Johansson. Bjorn - Ursus X Orion (2017)

 

The second album from this artist from Sweden.

Bjorn Johansson played percussion, bass, guitars, bouzouki, sitar, mandola, mandolin, harp, zither, keyboards, synths, recorder, flutes and bassoon.

Two guests added piano, synths, sampler, programming and flutes. A ten man big choir also added their voices to one of the two suites here.

I reviewed Bjorn's debut album some days ago and I liked it. A review of his final album will be added in some days time. I will also review the two Lindh & Johansson albums at the end of the year.

Ursux X Orion is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

This album consists of two suites. The music here is slow to mid-tempo symphonic prog. 

Mike Oldfield, the Hergest Ridge era, is a great reference here.  

There is wide variety of instruments here. From long and lingering guitar solos to mandolin, sitar, flutes, synths and a choir. 

The music is not particular exciting. I am not a Mike Olfield admirer either and this album is therefore not hitting the right notes in my office.

This is a decent enough album and that just about it.

2 points 

Moloken - All Is Left To See (2015)

 

The third album from this band from Sweden.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

The band returned after a four years long album break. Their 2011 album Rural was a pretty good album.

All Is Left To See is clocking in at half an hour.

The music is again alternative extreme metal. The music is eclectic throughout.

The music is dynamic and fast. It is also very hard.

The vocals are screaming extreme metal vocals.

The music is much more straight forward extreme metal this time around than on their first two albums. The music is indeed a bit more minimalistic.

The result is a decent enough album and their least interesting album. This album is a bit of a disappointment.

2 points 

 

  

MacKay. Duncan - A Beautiful Madness (2026)

 

The 10th album from this artist from Great Britain.

Duncan Mackay played all keyboards here while Mauritz Lotz did all the guitars. There is also a lot of samples here. 

I have reviewed a couple of this Alan Parson's Project musician's albums on a sporadic basis. My conclusion made on these two albums is that his music is not for me. But I got this album emailed to me. That means I am reviewing it.

This album is clocking in at fifty-five minutes.  

The music here is a blend of symphonic prog, cinematic rock and ambient music.

The keyboards and guitars are the instruments here. There are some samples too here.

The music is laid back and pretty ambient. Some of the music is bordering to being dynamic. But most of the music is ambient.

There are some long, slow guitar solos here and some pianos. There are also some classical music here.

The music is surprisingly good. Some of the music is not passing the mustard. Hence....

2.5 points 

 

 

 

Katatonia - The Fall Of Hearts (2016)

 

The 11th album from this band from Sweden.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals.

Two guests added percussion and guitars.

The band returned again three years after their acoustic album Dethroned And Uncrowned. 

The Fall Of Hearts is clocking in at seventy minutes.

The music on this album is alternative rock with some metal influences. 

References are Anathema and Porcupine Tree.

The music is pretty muscular at times. But most of the music is pretty gentle.

There are some very good mellotrons here, created by the keyboards. The guitars are also good. Ditto for the vocals.

This seventy minutes long album has some surplus fat. Most of the album is good. I rate this as a good album. 

3 points  

 

Golem - Eternity The Weeping Horizons (1996)

 

The debut album from this band from Germany.

The band was a trio with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

I were browsing through ProgArchives one evening at the end of last year and I found a band-name which sounds familiar to me from back in the days when I was running a record label. I did a trade with Invasion Records back then and got a handful of this album. I was also surprised to learn that this band had released two more albums. That is why I put their three albums on my to-review list for this summer. The two remaining albums will be reviewed later this week/early next week.

Eternity The Weeping Horizons is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music is death metal. Technical death metal. 

This album sounds a lot like the Heartwork album from Carcass. 

The vocals are the typical death metal grunts. The guitars are harsh. Their take on death metal is both technical and melodic.

I cannot say I liked this album back in 1996. I like it a lot better in 2026, though. This is a decent enough album and one to check out if Carcass and technical melodic death metal is your thing.

2 points 

 

Fotosputnik - Incantations for a Tenrec (2024)

 

The fourth album from this band from USA.

The band was a trio with a lineup of drums, percussion, bass, guitars, synths and programming.

Fotosputnik is a new name to me... or so I thought. Fifteen years ago, I found their free Cave Din VI and downloaded it. Then I forgot it before I put it up for review this month. I checked out the band and then decided that their latest album was a more worthy album than this EP. Hence, I am reviewing this album instead. 

Incantations for a Tenrec is clocking in at sixty-four minutes.

The music here is a blend of krautrock, cinematic rock and electronica.

Neu! is a good reference here. Ditto for early Can. 

The music is simplistic and minimalistic. There are a lot of half-acoustic guitars here in addition to samples, bass and synths.

The music is mostly slow with some mid-tempo themes now and then.

