Purson - The Circle & The Blue Door. 2013 England

Starting with strummed acoustic guitar, followed by flute mellotron, shimmering cymbals, and phased female vocals - yea ALRIGHT we're in 1971 again! Do I look like I'm complaining? Helllll, no. A heavy bass run, more mellotron, acoustic guitar, and there it is, heavy organ and psychedelic guitar. Cool, I'm happy. What's for dinner?

Purson is more early 70s rock than progressive rock, and in reality, it fits quite nicely in my Proto Prog with Female Vocals list.

If any of the above remotely interests you, then of course you'll want to own this. Another winner from Rise Above!

Ownership: CD: 2013 Rise Above

5/18/13 (new entry)

Musica Ficta ~ Israel

A Child & A Well (2005 / 2012)

Musica Ficta's A Child & A Well remind me of some of the best of the 90's progressive rock bands, with heavy guitars (not quite metal, but almost), flute, soaring synthesizer solos, acoustic piano / guitar, an active rhythm section, and pretty female vocals. On this latter point, despite the English titles of the songs and the album itself, the lyrics are entirely in Hebrew. As if to prove that the native language should always be the first choice, and the Hebrew language is practically impenetrable for English speakers, and yet it sounds beautiful as if another instrument has been applied. Compositionally complex, so that the attentive listener is rewarded with multiple screenings.

Ownership: 2012 Fading / AltRock (CD)

5/15/13 (review / new entry)

Setna - Guérison. 2013 France

For my tastes, I feel Guérison is a definite improvement on their debut, though the band still needs to take off the leash a bit. The introduction of Ratledge-styled organ, and fuzz bass, gives the band a cool Canterbury edge. Setna are definitely more of a Zeuhl band now rather than an atmospheric jazz ensemble with Magma trimmings. But they still seem to lay back all too much. Sure would like to see Setna go all-in like Corima or Koenji Hyakkei - at least on occasion. All that emotional build up needs an epic climax... a release of anger.  

Ownership: 2013 Soleil Zeuhl (CD)

5/8/13 (new entry)

Oxhuitza ~ Italy

Oxhuitza (2013)

So we have a strange one here. If you read the advert for the band, you'd think Oxhuitza were a pure retro 1970s Italian progressive rock play. But this is two separate bands playing together. On the one hand you have the guitarist laying down chords in a pseudo metal style that was popular in the 90s. And the plodding fat rhythms could have backed up Dio in his prime. Then there's the two keyboard players, who seem completely oblivious to modern times. Each are playing away on a bank of Moogs, Mellotron, Hammond organ, and acoustic piano in the grand tradition of the 70's Italian masters. Meanwhile the bass player straddles both genres with his decidedly retro flute playing. I suppose the keyboards are truly the focus here, so it definitely appeals more to my tastes. But one does wish for Furio Chirico (Arti + Mestieri's drummer) and Danilo Rustici (Osanna's guitarist) to walk in and lay the place to waste, for something truly extraordinary. Maybe next time?

Ownership: 2013 Mirror (CD)

5/7/13 (review / new entry)

Mantric Muse ~ Denmark

Mantric Muse (2012)

Mantric Muse are a band from Denmark that have been around for nearly 20 years, and have received many great write-ups for their fiery club concerts in Scandinavia. But the band never officially released anything (beyond some archival live stuff on cdr), and it seemed this tree would produce no fruit. Mantric Muse proceeded to become the root system for Oresund Space Collective, which dimmed hopes further for a studio outing. OSC, ironically, have been incredibly productive since 2005. While OSC tend to be more sprawling, improvisational, and more in line with traditional space rock - Mantric Muse are a much tighter outfit. This is bread and butter Hillage-era  Gong styled progressive rock. For fans of early Ozric Tentacles and Quantum Fantay, this a no-brainer pick up. Always great to hear new inspiration applied to an already excellent formula. Seven minute 'Azur' has to be heard to be believed. A breathless track with many twists, turns, spins, swoons, and just an overall dizzying track of immense proportion. Don't miss this gem.

Ownership: 2012 Transubstans (CD). Acquired in 2013.

