Fatal Opera - s/t. 1992 USA

Gar Samuelson was a drummer most known for being part of the first significant lineup of Megadeth. A few years older than most metalheads, Samuelson was a child of the 70s. Growing up near Buffalo, New York, he and his running set (including guitarist Chris Poland) were into the jazz fusion bands that were popular in the underground at the time.

This background makes Samuelson uniquely qualified to start one of the most interesting progressive metal bands I've ever had the pleasure to hear. After leaving Megadeth, Samuelson relocated to Florida, built out a studio on a farm, and began Fatal Opera with his brother - a band that today is more likely to be known as a trivia answer to "whatever happened to..."

Fatal Opera was recorded and released in 1992 on cassette tape, featuring a cover that is a painting of his neighbor (?!) (second photo). A few years later, Massacre picked it up for wider CD distribution, and affixed a more "metal appropriate" cover (first scan). This is only the beginning of the oddities afforded.

The album opens with 'Dead by 1998', a fine but somewhat typical progressive metal track, and perhaps the closest Fatal Opera gets to Megadeth. With 'Evil Tears', the album takes a turn for the heavier and more complex and goes even further down the rabbit hole with 'Spheres of Glass'. By the time of 'Moving Underground' you are in an entirely different world. 'The Unwilling' has the sound and sneer of one of Manilla Road's epics. And it just keeps going - metal for certain, but no fastballs,  all curves and sliders. And knuckleballs.... It's a No Hitter for sure (literally and figuratively). They're pitching a gem so far. Then comes...

'Moon Turns the Tides', which is a Hendrix cover - and not a normal one at that. The original title is '1983 Moon Turns The Tides', as the real song here is '1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)'. Well folks, maintaining my baseball analogy, Fatal Opera just struck out the side to finish the game. I cannot recall anywhere in my collection where a progressive metal album contains a psychedelic guitar freakout, of the kind I report on often in the progressive rock world - and almost always from the 1970s! Has to be heard to be believed. Wow!

The Divebomb reissue adds two more tracks, both of the twist turny variety as found above. Really a brilliant album, one that has completely sailed under the radar. Don't miss this one.

Personal collection
CD: 2017 Divebomb

As is usual for the label, information is gleaned from an interview with the band. The funny thing here is you'll learn more from the questions than the answers. The band wasn't very forthcoming with much recollection (they weren't even sure when this album was recorded, for example). There's also a couple of tribute letters, including a touching one from Samuelson's long time girlfriend. Full lyrics are included as well as the 2 quality bonus tracks as mentioned above. They also altered the cover slightly that is definitely more appealing to the eye (3rd scan). Though I think they should have included the original as well!

Sadly Samuelson passed away all too young in 1999.

The Hunt. 1977 Canada-Ontario

The Hunt are in effect Dillinger V2.0. 60% of the dissolved Dillinger quickly reformed into the rather oddly named The Hunt. And they went right about making a superb hard rock album. All of Side 1, and the opener of Side 2 is darn near perfect. Heavy guitars, Hammond organ, flute, passionate singing, and great compositions is what you'll hear on The Hunt. A little Led Zeppelin, a little Rush, and a lot of Dillinger. Concerning the latter, the prog rock tendencies of the past are wiped clean. This is pure unadulterated hard rock of the highest order. Starting with 'Billy', the album begins to break down a bit. This track sounds like a Styx reject from the Crystal Ball sessions. 'Sent Me Away' maintains the Styx motif, though in this case, it's album worthy and a solid heavy AOR number. 'On Revient (tout le temps)' recalls the earlier hard rock greatness. And the album closes with 'Sad Song' which seems like the mandatory lame ballad has finally appeared. But the track is saved by a powerful guitar solo to close the album. So even though The Hunt does crawl to the finish line, it had built such a great lead, the album still posted high in the standings. Excellent music here and not to be missed by fans of the mid 70s hard rock sound.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Unidisc

3/7/19 (new entry)

Tragedy Divine ~ Germany

Visions of Power (1996)

Tragedy Divine were a band from Germany who released this one album before branching into two factions, most notably the traditional power metal of Sacred Steel. I have not heard this latter band, though they obviously must carry a loyal fan base given they have nine albums out and are still going strong. But it's clear in reading the reviews that Sacred Steel seems to be a reaction against what they were doing in Tragedy Divine. That is to say, Sacred Steel went back to the basics.

Visions of Power is from the school of complex progressive metal, and whose attitude is anything-goes in terms of song structure. This isn't Berklee-trained technical music, but rather an imaginative group who enjoys throwing in new riffs and melodies randomly from within. This kind of metal was often more found in the early 90s (though by no means ubiquitous), so 1996 was late to the game. In a time when everyone was trying to be heavier, louder, and groovier, Tragedy Divine was still challenging the mind. The guitars have a rough sandpaper tone, the bass is crunchy, and the vocals are creative. I've read that Gerrit Mutz's vocals take some time to adjust, but compared to most screechers in this genre, I found him very easy on the ears. His voice is very much another instrument in the band. Most of the guitar solos are of the throwaway neo-classical bent, but occasionally a slower, more thoughtful solo will be brought forth. The first six tracks are all aces and makes this one a keeper from the get. 'Bleeding Crystal Tears' is an unconvincing ballad / slower song, and 'Ritual Damnation' sort of blows by without notice. Things get back on track with the Mekong Delta styled 'Nightmare Reality' before closing with the band moniker in the same style as the album opened. The album has plenty to offer, and is geared for repeated listens. The perfect justification for ownership.

