Tag: John Wenlock-Smith

John Wenlock-Smith Interviews Magic Pie

Photo by Jørn Mortensen

Our John chats to Kim Stenberg & Eirikur Hauksson ahead of the release of Magic Pie’s latest album, ‘Maestro’.

JWS: Magic Pie are somewhat new to me as I’ve not really heard much by you before, how would you describe your music?

Kim : I would describe Magic Pie as a mix between progressive rock and classic rock, with some tendencies towards prog-metal. With a focus on good melodies, plenty of harmonies, and the big chorus. With some instrumental passages along the way – so we can have som fun as musicians 😉

JWS: I hear lots of classic band influences in your sound, like Deep Purple and other 70’s bands I like, is this deliberate or accidental?

Kim : Mostly accidental I would say. I didn’t have any connection to progressive rock growing up in the 80´s but it’s fair to say that I couldn’t escape the influence from my parents with bands like Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Kansas, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and so on. After I heard ‘Space Revolver’ with The Flower Kings and ‘SMPT:e’ with Transatlantic in 2000 (or something) I started doing a little research and took a deep dive into the 70´s prog scene. I discovered a lot of great music, but found myself enjoying the more hard-rock oriented bands the most.

I’m not sure why our music has that 70´’s feel, but I much prefer the production from the 70’s and the overall vibe. Not so polished, slick and perfect as todays productions. There is also something special about the vocal melodies from the 70´’s – hard to describe, but it just speaks top me in a different way. Since I’m also the producer I tend to gravitate to what I like. There was never a deliberate thought to make it sound 70´s.

With Magic Pie, the goal is to bring all my influences into a mix of its own. The big chorus, the recklessness from bands like Deep Purple, the vocal harmonies from Queen and City Boy, the progressive metal with influences from Dream Theater, and since I’m first and foremost a guitarist, a tiny bit of fusion and extended guitar solos to top it off. Mix all that with the structure and epic songwriting from bands like The Flower Kings, Genesis, Neal Morse etc and you have the essence of Magic Pie.

JWS: You seem to like long multi part tracks, why is this ?

Kim : I feel like long epic tracks have a little more staying power. I really like to think ofeach track as a little short story in itself. I need a beginning and an end, with twists and turns along the way to fully fulfill the essence of what I try to convey. As a composer I really enjoy the long song format. There is so much more you can do when not being stuck with a time limit. We don’t make any money on our music, at least we can have some fun with it.It really doesn’t matter if the track is 4 minutes or 30 minutes – I just think its easier to tell the full story when I can take my time and build the song like it’s supposed to be. I never write long tracks, just for the sake of being long. Most of our epics have been shortened to not overstay it’s welcome. And btw; writing short songs is difficult! 😉

JWS: What are the main themes to songs like King For A Day, Opus Imperfectus and A Life’s Work ?

Eirikur : I think it is safe to say that the main theme to those three epics is life itself with it’s curves and bends and ups and downs.

A Life’s Work is a part of ‘Suffering Joy’, our album number 3, and the first one for me as the band’s main songwriter and lead voice. Here you get to follow this specific character from his birth to his death. He was a welcomed child, with normal and happy up growing. But he never liked school and really had but one wish in life, – and that was to get rich. He loved and he was loved, but threw all that away determined to reach the top. All the other songs on the album can connect to the Epic, so it is in a way a theme album, even though it never was quite intended as such. Even the album cover reveals our guy.

“What a joy on this day of May, – a child so precious, bright and fair. A welcomed boy, born on “Mother’s day”. The smell of springing in the air”.

King For A Day: I had written a pop-song titled “King for a day”. Not meant for myself, but it never made it up from the drawer either. When I got the demo from Kim, I started using parts and pieces from that song and I just spun it from there. Well into my work I realized that I, – unwillingly, was under some influence from that great-great movie “The Fisher King”, and I wondered if I should dare to take this any further. Luckily I managed to direct this into a story of its own…and yes, – it´’s a pretty sad one. To cut a long storyshort;

“Shots rang out, the Earth stood still…and all that I loved took a second to kill. I woke up to collide with reality’s oncoming train, just a simple man, voluntarily going insane”.

Opus Imperfectus: When I heard the intro I immediately became a time traveler and woke up in the time and age of the old masters, like Beethoven and Mozart. I created this young boy who was the assistant of a great composer, and he tells his story. Our “Maestro” composed his greatest symphony – ever. But he was not pleased, because he felt he still missed that final-chord. After the premiere of this masterpiece he disappeared to never be seen or heard of again.

“Opus Imperfectus would be his claim to fame. Although in his heart, he never accepted it would be the one to always bear his name”.

JWS: What groups have influenced you the most?

Kim : Oh, it’s so much. Growing up it was the music my parents listened to (Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Deep Purple and so on). In the 80´’s it was bands like Kiss, TNT, Bon Jovi – all the ‘hair-metal’ bands. And of course guitar heroes like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert. Before I started Magic Pie in 2001 I was a big Dream Theater fan and was more into the prog-metal scene. As mentioned earlier, that all changed when I heard Transatlantic and The Flower Kings.

