Tag: John Wenlock-Smith

Review – The Drinking Club – …really?!? – by John Wenlock-Smith

This album came up for review and upon listening I could immediately hear elements of early Marillion, I.Q, Pallas and Pendragon to name but four early eighties prog legends that this release harks back to on first and also subsequent listens. This independent release from The Drinking Club was the result of an advert posted over the internet to a Facebook group that celebrated those early 80’s Neo-prog acts mentioned above. In seeking like minded individuals/musicians to join with a project to turn Peter Hewitt’s shelved folder of discarded forgotten ideas into a more concrete and tangible firm reality. This album, ‘…really?!?’, is the result of those labours and efforts. What a labour of love it must have been to see these concepts and ideas taking shape, gaining traction and becoming fully formed.

When you add into that equation that the three members (Peter along with Kevin Borras and Tony Flint)worked on all this remotely, using file sharing and WeTransfer apps to compile the songs with various ideas, it is even more impressive. The results are definitely worthy of investigation by any prog fan as this album has much to savour, appreciate enjoy with some very interesting subject matter along with the guarantee of being wizard, witch and warlock free.

That said though, the element of political comment is clearly present as this album sees the anger and frustration of these 50 year old men venting their collective spleens on the issues of the day, ranging from immigration, the existence of God, tabloid hysteria and a painful divorce, to name but four issues. This is social conscience prog and how different it is to hear music that calls for a response and has strong and informed lyrics. Well this album has that in spades and is so well worth hearing for yourself, along with strong musical passages , solid guitar and keyboards to back everything up. This strong album has shot to the upper reaches of my best of 2023 albums already in a year of some stellar performances and will invariably create big waves come December.

The music is pretty epic at times with a few surprising influences and sounds and possibly some less obvious ones in parts! For example, I can hear traces of 80’s jazzers Working Week, especially when the trumpet kicks in during Light Years. It may not be obvious but I picked up on it for sure. It is a neat touch and one that adds to the gravitas of the subject matter of divorce and a failed relationship, the tangible hurt is sensitively handled without blame but with regret and is a bold exposition of pain and the determination to carry on and continue.

Especially noteworthy is the mock radio broadcast that forms both the introduction and outro of But For The Waves, which poses the question, what has the UK’s immigration process ever done for us? The answers this song offers are intelligent, heartfelt and artfully crafted and well worded and confidently addressed.

The album has a running time of fifty-one minutes and doesn’t drag at all. Each song has merit and the vocals are clear, in addition the guests all add something fresh and different First track Eternity (In An Empire Of Snow)/What We’re Made Of opens with a symphonic overture of synths and a good guitar line that leads into a more urgent section, this in turns leading to a solo guitar and a crash of drums, choral vocals and a subdued chord and a lone piano motif, all this lasts for over five minutes and is an impressive opening statement. I think the song is about the existence of God although I could be wrong on that! Next track is Ticking Clock which appears be about climate change and there are great lyrics in this one. Even better is But For The Waves which addresses the immigration crisis and questions the motives of those in charge and the media’s disinterest in the issue. This song is hard hitting and uncomfortable at times but its questions, while difficult, address our identity as a nation as does how our declining compassion weakens us. The outro is a brilliant and emotive heartfelt rebuttal to the question.

A Song Of Life is about a child growing up and the trials that can bring. Another interesting song in an album full of great tracks. Zero Sum Game is next with great synths and a surging guitar line. The song is about exploitation of artists with the special, often worthless, special edition of an album. This has a voiceover from a faded fictional prog musician who puts things into perspective. Light Years is the albums epic and my favourite with sombre music and lyrics but all wonderfully handled with, I must point out the great trumpet on this track too! The final track is A Song Of Deat. This song is about the cycle of life from birth to death and has a funky bassline that runs through the track and great lyrics as well. The album cover of a lone shoe in the sea is striking and is references in But For The Waves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album, finding a wealth of great music with lots of nods to early 80’s Neo-prog and the future looks good for this trio, let’s hope there is more to come from The Drinking Club again very soon!

Released 3rd March, 2023

Order from bandcamp here:

…really?!? | The Drinking Club (bandcamp.com)

Review – Klone – Meanwhile – by John Wenlock-Smith

Klone are a French alt-metal collective and this album, their seventh, was recorded in February 2022 and is the follow up to their 2019 release, ‘Le Grande Voyage’. In the intervening period between the two albums the group have been busy wowing festival audiences at Hellfest and Prog Power USA, among others. This has certainly helped toughen their sound up and yet has not diluted their emotive and conceptual sound and style.

‘Meanwhile’ blends a very heavy, Leprous type, sound with an expansive soundscape where crunch has extremely melodic undertones woven throughout it’s thread. I have to say that whilst the music is more muscular and intense than I normally enjoy, there is definitely much that commands interest here.

The album fuses prog touches with post rock elements to craft a great sounding release, one that has epic sounds and textures and a big crunch element yet, within it all, there is excellent melodies and a commanding vocal performance from singer Yann Ligner, whose measured voice both commands and impresses in equal quantities. The man could sing the French phone book and still sound good!

The impressive use of other instruments also make this an intriguing listening experience. The band have worked hard with engineer Chris Eldritch to make an epic and expansive soundscape, this is particularly welcome as it elevates and enhances the melodic touches that reside in their music.

