Category: Reviews

Review – LUNEAR – from above

Keyboardist/singer Paul J.No and vocalist/drummer Sebastien Bournier have known each other for twenty years. They’ve been playing on each others records for a long time and a few years ago they decided to write songs together. Lyrics and musical ideas were exchanged and before they knew it 8 songs were born. Both realised fairly quickly that they needed another soul to cover their weaknesses i.e. guitars, bass and mix. Luckily, Sebastien knew the perfect gem and invited his old friend Jean-Philippe Benadjer to come aboard. Jean-Philippe gladly agreed and contributed beautiful guitars and bass as well as music for two new songs, thus completing the 10 songs of the first Lunear album ‘Many Miles Away’.

Of the new album, ‘from above’, the band had this to say, “We don’t like to repeat ourselves too much and try to offer different albums each time. ‘Many miles away’ was a classic song album, ‘Curve.Axis.Symmetry’ a concept album and ‘Gostraks’ an album of covers all linked together. It was time to try something else.”

To paint the picture, ‘from above’ is four tracks, one of which is over twenty-five minutes long, that’s a prog epic if ever I heard of one and definitely right up my street so let’s delve a bit further into this intriguing band’s latest offering…

It takes confidence to open a four track album with the twenty-five minute prog epic centrepiece and this trio have plenty of that, In their eyes immediately immerses the listener in sweeping soundscapes and wistful vocals. There’s a cinematic feel to proceedings as the elegant keyboards and refined drums provide a wonderful palette of sounds on which the band can build this rather fine piece of music. One of the immediate highlights for me are the elegant and cultured vocals that run throughout the album but the skill with which Lunear build layers of lush, sophisticated and polished music has to be admired. Is it a prog epic? Well, there’s definitely touches of progressive rock to the track but it is more than just that, it’s a fine song that draws the listener into this creative trio’s musical world, a world in which you’re happy to stay and take your time, enjoying the theatre and drama on show.

Let’s see how the band follow up that brilliant track? the second song on the album is Cathedral and, once again, Lunear show just what excellent storytellers they are as a church organ opens the track, building the anticipation before a hushed piano line takes up the tale. This sublimely restrained piece of music then begins to build with a questioning guitar and more dynamic vocal to give a feel of British prog icons IQ to my ears. The cleverly constructed songs and charismatic, compelling music are a joy to listen to and are leaving a real impression on me. So let’s go is the shortest track on the album and is almost like a musical amuse bouche as the gentle, thoughtful music flows over with feelings of sepia tinged nostalgia, a time when everything was a lot less complicated. It’s a lovely, contemplative track, full of bonhomie, that really leaves its mark on you. The album closes with the melancholy wonder of The tears of nostalgia, a sorrow filled vocal and delicate acoustic guitar set the scene and tug at your heartstrings with their sparse beauty. Refined synthesisers and a pensive piano lead to a thoughtful atmosphere that just builds with a wishful yearning before the music bursts force with a powerful riff and energetic drum beat that envelopes you and engages you on a moving and impassioned musical journey. It’s a really poignant and emotive way to close out what has been a singular experience.

It’s always a joy to me to hear new music that is as profound and moving as this. With ‘From above’, Lunear have delivered an album that is, for me, an unexpected joy and a highlight in a year that has already delivered some very stellar releases indeed!

Released May 16th, 2024.

Download or stream the album here:

from above by Lunear (songwhip.com)

Order from bandcamp here:

from above | Lunear (bandcamp.com)

Review – Airbag – The Century of the Self

“Prepare to embark on an auditory journey like no other as Norwegian prog-rock maestros Airbag unleash their highly anticipated sixth studio album, ‘The Century Of The Self’. Showcasing their trademark fusion of mellow introspection and dynamic energy, from the mesmerising depths of Dysphoria to the haunting crescendo of Tyrants And Kings, each track captivates with irresistible vocal hooks and virtuosic lead guitar work that has become synonymous with the Airbag sound.”

Let me first put in a disclaimer before you read this review, I am a huge fan of Airbag and Bjørn Riis‘ solo work but I will be as objective as I can throughout.

Right, now we’ve got that out of the way, let us begin…

‘The Century of the Self’ is an album that stands as a testament to the artistic vision and enduring creativity that Airbag bring to their music. Touching on themes such as cancel culture and the rewriting of personal histories, it is a reflection on modern society’s zeitgeist, and a poignant commentary of today’s world, which is steeped in fear and condemnation.

Those words really got me excited when I read the promo email that came from the band’s label, Karisma. I have been an admirer of the lush soundscapes created by this wonderful band since I first heard their debut album, ‘Identity’, back in 2009 and they have matured like a fine wine ever since. Their discography of five studio albums prior to this latest release has some absolute gems like ‘All Rights Removed’ and ‘Disconnected’ but every Airbag release is a superb auditory experience.

Let’s cut to the chase, ‘Century of the Self’ is another brilliant album but one that maybe has a more edgier, in your face attitude than the earlier releases. Through its five tracks we go through the whole gammut of powerful, hypnotic bass lines, powerful riffs and thunderous drumming to a lightness of touch and contemplation and everything in between. It is as complete a listening experience as you will get and will excite Airbag fans both old and new.