Transatlantic led me to Neal Morse and my view of songwriting changed forever. I’m still a massive Neal Morse fan, but with the overwhelming onslaught of new music released everyday it’s impossible not being inspired by all kind of music. Other honorable mentions would be City Boy, ACT, Queen, David Bowie and all kinds of jazz-rock and fusion music – with Guthrie Govan being my biggest guitar hero at the moment.

JWS: Give me a brief history of the band please.

Kim : I started the band in Moss, Norway in 2001. Originally just for fun; to let out some steam outside the usual cover bands. We started out playing covers, but it didn’t take long before I wanted to try writing some songs on my own. We’ve had some line-up changes throughout the years, and I’m actually the only original member left. The current line-up consists of Eirikur Hauksson (Lead vocals), Lars Petter Holstad (Bass, vocals), Erling Henanger (keyboards, vocals), Martin Utby (Drums) and myself, Kim Stenberg (guitars, vocals). Only Lars Petter and myself are the remaining members from the first album.

We have released ‘Motions of Desire’ (2005), ‘Circus of Life’ (2007), ‘The Suffering Joy’ (2011), ‘King For A Day’ (2015) and ‘Fragments of the 5th Element’ (2019). The new album ‘Maestro’ will be released in just a few weeks (16/5/2025).

JWS: Are you influenced by any literature genre at all?

Eirikur : I am a fan of horror, be it books or films, – but no – I am not directly under the influence of this genre. What I guess influences me more than anything is my own life…and in particular my dreams and fantasies. When connecting with these thoughts, – I usually know when and why they begin, but I never know where they will take me…and most importantly how my stories will end.

JWS: I need to check out your back catalogue which do you especially recommend I hear?

Kim : I would start with ‘King For A Day’. This is a time when all worked out great in the band. Our spirits were high and we felt very energized. After this album we/I had some tragic events with some serious health issues and life altering family events happening – this delayed all progress and my songwriting was affected since I wasn’t quite present when writing. ‘King For A Day’ is my favorite epic and I still wouldn’t change a thing. That’s not always the case 😉

JWS: Thank you for you answers.

Kim: Thank you for the interest in our little Norwegian prog ensemble!

‘Maestro’ will be released on 16/5/25 and can be pre-ordered here:

Magic Pie

Review – Solstice Live at the Dome 20/4/25 – by John Wenlock-Smith

Tufnell Park’s Dome is a new venue to me, if not to Londoners who like progressive rock music. It is very conveniently located across the road from Tufnell Park underground station and adjacent  to the Boston Arms public house. Well, last night it hosted quite a remarkable, spectacular and effusive end of tour show and celebration for Solstice, who were concluding their current tour in support of their hugely impressive and exuberant ‘Clann’ album, you can read my Progradar review here:

Review – Solstice – Clann – by John Wenlock-Smith

Solstice had previously hit a lot of familiar points like The 1865 in Southampton and their own local Caulfield Arms in Milton Keynes, amongst others. The Dome itself is very straightforward in layout with a bar to the left and a big open floor space with a decent sized, raised, stage and a small seating area to the right. It was about two thirds full, with about 150 people or more in attendance, which isn’t a bad size for any band. I expect on the strength of this new album and tour that future shows will garner a far bigger audience as the band, in this version, are most definitely one that are going places now, promising a most rewarding experience for any prog aficionado. Many of the crowd are regular supporters of the band, although a swift poll check from Jess revealed a healthy number of new attendees, who are probably converts now after this strong showing tonight

Ebony Buckle opened the show in a more pared back incarnation but, even in this stripped-down version, their songs show their strength. Especially well received were I Think I Just Saved My Own Life, Russian Dolls and 900 Years, they all stood out for me, as did the final song Disco Lasers. A swift changeover led us into a very celebratory show from Solstice who have a stage full of artists, including violinist Jenny Newman and Andy Glass, who leads the band being their only original member from the 1980’s and who has led the band into this very new and exciting phase of their career.

Along with bassist Robin Phillips, drummer Pete Hemsley and keyboard player Steven McDaniel, they are complimented by three excellent and individual vocalists in Jess Holland, Ebony Buckle and Dyane Crutcher who together weave a beautiful magic in tandem with the rest of the band. At times I was reminded of the mighty Santana, in that the music seemed to flow like a river of music, not only in  discernible points of reference in tracks that I recognised, but also in the onstage dynamics and interplay between Andy, Jenny, and the various vocalists, each of whom were really going for it.

I also loved the sheer joyful exuberance that was on show tonight. There were many highpoints such as the excellent guitar tones displayed during Mount Ephraim where Andy really laid down some seriously strong guitar lines. In truth though, there was nary a poor number played with lots of older tracks receiving a very positive reception from the very vocal crowd. There was even much prog dancing! Heaven forbid don’t tell Charlie Bramald as he’d be appalled by such joyful actions! Andy also sought to teach us prog clapping at some point, which was a bit of fun for everyone.