5/7/13 (review / new entry)

Liquid Wolf ~ Finland

First Light (2012)

While the keyboards are definitely retro (Hammond, Moog, Mellotron), I think it's only fair to let everyone know that there's plenty of chugga chugga metal riffing and androgynous nasally vocals here - putting it more squarely into the 2005 time frame than 1973. Certainly nothing wrong with that, but the descriptions I've been reading in cyberspace seem to skip that aspect of their sound.

With that out of the way, Liquid Wolf provide us with an excellent album, primarily instrumental (thank goodness, as the vocals are awful IMO - sorry to say) with plenty of long and creative instrumental runs. Lose the vocals and the metal sounding guitars (and I love metal - but not in this setting), and Liquid Wolf would probably be a Gnosis 12+ band for me. And probably sell 30 albums, so don't listen to me! :-)

Ownership: 2012 Samsara (CD). Acquired in 2013.

5/7/13 (review / new entry)

5/7/13 (new entry)

SoulenginE ~ Italy

Mind Colours (2012)

While not the most representative nom de plume they could have selected, SoulenginE deliver a finely crafted instrumental selection of progressive rock compositions. Formed by members of The Watch, it would appear SoulenginE are yet another creative outlet for a band that has become notorious (and highly lauded) for their ability to embody all that is great about classic Genesis. And while the band can probably never distance themselves too far from penning a Nursery Cryme, I think the average progressive listener will be very pleased with this instrumental set. So have no fear, you are much closer to the made-up dance step of the Genesis Foxtrot than the disco imagery one immediately associates with Soul Train, er... Engine. Lots of mellotron, Moog, soaring guitar, time-signature-change goodness to be found within. Overall conclusion - and maybe a bit too esoteric here - but I'd say SoulenginE is to The Watch what Submarine Silence was is to Moongarden. Basically a more retro and instrumental outlook of their raison d'etre.

Ownership: 2012 MaRaCash (CD)

5/4/13 (review / new entry)

Gorizont (Horizont) - The Portrait of a Boy. 1989 Russia

Everything I said about Summer in Town applies to Portrait of a Boy. The original cheap vinyl pressing that I once distributed due to popular demand, and that the CD is far superior with excellent liner notes.

Life at the tractor plant must have caused a certain kind of insanity, as Gorizont returned with one more flourish at producing a highly creative record. On this effort, Gorizont present us with five tracks, with the last piece adding vocals for the first time. Perhaps even more complex than Summer In Town, this continues the use of ominous fuzz guitar and shifting meters offset by happy melodies. Paradoxes such as this are what make progressive rock such an exciting genre! Comparisons to Uzed era Univers Zero wouldn't be entirely inappropriate - understanding that it's highly unlikely Gorizont were familiar with the Belgian band. Similar conclusions are often drawn from different premises.

CD: 2000 Boheme Music
LP: 1989 Melodiya

Gorizont (Horizont) - Summer in Town. 1985 Russia

Gorizont is a classic example of a Soviet era band that was sponsored by an industrial collective. That's correct, Gorizont was a tractor plant band (technically funded by the Cheboksarian Plant of Industrial Tractors - I couldn't make that name up if I tried). As an aside, I personally think the downfall of the Soviet Union was that half of their economy was still based on tractors - in the 1980s... Anyway, I can tell you this: No John Deere plant that I know of was producing these kind of musicians! A truly wonderful find, Gorizont are one of the most innovative progressive bands from any country - much less the mid 1980s of the old USSR. Three long and involved instrumental tracks adorn this fine work. There's a certain Camel like bounciness to the main melodies that add an air of optimism to the proceedings. However, just at the point where you relax into a comfortable Snowgoose groove, the Moogs go wild, the bass blasts out a grinding a Magma styled riff, and the guitar blisters forward with a violent Heldon-styled nightmare. All in different meters, you understand. Just as the rollicking roller coaster has you about to heave over the side, the music suddenly shifts back to a pleasurable symphonic mode - only to throw you back into the dark hole from whence you came. A true yo-yo album that remains exciting listen after listen.

