Exposé Online » Reviews of releases for 2012

Items found : 156

Dukes of Kent - Welcome to the Oast House

Lets start with the title. "What is an oast house?" you might ask. An oast house is a special building for drying hops, a critical step in brewing beer. The negative image on the album...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2017-06-27)

Fang Chia - Everybody for Something

Any band that would name a tune "Arvo Particle" has my attention. Fang Chia's piece by that title doesn't really seem to have any connection to Arvo Pärt (or maybe I'm...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-05-03)

Vaiping - Industrial Workers of the World

I suppose it's likely that this Norwegian band is making some kind of political statement with the title of this record, but I'm going to set that aside and just listen. Sonically, we have...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-05-03)

Uwe Cremer / Thomas Rydell - Sirius Singularity

When I interviewed Uwe Cremer in Köln in 2011 he told me that one of his...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2017-03-21)

Dieter Moebius - Musik für Metropolis

In 2012 Dieter Moebius was invited to perform a musical accompaniment to Fritz Lang’s sci fi silent film classic Metropolis. His approach to scoring the 2 ½ hour film was to...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2017-03-18)

Utopia - Adventures in Utopia, Deface the Music & Swing to the Right

As the 70s slipped towards the 80s, progressive rock bands found their style of music increasingly unpopular, so most of them that stayed active tried to maintain relevance by making music more in...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-02-20)

Pete Bardens - Heart to Heart

Peter Bardens' first album after leaving Camel is a showcase for his songwriting as much as for his keyboard playing. He sings on several songs, and while he was never a great singer, he was...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2017-01-25)

Heldon - Electronique Guerilla & It's Always Rock 'n' Roll

The reissue of Heldon's first album is one that this writer has surely been anticipating for quite some time. What's even better is that Heldon's very elusive double third album has...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1993-10-01)

The Basements - Lost & I'm Dead

When I think of Greece, the last thing that comes to mind is 60s psychedelia. But with a steadily growing fan base is this five-person band from Thessaloniki, Greece The Basements. And what a great...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2017-01-31)

Strangers on a Train - The Key Part 1: The Prophecy & The Key Part 2: The Labyrinth

Strangers on a Train was a short-lived project whose two albums were originally released on the infamous SI label. The band pretty much launched the careers of several notable musicians in the...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-03-18)

Strangers on a Train - The Key Part 1: The Prophecy & The Key Part 2: The Labyrinth

Strangers on a Train was a short-lived project whose two albums were originally released on the infamous SI label. The band pretty much launched the careers of several notable musicians in the...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-03-18)

Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II & Future Sequence Live

I'm combining two albums here as the live CD / Blu Ray / DVD differs very little from the studio version in terms of notes — it may be slightly more intense, but everything I can say...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2017-03-30)

Änglagård - Viljans Öga

In the early 90s, Änglagård weren't the first retro-symphonic rock group to rise up in the genre's comeback years, but they were arguably the most important, and they certainly...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2017-02-09)

Magma - Live

McLatchey's Second Tier

This post will be umlaut free for efficiency. Hhai Live is the top Magma on my list if for no other reason than it was probably the first one I...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2016-05-12)

Magma - Live (Hhaï)

1975 saw several personnel changes in Magma's lineup, but the instrumentation which recorded the brilliant Köhntarkösz remained virtually unchanged, only adding Didier...

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(Posted by Rob Walker 1995-11-01)

Todd Clouser's A Love Electric - 20th Century Folk Selections & Entre

For 2012, guitarist Todd Clouser gives us two CDs, one of original music (Entre) and one of cover tunes (20th Century Folk Selections), some of them arranged nearly beyond...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-08-23)

Todd Clouser's A Love Electric - 20th Century Folk Selections & Entre

For 2012, guitarist Todd Clouser gives us two CDs, one of original music (Entre) and one of cover tunes (20th Century Folk Selections), some of them arranged nearly beyond...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-08-23)

Apocalypse - The 25th Anniversary Box Set

Fans of this popular Brazilian band will surely revel in this package: one CD (Magic Spells) captures the band live in 2005, there’s a second CD of new music (2012 Light Years...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-04-01)

Jim of Seattle - We Are All Famous

How to start a review when a simple list of all the styles touched on in the music would use the entire word count? Jim of Seattle is one guy recording with a little help from friends (or possibly...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-06-20)