Ownership: 1996 T&T (CD)

3/7/19 (review / new entry)

Virgin's Dream ~ Germany

The X-Tapes (1972 / 2000)

The X-Tapes were demo tapes from 1972, and were released for the first time in 2000 by former guitarist/vocalist Rolf Trenkler. To be honest these are pretty rough sounding, but still quite listenable. It states in the promo kit that they were one of the few German groups that the American military really enjoyed - implying Virgin’s Dream were more US sounding than many of their Krautrock contemporaries. They also point to British stalwarts Soft Machine and Cressida as influences. Album starts with ‘Wake Up’ which is the best sounding track on the CD, but is also quite short at just over a minute. Nice instrumental underground rocker with good guitar. The two minute ‘Evening Star’ follows with lyrics based on Edgar Allan Poe. Here’s where the poor sound quality takes points from what could have been a monster album. ‘Der Blaue Kapuzinermonch’ is a 17 minute long track that is a long, spacey instrumental jam. A great track in the Krautrock tradition (doesn’t sound American to me!). ‘Rainy Day in June’ is a lengthy (9 minutes) remake of the Kinks 1966 tune from their Face to Face album. Nice instrumental work, though again sound quality and the actual tune bog it down. The 11 minute ‘The Well’ is more British sounding, especially the vocals. Contains a nice jazzy mid section. ‘El Dorado’ has more lyrics from EA Poe. Sound quality is getting noticeably worse here. Musically this song is more straight forward but with nice staccato electric piano. ‘The Galant Knight’ is a pleasant instrumental with nice guitar and electric piano leads. ‘I Am One of Those’ closes the demo. A highlight track that is more radically progressive with almost Italian sounding moves. The CD closes with two bonus tracks which are wasted here. Basically smooth jazz pop similar to what Rolf is doing now with Chupitos de Fromentera in his adopted country of Spain. A recommended CD for archivists, but those where sound quality is important may want to tread carefully.

Former ownership: 2000 Trep-X (CD)

7//06 (review); 3/17/19 (new entry)

Etron Fou Leloublan - Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent. 1978 France

Etron Fou Leloublan were one of the 5 original Rock in Opposition bands. RIO, as it is more commonly referred to, was initially nothing more than a protest concert against the music business for ignoring challenging rock music. One look at the lineup though, and it becomes clear that all the bands (save maybe Univers Zero) were of a common strain - that of the far Leftist avant garde of the late 70s. It isn't like Carpe Diem, Artcane, and Metabolisme (and 100's of others) were being fawned over by the record companies either...

And no band represented this movement in its purest form better than Etron Fou Leloublan. The "RIO movement" as it were, would be in later years be tagged with the Avant Prog label, something that covers more of the entire spectrum. But Etron Fou Leloublan isn't even that really - they are what should be called Dadaist Rock. What is Dadaism anyway? I'll quote Wikipedia, but it does capture the spirit of the movement well: "The Dada movement consisted of artists who rejected the logic, reason, and aestheticism of modern capitalist society, instead expressing nonsense, irrationality, and anti-bourgeois protest in their works." That folks is exactly what Etron Fou Leloublan are all about.

To my ears, Etron Fou Leloublan represent a caricature of what your average American thinks of French art. 99.99% of Americans have never heard a note of Etron Fou Leloublan, but if I happened to play some to unsuspecting ears, I'd likely get a "What's that crap? Sounds Frenchy artsy-fartsy to me". One immediately thinks of Monty Python's own imagery of the French (think the Holy Grail here...). This is SILLY FOU FOU folks. I absolutely adore France and French progressive rock music, but not this strain...

If it was only that, I'd rate this a 1 star and continue my bashing from here on. But of course, EFL's second album Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent (Au Pays Ses...) isn't tuneless drivel. There are many fantastic sequences that one wishes would keep going. But one is never too far from some silliness and atonal squonking lurking just around the corner. With nasally French vocals to further annoy.

Look, I would have liked to enjoy a Cuban with Duchamps and Ernst too and debate the evils of the world while sipping cognac. But this whole deconstructionist thing in music... shrug.

Personal collection
CD: 1991 Musea

The above CD is known as 43 Songs, and is 2 discs that contain all 5 of Etron Fou Leloublan's studio albums. With no documentation unfortunately. I bought it sometime in the 90s. I would sell it if all the other albums were similar, but memory tells me each is different. So another day awaits.

Amorphous Androgynous - The Isness. 2002 England

The Isness is the second album from Amorphous Androgynous, better known in the States as The Future Sound of London, and essentially the same duo. From a genre perspective, no way is this a neo psych album. Psychedelic purists would go running out of the room if coming in with that perspective. No, it's one of the many variations of Electronica with a distinctly psychedelic undercurrent (not uncommon within the club circuit of the era). RYM says this breed is "Downtempo". OK, let's go with that. And their definition of said music is: "A type of relaxed, low intensity Electronic music... ...Often instrumental, it features slower tempos than House or Techno and tends to be more groove-driven than Ambient." Sounds about right. There are vocals of the indie variety that bog it down further, but mostly it is instrumental. The psychedelic elements are achieved utilizing some older analog keyboards - or at least the sound of such, even if synthesized. There's also some mild fuzz guitar here and there.

I bought this album when it came out. The US version on Hypnotic is labeled The Future Sound of London which I had some familiarity with at the time. The idea of their brand of Electronica and psychedelia was appealing to me back then. In fact, my initial rating was 4 stars. I have it documented that it had already dropped to a 3.5 only two short years later (via another blog I once contributed to). 15 years on from that, I hear it again - and it drops once more - this time right out of the collection. Why is that? I don't know for certain, but the album lacks the type of depth that one looks for on repeated listens. The Isness is like those Chinese knockoffs one finds for example on Canal Street in Manhattan - they look great on the surface, and are believably the real thing. Until it breaks on the 3rd and 4th use. So - good for awhile, but not permanent. Bye.

