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  • Hyperdrive marks a new era for Knight Area.  The long running Dutch progressive rock band had previously released four studio albums and toured Europe and USA extensively, performing at all major prog rock festivals.  1n 2012 the band welcomed guitarist Mark Bogert as well as legendary bassist Peter Vink (Q65, Finch, Ayreon) into the fold. With these newcomers onboard, Knight Area introduced a heavier element and fuller sound to their repertoire.  All the classic symphonic rock traits of their previous albums are still clearly evident but the songs on Hyperdrive are more immediate and concise.The band invited noted prog guitarist Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) to participate as a special guest on one track.  Joost van den Broek, who is known for his production work with Epica, Mayan, and After Forever, mixed the album.   Rounding out the package is startling artwork by Gustavo Sazes.
    $6.00
  • Reissue of classic US prog rock band from the 70s had more than a little touch of AOR in their officially released album. This is a collection of unreleased, more complex material.
    $15.00
  • Its been quite a long time since we've heard from Magic Pie.  They went through lots of trials and tribulations getting this album finished but now its finally arrived.  If you are not familiar with this band here's the deal: Magic Pie are a Norwegian band with a retro 70s sound.  The music is a bit of a high wire act balancing the neo-prog sounds of The Flower Kings with the heavier elements of classic Uriah Heep.  They also seem to be the darlings of Rosfest having played there multiple times."It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since these proggers from Norway released their promising debut "Motions of Desire". At that time, their music struck me as an enthusiastic combination of classic prog and classic hard rock. (Think Deep Purple for the hard rock side of that equation.) At their best, they offered memorable passages and pieces that sounded like they very well could have been long lost recordings from many years ago. At their worst, they sometimes fell short of filling the big shoes of the legendary bands whose music they strove to emulate. That's actually not bad for a debut album from a new prog band. I found much to like and looked forward to hearing from them again in the future.Checking back in on them a decade later, I must say that I am very impressed with how they have developed and matured. No longer do I get the feeling that certain sections of songs are direct homages to any particular band from any one particular decade of prog's illustrious history. Their influences, while still very present and valid, are now more varied, including a greater percentage of modern reference points. More importantly, their influences are just that--merely influences rather than templates or even primary reference points.The sound quality on "King for a Day" is superb thanks in large part to the enlistment of sonic genius Rich Mouser (whose resume includes similar work for prominent contemporaries like Spock's Beard, Transatlantic and Dream Theater).Keyboardist Erling Hananger is an excellent addition to Magic Pie's recipe. His keyboard parts are expressive, dynamic and integral to the music. When appropriate, his leads seamlessly blend, harmonize, and work synergistically with electric guitar.The lyrics have a melodramatic and somewhat tragic flair this time around, but this is prog so you should be accustomed to the musical ride including a few tragic tales from time to time by now, right?OK ' so it's time for the "magic" question... A decade after their debut album, how has my impression of Magic Pie changed?On "King for a Day", I now hear a band which has found "its own voice", one that resonates confidently in the space somewhere between classic arena rock of yesteryear (on prog-steroids of course) and modern melodic prog of the 21st Century (like Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings). Add a few dashes of modern prog-metal to taste and you, my friend, have baked up a very nice confection indeed... MAGIC PIE!If you love modern prog anthems with big harmonies and 'sing along' choruses, give "King for a Day" a listen! I'm glad I did!" - ProgArchives
    $14.00
  • Its been four years since this British ensemble's debut album.  Been a long time coming but there have been a number of personnel changes in the band.  Founding members Alex Crispin (vox/keys) and bassist Dan Pomlett left the band, while guitarist Nicholas Richards switched over to bass.  While the band went through a state of flux their core sound didn't really change a hell of a lot.  Yeah maybe its pared down a bit but it is still steeped in the sounds of the early 70s.  Mellotron, organ and reeds abound.  Guitar is a bit more dominant but still with that retro Vertigo vibe.  Vocals only appear on one track and they are OK.  Think in terms of an instrumental VDGG in a massive jam session with members of Soft Machine and Eloy.  As if!  I will be hard pressed to come across a better progressive rock album released in 2012.  BUY OR DIE!