Within Reach is a good example of this approach as, despite its very hard riffing, this song has a lot of melodies within that are uncovered as the song proceeds, it is an excellent opening statement. Blink Of An Eye has a recurring saxophone melody that flows in and out of the song, lightening the tone away from extreme metal into something a lot more accessible and easier to accept, appreciate and then digest and enjoy. Bystander hinges on a graceful bass line that is at the forefront of the track, bassist Enzo Alfano provides really strong and flexible support to the growling guitars of Guillaume Bernard and Aldrick Guadagnino and when you add the keyboards textures of Matthieu Metzger and the powerful driving drums of Morgan Berthet you have a real power and force to be reckoned with. The band rise to the challenge extremely well handling the songs with conviction and delicacy when required, and with power at other times.

Elusive is another strong track with more expressive saxophone effects that soften the brutality of the guitars enough to really captivate. Apnea has yet more impressive bass lines, that compliment Yann’s expressive vocals. I especially like how the band contain their more metallic tendencies to allow plenty of space in their sound, it is most satisfying to hear this subset given free reign. The Unknown is far less restrained and allows their edge to be exhibited yet, even within this, Ligner’s classy vocals still sound glorious. His voice reminds me of Chad Kroeger of Nickelback at times, which is not a bad thing in my opinion, his voice is majestic, captivating and ever capable and he is certainly a massive asset to Klone’s sound and ethos.

For me, the best song of the entire album is Meanwhile, which is a moody and slow burning, epic track with lots of arpeggio chiming guitars and a beefy crunch that takes the track forward. There are also some tinkling, rippling piano lines in the background making this a very an atmospheric track. This approach really works and allows the track to build steadily, the restraint really enhances the song and impress me greatly. Less is definitely more in this instance, a very impressive and strong track.

All in all a most impressive release, one that is out of my comfort zone for sure but one whose stunning melodies cannot help but impress me. On the basis and strength of this album, the future for Klone looks very bright indeed. If they continue this progressive journey and stance they will have much to offer, those unaware of their music, and those who like a more prog-metal approach to music, will find very much here to enjoy.

Released 10th February, 2023

Order the album here:

Meanwhile (lnk.to)

Review – Pryzme – Four Inches – by John Wenlock-Smith

Another new band (to me at least), Pryzme are a French four-piece outfit of two guitarists a bass player and a drummer, who all sing on this album. Their music is intricate and often delicate yet at other times, it thunders along. This breadth of styles gives plenty of room to explore, experiment, develop and enliven the songs. The guitars do not compete but rather they encourage and syncopate to craft the great textures you hear on ‘Four Inches’.

Fusion opens the album and has an interesting riff and sound, both hard and yet melodic with a repeated motif being used to fine effect. The band cite influences like Steven Wilson and Yes, among others. To be fair, some of these influences are fairly obvious and apparent, others less so. Taken together, the band are a highly effective unit, the use of all four musicians singing together is really good and sounds great. The song is enlivened by some great guitar lines and parts, solid bass and the ever excellent drums. Vision is a fairly muscular track with elements of Rush with great bass work holding everything together nicely. This song really impresses, especially the chugging guitar riffs that work really well and the great guitar break at the track’s end, powerful stuff indeed. After Wichita has a majestic and solid bass riff opening the song after the street noises, cars and footsteps set the tone. Another impressive saunter of a track that reminds me of Pat Metheny in places, which is possibly appropriate as he had a track called Wichita Falls earlier in his career.

Nothing To Say has more arpeggio guitar lines and solid bass work. This song has got some real meatiness to it with great guitar lines, it’s really a fine song made better by the gracefully inclined guitars that meld so well together, the lightness of touch and shimmering skills superbly on display. It’s magical and one for guitar nerds to salivate over for sure. Pretty Princess has a very Rush like opening of sustained guitar sounds and the volume swells leading into sweeping cymbal brushes and bass pedals before taking a jazzing turn with an almost danceable rhythm emerging. The vocals sound a little off key in this song though, for some reason. There is a most excellent guitar part on acoustic guitar that really enhances this track and that gives way to a beautifully fluid guitar solo, in a David Gilmour style, that is followed by a faster, funkier part and it all works well together. The Ride Of Your Life takes the album in a harder direction and tone, with crunchy guitars and metal riffs working together to make something pretty special and the multi-part vocals are used again to very fine effect. This is all very impressive really and makes for a fantastic song.

Morning Song opens lightly enough with gentle guitars before some really hard and kicking guitars soon enter the arena, laying down some fierce riffing tones. More excellent guitar solos follow proving just how exciting and excellent this band are. The final, and longest, track, Four Inches brings the album to a close but not before its thirteen minutes and fifty seconds have taken you for a exhilarating ride. Again, this track has pace and elements of Rush abound once again, especially in the bass playing and the arpeggio guitar. There is much to savour here really, gentle but effective guitar playing and plenty of space for the music to percolate well. The guitar playing throughout this album is highly impressive, tasteful and expressive. When the song reaches the middle section there is a brilliant solo section with everyone played along and the bass holding everything together before some solid riffing and bass interaction really grabs your attention. Everything then settles into a more melodic groove thereafter, although this is played against a sustained guitar note and a jazzy guitar line that accompanies the vocals. The song then moves back to a faster tempo and more dynamic parts with bass and guitars interacting once again with the bass notes high in the mix. Aa vocal section draws the song towards its climax and it ends with voices playing out against some fiery guitar tones to conclude the album.