The slow burning, edgy Dysphoria will keep you on edge with Bjørn Riis‘ coruscating guitar lines and Kristian Hultgren’s superbly metronomic bass lines. Add in the elegant drums of Henrik Bergan Fossum and Asle Tostrup’s hypnotic vocals and we are already onto a winner, this is Airbag turned up to eleven! A standout track on a album of killer tunes, the wonderful Tyrants and Kings ebbs and flows with an elegance and precision that is a joy to hear. Riis’ guitar playing, ably assisted by Ole Michael Bjørndal, is as intense and scintillating as ever and literally stops you in your tracks and Tostrup’s haunting vocal delivery is just a delight. This is Airbag at their magnificent best and it’s a pleasure to hear them delivering songs of such calibre, even after fifteen years together. This is music that you need to listen to with no distractions to get the best from every note and the solo at the end is just about damn perfect! I spoke about a lightness of touch and contemplation earlier and that is what you get on the wistfully refined Awakening, a song that just dances lightly over your emotions and leaves a feeling of calmness and joy in your heart. Asle Tostrup delivers a near perfect vocal performance full of pathos, passion and poignancy, “Wake up and feel again…” a line that says so much. The guitar is ethereal and contemplative, breaking out into a plaintive and ardent solo that really touches your heartstrings. It’s just an exquisite and uplifting piece of music that will really leave its mark on you.

Things get a lot more primeval and edgy with Erase, the stylishly mesmerising bass line and Tostrup’s vocals spellbinding in their delivery and grabbing your attention. The restless, tense atmosphere is created by the terse drum beat and cacophonic guitar riff before the mood gets even more chaotic when Riis opens up with some dissonant and jarring licks and another superb solo that raises the roof. The album closes with the epic conclusion of Tear It Down, fourteen minutes of music that goes from serene introspective self-reflection to some of the most forceful and compelling music that the band have ever written. The track opens with a mellow, reflective vibe that sees synth lines and a ghostly guitar just wash over you, Asle’s voice a soothing presence along with the refined drum beat. Everything then opens up with dynamic and vibrant section that almost raises the hairs on your neck before we return back to the calm serenity of before, the track ebbing and flowing between the two in perfect harmony. A special shout out must be given to Simen Valldal Johannessen whose keyboards on this song are exceptional but you just need to let the music do its work and immerse yourself in the experience, the guitar solo that closes out the track, and the album, is particularly memorable

‘Century of the Self’ is a mesmerising and involving odyssey that elevates you to a musical nirvana that not many artists can create. Airbag are one of those bands that just seem to get better with age and this new release just might be their best album yet, and that’s saying something!

Released 14th June, 2024.

Buy the album from Burning Shed here:

Airbag (burningshed.com)

Or from bandcamp here:

The Century of the Self | Airbag (bandcamp.com)

Review – Returned to The Earth – Stalagmite Steeple

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” – Kahlil Gibran.

‘Stalagmite Steeple’ is the follow-up to UK Progressive Rock outfit Returned To The Earth’s critically acclaimed release ‘Fall of the Watcher’, the new album is another intriguing journey through main man Robin Peachey’s particular take on life.

Robin Peachey on the new album:
“The writing for ‘Stalagmite Steeple’ began in late 2020 during the recording of Fall Of The Watcher, my previous album. It’s been a 2 1/2 year recording process to get the album finished and I have worked again with Paul Johnston as producer/engineer/additional musician. Steve Kitch (The Pineapple Thief) has again mastered the album for me.”

There are some albums that just resonate with you from the first note and, for me, ‘Stalagmite Steeple’ is one of those such releases. It is a collection of glorious pieces of music that are more than just songs. They resonate with you on a basic level, the music is immersive, reflective and just darn beautiful! Robin’s vocals remind me of Tim Bowness, they just relax you, his delivery is so soothing and mellifluous that it transfixes and mesmerises you. There is a rhythmic, hypnotic beauty to the music that leaves you in a much better place than where you were before you heard it.

Each song is a small nugget of perfection, album opener Dark Morality came about when Robin saw a story about an elderly couple who were separated during the first Covid lockdown and unfortunately the lady passed away from natural causes. He found it incredibly sad that we couldn’t find a way to bring loved ones together in their final moments during this difficult period of our history. Robin didn’t want this event to be marked by just a single song so it formed the backdrop for the whole album. There’s a hushed reverence to the song, a veneration in the vocals that is picked up by the glorious music, music that just seems to flow serenely over your aural senses. There is a wonderfully uplifting guitar solo that sends a tingle down your spine (something that occurs frequently during the album) and you just know that this exquisite track is going to be the start of something very special. The pensive, almost melancholy opening to The Final Time has a fragile grace engendered by the strings and Robin’s almost melancholic vocal. You can almost touch the pathos and emotion in this song, it has wistful, nostalgic yearning deep at its core and an ethereal quality that makes it feel gossamer thin.

