The Leviathan

Sorry For The Long Absence!

2011-05-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in this blog for a long time, and I feel very bad about it. It has been a crazy month. But, I plan to start back up in writing regularly in this blog. I have many prog albums to review from this year. Soon there should be reviews of Beardfish's Mammoth, Pendragon's Passion, Wobbler's Rites At Dawn, and Neal Morse's Testimony 2 among many others. I also plan to give a detailed review of the Neal Morse concert I attended this past weekend, which ended up being one of the musical highlights in my life this far. I can't wait to share all of this with all of you. I hope you haven't given up on checking out this blog. I promise to have many things in the upcoming weeks for all you prog fans to enjoy. Thanks for reading, and I'll be back soon with a new entry!

First Quarter Report

2011-04-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

So, the first quarter of 2011 is over, and I thought I would give my general impressions about new music I discovered over the course of the last three months. The best album by far of the first quarter for me is "Snowtorch" by Phideaux. Fresh off the heals of two incredible albums ("Doomsday Afternoon" and "Number Seven"), Phideaux has managed to release his third masterpiece in a row. I love everything about "Snowtorch" and am forever grateful to Phideaux for allowing me to hear it early. It hearkens back to the classic prog days with some vintage sounds, influences and even the album length. But, Phideaux put their unique stamp on it and create a piece of music that is both fun and heartfelt.

Another big album to be released this quarter is "Mammoth" by Beardfish. I feel that "Mammoth" is a return to form from one of my favorite bands. "Destined Solitaire" definitely has its moments, but as an album, I felt it was a little disjointed. Some moments just didn't work for me. "Mammoth" on the other hand is a complete beast of a record and is full of highlights. The epic "And The Stone Said: If I Could Speak" is worth purchasing the album. The band at times takes a harder edge, but never looses that special eclectic proginess that I love from them. A full review of "Mammoth" should be coming soon (hopefully this weekend).

The biggest surprise of the first quarter is by far "Voice" by Hiromi. I usually stick to prog, but "Voice" is a full on Jazz album and I just love it. It is completely instrumental, sticking to the trio of piano, bass and drums. Hiromi is an incredible jazz pianist who just blows me away whenever I hear her playing. She has to be one of the best piano players in the world. I love all the various moods that can be felt throughout this album. A review should come shortly for this album as well. Another album I thoroughly enjoyed was "The Suffering Joy" by Magic Pie. I will admit that I'm not as excited about it now as when it first came out, but it is still a satisfying slice of symphonic prog and definitely the best album the band has released this far in their career.

Beyond those albums, I've fallen for the beautiful simplicity of "The King Is Dead" by The Decemberists. By no means a prog album, I would actually place it somewhere between country and folk. I haven't listened to it much, but I've really been digging "The Perils of Time Travel" by Thank You Scientist. It is only a 30 minute EP, but it showcases a very modern sounding band with some unique flavors. I especially love the saxophone they use in their music. They sound like some crazy mix between the band 3 and Dave Matthews Band.

Other albums that are good, but haven't really grabbed me the same way as the others are "XXV" by Pallas. It has moments of greatness, but there are moments where the music drags, making it a little difficult to get through. "Welcome To My DNA" by Blackfield is pleasant enough, but lacks the specialness of the first two albums. Maybe I'll find more to love as I listen more.

So, to summarize, here is my top ten releases of the first quarter of 2011:
10. The Collective- Scale The Summit
9. Invisible Places- Presto Ballet
8. Welcome To My DNA- Blackfield
7. XXV- Pallas
6. The Perils of Time Travel- Thank You Scientist
5. The Suffering Joy- Magic Pie
4. The King Is Dead- The Decemberists
3. Voice- Hiromi
2. Mammoth- Beardfish
1. Snowtorch- Phideaux

There is a lot to look forward to in the second quarter. There should be releases from Pendragon, Mars Hollow, Neal Morse, The Dear Hunter, Symphony X and Karmakanic, among others. It should be good!

Hall Of Fame: The Tall Ships by It Bites

2011-03-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

It Bites is what could be called a progressive pop band, and boy are they good at what they do. This is my first and only It Bites record, and I think it is brilliant from beginning to finish. I love this record from the opening harmonies of "Oh My God" to the big grandiose finale of "This is England". I purchased this album after hearing many good things about it from sources that I consider reputable and heard a sample of "Oh My God" that made me smile in delight as I listened. When the CD arrived, I immediately put it in my car, and it stayed in my car CD player for at least a month solid. At first I was only sold on a few songs and considered certain songs to be mediocre, but after repeated listenings, I found those songs to be highly enjoyable and to have great catchy hooks. Very impressive work!

The star of this album for me is John Mitchell who seems to be in every new prog rock project these days. He lends his voice and guitar skills to this, his first It Bites album. His voice fits the music perfectly and the guitar is tasteful and downright brilliant in spots. The truly progressive rock moments are fairly sparse throughout the album, but when they appear, they are refreshing and not overblown. The main progressive tracks are the opener, "Oh My God" which has beautiful vocal harmonies, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" which goes into a very impressive progressive instrumental section, and the 13 minute epic, "This is England" which moves through several different movements before landing on its bombastic finale. The songs in between are all catchy and fun and are a pleasure to listen to over and over again.

"The Tall Ships" is very consistent and I love the sound that the band creates. I highly recommend this album to any music fan, especially one who enjoys a good amount of pop hooks as well as some progressive elements thrown in. All in all a very enjoyable listen and an album I keep coming back to.

The Tangent- Going Off On Two (CD/DVD)

2011-03-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bands, The Tangent, is releasing a live DVD/CD called "Going Off On Two." It should be released in mid April, but it can be pre-ordered now at www.thetangent.org.

I have included the trailer to this DVD below. It looks and sounds fantastic. It is very interesting to release a live performance of the band in the studio with no audience. Also included on the live set is a performance of "The Mind's Eye" from their upcoming album "COMM" which will hopefully be out in September of this year. Based on this short clip, it very well may be a contender for album of the year (although it is going to have some stiff competition).

So, for your enjoyment, here is the video:

Hall Of Fame: The Whirlwind by Transatlantic

2011-03-24T18:54:00.001-07:00

Some excerpts from a review I wrote on this album:

“The Whirlwind” is a masterful concept album from the minds of Neal Morse, Roine Stolt, Pete Trewavas and Mike Portnoy. When I first heard that Transatlantic was reuniting for another album, I was ecstatic. “Bridge Across Forever” is my favorite album of all time, and when I discovered that Transatlantic essentially broke up after this masterpiece, I was crushed. I figured that I would never hear new Transatlantic material. Thankfully, I was wrong, and not only did Transatlantic meet my high expectations, they exceeded them. “The Whirlwind” is a beautiful album that captures for me four talented artists at the peak of their creativity and ability.

Pete Trewavas really impresses me with his bass work on this album, it is consistently amazing throughout the album. Roine Stolt has some amazing guitar solos peppered throughout the album (some of the best in my opinion come in the middle of “The Wind Blew Them All Away” and “Out of the Night”). Mike Portnoy is amazing on drums as usual and I always love Neal and he continues to shine on this album by bringing a high level of emotion and passion to everything he does. I absolutely love the Overture that starts the album. It is a masterful way to include all the main themes that will be explored throughout the album in such a way to build excitement in the listener. Other favorite moments include the heartfelt "Rose Colored Glasses" and the last half of “Is It Really Happening?” where the music gets faster and faster and all members of the band play at breakneck speed.

I love the creativity that abounds when these four individuals get together to create music and I hope to hear a lot more from them in the future. There is a sense of fun in this record that is infectious and that is part of what I love about what Transatlantic brings to the table. They can be goofy and fun in one moment and heartfelt and passionate the next. They truly have a love of the progressive rock of the seventies and that shines throughout the album as well. This album is most definitely a masterpiece and I expected nothing less from the creative forces at work behind it.

Hall Of Fame: Close To The Edge by Yes

2011-03-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have decided, after much thought, that I am going to create a Hall of Fame on this blog. The tab for said Hall of Fame is located at the top of this blog and is called "The Leviathan Hall Of Fame." The Hall Of Fame will contain songs or albums that I consider to be classic. You can call them strong recommendations or just a list of my favorites, but I thought it would be fun to put them in a hall of fame to honor the music that has touched me so deeply throughout my life. The hope is that The Hall of Fame will become a huge list of what I consider the best in music. Then, the viewers of this blog can conveniently go there in order to find some very strong recommendations about which music to pursue. Of course, in the beginning, the list might seem sparse, but I'm hoping over time it will grow and become quite substantial. Also, there is not really any limitations to what I can include there. I will try to stick to music that I consider progressive, though, so as to keep some consistency.

So, for my first entry into the Hall of Fame, I figure that a good choice would be the prog classic, "Close To The Edge" by Yes. For the purposes of this entry, I am referring only to the song, not the entire album (although later I may decide to induct the entire album). "Close To The Edge" was one of the first progressive rock epics I was introduced to when I was first getting into prog music. I was pretty much blown away by it on first listen. My dad was the one to share it with me, and he warned me that it was really weird, especially the beginning. But, I really connected with it right away, and I feel that "Close To The Edge" is one of the biggest reasons why I am a huge prog fan today.

The epic is introduced by sounds of nature, taking you into an alternate world. I feel the best music is able to transport you to another world, and Yes has a unique talent to do just that. The music is then quite chaotic with mainly a crazy drumbeat, noodling guitar, tinkling keyboards and thumping bass, interrupted occasionally by Jon Anderson's spacey vocals. Then, the chaos subsides, the guitar plays the main melody of the song and things get underway. What really sticks out to me here is Chris Squire's bass playing. Before listening to progressive music, I often was unable to recognize the bass in rock music. But, here, it is unmistakable due to Chris Squire's distinct tone and groove. Now, the bass is one of my favorite instruments to listen for.

About eight and a half minutes in, the upbeat music stops, and what is left behind is a dreamy atmospheric section that is truly heavenly. Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Steve Howe sing some wonderful harmonies that truly bring tears to my eyes. Then, Rick Wakeman comes in with a powerful organ solo that is mind-blowing. It is truly one of the highlights in progressive rock for me. Then, the band kicks back in with the killer main melody of the beginning before it fades out with the same sounds of nature that began the epic, bringing everything full circle. It is truly musical perfection. I wish I had the ability to describe the true euphoria that I feel when listening to this epic. It transports me to another world, and makes me feel true happiness.

Here is the epic split up into two youtube videos. Please have a listen and hopefully you'll be transported to another world like I am.

Part 1

Part 2

A Prog Band On Late Night TV?

2011-03-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a prog band was featured on a late night talk show in the US. The talk show is The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which is one of my favorite talk shows on TV right now. On Monday, March 14th, they had '70s English Prog band, Stackridge, perform on the show. Craig introduced them as a band that his brother called "The New Genesis." This is a band that I'm not too familiar with, but apparently they reformed in 1999. The song they performed on the show was "The Last Plimsoll" from their 1974 album, "The Man In The Bowler Hat (AKA Pinafore Days)." To my ears, this track sounds very inspired by Sgt. Peppers era Beatles, which is a good thing in my book. It is really cool to hear a proggy band on a talk show, so I thought I had to share. Here is the video:

I hope you enjoyed that! I might pick up some Stackridge based on that, they sound really good. Hopefully this will lead to more progressive music on TV!

Artist Spotlight: The Reign Of Kindo

2011-03-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be a fun idea to spotlight some of my favorite musical artists when there aren't many new albums to review. So, the first band I thought I would spotlight is a new band I have been obsessed with over the past few months, namely, The Reign of Kindo.

I think part of my obsession comes from the fact that this is a band that is very different from what I typically listen to. They are not really progressive rock in the sense that I'm used to. Sure, there are some progressive elements in their sound, but mostly they are an indie jazz rock group. Of course, musical labels aren't too important, what matters is the music and how it connects to the listener. For me, The Reign of Kindo create a unique blend of sumptuous melody, jaw-dropping musicality, and heartfelt emotion. The passion for music oozes out of each of the musicians in this band and I find myself totally captivated by the music they create.

I thought it would be fun to go through their relatively short career so far and showcase some incredible youtube videos of them performing songs throughout their discography. The hope is that you will watch the videos and perhaps become enchanted like I was by the music.

First, they released their self-titled EP which contains 24 minutes of beauty that really showcased their sound right from the start. The six tracks on this EP really show this groups penchant for tight musicianship and melody. Here is one of the tracks from that record called "Needle and Thread":

I love all the musicians involved, from the extremely tight drummer, to the incredibly smooth vocals. Just because it is so awesome, I have to include another song from their EP. My personal favorite, "Just Wait":

It is just too cool for words, and I struggle to really capture how I feel about this music in writing. It just grooves so magnificently and the piano playing is sublime. It is refreshing to hear a rather young group of musicians playing music that is technical and led by piano. I love it.

Their next album is "Rhythm, Chord & Melody" which is a true masterpiece to me. Everything just works perfectly here. They took everything that worked from their EP and expanded upon it. The title track itself, which is a pleasant instrumental, is just true genius. I love the controlled chaos of this group as they get into their more frantic moments. But, at its heart, there is just a certain groove that is infectious. Here is a video of the last song of that album, "Hold Out":

Their most recent album is "This Is What Happens" from last year. This is my favorite work of theirs, and since I already called their previous album a masterpiece, that is high praise. Every track on this album is brilliant and has a really transcendent quality about it. All the trademarks of their sound are still here: the super smooth vocals, the sublime jazzy piano, the jaw-dropping rhythm section and grooving guitar work. I am blown away by this band and the sounds they are able to create. Have a listen to the somewhat chaotic but beautiful track from this album called, "Bullets In The Air":

I just can't get enough of this band and their sound. There is just something about it that brings tears to my eyes every time. At times it is fun and others it is heart-breakingly beautiful. I only hope they continue to release music of this high level of excellence. I am going to end this spotlight with one of my all time favorite tracks of theirs called "Flowers By The Moon". It is hauntingly beautiful, with some wonderful violin work.

I hope this hasn't been too long and perhaps has introduced a few people to an incredible band that deserves some attention. I can't wait for what this band comes up with next! It is exciting!

Album Review: Phideaux- Snowtorch

2011-03-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Phideaux is a band very close to my heart. Fronted by multi-instrumentalist/musical genius, Phideaux Xavier, they have crafted some of the greatest progressive rock of the modern era. In particular, I find Doomsday Afternoon and Number Seven to be masterpieces of progressive music that have a very important place in my music collection. So, I was thrilled to be amongst the first people to hear the newest Phideaux release, entitled Snowtorch. The man himself, Phideaux Xavier, sent out early copies of his album to several close friends, fans and reviewers, and I was privileged to be amongst this group. Along with the copy of the album, Phideaux wrote a note that said that this version of the album is about 99% finished, so there might be a few differences between this and the finalized product that comes out in just a couple weeks. So, just keep that in mind as you read this review.