This is a pretty charming album which will win a lot of friends among the krautrock fans. It is also a pretty good album, worth investigating. Check out this band and their Bandcamp albums and EPs.

2.5 points 

 

 

Fuchs Goos Band - Chameleon 2 (1981)

 

The one and only album from this band from Germany.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, piano, saxophone and flutes.

This album is the follow up album to the Chameleon album from 1979 which I reviewed some days ago. The review is here. A very good album indeed and one of the hidden gems in the prog and jazz scene.

Chameleon 2 is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music is jazz.

There are a lot of fusion influences here too.

There are a lot of flutes, guitar and saxophone solos here. The pianos and the rhythm section also does a good job.

The music is both dynamic and melodic. The sound is very good.

This album is not on par with the very good Chameleon 1 album. This is still a good album and one to check out if fusion and jazz is your thing. Even progheads will like this album.

3 points 

 

 

 

Emerald Dawn. The - The Land The Sea The Air II (2026)

 

The seventh album from this band from England.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, synths, saxophones, flute and vocals.

This album is part 2 of this series of albums. The first album was released last year and I reviewed it some days ago. It is a good album, indeed.

The Land The Sea The Air II is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music here is dark symphonic prog.

Most of the album is instrumental symphonic prog. Dark and haunting music with guitars and synths.

There are some female, dark female vocals at the end. 

The music is indeed pretty cinematic throughout. Not at least because of the saxophones here. 

The music is both engaging and complex. It is also very good throughout.

This is one of their best albums and one to check out. This album will feature high on most best-of-2026 list at the end of the year and that with good reasons.

3.5 points 

 

 

Fates Warning - Long Day Good Night (2020)

 

The 13th album from this band from USA.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, programming and vocals.

Based on interviews from the band members, this is very probably the final Fates Warning album. I have reviewed all their albums in this blog.

Long Day Good Night is clocking in at seventy-three minutes.

The band started out as a heavy and power metal band, then formed the progressive metal scene together with Dream Theater before they on their last two albums went a bit more in the direction of classic hard rock.

The music on this album is indeed classic hard rock.

There are also some AOR on this album. A far cry from their debut album, in other words. This band has been on a long, long journey.

The music is more melodic than hard. It is still pretty edgy. 

The vocals are good and the band does a good job. 

The quality of the music is good throughout. I have to admit I never really warmed to this band during my reviews. Respect but I am not a fan. Nevertheless...

3 points 

 

Fat Sparrow - Fat Sparrow II (2017)

 

The second album from this band from Australia.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, saxophones and trumpet.

This band from Perth, Australia has so far released two albums. I reviewed their debut album sometime earlier this week and I liked it a lot. I also love their band name. Yes, sparrows can be some fat feathered friends and that even here in Europe. 

This album is clocking in at twenty-five minutes. 

That probably makes it an EP. Anyway...

The music is again a blend of jazz and fusion.

The music is mid-tempo, dynamic and complex. The music is still melodic.

There are a lot of trumpets and saxophone solos here. There are also some good half-acoustic jazzy guitars solos and harmonies here. The rhythm section is holding it all together.

This is a short album. It still throws a punch. This is another good album from this band. I fear that this band has disbanded and that is a shame. I like this band a lot.

3 points 

Salva - Music From Salvatore (2026)

 

The eighth album from this band from Sweden.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, percussion, bass, guitars, mandolin, accordion, keyboards and vocals.

I have reviewed most of their albums in the first three editions of this blog. Good albums, indeed..... Actually, I have just reviewed their seventh album, the 2022 opus Ghost Story and you can read my review here. I will try to get their six first albums for reviews next year. 

Music From Salvatore is clocking in at one hour.

The music here is a blend of Scandinavian symphonic prog and neo-prog. Add in some heavy prog too and you get the picture.

The music is very melodic throughout. It is also pretty complex at times. 

The emphasis is on the good melodies here. There is still enough complexities to make the music really interesting.

The vocals are very good. The music is engaging with some good guitar solos and keyboards.

This is a good album from a band I should really get more into.

3 points  

 

 

Moloken - Rural (2011)

 

The second album from this band from Sweden.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

The band has so far released four albums. The last one in 2020. I am reviewing all four albums in the next couple of weeks. 

Rural is clocking in at fifty-four minutes.

The music is again experimental extreme metal.

The music is indeed pretty avant-garde. 

The music is pretty wild at times. The music is also complex, extreme and epic too. There is a method in this mad music. There is an idea here and some of the music is clever. 

The vocals are the typical extreme metal vocals. They are pretty good, though.

There are some good stuff here and some decent stuff here. This album is an improvement on their debut album and a pretty good album. Fans of eclectic extreme metal should check out this album.

2.5 points 

 

 

 

Johansson. Bjorn - Discus Ursi (1998)

 

The debut album from this artist from Sweden.