The songwriting and musicianship on this album is utterly sublime and it flows perfectly as title track Stalagmite Steeple opens with a haunting piano and synthesiser before the refined vocals begin. Peachey says of the track, “It’s a track about grief but continuing to move forward despite the pain. It’s the longest of the six tracks on the album and the idea was to write a song where it continued to evolve and change throughout and no section would repeat.” It is a perfect example of how to write progressive rock track that will live long in the memory as it builds slowly before an outpouring of emotion contained in a transcendent guitar solo that just blew me away. The track then takes on an edgy, solemn air with a repeated piano refrain backed by almost intangible strings leading Robin’s reflective vocals and then plays out to a close with a demonstrative and expressive guitar adding a steely core, a truly memorable piece of music that left me pondering life and everything else for quite a long time. You know I mentioned that Robin has a touch of the Tim Bowness about his vocals? Well that’s no more apparent than on the dreamlike wonder of Meaningless To Worth, a contemplative and reflective piece of music that would have graced any of the aforementioned musician’s recent releases. Sparse guitar tones and dreamy keyboards wash over you as Robin’s hypnotic voice draws you in to this gloriously crafted work of art, as irresistible as it is fulfilling.

This breathtaking album just keeps on giving as the sombre, dulcet tones of Die For Me begin, another plaintive, almost mournful song that steps gracefully through your life. I didn’t think that Robin’s voice could get more yearning in character but it is almost spiritual on this ever so dignified track where the subtle strings and meticulous keyboards give a rarefied air and the way the track closes out is just superlative. Unfortunately this stunning musical journey has to come to an end sometime and it does so in style with the bewitching The Raging Sea which adds passion warmth and sentiment to an already fabulous collection of songs. There’s a divine guitar solo that reaches to the heavens and the stellar musicianship we’ve come to expect. A fine way to bring things to a close and leave you with hope in your heart and a smile on your face.

Robin Peachey and Returned To The Earth may not be well known to most people out there but, with the utterly magnificent, transcendental brilliance of ‘Stalagmite Steeple’ they deserve to be up there in the higher pantheon of progressive rock. You will not hear many better albums of any genre this year and I implore you to seek it out and add it to your own music collection, you will never ever regret doing so!

Released 14th June, 2024.

Order the CD from GEP here:

Returned To The Earth – Stalagmite Steeple – GEP

Review – Kaipa – Sommargryningsljus – by John Wenlock-Smith

‘Sommargryningsljus’ is the 15th, and latest, from Swedish outfit Kaipa who have been in existence for over 50 years. Whilst they may now have been active for all 50 of those years, when they do regroup and re-emerge, they offer something new and fresh. This new album is a step further for the band after the excellent ‘Urskog’ from 2022, which I reviewed favourably for Progradar, being captivated by its lush symphonic textures and sounds. ‘Sommarskymningsljus’ continues this in a similar vein and sounds really lush, fans of Swedish symphonic prog will find much to appreciate here.

The album begins gently with Sommarskymningsljus, the beautifully clear and expressive voice of Aleena Gibson rising over an expressive melody from Hans Lundin, it is an engaging number that leads us into the equally captivating epic Seven Birds, which builds in a very satisfying way. Layers of sound make for an interesting track with excellent vocals from Aleena again, the mid section has a fine, lengthy keyboard excursion leading into a brief but exciting guitar break from Per Nilsson. A second longer solo occurs later in the song, where Per and Hans play in tandem delivering a great sounding track. Like Thousand Dawns is greatly enlivened by the excellent bass playing from Jonas Reingold, who is very busy on this, track adding foundation and definitions to the track. The song has another stellar vocal from Aleena Gibson, whose powerful vocal is actually a thing of beauty here. The mid part of the track has a twisting, turning part which, again, gives bassist Jonas a chance to impress and he does admirably, leaving room for a few short but dynamic guitar fills from Per Nilsson. It’s another epic song from Kaipa, proving, once again, that their brand and style of progressive rock is both worthwhile and entertaining.

It’s worth pointing out that of the albums 9 tracks, Six are over nine minutes in duration. This means this is an album that will require your involvement and an investment of your time that you will not regret one bit, for this album is full of superb tracks with some excellent extended musical passages featuring the expressive and poignant violin of Elin Rubinsztein and the recorders and whistles of Frederick Lindquist and it greatly benefits from these guest appearances.

Chased by Wolves And Burned By The Sun is another lengthy track with more great violin parts, giving a slight tone of Kansas to proceedings (no bad thing to these ears!) and another chance for some muscular bass lines from Jonas whilst Per provides the insistent riff that underpins the song. I really like the dynamics of this track as it uses the counterpoint of the instruments to really allow the track to evolve and shine, it really is utterly engrossing. Spiderweb Train dates from the 1990’s, as does second track Seven Birds, Hans had to do some extensive reworking of these songs to bring them into today’s age. Spiderweb Train is  the albums longest track at over fifteen and a half minutes. This means it has lot of room for improvisation and for the various parts to emerge. There’s an almost Gothic tone in places and parts that really makes it an interesting and exciting track.