I am pleased to say that Snowtorch is a monster of an album. It hits all the right chords for me musically, and I place it amongst his trilogy of excellence along with Doomsday Afternoon and Number Seven. All the trademarks of the Phideaux sound are present here: the great vocal combination of Phideaux's unique tone along with the gorgeous female vocals, the beautiful piano melodies, the acoustic guitar passages, a very strong influence from the early prog pioneers but with a modern edge, the quirky yet highly intelligent lyrics, weaving through several different musical passages with ease, and the list goes on and on. It is all here, and all done to perfection.

Just take the first track, the epic "Snowtorch (Part One)" that is almost 20 minutes long and features just about everything I love about Phideaux. It starts off rather slowly, but builds up in intensity throughout the track in a magnificent fashion. The whole band is playing fantastically with one another. I certainly love the instrumental section about six and a half minutes in that seems to nod in the direction of Gentle Giant with some great vintage keyboard sounds and guitar playing. Then there is a great section where wind instruments get the chance to shine amongst the symphonic mix. What follows are some truly majestic sections with a great keyboard melody at the forefront. Then comes a Beatles' inspired section that includes some clever lyrics sung by Mr. Phideaux himself.

But, at about the 13 minute mark, my favorite section of the album (and perhaps all of Phideaux's catalog) begins with a wonderful piano medley accompanied by violin and some great vocalizations. The piano begins playing a majestic melody, perhaps in the style of Neal Morse, that really brings to mind the wonder of being out in the middle of space. Then the piano morphs into a quirky, quick section that brings to mind ELP at their most technically furious. This instrumental section is phenomenal and builds fantastically towards an almost funky section that even includes saxophone. The keyboards, violin and saxophone along a solid drum and bass backdrop really make this a magical piece of music. I just could not keep the smile of pure joy off my face when I first heard this section. It is absolutely breathtaking.

Things slow down considerably for "Helix", which could perhaps be considered the ballad of the album. Truly it is a little breather between the two epic parts of Snowtorch that bookend it. The best part about this track to me is the feel that it conveys. I feel as I'm listening to it as if I am floating through space listening to the beautiful female vocals and beautiful violin, keyboard and guitar that surrounds those vocals. I almost get a dreamy Yes vibe from this track. Part Two of Snowtorch begins with an interesting instrumental section that really features the acoustic guitar. It is a great way to build-up into the second half of the album, with a wonderfully quirky stop-and-start style rhythm.

After a bit of a fade out from that section, the acoustic guitar remains a major presence into the next instrumental section which starts slowly, but then kicks in with some intense keyboards and fast drumming. What I love about this whole opening section is that it is really a fantastic introduction into the second half of the record, before themes from part one are re-introduced. I love when the familiar keyboard line from part one comes out from the somewhat chaotic instrumental section, taking us back into familiar Snowtorch territory. For some reason, this whole second part (and perhaps the album as a whole) really brings to mind "A Passion Play" from Jethro Tull--an album that I truly love.

The album concludes in spectacular fashion, bringing back the themes from the first part of the album. There is even a little epilogue of a track that is a lot of fun and ends the album on an upbeat note, leaving the listener wanting more. And, with that, the only criticism I can give towards this album is that it feels a little short. But, perhaps at the same time that is one of its greatest strengths. It is very compact, devoid of any weak spots, and leaves the listener wanting more. A piece of music should never be extended just to fill the length of a CD, and Phideaux seems to have a good sense of how long this piece should be. There is not a wasted moment--every second of this album is top-notch.

I feel that Phideaux has very much succeeded in creating a modern progressive masterpiece with Snowtorch. I find myself debating if I prefer it or Doomsday Afternoon as my favorite Phideaux album. They are both incredible in their own way. I love how Phideaux manages to pay homage to the progressive rock artists that influence him (Genesis, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, etc.) but crafts a sound all his own that is unique to him. When I hear Phideaux, I instantly recognize it, and that to me is a quality only the best bands possess. I love the playing on this album and I love the spacey feel that fits perfectly with the unique lyrics. Phideaux has created something truly special here and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. It is exciting when a band is at their creative peak and continues to put out high quality music year after year. I recommend this album to all. Those who already love Phideaux, will love this album, and I imagine those that don't could become new converts to the world of Phideaux. I strongly suggest you give it a chance. A perfect album.

Rating: 10/10

Concert Review: Yellow Matter Custard In Long Beach

2011-03-05T23:21:00.001-08:00

I was privileged to be able to attend a concert by Beatles tribute band, Yellow Matter Custard, last week. They did two shows back in 2003--the second was actually recorded for DVD and CD and showcased a group of very talented musicians having a blast playing many classic (and lesser known) Beatles songs. They decided to "come together" again and play some more Beatles tunes in three very lucky cities. The band consists of Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Paul Gilbert, and newcomer Kasim Sulton who replaced Matt Bissonette, the man who played with them in 2003. This time around, Mike Portnoy made sure to craft a setlist that did not include a single repeat from the shows they played in 2003. I was worried that we would get the lesser Beatles songs, since these weren't good enough to make the top thirty songs that they played last time. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the killer setlist, which I think was even stronger than the one from 2003. It is a real testament to how strong the Beatles' catalogue is (heck, they could probably even make an equally strong third setlist).

The show was truly incredible. It was apparent that each of the four musicians were having a blast on stage. Their energy really transferred to the audience and made for a great experience. Even though they stayed mostly faithful to the Beatles' arrangements of the songs they played, they had a few moments that allowed for their incredible musicianship to shine. One particular example was an extended guitar solo at the end of Taxman that showcased Paul Gilbert's amazing skills at the guitar. They also really shone during a White Album medley where Alan Morse came in as a guest and traded solos with Paul Gilbert and Neal Morse. Throughout the night, they all traded off vocals and each had their strong vocal moments. I was also impressed by the harmonies they were able to pull off as a group. The show ended perfectly with the Abbey Road suite from the second side of Abbey. The musicians really played their hearts out and the night was brought to a thrilling conclusion.

I loved this concert experience. Although the Beatles' music is not the most technically complex music ever written, there is a timeless quality about it. They are true pioneers in the rock sound of today and I believe are one of the most important bands to influence Progressive Rock itself. It seemed fitting that these progressive rock musicians would pay tribute to the band that might have been the first to be truly progressive. I left the concert that night with a smile on my face and a desire to listen to my Beatles' albums at home.

Here is the complete setlist of what they played, which I feel is a perfect balance of the well known songs, along with some surprises of songs that aren't played very often at all.

Back In The USSR
I Got A Feeling
And Your Bird Can Sing
Day Tripper
Getting Better
Taxman
It Won't Be Long
You Really Got A Hold On Me
Lady Madonna
We Can Work It Out
I'm A Loser
I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
Penny Lane
The Fool On The Hill
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Things We Said Today
If I Needed Someone
Its Only Love
She's A Woman
The Word
Any Time At All
Paperback Writer
Don't Let Me Down
I'm So Tired
Savoy Truffle
Glass Onion
Yer Blues
Helter Skelter
-----------ENCORE------------
Flying
Because
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard
Her Majesty
Polythene Pam
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End

39 classic Beatles' songs that they all played excellently (40, if their impromptu rendition of Birthday is to be counted). Overall a very enjoyable night full of fun and great musicianship. I am very glad I was able to attend!

Many Exciting Things To Come!

2011-03-02T19:50:00.001-08:00

Welcome back to my progressive rock blog- The Leviathan. I used to post regularly in this blog, but for some reason, stopped writing a while ago. But, I am dedicated now to bringing you, the readers, a regularly updated blog about the music I discover throughout the year. The music discussed will typically be Progressive Rock since that is my favorite genre. My promise is to review every new album I hear in the year 2011 in this blog. I already have posted several from the last two months. In the next few weeks, expect a few more reviews, including a review of 'Snowtorch' by Phideaux and 'Invisible Places' by Presto Ballet.

When I don't have new albums to review, I plan to spotlight bands, albums or even songs that I have been obsessed with lately that I feel are worth sharing. So, I hope you will continue to check this blog regularly for my insight into the extraordinary music of today. My promise to you is to bring regularly scheduled posts that will hopefully enlighten you on new music you can discover. I hope you stick around, because it should be a fun journey!

Magic Pie- The Suffering Joy

2011-02-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

“The Suffering Joy” is the third album by Norwegian proggers, Magic Pie. The first two albums, “Motions of Desire” and “Circus of Life” had moments of brilliance, but oftentimes did not seem to have the same high quality throughout the entire album. But, when they were performing at the top of their abilities, they really played some fantastic music on those albums. With their third album, I feel they have taken the best of their previous two albums and created a truly consistent, great album that is among the best that modern symphonic prog has to offer, and is an early contender for album of the year.

The album kicks off with the powerhouse epic that is “A Life’s Work.” Following a similar structure that Neal Morse sometime employs, there is a soft intro introducing some of the lyrical themes of the album over some delicate keyboard washes, before the rocking overture kicks in, which really showcases how great this band is at playing their respective instruments. This moves into a slower section with some beautiful harmonies before finally getting to the meat of the epic where the musical themes from the overture can be heard to full effect. This epic has everything you could want from progressive rock: inventive keyboards, soaring guitars, stunning harmony vocals, and a great backbeat of powerful drum and bass work. There are even some female vocals that are used to great effect over some chugging guitar. If I have any criticism for this wonderful track, it is perhaps that it is a tad long and could use trimming a few minutes to keep it more interesting. But, that is really a minor complaint because by and large this is a fantastic epic that includes head bopping heavy prog moments that allow the keyboard and guitar to play off of each other and a huge sing-along style chorus. There is just a ton of fun to be had here.

The album continues with “Headlines,” which is another fun track. There is some great acoustic guitar, more harmony vocals, and a fun, almost bouncy melody that brings to mind early Queen at times. There is some great guitar work and very dramatic vocals. There are also some fast paced instrumental sections that are a lot of fun. “Endless Ocean” is a short ballad that is a nice break from the intensity of the tracks that precede it. There is some great acoustic guitar, piano, and once again, beautiful vocals over what sounds like strings. It is a beautiful shorter track, which is quite different for a band that is used to long-form progressive rock pieces.

Things get fun again with “Slightly Mad” which is one of my personal favorite tracks on the record. The opening is quite chaotic, which fits perfectly with the title and meaning of the song. Keyboards and guitar go crazy against a powerful rocking drumbeat. There is some impressive acoustic guitar that leads into the vocal section. This track is just pure fun to listen to and is really well done. One of my favorite sections of this song is where it breaks down into an almost funky and jazzy section complete with wah wah guitar. The guitar solo is very impressive here. This whole track is just a blast to listen to, and is amongst my favorites from their entire catalogue.

“Tired” took a while for me to warm up to. It is a fifteen minute epic that begins with some great majestic guitar and keyboards. There are some interesting keyboard sounds used here that are interesting to me. This track is a lot more laid back than the rest of the album for a good majority of the song length. I think that was why I was initially not excited by it. I had come to expect fast, heavy sections due to the previous songs. But, just because it is slower paced does not mean it is bad. It actually has a majestic beauty to it. About nine minutes into the song comes a typical fast paced, instrumental section that is a sort of trademark of the Magic Pie sound. In this section fast guitars and keyboards intricately play against one other. Once again, this is just so much fun to listen to and I enjoy it immensely. This track has gone from being a little overlong and boring to being one of my favorites on the record.

The album closes with “In Memoriam” which is actually kind of a somber note to end the album on. This one took some getting used to as well, but I like the almost eerie mood of the track. For me it is the mood and vocal performance that makes this track work. I like the ending that has a somewhat intense buildup that really works well. It is a fine closer to a really excellent album.

I love this album and consider it to be Magic Pie’s best album by far. They have really come into their own sound on this release. This album is one of the finest examples of modern Symphonic Prog. There is some great playing, the musicians seem to be having fun and the concept and lyrics are really good. I think this is a strong contender for best album of the year. Magic Pie has truly grown into a great band with this release and I look forward to see what they are capable of in the future. If they keep this up, I think they could become one of the leaders of Modern Symphonic Prog.

Rating: 9/10

Pallas- XXV

2011-02-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Pallas are a classic neo-prog band from the '80s. They were one of the founders of the genre along with such bands as Marillion, Pendragon and IQ. Their first full-length album, The Sentinel, is regarded by many as a masterpiece of the genre. This new album, titled XXV, is actually a sequel to that classic album. I admittedly have not heard The Sentinel, but I am trying to listen to all the major progressive rock releases of 2011 and this album came on my radar through various progressive rock sites. It is most certainly a concept album that follows the storyline from The Sentinel. I can't speak as to how it matches up conceptually and musically to The Sentinel since I haven't heard it, but I think that XXV can stand on its own and is a good concept album in its own right. I'll most likely try to take a listen to The Sentinel later and see if it in any way changes my opinion of this album. I predict that it will not, but you never know.

The album begins with creepy sound effects that instantly put you into the mood of this album. Things seem a little odd in the world the listener is being thrust into. Then, the band kicks in with the first track of the album, "Falling Down." It is a nice majestic rocker that gets the album started in fine form. I love the bass line that chugs along throughout the song. There is a great section that allows for the keyboardist to shine through a very unique solo that is one of my favorites through the record. It is a great way to start things off and to set the stage for what is about to unfold. "Crash and Burn" keeps things moving at a fast pace, and it happens to be one of my favorite tracks on the entire album. It starts off with more sound effects to keep up the dystopian mood that is present throughout this disc. Then things get going with a particularly fun groove that is almost funky in its execution. I love the keyboards here that blend really well with the soaring guitar. The drum work is really impressive on this song and keeps things going at a great pace. At the end of the song there is a really fun, frenetic breakdown that I think is really down well.

Things slow down quite a bit for the next track, "Something In The Deep." I'll admit that the first couple times I heard this song, I was a little bored. It moves at a snails pace with grand washes of keyboards. After listening to this a few more times, I see its value within the story. It really keeps the mood of the album and is a great showcase for the vocalist, Paul Mackie. There is a certain haunting quality about this song that is really interesting to me. I do love the ending of this track with the orchestral arrangement of strings and horns playing over a mechanical beat. The next track is "Monster" and it is a pleasant rocker, but somewhat below the quality of the three tracks that preceded it. I enjoy the feeling of paranoia that comes across through this song, which is perfect for the story. Once again, not a bad song, just not particularly memorable.