    $13.00
  • "New twists on the new album with the groundbreaking Swedish folk rock band. Cult ban d Kebnekaise - known for their electrified folk music - refuse to play on nostalgia. On the new album ‘pieces to their musical mosaic. Nine new songs that build on the passion and joy of folk music, from the airy happiness and steady rhythm to the melodic melancholy, conjured by psychedelic folk rock. Aventure is Kebnekajses ninth album since their debut in 1971 and the third since returning in 2001. The last album 'Idioten/The Idiot' was nominated for a Swedish Grammy in 2012 in the category 'Best Rock'. - We live on as if we never had taken a brake. For us, music is not a museum piece that sounds the same every day. Our music stands for something that doesn’t stop, but continue to evolve. Says Kenny Håkansson the bands illustrious psychedelic guitar wizard with a history in such legendary Swedish bands as T-Boones, Baby Grandmothers, Mecki Mark Men and Dag Vag. The new album 'Aventure' was recorded in the legendary Silence studios in Värmland, Koppom with non other than Anders Lind behind the controls, at the beginning of the summer. The album contains five new discoveries from the Swedish folk music treasure and four new self-written. Kebnekajses distinctive and pioneering folk rock sound is as secure as the mountain itself. As in the initial Snickar-Anders (Carpenter-Anders)  where heavy drums, percussion and double basses proud and challenging urge on distorted guitars and violin to purposefully play tag with an elusive Swedish folk melody. But the music is also allowed to take new and unexpected twists. A mandolin gives oriental pensive tone to Vallåt efter Britta Jansson (Grazing-ground Song after Britta Jansson). A Wild West guitar is accompanied by the now hilarious mandolin in Svartbergstrollen (Black Mountain Trolls), who effortlessly bounces between major and minor. The dreamy Vallåt efter  Måns Olsson (Grazing-ground Song After Måns Olsson) where the guitar folk loops hovers over a distinct African thumb piano. ‘Aventure’ offers more African elements - and three songs with vocals. On the title track Aventure Hassan Bah tells the tale of how he as a 15 years old left his home country of Guinea and eventually more or less accidentally arrived in Sweden ("... now I'm sitting on top of the mountain and looking out over Sweden"). And in concluding Battery where Hassan comments on his recent trip to Africa, in the Zuzu-language and over a high powered psychedelic afrobeat. With ‘Aventure’ Kebnekajse  add new pieces to their musical mosaic - Swedish folk rock with psychedelic overtones - now with more African undertones."
    $30.00
  • New vinyl pressing of the band's magnificent second album.  
    $22.00
  • 2LP edition comes with a CD of the album."In 2013, Norway's ever mercurial Motorpsycho released Still Life with Eggplant, with second guitarist Reine Fisk added to the fold. It was a collection of "other songs," those written for previous albums but not recorded. Those five cuts, despite their random sources, did have another connecting thread: they reflected some of the band's earliest explorations into hard rock and neo-psychedelia as displayed on records like Demon Box and Timothy's Monster. The way forward for Motorpsycho was apparently through the lens of the past. Behind the Sun marks the band's 25th anniversary, and once again, they journey further into that back catalog of unrecorded material. Produced by bassist and vocalist Bent Sæther, Motorpsycho once more employs Fisk as well as violist Ole Henrik Moe and violinist Kari Ronnekleiv. These nine tracks are as focused as those on Eggplant and often more adventurous. Opener "Cloudwalker (A Darker Blue)" begins as something of a Baroque psych tune and unwinds into a taut dynamic rocker with the strings and multi-part vocal harmonies adding texture and force. "On a Plate" is furious, riff-driven guitar rock that recalls the unhinged energy of the band's earliest sound. Rumbling tom-toms and pulsing synths introduce the instrumental "Kvæstor (Incl. Where Greyhounds Dare)," but are quickly joined by the twin-guitar attack of Hans Magnus Ryan and Fisk. A throbbing bassline and strings drive the front as the guitars sing, churn, and shape-shift between intensity and melody. The "Hell, Pts. 1-3" is a suite that began on Eggplant. It continues here with "Hell, Pts. 4-6: Traitor/The Tapestry/Swiss Cheese Mountain." Over nearly 13 minutes, it commences as airy, twisting prog rock with blended acoustic and electric guitars, synths, and strings, all buoying Sæther's urgent vocal. While a fingerpicked vamp holds the center, tension begins to ebb and flow as stinging guitar solos, dreamy keyboard interludes, and cymbal washes gradually erect an architecture of transcendent, anthemic