CD: 2002 Hypnotic (USA)

Black Bonzo. 2004 Sweden

Black Bonzo were a Swedish retro band who distinctly went for the early 1970’s progressive hard rock sound. Think Uriah Heep mixed with some Caravan and early King Crimson. Definitely more of the former, warts and all. Opening track 'Lady of the Light' lays it out clearly: The fat Hammond organ, driving rhythms, fuzz guitar, and plenty of progressive rock styled changes. Vocalist Magnus Lindgren even manages to nail that super cool David Byron tone. Nicklas Åhlund plays an arsenal of analog keys including the aforementioned Hammond, mellotron, Moog, and various other synthesizers. 'Brave Young Soldier' sets a haunting mood, before breaking into a very cool wah-wah bass, mellotron, and Moog sequence. The vocals even have that Pye Hastings lilt, and thus the Caravan connection is solidified. On 'These Are Days of Sorrow', guitarist Joachim Karlsson obtains some great wah-wah guitar sounds. 'Sirens' opens in heavy mellotron/organ mode, and comparisons to Anglagard are inevitable. And first era King Crimson also rings a bell. 'New Day' and 'Freedom' have more of a 70’s rock-n-roll feel as does 'Jailbait' though with a heavier, almost metallic sound. Tracks like 'Fantasyworld' and 'Leave Your Burdens' strike a balance between straight ahead rock and progressive breaks, with moody acoustic guitar and the usual heavy analog ivory dose. Mellotron laced 'Where the River Meets the Sea' is an apt, if not overly melancholic, closer. Once again, the ghost of classic 70's Uriah Heep is called for one more encore. It's easy to do some band spotting throughout as each track has different influences, but the cool thing is they don’t really sound like anyone exactly - so they manage to open a new door. Certainly one of the best retro hard prog rock albums I've heard to this point (2005). Proves there’s plenty of oil left in that well. It’s not a stoner thing either, or a tribute band. Just exploring a genre they like. I’d prefer more emphasis on their progressive tendencies, where the instrumentation and creative ideas explode with reckless abandon. Still a winning album that shows even more potential. Exciting.

Ownership: CD: 2004 B&B Records. Jewel case release with lyric booklet. I first received the album from the band in 2005 and wrote the above review (since modified a bit) not long after. While Lady of the Light is the first track, there's no indication anywhere that the album is titled that. Not sure where that came from. 

2005; 7/18/06 (Gnosis); 10/15/11; 3/5/19 (new entry)

All Traps on Earth - A Drop of Light. 2018 Sweden

In 2017 when Wobbler released From Silence to Somewhere, it had all the earmarks of an album-of-the-year type recording. As I noted in my review there, that's exactly what it ended up being. And not likely to be surpassed either.

For 2018, All Traps on Earth had all the earmarks of an album-of-the-year type recording. This designation has been trumpeted by many, including by those whose opinions matter to me. And... that's what it ended up being. However, I could see this one being overtaken. But for now, it is in fact the best thing I've heard from 2018.

And why is that? Well... albums such as Drop of Light are so in-the-pocket prog, it makes one wonder why more bands don't do it. The critics of these types of albums - and you see this ALL the time - just throw out that tired trope of "it's been done before". Folks, I have bad news to break to you: everything has been done before. It's just a convenient phrase for saying "I don't like it". That's OK, you don't have to, but don't bother rationalizing it in that way. But for fans of the genre, All Traps on Earth, Wobbler, and Änglagård will always find themselves in the top spot, or close to it. The real reason you don't hear bands do this style much is because it isn't easy to accomplish at all. It's about the substance more than the style. And all us grizzled prog veterans will know instantly when someone is trying to pull the wool over our eyes (or ears). Paul Stanley of Kiss liked to recount that they received the same criticism in their line of work. He would always respond: "Yea, if it's so easy, why don't you do it then?" Well said.

Which gets us back to All Traps on Earth. No matter how hard one is going to try, it's pretty difficult not to think of this as the 4th Änglagård album. And of course that's because it has their direct lineage. Honestly I think if you paired up Johan Brand and Thomas Johnson and they started a new disco funk band named Studio 54, the end result would sound like Änglagård - in 4/4. It's like the Scorpion and the Frog parable. It's the essence of who they are. Joining Brand and Johnson is current Änglagård drummer Erik Hammarström and Brand's daughter Miranda on (wordless) vocals. Plus a host of guests, most notably Matthias Bååth and Magnus Irving Båge on flutes/recorders, with Fredrik Lindborg on various reeds. Also present is guitarist Phil Mercy, leader of the English group Thieves Kitchen, yet another band that Johnson turned into Änglagård.

The opening title track is the most dense and difficult. As a whole, All Traps on Earth are more "rehearsal intensive" than the more swinging Änglagård (who are by no means a jamming groove band either). Miranda's non-lyrical vocals are operatic, offering a dark atmosphere. It's somewhat like Shub Niggurarth in this way. On this point, there are Zeuhl references throughout the album, but in no way is this a Zeuhl album. Johan Brand is no Bernard Paganotti, two bassists performing completely different styles, each defining their niche in the progressive rock world. 'Magmatic Warning' further advertises their love for Zeuhl, and there's some cyclical grooving Fender Rhodes here that is the closest All Traps on Earth get to Magma. Toward the latter half of the song we are introduced to charted tuned percussion and flute - and this is prevalent throughout the third track 'Omen'. And what does that read like? Exactly - Dun's Eros. Wow! Almost no one these days emulating that sound (or even in those days...). So Dun mixed with Anglagard! I know, get a paramedic out here and quick... And finally that gets us to 'Bortglömda Gårdar', where they take off their mask and say "ahh let's give it up - we're Änglagård after all aren't we?"

Full hardbound books have already been written about this album, so if you need a bar by bar detail, it's probably out there. Suffice to say, if you're a fan of retro prog (i.e. 70s complex prog), then it's hard to imagine All Traps on Earth not registering in the red zone. Buy it.