Saturnia - Alpha Omega Alpha

This two-album set is Portuguese musician Luis Simões’ unabashed love letter to classic British psych. Think Syd-era Pink Floyd, Steve Hillage, early Gong, etc. Even the recording...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2016-09-18)

Spock's Beard - The X Tour - Live

This set marks the end of an era for Spock's Beard. The tour in support of the 2010 album X was the last to include founding member, drummer, and singer Nick D'Virgilio. As with...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-04-01)

Magma - Félicité Thösz

Since Magma reformed in the late 1990s, the band has been releasing mostly live albums and DVDs of their classic material, and two extended pieces of music (Köhntarkösz Anteria...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Jack Dupon - Démon Hardi, Bascule à Vif, Tête de Chien & Les Ronfleurs Dorment

I’ve been debating with myself about how I would review this collection of music, individual reviews or one combined review. Jack Dupon’s music is difficult to describe, so instead of...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2015-06-08)

Kansas - Freaks of Nature

Their first studio album in seven years, Freaks of Nature marks the return of Kansas. Well, actually they haven't been gone. Even though this marks the first studio release for the...

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(Posted by Mike Grimes 1995-11-01)

Laser - Vita sul Pianeta

This one surprised me a bit – I guess I was expecting it to be much worse. I suppose it's a bit dated for 1973, with definite psych / beat influences and shorter songs. In many ways,...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1996-08-01)

Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Son of a Bitches Brew

Has anybody ever said, "If you've heard one Acid Mothers Temple album, you've heard them all"? My guess would be that it's been said more than once by more than one person....

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Jaggery - Private Violence

There's no overestimating the impact Kate Bush has had on music, especially for many female musicians who found in her a model for how to be successful (musically if not commercially) and...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Silberbart - 4 Times Sound Razing

Silberbart were a German trio in the early Guru Guru vein, a bass-drums-guitar combination with an eye for the psychedelic. If you're familiar with Guru Guru albums such as Hinten or...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1996-03-01)

Rush - Clockwork Angels

For most of Rush's fans the music on the Canadian trio's 19th studio album won't come as a complete surprise. The songs "Caravan" and "BU2B" were released a couple...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-04-01)

Standing Ovation - The Antikythera Mechanism

For some listeners, I suppose, pretty much anything labeled Prog Metal will be attractive, but for someone like me who is outside that group, a prog metal band has to do something special to not...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-03-08)

Pixel - Reminder

This new Norwegian jazz quartet features drums, double bass, trumpet, tenor and soprano sax, and vocals. Bandleader Ellen Andrea Wang is the lead voice and double bass, and also responsible for all...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Ossicles - Mantelpiece

To a certain extent, Ossicles could be considered another example of my new genre (see the previous O.R.k....

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2015-10-12)

The Goblin Market - Beneath Far Gondal's Foreign Sky

The Goblin Market is an occasional project of Jeff Kelly and Laura Weller, both of whom are probably better known as members of The Green Pajamas. Their other collaborators are Emily, Charlotte,...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Cluster - Cluster II

This is actually Cluster's fourth album, if you count the two albums for the tiny Schwann Studio label as a trio (named Kluster) with ex- Tangerine Dream member Konrad Schnitzler. The spelling change... » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1995-07-01)

Ancient Desert Ritual - The Color Analysis of Apocalyptic Events

Ancient Desert Ritual, formerly ADR, started in 1994 by songwriter Glenn D. Clark. By 1996 the group had disbanded after releasing their first album, Walking in Sand. After moving to Austin,... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2015-05-16)

Julie Slick - Terroir

Bassist Julie Slick's second solo album comes after extensive performing with Adrian Belew in his Power Trio on the Two of a Perfect Trio tour, and many of her bandmates from that experience show up... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Camera - Radiate!

Radiate! is Camera’s debut release and quite an impressive first outing to be sure! The eight tracks alternate with the odd numbered tracks being energetic and the even tracks mellowing... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2015-02-12)

Janel and Anthony - Where Is Home

This is Washington DC-based duo Janel Leppin and Anthony Pirog’s second album, and first on Cuneiform. Their eponymous debut from 2006 was self-produced and sold well at gigs, garnering loads of... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-11-16)

Citizen Cain - Somewhere But Yesterday

Further proving that the Genesis school of progressive remains in an exalted tier among the commandeers at SI (Synthetically Indignant — the original label for this album), here's the next hook,... » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1995-03-01)