A very different and yet rewarding album and one that bodes well for the future that awaits this extremely impressive and talented French band. An entertaining and rewarding release, Rush fans will love it!

Released 12th September, 2021.

Order from the band here:

Album Four inches – Pryzme

Or digitally from bandcamp:

Four Inches | Pryzme (bandcamp.com)

Review – Jade Warrior – Wind Borne – The Island Albums 1974 -1978 – by John Wenlock-Smith

There is a certain irony in that most progressive rock fans have a tendency to, in the words of Jethro Tull, be found Living In The Past. I can often be guilty of this myself,  is it that I hanker after a bygone age where I was young, free and single or is it more that I was growing up in an era where music had meaning and a certain quality? That’s probably a whole different essay, either way, whilst there are very many exciting new bands around that are taking prog forward again once more, there are also more opportunities to delve into the hidden corners and recesses of progressive music and to rediscover the overlooked, unsung artists who helped make the 1970’s such an interesting and innovative age, in the time before punk’s angry young men came along, wiping out much of that innocence and the beauty away.

Whilst it may be argued that it was time for another musical direction to emerge, it was the sheer disdain and hatred for what had been unceremoniously dumped that was such an affront to most serious prog fans who found this new development and style a very bitter pill to swallow and adapt to. Well it seemed that way to me as an 18 year old boy from the Midlands. Which brings us to this great set of albums that Jade Warrior made for Island records between 1974 to 1978, comprising the four albums made in that period, ‘Floating World’ (1974), ‘Waves’ (1975), ‘Kites’ (1976) and finally ‘Way Of The Sun’ (1978). This set, called ‘Wind Borne’ brings all four together in a nifty and attractive set with an always excellent sound and a great and informative booklet outlining the history of the band and how these albums came about.

I was aware of these albums and had often seen them about in the record shops that I was a frequent visitor to in Birmingham, yet I’d never actually listened to them properly. None of my friends were raving about them, they received little or no press that made them figure on my radar, so, like many others, I simply ignored them, considering them unworthy of my attention. There were lots of bands that met a similar response, sadly, I missed out on much fine music in those days.

Jade Warrior’s story is an interesting one, especially when you take into account that the two men who were the core of the band, Jon Field (flute) and Tony Duhig (guitars), were largely self taught. The music they created was different, other worldly and unique, music that was progressive in its style but was also a reflection of their interest in oriental art forms. You could cite this as being almost new-age in style, certainly it was an inspiration for the likes of Brian Eno who’s avant-garde music of the late 70’s can be traced back to Jade Warrior’s music and style.

The music is not an easy listening experience as it requires real attention to get the most out of it but, heard carefully, you can find much to appreciate in its very mellow and subdued tones. This music shimmers and builds in its intensity like layers of sound emerging and evolving, it is all extremely well crafted and put together with real care and respect for the musical form they were creating. This is subtle music, no blaring guitars as such, and probably all the better for the slow build. I suppose you could say it is minimalist new age music really as it is rather subdued. Unsurprisingly, the outfit’s second album ‘Waves’ is well suited to such an approach as waves are constantly building, growing then crashing and receding, only to return again in an endless cycle.

Their interest and affinity for things oriental came at a time when most Britons experience of oriental fare was a Vesta curry or a Chinese takeaway. Japanese culture was totally alien, apart from the ‘Made In Japan’ album, and had not yet made much of an impact in the U.K. at the time. Jade Warrior received far more critical  acclaim than commercial success, their  record contract with Island came about through the intervention of Traffic’s Steve Winwood when he recommended them to to the label’s Chris Blackwell. Winwood would later appear on their second album ‘Waves’ providing Piano and moog synthesisers. That album is a very interesting album being, as it is, two tracks of side long length that give much space for themes to emerge, develop and evolve throughout. There are also has some exciting  guitar passages that certainly impress. There are some drums on the album but even so this does not rock out much, if at all, it’s more there to add dynamics. The music is largely instrumental, although there are choral parts to the tracks Clouds and Clouds II on the ‘Floating World’ album.

The third album ‘Kites’ features the Chinese tale of Emperor Kite and the boat man, which is a 9th century story about life. This is a very fine series of tracks that together tell the tale of how the emperor interacts with a boat man at the riverside. The tale is detailed in the booklet which makes everything make sense.

The final album, ‘Way Of The Sun’, had a different feel as it concerned itself with a different set of influences, namely Inca and Mayan ones, which allowed for different musical paths to be taken. This approach seems to be effective and the album received significantly more interest than earlier albums but still did not result in more commercial success. Sadly, as a result, they ended their association with Island Records but, undeterred, continued to make music for different labels. They recorded the album ‘Horizen’ (1984) before drifting apart although they did reform in 1989 releasing ‘At Peace’.

Jon Field returned to London and found new musicians to work with though before they could record with Tony Duhig, he suffered a fatal heart attack. Field and co would record three albums under the Jade Warrior banner, ‘Breathing The Storm’ (1992), ‘Distant Echoes’ (1993) and ‘Fifth Element’ before heir final album ‘Now’ in 2008. Sadly their influence, whilst admirable and widely acknowledged, failed to translate into sales. Even so, these Island albums are definitely of interest and value as they show an extraordinary vision and sound that was of its time for sure but all very impressive still and I certainly enjoyed this collection of ambient progressive minimalism.

