Areknames – In Case of Loss. 2010 Italy

The 3rd and last album from one of the earlier Italian retro prog acts. Areknames (named after a Battiato track) didn’t emulate their own country’s output but rather that of the early 1970s UK and northern European sound. Heavy on the analog instrumentation with just a touch of post rock. Very easy on the ears for those of us predisposed to these kind of sounds. I loaded up on albums like this in the 2010’s. Will be interesting to see how well they hold up. 

Ownership: CD: 2010 Black Widow. 6 panel digipak with 12 page booklet. Purchased new upon release.

2010; 3/17/23 (CD 4.6); 4/18/23 (new entry)

Uriah Heep - Official Bootleg: Live At Sweden Rock Festival 2009. England

Uriah Heep are one of those bands that never stopped, continuing to release (what appears to be) quality music for 50 years and counting. We all know their heavy rock meets progressive sound of the early 70s. From there they started down the slippery slope of trying to "capture" the US market, a euphemism for pandering to the great FM god. Sometime during the 90's, Uriah Heep realized that their fan base was stuck in the early 70s, so why not cater to that? And off they went. At least that's what the reviews seem to indicate, because I haven't heard anything since their dreadful Fallen Angel (1978) album. And that was an anomaly as well, being the only album I've listened to past Wonderworld (1974). Based on this live album, it's apparent I should give some focus to the group's efforts of the last 30 years. Unlike Styx, this live recording sounds fresh and energetic. I was more reminded of my reaction to Birth Control's 2004 live album that I reported on a couple of years ago. The concert is taken mainly from their classic set, and includes 'Gypsy', 'Stealin', 'Easy Livin'', and the crowd participation piece 'Lady in Black'. The highlights for me were the two extended tracks from Look at Yourself, including a smoking version of the title track and the more progressive oriented 'July Morning'. And that leaves the two contemporary tracks, both taken from their current album at the time Wake the Sleeper. I found both of them were cut from the same cloth as their early 70s works, and they captured the sound of their youth quite well. Wasn't sure what to expect here, but this live album turned up aces. Further discovery is needed.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Ear Music (USA). Found at a thrift shop in 2021.

3/5/21; 12/10/21 (new entry)

Spectral Incursion - Anthology. 1986-2010. USA-Massachusetts

And the hits keep on coming. Add Boston's Spectral Incursion to the ever growing list of unknown late 80s American metal bands that were pushing the creative envelope beyond its wildest dreams. Originally known as Graven Image, Anthology captures every song the band ever released + unreleased demos and newly recorded material. Like Slauter Xstroyes, the music is not particularly heavy, but it certainly belongs to metal. And the songwriting is as random and nutty as the aforementioned SX. In fact, I think their earlier material when they were still Graven Image may have been their peak, at least in terms of creativity. But by 1991, the band were clearly a honed in professional unit. It's a tragedy they never could get past the private cassette stage. If tech thrash, or what we used to call technical metal, is your bag then Spectral Incursion is an easy recommendation. File along with first album Sieges Even, Watchtower, and the rest of them.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Stormspell. Recent online acquisition. Great 2 CD set chock full of liner notes and music you aren't going to find anywhere else. Originally released as a numbered edition of 500 copies, the label apparently went for a repress, as my copy is not numbered, nor is there space to place a number. As such, the CD is still readily available. I can't imagine that always being the case, so grab it while you can.

Athem - The Extended Mind. 2010 USA

Athem's sole album The Extended Mind is an intriguing prog metal album from southern New Jersey. There's no question of their east coast heritage, and the music fits squarely in the Dream Theater and Symphony X school. The two lengthy tracks 'Enigmatic Reverie' and 'Lifting the Veil' have some pretty incredible segments that are jumpy and exciting. These guys clearly know how to play, and they have an imagination to take the music in radical directions, without resorting to genre hopping or hipster cutups. Some of the other tracks balance commercial styled metal with neo prog. The recording is over an hour long, and most of the tracks are quite lengthy. As such, this is the type of album that requires multiple listens to penetrate. We're still working on it.

CD: 2010 Dust on the Tracks

The CD is housed in a fine digi-pak.

Dante - Saturnine. 2010 Germany

Saturnine is the second album from the German progressive metal band Dante, who appear to be still kicking around. At this point in their career - and maybe still the case, as this is the only album I've heard by them - Dante are 100% in the Dream Theater camp. The James LaBrie styled crooning and piano ballads of 'Drifting' and 'Maybe One Day' coupled with 'Never Return' featuring these enlightened lyrics: "Images and Words", are just the beginning of the clues.