This is followed by the album’s last long track, Songs In Our Hands at just shy of Thirteen minutes, before the shorter title piece Sommargryningsljus. The former track features some very impressive vocals from both Patrick Lindqvist and Aleena Gibson, along with some great synth lines from Hans Lundin, another excellent track from the band. The album closes with a longer take of Sommargryningsljus, allowing the full version of the song to be heard as it was originally envisaged.

The album takes us on an interesting journey through the dark and the early hours before dawn with dawn finally emerging and the darkness falling away. The first two tracks representing Twilight and the last two representing Dawn. As always the artwork is excellent and definitely fits the theme of the album well.

Overall, this is another excellent album from Kaipa who are now a studio band only as they have finished with live performances now. Fans of symphonic progressive music will find much to enjoy herein, it is a wonderful release that is most definitely worthy of investigation.

Released 28th June, 2024.

Pre-order the album here:

Sommargryningsljus (lnk.to)

Review – Patchwork Cacophony – Hourglass

Patchwork Cacophony is the solo project of Gandalf’s Fist, Fusion Orchestra 2 and Broken Parachute keyboard player Ben Bell. It has released two previous albums, 2014’s self-titled debut and 2016’s ‘Five of Cups’. 2024’s ‘Hourglass’ resumes that musical journey with a blend of familiar Patchwork Cacophony sounds along with elements more reminiscent of later work with Gandalf’s Fist and Broken Parachute.

‘Hourglass’ features four long tracks woven together by shorter pieces and, like many prog rock albums, is intended to be listened to as a whole. As with previous albums it is a largely solo endeavour, though this time drums are provided by James Chapman and there is a cameo synth solo by Drifting Sun’s Pat Sanders.

If you’re a fan of modern progressive rock, along the lines of Big Big Train, Cosmograf and the like then you will hear that in the foundations of ‘Hourglass’ but it’s not a pastiche of any of that, Ben definitely has his own identity and it comes through very well in the album’s forty-seven minute running time. Unsurprisingly, it is very keyboard oriented and focused and that is no bad thing as Ben is very deft and adept on keyboards, synths and piano and it gives a proper musical grounding to what is a superbly constructed work.

Progressive rock albums are synonymous with tracks of extended duration and ‘Hourglass’ is no exception, with three tracks that run over ten minutes and another that goes past the eight minute mark. When you have a longer piece of music it really has to be good to hold the listener’s attention and every second needs to useful and not just there to fill the song out. Well, on this release, Ben has delivered on every track, they are involving and brilliantly composed pieces of music that work together to create an album that flows exceedingly well and, like all the best progressive rock albums, is better consumed in one sitting, it definitely won’t work for the sound bite Spotify generation, that’s for sure.

The shorter pieces link the longer tracks perfectly and are well written pieces of music in their own right, Wake Up opening the musical journey perfectly, like a beautiful sunrise on a new day before the energetic Carpe Diem takes up the reins with a blast of Ben’s piano and keyboards amid promises of what is to come. There’s a jaunty feeling to the track as it speeds along, Ben exhorting us to seize the day and make it our own with his distinctive vocal having a strident, almost demanding tone. The keyboard runs are quite majestic and the whole song is just one emotional high. Perspective I has a sombre note to it, the elegant piano calming your very soul as it leads into Blind Faith, another upbeat song that this time has a more edgy feel to it, engendered by some fiery guitar playing and James Chapman’s dynamic drums. To my ears, there is more of a classic rock feel to this track, the vocals, guitars, drums and Hammond organ taking me back to the 70’s. It is perfect classic rock/prog fusion that just works, check out the superb synth and guitar section that illuminates the central part of the song, it’s simply superb and just adds even more to what is already a very fine piece of music.

My Home Is Tomorrow opens in a more subdued manner, the elegant piano having a soothing tone to it before the song opens up with Ben’s wistful vocal adding pathos and an almost melancholy feel. Taking a more symphonic prog route, this plaintive track still delivers an immersive musical experience but has a more serious undertone to it and the keyboards on the song are just incredible with both Ben and guest Pat Sanders firing on all cylinders. Pat’s Moog playing is otherwordly and worth the price of admission alone. Perspective II is like a musical gossamer thread that is blowing randomly in the breeze, ghostly and ethereal. Castaway, the last of the longer pieces, opens with another uplifting piece of keyboard and guitar work, rising sublimely through the early morning mist and just fills you with belief and optimism. It has a feel of Christopher Cross’ eponymous debut album to my ears, the harmonies, keyboards and guitar all feeling rooted in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Music as good as this always tends to leave a huge grin on my face and it’s certainly happening here, what an outstanding track. The album closes with Wake Up (reprise), a moving piece with exquisite piano and gorgeous strings combining to leave a lump in your throat and yet hope in your heart.

Good music should move you at a molecular level and add something to your life, a great album should be immersive and hold your attention from beginning to end and, with ‘Hourglass’, Ben Bell has achieved just that. It is a musical creation straight from his heart and soul and you can feel that in every note and one that I feel everyone should listen to at least once.

Released 1st May, 2024.