Bjorn Johansson did the bass, guitars and flutes here.

He had help from a trio of guests who added percussion, drums, grand piano, organ, church organ, harpsichord, mellotron, synths and vocals.

This album is clocking in at sixty-five minutes.

Bjorn Johansson has released three solo albums and some more albums in cooperation with Par Lindh and others. I am reviewing these three solo albums in the coming days and week.

The six compositions here are long. They are pretty complex too. The music is melodic symphonic prog with both Camel and Yes influences.

There are also a lot of Scandinavian symphonic prog elements in his music and it is only just and fair to label the music here as Scandinavian symphonic prog.

There are some very good vocals here. There are also some good, long instrumental themes here. 

This is a more than acceptable debut album and an enjoyable one hour and five minutes long listening experience. This is indeed a good album and one to check out if symphonic prog is your thing.

3 points 

 

Chameleon - Chameleon (1979)

 

The one and only album from this band from Germany.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of handclaps, drums, percussion, bass, piano, electric piano, organ, synths, saxophone and flute.

This album is, from what I understand, part 1 of the two parts Chameleon album series. Part 2 was released by the Fuchs-Goos-Band in 1981. I will review that album in some days' time.

Chameleon is clocking in at fifty minutes. 

The music on Chameleon is a blend of jazz and fusion.

The music is both dynamic and melodic. It is also slow, mid-tempo and fast. The music is varied in other words.

There are some really good trumpet and in particular saxophone solos here. The electric piano, piano and synths are underpinning the music with some very good themes. The rhythm section is very tight with some good fills.

The sound is great. 

In my world, and I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to jazz, this is some of the better jazz I have encountered lately. 

This is indeed a very good album in it's own rights and a hidden gem who deserve a lot more attention.

3.5 points 

 

 

 

  

Cassini Projekt. The - Blind Vision (2008)

 

The debut album from this one-man-band from Ireland.

Alex McDonnel is doing the drums, bass, guitars, synths and vocals here.

I reviewed his second album Filler back in October 2012 and were downloading this album, Blind Vision, as I were reviewing the album. This with a view to reviewing it a.s.a.p. And then I forgot all about it.... The review of Filler can be found here. A decent enough album.

Blind Vision is clocking in at fifty-five minutes.

The music sounds like garage rock. Hard garage rock with some funk and punk influences.

The sound is awful. The drums are awful too. The bass and the guitars are fairly decent. The synths and the vocals are very poor. The songs are very poor too.

Is there anything to like here ? No. 

This album goes straight into my collection of turkeys.

 Alex McDonnel have released some more albums under the The Cassini Projekt name. A link to the Bandcamp page can be found here. I am not going to bother, though.

1 point 

 

 

Miller. Rick - Temporal Illusion (2026)

 

The 17th album from this artist from Canada.

Rick Miller did the bass, keyboards, electronics and vocals here.

He got help from a handful of guests who provided drums, percussion, guitars, cello, violin, flute and oboe.

I have reviewed all his albums in both # 3 and this edition of the blog. Most of these albums are good albums. Last year's album Perspective was a very good album.

Temporal Ilusion is clocking in at fifty minutes.

The music here is slow art-rock with a lot of symphonic prog influences.

The music is as usual slow to mid-tempo. Mostly slow. It is pretty pastoral too. The music is very melodic.

The vocals are good. Nothing new to report here.

Some of the songs are good and some are not. On balance, this is a good album. It is still a bit of a let-down compared to last year's album. A small let down but still an album you should check out.

3 points 

 

 

 

 

Fates Warning - Theories Of Flight (2016)

 

The 11th album from this band from USA.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

Two guests added guitars and narrations.

The band returned again after a three years long album break.

Theories Of Flight is clocking in at fifty-two minutes.

The band changed direction to a hard rock sound on their previous album Darkness In A Different Light. 

The music on Theories Of Flight continues in the same direction. There are some prog metal influences here and the music is slightly more progressive than on the previous album. There are also some blues on this album.

The vocals are very good. The guitars are good.

There are some good and some decent songs here. This is therefore a pretty good album. 

2.5 points 

 

Fat Sparrow - Fat Sparrow (2015)

 

The debut album from this band from Australia.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, saxophones and trumpet.

This band from Perth, Australia has so far released two albums. I will review the second album sometime this weekend or next week.

This album is clocking in at fifty-four minutes.

The music here is jazz. There is also some strong fusion influences in their music.

The music is pretty melodic throughout.

There are a lot of saxophones, trumpets and guitars solos on this album. There is also a lot of harmonies between these three instruments too. 

The music is mostly mid-tempo. There is also a couple of ballads here. 

The solos are good throughout. This is a really good jazz album from a pretty underrated and sadly ignored band. Check out this band.

3 points 

Ivanovic. Srdjan Blazin Quartet - Cosmogonie (2026)

 

The seventh album from this artist from Bosnia-Hercegovina.