Released 31st March, 2023

Order from Cherry Red here:

Jade Warrior: Wind Borne – The Island Albums 1974-1978, 4CD Box Set – Cherry Red Records

Review – Flamborough Head – Jumping The Milestone – by John Wenlock-Smith

Flamborough Head is a rocky promontory that lies on the east coast of England between Filey and Bridlington. It is a chalky headland that reminds one of a sleeping dinosaur, it is also a walker’s haven and you can see seals at certain times of the year. We visited it last year and had a great couple of hours enjoying its natural beauty. At that time I was completely unaware of the existence of a band that had the same name, so the opportunity to listen and review this album was too good to pass up. Flamborough Head has been in existence for almost 34 years, being originally formed in Friesland in the Netherlands in 1990, they have been through several different incarnations and line ups, peppered with spells of inactivity over the years, and have produced ten albums during that time, mostly on the Cyclops label, then latterly on the Oskar label, on which we find this latest one, ‘Jumping The Milestone’.

The music the band create falls very firmly into the realm of symphonic progressive rock with excellent use of flute, keyboards and very fluid guitar solos. The band are fronted with the excellent soft vocals of Margriet Boomsma who also provides flute and recorders and Eddie Mulder who was the original guitarist but is now the bass player, with Hans Spitzen providing the guitar fireworks, aided by sublime keyboards from Edo Spanninga. Together they make a very good sound, everything a symphonic prog fan could want, expansive and intelligent with lots of interesting reference points. They combine the style of Marillion, Arena and IQ to great effect, there is much to recommend here.

The album has just six tracks, all are of an excellent standard with much happening musically within. I am reminded of Camel at times with the fabulous flute playing and the very lyrical guitar of Hans Spitzen, who makes every track shine.

The Garden Shed is about the joy of gardening and the benefits it can bring to one’s mental health and how, overal,l it can be of positive benefit, a most different sort of track but with good sentiments expressed within. Tomorrow Is Another Day is a further great track with a good opening section with great flute and a surging Hammond Organ playing throughout. The song is about depression and how it can haunt an individual, robbing them of joy in their life. This is all sensitively handled and in a positive manner and has a graceful guitar solo that really captures you as you listen. The song has good insight into fighting depression and some good advice too, I like that it is real and not patronising in its approach but sympathetic and hopeful too.

Start Of A Nightmare is an interesting track in its subject matter of an unwelcome intrusion and the prospect of injury at the hands of an unhinged, unwanted intruder. This is quite a different sort of song with lots of light and shade to depict the unfolding events making it most memorable with strong performances from each member and more great guitar to help carry the song along. The song expresses the lasting sense of unease that any unwanted intrusion can cause you and how unsettled you can be afterwards for a very long time. Fear Of Failure is about insecurity and how the fear of failure can really impact on one in a negative manner. Again, this is handled delicately and with sympathy and dignity. It’s about handling those feelings and facing them down, believing in yourself and the abilities you have. It talks about applying resilience to your situation and overcoming it for yourself, almost a self-help in reality. The music is very strong and supportive and the lyrics are excellent, making for a great song overall that’s very positive in its outlook.

Penultimate song Walls Of Words is about being left behind, overlooked and unappreciated by those around you. It is rather a sombre and maudlin piece but, once again, this is all handled very well, along with it being a well written and realised track with solid musicianship at its core, especially when the song leads to the suicide of the protagonist in the song. Final and longest song, Jumping The Milestone concludes this superb album. Opening with heavenly piano motif alongside an ethereal flute before Margaret’s delicate vocals begin, the track is about growing older and all the challenges that brings. This song handles its subject matter with great intelligence and good insight, it is a celebration of life as opposed to being rather a depressing slide into twilight. It reminds us all of the journey that is life, being one that we all have to undertake, it talks of the good things in life that we can all gather into our own storybook. This piece also tells us to be grateful that we can have these days in which we can age and that we should value these days. The song moves through different sections and movements with aplomb and style, lots of excellent guitar parts and sympathetic keyboard embellishments pepper the track insightfully. An epic for sure but it’s never a dull one at all, excellent guitar solos take the track forward in different directions, all of which are  strong.

This is a most interesting and tasteful album of deep emotion and content, extremely well presented and performed by an excellent and talented band. I can only but sing its praises to you and recommend that you listen to it, if you do then you won’t regret it.

Released 3rd November, 2022.

Order from bandcamp here:

Jumping The Milestone (CD) | Flamborough Head | OSKAR records (bandcamp.com)

Review – Magenta – The White Witch – A Symphonic Trilogy – by John Wenlock-Smith

I’ve been reviewing albums for over a decade or more now and I still really enjoy doing, hearing some amazing new music in the process. Progressive rock has rather a lot in common with classical music forms, lengthy pieces and the use of recurring motifs, themes and melodies being just a few to start with. Prog has courted classical music with differing degrees of success over the years from Deep Purple’s ‘Concerto for Group and Orchestra’ in 1969 to ELP’s version of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ in 1971 and Rick Wakeman’s quasi-classical epics, like ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ and beyond through to ELO and so many more.