Stream or download at bandcamp here:

Hourglass | Patchwork Cacophony (bandcamp.com)

Buy the CD at Patchwork Studios here:

Checkout – Patchwork Studios

Review – Ceiling Spirits – The Bloodwren

Intense, complex, cataclysmic and burning sounds churn through close to an hour of swirling, progressive composition as the Ceiling Spirits project – led by enigmatic Milwaukee musician, Mario Quadracci – brings musical friends together, including The National’s Brian Devendorf and Augustines’ Eric Sanderson.

Unmistakeably, unapologetically and indefinably rich in orchestration, creativity and borderless scope, Quadracci’s tone of instrumental post/progressive-rock fell initially from the table of influences such as Pink Floyd and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Prioritising vision over conventional format, a full-length album of five songs advocates for a slowed down listening experience far beyond conformity.

Ceiling Spirits first began as an experiment in live film scoring where Quadracci would perform solo, utilising extensive looping, effects and non-traditional guitar techniques to create dense atmospheric soundscapes behind self-produced films pieced together from found footage. The project expanded to include other musicians, including a string ensemble to flesh out the material born from the live shows but decidedly more compositionally constrained to suit an LP. The Ceiling Spirits’ debut album was recorded in London and Ireland, produced by Gareth Jones, whose credits include work on Depeche Mode and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds albums, and mixed at Abbey Road.

With that build up from the PR information, it sounds like this is going to be a very ‘busy’ album with lots going on and that can sometimes lead to a rather detached musical experience, one that is full of disharmony and discord and one that is rather incongruous but, worry not dear reader as what Mario Quadracci delivers with his Ceiling Spirits project is a rather wonderful, visceral encounter and one that makes you think and question. It is not an easy listen in places, in fact in can be very dark, but everything here has a place and is there for a reason.

‘The Bloodwren’ is five tracks of compelling, intensive music that hypnotises, fascinates and mesmerises the listener. This album is like a soundtrack to a dark, psychological thriller that gets under your skin and leaves you wanting more, even if that is going to take you to some very dark places indeed! The quality of musicianship on show is quite remarkable, the use of strings to engender a wide cornucopia of emotions is a work of genius, they alternately pluck at your heartstrings and then leave you a nervous wreck of anticipation. My favourite, Platonic Forms, the second longest track at nearly fourteen minutes, is an utterly enthralling musical tour-de-force that ebbs and flows with deliciously dark nuances and has a stark, irresistible beauty deep at its core.

The album opens with the haunting complexities of the brilliant single release Falter, an orchestral, electronic symphonic delight that is full of a dramatic tension and suspense that leaves your aural senses on high alert. With Mario having quickly learned to read music after stepping onto the path of technical music education, every note of Ceiling Spirits’ sounds is painstakingly rehearsed on paper, written between both city (more kinetic, rhythmic work) and rural (expansive, harmonic sounds) locations, before entering the studio. When it comes to the title track, The Bloodwren, you can hear this perfection in every note and every musical passage, it is all endlessly fascinating and flawlessly composed and performed. As complex emotionally as it is musically, this is a piece of modern classical music with wonderfully complex electronic symphonic overtones and a deep sense of passion, empathy and and overriding grace to its feel.

The short, hyper intensive and profound A Slide is an off kilter experiment in noise pollution that strips your senses raw and the album closes with the sublime, uncomfortable Oscillopia in Oblivion, a piece of music that asks questions of the listener that they may be unable or unwilling to answer. This stark, pared back number is full of feedback and is more noise than music. It pervades the atmosphere and your very soul in quite a disturbing manner, leaving hints of a future that you may not wish to face.

‘The Bloodwren’ is an experimental and highly adventurous journey into music that is dark and disturbing at times but which also has a purity at its heart. The wonderfully capacious soundscapes created by Ceiling Spirits are proof that man is forever creative, whichever direction that takes us in.

Released digitally on 12th April, 2024, order here:

The Bloodwren | Ceiling Spirits (bandcamp.com)

Released 14th June, 2024 on vinyl, order here:

Ceiling Spirits THE BLOODWREN (tmstor.es)

Review – John Holden – Proximity & Chance – by John Wenlock-Smith

‘Proximity & Light’ is John Holden’s fifth album in six years, it all started with ‘Capture Light’ in 2018 which was followed by ‘Rise and Fall’ in 2020, ‘Circles in Time’ in 2021 and ‘Kintsugi’ in 2022, all of which contained some remarkable and diverse music from John and his chosen cast of colleagues. Well, this album is slightly different in that the circle of assistants John has used this time is a lot smaller, with the missing parts being mainly provided by John himself. I have to say, I think it works very well indeed, especially with the amazing cast of vocalists, Peter Jones, Shaun Holton (Southern Empire) and the evergreen Sally Minnear.

Another difference this time around is that John has used a virtual studio system, Slate VSX, which allows you to recreate the sounds of top end studios without either the cost or the hassle. I must admit that it sounds very good to these ears.