Srdjan Ivanovic did the drums and percussion here. He had help from three musicians who added double bass, guitars and trumpet.

I got this album as a download from Srdjan Ivanovic. I had never heard about his music before and I gratefully accepted the album. Jazz promos is not something I often get. 

I have yet to sample the first six albums. I may just do that one day/year.

Cosmogonie is clocking in at fifty minutes.

The music is jazz. Eclectic jazz to be more precise with a lot of avant-garde influences.  

The music is driven by the trumpet, backed up by some guitars and some sporadic guitar solos. The bass and the drums & percussion are underpinning the music.

The music is eclectic throughout. The music is also good. This is an album for both the jazz fans and the eclectic prog fans. Check out their Bandcamp page.

3 points 

 

 

  

Uriah Heep - Sea Of Light (1995)

 

The 18th album from this band from Great Britain.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals.

Three guests added keyboards and vocals.

The band returned again after a four years long album break.

Sea Of Light is clocking in at just over one hour.

The music is again a blend of heavy metal and hard rock. 

The music is pretty commercial with this 1990s heavy metal sound. The music is not full-blooded heavy metal as there is a lot of hard rock in the music.

Mick Box, the guitarist, is occupied full time on this album with a lot of guitar licks and solos. This is his album. 

Bernie Shaw on the vocals does a good job. There is no head-in-the-face bad songs or gimmicks here. This is an honest hour of music. The music is decent enough. This is not one of their better albums. Neither is it an album that shames this band and their reputation.

2 points 

 

Løvetann - Sfinks (2000)

 

The fourth album from this band from Norway.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, electronics and vocals.

I have reviewed their first three albums they are all good. You can find these reviews somewhere else in this blog.

Sfinks is clocking in at thirty-five minutes.

The music is again what I would define as arctic prog. The band is from beyond the arctic circle with total darkness for 5 months of the year. The same goes for Thule, another band in this region, although 1000 km further north.   

That means a blend of dark folk rock and art-rock. There are also some hints of symphonic prog here. The music is depressive with some guitar solos and operatic baritone Norwegian vocals on top of the sound.

The music is muscular but not particular heavy. There are some good Jethro Tull influences throughout this album. 

This is not their finest album. The quality is pretty good though. Fans of Scandinavian prog rock should check out this album.

2.5 points 

 

 

 

 

Elias Hulk - Unchained (1970)

 

The one and only album from this band from Great Britain.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

This band from the south-coast of England released this album and then split up. It is one of the many one-album wonders bands in this scene.

This album is clocking in at half an hour.

The music is hard rock with some prog rock and psych rock influences. The sound very good. 

The music is at times hard and wild. There are some wild guitars here and the good vocals are hard rocking.

There are also some more pastoral, melodic pieces here.

The sporadic half-acoustic guitars are very cool and are adding a lot of jazzy flavours to the music.

The music sounds like a late 1960s album. Which it probably also is. This is a charming, decent album and well worth checking out if retro hard rock is your cup of tea.

2 points 

 

  

Electric High - Colorful White Lies (2024)

 

The debut album from this band from Norway.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, mandolin and vocals.

This band has so far released two albums through Apollon Records. The band is also from this label's hometown Bergen. I have only got this album from the band and has no intentions to get any more albums from them.   

This album is clocking in at fifty minutes.

The music here is raw and pretty primitive hard rock. 

The music is balls-to-the-walls throughout these fifty minutes. Early AC/DC springs to mind as a reference.

The music is also songs based and pretty catchy. Trying to be pretty catchy, that is. The music is hard and has a 1980s hard rock sound. 

The vocals are decent enough, and the same can be said about the music. If hard rock is your thing...

 2 points

Emeral Dawn. The - The Land The Sea The Air I (2025)

 

The sixth album from this band from Great Britain.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, saxophones, flute and vocals.

I have had the joy of reviewing their first five albums in the first three editions of this blog. Good albums. I have also got their new album which I will review next week.

The Land The Sea The Air I is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music here is a blend of symphonic prog and neo-prog.

There is a lot of Yes influences here. One of the pieces of music here has taken a lot from their Awaken opus. 

Some of the music are also dirg'ish in their form. Most of the music is still complex and epic. Very complex, in fact.

The vocals are pretty good.

The overall quality of the music is good. This is not their best album. It is still an album well worth checking out.

3 points 

 

 

 

Jazz Q - Rituál (2023)

 

The 12th album from this band from the Czech Republic.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and keyboards.

The band returned again after a three years long album break.

Ritual is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music here is jazz.

There are some fusion influences here. But there is not much fusion here. Most of the music is basic jazz.

The music here is pretty much in the same area as the 2020 album Amulet, the previous album. 