In all that time reviewing and commenting on the music before, I have never felt as puzzled and lost by what I was hearing as I am here with this album. I feel remarkably inept, unable and lacking any confidence with this album. I know many other reviewers have a far better understanding and appreciation of the classical than I do but, stil,l I’ll do what I can to unravel this rather interesting concept album from Magenta’s Robert Reed and crew.

‘The White Witch’ consists of three pieces, two of which have been revived from earlier Magenta albums, along with a newly commissioned piece of music. All three are linked by a common theme and also with a narrative from Les Penning, whose dulcet, measured tones open each piece of music.

The first piece is called Sacrifice and is about the time of the civil war and the plague that came four years into the war, devastating communities in the land. The music opens with a soft woodwind and strings before a bold brass fanfare leads to a classical guitar softly playing along with the lush vocals of Christina Booth. There is much beauty in her vocals, with touch of Kate Bush in places and the guitar from Chris Fry is excellent. Be aware the woodwinds that weave in and out of the music alongside sweeping violins and violas, good use of penny whistle and strong percussion embellishments. This is musically fascinating to listen to, you can hear how artfully composed this piece really is, with a really clear production that allows everything to breathe and leaves lots of space in the music. This sensitively handled with great skill and strength and really impressed me. The acoustic guitar really shines in this track playing with urgency and yet with delicacy, supporting and underpinning everything to create a masterful soundscape.

The album has it origins in two earlier recordings, namely their debut ‘Revolutions’ from 2001 and also ‘Seven’ from 2004 from which parts have been reimagined for this release. The theme of the album is benign witchcraft as practised by Sara, the main character of the album, and how she uses it for good rather than evil or harm. This in itself is an interesting concept and one that is developed especially well throughout the album with the third part, Survival, being an entirely new composition that concludes it all together well.

Part 2, Retribution, concerns itself with the defeat of the plague and the return of prejudice that is shown toward Sara and those who practise a different way of living. Emotions are stirred and the arrival of the witch finder general makes Sara fear for her life as the rise of intolerance emerges. It is this climate that begins the second part of the trilogy. Again, the music is lively with a strong folk type sound and a strident brass part that leads to Christina’s excellent vocals. This style of singing really suits her voice well and she excels here in this setting with lots of space for her voice to be clearly heard. The confess section of the song is actually rather delightful and almost cheerful to hear despite it somewhat dark subject matter. The track is well developed with more dexterous guitar lines from Chris that really evolve well. Sara pleads for light to guide her way and to allow her to reach new ways and new paths to follow that will help everyone get to a better place. The track ends with her treatise to the moon Luna to help her find her own way forward, the orchestrations in this section are especially sublime and sympathetic to the story.

Survival is the third part of the trilogy and talks of how Sara is leading the way to survival by doing new things in new ways and that how reaching out helps everyone. This is another excellent passage and the whole album is really quite gentle with no Bass or drums. Yet it is still a wonderful listen and repeated plays will reveal the hidden textures and treasures the album contains. It is all very much a soundtrack for an as yet unmade film or production. One can only wait and see what direction and indeed opportunities this album will afford the band. The album closes with a dignified flourish as we see Sara’s magic has worked, bringing peace and harmony back to her community, all’s well that ends well. This is a triumph for Mother Earth and the the album ends on a gentle guitar outro.

This album is not a simple listen and requires commitment to work with the music and to allow its delicate beauty to shine through. If you do this, you will find the reward of some great music, committed performances and a gentle tale told with style and commitment. Don’t be expecting rock rhythms and instrumentation, however but it is a richly orchestrated and well produced folk/classical hybrid with strong instrumentation and melodic themes and the glorious voice of Christina Booth aided by Chris Fry and Robert Reed. I may not return to this album often but I’m certainly glad to have fallen under its spell and charm, give it a listen for yourself and see what you think.

Released 31st October, 2022.

Order from Tigermoth Records here:

Magenta (tigermothshop.co.uk)

Review – Fluctus Quadratum – The First Wave – by John Wenlock-Smith

I first came across this band whilst browsing another prog website and reading a fellow reviewer’s comments about them. I went to the band’s website and downloaded the free track Portalis, a demo version. I was definitely taken with what I heard there, I contacted the band and asked if I could review the EP as well. Thankfully they agreed and sent me a download to work from with the promise of a physical copy to be sent to me. All of this whilst on holiday in the Canary Islands no less!

Oh the wonders of this modern technological age eh?

This EP consists of merely three tracks with the thirty six minutes of music introduced via Portalis, a song hinged on an really great guitar line with a great tone to it, strong bass lines from Mark Piercy and a syncopated drumbeat from Rick Burtonshaw that slithers around like a snake. There’s lots going on musically with great keyboards and that glorious guitar. A guitar and keyboard interplay section at the 4.05 mark catches the attention before Curtis Adamczyk’s vocals reconvene and a brief but soulful guitar solo leads to a strong keyboard section, all of this with very busy percussion syncopation happening simultaneously. The song, despite being nearly fifteen minutes in duration, moves through several different sections and parts and manages to impress throughout. There’s great performances from all involved, especially the fluid and supple guitar work of Alan Trower and Ben Ellis and sumptuous keys of Jopheus Burtonshaw (who also is responsible for acoustic guitars and writing the music, truly a man of many talents).