The album begins with the powerful and intriguing tale of 13, which was a club that, over its time, included notable bastions of American society, including five US Presidents. The purpose of the club was to debunk superstitions surrounding the number ’13’ being unlucky. This is an excellent opening song with a lot happening in its confines. John is in good form here, playing some great guitar fills and riffs, he even provides a fine first solo, leaving room for a brief appearance from Dave Brons, who adds some joyful guitar runs to close the track out. The Man Who Would be King introduces Shaun Holton on vocals, his vocal style is very different to Peter Jones (who sang on the previous track) and here it works very well. The song is based on Rudyard Kipling’s book ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and is, in part, about colonial misunderstandings. It is also about how we, the British, used to behave towards the local population, not always in a good way either, as you can well imagine!

A Sense of Place is an instrumental that features John Hackett on flute and Vikram Shankar on piano. It is a beautiful and delicate track inspired by visits to Veddw in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh borders and is a very charming piece of music. It leads into my favourite track of the album, Burnt Cork and Limelight, which tells the gruesome tale of Richard Arthur Prince and William Terriss, a noted victorian actor who meets his death at the hands of an unhinged understudy, Prince, who felt he was being unfairly held back by Terriss and so stabs Terriss in the back outside the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1897. Prince is arrested and sent to Broadmoor Psychiatric hospital where he performs, literally, to a captive audience of fellow inmates. This track has an emotionally charged vocal from Peter Jones and great piano melodies from Vikram Shankar. It is a sad tale told exceptionally well and I really enjoyed it.

Agents concerns itself with the exploits of foreign powers acting within our borders, in this case the events in Salisbury when Russian provocateurs attempted to assassinate Sergei Skripal, a defected Russian military officer and his Daughter Yulia. They were poisoned with a nerve agent, novichok, and this act of aggression came to be seen as the boldness of the Russian state to impose its will indiscriminately, as we see in the war against Ukraine that continues to this day. This is a well written and expertly performed track with guest guitarist Luke Machin sprinkling his magic over this track liberally. In addition, Peter Jones plays great organ and sax solo on this song. Fin is a rather sad and mournful recounting of a love that failed to reach it potential with our heroin reaching the realisation that it is over whist being left alone in Paris. A very emotionally laden track which gives great scope for Sally Minnear’s expressive and honest vocal.

Proximity is a very well orchestrated instrumental which combines melodies from some of the other tracks to create an interesting new piece that talks about how life came to Earth rather than to, say, Mars. Again, John has done his research for this track and it really shows with a strident, confident delivery and some interesting ideas. The final track of this fine album is the superb Chance (Under One Sun), which explores the issue of chance in our own family trees and how this evolves and makes us who we each are and how random it all is, making us look to the skies and wonder, what if? This is a well written and delivered track, it’s mostly positive but encourages you to think about your past and why it is in a world of proximity and chance such as ours. I must say one thing that really stands out on this album are the incredible orchestrations that John has used so very carefully and intelligently in order to craft music of real depth beauty and warmth. From the sympathetic horn parts in Fini, the sinister tones in Agents, all the way to the theatrical nuances that abound in Burnt Cork and Limelight, they all sound really great. Obviously John has put much effort in doing so for our benefit and to deliver such a gloriously strong sounding album

For me, this is John’s strongest release yet and one can only wonder what this unheralded creative force will bring us next. For now, though, this will suffice in the interim but we should certainly applaud the efforts here on a release that will definitely will be high on many end of year listings, including mine! ‘Proximity & Chance’ is utterly brilliant and very highly recommend indeed.

Released 29th May, 2024.

Order mp3 from bandcamp here:

Proximity & Chance | John Holden (bandcamp.com)

Order CD direct from John here:

John Holden Music | New Album Coming Soon!

Review – Renaissance – Tuscany – Expanded 3CD Edition – by John Wenlock-Smith

I guess that, like many, I became acquainted with the lush symphonic sound of Renaissance through their wonderful 1978 single Northern Lights and the album ‘A Song For All Seasons’, from which it was taken. Renaissance were a very different sort of group to many others, they seemed to possess some different kind of stature and class and style. They, of course, had quite a history and an extensive back catalogue of music. I remember getting the excellent compilation albums ‘Tales Of 1001 Nights’ Volumes 1 and 2 on import, both expensive but gathering together much of the essential Renaissance canon.

After ‘A Song For All Seasons’ came the somewhat less brilliant ‘Azure d’Or’ in 1979, which effectively finished the group as the coming years were not good for Renaissance. After their contract with WEA ended they signed to Miles Copeland’s IRS label which was a much smaller label and lacked much commercial clout and promotional skills. The band released the very different ‘Camera Camera’ album, as it largely ditched the lush symphonic sound to be replaced by a techno pop style that was largely ill suited to the band and, as such, they lost a lots of fans. This was compounded by the disastrous ‘Time-Line’ album which muddied the water even further with a move towards pop music which, again, did not yield the expected results and, as such, the album bombed significantly with the inevitable departure of Jon Camp.

Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford recruited some US musicians and continued to tour both the USA and Japan, both of which were strong markets for the band. However, in 1987, the group disbanded until, in 1998, Haslam, Dunford, and Terence Sullivan regrouped once again to work on new material that was more in keeping with the heyday in the 1970’s. They were also joined by John Tout on several tracks, with keyboardist Mickey Simmonds further augmenting the band. The resulting album, ‘Tuscany’, marked a return to form. Although its release was delayed until October 2000, the album was well received by fans and marked a strong return to form for Renaissance. In 2001 the band returned to Japan once more where they recorded a show in Tokyo, which later emerged as the live release ‘In The Land Of The Rising Sun’. This is included in this 3CD reissue of ‘Tuscany’ and it sounds very good indeed including, as it does, four songs from the ‘Tuscany’ album alongside familiar Renaissance staples like Carpet Of The Sun, Opening Out, Northern Lights, Mother Russia and Ashes Are Burning.

‘Tuscany’ the album is very much a return to form with excellent performances and strong and satisfying tracks like Lady From Tuscany, Pearls of Wisdom, Dear Landseer and the very epic One Thousand Roses which, again, recaptured much of what those difficult early 1980’s albums had thrown out. This was Renaissance reborn and revitalised, this made everyone happy that, from the ashes of disaster, a stronger, energised and invigorated incarnation had risen like a phoenix.

The album begins with the stately and lushly symphonic Lady From Tuscany, which has a graceful and powerful vocal from Annie. The song is very sensual in parts and is an excellent opening song which shows the Renaissance we loved are back in style. Pearls of Wisdom is another glorious track, again, very sensual lyrically and sumptuous musically. This is followed by the wonderful Eva’s Pond with its delicate piano motif and lush orchestral backing and the clear distinct voice of Annie Haslam, who adds a touch of class with her delicate and yet powerful vocals, another beautiful song. Next is the excellent Dear Landseer, which is the story of a painter who’s work is appreciated in royal circles with resulting commissions happening.

In the Sunshine features Annie’s ex partner Roy Wood on bass and keyboards, he also produced the track with Annie and Michael Dunford. Again, this song has a very sensual theme and oozes passions, mostly unfulfilled but hopeful, it is a wonderfully evocative song with excellent performances and strong content. You can capture much of Wood’s multi instrumental brilliance here, this wouldn’t have been out of place in his own earlier works. In My Life is rather more introspective in tone and wistful as the words seem to seek to right previous wrongs and lack of support. it is a very honest track and has lots of warmth and hope in its themes, another well written and delivered piece of music. The Race is another great sounding track with a great bass line from Alex Caird, who plays beautifully on this track, really driving it along with Mickey Simmons’ synths adding gracefully to the lush orchestral sounds. It is a rather up-tempo song for Renaissance but it really does work well for them here, most impressive sounding. Dolphin’s Prayer opens with a sole synthesiser sweep and sound, this shorter track has some exquisite vocals which show the strength of Annie’s voice to great effect.

The penultimate track, Life In Brazil, is rather good too, having a slightly Latin feel to it in parts. It works well enough but I feel that it somehow isn’t bold enough in embracing its Latin roots, it’s good but could have been outstanding. The album closer One Thousand Roses returns us to the sensuality that pervades much of this album, speaking as it does of an unrequited love and unfulfilled passions. There is much aching and longing to this track and it is a strong conclusion to what is a really strong later album from Renaissance. It’s great to have the band back, once again treading a well loved path and having new adventures which continue to this day.

Released 3rd May, 2024.

Order from Cherry Red Records here:

Renaissance: Tuscany, Expanded 3CD Edition (cherryred.co.uk)

Review – Refestramus – Intour​í​st – by John Wenlock-Smith

I read about this album before I actually heard it and what I read certainly piqued my interest. The collection of bands I liked were name checked as either an influence on Refestramus’ sound or style so I knew I simply had to hear this album for myself. After a few false attempts, I managed to secure a download of the album from which I am able to write this review, so here we begin the journey into ‘Intour​í​st’.

The band Refestramus came about in May 2020 during covid lockdown sessions when main man and drummer Derek Ferguson assembled a group of like minded musicians to bring to life his ideas for a band. He found many of these through Fiverr.com although he had also been in touch with local Chicago internet radio DJ Ian Beabout who introduced Derek to Colouratura bandmaster Derek Pavlic, vocalist Nathan James, saxophonist Mitch Lawrence and Wisconsin multi- instrumentalist Jerry King. They later added Dave Newhouse, who plays accordion, and who helped Derek guide the debut album to completion.

Now, with all that history out of the way, let’s talk about the band’s second full album ‘Intour​í​st’, which was released earlier this month through MRR (Melodic Revolution Records). The album begins with a very strong track, DMK, which definitely has strong hints of classic pomp rock bands like Starcastle, especially in the synth and bass departments. As such, this blistering opener really makes a great impression on you and, in addition, the guitars are very solid and precise. It’s a very busy track musically with a lot going on throughout. There’s a long lead up to the vocals and Craig Cairns has a good voice, it is a great song with a great chorus to it. Second track Asunci​ó​n relates to the fact that Refestramus are big in Paraguay apparently. Again, this song has a great chugging melody along and a fine viola part, which sounds really good. There’s another fine chorus and the vocals are clear and crisp, this track works very well indeed. The Devil Returns is a longer track that opens with a smoky Hammond organ and saxophone interjections. It all sounds highly impressive and strong with another long intro before the vocals kick in. This is another impressive song which shows the talents the band possess. A strong sax break adds mood to this track, sounding very Styx like in places, a good thing to these ears.