Overall it was a Triumphant performance by the band, as always with Solstice and they were truly stunned by such a positive reaction to their wonderful music and presence, making for a very special and important evening for both the faithful Clann and also for the band themselves. Special mention must be made for Chris Parkins of London Prog gigs who hosted this event so well and for the sound guys and merchandise staff who worked tirelessly on the band’s behalf. Also to Solstice themselves for being so accessible to their fans, they were actually somewhat overwhelmed by their response, being very gracious in both their time and willingness to sign CDs as memento’s and also to chat to everyone.

It was a most excellent evening all told, which put the matter of my arduous journey back North to the back of my mind, being both an expensive and also challenging one, with the added yet unexpected bonus of  something of an adventure as I traversed the home counties in the early hours.

Review – Brendan Perkins – Stories from the Old Church Lane – by John Wenlock-Smith

Unbelievably this is Brendan Perkins’ twenty-eighth solo release since 2008 when he decided to follow his musical aspirations full time. ‘Stories from the Old Church Lane’ follows from last year’s wonderful ‘Favourite Places’ album which he actually released on CD and that I gave a very positive review to for this very site. You can find that Review here:

https://www.progradar.org/index.php/2024/08/14/review-brendan-perkins-favourite-places-by-john-wenlock-smith/

This album is in a similar vein,  although this time it concentrates on the lives of the folks who live in the area of a local church. Whether this us an imaginary church is not entirely clear but the album seems to draw upon personal experiences that Brendan has had or encountered over the years since he moved to a rural location. Either way, the tales he has conjured up are certainly imaginative and told with warmth and a positive attitude that translates into the music the album conveys. The album is entirely self-composed and performed by Brendan although his partner Helen Flunder features on vocals on the track Another Eveningtime. The music flirts around the edges of progressive rock but is actually very pastoral in tone and would a definitely appeal to fans who like that style of prog, as offered by Big Big Train and the like as there is a strong storytelling element to these songs.

The albums begins with the track Another Eveningtime which opens with a piercing guitar line underpinned by synths and assorted sonic embellishments that fuse together to make a pleasing wall of sound. To this is added Brendan’s trusty Rickenbacker bass providing a solid bottom end before the vocals start, speaking of settling down and building a new life in the shadow of the church. It’s a very positive song with great guitar lines and a fine backing. Olivia Ruth is about a lady who collects things, it is also a song about memories and how they can affect us and how we look at a life. The words are very descriptive as they are poured out and the song is full of warmth rather than criticism. It is about accepting and welcoming different approaches to life and is enlivened by some great guitar and bass interplay in the final part of the track. Amelia’s Wedding is a song about expectations being realised, in this instance the wedding of a daughter to a man and how they begin a new life together, with all the opportunities that affords. This is a fairly bass driven track with lots of ethereal keyboards in the background, creating an interesting sound palette. It is another very warm sounding piece with lots of hope and positivity towards the happy couple on the very special day of their wedded union.

Bram’s Return (from Metro Fair) opens with a fine acoustic guitar line, the song is about returning from the big city to a more relaxed and less stressful way of living as the author realises that the big city life he has lived wasn’t really for him. Instead, he finds peace and contentment in a new place and opens a new chapter of his life. There is a distinct touch of Mark Knopfler in the guitar playing on this track and the use of space in the arrangements and sound really adds something special. The extended length also gives room for lots of free expression. This is a song extolling that the best place to be is with the one you love, which is of course a most excellent thing to desire. Ned And Mary is another gentle song talking of a couple’s evolving life story through different times, but all underpinned by the love they share and celebrate in Old Church Lane. It’s a lovely song with more superb guitar lines woven through it. This is much shorter track but still a good one, if not a tad contemplative in tone.

The final track is Summer’s End which celebrates the harvest and the festival that it brings, exemplified here by the annual dance which really beings the village together in gratitude and celebration. The description of the dance is very warm and speaks of a shared experience that is welcomed by all the inhabitants of the village. It is a very well composed track and a strong close to the release.

‘Stories from the Old Church Lane’ is a rather uplifting and life affirming release from Brendan Perkins. Certainly there is a lot of excellent material and songs here and I would urge you to have a listen for yourself, you may very well be rather surprised and taken with it.

Released 5th April, 2025

Order from bandcamp here:

https://brendanperkins.bandcamp.com/album/stories-from-the-old-church-lane

Review – Red Bazar – Blood Moon – by John Wenlock-Smith

Red Bazar are the band that Peter Jones uses when playing band shows as Tiger Moth Tales, in return for which he adds keyboards and vocals to their songs and elevating them in the process with his excellent voice and his deft keyboards. It’s a symbiotic relationship as both parties gain significantly from it’s existence.