"The Alien Messiah" really gets the story going. I love the keyboard washes that start this song and how they evoke an alien feeling before getting into this rocker. For some reason I get an almost middle eastern feeling when listening to the track. I think the song might outstay its welcome just a bit, starting with the spoken word section in the middle of the track. Next we have "XXV (Part 1)" with a big, majestic feel, which is appropriate since this is the centerpiece of the album. I wish this track was maybe more fast-paced and varied, but I do love the sing-along chorus. "Young God" is fairly heavy, with some really metal guitar playing. Even Paul Mackie seems to be channeling the voice of an '80s hair band frontman. There are some interesting guitar and keyboard solos in the instrumental parts of the song, but overall I find this to be one of the weaker tracks.

"Sacrifice" is a more straight-forward rocker. I actually rather enjoy it and feel like it is the album getting back on track after a somewhat weak middle section. "Blackwood" is a great short instrumental track with beautiful strings and angelic vocalizations that leads really well into "Violet Sky." I love this moment on the album, it is really beautiful and continues to evoke that "otherworldly" feeling that is present throughout the album. "Violet Sky" is a beautiful track. It starts off with some acoustic guitar and an interesting, alien sounding keyboard sound. I think Paul Mackie's voice is excellent on this track. The track is both emotional and thought-provoking. It is surely one of my favorite tracks on the record. "XXV (Part II)" is the grand conclusion of the album and I think it is rather excellent. It perfectly evokes the apocalyptic feeling it is going for with some great sound effects before reprising "XXV (Part I)" in glorious fashion. I absolutely love the guitar solo at the end. It really soars before the plaintive vocals come in to close out the album.

This album has all the ingredients for a progressive rock masterpiece, but for some reason they don't completely combine perfectly. There seems to be something missing here. It is a real shame because I love the concept of the album and at times the album really soars to impressive heights. I feel the apocalyptic and alien mood that they are trying to convey here work perfectly. There is a very specific feel to this album that is constant throughout. I do find it interesting however that to my ears XXV tends to sound both like a retro-prog album from the '80s era, but also manages to have a futuristic sound. It is a strange blend, but somehow it works to convey the correct mood for the album. At times the album really works, at other times it can be boring or monotonous. So, I must conclude that XXV is a good album, but misses the mark from being an excellent progressive rock release. It is a shame really because there is a lot of potential here. Now I need to listen to some of their other releases, especially The Sentinel, and see if it at all changes my view of this album.

Rating: 7/10

The Decemberists- The King Is Dead

2011-01-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

I really started to fall in love with The Decemberists about a year ago when I decided to pick up "Hazards of Love" due to many positive reviews. I was blown away. It was a concept album full of simple beauty and clever lyrics. Typically, the kind of music I like is much more complex and fits firmly into the progressive rock genre. Although they display certain characteristics of progressive rock at times, I don't think that The Decemberists could really be considered a progressive rock band. They are more Indie/Folk. But, this is definitely not a criticism. In fact, I'm really glad that "Hazards of Love" allowed me to expand my musical horizons and take me out of the prog box that I was putting myself into. I realized that music doesn't have to be incredibly intricate and complicated in order to be good. Music can be beautiful when stripped down and focused on the melody and lyrics.

Which leads me to the review for "The King Is Dead." I will admit, at first I was a little disappointed when I heard the album. The more progressive elements I enjoyed from "Hazards of Love" seemed completely absent. If possible, The Decemberists stipped down their sound even further to be even more simplistic. What appealed to me with "The Hazards of Love" was the concept and storytelling, and the new album seemed to be just a collection of songs. But, after repeatedly listening to the album, its beauty has been unfolded to me and I consider it to be a really good album. It doesn't quite reach the heights of "The Hazards of Love" or even "The Crane Wife" but there is a simple beauty here that I can't deny.

There is an interesting mix here between folk and country that is really pleasing to listen to. There is plenty of acoustic guitar, slide guitar, harmonica and even fiddle. At the center is the distinctive voice of Colin Meloy. I really like his voice. It is unlike any other voice I've heard and really gives The Decemberists an unmistakable sound. The lyrics are really interesting, each song is like a poem being delivered by an expert storyteller. The music, while not overly complex, really compliments the lyrics well. There is enough instrumentation on display that I'm never bored. The sound quality is really good and the instruments sound really crisp and clear to my ears.

So, what we have here is a collection of poetry set in a folk/country setting. There are moments throughout the album that are beautiful. I love "January Hymn," the simple arrangement with beautiful singing is perfect and really creates a perfect mood and feel. I just can't help but have a tear come to my ear at the beauty created here. "Dear Avery" is another beautiful track that has an almost haunting feel. The mixture of male and female vocals is perfect here and gives me goosebumps. Another favorite is "This Is Why We Fight" which is a little more upbeat, but the music really combines to create something special with a great sing-along chorus.

I love this album because it has allowed me to look at music in a completely new way. "The Hazards of Love" started this changing view, but "The King Is Dead" really solidifies it. Music does not have to be complex and played by virtuosic players to be good. A good songwriter can create beauty out of simplicity. The way that the instruments combine, the unique way the lyrics are written, and the passion from the musicians involved really create something special and beautiful. Once the beauty of this album became apparent to me on about my third listen, I couldn't help but tear up and feel that my whole listening experience has changed. This is a wonderful collection of beautifully written and played music. I am embarrassed that I almost dismissed this as an average country album. It is much more than that. I recommend it to all.

Rating: 7/10

Top Ten Albums Of 2010

2011-01-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

This is my list of top ten albums of 2010. Just so you know, my favorite kind of music is progressive rock, thus all of the following albums are from that genre. They are not very well known albums, but each one is really brilliant and I highly recommend them. I feel that 2010 was a great year for music and introduced me to some fantastic albums. Music is a big passion of mine and discovering new albums is one of my favorite past-times. So, here is the big list!

10. Drama Rama- Agents of Mercy

This is a very pleasant album from one of my prog rock idols, Roine Stolt. The music is never very heavy, and they stay on the pastoral side of prog, but it makes for a very pleasant listen. The music is very much in the style of early Genesis and late Beatles, both of which I love. I was a little disappointed that Roine Stolt doesn't sing lead on any of the tracks, but Nad Sylvan has a great voice that really fits this style of music. There are some great moments throughout the album and certain tracks are really brilliant. I am very happy that I own this album and that Roine Stolt keeps putting out such high quality music.

9. Victims of the Modern Age- Star One

I always love Arjen Lucassen's work, and this album is no exception. This project focuses on the more metal aspect of Arjen's sound, so there are lots of heavy parts with crunchy guitars. Each song on the album is based on a different sci-fi movie or TV show. There is a cast of vocalists that trade off singing throughout the album and they are each world-class vocalists. The music is solid and there really isn't anything here to complain about. It is a joy to listen to and everything I've come to expect and love from Arjen.

8. Hybrid Child- District 97

This is an incredible debut album from a really talented group. They are unique due to their inclusion of a female lead singer who was an American Idol contestant, and a world class cellist. The band is quite eclectic and often sounds almost like King Crimson. There are some mainstream sensibilities on this album, but they definitely are not afraid to prog out. I especially love the multi track suite at the end of the album where all elements of the band are showcased. There are even some goosebump moments. I can't wait to see what this band does in the future.

7. In The Wake of Evolution- Kaipa

This is a fun and happy band on the same level as the Flower Kings. In fact, Roine Stolt of the Flower Kings was a founding member of this band. This album showcases the band at their best. It is pure symphonic prog. I love the opening track that showcases all the great elements of this band: a fantastic, unique keyboard player, both a male and female vocalist, pounding drums, and soaring guitar. I love their sound, and discovering this album led me to further explore the rest of their catalogue. Now this band sits comfortably among my favorites in my music collection.

6. The Great Escape- Seventh Wonder

This is my favorite progressive metal release of the year. I feel that they have topped themselves after an excellent concept album called "Mercy Falls." The new album has everything I love about the band. There is some incredible instrumentation from all the musicians. They have one of the best singers in Rock, in my opinion. They have an incredible catchy and fun song called "Alley Cat" that I just can't get out of my head. And there is a 30 minute epic to close out the album that is incredible. I love how they can go from a beautiful section of just vocal and piano, right into a hard rocking section with everybody playing at the top of their game. I can't wait to keep my eye out for this band and see what they will do next.

5. Mars Hollow- Mars Hollow

This is the number 1 debut album of the year. This band came out of nowhere and really blew me away. I gained a whole new level of appreciation of them after seeing them live in a club in L.A. They have a great progressive sound that brings to mind the old favorites (Yes, Genesis, ELP) and new bands that I cherish (Transatlantic, Spock's Beard). Their songs are catchy yet intricate. I really love the opening track on their record, titled "Wait For Me." It is everything great about this band in one track. Also, it helps that the band is extremely nice and friendly to their fans. I can't wait to hear what they come up with next in 2011. Based on this debut, it should be awesome!

4. Artificial- Unitopia

I really loved this album at the beginning of the year. I listened to it over and over again several times and never got tired of it. It is a concept album about the way that we as a society are becoming too artificial. It is really compact and well done. I love how the band does not sound too retro, but infuses some modern influences into their sound. It sets them apart from the other bands that I listen to. Their singer is especially incredible, he sounds a lot like Peter Gabriel and is able to put a lot of emotion into his voice. Another element I love about this band is their use of saxophone. There is a tendency to even stray into Jazz, which is used to great effect. This is a really great album.

3. If- Glass Hammer

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Glass Hammer is a band that I have struggled to like in the past. I have always tried to like them because people who like the bands I like also really like them. I have been disappointed in the past but this album way exceeded my expectations. I feel they have finally found a singer that fits their sound. He sounds a lot like Jon Anderson from Yes, and I feel he lifts their music to a new level. Oftentimes they sound like what Yes wishes they sounded like today. Majestic, symphonic prog done extremely well. I especially love the epic closing track "If The Sun."

2. X- Spock's Beard

This was the album I was most excited to get throughout the year. I had been waiting quite some time for a new Spock's Beard album. Plus, my best friend bought me the super deluxe version, and my name was going to be sung in one of the songs! It was really exciting. I was very pleased to find out that this album is one of Spock's Beard's very best. I typically prefer their material with their previous front man, Neal Morse, but I think this album is up to the same quality as those earlier albums. Everything I love about this band is on full display here. Great melodies, expert musicianship, and tons of fun. I absolutely adore this album.

1. Lover's End- Moon Safari

This is by far my favorite album of the year. It is clearly a masterpiece to me. I absolutely adore the incredible vocal harmonies that are throughout this album. The instrumentation is great as well, with a focus on vintage progressive keyboard sounds, piano, and acoustic guitar. Every song is a highlight for me. There are no weak moments. I just can't describe the beauty of this album, I am just in awe each time I hear it. I never get tired of it. The first time I listened through this album I had tears in my eyes and thought that this music is what I was meant to listen to. This will be one of the most cherished albums in my entire CD collection.

Additional Music Experiences of 2010:

Best Album Not Included on The Top Ten: Aquarius- Haken
It was really hard to not be able to include this album in my top ten, so I thought I would mention it here. This is a fantastic album by a new prog band. There are brilliant instrumental passages that are amongst my favorite in progressive rock. The closing track of their album "Celestial Elixir" is particularly incredible, and is indeed one of the best tracks of the year. I can't wait to see where this young band goes next.

Best Song of the Year: The Dividing Line- Frost*
Although Frost* didn't release a new studio album this year, they released an incredible live album (The Philadelphia Experiment) with a brand new studio track. That track is The Dividing Line and it is a monster of a song. It is 17 minutes long and has everything I love about progressive rock. It is mind-blowingly awesome, moving seamlessly from some of the craziest stuff I've ever heard to sections of pure beauty. The track leaves me breathless, and certain sections are still hard for me to wrap my head around.

Best Live Experience Of The Year: Transatlantic
I had the privilege of seeing Transatlantic live in 2010 and it was a dream come true. It was the best concert I've ever attended by far. Transatlantic album released a live DVD/CD set called Whirld Tour 2010. Watching that DVD concert was like relieving the whole experience. I just couldn't help but tear up and just watch the screen in pure amazement. This DVD/CD live set is one of my favorite progressive rock items I have in my collection. Just awesome.

Best You-Tube Music Discovery: Project RNL
I am absolutely addicted to the videos Project RNL puts out. They do unique takes on old songs, and also have some originals. They have a very jazzy, eclectic sound and have an incredible vocalist that sings multiple parts in each video. In fact, there is an amazing purely a capella video where he sings every part. They are amazing musicians and are incredibly unique. Their music is pure ear candy. I will be first in line to buy an album of their music when it is released.

Best Non-Prog Album of the Year: New Morning- Alpha Rev
Yes, I like more music than just prog, even though prog is my favorite. This album is featured as Mike Portnoy's favorite album of 2010 so I thought I would give it a try. I really fell in love with it! It sounds a lot like Coldplay. There is a fantastic frontman and some really catchy melodies. I really love the album. And, the lead singer is joining Neal Morse, Steve Morse, Mike Portnoy and Dave LaRue for a project hopefully coming out by the end of 2011 that I am super excited for.

Honorable Mentions (albums that I liked but didn't quite make my year-end list):
Excavations of the Mind- Sky Architect
Pennies In The Karma Jar- Salem Hill
Rise- Resistor
Far Skies, Deep Time EP- Big Big Train
Nightmare- Avenged Sevenfold

It was an incredible year for music and I anticipate that 2011 will be even better. I can't wait!

Moon Safari- Lover's End

2010-12-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

I posted this review on www.progarchives.com but figured there may be some who don't go on that website and could still benefit from reading this review. Even though this is a progressive rock album, I recommend it to all people who love music. So, here is the review:

Every once and a while I get an album that completely captivates me. An album that I feel was made especially for me. An album that touches me deeply to my very soul. Lover's End by Moon Safari is that album. Since I received it, I have continued to play it constantly, and I am still playing it even now. Every thing about it is perfect to me. I haven't been this touched by music in a long time. Because of this reaction, it is hard for me to read some of the more negative reviews. I just find it hard to believe that people can't instantly hear the beauty of this album. In a way I feel sorry for them because they are missing out on something truly special.

Moon Safari is a band I have grown to love the past few years. I felt that there was something special on their debut album, "A Doorway To Summer," but that they still had a ways to go before perfecting their sound. The sound quality of that album was not great, and I felt the album missed a little bit of a bite. "Blomljud" was definitely a step in the right direction and was one of my favorite albums of that year. I did feel, however, that maybe "Blomljud" was just a little too long and could have benefited from some trimming.

