Review by Matti — It was either JR/F or Eclectic Prog where the Finnish composer and multi-instrumentalist Antti Louhivaara was to be placed. He himself would have preferred the latter, but I agree with the decision made by the teams. Even though this instrumental music, in its rhythmic complexity and regular rock instrumentation, is thoroughly progressive rock, more clearly than it is fusion (and the plain jazz nuances being absent), it's easy to hear the stylistic connections to the jazz/fusion wing of the prog universe. My initial associations included FRANK ZAPPA, PEKKA POHJOLA and at tim ..read more

Review by kev rowland — Although this is a band, and not a project, these guys have had some issue with continuity of line-up over the years, and this has continued through to their fourth album. After 2019's excellent 'A Tower of Clocks' there was a mass departure, leaving singer Al Winter to bring together a brand-new group plus guests for 2021's 'Kites', which for some strange reason I never heard. Now we are back with their most recent release, and this time apart from Al the only musicians retained are the rhythm section of Dave Close (bass) and Alan Wilson (drums) with new members in th ..read more

Review by kev rowland — The Latin title of this album can be translated to 'Because They Don't Know What They Are Doing' and it would be interesting to ask Ivan Rozmainsky (keyboards) who he is aiming that at, although one can surmise. It has been five years between studio albums, during which time the world has changed for musicians in Russia and Ukraine, but finally here we are back with their latest release. There has been a slight change in personnel since the last one, but Ruslan Kirillov (bass), Vladislav Korotkikh (low whistle, flutes), and Vladimir Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (acoustic & ..read more

Review by kev rowland — Back with their fifth album in ten years, all with the same line-up, instrumental quartet Ovrwfrd continue to prove it is possible to be dynamic, exciting and engaging without a frontman. Playing a genre such as progressive rock is to scratch an itch, not to make money and become household names (sadly), and to cut back the possible listeners even further by forgoing the use of a singer clearly demonstrates just how much this style of music means to them all. Mark Ilaug (electric & acoustic guitars), Chris Malmgren (keyboards), Kyle Lund (bass) and Richard Davenpor ..read more

Review by BrufordFreak — The debut album of ethnic folk-jazz-rock fusion from Turkmenistan. Reminds me of the early albums of Chilean band LOS JAIVAS. 1. "Жиги-Жиги (Девушка) / The Girl" (3:42) great jazz-rock fusion rhtyhm lines with jazz-rock horns and odd 1960s- sounding group vocal singing of folk/ethnic music. (9.25/10) 2. "Туни Деря" (5:28) another set up of great, amazingly tight jazz-rock funk fusion. Then, at 0:42, everybody clears out so that an electrified traditional stringed instrument (balalaika?) steps in to solo for the next minute. It feels as if the band is all there, sitt ..read more

Review by Mellotron Storm — I give this band a lot of credit for making an album all about their recently departed guitarist Piotr Grudzinski. How difficult this must have been, especially for Duda who writes the lyrics and sings them. This record is bursting with emotion. Even the song titles, but especially the opener and closer which are just so meaningful. It opens with "The Day After"(Piotr's passing) and the closer "The Night Before"(his passing). I have not felt emotion like this since THE PINEAPPLE THIEF's "Little Man" and to a lesser extent GREEN CARNATION's "Journey To The End Of Th ..read more

Review by BrufordFreak — A very obscure Italian artist who only recorded this one album in 1977 but didn't get it released in CD form until 2011 (and later in digital streaming formats on Bandcamp). 1. "Angosia" (10:15) funky bass and drum line runs through the whole five-part jazz-rock suite. Excellent drumming and composition but the bass line gets rather old. The lead instruments over the top (flute, trumpet, electric guitar, electric piano, and reverbed voice)) do a pretty good job of distracting as do the accent horns in the third motif. (17.75/10) 2. "Beyond The life" (5:11) excellent ..read more

Review by ken_scrbrgh — In November of 1978, while an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture at Washington Hall on the campus by Dr. Timothy Leary. His topic was "Avoiding the Pitfalls of Terminal Adulthood" (or something along those lines given my present, 45 plus year removal from the event.) During his presentation, Dr. Leary had Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" playing in the background. A young boy (perhaps his grandson?) frolicked on the stage. The following day, I found myself in the South Bend airport, preparing to fly home for Th ..read more

Review by siLLy puPPy — There have been many one-man bands throughout recording history and in the world of metal perhaps the underground niche of black metal has attracted the most misanthropic loners who don't work well with others but in recent years it seems many other styles of metal have been finding a sole multi-instrumentalist take on the entire project without the volatile nature of fellow band members. For better or for worse this trend seems to be growing and Australia's CAVE SERMON is just one more such case. The alter ego of Melbourne based Charlie Park, the CAVE SERMON project s ..read more

Review by siLLy puPPy — PSICOSFERA is an all-instrumental quartet that emerged in the suburb of Mor�n just outside the city of Buenos AIres, Argentina in 2013. The band experienced three distinct phases, the first lineup that lasted up to and included the debut album ALPHA, the second lineup that produced the sophomore release "Beta," and the third which added a vocalist and focused more on the black metal aspects. On this debut from 2015, PSICOSFERA consisted of Gabriel Luque (guitar), Gabriel Sabatini (guitar), Juan Facundo Brinville (drums) and Juan Martin Venezia (bass, 2013-15). This id ..read more