rock. "Entropy" reveals Motorpsycho's more subtle dimensions. At over seven minutes, it gradually unfolds with a lyric bassline, lush, layered vocal harmonies, shuffling drums and skittering cymbals, and breezy keys and guitars, all contrasting sharply with its melancholy lyrics. "Hell, Part 7: Victim of Rock" closes the set with a screaming solo guitar and drum assault over a frenetic bassline. Unhinged sonic psych effects -- loads of reverb, backmasking, etc. -- frame this labyrinthine, careening rock ride that sends Behind the Sun off on stun. After more than 20 records, Motorpsycho remain inexhaustible in their creativity, fully, energetically, in command of a musical vision that is boundless." - Allmusic Guide
    $37.00
  • Many of you may be familar with Dave Kerzner who occasionally pops up with posts on the Progressive Ears forum under the moniker "Squids".  Dave is an exceptional keyboardist who made his bones back in the day playing in the LA prog band Giraffe along with Kevin Gilbert.  Since then he founded a keyboard software company called Sonic Reality and has been able to play along with a massive amount of high profile musicians - many of which fit squarely in the prog community.  Dave was also the co-composer of the Sound Of Contact debut release.  Dave has decided to release his own proper solo album so whats it about?Well its pretty suprising right off the bat.  The music of New World veers very heavily into Pink Floyd realms.  The core lineup consists of Dave Kerzner (vocals/keyboards), Fernando Perdomo (guitars/bass), and Nick D'Virgilio (drums).  Sometimes its good to know people...the guests featured on the album are mind boggling.  The more well known ones include Keith Emerson, Steve Hackett, Francis Dunnery, Heather Findlay, Colin Edwin, Simon Phillips, and the list goes on and on.  Forgetting about all the prog glitterati for a moment, this is superb symphonic rock from beginning to end.  You get the whole enchilada here including 2 epic length tracks that will keep your head spinning.  I'm sure Dave's software is pretty much on parade here and its all very impressive.  Everything about this is.  Highly recommended.
    $14.00
  • Second album from this great German krautrock artist originally released in 1979. While his first album, Samtvogel, was released by Brain, Uberfallig finds him jumping over to Sky Records. Schickert worked in very similar territory to Achim Reichel and Manuel Gottsching. He would use layers upon layers of echoplexed guitar with occasional drum tracks added. Keyboards are added for a deep space sound. Quite hypnotic and highly recommended.
    $18.00
  • The Japanese jazz scene is finally getting the attention it deserves.  Long written off as just a scene filled with copycats of American and European artists, jazz fans around the world are now discovering that there was some amazing music being created there.  Some of the musicians like Terumasa Hino and Masabumi Kikuchi crossed over into the world jazz scene but for the most part many of the musicians there only gained popularity in Japan.  One of the most important Japanese jazz labels from the 70s was Three Blind Mice.  It was started in 1970 by producer Takeshi "Tee" Fuji.  The label adhered to strict audiophile standards and all of the releases on the label featured exemplary sonics.  The music of Three Blind Mice tended to fall into three facets of jazz (they would crossover from time to time).  Some of the artists play very traditional straight ahead jazz.  Frankly while this stuff appeals to audiophiles its not that appealing beyond the sonics.  There was also an experimental side to the label featuring a lot of free jazz blowing.  The third aspect, which to my ears is the most interesting, is the area where the label explored modal jazz, often with an electric element.  Very little of it would be hard card fusion, but a rock element would sometimes be present.  This falls into the realm that has been broadly tagged as "kosmigroov".The label only existed in the 70s and the rights to the catalog has now passed over to Sony Music.  Think Records in Japan has started a limited ediiton reissue campaign of the Three Blind Mice label.  They arrive in mini-LP sleeves and are manufactured using Sony's proprietary Blu-Spec process.  We are cherry picking titles we think should have your attention.This Three Blind Mice set dates back to 1972.  The session is led by guitarist Sunao Wada and he performs here in quartet and sextet configurations.  The material varies – some of it is very blues based and others are straight ahead bop that will remind you a bit of what Pat Martino was doing at the time.  Wada is backed but some of the elite musicians from the TBM stable.  If you like jazz guitar you need to check this one out.