But, in my opinion, with Lover's End, Moon Safari have perfected their sound. The sound quality is great and the album is the perfect length where every song is a highlight. Every moment of this album is beautiful. I tear up every time I listen to it because I can't believe the pure majestic beauty I am hearing. The instrumentation is wonderful. There is a wealth of great piano/keyboard melodies and solos. There is wonderful acoustic guitar moments and electric and slide guitar solos. The drums and bass provide a solid backbeat. But, what truly makes this music transcend is the impeccable vocal harmonies. In many ways, I feel that Moon Safari could be a fantastic a capella group because their singing is just perfect. The vocal arrangements are mind-blowing and leave me speechless. I have a soft-spot for these types of harmonies, so hearing them so perfectly executed brings the music to a whole new level for me.

Like I said before, every song is a highlight. The album begins with the wonderful "Lover's End Pt. 1" that really sets the stage nicely for the progressive feast that is about to come. "A Kid Called Panic" is one of the greatest prog songs of all time. It moves along seamlessly with a chorus that is to die for. After a fantastic instrumental powerhouse section, there is some beautiful piano playing with some of the best singing on the record. It is a glorious song. Then, we move to the pure beauty of "Southern Belle." It starts with an indescribably beautiful a capella section before the beautiful piano comes in and a beautiful melody is sung on top of it with more incredible harmonies.

"The World's Best Dreamers" is just more of the same beauty on display. Great vocal harmonies on top of a great symphonic prog instrumentation. The band has some fun with the brilliant "New York City Summergirl" which effectively evokes an American feel through some more great vocal arrangements and more of a pop prog arrangement. "Heartland" is pure symphonic prog at it's best with some great keyboard playing. "Crossing The Rubycon" is definitely a highlight of the album with some great acoustic guitars, more amazing harmonies, and some of the most majestic music I have ever heard. "Lover's End Pt. 2" is a great epilogue of sorts that wraps up the album with a great Beatles-esque vocal section.

My descriptions don't do it justice. This album is pure beauty. A fantastic blend of symphonic prog and impeccable vocal harmonies. This is a special band and they have created their first masterpiece. From start to finish I am captivated and have tears in my eyes. This is the music I was meant to listen to. I am so grateful to the band for this gift that they have given me. I will cherish this album for the rest of my life. I strongly recommend it to all music lovers.

Kaipa- In The Wake of Evolution

2010-05-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it has been a while since I've written in this blog. However, I thought I would return to my album reviews with the fantastic "In The Wake of Evolution" by Kaipa. To be fair, this is the first of only two albums that I've heard so far this year, so in regards to 2010 albums, I'm not so far behind. But, I figured since several prog albums are coming out soon, that it might be nice to get back into reviewing with the first new album of 2010 that I heard.

Kaipa was a classic '70s prog band that reunited triumphantly in the early 2000s with an incredible album called "Notes From The Past." The two main men of Kaipa were Hans Lundin and prog superstar Roine Stolt. Unfortunately, Roine Stolt left the band after the great MindRevolutions, but Hans Lundin decided to keep the band going and it led to two incredible albums-- Angling Feelings and now In The Wake of Evolution. This new album sparked a small obsession with this band for a few weeks. I'll admit that I wasn't a huge Kaipa fan, but after hearing the brilliance of In The Wake of Evolution, I decided to dig into their back catalogue (most of which I already owned) and was blown away but what I heard. I love this album mainly for the fact that it (re)introduced me to one of my favorite bands. This is full on happy, uplifting prog and I love it.

The album opens with one of my favorite openers of any album, the title track, In The Wake of Evolution. This track contains all I love about this band in a little over 10 minutes. It starts with Lundin's unique keyboard sounds before the band kicks in for a prog powerhouse of an opening. The music stops as the beautiful voice of Aleena Gibson comes in. What progresses is a beautiful track that is a perfect blend of both lead singers (Patrik Lundstrom comes in for the second verse) and of instruments. There are super fun keyboard sections and some out of this world drumming. It is all really fun and exactly how I like my prog.

The other incredible track on this disc is the third one, Electric Power Water Notes. This is the epic of the album at 17 minutes, and it manages to captivate throughout. It goes through many interesting instrumental passages where all band members are allowed to shine. The rest of the tracks are great as well and keep up the same high level of quality that has come to be expected from Kaipa. There is a good balance between both lead vocalists throughout the album, and I do want to mention that the closing track, The Seven Oceans of Our Mind, is a great finale. I love when the vocalists are doing a sort of chant as the music builds and the vocalists are allowed to shine. It is a brilliant finale to a great album.

What I love about Kaipa is that they are so distinctive. They have a very recognizable sound that distinguishes them from all the other prog bands and separates them from their influences. Often prog music today can sound too much like the prog giants of the '70s that have influenced it. But, I feel that Kaipa does a wonderful job of paying homage to their influences, but crafting out a unique sound all their own. I believe this album stands up well against their other modern albums, and I can't wait to see where this band goes next. This album comes highly recommended and is the first great album of the year that I have heard. Expect it to make a strong showing on my final list of top 10 albums of 2010.

Rating: 8/10

Top Ten Albums of 2009

2010-01-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

I consider 2009 to be one of the best years of music so far in my lifetime. In my opinion the top 9 albums here are all worthy of 5 out of 5 stars and are true masterpieces in their own right. So, here are what I consider to be the best albums of 2009:

10. Anno Domini High Definition- Riverside

This album is short but packs quite a punch. After the first three albums, which were part of a trilogy, it seems Riverside felt ready to just go for it and make a hard-hitting, heavy album. It is a great little album full of fun progressive metal that seems to never stop.
Highlight: “Left Out”

9. The Hazards of Love- The Decemberists

This was a late find in the year, but it has become quite the little masterpiece for me. It is a concept album that tells a story of two young people in love and the “hazards” they face. The story is unique and interesting and it’s set to the perfect kind of music. The music isn’t overly complex, but it doesn’t need to be. It has a simple beauty that is quite lovely and always captivates me for each listen.
Highlight: Great touching conclusion of “The Hazards of Love 4”

8. Frequency- IQ

I was not a huge IQ fan, but I decided I wanted to give this album a chance and I’m glad I did. This album has a brilliant opener and then only gets better from there. I love Peter Nichols vocals, he does an incredible job throughout the album. This album has all I love about the band, emotion, upbeat fun, and creativity. “The Province” is particularly a strong highlight in my eyes.
Highlight: Guitar solo at the end of “The Province”

7. Destined Solitaire- Beardfish

I love Beardfish because they are a band that knows how to have fun. I love their Gentle Giant/Zappa influenced sound and although this album took some getting used to, it eventually grew on me until I couldn’t get enough of it. All the songs here our strong and have a certain playfulness that keeps them interesting even through repeated listens.
Highlight: “Until You Comply”

6. Number Seven- Phideaux

This is a very special album to me, and I feel that Phideaux is really growing as an artist. I’m not completely clear on the story line (something about a dormouse, shrew and crayfish) but it is executed beautifully throughout the three movements of the album. The thing about Phideaux is that he is a true artist, he is not just creating progressive rock, but a masterpiece of art. Everything from the ability of the musicians to the lyrics is completely brilliant.
Highlight: “Love Theme From Number Seven”

5. The Incident- Porcupine Tree

This album seems to garner mixed opinions, but I feel it is one of Porcupine Tree’s strongest. I am a sucker for epics and concept albums, but I feel the main piece flows together brilliantly with many interesting and lovely sections. I particularly like “Blind House,” “Time Flies,” and “I Drive The Hearse” which seem to be the main pieces of the album. I also enjoy each of the songs on the second disc. Steven Wilson conveys his message clearly and beautifully.
Highlight: “I Drive The Hearse”

4. The Darkened Room- IZZ

This album was a latecomer, but I eagerly awaited its arrival and it truly delivered. It may be IZZ’s best effort to date (although “My River Flows” is extremely strong as well). All the playing is brilliant, I struggle to point out who gives the strongest performance. It is a short album, but it all fits together brilliantly and I absolutely love all three parts of “I Can’t Feel The Earth”. There is such a great sense of melody and fun in these compositions.
Highlight: “I Can’t Feel The Earth”

3. Act III: Life and Death- The Dear Hunter

It’s hard for me to describe how much I love this album. It is the surprise hit of the year for me because I bought it without knowing really anything about the band. Casey Crezensco is the genius behind this band and the concept is executed flawlessly and the music blends seamlessly although it goes through many different styles. I love the vocal harmonies and the interesting musical instrumentation. It brings a more modern edge to prog, and I love that.
Highlight: “Go Get Your Gun”

2. Black Clouds and Silver Linings- Dream Theater

I feel that this album is a return to form of sorts for Dream Theater. It is their best effort since their masterpiece “Scenes From a Memory.” I love how Dream Theater plays to all their strengths here, there is heaviness in many of the tracks, but there is also a strong prog element. I love “The Count of Tuscany” and consider it one of their best epics. It has all that I come to love in music. I also love the heartfelt “Best of Times” written by Mike Portnoy for his father that passed away this past year.
Highlight: “The Count of Tuscany”

1. The Whirlwind- Transatlantic

I already wrote a huge entry about this album, which I feel is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. The music and lyrics work perfectly and you can tell the band members had a ton of fun creating this album. I am so grateful that my favorite band was able to reunite to create this masterpiece.
Highlight: The whole thing

The Whirlwind- Transatlantic

2010-01-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

“The Whirlwind” is a masterful concept album from the minds of Neal Morse, Roine Stolt, Pete Trewavas and Mike Portnoy. When I heard that Transatlantic was reuniting for another album, I was ecstatic. “Bridge Across Forever” is my favorite album of all time, and when I discovered that Transatlantic essentially broke up after this masterpiece, I was crushed. I figured that I would never hear new Transatlantic material. Thankfully, I was wrong, and not only did Transatlantic meet my high expectations, they exceeded them. “The Whirlwind” is a beautiful album that captures for me four talented artists at the peak of their creativity and ability.

“The Whirlwind” is one long epic piece split into 12 separate sections. You can’t have a large epic without an overture, so this album begins with a perfectly constructed overture. The overture contains many of the main themes that will be highlighted throughout the whole album, and I feel the overture itself is a good metaphor for the whirlwind itself, as the music gets more intense as it goes. “The Whirlwind,” I’m sure can mean different things for different people, but for me it is the distractions and worldliness and trials that plague us in this life. The things of the world are temporary and will just be blown away by The Whirlwind that is bound to come. This is the theme of the second piece, “The Wind That Blew Them All Away.” People are trying to find things in life to make them happy, but these things are all temporary and of this world, and will be blown away by the whirlwind.

“On The Prowl” begins with a brilliant bass line from Pete Trewavas, who I must say is exceptional on this album. This piece has a great groove and a cool organ solo from Neal. The purpose of this piece is to show that God is the one who is in control of the whirlwind and is using it as a test of sorts to try to make people turn to him and away from the things of this world. “A Man Can Feel” begins with a brilliant vocal by Roine Stolt before it hits the sublime chorus. This piece is showing how alone man can feel when the whirlwind tears away all the things of this world and takes away all the things that he thought made him happy.

“Out of the Night” is a moment of temporary relief where the person feels they are out of the whirlwind. But, the whirlwind comes raging back, and they must continue to face it. This happens many times in life, where you feel you are finally free of your trials, you have a “sudden alright,” but a new trial comes and once again you are back in the whirlwind. This piece of the epic is a great showcase of all four vocalists and it goes through several themes that have occurred so far in the epic. “Rose Colored Glasses” is one of my favorite pieces and may seem out of place in the epic because it is a song written by Neal about dealing with his Father’s death. However, I feel it fits in well with the concept because I feel it is a real life application to a whirlwind that we face- death of a loved one. But, it is by having the right perspective that we can look beyond the whirlwind to the true meaning of things. I believe this is a good centerpiece for the epic because it shows that there are real trials that are faced, but there is a hope if we just have the right perspective, which leads perfectly to the second half of the album, which basically outlines how to have this correct perspective.

“Evermore” is a glimpse at the promise that is given if we endure the whirlwind. “Set Us Free” is a cry for help to be free of the wrath of the whirlwind that continues to rage around us. “Lay Down Your Life” gives us the method that we need to get past the whirlwind- we must lay down ourselves, and all the worldly things that have their hold on us and truly give ourselves to God. “Is It Really Happening?” is the shock and awe that we feel as we realize the greater purpose of life that is ours if we lay down our natural selves. Then, the big grand finale, “Dancing with Eternal Glory,” brings the message home and ties the whole album together. It is an expression of the beauty and true majesty of eternity and life beyond the whirlwind. Especially meaningful to me is the idea that God has always been there in the whirlwind helping us through and trying to show us the right way and give us the key we need so we can partake in this Eternal Glory. We can all be partakers of this Eternal Glory if only we endure life’s trials and seek out God through the whirlwind.

This album, at its core, is deeply religious, which isn’t hard to believe since Neal Morse is involved. The surprising thing is that the rest of Transatlantic is not as religious as Neal is, and yet they allowed such a strong Christian message in this album. There has actually been some controversy about this since many were hoping that this album would allow for Neal to express his creativity without promoting his Christian message that has been such a big part of all his solo albums since leaving Spock’s Beard. However, I believe that Neal feels so strongly about his religious convictions that he can’t help but include them in any project he works on and that those who are offended by it just have to not listen to Neal anymore unfortunately. Obviously the other guys in the band were fine with the lyrical content and even contributed to it, so I’m sure they are all happy with the finished project, and the message isn’t as blatant here as it is in Neal’s solo albums (except perhaps in the last piece, “Dancing With Eternal Glory”).

But, I don’t have a problem whatsoever with the lyrics (which could have to do with the fact that I’m a Christian myself). What I can say, is that I feel this album is a huge success. I focused on the lyrics in my review, but the music is also incredible. Pete Trewavas really impresses me with his bass work on this album, it is consistently amazing throughout the album. Roine Stolt has some amazing guitar solos peppered throughout the album (some of the best in my opinion come in the middle of “The Wind Blew Them All Away” and “Out of the Night”). Mike Portnoy is amazing on drums as usual and I always love Neal and he continues to shine on this album. I also want to point out the last half of “Is It Really Happening?” as one of my favorite musical moments of all time where the music gets faster and faster and all members of the band play at breakneck speed- it always puts a huge smile on my face.

I love the creativity that abounds when these four individuals get together to create music and I hope to hear a lot more from them in the future. There is a sense of fun in this record that is infectious and that is part of what I love about what Transatlantic brings to the table. They can be goofy and fun in one moment and heartfelt and passionate the next. They truly have a love of the progressive rock of the seventies and that shines throughout the album as well. I can’t wait to see these guys in concert in April and I love everything that they are involved with. This album is most definitely a masterpiece and I expected nothing less from the creative forces at work behind it.