Dante do not have the chops of Dream Theater, so they have to make up for that with a bit more creativity in the songwriting, and this plays to their benefit. In addition, Dante are a bit heavier than Dream Theater on average. The guitar and the bass tones plus the monosyllabic keyboard solos recall Awaken's opener '6:00'. Take away the ballads, and you still have over 50 minutes of solid prog metal. No chances are taken, and everything fits neatly into the box, but it's certainly professional and easy on the ears. A little more imagination would have likely resulted in a half star bump.

My Brother the Wind - Twilight in the Crystal Cabinet. 2010 Sweden

Formed by guitarists Mathias Danielson (Gösta Berlings Saga, Makajodama) and Nicklas Barker (Anekdoten), My Brother the Wind (named after an obscure Sun Ra album from 1970) exists as the musician's vehicle for improvised space rock. I had feared initially that My Brother the Wind would join the Post Rock ranks, given the lengthy free associated album title favored by the genre, and the fact that Danielson had recently formed (and disbanded) a similar type group with Makajodama. But my fears were wiped away early on, as the guitar sounds are heavily affected in a psychedelic manner, and the group clearly is influenced by the 1970s masters. All the same, Twilight in the Crystal Cabinet takes some concentrated listening to work through the details in your mind. Because of the hour long length of the disc, there are many moments that probably could have been filtered out for a more compact and enjoyable experience. Like with many modern space rock bands, My Brother the Wind subscribes to the "if you can't find it, grind it" mentality to push an idea forward in a non-convincing manner. Interestingly enough, the one band that My Brother the Wind most resembles - and I haven't seen anyone mention this before - is the Californian group Djam Karet, especially if you consider titles such as Still No Commercial Potential. Nearby Oresund Space Collective would also have to be considered a reference, especially in the overall approach department. That is to say: Record hours of improvised space rock, and then edit it down for public consumption. It will be interesting to see where the band goes from here.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Transubstans. Colorful digi-pak.

Removed from collection (2022).

11//10; 1/12/13 (new entry); 12/29/21; 7/4/22

Deformica - Páramo. 2010 Argentina

Deformica, on their second album, takes one step forward and two steps back. Ironic in that the one step forward is the use of vintage equipment such as Fender Rhodes, Mini-Moog, and Hammond organ. The two steps back is the choice of musical direction. Gone are the psychedelic guitars of H and its place is a determined pointed move in the post-rock direction. Lots of Frippian sound-on-sound barely amplified guitar, and laid back melodic sequences. A cross between 90s King Crimson and Don Caballero. Overall it's a bit too restrained and static for me. The exception is the opening track 'Novelesco' which sees the group try their hand at instrumental psychedelic music with great success (and wonderful Moog sounds). The post-rock thing has been done over and over by countless bands. But not near as many modern bands have gone all out for a 1970 psychedelic sound. Too bad.

CD: 2010 Viajero Inmovil

9/21/12 (new entry); 9/4/18

Klotet - Det Har Aldrig Hänt Och Kommer Aldrig Hända Igen. 2010 Sweden

As if to prove Det Har Aldrig Hänt Och Kommer Aldrig Hända Igen will be different from its predecessor, Klotet open their second album with death metal styled blast beats on 'Gastronomika Proportione'. Despite this bit of incongruity - Klotet, as driven by female Hammond organist/keyboardist extraordinaire Milve Sofia Rydahl, insists their music maintain its defiant stance on Swedish folklore melodies. All of this music is then funneled through an old school 1970's progressive rock approach with fuzz guitar and organ leads, as best defined by Kebnekaise, Solar Plexus and Bo Hansson's solo works. None of Klotet's album's instrumental tracks clear the 4 minute mark, also calling out the glorious debut from that obscure Swedish band Lotus and their fine 1974 album. If any of this review makes sense, then you're more than likely a good candidate to hear this album.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Musea (France)

9/14/12 (new entry)

La Maquina Cinematica - Musica Para Pantallas Vacias. 2010 Argentina

While La Maquina Cinematica are ostensibly categorized in the avant progressive sub-genre of "rehearsal intensive" chamber music, my first reaction to their music came from an entirely different source: Anacrusa. Especially late era Anacrusa around the time of El Sacrificio and Fuerza, when they had switched from being an entirely folk oriented band to one that embraced a certain contemporary classical sound. For the most part La Maquina Cinematica focus on melody and complex arrangements, and thus create a tapestry of beautiful music. However, they do rock out on occasion, and I was again reminded of an Argentine band: Las Orejas y la Lengua. Due to the optimistic nature of the recordings, the ghost of Art Zoyd and Univers Zero are very faint, though not completely absent. A very good album and a must for fans of contemporary chamber music.