The music is pretty melodic. There are some subtle keyboards, bass and guitar solos here. The band is tight.

The music here is more appealing to the jazz crowd than the rock and fusion crowd. The quality of the music is pretty good. 

This album is their latest album so far. I like this band a lot. Mostly due to their first albums, their best albums. This album is nowhere near their best album. Check out their first albums before you check out this album.

2.5 points  

 

Klone - The Unseen (2024)

 

The ninth album from this band from France.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, saxophones and vocals.

This album is to date their latest album. I have really enjoyed their albums. The reviews can be found somewhere else in this blog.

The band returned again one year after the good Meanwhile album. 

The Unseen is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music is alternative rock. The same type of music as on the last few albums.

The band has gotten rid of their extreme metal influences on this album. There is hardly any metal left on this album at all.

The music is pretty hard throughout this album, with the exception of the psych rock ambience piece at the end of the album. 

The vocals are very good. The saxophone is adding some spice to their sound. 

The result is a good album and one of their best albums so far. I hope to hear more from this band. Their albums, minus their unplugged album, should be checked out.

3 points 

 

 

Legacy Pilots - Camera Obscura Volume II (2026)

 

The seventh album from this band from Germany.

Legacy Pilot is Frank Us on guitars and keyboards. A one-man-band.

He had help from a number of guests who added drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

I reviewed Camera Obscura Volume I last week and liked it a lot. I have also reviewed the first Legacy Pilots albums in this series of blogs and you will find them in # 1, # 2 and # 3.  

Camera Obscura Volume I is clocking in at fifty minutes. 

The music is again neo-prog.

The music on this album is very similar to the music on Camera Obscura Volume I, an album also released this year. I don't really understand why both albums were not released as a double album. Then again, I respect Frank Us and his decisions. A man far more clever/intelligent than I am.

The music is both melodic and fairly complex. The music is also pretty epic with some symphonic prog and heavy prog influences.

The vocals are all good.

The quality of the music is also good throughout. Both the Camera Obscura albums should be checked out by all neo-prog fans.

3 points 

Lazuli - Lazuli (1999)

 

The debut album from this band from France.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of percussion, marimba, bass, guitars, chapman stick, synths and vocals.

Earlier this year, I reviewed their latest album Etre Et Ne Plus Etre. I liked it a lot as you can read in my review here. I also liked their eighth album a lot as you can see in the review here. Hence, I got the rest of their albums and they are all up for review this summer/fall.

Lazuli is clocking in at one hour.

The music here is neo-prog with some heavy prog influences.

The music is lush and colourful. It is also melodic.

The female French vocals are adding a lot of the colours and lushness here. The music is also a bit exotic.

The vocals are good.   

The quality of the music is pretty good. The band had yet to master the art of writing good songs. Nevertheless, this is an acceptable debut album and worthy of your attention.

2.5 points   

 

 

Lunear - Curve.Axis.Symmetry (2020)

 

The second album from this band from France.

The band was a trio with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals.

This band has so far released five albums and they are all up for review this summer. I reviewed their debut album ten days ago.

Curve Axis Symmetry is clocking in at fifty minutes.

The music is again melodic neo-prog.

There is a lot of mainstream rock in their music. There are also some alternative rock elements in their take on neo-prog.

The music is also pretty melancholic and somber at times.

The vocals are good and fitting for this music.

The quality of the music is also good and this makes this a good album indeed. Neo-prog fans should check out this album.

3 points 

 

 

 

 

 

Elandill - Elandill (1971)

 

The one and only album from this band from Great Britain. 

An acetat of this album was picked up by the record label Bright Carvings and then re-released last year on LP, 227 copies. They are now sold out, but Ebay, Rough Trade, Youtube and Discogs has still some copies left. Bright Carvings has also some other albums like this and please visit their homepage, the link above. I will review their other albums at the end of this year/early next year. 

Nothing is therefore known about the lineup. It is easy to detect the drums, bass, guitars, organ and vocals on the album.

This album is clocking in at half an hour.

The music is folk rock. There are some strong early Genesis, the Trespass era, influences here. Add in some Yes, Family and Jethro Tull influences here too.

The sound on the Bright Carvings re-release is surprisingly good and very much acceptable. They have done a great job. They have also done a great job with the very appealing, inviting album artwork. Credit where credit is deserved.

The music is melodic and pastoral. The musicians do a good job. The vocals are very good. 

This album is surprisingly good. The songs are really good with some good hooks. I don't understand why this album never got a proper release in the 1970s. This album is one of the hidden gems in the folk rock and prog rock scene. Folk rock fans should check out this album.

3 points 

 

 

 

 

Elettrosmog (Astrolabio) - Monologando (2006)

 

The debut album from this band from Italy.

The band was a sextet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, flute and vocals.

This band is Astrolabio under their first name Elettrosmog. The band released their fourth album earlier this year. I have reviewed all their albums in this blog. See here for the review. 