Rating: 10/10

94. The Beatles- Rubber Soul

2009-07-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep this one short since I already talked about how important the Beatles are to my experience as a music listener. Rubber Soul is a very special album because it is a perfect bridge between the poppier early Beatles and the experimental later Beatles. Every song here is a classic and I love how the album flows seamlessly from track to track. I can't pin down exactly what it is, but this album has a very specific spirit to it, and each track embodies that spirit perfectly. This album has it all: beautiful harmonies and brilliant songwriting and arranging. This album reminds me of my childhood, and for that very reason, I simply couldn't resist putting it on my list. An essential Beatles album.

95. Genesis- Trick of the Tail

2009-07-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

“Trick of the Tail” is the first Genesis album after Peter Gabriel left the band following their masterpiece “The Lamb Lie Down On Broadway”. Genesis have a very special place in my heart because they are one of the first four prog bands that I ever heard (the others being Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd and Yes). My dad is a huge fan of Genesis and is the one who introduced me to them and it was a magical experience. He mainly focused on the Peter Gabriel Genesis albums (which I will get to in later entries) and I discovered the Phil Collins Genesis albums later. Trick of the Tail is solid proof that Genesis was more than capable of carrying on without Peter Gabriel (much like Spock’s Beard carrying on without Neal Morse). Phil Collins does an excellent job of taking the role of front man and singer. This album has a really positive mood about it and it always makes me happy when I listen to it.

There are several standout tracks here. The opener, Dance on a Volcano, is excellent and sounds in many ways like classic Genesis. It is hard rocking and shows that Phil Collins has chops as a drummer (which many people don’t know). Entangled is a beautiful ballad that showcases the talents of Steve Hackett on guitar. I really love Mad Man Moon which is a showcase for keyboardist Tony Banks, who proves that he is a virtuoso at his instrument. Also, the closer, Los Endos, is excellent in how it brings the whole band together to revisit the themes of the whole album in an explosive instrumental track. I really do love this album—it still sounds fresh even 30 years later and really makes me feel good when I listen to it. The mark of a masterpiece of music is one that connects with the listener emotionally, and this album definitely does.

96. Agents of Mercy- The Fading Ghosts of Twillight

2009-07-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is a very recent album, in fact I reviewed it not too long ago on this blog. I'll just copy and paste some of the things I said before in my review about why I love this album so much:

"I love this album! It is simply beautiful. It has grown on me through repeated listens, and now I really have a great appreciation for each song. First, a small background on the album, it is mainly the brainchild of one of my favorite prog musicians of all time: Roine Stolt. His signature sound is all over this album. Another notable feature of this album is the singing of Nad Sylvan. I'll admit, his voice took me a little getting used to, but once I did, it really enhanced the music. His voice is a cool cross between Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Fish- 3 of my favorite singers. He has a lot of character in his voice that really comes out in the compositions of this album.

The album is a little more laid back than your average prog album, but I love it that way. It gives the album a really cool mood that is consistent throughout. And, don't be misled, there are moments when it rocks hard. It is a brilliant combination of classic Genesis, Beatles, and the signature Flower Kings sound that comes with Roine Stolt's songwriting. It makes for a rather enjoyable listen that I just can't get enough of. It has stayed in the CD player in my car since it was released and has been a joy to listen to.

....As you can tell, I'm having a difficult time really putting my feelings for this album into words. I really love the laid back mood of the album, a great soundtrack to spring and summer. There is a lot of great acoustic moments, which makes sense since Roine Stolt originally intended for this album to be an acoustic solo album. But, there are also a lot of great prog moments that really call back Genesis at their best. Nad Sylvan also has managed to really capture the mood of this piece with his vocals."

Conclusion: This is an incredible album that is a throwback to late Beatles and early Genesis. Roine Stolt is a master at what he does and this is no exception.

97. Michael Jackson- Thriller

2009-07-06T09:20:00.001-07:00

I consider this album to be a perfect pop record. Michael Jackson was a genius at what he did. He was a brilliant performer and produced some of the greatest modern pop music during the eighties and early nineties. He had a huge, important impact on music as we know it and truly deserves the title "King of Pop". Unfortunately, towards the end of his life, the controversies he was involved in seemed to dominate the attention placed towards him. But, that shouldn't be allowed to take away from the brilliance of what he did for music and for the performing arts.

This album contains many hits of which Jackson is well known for, including: Billie Jean, Beat It, and Thriller among many others. The songs have an appealing funk to them which makes them great to dance to. He even infuses some rock, especially on Beat It. I think Billie Jean is a perfect pop song, it has a catchy chorus and engaging verses. It is truly a brilliant song. I also have a special place in my heart for P.Y.T. which I think is a great song that has a great groove to it. Thriller is a huge accomplishment for Michael Jackson who was relatively young when it first came out. It really has nothing to do with Progressive Rock, but I can't help but smile while I listen and enjoy the melodies and beats. It is a masterpiece of pop, and should not be overlooked!

Dream Theater- Black Clouds and Silver Linings

2009-07-06T09:08:00.001-07:00

Dream Theater have been one of my favorite bands ever since I first heard Scenes From a Memory. Scenes From a Memory was a revolutionary album for me—it instantly connected with me and introduced me to a genre I love called Progressive Metal and began my fascination with this band which of course led me to pick up all their albums and to eagerly await their next album (which at that time was Train of Thought). The album in question here is Black Clouds and Silver Linings, which I don’t hesitate to say is one of the best albums Dream Theater have ever created. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word and I haven’t been this excited about Dream Theater since I first heard Scenes From a Memory over five years ago.

Black Clouds and Silver Linings, just as the name suggests is a record about the hard times in life and being able to find the “silver linings” from these experiences, such as a lesson that can be learned or pulling out something good that came out of the hard experience. The album opens with a storm, representing the black clouds, before the band comes in full force with “A Nightmare to Remember”. This is one of Dream Theater’s best openers and really causes the excitement to rise within the listener. Mike Portnoy is in top form as he drums with intensity, even doing some blast beats. One of the best parts of this song is the “Beautiful Agony” section where things slow down a bit and James LaBrie shows off his incredible voice. The band comes back in and Mike is able to give some growling vocals to accent the fierceness of the vocals before the band comes in for a quirky and fun instrumental section before the song ends.

“Rite of Passage” is the single from the album and it is a typical metal song, although much better than the previous single from the last album “Constant Motion”. This song has a wonderful sing-along chorus and a great soloing section where John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess get to show their chops on their respective instruments. A notable moment is the bebot solo from Jordan which is done with use of his iphone. The next song, “Wither”, is a beautiful ballad—one of the best ballads this band has created. “The Shattered Fortress” is the conclusion of the 12 step saga that Mike Portnoy has written about his steps in overcoming his alcohol addiction. It is a powerful finale that incorporates all the best parts of the whole saga and it has some more incredible solos from John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess.

“The Best of Times” is a touching song that Mike wrote for his dad who passed away recently. The song makes me tear up because it such a sincere lyric from Mike that shows that he is truly speaking from his heart. Continuing with the theme of the album, this song shows how his Dad’s death was a black cloud, but the memories they shared is the silver lining that he can take away from it that will help strengthen him throughout the rest of his life. One of my favorite moments of the whole album is the end of this song where John Petrucci performs a magnificent guitar solo that is emotionally moving and a great way to end this song.

The final song of the album is “The Count of Tuscany” and it is one of the best Dream Theater epics. The introduction is an excellent showcase of the whole band, and it is one of the most brilliant melodic sections of music the band has ever crafted. The story of the song is a personal experience by John Petrucci where he took a ride with a man who called himself the Count of Tuscany and was an odd man with a brother who is compared to a cannibal. John feels terrified for his life in this situation being in a house with these eccentric characters. There are so many great instrumental moments until finally there is a break and a big atmospheric Yes-like section starts of for the next several minutes. The finale of this song is one of the best parts of the whole album where the Count tells John that he is not as scary as John thinks he is and that John is free to go and to tell everybody about him and his brother. It is a majestic closing with wonderful guitar and James LaBrie’s voice is on top form here.

As you can probably tell, I love this album. I consider it a masterpiece. From the opening storm to the majestic closing, I am captivated by it. I can’t wait to see them live in August and I hope they perform some of these songs at that concert (please play A Nightmare to Remember and The Count of Tuscany!). I think this album is the perfect balance between the different styles Dream Theater has: metal and progressive; hard rocking and emotionally touching. It is a perfect balance, which I believe is another manifestation of the Black Clouds and Silver Linings theme. This is going to be a tough album to top this year (Transatlantic, I’m looking at you). I am thankful for all the brilliant music that Dream Theater has created throughout the years and am delighted to say that they still have “it”. As evidence of this, this album landed at #6 on the billboard charts—the highest position the band has ever received throughout their career. This album is a band playing at the top of their game, and I hope they can continue making brilliant albums like this one.

Rating: 10/10

98. The Beatles- Revolver

2009-07-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Ah...the Beatles have a very special place in my heart because they are what started my passion for music. When I was very young (somewhere between the ages of 11 and 13) my Dad shared the Beatles music with me and I was blown away. We immediately went to the store and picked up the red and blue albums (which contain all of the Beatles greatest hits throughout their career). I wore those albums out and then set out to collect all of the Beatles albums. This sparked my interest in prog later (which my dad introduced me to) and also to more modern rock, which was a passion of mine throughout high school.

Anyway, enough reminiscing, this is one of the first albums where the Beatles truly started experimenting with music (and drugs, unfortunately) and created an album that was extremely sophisticated for its time. I feel that Revolver is one of the important albums that influenced progressive rock because it was a band at the peak of their creativity experimenting with rock music and pushing the boundaries of what was considered conventional rock at the time. There are many highlights on this album- the wonderful opener, Taxman, sung by George Harrison. Eleanor Rigby, which is a classic in every way, that makes use of strings to create a certain mood. Here, There and Everywhere is a wonderful ballad that features the great vocals of Paul McCartney. Good Day Sunshine and And Your Bird Can Sing are both wonderfully uplifting and are great examples of the Beatles at their peak.

The Beatles are the most influential band in rock history and are a huge influence on progressive rock and I'm thankful for their influence. On later albums they get even more experimental and progressive, but I'll leave that for future entries...

99. Spock's Beard- Feel Euphoria

2009-07-02T14:35:00.001-07:00

It’s funny, the previous favorite album is by a band that is perhaps my least favorite of all the prog I’ve heard, and now I’m featuring an album by my favorite prog band. This is going to be an interesting list to be sure! Feel Euphoria is the seventh album by Spock’s Beard and is an important one in their history. Following their concept album, Snow, Neal Morse decided to leave the band for religious reasons. This was a huge deal since Neal Morse was the main songwriter/singer/multi-instrumentalist for Spock’s Beard, so what would they do with him? They decided to pull a Genesis and let drummer Nick D’Virgilio become the new front man. He had already shared his wonderful voice on a couple of tracks from Snow (Carie and Looking For Answers) so it seemed like a promising proposition.

I discovered Spock’s Beard around the time that this major change occurred in their line-up. I was devastated when I heard about it because I had just discovered one of my favorite bands, and now its key member was leaving to forge his own solo path. But, I decided to look at it positively—now I was getting not just one, but two albums at a time from my favorite group of musicians. So, I awaited Testimony by Neal Morse and this album with a lot of excitement.

Feel Euphoria came first and it was an exciting moment since this was my first brand new Spock’s Beard album to explore. I recognized that it wasn’t as good as the Spock’s Beard material with Neal, but I was pleased to find that it had a charm all of its own. Spock’s Beard was far from lost without Neal at the head. Nick has a wonderful voice and this album showcases it brilliantly. There are a few weaker tracks, but that is forgivable since this is practically a debut album for Spock’s Beard version 2.0. I love the opener Onomatopoeia, it really rocks hard and brings the excitement right up front. The Bottom Line is a classic Spock’s Beard track to me that has some great synth from Ryo and a multiple sections that are all great. If anything the song is too short and they could have developed some of the ideas in it more.

Other tracks I really love are the hauntingly beautiful Ghosts of Autumn that really showcases Ryo’s chops on keyboards and Nick’s wonderful vocals. This song was written by Dave Meros, and shows that he is a strong songwriter. I love the epic, A Guy Named Sid. It may not be as strong as Neal’s epics, but it has its moment including a Gentle Giant vocal round section all done by Nick. I think Nick D’Virgilio and Dave Meros are perhaps the greatest rhythm section in all of progressive rock. They are very solid here and Alan Morse shows his signature guitar sound. Carry On is a great closer and ends on a very positive note.

I have a special spot in my heart for this album because it proved to me that Spock’s Beard was not dead—they were alive and kicking and capable of producing great music without Neal’s influence. I can’t help but smile and feel nostalgic as I listen to the album. I am very impressed with how Spock’s Beard moved on so quickly from Neal’s departure and were able to craft such a great album. This is truly a remarkable feat and I will continually appreciate the album as I keep that in mind.

100. Marilion- Misplaced Childhood

2009-07-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

I will admit straight out that I have had a constant struggle with the band Marillion. When I was discovering modern prog bands for the first time, I discovered a band called Transatlantic and found out they were a supergroup made up of members of different current prog bands. One of the members, Pete Trewavas, was the bass player for Marillion, so I decided Marillion would be a good band to check out. Well, I was severely dissapointed because the music sounded really boring and I couldn't really identify anything "proggy" about it. But, throughout my exploration of modern prog, every once in a while I'll come across a strong recommendation for Marillion and I decide to give them another chance, usually ending in more disappointment.

One of these times I bought the album "Misplaced Childhood" because it seemed to be the album that everyone considered to be their masterpiece. I wasn't too impressed on first listen and once again regarded it as a dissapointment. But, something possessed me to try the album again, and I found it a bit more enjoyable on second listen. After a while this album managed to grab me and now I consider it as one of my favorites. Later I would try to get in to other Marillion albums without success (sorry, I just don't understand the appeal of Marbles). My conclusion is that maybe I only like the Fish fronted Marillion, because it seems that all the Marillion that has been disappointing has been the version of Marillion fronted by Steve Hogarth. Fish is such a charasmatic front man and singer that I can't help but be captivated by his performance on this album. This post has actually inspired me to perhaps check out more of the Marillion with Fish.

This album is a concept album, and I'm a sucker for concept albums- they always tend to be my favorites. The album is about losing childhood as we grow up and the loss of innocence associated with growing up. Because of the concept, the music is pretty dark for a majority of the record and Fish gives a very emotional vocal performance that is one of my favorite vocal performances on any album. You can tell that he is very emotionally invested in what he is singing about. Kayleigh is a wonderful pop song that actually recieved some popularity at the time this album was released. Heart of Lothian is a wonderful rock song with some wonderful guitar work from Steve Rothery. My favorite section of the whole album, though, is the last three songs: Blind Curve, Childhood End? and White Feather. These songs are the most progressive on the whole album and they also the most uplifting (the last two especially, Blind Curve is still depressing). The message given is that there isn't really an end to childhood, that we can still maintain the innocence we had as children and can use our knowledge to help the children of the world now. It is a great ending to a great album.