‘Blood Moon’ carries on from 2022’s excellent ‘Inverted Reality’ and has eight tracks of fine, if slightly heavier, material from the band.

The album begins with Fall On Your Own Sword, which is a strong opener driven  by the sturdy bottom end bass of Mick Wilson, who has since decided to move on with his place being taken by Roman Dubrovsky. The track is an epic one in style with a storming guitar riff, strong Bass and Peter’s always impressive vocals. It has a harder edge to its sound interspersed with lighter sections and parts. I really like this song and it is a strong opening track. When The World Burns is a softer piece which centres on an acoustic guitar motif and subtle keyboard textures. It’s an emotion laden song with a fine guitar solo from Andy Wilson. High Velocity is a brooding instrumental with driving bass, surging guitar parts and strong synth lines all conspiring together to make a really urgent and driven track. There’s a fine keyboard solo from Peter before the track returns to the main riff and melody, gathering intensity in the process. This is a standout for me and I loved it when it was released online last year as a taster for the full album. Start Again opens gently with an acoustic guitar and delicate keyboard flourishes. The song is about a relationship and the opportunity to redress the balance by starting Again. It’s a tender track of impassioned vocals and mood and it captures the dynamic of the relationship fully in a thoughtful and yet sensitive manner. This song impresses greatly with it strong melody and performance.

Baron’s Eyes is based on the Sherlock Holmes story ‘The Illustrious Client’ and is another interesting track talking about revenge for wrongs done to a client by the Baron. There are great synth lines to this bristling track. Fighting Force is another instrumental tour-de-force with a strong guitar line and  a very upfront bass part, alongside more excellent keyboard textures from Pete. Penultimate track Over is awash with superb guitar playing and swirling synths. It’s a brooding piece of music that builds in drama and dynamism. A powerful and engaging song that could be straight from one of the great 1990’s hard rock albums. The final track of the album is title track Blood Moon, another very strong track. Although I have to confess that, without the lyrics, I don’t really know what the song is trying to convey. I believe a blood moon is significant on several levels, including the end of the world. However on this occasion, you’ll just have to enjoy the song like I did and decipher its meaning for yourself!

So, in summary, another strong album from Red Bazar which I must recommended to all especially if, like me, you are a fan of Peter’s immense talents which are well showcased here alongside the other highly skilled members of the band.

Released 28th March, 2025.

Order direct from the band here:

https://www.redbazar.co.uk/shop

Review – Solstice – Clann – by John Wenlock-Smith

Solstice are currently on a noticeably upward trajectory and this new album from the veteran proggers certainly agrees with that statement as it isa most uplifting and positive album of some very fine music indeed.

The album has a mere six tracks (if you include the bonus), all around the 5 or 6 minute duration, along which there is a near fourteen minute epic in Twin Peaks.

The overall impression is that Solstice have found a rich vein of inspiration that they are digging deep into. In this instance that vein is a very uplifting and joyful one, maybe it’s a response to the current tough times in which the world finds itself with  global madness on the geopolitical stages and an almost demented leadership that seems to be looking after the rich and ignoring everyday folks. This promotes division and accelerates discord while throwing out all the mechanisms that help govern. Onto this disquieting stage steps Solstice and this album that instead of moaning offers the listener a very uplifting escape from all that misery, instead offering some really positive sounds of joy that extoll gratitude and promote an air off togetherness. Even it’s title, ‘Clann’, speaks of building a team of togetherness and family or clan.

The opening track is Firefly, which sets the tone for the whole album, starting with a very upbeat synthesiser line and with the surging vocals of Jess Holland, who has a very distinct and clear voice which, when blended with the rest of the band, sounds extremely fine and very strong. Above all of this lies the splendid violin of Jenny Newman which is the icing on this exceptional cake. Andy Glass’ guitar lines weave magic everywhere, bringing the music together tightly. Andy is a fine player who is extremely melodic in style. There’s no wonder why he won this year’s Prog Magazine award so convincingly! Life, again, has a jaunty melody that accompanies the music, the song having both a looseness and a sparseness to it that works in a  most attractive manner. There’s a lot happening throughout its six plus minutes duration as it builds in its intensity with Andy’s liquid guitar lines providing a great sonic tapestry of textures and sound. Plunk is a very funky number with a strong rhythmic drive and fine organ sounds. It is played in an unusual time signature which adds to its effectiveness, as does the brass embellishments that are employed during the song. This track is definitely a punchier little number that would work well live, I’m sure. An excellent guitar solo from Andy further enlivens things significantly, his playing whilst flashy and furious, is just right for the track as he doesn’t overplay it but it all works for the maximum impact of the song.