Alain Markusfeld - Roll over the Eiger Trail

This is kind of a confusing release, not only because Markusfeld hasn’t released any new full length recordings since his double Live album in 1981, but also because the track list showed... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2015-01-12)

The Aaron Clift Experiment - Lonely Hills

On October 31 Aaron hand-delivered his CD at my house and I had no idea of what to expect. Needless to say, I was blown away! The Aaron Clift Experiment is another example of Austin’s rapidly... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2015-01-01)

Duck Fight Goose - Sports & History Single

Shanghai's Duck Fight Goose seem to have become one of the darlings of Chinese rock outside of China — they've been getting press in the US and have played SXSW. Their debut EP ( » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Minerals - White Tones

White Tones is a bid by Metal Mind to expand beyond the prog and metal scenes and steal a little market share in the alternative and post-rock space inhabited by bands like Coldplay,... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-07-12)

Stratospheerius - The Next World

Joe Deninzon is a world class talent, fronting the band Stratospheerius as electric violinist, singer, and primary songwriter, along with some mandolin and acoustic guitar. His material is diverse and... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-07-10)

Believe - Seeing Is Believing

I learned quite a few things about Believe from watching this DVD. For starters, this Polish band is even better on stage than they are on record. Second, drummer Vlodi Tafel is an amputee who plays... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-07-06)

Prisma - You Name It

Swiss band Prisma has been criticized for following perhaps a bit too closely in Tool’s footsteps, which can certainly be heard on this, their second album. The instrumental backline of... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-07-04)

Love de Vice - Silesian Night 11.11.11

This 2011 live performance captures Polish progressive band Love de Vice at a crossroads. With two albums behind them, the band had consolidated around lead guitarist Andrzej Archanowicz and... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-07-02)

Wrupk Urei - Kõik Saab Korda

With sure-footed mastery, this Estonian seven-piece instrumental ensemble navigates through treacherous waters of rock, jazz, funk, art-punk, psychedelic, and all combinations thereof with finesse and... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-06-28)

Frak - Frak

I'd never heard Frak before seeing their performance at Baja Prog 2014. I found their eclectic and theatrical music quite engaging, with elements of both symphonic prog, space rock, and electronic... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-06-25)

Coralspin - Honey and Lava

Many bands seem to be looking back at the art rock of the late 70s lately (Moth Vellum, Mars Hollow, and so on). Besides the nostalgia factor, there was a directness and visceral appeal in the better... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-06-18)

Stick Men - Open

After 2011's Absalom, this is the second release by the Markus Reuter version of Stick Men, and it's a very different beast than that album. Rather than tightly composed, intimately rehearsed... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Ordinary Brainwash - Me 2.0

Ordinary Brainwash is the nom de plume of Polish composer/musician Rafał Żak; Me 2.0 is his third release, built around a narrative that either is or isn’t autobiographical — it’s...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-05-28)

Syd Arthur - On an On

This young Canterbury group’s debut quickly garnered lots of attention and comparisons to mid-period Caravan, due in part to jazzy arrangements that feature the violin of Raven Bush (Kate’s... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-12-19)

Machine Mass featuring Dave Liebman - Inti

Saxophonist Dave Liebman has a career stretching back to the 70s, a resume that includes much expansion of jazz beyond its traditional sounds; Machine Mass (Michel Delville and Tony Bianco) have a... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-05-25)

Pendragon - Out of Order Comes Chaos

Pendragon have enjoyed a tight relationship with the Polish label Metal Mind Productions going back many years. Sadly, the label’s founder, Tommy Dziubinski, passed away recently, but his legacy... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-01-21)

Demetra Sine Die - A Quiet Land of Fear

A Quiet Land of Fear is a metal progressive release by Italian band Demetra Sine Die released in 2012. The promo material identifies black and doom metal influences such as Ulver, Neurosis,... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2014-04-28)

Cabezas de Cera - Hermandad

The new duo configuration is hinted at on the cover of the new CDC disc, but after the slipcase comes off and the five wooden puzzle pieces disassembled, the tray insert spells it out: after the... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Byron Au Yong - Yiju

In Issue #39 I reviewed Dennis Rea's Views from Chicheng Precipice, which came out on... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-03-27)

Autumn Electric - Make Me a Tree

I had never heard of Autumn Electric before I saw them open for Johnny Unicorn at a dive bar in Seattle. Since that time I've been metaphorically kicking myself for not paying more attention to the... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-07-26)