The shorter, seven minute, track Acquiescence II follows, which has many nods and throwbacks to 80’s music and also an element of electronic ambient soundscapes with some soaring guitar lines playing their part too. The song moves with a stately pace and with the hint of power and this all works together well, the track shimmering with suppressed energy. It’s a really strong track, the sort of thing Steven Wilson would offer. There is a particularly fine synth melody that takes the song forward and it all ends with strong organ sounds.

The EP closes with Convergence which, at nearly fourteen minutes in duration, is a bit of a monster of a track fuelled by a strong bass line and excellent piano, Curtis’ vocals also being very strong and interesting. The song has lots of keyboards and another fine guitar line with echoes of Pink Floyd, the guitar soaring over everything with great sustained notes and great fluidity. There is then a lute type stringed sound that impresses greatly before a return to the rippling piano lines and synths that dance across the track. I’d say that this track is possibly best heard on headphones or rather loud so you can pick up all the subtle touches and sounds contained within. The band deliver another really impressive track and I think anyone who is going to the Fusion festival in March are in for a real treat as I’m sure they will invariably be making a rather fine impact and impression. The keyboards really impress on this track, especially in the latter section, where an almost military drumbeat ushers in an exciting section where everyone is surging forward, the bass leading the charge strongly.

This is stirring stuff, simply fantastic and invigorating to hear such energy being played out in what is a really epic and strong rhythm. You can hear elements of Pink Floyd, Camel and Marillion here, Jopheous cites Mark Kelly as an influence, along with Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman and Tony Banks, and it shows clearly here, although he puts his own stamp and style to the songs. The whole EP serves as a great introduction to what is a band of real promise and excitement and I personally can’t wait to hear their debut album when it emerges as, based on the promise of this EP, we can hope for something really fresh and inspired indeed.

Released 22nd November, 2022.

Order from the band’s website here:

Fluctus Quadratum – Store

Review – Caravela Escarlate – III – by John Wenlock Smith

This album represents modern Brazilian progressive music that looks back to the halcyon days of the 1970’s and it also reminds you of, well, everyone to be honest. So you can go either through this album and play spot the influence or you could just sit back and enjoy this great new release that does wear its influences on its sleeve for sure. But don’t they say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery or something like that?

The band are a three piece trio comprising of keyboards, bass and drums (sound familiar?). The keyboard player Ronaldo Rodriguez  is joined by multi-instrumentalist Davia Paiva  on bass guitar and vocals along with Elcio Cáfaro on drums and together these three make a tremendous sound, all three being very talented musicians who can play up  a storm. Their name, Caravela Escarlate, translates as Crimson Ship, an alien being from Sidereal space than can transform into its own means of transport, in this instance a ship. The music is 70’s style prog but with touches of Brazilian music this means most tracks swing along nicely, it is very heavily reliant on keyboards.

There are 7 tracks on the album with all but two being over 7 minutes in duration. I can detect lost of recognisable influences, and some less obvious ones like Greenslade, as well as Genesis and Kayak, along with ELP. The bass playing throughout the album is magnificent with an almost virtuoso style that really propels the track along. In tandem with the dazzling keyboards on display really, this is all very impressive and of an excellent standard.

In the opening salvo of Bússola do Tempo you get a prime slice of Emerson, Lake and Palmer in the best song ELP never recorded. This track hurtles along with a driving rhythm and great bass alongside the busy drums of Elcio Cáfaro. Castelos do Céu ploughs a path well trodden by any Canterbury based band you could think of, it has that type of sound almost whimsical at times and reminds one of early Caravan. With the vocal being in Portuguese, it is quite difficult to comprehend what is all about but it certainly sounds good musically, although my research shows several tracks refer to historical eras and phases.

Fifth track Cruz Da Ordem is the longest at over ten minutes duration, this is hinged on a busy bass line and lashings of Hammond Organ and synths. It makes for a gloriously over the top track with stunning bass and sympathetic keyboard sounds. Synths, organs and mellotrons abound on this album, it’s mostly instrumental and with all but one song in Portuguese, makes for a strange and different sort of album but a very impressive and compelling one nonetheless. An unusual album to listen to but one that mines a very rich vein extremely effectively and for that we should all be glad. Standouts for me being the opener and the epic fifth track Cruz Da Ordem, both of which make for highly memorable and impressive music for you to enjoy.

Of special note is just how damned brilliant bassist David Paiva is, he is a real tour de force without whom this music would be less dynamic for sure. His blending in and bonding as the rhythm section is sheer joy to behold, a definite star in the making. When you couple this to the explosive excellence of keyboard player Ronaldo Rodriguez you can tell their 12 year existence is time well spent to hone their skills to this level and hopefully, with the support of the Karisma label, bodes well for a very bright future indeed.

This album is most definitely a  grower and I very much look forward to hearing how this band develop from here going forward. All in all this album has proved to be a very rewarding listening experience for the braver prog fan. Maybe a slot at a fusion type festival could be a way forward, time will tell I guess. Either way it will be interesting to see their next steps forward.

Released January 27th, 2023.

Order the album from bandcamp here:

III | Caravela Escarlate (bandcamp.com)

Review – Transatlantic – ‘The Final Flight: Live at L’Olympia’ – by John Wenlock Smith

This live album is a bit of a question mark in that it may be the final musical statement that the band make. Transatlantic feel that they may have reached the end of their own particular road and they also all have their own musical outlets and outputs to return to. The band has been in existence for over 24 years now so they owe us nothing really, do they?