Ownership: CD: 2018 AMS (Italy). A new band could do worse than signing up with BTF/AMS. Their packaging is second to none outside of Japan. The CD is housed in a delightful gatefold mini-LP with a full booklet of details and liner notes.

2/28/19 (new entry)

Node - Node Live. 2018 England

Node Live is the 3rd album from the English Berlin School masters. Interesting that the CD itself gives no indication of when and where the concert was. I don't think I've seen that oversight before. In any case the label themselves has the information, and it turns out the concert was held at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London back in 2015. Hardly Benny's Bar & Grill. Node almost never play live, and the reason is obvious - they have a massive amount of old analog electronic equipment, which happens to weigh a ton. The photos contained within the CD show Node working with about as much electronic equipment as you would see in an old 70s news clip of NASA.

This particular live engagement features the same quartet as found on Node 2. For those who have read my review there, one can clearly see I was losing my mind at just how magical a recording it is. One of the high water marks of the entire Berlin School genre. So is Node Live at that same level? No. Is  it still an excellent album? Heck yea! Like any true Berlin school artist, Node play 100% improvised. They start with an idea and roll with it. For the studio efforts they can edit and replace. Here - what you hear is what you get. In addition, the style relies heavily on the sound texture itself. And while certainly this is a professional recording in a renowned venue, one can still hear some of the hollowness within the instruments. But all the trademarks of Node are intact: Fat Moog sequences, electric guitar, early 70s synthesizer textures, mellotron, and melodic solos. For fans of the style, an easy recommendation. For those looking for further progress on Node 2, it didn't happen here. Not sure that's possible anyway.

Ownership: CD: 2018 DiN. Tri-fold digipak. Tons of photos and some other details. Just not when and where....

2/28/19 (new entry)

Evohé. 1981 France (archival)

Evohé were a band from Toulouse who were active from the mid 70s until the early 80s. Their brand of music is decidedly right at the heart of the Zeuhl movement. While Magma is credited with the creation of the genre, it wasn't until the late 70s that the followers began to accumulate. Evohé never managed to release anything in their day, and were completely forgotten until recent times. These notes apply to the LP release (CD will be under its own entry). What separates Evohé from just about every other Zeuhl band is that they are entirely instrumental. Vocals are a key ingredient to the genre, and yet they aren't completely missed here. There's quite a bit of guitar soloing which is another departure from the norm. The sound quality is good, but certainly not great and lacks the punch the genre often calls for. In listening to the album I was struggling for comparison, as they don't sound like any of the big names of the genre like Magma, Eskaton, Eider Stellaire, Zao, or Weidorje. And yet there are elements of all the above. The closest I could come to was a wordless Pseu, yet another early 80s archival release from modern times. So high praise indeed. For fans of Zeuhl, this one is an easy recommendation. If looking to venture into this peculiar alien world for the first time, don't start here.

Ownership: LP+CD: 2018 Vapeur Mauve. Oh man, what a mess. This is already the second copy I bought, and it just came out! Why you ask? Well the first one was the US press on Music Research Library. It wasn't until after I purchased the album that I realized there was a French press too. By itself, that's not a problem. But the differences are profound. The US press is a single sleeve, a different cover, with relatively lesser sound, and a single small sheet of recording info. That's it. The French press is a lavish gatefold (incidentally the logo here reminds me some of the first Vortex album) with photos and news clips within the center, the sound is slightly better - and it comes with a 45 minute CD that is entirely different than what is found on the LP proper. It has also come to light that the US issue was not authorized for an LP pressing, but rather strictly for download purposes. Like I said - a mess. I'm going to give my US brethren the benefit of the doubt, as these things can get complicated and miscommunication is common. Forgetting the legalities, the French press is far superior, and I feel duped that I was sold the US one at all. Oh well...

These notes apply to the CD only. See my review in the main entry for context on Evohé's overall sound. What we have here is a 43 minute extended version of what is found on the LP. I heard them back to back and I wasn't even sure they were the same song. I'm sure if I focused tighter, the primary themes would emerge. Or maybe they wouldn't. This is a very interesting document, because it represents a combination I hadn't heard before: Zeuhl meets free rock. Which is something of an oxymoron if you think about it. The rigid martial rhythms juxtaposed against the guitarist who is just wailing in atonal Sonny Sharrock mode here. I'm not even sure the guitarist knows what he's doing, but in some ways it doesn't matter. It's the overall sound that remains fascinating. Definitely makes a great supplement to the LP. But on its own? No.

What a mess, part 2. See comments in Personal Collection above for further detail. In this case, we aim our arrows at the French company. The LP+CD is perfect, so for this they are to be commended. Then one finds out they released the CD on its own - with only the elongated track. What? That makes no sense and lacks context. There's no reason they couldn't have released it all on one CD. There's plenty of time. Or even if they had to shave off a few seconds, no one would notice or miss it. 

Boy did they bungle this all up.

2/1/19

Pan - s/t. 1970 Denmark

Pan were a band from Denmark formed by Frenchmen Robert Lelièvre, himself a refugee who skipped town to avoid military service. Once again we have an album that was considerably hyped up back in the rare LP catalogs of the day. In the late 80s and early 90s, I would read these mouthwatering reviews on what an outstanding example of European progressive and psychedelic rock this truly was. Of course the album came with a hefty price tag, and was price prohibitive for me back then (still is I think).

When the first legit reissue hit the stands from Little Wing of Refugees in 1993 (LP), I jumped at it and paid full price. Well you know where this is going by now. Prog? Psych? Bullcrap I cried! I had similar reactions to albums by Spring (UK), Fantasy (UK), and Think (Germany). It's the Great Bilk I concluded. And subsequently sold the record back into the marketplace rather quickly. Besides it had a stupid cover not reflective of the original (LWoR did that for all their LPs, a most misguided philosophy I might add).

