Fusion/Jazz

"Progressive rock and boy-band pop seem like natural enemies at first. The former's fascination with ornate, elongated passages of finger-exhausting musicianship is in almost every way the opposite of the latter's emphasis on catchiness first; it's hard to imagine turn-of-the-millennium hits like "Bye Bye Bye" with extended guitar and keyboard solos. Yet ever since A Doorway to Summer, their 2005 debut, Moon Safari has put to rest the notion that progressive-minded songwriters can't make pop that's as hook-driven as it is ostentatious. Grandiloquent epics like "Other Half of the Sky," from the 2008 double album Blomljud, weave together widescreen arrangements with the band's signature five-part vocal harmony, a feature unmatched by few groups in any genre, anywhere. It's easy to isolate the audience with solipsistic soloing and obtuse orchestrations, but from day one Moon Safari has made prog that—assuming the layperson were more amenable to songs that run upwards of thirty minutes—could lead them to something like a pop crossover hit.But while the union of hook-heavy vocal interplay and '70's prog stylistics gives Moon Safari an unmistakable, unique sound, it also handicapped them in a significant way for their first two LPs. The group's accessibility on A Doorway to Summer and Blomljud, along with its technical prowess, is unassailable, but the high-fructose sweetness of its style leads to a diabetic rush when stretched out onto songs that span ten to thirty minutes. For example, "Other Half of the Sky," the titanic thirty minute showstopper off of Blomljud, has so many memorable hooks that by the time it's run its time out, it's hard to remember all of them. The classic problem of "too many voices leads to a noisy room" was the defining problem of Moon Safari's otherwise enjoyable sound for some time. All that changed, however, in 2010 with the release of Lover's End.It is no exaggeration—even as the decade remains young—to say that Lover's End is one of the finest progressive rock records of the '00's. Hell, it's not even crazy to say that it's one of the finest pop albums of the '00s; anyone, even those turned off by prog's eccentricities, can find something to love on this mellifluous collection of songs. From the a cappella charm of "Southern Belle" to the hook-loaded "New York City Summergirl," Lover's End is chock full of goodness from beginning to end. What explains its genius is that in contrast to A Doorway to Summer and Blomljud, the songs are given exactly the amount of space they need, and not a second more. Some songwriters may feel hamstrung by the verse/chorus structure, but it's a perfect fit for Moon Safari's joyous approach to music.With their newest studio outing, Himlabacken, Vol. 1, Moon Safari continue the refining of their sound, and while this isn't the breakthrough that Lover's End was, it nonetheless attests to the brilliance of this group. Whereas the latter was bound by a loose concept (love and heartbreak), Himlabacken Vol. 1 is less a lyrics album than its predecessor. The cost of this is that the music is less distinct in its cohesiveness, but there are no shortage of catchy passages and amped-up solos. "Mega Moon" comes off as a tribute to musical theatre, with "The Very Model of A Modern Major General" vocal delivery interweaving with Queen-esque bombast to an impressive effect. "Too Young to Say Goodbye" sees and matches the polyharmonic beauty of "Lover's End (Part One)." By sticking to concise song formats—the longest cut here runs nine and a half minutes—Moon Safari ensures that things never run out of steam, an essential quality to any good progressive rock band.If nothing else, Himlabacken, Vol. 1 proves that there's one thing Moon Safari can't be accused of: being unaware of themselves. Grand finale "Sugar Band" is as much a statement of identity as it is a slice of epic pop: "Sweet and saccharine are we," they declare, followed by "syrup's the blood in our veins." (Less successful is the clumsy Katy Perry innuendo of, "suck our big candy canes," which is thematically consistent but tonally off.) Both "Sugar Band" and "Little Man," one of the few Moon Safari songs to feature a solo vocal, are emblematic of the mushiness that might turn some prog fans away from their music. The latter, while obviously a touching document of a father's love for his son, does feel a bit out of place in how deeply personal it is; part of the strength of this group's sonic is the universality of its pop appeal, and the intimacy behind "My Little Man" makes listening to it an almost voyeuristic experience. "Mega Moon" and "Sugar Band" are better at capturing the convivial spirit of the band that's accessible to all.As with past outings, even those drawn to vocal harmonies might find it hard to stomach all of the sweetness of Himlabacken, Vol. 1. But what ultimately makes this LP successful is its unpretentious commitment to fun. Moon Safari are a rare collective that prove daunting musical chops aren't anathema to accessibility, and with Himlabacken, Vol. 1 they've made a recording that, while not the magnum opus that Lover's End was, is as true a capturing of their ethos as there could ever be. Sating a sweet tooth brings to mind the phrase "guilty pleasure," but there's no guilt involved with music as first-class as this. Who knew being in a boy band could sound so classy? " - Sea Of Tranquility