Frippa has more than an element of 1980’s King Crimson to it, especially in the main guitar riff. This track also benefits from the versatile and athletic violin of Jenny Newman who dances all over it, blending in well with both the angular guitar work by Andy and excellent keyboard work of Steven McDaniel. The precise drums of Peter Helmsley and the subtle yet strong bass lines from Robin Phillips are mightily impressive and when this dynamic rhythm section combines with the sweet, clear vocals of Jess Holland and backing vocalists of Ebony Buckle and Dyane Crutcher, you are a totally compelling and captivating close. The epic Twin Peaks has nothing to do with the David Lynch series of the same name, rather this is a sprawling track that works on every level with its gradual building and brooding intensity and sweet violin lines. It is a journey that keeps you enthralled throughout its near fourteen minute duration. There is not a moment wasted or surplus to it, it really works as an extended showcase for all that is good about the fine band and this great album. The bonus track Earthsong is a revisitation of a song that appeared on the first Solstice album ‘Silent Dance’ from 1984, here it is given a 2024 treatment by the current incarnation of the band. It opens with ringing guitar tones from Andy and some subtle bass lines from Robin, as I’ve never heard the debut version I can’t comment on this reworking except to say that it fits in well with the rest of the album and a delicate yet dynamic vocal from Jess works well and brings the album to a stately finale.

To be honest, what I like about this album is that it makes you happy, it’s upbeat and uplifting and, in a time where all we read and hear is downbeat, it’s great to have something that lifts you up, for a while at least! This album does that across its six tracks. Remember when music was a source of joy for you? Well, this music returns that feeling to you and so it is highly recommended from here.

This is a great album from a band who have weathered many storms and difficult times and seasons to re-emerge stronger, bolder and with much to offer in today’s world. I have no hesitation in commending this most wonderful release from Solstice.

Released 4th April, 2025.

Order the album here:

https://essentials.progrock.com/product/solstice-clann

Coloured vinyl here:

https://fairsound.com/product/solstice-clann-rusty-red

Black vinyl here:

https://fairsound.com/product/solstice-clann-black

Review – Nova Cascade – Box Man – by John Wenlock-Smith

This, sadly, will be the final album for Nova Cascade, the group that came to be from conversations arising out of an internet chat room back in 2010. It became a series of collaborations which resulted in the making of five excellent albums, including this  latest and final instalment, ‘Box Man’. The new album sees originator and prime mover Dave Hillborne exercise his penchant for a more ambient and introspective version of progressive music. The origins of ‘Box Man’ date back some twenty-nine years to an idea that Dave had that he has now managed to fully realise.

The album consists of seven tracks, one of which, The Choice is of an epic length of twenty-eight minutes. This Extended length gives ample time for its themes to surface and connect with the listener. The music is very ambient and would appeal to folks who enjoy the gently evolving music of bands like Tangerine Dream or Camel. The song opens with a stirring violin line from Nina Chikviladze, who has stepped in to replace the much missed Eric Bouilette. The violin part captures the age, essence and spirit of Eric in a most gentle and respectful manner. The track is in 8 sections that combine to make a singular piece of music. It impressively strong, Dave and his fellow contributors, Colin Powell (guitars) and Dave Flick (bass) have crafted a lush expansive and warm soundscape with Nina’s violin adding significantly to the recurring melody lines to make for a very impressive opening track to the album. A soaring guitar solo from Colin Powell oozes effortlessly over the song before the keyboards return and things move on in a different manner with sequenced sounds utilised to see a semblance of pace and urgency introduced. The guitar then returns, playing an almost eastern sounding guitar line that fits well with Dave’s keyboards. There is another shift in pace to a more upbeat segment before a quieter more ambient feel returns. It is all very ambient with lots of space in the sound making for a real masterclass in musical composition and sound scales and this track has them all in spades.

Smoking Gun which features Dave’s vocals, which put me in mind of amore hesitant Feargal Sharkey, over which we hear a strident guitar line. The song also has a recurring keyboard motif which is very memorable indeed. The melodic sounds of If You Don’t Succeed benefit from a prominent bass line and part. This is an instrumental of different moods and tones with some further splendid and very tasteful guitar lines and fills, all underpinned by the excellent bass of Dave Fick. The use of whistling also graces this track and makes for a great, atmospheric piece of music.The next track is Sentry which has sound effects of war and battles and has suitably sombre lyrics as a war survivor recalls the events that still traumatise him each night. He is thankful to be alive but has to live with the dreadful memories of those evil days, it is a truly engrossing piece of music.

As It Was & Is is instrumental in nature but, his time, the violin carries the melody as Dave’s keyboard play an excellent piano line. The whole band then join in and make a great noise together before the piano melody returns, this time with fluttering synths before a fine, surging guitar line is introduced, to which bass and drums are also added. A really powerful statement. Box Man, the title track, has prominent organ parts and a rippling piano line along with a bubbling bass and more great vocals from Dave. The song is a comment on someone who has fallen on hard times and to whom life has not been kind, so much that he finds himself on the streets. The album closes with The End Of The Line, another instrumental and quite a sprightly one too, with more great bass work and good guitar. The keyboards are wonderful evocative and ever changing in tone and sound. It’s a great way to close the album.