This new live cut is taken from the final show of the short European tour taken in support of ‘The Absolute Universe’ album issued in 2021. This album offers another version of that album along with a synopsis of ‘The Whirlwind’, ‘We All Need Some Light’ and a final medley which all together gives a healthy running time of over three hours. For some this may be too much but folk who, like me, love overblown and extended works such as Transatlantic deliver, this is sheer heaven. Hopefully this won’t be their last ever effort but only time will tell on that, if it is then this is a very dignified manner in which to bow out.

The album is long so you’ll need to settle down and simply enjoy and appreciate the sheer quality and talent of these four musicians and of Ted Leonard whose vocals and guitar help complete a very fine sounding set of performances.

The album opens with The Absolute Universe intro that sets the scene for what is to come. Eerie keyboards, haunting guitar lines and a blast of symphonic sounds lead into the Overture proper, this has everyone really pushing the sound with over the top drums, bass and keyboard’s all surging like a tsunami, battering everything in their way. This is so gloriously overblown that it’s just sheer exhilaration and you know this will only get even more so on its journey, simply astonishing to hear this level of intensity and intent. This overture really lets everyone shine in their own parts but, taken together, is all the more amazing to behold. Yet, in all this, there is so much melody on offer, it’s gorgeous and  sumptuous fare indeed. The excellent guitar of Roine Stolt carries the piece to a glorious conclusion in tandem with Neal Morse’s keyboards, leading to the first real song, the symphonic Reaching For The Sky. This is an exuberant track and you can hear how happy the band are to be there, performing this album in this extended version, you can really hear this coming over strongly.

Higher Than The Morning sees Roine Stolt on vocals, although helped by all in the chorus, to good effect too! This is a blistering performance which really captures something special. This album may be long but if you like symphonic prog you will find so much to enjoy and savour herein. Sadly Paul Hanlon, one of their biggest fans is no longer with us to enjoy this and he would truly have loved this. The Darkness In The Light has another vocal from Roine, this one powers along nicely too with strong bass from Pete Trewavas and the never less than solid drums of Mike Portnoy pushing the track forward, a brief bass solo from Pete captures the moment as does a fiery guitar part from Roine. This is proving to be an excellent recording of what must have been a really magnificent evening of music. Take Now My Soul slows things down a little, they probably needed to as the opening salvo of songs couldn’t be maintained without injury surely! This more laid back track cools everyone down well this is followed by the shorter track Bully. This is only brief and leads to Rainbow Sky which has an element of the Beatles to it. It is a very fine song and has great performances throughout

This is only the first disc and already I’m sold on it, so much so that I’ve ordered the CD and Blu-Ray for myself, yes it really is that impressive! Looking For The Light continues the winning streak with growling bass from Pete and great music from all parties with a particularly great guitar line from Roine. We are then offered the lengthy epic The World We Used To Know which is the last track on disc one and yes, it’S rather good! It begins with thunderous drums from Mike Portnoy and some fine guitar from Roine but really Mike is all over this one, driving the track as only he can, he is an absolute powerhouse and his presence is definitely felt here. There follows another great guitar line that carries the song further along, it’s great to hear such beautiful melodies in this music, sheer bliss for symphonic prog nerds like me. Everything is so well orchestrated here, there is real depth and gravitas and it’s wonderful to hear this expressed so eloquently by this group of extremely talented musicians who are working at the top of their game.

Disc 2 opens with an introduction from Mike in which he outlines the evening’s entertainment and he tells how they aren’t sure of what happens after this, also he reveals this this is the fourth version of ‘The Absolute Universe’. We continue with an accapella opening to The Sun Comes Up Today which coalesces into the actual song via a fluid guitar line from Roine and some great organ from Neil before a prelude of Love Made A Way. Next up is Owl Howl which is a medium length track and one which features an extended keyboard vamp from Neil, it’s all rather worthy though and once again shows why this ensemble can be rightly called a ‘super group’. Solitude opens with rippling piano lines along with an earnest, questioning vocal from Neil, also included is a snippet of Love Made A Way again to good effect. This is an assured performance from the band, mixing delicate melodies with thunderous and lively recitals of very strong material.

Belong follows, another great version with keen guitar from Roine. There’s fabulous ensemble playing in this track too. Lonesome Rebel has some sumptuous acoustic guitar and another Roine vocal, this is a gentler song and the change of intensity works to their favour here, you cant go at it hammer and tongs for three hours, that’s not right or fair really and this measured approach is especially rewarding. Can You Feel It ups the energy level a little bit, again most effectively and includes lots of opportunities for solos from Neil and Pete. A reprise of Looking For The Light is an epic shorter track but one which really grabs the attention with its lumbering bass line over which hangs an angular organ sound and great harmonies. A commanding recital which leads into the rollicking romp of The Greatest Story Never Ends. This one is full of great keyboard textures and has lots of urgency as the band hurtle towards the finishing line which is presented with a great performance of Love Made A Way. The use of repeated motifs and refrains through the album helps cement the concept of the album and really works well here.