This album is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music here is RPI.

Their take on RPI is based on folk rock and hard rock.

The music is at times hard rocking. It is also pastoral at times. The music also got some post-punk influences in their music.

The music is in short wild and the pretty good male Italian vocals makes it even more hard rocking.

The result is a pretty good album and an acceptable debut album. The band changed name to Astrolabio and their music improved a lot. This is an album for those who like this band and the RPI genre.

2.5 points 

 

 

 

Romanza Bekkan - Strange Beautiful People (2026)

 

The second album from this band from Japan.

The band was a sextet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, piano, mellotron, synths, piccolo, flute and vocals.

The band returned again after a twenty-one years long album break. Their debut album was a good album and I reviewed it back in May 2022. My review is here. 

This album is clocking in at fifty minutes.

The music here, as it was on their debut album, is neo-prog with a lot of symphonic prog influences. 

The music is lush, colourful and melodic. The sound is the Japanese symphonic prog sound. 

The vocals are in their native tongue, Japanese. There are also a lot of flutes here and some piccolos.

The music is pretty symphonic and pastoral at the same time. 

The overall quality is good and I really like this band. My only gripe with them is that they are not releasing albums often enough. Both their albums is recommended.

3 points  

 

 

Jazz Q - Amulet (2020)

 

The 11th album from this band from the Czech Republic.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and keyboards.

The band returned again after a four years long album break. During the last three months, I have reviewed their ten first albums and I have liked most of them

Amulet is clocking in at one hour.

The music is again jazz. This time with fusion blended into their jazz.

The music is both dynamic and melodic. There are some bass, piano and guitar solos here.

The music is also slightly basic jazz. It is much more stripped down than this band's first albums.  

The sound is very good and each instrument get their own space. 

The overall quality is good. The music is a bit too workmanlike. Nevertheless, this is still a good album.

3 points  

 

Klone - Meanwhile (2023)

 

The 8th album from this band from France.

The band was a sextet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, programming, saxophones and vocals.

The band returned again after a four years long album break. I have reviewed their first seven albums. The albums is a bit of a mixed bag. Their last album was a good album, though.

Meanwhile is clocking in at fifty-five minutes.

The band has gone from being an extreme metal band to an alternative rock band. That is evident on this album too.

Alternative rock is the music here. There are still some extreme metal influences left in their music. The music is really heavy at times. 

Most of the music is melodic with some very good vocals. The music is also a bit grungy. There is some melancholy in their music too.

The quality is good throughout this album. This is an album alternative rock fans should check out.

3 points 

 

 

 

 

Connection Theory - Entropy (2025)

 

The third album from this band from Great Britain.

This is a one-man-band with Duncan Cooper doing the bass, guitars, cello, keyboards, drums programming, saxophone and flute.

Two guests added female vocals.

I have yet to find Duncan Cooper's first two Connection Theory albums. I will again have a look and review them later this year if I can find them. 

The music here is a blend of neo-prog and heavy prog.

The music is dynamic and pretty melodic. 

The music is a blend of keyboards driven instrumentals and female vocals driven songs. The balance between vocals based songs and instrumentals are very good. 

The vocals are great and Duncan Cooper has chosen his vocalists wisely.  

The guitar sound is not good and a bit of a downer. 

The music is also a bit safe and workmanlike. There are no fireworks here and no real surprises.

That said, this is still a good album and one to check out if neo-prog floats your boat.

3 points  

 

Katatonia - Dethroned And Uncrowned (2013)

 

The 10th album from this band from Sweden.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals.

Three guests added percussion, keyboards and female vocals.

The band returned again with this album one year after the Dead End Kings album. Dethroned And Uncrowned is indeed an acoustic version of the Dead End Kings album. Only the vocals are the same.

This album is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music is acoustic with lots of acoustic guitars and strings. The vocals also sounds more controlled and tempered. 

I am not a fan of acoustic music. I do not like electric music stripped down to acoustic music. 

I have to admit this album has gone a long way to change my opinion... or maybe this album is an exception. Time will tell.

The music here is elegant, at times beautiful and really classy. It is also melodic. 

Frankly, I like this album better than the Dead End Kings album. I am surprising myself here. And it gets worse.... This is actually a very good album. It is also their best album up to this point. 

I need to lie down on a sofa now...

3.5 points 

Fates Warning - Darkness In A Different Light (2013)

 

The 11th album from this band from USA.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

The band returned again after a nine years long album break.

This album is clocking in at one hour.

The band has again returned to a more 1970s hard rock sound and music. The music is in this respect a bit back to the hard rock basics. That is not a bad thing when it comes to this album.  

There are no keyboards here. The twin guitars and the vocals are forging the melodies forward.  

The vocals are very good. The guitars are good.

