.

Ownership: CD: 1996 PRW

9/28/11 (new entry)

Spirosfera – Umanamnesi. 1996 Italy

My original notes stated:

A good one from the second renaissance of Italian progressive rock. Umanamnesi has aged well and sounds great to my modern ears. Great vocals in the Stratos / Piras mold - heavy guitar (not metal) - lots of inventive changes - excellent bass work. Like a classic 1970's Italian progressive album, but clearly recorded with 90's instrumentation and production qualities. 

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In hearing this again for the first time in 11 years, I'm certainly still in the positive camp here. But it still resulted in a -1 listen. The sound is fairly bright and the music can be a bit exhausting, without much change in color or tone. The finale 'Detearia' also has some unnecessary noodle bits that seemed appended on to add length, which is the last thing this album needed. Despite these small gripes, what I stated years ago holds true. Like a more direct Deus Ex Machina.

Ownership: CD: 1996 Lizard. Standard jewel case release with lyrics and recording details. Purchased new upon release.

9/8/11 (new entry); 9/27/22