If ‘Box Man’ does turn out to be the final album from Nova Cascade then they have most certainly gone out on a remarkably high note with such a strong and rewarding release.

Released 21st April, 2025.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://novacascade.bandcamp.com/album/box-man-2

Review – Pattern Seeking Animals – Friend Of All Creatures – by John Wenlock-Smith

Pattern Seeking Animals have recently released ‘Friend of All Creatures’, their fifth album in five years. They have also changed the label from InsideOut to G.E.P but, otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as earlier releases, i.e. this is a band that, in tandem with excellent writer John Boegehold, take the core of Spock’s Beard to create new music that is not suitable for the Beard and release it under the PSA banner. As a result, John has an alternative outlet for his newly written music, making it a win-win situation for all parties.

With Spock’s Beard being largely inactive in recent years, largely involved in other things but still a going concern as such, it is into this vacuum PSA have stepped to fill the gap. They operate in a similar vein, offering longer progressively inclined songs with meaning, and with no lack of skill, to craft strong, modern sounding music that will appeal to progressive music followers.

This new album continues in that same style, by offering a further seven tracks of carefully curated prog rock. As is usually the way with Pattern Seeking Animals, you need to hear the album a few times for the songs to “drop” as it were. Certainly familiarity with the music will definitely be to your benefit. Again, I can hear Elements and traces of bands like Kansas and Styx in how the songs are built in layers and with hooks everywhere to grab your attention.

The album starts with Future Perfect World, which is one of the four longer tracks. It starts with a simple riff and lots of keyboards gently playing away, there is also some Hammond organ at points, creating a very good wall of sound. The vocals from Ted Leonard are pitched perfectly, as one would expect. The group is a four piece with guitar and vocals from Ted, drums from Jimmy Keegan, bass from Dave Meros and keyboards, programming, mellotron, guitar and ronrocco (mandolin like stringed instrument from the Andean regions) from John Boegehold. John also provides some vocals and production, in Reality he is the driving force of the band, although more than ably assisted by the others. The song has a strong chorus and is very much an ear worm of a track, barely a moment being wasted as each minute adds new textures and complexities. Another Holy Grail is the album’s longest track and is a very complex creation with lots happening at various points. The song seems to be about searching for a way to move forward in an ever changing world. There are sections of orchestrations in this track which split the track into sections really, making for a long track but a very briskly moving one that is always changing in a new direction and this keeps the interest throughout. I really like that the song evolves over its twelve minute length. Down The Darkest Road has a haunting, mournful beauty to it with a moving viola line and part from Eliza James which adds beauty to the song. It also has a strong chorus calling us to follow down the darkest road, a very captivating track indeed. In My Dying Days is equipped with a Duane Eddy type guitar type riff and also has a great brief solo from Ted, who continues to grow in confidence in his playing on every album.

The Seventh Sleeper begins with a sequencer playing a repeated motif before a synth lazily winds its way across the track. This is aided by fine rhythmic support from Jimmy and Dave and underpinned by some rhythm guitar lines from Ted, who sounds very much like Steve Walsh of Kansas here, no bad thing for me at all The track is laid back in tone with an almost piano bar part in it, all very languid really despite a sinewy guitar line playing. I do like this song as its somewhat different to what PSA normally deliver and it certainly stays with you. The brief Days We’ll Remember has a laid back feel, along with a strong chorus that swells in sound. The song is about memories that stay with you for a long time and is a very upbeat song and, lyrically, extremely strong, another great track. The album finishes with Words Of Love Evermore, another longer track with strong synths in the opening section and great guitar from Ted. To me, the song’s meaning is a little obscure but a lively guitar solo towards the end grabs the attention significantly. It’s a very interesting track and one that concludes another fine set from the band. 

Pattern Seeking Animals continue their ongoing progression as they develop and improve album by album. ‘Friend of All Creatures’ is another highly recommended album from a group who continue to grow in stature and this album shows that very clearly.

Released February 14th, 2025.

Order digital from bandcamp here:

https://pattern-seekinganimals.bandcamp.com/album/friend-of-all-creatures

Order the CD from GEP here:

Pattern-Seeking Animals – Friend of All Creatures

Review – Random Option – One – by John Wenlock-Smith

David Jones (bassist for both The Swan Chorus and Mama) is a very productive man indeed. This new release following on from his own solo album of 2022, he excellent, almost art rock influenced, prog album which saw him join forces once again with Brian Hulse and Peter Goddard, who were both involved with an earlier album that Tim Bowness was involved with called ‘Moonshot’. An album which was part of the inspiration for Tim’s own album of 2017, ‘Lost In The Ghost Light’, which chronicled the fading years of a fictitious classic rock musician. This concept was explored more fully on the ‘Moonshot’, and all of these had David’s involvement to some degree.

This latest release from David is both a departure from, and also a reinvention of the styles he has used in these other projects, not forgetting the 2023 release of The Mousetrap Factory, which featured older material being reappraised and approached with fresh ears and better technology, alongside more experience. Much as Robert Reed has done with his Cyan albums and to a similar good effect.