"“Mirror your World through my Touch…Set me Free, oh Set me Free”These words, from the song Colours on Magenta’s new We Are Legend album, are about Vincent Van Gogh, but they could also describe the feelings engendered by this imaginative and impressive release from the premier Welsh Progressive Rock band. We Are Legend underlines Magenta’s outstanding musical credentials, but they have far more than just great technique, imbuing their songs with melodies to stir the soul and stories to fascinate the mind.In a recent interview with Peter Jones on his Progzilla Radio show, Tales from the Tiger Moth, Magenta main-man Rob Reed revealed that he wanted this Magenta album to be “different”. Since their last album, The Twenty Seven Club in 2013, Magenta have overcome some issues, including illness, but Reed revealed that he had struggled in writing a new Magenta album after the peaks he felt they had achieved. As a result he channelled himself into his own excellent Mike Oldfield inspired solo Sanctuary projects and helping Christina Booth complete her fine emotional solo album The Light. The results of this break have clearly refreshed Reed as We Are Legend projects Magenta into a new trajectory, fizzing with energy and creativity.Magenta have never made compromises in their music, ever since Rob Reed decided to stop trying to pursue mainstream success and produce exactly what he wanted to – a truly epic and distinctly ‘uncool’ double debut album Revolutions in 2001 shamelessly referencing his 1970s Prog heroes, Genesis and Yes in particular. Magenta went on to develop their own distinctive sound built around the trademark triad of the pyrotechnics of Chris Fry on electric guitars, Christina Booth’s pure, luminescent vocals and Rob Reed’s mastery of the Piano, Hammond and Moog. However, when considering the new album Reed initially felt restricted by that template and felt he did not want to re-tread old ground. Therefore, he decided to channel what he felt was ‘negativity and angst’ about the direction of the next album, similar to his frustrations prior to Revolutions, and decided to “make a record for me – I will use whatever I want on it”, leading to an album which includes distinctly ‘un-Magenta’ elements such as drum loops, sequencers, dashes of dance music rhythms and heavy guitars as Reed and the band stretch their boundaries. But long-term Magenta fans should have no fear, they are still recognisably Magenta, but noticeably reinvigorated with energy, sounds and an edge, showing a band that does not compromise and wants to move on in terms of its expression and imagination.In a break from previous albums, there is no overall ‘concept’ around this release. Magenta have chosen to present three distinct songs with separate narratives and atmospheres, but there is a cohesive feel to the whole album. In a throw back to vinyl days there is one epic ‘side long’ track and two shorter songs (both in the region of ten minutes) echoing the layout of classic Yes albums Close to the Edge and Relayer, but let’s be clear, Magenta are no ‘Prog by numbers’ clones and have produced a remarkable and vibrant progressive rock album.The epic opening track, Trojan, starts atmospherically with synths which then explode with squealing guitars over a juggernaut of bass and drums, immediately evoking a sense of science fiction. Steve Reed, lyricist and Rob’s older brother, has shared that the theme of this piece was initially suggested by the opening few minutes of the music alone, presented to him by Rob, the musical ideas helping to inspire Steve’s lyrics towards a peculiar yet interesting sci-fi story. In short, huge robots emerge from the sea and initially appear to be benign, but ultimately act as ‘Trojan horses’ to take over the world for a long forgotten and banished human species that took to living beneath the seas and have now returned to reclaim the Earth!If you think that’s bonkers then wait until you’ve heard the music which sounds like some sort of spectacular soundtrack for a Japanese Manga