Osada Vida - Where the Devils Live

It’s about time that Poland’s own Osada Vida were given the Metal Mind Production treatment in a concert video from the Wyspianskiego Theater in Katowice. This 90-minute show from 2011 features... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-02-20)

Mr Gil - I Want You to Get Back Home

Here we find Mirek Gil and company in a decidedly warm and laid back mood (contradicting the rough and hard edged cover and sleeve design). The fourth installment in the Polish guitarist’s (Collage,... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-02-18)

Bill Berends - In My Dreams I Can Fly

At hand is something of a calling card, a selection of compositions for electric guitar that showcase what the guitarist can do in a solo context, who has up until this point always been associated... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-02-17)

Blue Cheer - 7

San Francisco based Blue Cheer came together in the latter half of 1967, initially a six-piece, but by the time of their first recordings they were down to a power trio format, in the wake of Cream... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2014-02-14)

Michael Manring / Kevin Kastning - In Winter

Given that the vast majority of Kevin Kastning's releases are all or nearly all acoustic affairs, this collaboration with bassist Michael Manring holds out the promise of being a change of pace. In... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2014-01-27)

Dick Hyman / Judy Hyman - Late Last Summer

Many of our readers will be familiar with jazz pianist Dick Hyman, whose career has spanned over 50 years and 100 albums. What you may not know, however, is that his daughter Judy is an accomplished... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2014-01-25)

Quiet Sun - Mainstream (Deluxe Edition)

It’s common knowledge that long time Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera recorded both his first solo album, Diamond Head at the same time as his pre-Roxy quartet, Quiet Sun, recorded... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2014-01-23)

Todd Rundgren - Hermit of Mink Hollow + Healing + The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect

By the end of the 1970s Todd Rungren had done it all, honing his guitar and compositional chops with The Nazz in the late 1960s, ultimately leaving that band to move on to production work for other...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-12-29)

The Electric Prunes - Return to Stockholm 2004

Anyone who was alive in 1967 will remember the gripping Electric Prunes hit song “Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-10-11)

Sonar - A Flaw of Nature

One look at the cover and the magic square that adds up to 15 in any direction, and one might get the idea that math is a big part of this music, and they would be right. But it’s actually a lot... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-12-06)

Spirit - Two Sides of a Rainbow

The year was 1978. Spirit was operating as a trio, led by guitarist / singer Randy California, a disciple of Hendrix, and his stepfather Ed Cassidy on drums; rounding out the trio was bassist Larry... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-11-21)

Garrett Sawyer - Chronicles and Vanity

Garrett Sawyer is a singer songwriter from Southern California and Chronicles and Vanity is his third release. The cover art is of a nice looking middle-aged guy relaxing in a park, strumming... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-11-18)

Lonny Ziblat - Songs from the Drawer

It took a while, but Lonny Ziblat won me over with this set of songs. On the surface, Songs from the Drawer is a singer-songwriter effort from Dutch multi-instrumentalist Ziblat, who handles... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-11-15)

Mahogany Frog - Senna

I've been hearing about Mahogany Frog for a few years now, but Senna is the first of their releases that I've heard. It starts with a stuttering keyboard part that morphs into a slow... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-11-13)

Squackett - A Life within a Day

Here is one of the most anticipated releases of 2012, bringing together prog titans Steve Hackett of Genesis and Chris Squire of Yes (in case the groan-worthy moniker didn’t tip you off). The album... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-10-25)

Locanda delle Fate - The Missing Fireflies...

This one’s a bit confusing. Italian proggers Laconda delle Fate have only two studio albums to their name: the 1977 debut, Forse le lucciole non si amano più, and 1999’s reunion effort,... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-11-01)

Ligro - Dictionary 2

This album follows Ligro’s 2008 debut Dictionary 1. In the intervening years the trio (Adi Darmawan: bass, Agam Hamzah: guitar, Gusti Hendi: drums) has been gigging steadily and their... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-11-05)

Jake Playmo - My Favorite Toys

Who better to explore the concept of toys through music than someone named Jake Playmo? This is the German composer/musician/producer’s (whose real name is Jan Klare) attempt to broaden his audience... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-11-08)

Serge Bringolf / Strave - Vision

While there was only a year between Bringolf's first double LP Strave, and its follow up, the single LP Vision, the lineup changes were extensive – in fact only singer Mano Kuhn, a... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Thierry Zaboitzeff - Sixteenth