LP: 1985 Melodiya
CD: 2000 Boheme Music

Like all Soviet era releases, Gorizont's two albums were on the state label Melodiya. Cheap single sleeves and muddy sounding vinyl is what you can expect. Still, this album was such a revelation, that I started distributing the album here in the States via contacts in England and Finland. I probably sold or traded at least 30 copies throughout the early to mid 90s. The CD is the only way to go if you want a quality product. Boheme was a fantastic label from Moscow, that reissued almost all of the classic Melodiya progressive rock albums from the 1980s. Summer in Town comes with lengthy, and insightful, liner notes in English (and Russian). As you can see on the cover (which is the CD press, LP is all in Cyrillic), Horizont is the more accurate translation. But back in the day we all knew this record as Gorizont - so I'm sticking with it, ignorant as that may sound. :-) At one time I had a pretty decent sized LP collection on Melodiya. Summer in Town is the only one I kept, to little regret. Though perhaps I should have held onto Gunesh Ensemble as well (after getting the CD). Oh well.

The Search Party - Montgomery Chapel. 1969 USA

I've heard about The Search Party ever since the 1980s when I first started receiving progressive and psych rarities catalogs. Even then, this album was off the charts rare and expensive. I never did bother to seek it out, figuring it was another over-hyped Christian psych album (you won't see me use the term over-hype very much, but with Christian psych, it truly does apply). So finally last week I heard the album. Oh wow, this really is good. No wonder everyone made a fuss years ago. My kind of atmospheric, doomy psych with Voxx organ, acoustic guitars, haunting male/female vocals and occasional fuzz guitar outbursts. About the only comparison I could think of is the brilliant Music Emporium album, on their more cosmic tripped out tracks.

CD: 2013 Lion Productions (as The News is You: The Sacred & Secular Music of Nick Freund)

One of the most sought after psychedelic records, originals of The Search Party have been super expensive since the day I started collecting rarities in the 1980s. Somewhat surprising to find out, then, that the Century label is not some boiler room operation, but rather a mainstream Christian music label from Los Angeles! Void was the first to market with a legit reissue on LP. Two years ago I was amazed to discover that Montgomery Chapel had yet to be pressed on CD (legit that is - plenty of pirate editions). Lion finally came through - and in a big way. The CD includes the full album by St. Pius X Seminary Choir - Each One Heard in his Own Language About the Marvels of God from one year prior. Full historical liner notes and photos round out this splendid release. Without a doubt, Lion's CD is the definitive edition.

Taipuva Luotisuora - IV. 2009 Finland

Seems that many new bands are attracted to the post rock sound, and Taipuva Luotisuora are no exception. Now normally I'd associate the moniker with the "dull" adjective, but in the hands of the almighty Taipuva Luotisuora, they take the lethargic yet melodic approach and add quite a bit of complexity to the proceedings. There's also a big sweeping sound that gives IV a cinematic quality rarely heard in digital form. Analog 70s styled Moog synthesizers provide many of the solos, adding a much needed warmth to the overall sound. Copious use of tuned and hand percussion is another plus. Fortunately Taipuva Luotisuora have foregone the vocals (excepting some wonderful atmospheric wordless voice), though it also appears that they've ventured away from pyrotechnic guitar solos as well, which is missed. And the indigenous kantele is never too far away. IV is a step forward for the band.

Ownership: CD: 2009 Kaakao

2009; 4/27/13 (new entry) 

MKII - Burning Daylight. 1994 England

On the surface, MKII's Burning Daylight wouldn't even get a second listen. It's a modern, digital, plodding, sterile instrumental album... with... with bluesy psychedelic guitar. A total anachronistic experience! As if Andy Glass from Solstice walked into the studio and laid down some incredible licks. Then left. For that alone, the atmosphere is splendid. Not the greatest album in the world, but worth hearing. MKII is much different from SI's normal sterilized commercial neo prog fare. 

Former Ownership: CD: 1994 SI (Netherlands). Jewel case.

5//95 (first listen); 4/23/13 (new entry); 5/1/24 (update)

Kama Loka ~ Sweden

Kama Loka (2013)

Starting with a droning minor key cello, Kama Loka immediately evokes the sounds of classic Algarnas Tradgard. The violin, Hammond organ, flute, sax, and Swedish vocals only enhance the comparison. Eventually some psychedelic guitar enters in, and the music moves closer to classic Flasket Brinner. Kama Loka is a project made up from the fine folks who brought us the Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting albums. For those who love the early 1970's Swedish psychedelic progressive scene, like myself, then this album is a no-brainer pickup.