or Studio Ghibli cartoon. This is pulsating music. sweeping across the narrative in a range of distinct parts. Rob Reed revealed that he was influenced by Marillion’s Misplaced Childhood suite, which has the reputation for being epic in length, but is a series of linked songs. Similarly in structure but not in style, Trojan is a series of song sections over 26 minutes ‘sewn together’ (as Reed puts it), although you can hardly see the joins, such is the skill of Reed and the band.Following the opening cinematic section, Chris Fry kicks in with a heavy guitar riff and Christina Booth, over shimmering dance inflected keyboards, chants the early panic of those on land confronted with the slow, emphatic progress of these strange new conquering robots. The atmosphere changes to the gentler perspective of a little girl in Japan who thinks of the robot as a ‘Tin Man’, with imagery akin to Ted Hughes’ Iron Giant. Booth shows great vocal versatility as she switches from the softer vision of the small girl to more dramatic parts of the narrative as the story develops. The music flows descriptively – you can visualise the slow, inexorable march of the robots as Magenta interweave sinuous dance inflected keyboards, reminiscent of Faithless, with passages of fluid, dreamy blues tinged guitar at some points. Pastoral guitars underpin a peaceful passage with Booth’s soft vocals before distorted guitar breaks in, possibly to indicate that the ‘paradise’ of ease brought by the robots will be ultimately destroyed.I hope you’re keeping up!!!Don’t worry, Magenta’s imaginative music carries you along and you may not always understand (or even care!) exactly what is happening as you dive into the rich multi-layered elements that make up the epic sound and story. Steve Reed has always sought to look at subjects from unorthodox and differing perspectives, such as the ‘glutton for punishment’ angle of the classic Gluttony from Seven. Similarly, in Trojan he seemingly shifts from the fate of the land civilisation to the perspective of the long exiled species of undersea dwellers held within the Trojan Robots, looking forward to hopefully reclaiming their world. A beautiful acoustic guitar led section of hope emerges with Christina singing beautifully;“The light it fades, When you all will sleepWith love to share, Anger drifts awayAs the hurting stops, With the time to findPaths to tread in this world…I see the need inside your soulThe love that’s in your heart.”Such poetic and touching lines perfectly match the emotive music as Fry’s languid guitar flows along before ascending into a brief transcendent solo, characteristic of his more restrained performance throughout the album. It’s remarkable that amidst this science fiction complexity they can skilfully insert a song of such delicacy and feeling, underlining that for Magenta the priority is always melody and emotion, not the sterility of mere technique without feeling. Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Griffiths shows his versatile and subtle percussive skills alongside Fry’s eerie, expressive guitar as the piece sinisterly shifts towards the treachery of the robots as they turn against the land dwellers. The whole composition comes full circle as the dramatic robotic fanfare from the intro re-emerges with soaring guitars over pulsing synths and as one civilisation falls another rises from within the Trojan robots with hope:“At the break of day, As the silence roarsAnd the dust it falls, Open up the doorsWhen we’re stepping out, Walk into the light, Man’s re-birth.”Both musically and through the narrative, the opening track is quite a ride! Definitely a piece that, like most great tracks, pays repeated listenings with a strange story that reveals itself more over time.Legend is another imagined narrative song with a post-apocalyptic sci-fi feel, partly inspired by the films Omega Man and I am Legend, and the intro certainly sounds cinematic as weird sounds throb and pulse before a crunching combination of drums, bass and guitar puts us firmly in the stark post-apocalyptic setting. Dan Nelson, long time live bassist, has now fully joined the band and with new member Griffiths’ fine rhythmic work on drums they underpin this album with precision and power, particularly on the leviathan that is Legend. Christina Booth sings powerfully as this driving song describes the fate of one of the last men on Earth, before Reed’s synths and Fry’s weird distorted guitars intertwine in a nightmare musical depiction of the vampiric state into which humanity descends. A strange but captivating song, it concludes almost elegiacally with the last human trying to hang on to the final vestiges of his humanity as the vampires hunt