Hard to believe that “Dr. Zab” now has sixteen releases to his credit, but it’s true. And of all, this is one of the most eclectic, offering a wide palette of ideas and styles, shifting gears... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-10-25)

Sonolumina - Solar Logos

Music like that created by Sonolumina has a long history of bringing up the topic of cultural appropriation. Here we've got some Americans taking (or borrowing or stealing, depending on your... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-10-16)

Steve Roach - Back to Life

Roach presents another mystical journey into deep-dream space spread out across two full length discs. Even though disc one contains seven titles, make no mistake, it is one long continuum that shifts... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-10-11)

White+ - White+

The time since the first White release has seen major changes for this experimental project. After original member Shenggy left Beijing, Shou Wang recruited drummer Wang Xu (of post-punk darlings » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-10-10)

Psycho Praxis - Echoes From The Deep

The listener will immediately be struck by the opener “Privileged Station,” which sounds more like a British heavy prog-psych band from around 1969 than any Italian band from 2013; in other words,... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-10-09)

The Green Pajamas - Death by Misadventure

Think about Odessey and Oracle, S.F. Sorrow, and Pet Sounds. All classics of a particular era, and all sharing a similar aesthetic that combined psychedelic rock with a... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Resonaxis - Hymnarium

In the land down under there is a relatively new band that is producing some of most unique progressive music you will ever hear. Who would have ever thought of combining heavy metal guitar, melodic... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-09-27)

Seid - Magic Handshake

There is a lot of interesting music coming out of Norway. In this case the cosmic space pirates, AKA Seid. They have been performing and recording for about 10 years, with their second CD... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-09-24)

Ballo delle Castagne - Surpassing All Other Kings

Led by the duo of Vinz Aquarian (vocals, synthesizer, lyrics) and Diego Banchero (bass, backing vocals), the two are joined by a number of other players on guitars, keyboards, drums, and additional... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-09-22)

Thierry Zaboitzeff - Planet Luvos

TZ’s latest comprises music written for a theater project created by the Editta Braun Company in Austria in 2012. That’s all one can tell about it from the scant credits on the disc. His website... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-09-21)

Sula Bassana - Dark Days

These are the recent endeavors of Sula Bassana, the pseudonym of German multi-instrumentalist and composer Dave Schmidt. Dark Days is six tracks of psychedelic acid-drenched heavy stoner rock... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-09-18)

Thierry Zaboitzeff - Sequences: Winds of Sand, Women of Rock

Most will recognize Zaboitzeff from his long tenure as bassist / cellist / composer in Art Zoyd. Since the late 90s he has had a very productive solo career, with over a dozen releases to his credit... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-09-17)

Freddy Delirio - Journey

Freddy Delirio is the pseudonym for Federico Pedichini, Italian philosopher, musician, sound engineer, and producer. He was the keyboardist for Italian cult band Death SS and the lead singer for the... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-09-15)

Mere Women - Old Life

As I listen to Old Life, I keep coming back to the thought that if someone told me it was a lost demo that Siouxsie and the Banshees recorded in the late 70s, I'd probably believe them. It's... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-09-12)

Flower Flesh - Duck in the Box

There is not much information available about this Italian prog rock band. They have been around since 2005, but their MySpace page is noticeably lacking in details. If you Google “Flower...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-09-11)

Copernicus - Deeper & Worthless!

Listening to Copernicus is anything but easy. Widely varying music, everything from clattering free improvisation to sloppy renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner," backs the crazed ranting of the... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-09-10)

Colour Haze - She Said

"Stoner rock" is one of those labels that means pretty much nothing to me. It's not as bad as "indie rock," but it doesn't really describe the music in any meaningful way. I guess it's basically heavy... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-09-09)

Ángel Ontalva - Mundo Flotante

The busy and profusely arranged material on these twelve tracks don’t sound like the work of your typical guitarist, in fact there is as much space given to other instruments (keyboards, flute,... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-09-07)

Sula Bassana - Dreamer - 10 Year Anniversary Edition

This was Sula Bassana’s debut, the solo project of German multi-instrumentalist Dave Schmidt. For an album that’s only been around for ten years, this already has quite a history, starting life as... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-09-03)

Doubt - Mercy, Pity, Peace & Love

This is a band I have occasional (ahem) doubts about. Their use of sequencing borders on mechanical-sounding at times, but then the sheer quality of the music becomes apparent, and my reservations... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-08-28)