Ownership: 2013 Kommun 2 (LP). Gatefold. Taller than average and super thick. Acquired in 2013.

4/9/13 (review / new entry); 1/21/14; 5/26/26

Walrus ~ Sweden

Walrus (2013)

Walrus is an exciting new album from Sweden that mixes retro progressive with classic Krautrock sounds. Opening track 'Tromso III' gets the motorik running with a steady beat and analog keyboards layered on top. The real party begins with 'Signals', a haunting organ and violin led piece. Heavy bass and drums propel the track forward in an exciting way. Bleeping synthesizers are dropped on top to create a truly psychedelic atmosphere. But it's the 14 minute 'Spitsbergen' that really places Walrus in the big leagues. Starting out in Ohr music territory, with a decidedly funereal backdrop of organ, synthesizers, bass, and plodding drums - the composition suddenly comes alive with an insane and massive fuzz bass attack followed by swirling organ and mellotron . If you don't fly off your couch and put a fist through the wall, then you are... ... legally dead. Very few bands ever capture a perfect moment like that. What a stunning song. 

---6/14/22

This listen confirmed the above findings. Overall it's a fine album that captures the spirit of the original Krautrock movement. Pity they didn't continue on.

Ownership: 2013 Electricity (LP) 

4/9/13 (review / new entry); 6/14/22 (update)

Taipuva Luotisuora - 8. 2013 Finland

8 starts off like a space rock version of Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song', before settling down into their usual cosmic groove. The guitars are noticeably heavier than prior, and they seem to be circling the post rock genre a bit more closely than before. Faux organ sounds are never a bad idea, and nice to see Taipuva Luotisuora applying both that and the rare guitar solo back in the mix. Overall, 8 may be their most straightforward disc to date. I for one would like to see them reach back to their debut for some inspiration on future works. This is the first album where I feel they have stopped innovating. Too comfortable. But it's still excellent!

It appears the bands naming convention is 2 to the (x-1) power where x is the actual release number (not counting the demo of course). We'll see if that holds up. If so, the next album will be either 16 or XVI.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Kaakao

3/26/13 (new entry)

Henry Fool. 2001 England

I suppose a Porcupine Tree comparison is unavoidable on Henry Fool's debut album. Especially considering the vocal tracks. That is to say, the more melancholic efforts from Porcupine Tree replete with mellotron. The instrumental parts range from lounge jazz to pure psychedelic bliss - and all points between. Radical in its own way - though not necessarily ground breaking. It's not until track 4 that vocals are even heard. There are 16 tracks in all. This is the same spirit that classic progressive rock had in the 1970's - making music just to make music. No end purpose in sight. Exciting concept if you think about it...

Ownership: CD: 2001 Cyclops

2004; 2012; 3/21/13 (new entry)

Micah - I'm Only One Man. 1971 USA-New York

Micah started in Terre Haute, Indiana before relocating to upstate New York. I'm Only One Man is head and shoulders above most of these hard rock / psych US private pressings from 1971. Long runs of guitar and organ solos, with a great vibe throughout. I love the way the Hammond is played in a choppy manner, with the wah wah guitar solos layered on top. Incredible bluesy soulful vocals. Just nonstop (I mean nonstop) kickass music, the way you want every single one of these type of obscure private albums to sound, but sadly they rarely do. Only bummer is that Side 2 is only 11 minutes long. For me, Micah's music is the definition of BAD ASS. They exude early 70's coolness. Micah are the perfect realization of Uriah Heep now that I think about it. Or Gregg Rolie era Santana. About as good as it gets for the style.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Shadoks (Germany). The original LP is one of the rarest American private pressings. I had never even heard of it until my buddy Heavyrock played his original for me about 7 years ago. So unless you have a nice trust fund going, you'll probably want to fork over for one of the Shadoks reissues. I opted for the CD, which has just recently been released. It features plenty of historical notes, a recent interview, and photos to supplement this issue. It's unfortunately a rather short album (< 30 minutes) and there are no bonus tracks. Don't let that deter you though, as it's 29 minutes of excellence with no wasted moments.