I really do love this album despite it not seeming completely progressive to my ears. I am not a huge fan of music that came out in the '80s, in fact I believe this is the only '80s album in my whole top 100. But, that perhaps makes it even more special, because it was released in the year of my birth, 1985. This album is also special because of the inclusion of Pete Trewavas who is one of my favorite musicians of all time (and he does do a lot of impressive bass playing on this album). I may never fully understand Marillion's huge fan base in the prog community, but I do have a place in my heart for Misplaced Childhood and consider it a gem of progressive rock.

Riverside- Anno Domini High Definition

2009-07-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

This album is heavy and aggressive…and I love it! Riverside is a Polish band that made quite an impression in the progressive rock scene with their Reality Dream Trilogy. I found all three of the Reality Dream albums excellent, but I think this album may transcend even that excellent trilogy. All musicians are in top form here, the playing is absolutely fantastic and this album is a nonstop roller coaster ride for its almost 45 minutes. In fact, it is hard to tell where one track ends and the next begins, it all just seems to blend together making for a breathtaking experience.

The first two tracks are pretty standard Riverside rock songs. The opener, Hyperactive, is notable for its interchange between heavy guitar and drums and Duda singing beautifully acapella. It really creates a great dynamic that is fun to listen to. The third song, Egoist Hedonist, is wonderful—it starts with a more laid back electronica section before becoming another aggressive rock jam complete with horns! This leads into perhaps my favorite track on the album, Left Out. This is the most mellow track on the album and is beautiful with Duda’s singing and beautiful acoustic guitar. As is common on this record though, the mellowness doesn’t last long and we are taken into another jam that really grooves with some awesome organ playing. The final track is another epic of sorts that is even heavier than the previous song and ends the album on a high note.

This is an incredible album because of the virtuosity involved with all band members. I am impressed with how much power and aggression is put into this album, and it is an exciting listen that captivates me for the whole album length. I really can’t find anything to complain about with this record, it is consistent and a blast to listen to. Definitely a contender for top album of the year.

Rating: 9/10

My Top 100 Favorite Albums

2009-07-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have not kept up with this blog as frequently as I have wanted to, so I've decided to commit to counting down my favorite albums of all time, giving the reasons why the album is so special to me. I'm not sure how frequently I'm going to do this, possibly daily throughout the summer since I have some more time. Anyways, it should be fun, I may even put up number 100 some time later today! With these entries, I will listen to the album prior to writing my entry so that I can be reminded of why that particular album is one of my favorites. The difficult thing about making such a list is that it is constantly changing, and tomorrow I may feel completely different about what my top 100 albums are. However, I am going to do my best to compile a list that represents a pretty consistent view I have with these albums. Another difficulty is that often a new album comes that will really impress me and will become one of my top 100 albums.

So, I guess what I mean by all of this is that this list is by no means a definitive list. It is ever-changing and will probably continue to change even as I'm presenting the various albums. But, I think it should be fun anyways. So, stay tuned for my top 100 favorite albums! Also, I'm still going to be reviewing new CDs as well, in fact reviews should soon be up for artists such as Dream Theater, Riverside and Phideaux. So, that is the plan, I hope it works out well!

IQ- Frequency

2009-06-24T14:26:00.001-07:00

Frequency is the latest album from prog giants, IQ and is notable for being their first after the departure of key member Martin Orford. Many fans wondered if IQ would be the same without Orford’s influence. Let me assure you that this is still the IQ that fans know and love. I may not be the best to judge because I’ve never been a huge IQ fan, but to these ears this is the best album IQ have ever created. I have always tried to avoid IQ because of their frequent comparisons to Marillion (a band I just can’t seem to get) and their association with the Neo-Prog movement (a subdivision of prog that generally doesn’t interest me). But, despite these reservations I picked up Dark Matter quite a few years ago when it came out and I ended up really enjoying it. Because of my positive attitude towards this album, I decided to order the latest IQ offering, Frequency, and boy am I glad that I did. This is one of my favorite albums, a true masterpiece of Prog for me. I can’t get enough of it!

The album kicks off with the title track, and what a powerful track it is! It starts with some random frequency noise before the bass kicks in with a pounding rhythm. The band rocks out for a bit before slowing down, allowing Peter Nicholls to come in with his wonderful voice. One of the things that strikes me with this album is the pure beauty of Nicholls voice, it fits the music perfectly and makes him one of my favorite prog vocalists. This song moves fiercely through many great sections, and it ends leaving me wanting more. It is a progressive tour de force that never gets old. It is followed by Life Support which starts as a pleasant ballad once again focusing on Nicholls voice before it turns into a jam with a weird keyboard solo. I wasn’t sure what to make of the odd keyboard noises from new keyboardist Mark Westworth at first, but I have gotten used to them and now love them.

This leads into Stronger Than Friction, another favorite of mine, which starts with a happy upbeat melody that isn’t overly complicated but is really fun to listen to. This song moves through different movements but does so naturally so that the song flows beautifully from one part to the next. I especially love the ending where the band rocks out, especially guitarist Mike Holmes (who I feel is the other star of this album along with Nicholls). The ending goes right into One Fatal Mistake, which is a great segue between Stronger Than Friction and Ryker Skies. It is another ballad that presents one of the main themes of the album in a pure way. Ryker Skies is a killer song that has a great heavy atmosphere to it that really grabs the listener’s attention. I really like some of the proggier keyboard moments spread out through the piece, and I love the sing-along chorus. It is definitely highlight.

This song leads right into the masterpiece of the album, The Province. I don’t think I have adequate words to describe the beauty of this song. It is 13 minutes of pure beauty and inspiration and impresses me even on the 37th listen (or whatever listen I’m on right now, sorry I haven’t been keeping track). The sound bursts out at you at points that makes it a really exciting piece, but there is also room for heartfelt vocals from Nicholls. My favorite moment of the song, and the whole album in fact, is toward the end with Holmes goes off on this incredible guitar solo that highlights the main musical theme of the song. It is inspiring, magnificent, and whatever grand word you want to put in. It just gets me every time-it is wonderful.

Appropriately titled, the final song of the album is Closer, and what a great closer it is! It is a pleasant ballad that once again highlights the main theme of the album and really brings things full circle. As I listen, it gives me time to reflect on how brilliant the album was. Every musician involved is playing at their top performance level, and there is originality and emotion pouring through every note. It isn’t very often that I feel this moved by an album (unless Neal Morse is coming out with a new album). I really have no other choice but to give this album a perfect score. I urge all prog fans to give this album a chance, you may be as moved as I am by it.

10/10

Hourglass- Obvious to the Oblivious

2009-06-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hourglass is a new band to me. They are based out of Orem, Utah, which happens to be the next city over from where I live in Provo. I discovered them on one of my favorite prog sites www.dprp.net where there was a very positive review of this album. From there I went to Hourglass' website and listened to samples from their latest album and was blown away. I bought the CD from them immediately because of how impressed I was. When I recieved the CD in the mail a couple days later, I couldn't wait to listen to it! I put the CD on my ipod and started to play the music and...I wasn't all that impressed. I was really bummed out- had I made a huge mistake? Luckily, I decided to give the album another chance and was blown away by it all over again. How could I have been dissapointed with this album on first listen? This is definitely one of my favorite albums so far this year and is a strong contender for album of the year.

This album could be classified as Progressive Metal, but it is never too heavy. The heaviest track is easily the first one, On the Brink, that starts off Disc 1. This song really reminded me of The Glass Prison by Dream Theater, which is one of my all time favorite songs. It has a powerful riff, and the whole band plays fantastically- it is a perfect start to a great album. The singer, Michael Turner, sounds like Ted Leonard from Enchant, but also gets in some growling in the opening track. He hits this high note in the second half of the song that just blows me away every time- he is truly a great singer. What really impresses me about this band, though, is the amazing bass playing of Eric Blood. There are moments where the music stops and Eric Blood plays an awesome bass part by himself before the rest of the band come in. These are some of my favorite parts and show how funky and rocking he is as a bass player. Amazing stuff!

There is a lot of stuff on this album, so I think it would take too long to go through each song individually, so I'll just give some highlights. What is amazing to me is that this album spans two whole discs and there is not a boring or bad moment throughout the whole album. I love Pawn II, which seems like an instrumental until the soft, tasteful vocals come in about halfway through the song. There is some amazing playing going on in this song and it just blows me away every time. I love the closing epic on the first disc, called 38th Floor. It is over 20 minutes of highlights that move seamlessly from one piece to the next. Just so you know I'm not playing favorites, I really love the guitar playing of Brick Williams, it is truly outstanding.

I love the instrumental piece on the second disc, Delirium. It gives all players a chance to shine including the two band members I haven't mentioned yet, Jerry Stenquist on Keyboards and John Dunston on Drums. There is no weak link in this band, every member is fantastic! And, who can forget the awesome epic that closes the album? The title track, a thirty minute piece split into 5 parts, is incredibly done and showcases all the great styles that this band includes in its music. There are heavy bits, some great singing, more tasteful bass work, a beautiful ballad section, and a jazzy ending. It is the perfect ending to a great album as the band members jam together.

I love this album! The more I write about it, the more excited I get about it. It is an album that keeps growing on me and really makes me appreciate the complexity involved in progressive metal. I would give this album a perfect score, but there are some minor imperfections, mainly the sound quality of the album is not as crisp as I would like it to be. Also, I have a feeling Hourglass have even better albums to come, so I want to give them room to grow. Great work here and a strong contender for album of the year!

Rating: 9/10

Blind Ego- Numb

2009-05-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep this review short because I'm not quite sure what to say about this album. Although labeled as prog, this album feels a lot more mainstream to me, almost veering into modern rock/AOR. Blind Ego is a side project of Karlheinz "Kalle" Wallner, who is the guitarist of a prog band called RPWL. He has assembled a sort of prog super group composing of such people as John Jowitt and John Mitchell, who initially sparked my interest in the album. However, after listening to this album several times, I find it hard to come to some conclusion about how I feel about the album.

To my ears, this feels like some kind of cross between Demians, Porcupine Tree, and perhaps IQ. The album has a very distinct feel that I actually enjoy. It has many great moments both heavy and light. I love the guitars on this album, there are definitely some great headbanging moments throughout this album. I do miss, however, any sign of keyboards throughout this album. I'm not sure if they are sparse or nonexistant, but the lack of them really lessens the impact that this album may have had on me. But, that being said, this album is an enjoyable listen- I have no urges to turn off the CD player as I listen to it. However, on the other side, it isn't a CD I would play often, I think it is largely forgettable. Enjoyable, yet not memorable is how I would describe it.

I hope this doesn't come off as sounding too harsh, because that is not my intention. I think the band members all play incredibly well on this album and there are many moments that are truly breathtaking. It is just that, after listening to it at least 5 times, nothing really sticks out to me. Most of my favorite albums have moments that I can immediately think of when I think about the album that stick out to me and make me excited to get to those moments. On Numb, I can't recall any particularly interesting moments until I actually go back and listen and think, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that part, it's pretty good!" I think the reason for this may be more because I just can't get into a certain vein of prog rock, usually classified as "Neo-prog". I like my prog symphonic and bombastic. There are a few artists within the "Neo-prog" category that do connect with me, but the large part doesn't move me. I stick this album in with ones by Demians, Marillion, Arena and Pendragon. I just don't "get" these artists. But, Numb is an enjoyable listen, and I don't regret buying it, I just don't see myself returning to it often. If you like the bands mentioned, go ahead and get it, you might just disagree with me.

Rating: 5/10

Be Patient, Proggers!

2009-05-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

There haven't been that many updates here lately, and I'm sorry for that. The main problem is that there has been a bit of a dry spell for new releases for me. But, there are several that should be coming soon, so I should have a pretty consistent stream of new prog albums to review. I'm also going to try to make a better effort to keep my masterpieces of music series going consistently. So, don't lose hope! Reviews are coming, and I'm anticipating many great albums coming in the near future. It should be fun!

TRANSATLANTIC REUNITES!!!!!

2009-04-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

TRANSATLANTIC FLIES AGAIN!!!

PROGRESSIVE ROCK SUPERGROUP

REUNITES FOR NEW STUDIO ALBUM.

POSSIBLE LATE 2009 RELEASE PLANNED.

TRANSATLANTIC, the progressive rock "supergroup" comprised of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Pete Trewavas (Marillion), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) and Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard), have reunited after a 7 year hiatus to begin work on a brand new studio album.

The band began work on the album in early April in Nashville and are expected to have it released by year's end if all goes as planned.

TRANSATLANTIC have previously released two studio albums to tremendous critical and fan acclaim: 2000's SMPTe and 2001's Bridge Across Forever. The band toured on the heels of each release with an American Tour in 2000 and a European Tour in 2001 and released subsequent Live DVD's/CD's from both tours before going their separate ways for an indefinite hiatus which lasted almost the entire decade.

Masterpieces of Music: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

2009-04-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Dream Theater is one of my favorite bands. They were one of the first I discovered when I was looking into newer prog. I had already gotten a Spock's Beard album and a Flower Kings album, and it seemed from my research that the next logical step was to get a Dream Theater album. At the Best Buy, I couldn't help myself so I actually got two Dream Theater albums: Scenes From a Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (their two newest albums at the time). I immediately became a fan when I listened to these two albums and still consider them to be the best two Dream Theater albums.

One of my favorite Dream Theater moments is their performance of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence on the Score DVD. They unveil a full orchestra who proceed to play the complete overture. It is brilliant and really shows how great of a composer Jordan Rudess is. The overture on the album is already brilliant, being mainly a keyboard piece, but the orchestral version really takes it to new heights. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is an epic song split in to 8 parts. It fills the entire second disc of the double album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. It really showcases all the things I love about Dream Theater, from the Proginess, the heaviness, and even some heartfelt, slower parts. It is truly a remarkable piece of work.

It opens with the Overture, which I mentioned in the previous paragraphs. The overture highlights the whole rest of the piece, giving you a preview of the brilliance to come. There are even some bits that sound like they are straight from Disneyland's "Fantasmic". It is very exciting and epic and gets the listener ready for the song. I love it. This leads into "About to Crash" where the actual song starts with some brilliant keyboard playnig from Jordan Rudess before the whole band kicks in to start this rocking section. It has a great groove to it due to Mike Portnoy's brilliant drumming. I don't how to describe it, but the song just makes me really happy due to its uplifting melody. It is so great. There is a great guitar solo near the end that really allows John Petrucci to shine, he is one of the greatest modern guitarists. This all leads tot he next part...