Low Wormwood - Lanzhou Lanzhou

Low Wormwood's full-length debut was the enjoyable (and amusingly titled) We Can't Help Kissing Each Other, and their sophomore album finds them sounding a bit more like a band and less like... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-07-25)

Jason Robinson - Tiresian Symmetry

Composer and saxophonist Robinson (also a member of Cosmologic) leads this nine-piece jazz ensemble through some treacherous and expansive material, driven by a combination of tasty melodic... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-07-12)

Lapis Lazuli - Extended Play & Reality Is

This British sextet is a hard act to nail down. Just when you think you know where thy are going, there’s a completely unpredicted twist in the plot and they go off in another direction, leaving you... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-07-17)

Lapis Lazuli - Extended Play & Reality Is

The Mercury Tree - Freeze in Phantom Form

The Mercury Tree is a young band from Portland, Oregon forging a style that mixes elements of modern progressive rock (along the lines of Porcupine Tree) with post-rock (a little like Explosions in... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-07-08)

Various Artists - Cold Blue Two

The Cold Blue label has been around since the early 1980s, producing a number of excellent vinyl releases, then a few years later they folded up shop, only to re-emerge as a CD label a decade later...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-07-04)

3 Mice - Send Me a Postcard

Although two of these mice may be Americans, Send Me a Postcard most definitely is awash in European flavors, both in the continental folk-inspired compositions and the unmistakably European... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-05-12)

Mike Keneally - Wing Beat Fantastic

Check out the subtitle: "Songs written by Mike Keneally & Andy Partridge." There you see the reason I had to have this. Keneally is a consistently interesting songwriter, guitarist, and singer,... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-07-03)

Erdem Helvacioglu - Eleven Short Stories

Helvacıoğlu's bio lists him as an electronic musician, but this set of eleven tracks consists entirely of prepared piano, both solo and multitracked. The stated inspiration for the music is the work... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-07-03)

Perception - Perception and Friends + Mestari (1972-1973)

One of the members of the first graduating class of Magma, woodwind player Yochk’o (Jeff) Seffer joined up with three other like-minded players for a three-album free-jazz run in the early 1970s.... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-06-28)

Ahleuchatistas - Heads Full of Poison

I will admit to approaching this CD with a bit of trepidation. I rather like the previous Ahleuchatistas releases I've heard (as you can tell by other reviews on this site), and I had heard that the... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-06-18)

Various Artists - Head Music

To mark the 40th anniversary of the famous Brain label, Fruits de Mer released a double LP in April 2012 containing 18 new interpretations of classic tunes from German bands (Jane, Amon Düül I and... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-06-16)

Beautify Junkyards - From the Morning / Fuga No. 2

Beautify Junkyards is a young Portuguese band that covers various psych-folk treasures from the 60s. Fruits de Mer in their never-ending quest for new and exciting bands was fortunate enough to... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-06-15)

Nick Nicely - Hilly Fields (1892)

nick nicely (always spelled in lower case [except on the cover of this single -ed.]) is a British psychedelic and experimental rock musician. His recorded output for the past thirty years consists of... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-06-16)

L'Estate di San Martino - Talsete di Marsantino

This is one of those cases (not unlike Il Castello di Atlante) where a band that was active in the 1970s never put out any records in their day –although they did manage one half of a promotional... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-06-15)

Schober's Cabinet - It Is in the Wrong Envelope

If this wasn't recorded in 1967, it sure sounds like it was. Lo-fi and hi-psychedelic, the vintage guitar sounds, Farfisa organ, and experimental drug-laced wanderings of the closing track "Tables"... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Philip Blackburn - Ghostly Psalms

Philip Blackburn is a UK electro-acoustic musician now living in Minnesota. Ghostly Psalms is a collection of three soundscapes that vary so much it is difficult to accurately describe the... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-06-09)

Janel and Anthony - Where Is Home

Knowing that Janel and Anthony play cello and guitar doesn't tell you much about what to expect on this album. While those two instruments are prominent on every track, the variety of sounds heard... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Bill Horist - The Signal Index

In the beginning was the guitar. Well, not the very beginning, of course - obviously there was a time before the guitar was invented. But we're not interested in that time right now, we're interested... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-06-10)