down the weak and vulnerable, even amongst themselves. Perhaps it’s a comment on the self-consuming and self-destructive nature of much of our society… or just a dramatic but depressing story about zombies and vampires!! Who knows, but the journey is compelling.Colours is another remarkable song about the tortured and tragic soul of an artist. It starts with a beguiling musical box intro before erupting into an intense passage with staccato and textured sounds underlying Booth’s manic vocals. The evocative and multi-layered music conveys images of the artist, on the edge of sanity, passionately and frantically applying his paint to the canvas. Apparently Rob Reed presented the music to lyricist Steve by simply saying “It’s about Van Gogh”, but he had no words, making it remarkable that Rob was able to so fully evoke the musical images of a complex and tortured individual obsessively daubing paint onto canvas to try and express his innermost thoughts and feelings. Flute-like melodies move through to subtle blues inflected guitar, a short fluid Hammond Organ passage followed by a soaring guitar vignette by Fry, with Nelson in fine form, constantly changing the colours of Magenta’s musical palette. Van Gogh perceived everything in swirling vibrant colours, mirrored by the music as the impetus picks up with insistent synthesiser, orchestral keyboards and driving guitars, Steve Reed adding one of his best lyrics to reflect the power of the music and convey the artist’s sad decline in a maelstrom of creativity which he cannot sustain. The music and lyrics combine so well in this remarkable offering, building darkly to an intense finale with Rob Reed excelling, culminating in intensely sung and chilling lines:“Save me, love me, Gun in your hand and I’m waiting to dieSky bright, sun shineField like the sea, I’m wanting the endDarkness, silence, Near to the end TheoPlease set me free, set me free.”The ending is rather enigmatic, but there is a suggestion that Van Gogh’s brother Theo shoots him to put an end to his suffering in an act of mercy. Whether fact or not, it is certainly an evocative and emotive song which displays the combined talents of Magenta. A real showcase for the band, particularly Booth, as the song builds to its dramatic ending, it has already become rather a live favourite, no wonder as it combines the music and lyrics so well.In We are Legend Magenta have created one of the best albums of their career by daring to stretch and express themselves with great integrity and dazzling imagination. This will be regarded as one of THE progressive rock albums of 2017 – Magenta have definitely added to their own ‘Legend’." - The Progressive Aspect

"Sons Of Apollo are one of the biggest success stories of the past two years. The combination of vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal, bassist Billy Sheehan, keyboard player Derek Sherinian and drummer Mike Portnoy proved to be irresistible on their debut album 'Psychotic Symphony', released in 2017. Now, they are putting out a special live release. This was filmed at the spectacular Roman Amphitheatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on September 22 last year. The band's performance was divided into two sets, the second of which saw them joined by a full orchestra and choir. There are a number of cover songs performed in both sets. And it was down to Portnoy to choose which tracks were done with the orchestra and choir: “[…]I have to say that all of the covers you'll get to see us do in the second part of the performance were only done that night and no other on the tour, which helps to make this unique.”Titled 'Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony', this is to be available on CD, DVD and Blu-ray. But there are differences between the audio and visual formats. “The CD has the entire gig. But we had problems getting clearance on three of the cover tracks for the Blu-ray and DVD. Sadly, these will not have 'Comfortably Numb' from Pink Floyd, 'Dream On' (Aerosmith) plus 'And The Cradle Will Rock' (Van Halen). The good thing is that you can hear all of these on the CD, so they're not forgotten.“The DVD and Blu-ray also have a behind the scenes documentary on the whole experience in Plovdiv, which includes interviews. In addition, there's also a behind the scenes documentary on the making of our debut album. So, what fans will get is a brilliant summary of the first year in the history of this band.”Portnoy is delighted with the final product, believing it to be a triumph that encapsulates just how tremendous this band are.“This is a very special release. It magnificently captures what happened on the night and the atmosphere that surrounded the occasion.”"