    $29.00
  • "Riot has always been ahead of the curve, be it their powerful riff machine, or their unapologetic status as pioneers in the speed metal genre. I would like to take an opportunity to differ once again with the common viewpoint here, this is not “almost” Painkiller 2 years before; it is its doppelganger, at least in terms of kick ass aggressiveness and image. It is a more musical and complex answer to the thrash genre that it fathered; its spirit is that of a triumphant warrior cutting down its foes. While the heroic Painkiller soared through the sky putting fear into the hearts of his enemies, Thundersteel’s half-cyborg/half-tank body stood tall to face them on the ground.In 1988 metal was mostly known by its image, and if you judge these guys by that alone, they look like the bastard sons of Motley Crue and Judas Priest. But when Tony Moore blasts his high banshee voice into the microphone, he sounds like a crazed Viking Berserker ready to behead an army of frightened Romans. Mark Reale, the only remaining originator of this outfit, wields his guitar like a battle axe and challenges the likes of K.K. Downing, Dave Murray and Ross the Boss. Bobby Jarzombek, who is well known for his work with Rob Halford’s solo project, as well as several other bands, gives the performance of his life on here. Don Van Stavern keeps the bottom end solid and has a wicked bass intro in “Johnny’s Back”.There is never a dull moment on this album, from start to finish it grabs you by the throat and commands you to praise the Gods of Metal. Be it the fast as hell title track, which rivals anything Judas Priest has ever put out, or the more moderated Deep Purple riff monster “Sign of the Crimson Storm”, it screams metal. You’ve got an anthem of rebellion and non-conformity at warp speed like “Johnny’s Back” in the running, or the Manowar inspired heavy ballad “Bloodstreets”, which gives Heart of Steel a run for its money. “Fight or Fall” and “Flight of the Warrior” have memorable choruses and plenty of amazing lead work, all done by the original speed metal riff man Mark Reale, while “On Wings of Eagles” is a better produced version of something you might find on Kill Em’ All.We’ve got two highlights on this album, both of which are a good bit different than the lion’s share of speed driven songs on here. “Run for your life” is an upper mid-tempo crusher with tons of great lead guitar work, but it’s true charm is the chorus, which reminds me a bit of the high/low vocal interchanges that you hear on Dio’s early material. “Buried Alive (The Tell Tale Heart)” is actually a bit reminiscent of Crimson Glory’s work on Transcendence, which came out the same year that this did. You’ve got a rather odd spoken intro with a clean and somber guitar line, followed by some brilliant twin guitar soloing (all done by one guy, just the same way Tony Iommi did it). After 3 minutes of mind-blowing, we get a slow and evil sounding groove that grows into a brilliant homage to the NWOBHM, names like Iron Maiden and Angel Witch come to mind.In conclusion, this is a piece of metal history that demands to be listened to. If you are a power metal fan who lives for speed and melody, get your tight jeans wearing ass to the store right now. If you’re a holdover from the glory days of traditional metal and you don’t have it, get it now or risk having your credentials as a metal head questioned. If you love thrash with attitude, this gives the bands that carry that label a run for their money. Fans of Judas Priest, Manowar, Helloween, Running Wild, and Iron Maiden in particular will love this. There is a new power alive in the distance, carrying a fully charged plasma cannon, followed by an army of true metal warriors, and his name is “Thundersteel”." - Metal Archives
    $7.50
  • The first album from this interesting German band.  If you read the bio of the band you can tell that Missus Beastly were a bit of a disorganized mess.  They went through constant lineup changes throughout their history, and there were changes in sound as well.  They even had two consecutive self-titled albums to add to the confusion.  This one was recorded in 1970.  The sound has a bit of a wild loose feel.  Very much a jamming effort with a psychedelic blues meets jazz rock feel.  Wicked guitar solos going hot and fast with an ever present organ.  All pulled together with an appropriate underground low production value feel.  I eat this kind of stuff up.  Highly recommended. 
    $28.00
  • One of the great hard rock albums of the 70s.  After Uli Jon Roth left the band he was replaced by Matthias Jabs.  His guitar technique was far removed from the neoclassical stylings of Roth, taking a more traditional hard rock/melodic metal approach.  Returning to the fold is Rudi's brother Michael Schenker.  With streamlined songwriting it all comes together.  A non-stop killer.
    $7.50
  • Beautiful second album from this Greek symphonic rock band fronted by the etherial vocals of Evangelia Kozoni.  Ciccada is a quartet but this time around they are augmented by a number of musicians including Johan Brand of Anglagard.  Mellotron not withstanding the music has a very strong folk component.  Given the lead instrumentation blend of flute, guitar, and keys I'm often reminded of the first White Willow album "Ignis Fatuus" but if you wanted to throw in a comparison to Tull's "Thick As A Brick" I guess I wouldn't argue. What the hell - let's throw in all those obscure British female fronte folk bands of the 70s.  You know who I'm talking about.    Heavyweight gatefold sleeve.  Highly recommended.
    $26.00