Anthony Phillips - Private Parts & Pieces XI - City of Dreams

The former Genesis guitarist’s extensive discography is embellished with releases in two ongoing series – one is Missing Links, and the other is Private Parts & Pieces, of... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-05-14)

Level ∏ - Dunkelstunde

In the dark days of January 2012, Uwe Cremer (aka Level ∏) released his third full-length solo album Dunkelstunde, seven magical tales to while away your quiet and sleepy winter... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-04-01)

Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores - Sister Death

Gone are the days when the mere mention of an accordion conjures up images of clean-cut polka masters hawking stiff renditions of "Lady of Spain" and other standards. Alec K. Redfearn is part of that... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-05-15)

Adrian H and the Wounds - Adrian H and the Wounds (Dog Solitude)

How often have you read a music review and come across a phrase like "the Chinese Leonard Cohen" or "the punk Madonna" or "the German Fairport Convention"? I like to avoid clichés in my reviews, so I... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-05-07)

Alex's Hand - Madame Psychosis

Alex's Hand is a Seattle-based band that's very hard to pin down stylistically. I've seen them live several times, and each show was significantly different from the others. They've been working... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Mawwal - High Hills in the Creaving Road

It seems like just yesterday that I was reviewing Mawwal's 2011 release Sight Up and wondering what they could do to top that excellent disc, but they have. As evolution goes, the distance... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Hillmen - The Whiskey Mountain Sessions

Hillmen is an improvisational four-piece featuring drummer Peter Hillman, the Topanga contingent of Djam Karet – Gayle Ellett on organ and electric piano and guitarist Mike Murray, plus track... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Dün - Eros

This lost French classic from '81 has much to recommend. A six-piece from Nantes in western France, they featured keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, tuned percussion and flute, and their sound combined... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Cucamonga - Alter Huevo

Alter Huevo kicks off with a goofy carnival polka arranged for marimba, accordion, and electric piano. Not much later, some odd vocal noises make an appearance, and then the band jumps into a... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Vital Information - Live! One Great Night

Smith, who was the drummer for Journey during their rise to fame in the 1977-84 period exited that band at the height of their fame to concentrate on his Vital Information project which had started a... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Ian Anderson - Thick as a Brick 2

One might ask why a monumental progressive rock classic like Thick as a Brick needs a sequel at all, and if the sequel does any justice to the original. After 40 years, the answer to the... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Various Artists - Sorrow's Children - The Songs of S.F. Sorrow

In 1968, The Pretty Things recorded and released the first rock opera, six months ahead of Tommy. The basic story is about a man driven into a dark mental seclusion where he suffers from... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-04-01)

Taylor's Universe - Kind of Red

With each subsequent 'Universe' release, guitarist Robin Taylor's vision reaches a new level of refinement, and the latest, Kind of Red, is yet another step along that enlightening path. The... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Unit Wail - Pangaea Proxima

A new vision of darkness with some Zeuhlish touches, Unit Wail is a French five-piece playing the compositions of keyboardist Vincent Sicot Vantalon, twelve pieces in all, but also noteworthy is the... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Scherzoo - 02

Barely a year after their important debut release, Scherzoo – led by drummer François Thollot, is back with an impressive second helping of instrumental tracks. The band has the same membership, a... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Corima - Quetzalcoatl

For years I've been ripping bands for being being stylistic copycats of better known classic progressive acts: so many trying to sound like Genesis, Starcastle's shameless imitation of Yes, others... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Ache - De Homine Urbano & Green Man

Ache was a Danish four-piece progressive rock outfit that released four albums during the 1970s, of which these are the first two. Their debut De Homine Urbano ("About Urban Man"), an...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Ache - De Homine Urbano & Green Man

Ache was a Danish four-piece progressive rock outfit that released four albums during the 1970s, of which these are the first two. Their debut De Homine Urbano ("About Urban Man"), an...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Kharmina Buranna - Seres Humanos

This is the second full length release by this Peruvian sextet, featuring drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, flute, keyboards and vocals. There are four mid-length instrumental tracks, plus... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Crisálida - Solar

On this, their third full-length release, Chilean five-piece Crisálida further refines their style, alternating between crunchy, prog-metal influenced moments and more wide-ranging progressive moves... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Acqua Fragile - Acqua Fragile & Mass Media Stars

Acqua Fragile is best known as the band that featured singer Bernardo Lanzetti prior to his joining PFM in time for their Chocolate Kings album. But in fact from their very beginnings,...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Syzygy - A Glorious Disturbance