25+ years on from that event, the Karma CD came across the wire for a relatively good price (itself now quite rare) and I nailed it. What do we have here anyway? A sound that was quite typical in Denmark from 1969 to 1971 actually. What was known to the old-timers as "progressive", but it's hardly King Crimson and VDGG. That sound would be hard rock, and that's the genre Pan belongs too. But not of the bluesy variety, as is more commonly found, but rather a bit more rural sounding similar to Culpeper's Orchard and Day of Phoenix (two other bands I didn't think much of either 25 years ago). The hard rocking elements recall bands such as Blast Furnace. There's still remnants of a psychedelic past, especially in the guitar work and the way the songs flow. Right from the beginning the album displays this sophisticated hard rock variety with 'My Time' and 'If'. Other highlights include 'They Make Money With the Stars' (a 5:52 minute length track that is inexplicably missing from RYM's track listing to your left), 'Tristesse', and 'Lady of the Sand'. There's also a lot of references to the French here, and that makes more sense once you know Robert Lelièvre's background.

In conclusion, a very good hard rock album with touches of psych, folk, and even a dash of progressive. If you're already a fan of the Danish rock scene of 1969 to 1971, then Pan definitely will find a comfy spot in the collection.

Personal collection
CD: 2005 Karma
LP: 1993 Little Wing (Germany)

The Karma CD was the first legit CD to market and it appears the definitive choice. There does exist one other from the parent label Sonet in 2010, but it looks to be nothing more than a straight reissue with no extras. The Karma CD also includes their rare 45 also from 1970, and the music there is at the same high quality as the album proper. There are also 5 bonus tracks, one an alternate version and the other 4 sound like a different band. It's darn near country rock, a sound that inexplicably was (is?) popular in Denmark back then. Pickin' and Grinnin'!

The CD booklet has photos and copious liner notes. Unfortunately they are all in Danish so I don't understand them. Would anyone be kind enough to send over a translation, or at the every least, find these online in Danish and we can Google Translate and interpret from there? I will publish it here as well as on RYM for posterity.

Marcus - From the House of Trax. 1979 USA

You can count the number of 1960's styled psychedelic albums from 1979 on one finger, and well.... here it is. I remember reading about this album in Paul Major's Sound Effects catalogs in the late 1980s. His description of the negative blue image with Marcus chained to the Earth is what you'd expect of a literary classic, not a catalog of LP rarities. Funk, disco, punk, hard rock, and early heavy metal are what 1979 was about - not heavily phased folk rock that sounded like it had just come out of a time machine circa 1968. Just like today, there are albums that try to sound like they're from 1971. Most sound like 2014 resembling 1971. But there are a few that pull it off - that really make you think you've transported time. Marcus has done exactly that - except back in 1979 when the idea of doing this hadn't really even existed. Groundbreaking in its own way I suppose.

Vocalist/guitarist/leader Marcus McDonald is an enigma, bouncing around in the beautiful environs between Kentucky and Indiana. His album was truly one of a kind from the era in which it was released. Take out the psychedelic phasing element, and I'm not sure you have much more than a straight ahead rock album with a folk bent. But with that, yea, it's a pretty cool album for certain.

Personal collection
LP: 1992 private

Date is a total guess. That's the date my database says I picked it up (though in this case that may not be entirely accurate either). It looks pretty boot-y to be honest, but Discogs is keeping it legit for now. With no date mind you. There is a legit CD and LP on World in Sound that I should look into at some point.

Last listen: Summer 2014

Sonora Sunrise ~ Russia

The Route Through the Canyon (2019)

In the last 25 years, we've seen Russian musicians, especially of the progressive space rock variety, exploring their vast country and the mysteries it holds within. Ole Lukkoye from the decidedly European city of Saint Petersburg pioneered this undertaking. Vespero from Astrakhan transcended the precedent set. Then the Russian born, American based label Trail Records, has taken this concept even further with two full length compilations (Tripwave) of various Russian bands performing a similar style. One of the many characteristics of this sound are exotic female voices, haunting keyboards, pounding / shifting rhythms, and fuzzed out psych guitars.

Enter Sonora Sunrise, a new band performing in the style above, that said label Trail is promoting. And this time we have a band that actually resides in the area of the world often explored. Sonora Sunrise are from the Altai region, northeast of Kazakhstan, and relatively close to both Mongolia and even the far northwestern parts of China. This is a region that is still largely unknown and misunderstood in the West.

Now comes the irony. The band moniker itself implies the southwestern deserts of the US and Mexico. And Sonora Sunrise sing (and title their songs) in English with no Cyrillic subtitles, a definite departure from the norm. But the rest of the narrative holds serve. The vocals are indeed female, and she is on about half the album and is labeled a "guest". The remainder is your standard four piece with guitars and keyboards. The latter, I might add, are boasted to contain Soviet era analog synthesizers. A) I didn't even realize there were Soviet era synthesizers and b) I didn't know it was a "thing". The one photo I saw looked pretty cool though.

Musically speaking, the album goes for more of the slow-burn variation of psychedelic. More haunting and brooding than jamming out. The vocals are sensuous and exotic. The lyrical themes are very consistent with the American desert, which indicates that the Altaian desert may have a similar backdrop. 'Canyon', 'Roadside Picnic', 'Ancient Stones', and 'Poison' gives one an idea. The one track where Sonora Sunrise do kick out the jams is the appropriately named 'Millions of Snakes', which to my ears recalled Titan in their prime (minus the Hammond organ). This was the highlight song for me.

If looking for comparisons, I'd offer up a more static Vespero meets The Space Spectrum, The Cosmic Dead, and even Agitation Free's 2nd album. I do think the band needs to let it loose occasionally to offset the tension that they are clearly masters at building. Most excited where they go from here.

Ownership: 2019 Trail (CD). Multi-fold out digipak.