That concludes the album proper but the show isn’t over yet as the group continue for another hour by providing two amazing medleys, one of The Whirlwind and another called The FINAL Medley which includes Transatlantic classics such as Duel With The Devil, My New World, All Of The Above and Stranger In Your Soul. Also included is a beautiful version of We all Need Some Light, personally I’d like to have seen shine as a tribute to Paul who all the band knew very well but you can’t have it all. This selection of oldies works very well indeed and the medley of The Whirlwhind is especially enticing as a mammoth album is whittled down to a manageable duration without loosing its impact.

Overall this album is a resounding triumph for Transatlantic and one I would strongly urge you to consider as its an excellent package.

Released 17th February, 2023.

Order here:

Transatlantic – We All Need Some Light (Live in Paris 2022) (lnk.to)

Review – Heavy Metal Kids – The Albums 1974 to 1976 – by John Wenlock-Smith

The history of rock is strewn with endless tales of wild antics, excessive outrageous behaviours, substance & alcohol abuse and sheer unmitigated heartbreak and sadness. This was certainly the case with the Heavy Metal Kids who were a force while also being touted as the next big thing and the possible progression from the premier league of Pink Floyd, Yes and Led Zeppelin and the ilk to a rapidly changing musical scene, one with the emerging, inevitable and possibly much needed paradigm shift to a simpler, angrier and punk fuelled regime that shook the musical world significantly.

So it was into this maelstrom and vortex that Gary Holton and his crew set sail, emerging in 1973 and garnering the attentions of Dave Dee (yes, him of 60s pop idols Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich) after being spotted by his staff at a speakeasy in London’s West end. Holton having beenextricated from his previous group Biggles, who were a jazz rock outfit with connections to Emerson, Lake and Palmer, their drummer being Carl Palmer’s brother,

Holton was from Wembley and had been a member of the touring Hair ensemble and also has his sights on an acting career, he had been in theatre at the Old Vic and had done some Shakespeare along the way. Atlantic Records saw something in this lot and they were offered a contract with Dave Dee as producer, this resulted in their first two albums, ‘Heavy Metal Kids’ and ‘Anvil Chorus’.

Their name was, however, misleading as their music was not heavy metal at all but was in fact more a mixture of hard rock, glam and, unsurprisingly, vaudeville. This was a very different sound to what their name suggested, however the band live were certainly powerful and this is clearly shown on tracks like Rock ‘N’ Roll Man and It’s The Same, both of which have a definite swagger to  them. The album was critically acclaimed yet, as is often the case, this didn’t translate into record sales. The band set off on an ambitious touring schedule and were well received in America and Japan. The debut is a good album in parts and when they rock they do so convincingly with the added bonus of having a great keyboard player, Danny Peyronel, who’s honky tonk piano embellishments added much to the groups sound. That the album is largely overlooked and unknown by the masses is a tragedy as there is much to appreciate, the four bonus tracks here are being very good indeed.

For the second album, their name was shortened to The Kids , although there was a sticker that said ‘Featuring The Heavy Metal Kids’, the album is a little more consistent and is more rock oriented. You Got Me Rollin‘ is carried on a lumbering bass line that carries the song along wonderfully as does the following track On The Street, bass player Ronnie Thomas really shining on the tracks, indeed his prominent bass really impresses throughout. The songs are stronger and sound energised and inspired with great guitar fills and a solid rhythm section, all with the added colours of Danny’s keyboards to make a cohesive sound. This is sublime and worthy music, however, despite more US touring with the likes of Rush, Kiss and Alice Cooper, the album still failed to gain traction and had disappointing sales which led to them being dropped by Atlantic.

Help came from an unexpected quarter as Mickie Most of Hi Ho Silver Lining fame and teenyboppers Mud, Suzie Quatro and the RAK organisation offered to record their next album in France for his label. The resulting album appeared many months later in 1977 and again failed to really make an impact, even a Top of the Pops slot for She’s No Angel couldn’t save them and the band, despite touring with Uriah Heep on their high and mighty tour, had pretty much called it a day by 1978 when Holton quit for a short and ill feted solo career and also a more successful venture into TV & Film. A final gig at the Speakeasy with a difficult and unruly Holton brought things to a less than glittering close. The band decided to continue without Holton and went through a succession of singers, including a short return by Holton, and, thereafter, by the likes of Phil Lewis and John Altman.

Looking back to ‘Kitsch’ again, you can hear how new keyboard player John Sinclair changed the sound, making it more classical at times, and tighter than before. The album is more symphonic and more musical, this is certainly the case with the opening Overture and Chelsea Kids, in which the band marry punk aggression and rock sensibility to make an intriguing hybrid of styles. From Heaven To Hell And Back Again is another good track with the inclusion of other instruments to round out the sound further used to good effect, it really impacts well. Cry For Me has some superb guitar played to great effect along with tubular bells chiming.

The album was mixed and partly reconstructed by Mickie Most as his final statement and a kind of reaction to modern pop music, he wanted something grander and saw the Heavy Metal Kids as part of that statement and, to be honest it, it does have some very good moments and the 5 bonus tracks make interesting listening. All this is embellished with a very informative booklet that tells the whole story in fine detail. This set is really very good and an excellent reminder of the vagaries of life and that things that look good and sound good are sometimes beyond the ordinary person. Mass appeal music has its place but sometimes what is overlooked and undervalued can actually be of more worth and value.

Released 20th January, 2022.

Order from Cherry Red here:

Heavy Metal Kids: The Albums 1974-1976, 3CD Expanded Edition – Cherry Red Records