Can are one of the most important bands coming from the manifold early '70s German rock scene, something we label today as krautrock, even if don't like this word. Can were a highly experimental band, dealing with psychedelic loops, electronic sounds and jazz contamination. This song is one of their most accessible compositions and it played a special role in the band's history. Being a German top 10, also because it became the opening theme of a German TV show, it allowed Can to improve the production of their new album "Ege Bamyasi", in which Spoon was included, and to launch their car ..read more

Pendragon's EPs are always worth a keen listening and this "North Star" is no exception. I'll focus my attention on the title track, a suite divided into three movements (I. A Boy And His Dog, II. As Dead As A Dodo and III. Phoenician Skies), whose atmospheric, pastoral and folk-oriented sounds are a coherent follow-up to the band's 2021 full length album "Love Over Fear". Past the late 2000s and  early 2010s rougher era, Pendragon are back to their signature gorgeous melodic prog.  ...And what a beautiful cover art by Liz Saddington! I like that, and I like this suite, where dreamy ..read more

Pallas are like good wine: they improve with each passing year. Their December 2023 album titled "The Messenger" is a very fine piece of prog, full of energy, creativity and, last but not least, beautiful musical themes. "Sign of The Times" is the opening track and it includes all the essential features of the album: majestic riffs, tight progressions, unpredictable changes, atmospheric passages, impeccable performances, an underlying strain and a challenging plot.  Such a beautiful cover art! The harsh lyrics are well written and perfectly sung by Alan Reed, a singer I adore. How can ..read more

 As many of you surely know, Lars Fredrik Frøislie is the keyboard man from Norwegian band Wobbler (see elsewhere in this blog) and a proud exponent of symphonic prog revival. This 16 minutes song comes from his 2023 album titled "Fire Fortellinger", meaning "Four Tales" and aptly consisting of four tracks. I chose this Rytter av dommedag (meaning "The Rider of Judgement Day") as a good specimen of Frøislie's vintage but never derivative music.  Four tales, four images... it all falls into place! It is, of course, an outstanding display of keyboard-based music with a helping hand f ..read more

Rainburn are a gifted Indian band, responsible for a modern, diversified and enjoyable eclectic prog. This track, coming from their 2023 album titled "Vignettes", featuring a new line-up, has a highly dynamic structure and a welcome King Crimson reference many of you will recognize. The rythmic weaving is thick, exciting and full of surprises, The tempo changes are perfect and all the instruments are smart and stingy.  Fun and colourful. "Vignettes" cover art is perfect for the music inside. I also like Vats Iyengar's vocal performace, suitably backed by the other band members. The gener ..read more

Maciej Meller is a staple in Polish prog scene since the early 1990s, having been a  founding member of Quidam and being a current member of Riverside, not to mention the supergroup Meller / Gołyźniak / Duda. This stunning guitarist only released his first solo album, titled Zenith, in 2020 and I especially like this track, Trip, full of atmospheric and dreamy moods. Trip is co-written by Meller and Duda with lyrics by  Krzysztof Borek and really is a riveting track to me, combining an enthralling sung theme and a rich electronic background.  This is the cov ..read more

The sole album by this short lived French band is among the best examples of derivative still beautiful music around. Sure, they are in love with Pink Floyd and they re-create all the Cambridge band well known moods, but how convincing and even refreshing are those  Musea released this album in 2005. The title track is the lomgest and most diversified one, lining up power keys, Gilmour-like guitars, atmosferic moments and psychedelic loops. And, last but not least, some good melodies. Really, it's a colourful emotional trip I strongly recommend to you all ..read more

2022 Galahad's album "The Last Great Adventurer" was a very, very good one. And of course there were some upbeat and intricate tracks I enjoyed and still enjoy today. But even in prog rock there are momens, lyrics and songs going beyond music itself and giving you a kick inside. Take this one. A suspended, beautiful ballad the band dedicated to their late bassist Neil Pepper (who died in 2011) and dealing with pain, injustice and memory.  I loved everything in this album, including its perfect cover art. What makes a tribute song a great track is its capacity to get the core of a tragic ..read more

 The Id are a truly International band, with members coming from different countries and that apparently never met in the flesh. Nevertheless, they released six albums between 2015 and 2019. They play a melody-oriented neo-prog music and if they're in this blog is because I think they know how to do it. Even if their arrangements aren't stunning new and the production is just the best a self produced band can get, they write beautiful melodies and always put emotions first and that's exactly what I like.  There's alway a disquieting eye on The Id's cover arts. This 20 minutes suite ..read more

Yesterdays are a very good prog band from Hungarian speaking minority of West Romania. This song Esotanc (meaning "This Dance") comes from their fourth album titled "Saint-Exupéry álma" and released in 2022. As most of their music, this is a clever mix of different styles, including a Yes-inspired symphonic rock, jazz-rock and folk elements. Multi-instrumentalist Bogáti-Bokor Ákos is the life and soul of Yesterdays, but all the members add their own skills and the final product is a multicoloured, unpredictable 20 minute pure prog song, including both acoustic and electric passages ..read more