"War Inside My Head" is a heavy piece that really takes the mood in a different direction. While "About to Crash" is more fun, this is more metal. But, that is why I love this piece, each section has a different mood to it. Everybody is playing at the top of their game here, down to the impeccable druming, crunchy guitar riffs and pounding bass lines. I like the trade-off vocals between James LaBrie and Mike Portnoy during the chorus, it really illustrates the war inside the head. This leads to the next section, kicked off by some amazingly fast guitar and keyboard. The next section, "The Test That Stumped Them All" is even heavier than the previous song. It allows for James Labrie to add some growl to his vocals. I love the drumming in this piece, it is killer! There is also another amazing guitar solo followed by a great keyboard solo--a trademark Dream Theater solo-off.

Then, things slow down considerably for "Goodnight Kiss". It is like a beautiful lullaby with a fantastic keyboard solo and James LaBrie at his most tasteful vocally. Not to be outdone by Jordan Rudess, there is a heartmelting guitar solo from John Petrucci in this piece towards the end that is truly one of my favorite moments of the whole song. This leads to a very fun piece called "Solitary Shell" which starts with some light-hearted acoustic guitar playing complemented by some great proggy keyboards. This is a great section with a wonderful sing along chorus. There is also a great acoustic guitar solo in there which really gives this section almost a Morsian Latin flavor, followed by a great little solo bit by Jordan Rudess. They are always complimenting each others solo never giving the other a chance to upstage them.

This leads into the fantastic guitar-led opening of "About to Crash (Reprise)" which is an incredible section that obviously harks back to "About to Crash". The whole band is rocking on this piece and it is one of my favorite sections of the whole song. The end is a soaring instrumental section that is simply too awesome for words with everybody having their moment to shine- it is very classic progressive stuff, and I love it that way! What would an epic be without a grand finale? The last section is appropriately called "Losing Time/Grand Finale" and it definitely lives up to the title. I really can't describe the heavenly beauty of this closing section. James LaBrie gives what I consider his best vocal performance ever, and the band complements him in epic fashion.

I just love this song because it shows everything that Dream Theater is about. There are plenty of amazing solos from both Jordan Rudess and John Petrucci. There are heavy, rocking sections. There are light, more progressive section. There is a ballad. Everything about Dream Theater is summed up in this one song. I love Dream Theater and am thankful to them for providing me with so much great music over the years. I am very excited to see them live this year at Prog Nation. This song is a monument to the greatness that is Dream Theater. Hopefully, their new album contains a song (or more) that can top this one, but I have my doubts because of how brilliant this song is. Keep on rocking/proggin'!

Agents of Mercy- The Fading Ghosts of Twillight

2009-04-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

I love this album! It is simply beautiful. It has grown on me through repeated listens, and now I really have a great appreciation for each song. First, a small background on the album, it is mainly the brainchild of one of my favorite prog musicians of all time: Roine Stolt. His signature sound is all over this album. Another notable feature of this album is the singing of Nad Sylvan. I'll admit, his voice took me a little getting used to, but once I did, it really enhanced the music. His voice is a cool cross between Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Fish- 3 of my favorite singers. He has a lot of character in his voice that really comes out in the compositions of this album.

The album is a little more laid back than your average prog album, but I love it that way. It gives the album a really cool mood that is consistent throughout. And, don't be misled, there are moments when it rocks hard. It is a brilliant combination of classic Genesis, Beatles, and the signature Flower Kings sound that comes with Roine Stolt's songwriting. It makes for a rather enjoyable listen that I just can't get enough of. It has stayed in the CD player in my car since it was released and has been a joy to listen to.

The title track kicks off this album with some tinkling piano and Nad's signature vocals. It is a brilliant piece that moves seamlessly. "Unwanted Brother" took a little more getting used to, but once I did, I found myself in love with this song. I love the "like a thief in the night" part and how the harmonies really fit together. It is just really fun, calm little song. "Afternoon Skies" is a delightful song strengthened by some strong acoustic guitar playing. It is really peaceful with wonderful vocals. Then comes one of my favorite songs of the whole album "Heroes and Beacons". It starts out softly before it builds into a powerhouse of a song. It is full on prog in all its glory at its best moments, with great mellotron and guitar playing from Roine. I do have to make a special note of the guitar solo from Roine Stolt towards the end of the song, it is beautful and tasteful. Just another reason why Roine Stolt is one of my favorite guitarists. I just find myself captivated by the song from start to finish. Another captivating song for me is the next one, "Jesus on the Barricades". It is a slow ballad, but it is emotionally powerful and features some excellent basswork from Roine's bandmate, Jonas Reingold. It is one of my favorite moments of the album and a strong contender for best song of the year.

What I like about "Wait For the Sun" is that we finally get to hear the wonderful vocals of Roine Stolt. I've always really liked his voice. "A Different Sun" is another delightful song with some big prog sounds and another wonderful guitar solo from Roine. "Ready to Fly" is another song with Roine Stolt on lead vocals. It is a wonderful acoustic piece that is really uplifting and fun. "People Like Us" is also a great song with a bouncy, fun melody. I must admit, it is probably the least memorable song on the album for me. This leads to my favorite song of the album "A Soldier's Tale" that has everything I love in prog rock. There are even some great horns in the mix that really enhance the whole song. It is a powerful song that is beautiful, rocks, and is extremely proggy, often all at the same time. I can't express how much I love this song. I love the lyrics too, about a soldier who feels guilty about killing in war and never gets rid of that guilt no matter how much he is forgiven by God. It is brilliant. "Bomb Inside Her Heart" is another fun, poppier tune that is really catchy with a lot of good acoustic guitar. This leads to the awesome conclusion of the album, "Mercy and Mercury". This song brings the album full circle with some brilliant rocking bits along with call backs to the title track. I really love this track and think it is the perfect ending to a wonderful album.

As you can tell, I'm having a difficult time really putting my feelings for this album into words. I really love the laid back mood of the album, a great soundtrack to spring and summer. There is a lot of great acoustic moments, which makes sense since Roine Stolt originally intended for this album to be an acoustic solo album. But, there are also a lot of great prog moments that really call back Genesis at their best. Nad Sylvan also has managed to really capture the mood of this piece with his vocals. This album gets a high rating merely for the joy it gives me and is a strong first contender for album of the year, although there are many great albums coming, so I'm not sure if it can hold that spot for long...

Rating: 9/10

Masterpieces of Music: The Great Nothing

2009-03-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

I really don't have a profound experience to share that goes along with this song. I just remember picking up the album 'V' and being blown away by it, and feeling that "The Great Nothing" was the best part of the album. It is so unique, fun, and so typical of an amazing Spock's Beard song. It is all members of Spock's Beard playing at top notch and it sounds great. I guess a funny experience is that I was really excited for this song to play in the car as me and my friend Kevin took a trip to California for a Neal Morse concert. I had put together a collection of Neal Morse songs and this one came up and I started getting into it and was shocked to see that Kevin had fallen asleep! How could someone fall asleep to such a masterpiece? He woke up as soon as the next song started and I felt shaken about my placement of this as one of my favorite songs. But, I listened to it again on my own and realized that its position at the top of my favorite songs list was well deserved.

It opens with great majestic organ chords before the sublime acoustic melody that runs throughout the piece starts up and gets heavier with violin and electric guitar. There is beautiful acoustic guitar and piano running throughout the whole piece and it works wonderfully to create a great mood that was often achieved by Genesis in their greatest moments. I love the "One Note Timeless" theme, and that is the best way to describe this song- it is a timeless Spock's Beard classic.

Dave Meros is awesome on this song as well with some great chunky rhythms being played throughout the whole piece. Nick D'Virgilio is spot on with his drumming, which sounds fun and technically brilliant at the same time. One of my favorite parts is when the piano comes in with the haunting main melody right before the "Submerged" section. I love it so much.

The "Submerged" section on it own is incredibly fun. This section leads into "Missed Your Calling" which is another incredibly fun section that bounces along with a fun piano part. This section always puts a huge smile on my face even though the idea of missing your calling is not a particularly happy idea. This leads to an incredible Alan Morse guitar solo that really soars. Then Morse quiets things down by literally singing "quiet down". This leads to another of my favorite parts, where the main melody is played again on acoustic guitar as it was at the beginning. Which leads to a powerful cello version which sounds really cool, accompanied with some ultra-cool guitar licks and great drumming from Nick.

This is the best part of the song, where the whole band transcends the boundaries of music and play their hearts out. It is extremely fun, emotional, and awesome with some great fast keyboard bits thrown in for good measure. This is prog at its finest. Then Morse comes in with one of his most emotional singing moments, the climax where he repeats "One Note Timeless". This feels like a dramatic statement from the band about themselves. They came out of nothing, and literally had no buzz or following, but they have become truly great. And, I love the last line, "It plays on and on..." This statement to me makes me feel that Morse is saying that they will play on and on, even though they came from nothing.

This is why I love this song so much. It is a defining song for prog itself. Most of the world considers Prog as nothing and dismiss it, but those who really are dedicated to find good music recognize its greatness. Neal Morse came out of nothing to produce something truly great that will play on and on forever in the hearts of his fans, like mine. He and all of Spock's Beard are truly great and timeless and I will never be able to thank them enough for the great music they have produced that will play on in my very soul. This song is brilliant and captures my favorite band at their peak. Please listen and let this Greatness that came out of Nothing touch you as it has me.

The Source- Prickly Pear

2009-02-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

The Source is a young progressive rock band based out of Los Angeles. Prickly Pear is their sophomore album and shows development within the band from their first release. I regard them and Moon Safari as great new, young, fresh progressive acts amongst a lot of older, more established bands. I feel that the vast majority of prog bands are a lot older and it is refreshing to see young people closer to my age be inspired by progressive rock and provide a more youthful perspective. That is one of the main things I love about The Source, their sound is very refreshing in what can sometimes feel like a stale genre. I am in no way dissing progressive rock because I love more established bands, but it is a nice change of pace to have such a young band.

This album was a difficult one to review. At first, I was not that impressed by it. There were bits and pieces that caught my attention, but as a whole I wasn't moved by it. But, on repeated listens, I've really grown to love this album and now consider it a considerable improvement on their debut album. This album is definitely a grower, and I recommend that you listen to it numerous times to give it a chance before you make your final verdict on it. In fact, I still feel it is too early for me to form a final opinion, and I feel that it will only keep getting better as I keep listening. This album has become truly addicting for me and I love it.

While I feel the star of their debut was keyboard player/singer Aaron Goldrich, I think the star here is guitar player Harrison Leonard. I am drawn in by his playing which sounds an awful lot like Steve Howe at times, and very jazzy at others. I also love some of the acoustic guitar work as well that pops up on a few tracks. By highlighting Leonard, I in no way am downplaying the other members of the band. I think the playing is top notch all across the board. So, that being said, I'm not sure what bothered me when I first listened to this album. I thought Goldrich's vocals were perhaps too whiny, but I am now quite impressed with his style and love certain vocal sections. I think my main problem with the album is that there doesn't seem to be as much heaviness as I usually like in my prog. I don't mean that they have to have heavy, fast Dream Theater like sections, I just felt that sometimes they get a little too light in their approach and I would like a little more bite.

But, that being said, I've come to appreciate the more "light prog" elements of their sound. I absolutely love the opening track, "Promised Land" and have loved it from the start. The opening reminds me of the opening of "Close to the Edge" by Yes. It is chaotic and beautiful at the same time. I also love the instrumental bits at the end that lead the listener on quite the musical journey. I was actually a little dissapointed when it started to fade away because I was ready to be taken to the next part of the musical journey. The two shorter tracks, "Star Dreamer" and "Thin Air" are both favorites of mine as well, especially "Thin Air". I love the jazziness of this track and the "ooh, la la las" that make this such a fun listen.

The two longer tracks have been the most difficult for me to get into. "Until Morning Time" is great, but once again it seems to drift along without getting to a really hard hitting place that I expected it too. "Castles in the Sky" I like a lot more, and I especially love the ending which for me resembles the ending of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" by the Beatles. This really is a great piece and I have grown to love it more and more with each listen.

So, my verdict on this album is that I have really grown to love it and my score for it has gone up and up as I've listened to it again and again. I still feel I have a ways to go to truly appreciate this record. At first I thought that the compositions sounded chaotic and messy, but I am starting to get how the compositions fit together and flow and it is making for a much more enjoyable listen. So, my conclusion is that this is a remarkable band who have created a great album of music. There are parts where I get a little bored, but for the most part I am fully entertained and even blown away by some parts. This comes highly recommended and is the first album of the year that I feel truly has a chance of making the big end of year countdown. I look forward to getting to know this record even more.

8.5/10

Masterpieces of Music: Monsters and Men

2009-02-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

I have always loved The Flower Kings since I first heard their music. The last CD I bought before I went on my mission was "Adam and Eve" which I loved to death. It was one of the first albums I was excited to listen to when returning from my mission. So, I can't tell you how excited I was to recieve their new CD "Paradox Hotel" that had come out while I was on my mission. I had heard that it began with a great epic called "Monsters and Men" that all fans of classic Flower Kings would love it. So I listened expecting "love at first listen". Instead, I was baffled because the song didn't connect with me at all. I was dissapointed with myself, and tried to listen to it a few more times before I decided that there was finally a Flower Kings epic I didn't like.

Then, I was walking one day to BYU campus, and I had my ipod on shuffle as usual and this song came up. I almost skipped it, but then decided to let it play, and I was completely blown away! The emotional power of this song gripped me and I was almost in tears as I walked on campus that day. The song was touching me so deeply that I took a longer route to get to class so that I would be able to listen to the whole song. I couldn't believe that this song had never connected with me before. But, now, the song is one of my favorites of all time and my favorite Flower Kings song by far. I also must confess something- unless it is Neal Morse, I don't pay much attention to lyrics, so I'm not completely sure what the song is about lyrically. But, I know that the Flower Kings are all about optimism and hope and those qualities shine through the music. I love this song for the way it makes me feel as I listen and for the smile it puts on my face.

From the soft, serene piano opening, you know you are in for a treat. Then, Roine Stolt's guitar comes in for its heavenly melody before Hasse's voice comes in, starting the song in full force. I love the guitar lick at the first break from the singing, one of my favorites of all time. Then, Tomas Bodin comes back in with the great calm piano medley from the beginning of the song that leads back into the guitar lick I love being played mainly by Roine Stolt. It is hard to put into words the great feelings that wash over me as I listen to this melody as Roine Stolt and Tomas Bodin trade off in their virtuosic solos. It is Flower Kings perfection to the highest degree. It gives a distinct feeling that this song is not of this world, which is really a theme of the whole album in general.