2/22/19 (review)

2/22/19 (new entry)

Holocaust - The Nightcomers. 1981 Scotland

Even though Holocaust is frequently mentioned as one of the "big names" of the original NWOBHM movement, my memory says different. In 1980, age 15, heavy metal was my first foray into deep diving for music. Sure, I knew of Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Samson, Witchfinder General, Praying Mantis, Tygers of Pan Tang, not to mention the obvious Iron Maiden, Saxon, etc... But Holocaust? No. Metallica's cover of 'The Small Hours' put these guys on the larger map, but long after the initial group was dead and buried. I didn't first hear Holocaust until 1993 when I stumbled upon their live Hot Curry and Wine LP in a Wichita, Kansas record store of all places. Probably was Mark Shelton's old copy...

It wasn't until the mid 2000's that I finally picked up The Nightcomers based on positive reviews. After hearing the inauspicious opener 'Smokin' Valves', I was gearing up for an Ethel the Frog kind of disappointment. This woofer is nothing more than a 70s styled boogie rock track with distorted guitars. And then... ...then comes 'Death or Glory', a song that today is universally acclaimed as a stone classic of the NWOBHM movement. And no argument from me. It's exactly this kind of composition and riffs that makes this era of heavy metal timeless. 40 years after laying this down to wax, the music sounds as fresh and exciting as ever. What a riff, what a sound! And The Nightcomers never looks back either. Every track here is a winner. 'Heavy Metal Mania' being another very catchy number. My favorites are the more thoughtful and subtlety complex tracks like 'Mavrock' and in particular the title track. So yes, in retrospect, an absolute classic of an album. But not in their day, nope.

I haven't heard any of their reformation albums, but word around the campfire says they continued to push the boundaries of metal. Certainly sounds just up my alley.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Metal Blade (USA). Jewel case release with lyrics. Also includes their Heavy Metal Mania EP from 1980. This EP isn't near the standard of their album proper. Closer to the anthemic side of NWOBHM. Purchased in 2005.

12//05; 2/22/19 (new entry)

Charles Kaczynski - Lumiere de la Nuit (Light of Night). 1979 Canada

Charles Kaczynski is a fairly obscure artist who pops up now and again on the internet and then disappears. His debut album Lumière de la Nuit has long been known to collectors as a very good example of the symphonic style of progressive rock. He's basically a one man orchestra here, and the (primarily) instrumental music is beautiful and rich. Though there's a multitude of instruments played by the talented Kaczynski, violin is clearly his instrument of choice. By Side 2, the music begins to become overly familiar, and it's clear Kaczynski could have benefited from the synergy of his peers. The compositions are well written, and it's too bad this was the end of Kaczynski's progressive rock career during the classic era.

Ownership: LP: 1979 private - Light  of Night (English edition)

The LP has 2 editions, one in the native French, the other with the English title Light of Night. The CD was also originally pressed privately, and later distributed by ProgQuebec with a sticker affixed with their logo on the back of the digi-pak. As such, there is no history as per protocol for the label.

First entered into the UMR: March 4, 2010 and updated.

Quel Giorno di Uve Rosse ~ Italy

Quel Giorno di Uve Rosse (1976)

Back in the early 1990s, Quel Giorno Di Uve Rosse's sole album made the rounds into progressive rock collector's circles, promising two side long tracks of classic Italian bombast. 

Bzzt! 

Working hard for a good trade to obtain it, the result ended up in disappointment for moi. But I did stick with it, and over time I was satisfied enough to keep it for awhile. A few years later, opportunity struck for me to move it out, and I've never looked back (how Biblical of me).

So what is the deal with Quel Giorno Di Uve Rosse? The album was released by PCC which stands for Pro Civitate Christiana. Yea, we're talking Catholic Church here. The music provides the background to a Biblical story (I presume) and that which features a multitude of male / female vocalists, all of them quite good I must say. There is also some male narration. It's not a stretch to compare some of Quel Giorno Di Uve Rosse to Latte E Miele's debut Passio Secundum Mattheum, an album also referencing a Biblical story with narration. The rock music displayed here though is considerably softer, pastoral, and much more in the background than the pure Italian progressive rock of Latte e Miele. Plenty of harpsichord and flute as well. So yea, it's something of an Italian holy roller kind of thing I'm sure. But classy and well done. Worth hearing in general music terms, but calling it progressive rock is clearly misleading.

Former ownership: 1976 PCC (Pro Civitate Christiana) (LP). Acquired in 1994.
 

Not reissued in any format as I update this post (4/7/26).

1994; 10/14/09 (review); 2/22/19 (update / new entry)

VAK - Budo. 2018 France

On VAK's (stylized as such, though it doesn't appear to be an acronym) 2 EP compilation debut, I wrote: "VAK blossoms from the Eskaton branch of the Zeuhl tree". For VAK's formal debut Budo, it almost seems like a different band. In some ways it is, as there's been quite a bit of personnel change. I'd also mentioned Dun as a reference, and that too is missing - along with the flute that made the comparison. So from that standpoint, Budo is a bit of a disappointment, as they were onto something entirely unique prior.

Or is it a disappointment? Not for hardcore fans of Zeuhl like me. You give me 2 tracks of over 50 minutes of pure Zeuhl, I'm going nowhere. They definitely moved closer to the center of the movement, that of Magma. It's more plodding than the mothership though, and could be called "dense" at times. I was struggling with comparisons throughout my multiple listens. It doesn't have the brass or groove of a Weidorje, but it does have that type of gravitas. And it's certainly not noisy like Shub Niggurath, though again the heavy atmosphere is there. Maybe Jean-Paul Prat is the closest I can get here. So... even though they moved back to the main tree stump of Magma, I think VAK have indeed continued to create something unique.