The quality of the song writing is not on the same level. The sound is very good and is elevating this album to a good album. 

Hard rock fans should check out this album.

3 points 

 

 

 

Aci - Tiefenrausch (1982)

 

The one and only album from this band from Germany.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of drums, bass, piano, minimoog and synths.

This band was started by the future Eloy keyboard player Michael Gerlach. Some guests from Kraan and Rufus Zuphall also joined this band on this album.

This album is clocking in at forty minutes.

The music here is a blend of 1980s electronica and cinematic rock.

Take a blend of Tangerine Dream and early Eloy. That is somewhere near the music on this album.

The music is melodic and laid back. It is ambient and harmonic too.

There are some interesting pieces here inbetween some pretty pedestrian pieces of music. There is a lot of bass here... surprisingly amount of melodic bass. This of course in addition to the synths and minimoog.

I had no expectations to this album at all and was actually dreading it. This album is a bit of a positive surprise. This is indeed a decent enough album despite of it's 1980s sound and some dubious electronica. Krautrock fans should check out this album. 

2 points 

  

Aamunkoite - Aamunkoite (2022)

 

The debut album from this band from Finland.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, percussion, bass, guitars, organ, keyboards, moog, flute and vocals.

This album is clocking in at thirty-five minutes. 

The music here is a mixed bag to say at least.

It starts out as a folk rock album, moves into a more symphonic prog territory, then some Uriah Heep heavy prog enter the arena and then the music moves to a more goth electronica area.

There are some great female vocals, complete with Finnish lyrics, at the start of the album. A very good start to the album, btw. 

A false dawn, as the rest of the album is nowhere near as good as the opening track.

The result is a pretty good album. I hope we will hear more from this band. Don't give up.

2.5 points 

 

 

 

 

Karcius - Black Soul Sickness (2026)

 

The seventh album from this band from Canada.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals.

This band started out as a fusion/jazz band but moved towards progressive metal on their latest albums. I have reviewed most of their albums and they are good albums.

Black Soul Sickness is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music is complex, bold and epic progressive metal.

There are some djent here too. The music is at the more heavier end of the progressive metal genre.

...Then again, there are also some more melodic pieces here. 

The music varies between some brutal and some more melodic pieces, in other words. The same goes for the vocals which shifts between growls and melodic clean vocals.

The quality is good throughout. This is an album fans of progressive metal should check out.

3 points 

Realisea - Scratch (2026)

 

The third album from this band from The Netherlands.

The band was a seven-pieces big band on this album with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, flute and vocals.

One guest added a clarinet.

The band returned again after a four years long album break. I have reviewed their first two albums. They are both good albums.

Scratch is clocking in at fifty minutes.

The music is neo-prog.

In this case, complex and pretty heavy neo-prog with a lot of symphonic prog influences. The music is also lush and colourful.

The vocals are a blend of female and male vocals.  

The music on this album is heavier and more complex than on the previous album Fairly Carefree. The music is also slightly better.

This is indeed a good album and one to check out if heavy, complex neo-prog is your thing.

3 points 

 

 

Marbin - Marbinico (2024)

 

The 12th album from this band from USA.

The band was a trio with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and saxophone.

This album is so far their latest album. It is hopefully not their final album. I have reviewed all their albums and that has been a pleasure.

Marbinico is clocking in at forty minutes.

The music is again jazz.

Marbin has evolved from being a pretty innovative fusion band to becoming a more orthodox jazz band. 

The music is mid-tempo to slow jazz. The saxophones is again the dominating solo instrument. There are also some interesting half-acoustic guitars and guitar solos here.

The music is softly-spoken and gentle. 

The music is mostly good. So much that I am really enjoying this album. I still think their first albums are their best albums. Nevertheless, this is a good album.

3 points 

 

Legacy Pilots - Camera Obscura Vol I (2026)

 

The sixth album from this band from Germany.

Legacy Pilot is Frank Us on guitars and keyboards. A one-man-band.

He had help from a number of guests who added drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

I have reviewed the first Legacy Pilots albums in this series of blogs and you will find them in # 1, # 2 and # 3.   

Frank Us has released two albums this year under the Legacy Pilots name. Part II of the Camera Obscura series will be reviewed later this month.

Camera Obscura Vol I is clocking in at three quarters of an hour.

The music is neo-prog.

The music is mid-tempo and very melodic. There are some programmed strings and gentle guitars here.  

The vocals, male and female, are also gentle and elegant.

There are still a lot of interesting complex harmonies and pieces of music here. Despite of the music being a bit on the sugary fluffy side of the spectrum, the music is still good. Hence....

3 points 

  

Moloken - Our Astral Circle (2009)

 

The debut album from this band from Sweden.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and vocals.

The band has so far released four albums. The last one in 2020. I am reviewing all four albums in the next couple of weeks. 