Tomas Bodin plays more great piano, before Roine Stolt comes in with his voice to sing the next section. I really love his voice- it is so unique and fits the Flower Kings music like a glove. Roine Stolt compliments this section with some great guitar work. I am so impressed with how Roine and Tomas shine instrumentally throughout the whole piece. They really work well together and many of the solos in this song contain them playing simultaneously. There is a funny little section with a bouncy keyboard melody from Tomas interrupted by some mischevious laughter. It is a fun little section that ends with some great Organ work from Tomas. Once again, this leads right into another perfect Stolt solo that really rocks. I also love the drumming here, it really provides a great backdrop for Stolt and Bodin to shine.

Then we get into a heartfelt section led by Hasse's great clean voice. It is very reminiscent of Yes, especially the song Close to the Edge. There are some great harmonies that really lift this section. It is stunningly beautiful. This section moves along seamlessly with some more great piano playing from Tomas- I love the melody he plays here, it is so majestic. Then, things slow down even more for an emotionally heartwrenching guitar solo from Roine. I am so impressed with how he is able to just produce these amazing guitar solos in every project he is involved in. It is really amazing and makes him one of my favorite guitarists of all time. It really soars here before going back into one of the main melodies in the piece for a grand finale of epic proportions. It is truly one of the best examples of Roine Stolt's talent at the guitar. Then, the song fades away and the listener is left to ponder its brilliance.

I truly love this piece of art. Although I may not completely understand the lyrics, I feel the power in the music. The Flower Kings are masters at creating a mood in their music and I feel the majesty and positivity that this piece displays. I truly love it and feel it is the perfect representation of what the Flower Kings are all about. Truly brilliant!

Masterpieces of Music: The Door

2009-02-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

It was a day in early 2007 and I was anxiously sitting at my computer downloading a radio program that was going to play two whole tracks from the upcoming Neal Morse album, Sola Scriptura. This was the first new Neal Morse CD to come out after my mission, and I was dying of anticipation to listen to it. The radio program finally downloaded and I pressed play and fast forwarded through some chit chat from the radio DJ. Then, I started with the first track of the album, "The Door" and was completely blown away. It was 30 minutes of pure elation- every thing I love about prog is included in this one track. Neal Morse is a true genius and this is my favorite of his solo albums, and my favorite song on that favorite solo album. It holds a special place in my heart.

Sola Scriptura talks about the story of Martin Luther and the evil that he observed in the church during that time. In this track, we go back and forth between the evil practices of the church and Martin Luther's own conversion to the truth and his obligation to share that truth with the world. The introduction is the first part of the song, and it is a musical powerhouse. Neal starts right off with an insanely fast keyboard riff that develops into a full hard prog opening that blows my mind. All three of them (Morse, Portnoy and George) are going at full speed and it is breathtaking.

This section flows right into "In The Name of God" where we get our first look at the evil doctrines of the church at this time. Neal is very bold in this section and throughout the whole album and he doesn't hide anything. Lyrics like "Calls himself the Bishop-Prince and blood's his favorite wine" and "We'll take the Roman Gods except the names will all be changed" are particularly biting. This section also involves one of my favorite chorus's where Neal exclaims "In the Name of God you must die!" I also love the punchy keyboard bits towards the end of this section.

This heads right into the next section which contains one of Neal's best chorus's to date, "All I Ask For". This is our first glimpse at Martin Luther and his desire to be with God and live the life that God wants him to live. This shows Martin's faith, which provides a foundation for the rest of the album. I love the beauty of this section with the acoustic guitar and sublime harmonies. It is great at showing God's love and Martin Luther's sincerity in the gospel. It ends with what I consider the "God's Theme" of this album, which is repeated during different sections of the album to show that God is with Martin Luther in his quest. This is a wonderful melody that really connects to me emotionally.

Then, we are thrown right back into the heavy section that preceded "All I Ask For" with the same great punchiness. Then we get more biting lyrics in "Mercy For Sale" which is a fun section musically. This section once again shows the evils of the church and how they are trying to sell the gospel. There are some great vocal harmonies here similar to Gentle Giant. This leads to a bouncy section that always reminds me of Kansas. There is also a great guitar solo in the midst of this bouncy fun.

This leads to the next section, "Keep Silent" which starts with a great groove and goes into a more gospel oriented section. This section talks about how Martin Luther has to share the truth that he has found in the gospel. He can't just keep this truth to himself, he has a calling to bring this truth to the world, even though it might bring persecution from the church. I love the laid back feel to this section and there are some great guitar licks. It is really a cool section.

This finally leads to the finale of the song, "Upon the Door". This starts with a slow buildup with some beautiful strings carrying the melody. Things then get really quiet and there are some keyboard chords that closely resemble "Watcher of the Skies" by Genesis. Then, Neal's voice comes in and he sings alongside his piano. This is the moment where Martin Luther put the 95 theses, which show all the problems with the church at the time, on the door. It is a big moment of Martin Luther's life, and it is beautifully captured here. Then, there is the best guitar solo I have ever heard by guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert. I cannot describe how wonderful this guitar solo is- it manages to be emotionally beautiful and technically brilliant all at the same time. It gets to me every time. Then, this song is brought to a close with the words, "I will write my words upon the door."

It is an amazing piece of art that is technically brillant and emotionally poignant. It has some of the fastest, heaviest riffs I've ever heard Neal play, but also with the most emotionally charged lyrics I've ever heard. It is a great balance that showcases the contrast between the evils of the church and the righteousness of Martin's divine calling. This is prog at its finest and I never get tired of listening to this masterpiece.

Masterpieces of Music: Stranger In Your Soul

2009-02-06T15:05:00.001-08:00

This is the first entry of my "Masterpieces of Music" series. "Masterpieces of Music" is a series in which I highlight songs that I consider to be masterpieces. I will talk about what makes the song so special to me. I figured the best way to kick this series off is to talk about my favorite song of all time "Stranger In Your Soul".

Transatlantic is a magical band made up of several of my favorite musicians. First of all there is Neal Morse, my favorite song-writer/musician of all time- I think he is a musical genius. His music will be featured frequently in the "Masterpieces of Music". He is the main composer of this epic and his signature sound is all over it. Taking over the drum chair is Mike Portnoy, one of the most virtuosic drummers around today. Then there is Roine Stolt, who is at the head of another one of my favorite bands (The Flower Kings), taking over the guitar duties. He adds a unique spice to every project he is a part of. Finally there is Pete Trewavas who does a masterful job at playing the bass- truly one of the great bass players in the modern prog scene today. These four huge players in the prog scene came together for two incredible albums and, to me, the song "Stranger In Your Soul" is the peak (and unfortunately the end) of their amazing run.

One of my earliest memories of this song is when I was walking to High School one morning. I always would carry my discman with me and listen to a favorite CD during my walk to school. This particularly day the CD of choice was "Bridge Across Forever" and I was on the song "Stranger In Your Soul". It was a rainy day, and I didn't have a rain jacket or umbrella, but for some reason I was in absolute heaven listening to this sublime piece of art. The rain pounding on my head was like the drums pounding throughout the song and I was in a musical trance that I really hadn't experienced to this degree before. One of my friends moms pulled up to me and offered me a ride to school and I turned her down because I couldn't stand the thought of having to turn off this epic song that was giving me so much enjoyment. So, I continued walking in the pouring rain getting drenched, but feeling the music pulse through me stronger than ever.

Another reason I love this song so much was that it signified the day that I knew I had truly converted my best friend to Prog. He told me about how he was so in love with this song that he had to listen to it 4 times in a row (quite an undertaking for a 30 minute epic). I was impressed and ecstatic that his favorite song was mine as well and that we could share this new bond to strengthen our friendship. I also chose this song to be the final one I listened to before my mission. I was depressed because I wasn't going to be able to listen to my music for 2 whole years! But, as I listened to this song on the car ride to the MTC, tears of joy ran down my face. It was the perfect symbol for what I was going through at the time and continue to go through daily.

To me, this song is a metaphor for life and what we as humans go through in our lifetime. We are born as strangers and we spend our life trying to figure out who we are. We try to figure this out by looking into our past and grasping onto things that aren't of any worth. This search to find our true selves is what drives us and can ultimately lead us to awaken that stranger in our soul, to find out who we truly are and what our potential is. There is a lot of bad stuff happening in the world outside, but we can always find comfort in knowing who we truly are and what we can become. This is what life is all about, finding out who we really are- awakening the stranger in your soul. It is beautiful.

And, of course, the music behind all of these meaningful lyrics is incredible for the whole 26 minutes or so that makes up this masterpiece. It begins with the great string melody that begins the album on Duel With The Devil. Then you hear Mike's drums in a very unique rhythm before Neal comes in with the keyboards. It is an awesome buildup that creates excitement for what is to come. The first section, "Sleeping Wide Awake" introduces the main themes and is a beautiful piece that leads right into the hard rocking "Hanging In The Balance" where the 4 members get to trade off vocal lines in a very unique fashion. This technique really displays the confusion that can come from trying to find out who you really are.

Part 3, "Lost and Found Pt. 2", brings back an older theme on the album from "Suite Charlotte Pike" and is a lot of fun. It is a great way to convey the desire of trying to become found when you feel lost. Then, things slow down considerably for "Awakening the Stranger" which is pretty much just Neal playing beautiful keyboards and singing passionately. This passage describes the beginnings of the Awakening process and it is beautifully done. But, its not over yet, because this leads back into another rocking section called "Slide" which is one of the more fun bits in the song. All musicians are playing top notch here and the lyrics describe getting rid of all the doubt and fears and truly coming into your awakening process for your soul. Then comes the ultimate climax that is the most grandiose, beautiful ending for an album/song ever. This is a huge chill inducing moment as the first part of the song is repeated, but the lyrics are changed ever so slightly to have the complete opposite meaning from the beginning. No longer is the individual lost and a stranger to himself...now he has found himself and awakened that stranger in his soul. He can rise up to his potential and do that which he was meant to do! This is brilliant and gets me emotionally everytime I listen to it.

This song is a true masterpiece and I can't imagine any song ever surpassing it. It is the perfect description of everything I love about music and about life in general. If you haven't heard it, you are severely missing out on a life changing experience.

(Quick Note: This entry is quite a bit longer than what most entries in this section will be- I got a little bit carried away.)

Umphrey's McGee- Mantis

2009-02-02T12:16:00.001-08:00

This is my first album review of the year, and I am pleased to say that it is a good album. Umphrey's McGee is a jam band out of Chicago that has had increasingly progressive rock leanings throughout their history. I listened to their album "Safety In Numbers" a while ago, and was not overly impressed. There were some cool things on there, but overall I found it to be quite forgettable. So, I had my doubts about this album, but I have to say that it is a vast improvement over "Safety In Numbers" for me.

The album begins with "Made To Measure" which is a fun, bouncy Beatles-esque track. I really love this song and find it to be one of the more fun on the album. It is a great start for what is to come. The short "Preamble" sets the stage for the big epic of the album, "Mantis". I love so many things about this song. I love the piano line at the beginning that is a little haunting, and then it launches into a great lead guitar that gives the theme of the whole piece. This song moves from one section to another without stopping for the listener to take a breath. There are times when I felt the song maybe went on a little long, but there is so much great stuff included, that I can forgive this minor complaint. There is also some great string parts, particularly at the end. Great stuff!

"Cemetery Walk" is my personal favorite song of the album. I love the feeling the eerie piano gives at the beginning. This album, after the first song, seems to have a slightly darker mood to it. It is such a fun song with a great groove to it that is perhaps reminiscent of Steely Dan. It is very jazzy and funky and irresistably fun to listen to. I recommend it strongly! The band obviously felt the same way about the song because they immediately follow it up with "Cemetery Walk II" where they take the same great medley and turn it into an electronica dance song. It is very strange, and perhaps a little unnecesary.

"Turn and Run" is another favorite track of mine. It starts of with great acoustic guitar that provides a foundation for the rest of the song. The best part of the whole song, though, is the amazing guitar solo at the end. This is perhaps the most amazing display of guitar skills I've ever heard- it is just perfect. It would be a lot of fun to see live. "Spires" is another fun song. I felt an almost ELO vibe on this song. It is heavy in the first part, but then gets a lot more spacey towards the end. I love the vocal harmonies at the end, very cool stuff.

This is where the album kind of takes a turn for the worse. I really don't care for "Prophecy Now" which feels almost like filler to me. It is a droning piece with a lackluster vocal that follows the piano melody exactly. "Red Tape" is a little better, but it is particularly forgettable to me. But there are some cool horns on it and a great synth solo. I just don't feel it quite matches the quality of the better stuff on the disc. Thankfully, Umphrey's manages to get back on track right before the album ends. The album closer, "1348" is a great track that has some great guitar lines that are really rocking. It is a great finish to a really remarkable album.

So, in conclusion, despite my reservations, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I feel Umphrey's are coming out of their shell and developing into a full fledged prog rock band. When this album is at its best, it can contend with the best stuff in the progressive music scene today. I love the solos, which still remind us that this is a jam band at heart. So, I feel this is a potential contender to be on my top ten list at the end of the year. It is definitely a grower, and I love it more and more with each listen. I was going to give it a score of 7 originally, but after repeated listening, I had to raise that up a little. Great job, guys! Keep improving and you may end up as one of my favorite bands!

Score: 8/10

Out of the Depths of the Sea...

2009-01-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

This is my progressive rock review blog! I will review all of the latest prog rock CDs (and other CDs) that I acquire and will give my opinion of it and my score based on a 1-10 scale. If there is a dry spell where I don't get many new CDs for a while, I will give what I call a "Spotlight Review" where I will showcase an album from my collection that I consider fantastic and an essential album for all prog fans.

I will give a listen to an album at least 3 times before I give my opinion of it on this blog. At the end of the year, I hope to look back through this blog in order to determine the best albums of the year. Just to give you an idea of my music taste here are my top ten albums of last year:

10. The Garden- Unitopia
9. The Bedlam In Goliath- The Mars Volta
8. Not As Good As The Book- The Tangent
7. Who's The Boss In The Factory?- Karmakanic
6. Watershed- Opeth
5. The Tall Ships- It Bites
4. 01011001- Ayreon
3. Blomljud- Moon Safari
2. Experiments In Mass Appeal- Frost*
1. Lifeline- Neal Morse

Some of these albums may even be featured in one of my "Spotlight Reviews". I also may do many other things that I'm considering (such as showcasing favorite songs or having random countdown lists), but they will always relate to music- mostly progressive rock. Music, specifically prog rock, is a huge passion of mine, and I'm excited to share my excitement for this music with everybody. Prog rock did not die in the seventies, it is alive and well right here and now. So, come and ride the Leviathan- it is going to be exciting (and a little dangerous, mua ha ha!).