The album has eight tracks of differing lengths and moods, the first of these, Tomorrow, has an instrumental opening section of acoustic guitar before the drums of James Cooper come powerfully into the sound. Next comes the guitar of Brian Hulse and then David’s meaty bass and the organ of Anthony Wretham complete the mix. After all this excitement there are the excellent vocals of David’s Swan Chorus bandmate, John Wilkinson, who is proving himself to be a big asset to anything he is involved with, like the excellent Ellesmere album of last year and his own solo album, ‘Imposter Syndrome,’ which was my favourite vocal album of last year. Well, here again he is in very fine voice and with material that is interesting enough to give him a platform on which to shine once more. As Blue As The Sky has an almost ambient sounding opening and bears a strong resemblance to the great music that Swan Chorus make. There’s great piano from Anthony Wretham again and another strong vocal that, along with a graceful guitar line from Brian, make this another winning song for me, it has a real majesty to it. Redemption again opens with ambient sounds and a gentle piano motif. There are also some soaring vocalisations from Sian Doyle which greatly impress, as does her harmony vocals in the main body of the song It is a bit of slow burner of a track, very atmospheric in tone but very impressive all the same. A heavier, more typically prog, section follows with great organ from Anthony and an almost spiralling synth line being played. This is another longer yet very strong track. Autumn Song is next and this is a lot lighter in tone and has a definite bounce to it. I really like this one, it has some great effects in it and a fine melody as well.

The album’s Title song One has more ambient background sounds in its opening part before a strong and harder riff is introduced along with powerful bass and some great guitar lines from Brian The track then returns to bass for a more delicate part with tinkling piano and Hammond organ before another fine line from Brian is added. The drums and bass re-emerge once again before John’s vocal commences. After the first verse the song changes tack and becomes more of a gentle canter, all very effective, before the heavier, powerful part from before begins once again, giving great dynamics to the track. We then move into a gentle and more dreamlike section with simple drums and more evocative guitar. This is another fine track enlivened by fabulous performances from all parties as the song gently fades away. Along Similar Lines sees vocalist Peter Goddard of The Mousetrap Factory deliver the vocals. A long-time collaborator of David Jones, he basically speaks the words over the music, which has a distinctly 80’s sound to it, possibly to recreate the style The Mousetrap Factory used to operate within. Sail Towards The Sun is the albums penultimate song and begins with delicate acoustic guitar melodies and expansive keyboards. It’s all very gentle and captivating before a strident synth line begins and John starts singing once again. The final track, World Is Changing, expands in sound with a strong chorus and more synths, the song has impassioned vocals and a delicate beauty to it and is a fitting conclusion to what has been a very worthwhile album of great material from David and his colleagues.

Also worthy of mention is the very atmospheric artworks from Anthony Wretham who work adorns the cover and inside sleeve of the digipak cd version

I really enjoyed this album, I feel it has a lot to commend it and, whilst we all wait for the next Swan Chorus album to emerge (sadly without John Wilkinson’s vocal), this fine album will fill the gap in the interim.

Released 1st march, 2025.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://randomoption.bandcamp.com/album/one

Review – The Far Cry – Once There Was – by John Wenlock-Smith

I came across ‘Once There Was’ via a post from Don Skazin on the Prog Explorations Plus Facebook page and was suitably intrigued enough to reach out the band offering to review the album for Progradar, proof indeed that social media can make a difference. I contacted Jeff Brewer, The Far Cry’s vocalist and bassist who very kindly sent me a CD of the album to get to grips with.

The album has four songs, ranging in length from the short (by their standards at least) The Following through the longer tracks, Unholy Waters and Crossing Pangea, to the truly epic 12-part title track Once There Was. Alongside Jeff are Robert Hutchinson on drums, percussion and spoken word, Chris Dabbo on keyboards and vocals and finally Brendan Kinchla on guitars. The album is encased in a neat digipak sleeve with a booklet with full credits and lyrics.

To my ears, Unholy Waters bears a strong resemblance in sound to the legendary band U.K. Especially in both the keyboards and vocals. This is not a criticism, merely a comment that do find this track similar in style. Mind you, I like U.K. a lot, so this works for me too. Many a band wear their influences on the sleeves clearly but, when the music is as good as this, it doesn’t really matter or devalue it at all, especially as U.K. are no longer in existence as such. The song concerns itself with mysterious places like the Bermuda Triangle and the like and the lyrics reflect this very convincingly. I especially like the strong bass work from Jeff and the Holdsworth-esque guitar line from Brendan, which adds great dynamics to the very impressive sound of the album.