What comes next is the albums showcase and longest track, the three part Intour​í​st Suite, which is a little different and off kilter and has elegant string parts and an almost pizzicato guitar in the opening section overlaid with a viola melody. Part(a) is Nevalyashka which is a Russian toy doll that is weighted so that it doesn’t fall over, Part(b) is Agent M vs The Sex Lizard, which leads onto the very 80’s sounding Part(c), Zombie Love, with its fabulous back beat that really enforces the strength of this excellent track, even if its meaning is a little unclear. Mr Darwin is a comment on human survival and natural selection. This piece has a wild saxophone all over another very busy musical track. I really like it I think it is a great song, as are the vocals from NIDA. Side Hustle evokes Jethro Tull in its style and tone. It is a short but very strong track with Nathan James in fine voice. The Red Apple recalls the Maxim Gorky tale of a Russian Horse thief, it has a great vocal again from NIDA which is suitably ethnic sounding. Again, this is a fairly short but nonetheless strong track. This is followed by the excellent Smiling, which has a great melody and fine vocals from NIDA, who sings with great feeling and emotion making another really excellent track.

Next we have a trio of bonus tracks, the first being a cover of Spirit’s Mr Skin, which is apparently a favourite of Derek Ferguson. The song was written by Jay Ferguson in the early days of Spirit and made a big impression on Derek in his youth. This version gives guitarist Derek Pavlic room to shine as he plays over the ending of the track. An acoustic version of The Red Apple works very well, showing the song’s inner beauty and strength. It is a really excellent version with more than a hint of Russia and France in equal parts. The final track is a Spanish version of Asunci​ó​n which, while adding very little to the original, is most likely aimed at Paraguayan radio where it gets frequent plays.

So there you have ‘Intour​í​st‘, an album of many delights, great songs and excellent music. Refestramus have delivered an an album that is a pleasure to listen to and one I have no reservations in recommending!

Released May 3rd, 2024.

Order from bandcamp here:

Intouríst | Refestramus (bandcamp.com)

Review – Nordic Giants – Origins

Nordic Giants, the enigmatic musical duo known for their captivating soundscapes and immersive live performances have solidified their place in the alternative music scene through a rich history of sonic innovation and visual storytelling. A cornerstone of Nordic Giants identity is their mesmerising live performances, which over the last decade have earned them a devoted global following. Combining live instrumentation, visuals and theatrical elements, their shows are akin to a religious experience, transporting audiences to otherworldly realms.

‘Origins’ invites audiences to embark on a voyage of discovery, delving deeper into Nordic Giants past. This brand new release will combine three of the very first Nordic recordings – A Tree As Old As Me (E.P), Speed the Crows Nest (Single), Shine (Single), plus a bonus track, onto one compilation album. However this compilation offers the listener a new experience, with many of the original recording sessions being revisited and many of the main instruments re-recorded, re-mixed and re-mastered, giving the songs a whole new lease of life. A re-birth and celebration into the Origins of Nordic Giants.

I have been a fan of Nordic Giants since they released ‘Amplify Human Vibration’ in 2017. Their multi-layered, complex and cinematic music really resonates with me so I happily pre-ordered the vinyl before I even heard the promo and I haven’t been let down by this enigmatic duo.

The eight tracks are powerful and outspoken and come from the very heart and soul of Rôka and Löki and deliver a truly immersive musical experience from beginning to end. Their trademark stentorian voice overs are present, especially so on the powerful opening track Together and the thunderous rendition of Dark Clouds Mean War that closes out this release.

Up to date recordings of tracks, including a truly hypnotic and mesmerising version of Through A Lens Darkly (accompanied by live montage video of combining over 25 different Nordic Giants performances ranging from 2010 all the way through to Damnation Festival in 2023) and a vibrant and riveting take on The Seed (the latter featuring a heartfelt and truly personal vocal performance from Jake Reid), feature newly recorded live strings, drums, piano, synths and guitars to give a much better feel of the duo’s live experience.

The duo deliver refined and laid back beauty on Glass Skinned Girl, a haunting piece of music enhanced by a wistful, ethereal vocal from Freyja and an impish, eclectic left field atmosphere with Shine, where Cate Ferris channels her inner Icelandic vibe, sounding not unlike an early Björk. The vivid vitality at the heart of the band is shown to perfection on the addictive splendour of Speed The Crows Nest, a majestic reworking of the classic track and the uplifting, unhurried grace of B.O.A.T.S that benefits from the gorgeous vocals of Amdine.

‘Origins’ is a wondrous journey through all that is great about Nordic Giants. A collection of songs that have been fine tuned from the original to deliver an almost spiritual and addictive listening experience and one that will not just appeal to long term fans of this utterly compelling band but also to those lucky enough to be discovering them for the very first time.

Released 7th June, 2024.

Order from the band’s website here:

Origins Pre Order | Nordic Giants