Ingredients of their sound include the usual Rhodes, synthesizers, and pounding drums. The bass is more foundational than driving, so that's one departure from the norm. There's also wordless female vocals, not abrasive, but also not distinctive enough to move the needle. 'Hquark' does possess a few moments of that familiar Eskaton groove, so they haven't completely given up on their initial direction. And that leads us to 'Au Fond des Creuses', the "short" track at 8 minutes, where they reintroduce the guitar and flute, and brings us back to the greatness of Aedividea. So yes, a 4 star album for certain. And I'm sure future listens will reveal more.

At this point, VAK are one of the leading lights of the current Zeuhl movement, a tad behind Corima perhaps, but ahead of the rest of the pack by a good mile.

Ownership: CD: 2018 Soleil Zeuhl

2/16/19 (new entry)

Vespero (& related) ~ Russia

Vespero & Ángel Ontalva  - Carta Marina (2018)

Carta Marina is the instrumental collaboration album of Angel Ontalva from Spain and the Russian group Vespero. An interesting pairing, but given that both represent some of the best progressive rock music of the last 15 years, I think this is going to be great album. At least on paper.

And it came to pass that yes - it is. Angel Ontalva is the guitar player, chief composer, and defacto leader of October Equus. Their early albums were something of a psychedelic avant prog combination, a unique juxtaposition of sound. And that psychedelic effect was primarily achieved via Ontalva's heavy fuzz tone, and somewhat unhinged playing, which was the dichotomy against the rest of the band's more structured approach. Enter Vespero, arguably the best space rock band operating in the world today. What separates our friends from Astrakhan from the rest of the pack, is that Vespero is not one just to jam out, and hopefully find a groove or two to explore. But rather the group enjoys composition with their improvisation, plus they add indigenous elements for a truly exotic blend. They are at once a space rock band, yet also progressive rock, and while still paying an occasional homage to Krautrock.

So there's your ingredient label, but how does it taste? Excellent in fact. There's a bit of that "two strong leaders vying for the top position" within these songs, and it's clear the impact of each artist's unique sound. At an hour long, there's an investment of time here, especially considering the first listen doesn't reveal nearly enough. It takes a few hours worth of hearing to let it soak through. There are no obvious highlights here, yet there's nothing worthy of skip button status either. While this isn't the peak album of either camp, the results together are still undeniably great. If either band are on your radar today, then you can't go wrong here.

Ownership: 2018 VMS (CD). Digifile. Acquired in 2019.

2/16/19 (review)

Droga (2013)

Droga is the 6th studio album from Astrakhan's Vespero. Here the band seemingly understands what they do best, and exploits the heck out of it. This may be the perfect place to start your exploration of what is possibly the best space rock group of the last 10 years - and that's saying something given the competition. What you'll get here is Vespero's core competencies: The exotic sounds of Western Asia, crystalline female voices, ripping guitar solos, complex rhythm patterns, and various instrumentation to keep you guessing throughout. Every track is labyrinthine in its execution. It's the Korai Orom meets Hidria Spacefolk recipe that they've long since perfected with their own spices. And this time, they have a surprise up their sleeve: How about a big dollop of aggressive space rock similar to the first Nebelnest album? Oh my heart be still. This is Red Bull mixed with espresso.

Ownership: 2013 RAIG (CD). Printed cardboard box. Acquired in 2017.

2/12/17 (review)

Fitful Slumber until 5 A.M.. (2015)

Fitful Slumber until 5 A.M. is the 7th studio album (if we include the split one with Zone Six) from Astrakhan's Vespero. They continue their drive into more progressive oriented compositions, with plenty of fiery jams, and exactly the type of ethnic sounds one would expect from a band residing near the Caspian Sea. Flute, mandolin, and local wind instruments only add to the exotic vibe. Vespero have encapsulated the best of a 40+ year old branch of psychedelic progressive space rock: 1972 era Agitation Free meets 1992 Ole Lukkoye meets 2012 Quantum Fantay. Blend it up, and you have one seriously irresistible dish. A can't miss recipe, no matter how much extra spice they add to it. Hungry yet?

Ownership: 2015 RAIG (CD). Acquired in 2016.

1/29/16 (review)

Vespero / Zone Six - The Split Thing (2012) 

The next studio offering from Vespero is a split album with the German band Zone Six that is titled, appropriately enough, The Split Thing. Vespero contributes 3 new songs, totaling approximately 25 minutes. The sound is a continuation of By the Waters of Tomorrow and can be seen as a further move towards the 70s Krautrock scene. In particular, Can and Amon Duul II seem to have influenced the Russian band to a great extent. The steady rhythms hold everything in place, while the synthesizers float above and the shimmering psychedelic guitar provides the melody lines. There are distinct breaks in the music, giving it more of a progressive rock edge than its predecessor. Perhaps best of all is the addition of flute on the first two tracks, adding just the right spice to the overall dish. I found this a nice return to form for Vespero and is worthy of a 4.5 stars on its own. Personally I don't think Zone Six is a good fit as a complement to Vespero. They are of the modern variety of space rock - bordering stoner metal - where fuzz overload and static rhythms are the order of the day. At 24 minutes, their sole contribution begins to get long in the tooth after about 10 minutes. It's a fine track for the style, but perhaps misplaced with the much more kinetic, and exciting (IMO) Vespero.

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

3/12/13; 9/6/14 (review)

By the Waters of Tomorrow (2010)

Vespero continues on with their third album, titled By the Waters of Tomorrow. The band has shed most of their Southern Russian influences for a more straightforward Western European styled instrumental psychedelic rock sound (with 'Gao Zult' being the sole exception). Post rock and Krautrock seem to be the dominating genres here, with echo fuzz guitar, synthesizers, and a driving drum beat. The music on By the Waters of Tomorrow can be described as being relentless. This is a similar direction that Finnish bands Hidria Spacefolk and Taipuva Luotisuora took later in their career as well. Personally, I miss the localized exotic sound, but for what Vespero is trying to achieve here - they've done a more than admirable job. 'Amaryllis', 'Seagulls Sing (When It Rains)', and the aforementioned 'Gao Zult' are the highlights here.