As an aside, this is definitely the first CD I own that is sponsored by Ernst & Young. Maybe there's hope for global corporations after all.

CD: 2010 Epsa

Feb 2018: Sold the CD.

1/24/12 (new entry)

Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting – Orosvisor. 2010 Sweden

Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting are a really fantastic new band from Sweden that has completely captured the mood of the anarchic 1970 Scandinavian underground. Long instrumental psychedelic journeys filled with loud acid guitar solos, droning violin and an active rhythm section. The mystical Dark Ages folk of yesteryear provide the basis for the melodies. No doubt Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting absorbed first album Flasket Brinner as a blueprint, and further added touches of the second Kebnekaise and some of the more lucid moments from Algarnas Tradgard. It's exciting to know that there are modern groups out there exploring paths that were stopped way too soon. Orosvisor could be considered a distant cousin to Dungen's debut.

Ownership: LP: 2010 Kommun 2. Single sleeve

12/16/11 (new entry)

Aquaserge - Ce Très Cher Serge, Spécial Origines. 2010 France

Aquaserge reminds me of a time when the French reigned supreme in the creativity department. Think back to the early 1980s, when France was bursting at the seams with interesting bands like Dun, Catastrophe, Eskaton, Asia Minor, Abus Dangereux, Rahmann, Nuance, Art Zoyd, Synopsis, and many more. Aquaserge combines Canterbury, space rock, and general wackiness to create a fun filled progressive extravaganza. To me, these qualities all add up to primo Gong, though Aquaserge are more complex, more jamming, and less silly overall. Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mother's Temple provides some splendid acid guitar, and it's in this kind of setting that he shines most brightly.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Manimal

7/4/11 (new entry)

Amoeba Split - Dance of the Goodbyes. 2010 Spain

Amoeba Split are one of two current Spanish bands (that I'm aware of anyway) playing in the Canterbury styled jazz rock space. The other is the more known Planeta Imaginario. Of the two, I'd say Amoeba Split are the more purest when referring to the classic bands of Soft Machine and National Health. The instrumentation is right out of the 70's: Hammond organ, piano, Mellotron, Mini-Moog, flute, sax, guitar, bass, and drums. The major differentiator here is the female vocals, which are admittedly a bit shrill. Her slightly accented delivery is a bit odd, but I have a feeling that will add to the charm on repeated listens. She's really not that far from some of the early 70's shrieks of Sandrose and Joy Unlimited. But it is unusual in this setting, where we're used to the soft affected tones of The Northettes. Amoeba Split score well on both of the style's major attributes - melody and complexity. A no-brainer pickup for fans of the 1970's UK Canterbury scene.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Creative Commons. Housed in a fine mini-LP sleeve with booklet. Numbered edition (#311 / 500). Purchased new not long after release.

4/24/11 (new entry); 10/12/23

Il Tempio delle Clessidre. 2010 Italy

Il Tempio delle Clessidre's debut is one of the finest retro Italian progressive rock albums I've heard to date. Lead by the beautiful keyboardist Elisa Montaldo, Il Tempio delle Clessidre is the classic five piece Italian band working its way through increasingly complex compositions, but with melody and passion. The crowning touch was the recruiting of Museo Rosenbach's front man Stefano “Lupo” Galifi, who pretty much sounds the same here as on Zarathustra (37 years ago!).

There are no weak tracks on Il Tempio delle Clessidre, though the album starts more measured and stilted, before it slowly morphs into its own creative genius. By the time of 'La Stanza Nascosta', the album has found its footing. And it peaks on the frenetic 'Danza Esoterica di Datura'. From there it maintains its intensity and brilliance. If you miss the spontaneous creativity of the original Italian progressive rock scene of 1973, and can't get enough of the analog sounds of the era, then Il Tempio delle Clessidre is a no-brainer pick up.

Ownership: CD: 2010 Black Widow

2/19/11 (new entry)