Debut solo album from Wobbler’s Lars Fredrik Frøislie! Fitting perfectly into the 70s prog-rock tradition where the keyboardist makes a solo album between the band albums, this is music Frøislie has been doing, mostly alone, during the pandemic. Had it not been for the pandemic, much of the material would probably have ended up on a new Wobbler album - but then run through the Wobbler grinder and with English lyrics. In other words, this is unpeeled and raw, as spontaneous as possible without going through too many rounds of processing. Trying to preserve the impulsive - much of what you hear is improvised, and one-takes (preferably with playing errors and piano strings that break and the like). Trying to preserve the human aspect to a large extent, avoiding click tracks, auto-tune, MIDI or too much technology. Expect lots of old analogue keyboards such as cembalo, Mellotron, MiniMoog, Yamaha CP70 and Hammond organ. Four tunes; Four stories. The first song "Rytter av dommedag" is themed around Ragnarok, when King Rakne awakens in his large burial mound outside Romerike and, together with the old gods, creates real mischief. The second song “Et sted under himmelhvelvet” is dreamy, possibly set in a Renaissance garden near Florence or Arcadia. But in principle it can be anywhere where it feels good to be. It is partly about travelling to a place and feeling that you have been there before - only to find out that you had ancestors who lived there long ago. The third song "Jærtegn" opens in a frenzy, with a horse and cart speeding through the forest. The wagon overturns at the same time as there is a solar eclipse, and the riders become eternal wanderers in the dark forest, only visible to us now and then like the northern lights, as they vainly stretch their arms towards the sun in the hope of finding their way home. The final song “Naturens Katedral” is a depiction of the Norwegian mountains in winter where the cold is bitter, and blizzards and avalanches abound. It is also a search for bygone times when life was more basic out in the wilderness.

"Southern Empire were formed by keyboardist Sean Timms following the dissolution of Unitopia.Influenced by the likes of Dream Theater, IQ, Transatlantic, Karnivool and Steven Wilson, Southern Empire bring a harder, more edgy sound to their music whilst displaying a knack for catchy songs and great melodic hooks."Southern Empire is Australia's newest, most exciting progressive rock band:    Sean Timms - Keyboards/Vocals/Saxaphone    Danny Lopresto - Lead Vocals/Guitar    Cam Blokland - Guitar/Vocals    Brody Green - Drums/Vocals    Jez Martin - Bass/VocalsSean Timms: After a 17 year stint as main song-writer, producer and keyboard player with Unitopia Sean was looking to bring the finest musicians together in one band. He feels he’s achieved that with Southern Empire.Danny Lopresto: A seasoned performer with a huge vocal range, mad guitar skills and many years of live and studio experience, Danny’s work with nationally renowned band Clearway and the highly successful sold out Queen/Zeppelin Show sees him regularly playing to packed houses.Cam Blokland: Lauded nationally as one of Australia’s premiere guitarists, Cam was the face of the 2014 Adelaide International Guitar Festival, sharing the stage with some of the world’s finest guitarists including Guthrie Govan.Brody Green: One of a rare breed of drummers, Brody is not only great at hitting things with sticks, but also a stunning vocalist with a supersonic range, guitarist, keyboardist and song-writer.Jez Martin: A highly in-demand bass player, Jez can be seen and heard with the Bill Parton Trio, Lather (The Frank Zappa Tribute Band), The Dream Theater Tribute Show and many musical theatre performances.

"Islands is the new double album by progressive rockers THE FLOWER KINGS. After the group’s much celebrated return in 2019 and the highly successful “Waiting For Miracles”, creative mastermind Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, The Sea Within, Anderson/Stolt etc.) now presents 92 minutes of brand-new music with his competent line-up also featuring Hasse Fröberg, Zach Kamins, Jonas Reingold, Mirko DeMaio and special guest Rob Townsend. Due to the Covid-19-pandemic the album comes out quite a bit sooner than originally planned as Roine explains: “All shows and festivals were cancelled and the future didn’t really ‘unfold’ itself like we had hoped. To sit out the pandemic with no activities was not an option for us. We cannot be stopped by an evil virus. With members living in the USA, Italy, Austria and Sweden the only way was to use the magic of the ’net’ sending files and start building, what now became, a double album of 21 songs.” The 92 minutes long “Islands” features artwork by legend Roger Dean (Yes, Uriah Heep etc.) and all trademark sounds and melodies, the band is known for. From vintage keys to epic guitar solos, from odd drum patterns to symphonic elements, THE FLOWER KINGS present a superb, playful and complex record."