Ownership: 2010 RAIG (CD). Acquired in 2013.

3/11/13; 9/1/14 (review); 7/23/24 (update)

Surpassing All Kings (2009)

Vespero's sophomore effort, entitled Surpassing All Kings, sees Vespero tighten the ship a bit, and add more structure to their compositions. The exotic sounds of the debut are intact, but the energy level is higher and more kinetic. So overall it sounds like Korai Orom playing the music of Taipuva Luotisuora or Quantum Fantay, which is a highly unique combination. There are some killer ear-catching breaks here, such as the mid section of 'Salma Simiere (Cross and Crown)' which recalls Relayer era Yes, of all albums. Other highlights include the powerful psychedelic space rock numbers 'The Tower (XVI)' and 'Serata (i.n.s.i.e.m.e.)', each featuring multiple meter shifts, psychotic guitars, swirling keyboards, ethereal vocals, and complex sequences - almost Canterbury like in their execution. The latter track even has slight elements of Zeuhl, though it remains unclear if that's intentional or not. Melodies are actually thought out, and there's more to latch on here than the usual music-school charts. This is a splendid album, clearly positioning Vespero as one of the best space rock bands on the worldwide stage today.

Ownership: 2009 RAIG (CD). Acquired in 2010.

2010; 8/28/14 (review)

Rito (2007)

Vespero are a space rock band from Astrakhan, a city on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea in Southern Russia, near the border of Kazakhstan. So, in effect, miles from anything familiar. And yet there are few bands today - or perhaps none - that have captured the European spirit of space rock, Krautrock, and progressive rock like Vespero has. Their music is at once exotic, and yet familiar. Somewhere between Korai Orom, Ole Lukkoye, Hidria Spacefolk, 60's Pink Floyd, Can, Ash Ra Tempel, and a yet-to-be-identified group from Kazakhstan. And with that, Vespero begin their studio recording career with the splendid Rito. Psychedelic guitar, spacey synthesizers, pulsating bass, echoed vocals, and pounding tribal drums are what you can expect here. And Rito features their finest track ever (as I write this in 2016) with 'Inna's Burst in Tears', a stunning piece of Agitation Free influenced Middle Eastern space rock with Lisa Gerrard styled wordless female vocals. This song alone leaves one breathless, and is reason enough to explore the entire band's canon. And they do not disappoint. Ever.

Ownership: 2007 RAIG (CD). Acquired in 2010.

2008; 2010; 8/24/14 (review)

Other albums I own: Subkraut: U-Boats Willkommen Hier; Lique Mekwas

8/24/14 (new entry)

McCully Workshop - Genesis. 1971 South Africa

McCully Workshop were one of the more well known bands coming out of the late 60s South African psychedelic scene. On their sophomore effort Genesis, the band adopted their psych background and combined that with the then-popular horn rock movement. It's a fascinating blend, as McCully Workshop created something wholly original within a familiar space. The McCully brothers hold down the rhythm section and lead vocals, while new guitarist Bruce Gordon provides the fiery psych toned solos. The key member here is Ian Smith who plays trumpet, flute, flugelhorn, and trombone. They multitracked his instrumental sections, so he sounds like a full horn section! I don't think I've ever heard one person contribute so much brass sounds on a record like this. And the flute sections are sublime.

The compositions are decidedly progressive rock oriented, with multiple tracks carved up in sections very much in the same spirit of the early King Crimson albums. The music itself still has its psychedelic provenance and I was most reminded of The Moody Blues, but with the songwriting of Chicago Transit Authority instead. Very much in line with some of the more progressive oriented UK horn rock bands such as Brainchild, Greatest Show on Earth, and Galliard. If any of these bands push your buttons, then Genesis is a must own.

Personal collection
CD: 2009 Fresh Music

Originals are very rare, much more so than the debut. This CD was my introduction to the album, which I purchased not long after release. It comes complete with full liner notes and masters tape sound. Fresh Music is by far and away the best reissue label from South Africa.

Franco Battiato - Clic. 1974 Italy

Clic is the 4th album from Franco Battiato, and continues to see him experimenting further afield. Battiato's albums to this point were rather odd in themselves. I find it hard to describe his music, and partially that's because I haven't taken the proper time to digest them. But the other reason is his music is somewhat disorienting. It's not really what one would call "weird" (for those of us who listen to these type of albums on a regular basis of course, not the general public). The best word for Battiato's music at this stage of the game is "alien". It's not exactly memorable in the traditional sense, but it does have sensory impact.

And Clic is just oozing with otherworldly atmosphere. It's primitive really, calling on the early classical electronic genre such as Battiato's idol Karlheinz Stockhausen. But it's not academic. The field tapes alone are really quite eerie. Some albums where I get this same vibe are Pierrot Lunaire's Gudrun, Algarnas Tradgard, and Picchio dal Pozzo's debut. And even Jumbo's Vietato... primarily because Battiato guests on that album and brings his trusty VCS3 along, the instrument responsible for much of the mystery. Overall a superb album when in the right mood. Bring an open mind - and maybe your space helmet too.

Personal collection
CD: 1998 Ricordi/BMG

My first introduction to Clic, like for many people, was the UK LP version on Island. Turns out that's a completely different album! More on that for another day (I still have that exact LP). According to my database, I first bought this CD in 2002, and that was my introduction to the proper release. I don't think I've heard it since, and I had no recollection of the contents within. Let's see if this deep dive will stick for the next listen. Hopefully not 17 years later...

The CD itself is a bare bones "straight" reissue. I thought I heard traces of vinyl sound as well.