Our Astral Circle is clocking in at fifty-five minutes.

The music is alternative extreme metal. 

The music is dissonant and disharmonic. There is a lot of death metal influences in their music. The music is very heavy throughout this album.

The vocals are of the screaming extreme metal type of vocals.

The sound is good throughout.

There a couple of good pieces here. There are also some pretty poor pieces of music here. This is therefore a decent album and an acceptable debut album. 

2 points 

 

Jazz Q - Talisman (2016)

 

The tenth album from this band from Hungary.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and keyboards.

The band returned again after the very disappointing Temne Slunce album from 2014. See my review and my reviews of their other albums somewhere else in this blog.

Talisman is clocking in at one hour.

The music is jazz. 

In this case, the music is middle-of-the-road jazz with some keyboards and guitar solos.

The rhythm section is very tight. The solos are pretty good. The music is mid-tempo and pretty melodic.

The music is cosy but still pretty workmanlike. 

I am not won over by this album. That said, it is still a pretty good album.

2.5 points 

Dot.Organ - The Gumshoe Chronicles (2014)

 

The debut album from this band from Australia.

The band was a quartet on this album with a lineup of drums, percussion, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals.

A number of guests added drums, vocals and spoken words.

This band has released around thirteen EPs and albums through Bandcamp. Their last EP/album was released back in 2024. I am only going to review this album. An album which has been hanging around in my collection for the last ten years.

The Gumshot Chronicles is clocking in at fifty minutes.

The music here is nowhere near what they say on the Bandcamp site. I believe the band must have developed a lot during their ten years. Taking the music on this album into account, that is a good thing.

The music here is quirky, chaotic blend of post-punk and indie rock. 

The music is minimalistic with sparse instrumentation. The vocals are both male and female. The vocals are pretty decent.

There are some decent songs here. The rest of the music is pretty poor. I am not tempted to review their remaining albums. 

1.5 points 

 

 

Din Within - Awaken The Man (2007)

 

The one and only album from this band from USA.

The band was a duo with a lineup of bass, guitars, keyboards, programming and vocals.

A number of guests added drums, guitars and backing vocals.

This band came, released this album, got some deserved attention and then split up. Based on this album, their disbandment is a loss to the scene.

This album is clocking in at one hour.

The music is broadly speaking melodic US symphonic prog. 

Good references are Neal Morse and, to a lesser extent, Spock's Beard. Add in some AOR too and you get the picture. There are also some Supertramp influences in their music.

The music is mid-tempo and melodic. There is a lot of pianos, organs and guitars here. 

The vocals are really good and the vocal harmonies are very good.

The music is very good and there is no doubt this album is a hidden gem that really deserves a lot more attention. Check out this album.

3.5 points 

 

 

Perevod - Souper (2026)

 

The third album from this one-man-band from Ukraine.

Oleksii Perevodchyk played the drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and also added programming to this album.

His first two albums were pretty good and I therefore jumped on the chance to review his new album. Oleksii Perevodchyk is very talented and I am supporting all music and most things from this war-torn country. 

Souper is clocking in at thirty-four minutes.  

The music is again a blend of heavy prog, fusion and symphonic prog. 

The music is instrumental.

There are a lot of keyboards and guitars here. There are some good guitars solos and some good piano harmonies.  

The music is dynamic and pretty fast. The music is also pretty melodic too.

The quality is good throughout. This album is not as good as the debut album but it is still a good album.

3 points 

Realisea - Fairly Carefree (2022)

 

The second album from this band from The Netherlands.

The band was a sextet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals.

A number of guests added bass, violin, harp, keyboards, minotaur and clarinet.

I reviewed their 2020 debut album Mantelpeace back in August the same year and that was a pretty good album. My review is here.

Fairly Carefree is clocking in at one hour.

The music is neo-prog.

In this case, neo-prog with female vocals. 

The music is lush and colourful. It is also pretty commercial with lots of hooks and choruses. The music is still pretty complex with some symphonic prog influences. There are also a lot of folk rock influences in their music.

The music is really good throughout this album. There is no outstanding great tracks here. That said, this is a good album.

3 points 

 

 

 

Marbin - Dirty Horse (2022)

 

The 11th album from this band from USA.

The band was a quartet with a lineup of drums, bass, guitars and saxophones.

One guest added percussion.

The band returned as a quartet one year after the pretty good trio based Fernweh album. You can read my reviews of their albums in both # 1 this blog and this edition of the blog.

Dirty Horse is clocking in at seventy-four minutes. 

The music is again jazz. Pure jazz.

The saxophone is the most dominant instrument here with several solos. Lots of solos, in fact.

There are also a lot of rhythm and solo guitars here.

The music is hardcore, dense jazz and not particularly melodic.  

The quality is pretty good throughout. There are also some decent stuff here. Hence....

2.5 points