11/19/17; 8/22/21 

The Old Man & The Sea - s/t. 1972 Denmark

Musically speaking, The Old Man & The Sea fits squarely in the Scandinavian / Northern European sophisticated heavy rock bag. Heavy organ and guitar lead the instrumental solo sections, while rough English vocals add a bluesy feel to the proceedings. It's definitely influenced by the Vertigo label UK sound, but of course deep divers will likely recognize other Scandinavian acts such as Norway's Ruphus (first album) or Host, Finland's Kalevala, and Sweden's November. Excellent album.

CD: 2011 Belle Antique (Japan)
LP: 2013 Shadoks (Germany)

For as long as I've been collecting progressive rock (mid 1980s), The Old Man & The Sea's sole album has probably been Scandinavia's most sought after major label record, along with Junipher Green's debut. As such, it was always too expensive for me to buy a copy. Unfortunately, for years on end, this album thrived strictly in the bootleg market - both on LP and CD. Then in 2003, unbeknownst to everyone (including me) there was an authentic CD put out by a small label called Dunk. No one even carried it for sale! And it was just as obscure as the album itself, though not as expensive of course. Finally, in 2011, Marquee's Belle Antique put out a fresh copy completely remastered by former band member Tommy Hansen - who also happens to now be a famous producer. This is an unusual move for Belle Antique, who are usually content to put fancy packaging on already remastered CDs. As for the packaging, the original gatefold album cover is stunning - thus a perfect vehicle for the mini-LP format. And recently Shadoks has come through with a beautiful LP reissue. The thick gatefold has been replicated perfectly, and includes an insert with a full history and interview. They even received permission from Universal to use the original orange Sonet label! They also provided a CD reissue if in the market for one.

As an aside, to the rarity of this album, I would like to point out an article I read years ago. It was in a newspaper called The European, which was an awesome English language resource for a European backpacker like me in the 1990s. I think it was in 1991 (maybe 1993), where I read about the rarity of European rock records - something I was already all too painfully aware of. The example they used? The Old Man & The Sea on Sonet. Even back then, this was a huge prize. And it's easy to see why.

Many Bright Things - Many Bright Friends. 2005 USA-Indiana

For my tastes, Many Bright Things' best work is Many Bright Friends, which features [i]the best[/i] cover version of Paul Butterfield Blues Band's 1966 classic 'East West'. All modern bands should revisit this Indo-blues classic on how to lay down a groove and then improvise on top. Guest Nick Salomon (Bevis Frond) lays the studio to waste, only to be immediately followed by Al Simones' incendiary and violent solo, that concludes one of the greatest one-two punches I've ever had the pleasure to hear. The other tracks on the album unfortunately don't stack up, but the 21 minute 'East West' more than makes up for any shortcomings.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Wild Places. Jewel case with small booklet and many details regarding the recording.

3/9/13 (new entry); 6/19/21

Necronomicon - Haifische. 2012 Germany

Now this is how you do a reunion album! Essentially Necronomicon reformed and newly recorded previously composed tracks from the early 1970s. These compositions were never properly recorded, so the band reformed last year to finish the job. What's most interesting to me is that this sounds exactly like a well recorded album from 1973. There isn't a hint that this is a modern recording. The instrumentation, the production, and the songcraft all point to 40 years earlier. And, best of all, the four lengthy tracks presented here are better than their 1972 album proper! Much more progressively minded, with plenty of space for instrumental improvisation. As with their "Tips For Suicide" album, all the lyrics are sung in German. Perhaps the only downfall is the 13 minute 'Wenn die Menschen Tiere Wären' which is a tad too wordy for my tastes, but that's just a personal grump. But otherwise, Necronomicon's comeback is superb! And I hope they don't stop here. I wish all reunions would use this as a blueprint for how to restart a career (or hobby as it should be known).

Ownership: LP+CD: 2012 private. And now let's talk about the packaging, which is nothing short of magnificent. It is an exact duplicate of the multi foldout Tips zum Selbstmord - but this time it's white on black (see above photos). As well, the LP comes with a free CD to take along for the car ride. If you're an LP collector, this is the kind of album you dream about.

3/3/13 (new entry)