Crossing Pangea is an instrumental with a suitably journeying sound to it, giving the impression of movement or travelling. There are lovely fluid guitar lines running through it and the urgent rhythm section powers the track along very happily and impressively. I really do like this track as its moods are very strong and different showing that these musicians are very talented and highly competent in their playing abilities. There are some great piano and synths on this track and it rattles along through its twelve and half minute run time in some style. There’s a great bass part from Jeff on this track, really strong and when overlayed with the keyboards of Chris, it sounds really splendid. This piece is an evolutionary stroll of a track, very impressive stuff really, especially in the closing part of the song. Next is the shorter The Following which commences with a rippling piano line. The song addresses the futility of war as told in the story of blind allegiance and following such leadership. It questions why we follow such dangerous leadership into destruction and pain and it makes a strong and valid point.

The final track is the album’s multi-part title track Once There Was. This consists of twelve parts of which five are instrumental in nature.This is a very interesting song with lots happening in its various sections. The song addresses the demise of a town as it gets left behind as life changes, often in unexpected ways. There is a long keyboard based solo on The Agitation section of the track, all very ELP like in nature. The Far Cry are certainly unafraid to show their influences in such a manner. In fact, I find their approach very refreshing and I like how they pay honour to the past greats by using their sounds as a template for creating something that is their own. This is far better than the plagiarism that can be a component in many modern prog bands rather than treading the delicate balance between homage and the forging of a new path. This song was the first written for this album apparently, with parts from various members being worked on together to make this epic piece of music.

On ‘Once There Was’, I find that The Far Cry have found a balance that works in their favour, and that’s no mean feat. This is to the commendation of the band and bodes well for future releases they may make. I really think this album will appeal to many prog Fans as a band like The Far Cry are truly making new wine from old skins, as they say. So, if Neo-Prog is your bag then you must check these guys out for yourself.

Released 1st March, 2025.

Order from bandcamp here:

https://thefarcry1.bandcamp.com/album/once-there-was

GENTLE GIANT

‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’ 2CD, 2CD+BluRay, Triple Vinyl To Be Released on 2nd May 2025

The brand new reimagined, remastered and remixed version of Gentle Giant`s classic 1977 live album ‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’ is set to be released.

‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’, will be released across several formats including double CD, triple vinyl, Blu-Ray and digital download. The album has been remastered and painstakingly remixed from the original source tapes by Dan Bornemark with the Blu Ray containing a stereo 96/24 bit mix, 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos mixes. You can purchase the album here: 

https://gentlegiantuk.lnk.to/PTF

Containing new sleeve notes by Alan Kinsman together with a plethora of photographs along with a track list that reflects the original running order of the setlist played on the tour including three previously unreleased songs and the between song banter from Derek Shulman, this represents the most accurate account of Gentle Giant live at the very peak of their powers.

Check out trailer for the album here:

Derek Shulman: “Effectively what you’re hearing on this album is the whole show with all the bells and whistles included with me speaking to the audience and to the band just like it was on the night.”

‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’

1.     Intro [1:24]

2.     Just the Same / Proclamation [10:40]

3.     On Reflection [7:31]

4.     Interview [7:06]

5.     The Runaway / Experience [9:54]

6.     Sweet Georgia Brown (Breakdown in Brussels) [1:54]

7.     So Sincere [10:42]

8.     Excerpts from Octopus [15:58]

9.     Band Introduction [1:23]

10.  Funny Ways [8:58]

11.  Timing / Violin Solo [11:40]

12.  Free Hand [8:20]

13.  Peel The Paint / I Lost My Head [8:01]

Derek Shulman: “This is a warts and all recording. It’s important to have a live album, which is live. There were no overdubs afterwards in the studio. So what you saw and heard is what you have on the album.”

ABOUT GENTLE GIANT

Gentle Giant was a British progressive rock band formed in 1970 in London by three brothers Derek, Ray and Phil Shulman along with Gary Green, Kerry Minnear and drummer Martin Smith who was latterly replaced by John “Pugwash” Weathers in 1972. 

The group was renowned for its complex and eclectic musical style, blending elements of rock, jazz, classical, folk and medieval music.  The band played a diverse array of instruments between them and their intricate arrangements and exquisite vocal harmonies gave them their own unique, instantly identifiable sound.

Gentle Giant released a series of highly regarded albums including ‘Acquiring the Taste’ (1971), ‘In a Glass House’ (1973), and ‘The Power and the Glory’ (1974) across which they pushed their musical boundaries to the limit. Their live album ‘Playing The Fool’ (1977) remains a testament to their stunning live shows.

In 1980 Gentle Giant called it a day and have refused numerous calls to reform since then, perhaps this is why their reputation remains intact to this day.  Widescale chart success may have eluded them but their fiercely loyal fanbase followed them right through their career and beyond. Their legacy has remained undiminished within the Progressive Rock world being major influences on Porcupine Tree`s Steven Wilson, Neal Morse of Spock`s Beard, Michael Sadler of Saga and Opeth`s Mikael Akerfeldt, who cites ‘Acquiring The Taste’ as one of his favourite albums.

Derek Shulman: “We were a rock and roll band that played interesting music and we wanted to have fun for ourselves and have the audience go out with a smile on their faces.”