Nobody can accuse Syzygy of glutting the market with too much product; this lavish three-disc live package is only the band's fourth release in twenty years, but for anyone not yet familiar with this... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion

I was surprised at the disappointment expressed in some corners about this disk. Many seem to have expected a collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) to yield... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2013-04-01)

Hidria Spacefolk - Astronautica

For their fifth studio disc, this Finnish six-piece presents five long tracks that represent more of an extension and refinement of their own brand of groove laden space rock, evolving from the... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Japonize Elephants - Mélodie Fantastique

Perhaps this is one of the most eclectic bands around, nothing quite like their mix of styles and influences. Although it's been ten years since their last album 40 Years of Our Family, I... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Snapline - Future Eyes & Phenomena

Going strictly on listening to these two CDs, which share many track titles, you might guess that Phenomena is a collection of demos for Future Eyes. The Phenomena tracks... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2013-04-01)

Northcore - Desatero

Northcore is the London based duo of Carl Gibbons and Jana Tillotson. Their music combines floating ambient electronics along with what would be more typically called sequenced electronica (think... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Yūgen - Mirrors

With three outstanding studio albums behind them, last years' RIO festival seemed like an excellent opportunity to capture the band in a live setting. The material here, drawn mostly from the band's... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

10 Ft. Ganja Plant - 10 Deadly Shots Vol. II

By the band name alone you should have a very good guess about the music contained on this disc. 10 Deadly Shots Vol. II is the second release in 10 Ft. Ganja Plant's on-going... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-04-01)

Carl Weingarten - Panamorphia

Weingarten's last solo release Escapesilence, was a good ten years ago, but many of the fundamental building blocks created on that release and its predecessors Blue Faith and... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Lars Hollmer - Med Mjölad Hand (Skisser) / With Floury Hand (Sketches)

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly four years since this talented musician, composer and arranger suddenly left this world shortly after the release of the gorgeous album Andetag.... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Resistencia Chaco - Una Puerta Roja en Algún Lugar de la República Checa

Images of a red door, a burned out building, a knife, cockroaches, and somewhere in the Czech Republic. It's not my Spanish language comprehension shortcomings that will prevent me from elaborating... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

The Machine - Calmer Than You Are

The third and latest release by this Dutch trio combines dark passages of moody introspection with hard edged heavy stoner rock, mixing in some tasty classic psychedelic elements along that path. The... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Earthling Society - Stations of the Ghost

Earthling Society is a UK psychedelic/space rock band that has been around for the past eight years. They are also one of the bands appearing regularly on Fruits de Mer singles and compilations. ... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-04-01)

Forgas Band Phenomena - Acte V

Composer, drummer, and bandleader Patrick Forgas has been performing progressive jazz and jazzrock for well over 35 years. There have been various lineups with the band over the last 15 years. The... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-04-01)

Panzerpappa - Astromalist

It's good to see Panzerpappa back in action again, this being their first album in around six or seven years, now signed to the Rune Grammofon label. Even in their humble beginnings with self-released... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Pravda - The Clarity of Chaos

This Pravda (not to be confused with other bands by the same name) hails from Idaho, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The trio features keyboards, drums, and a guitarist doubling on bass, with all... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

Curved Air - Live Atmosphere

This set is documentation of the latest Curved Air reunion tour from 2010-2011, featuring singer Sonja Kristina, original drummer Florian Pilkington-Miksa, violinist Paul Sax who played with Sonja's... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2013-04-01)

The Pretty Things - Honey, I Need / I Can Never Say

The Pretty Things have been around for over 50 years and are arguably the best R'n'B band the UK ever produced. One of the founding fathers, guitarist Dick Taylor, was originally with the Rolling... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2013-04-01)

Latest news

2017-07-27
Yestival Dates Beef up the Beat – Word reaches us that Dylan Howe (son of guitarist Steve Howe) will be joining Yes on their "Yestival" tour, drumming alongside longtime band member Alan White. » Read more

2017-05-19
First ProgStock Festival Set for October – October 2017 will see the inaugural edition of a festival called ProgStock in Rahway, New Jersey at the Union County Performing Arts Center. With a definite slant towards neo-progressive music, the event is sure to please many fans with the inclusion of such artists as Echolyn, Glass Hammer, and Aisles. The festival will take place October 13-15. » Read more

2017-05-05
Clive Brooks RIP – Word reaches us today of another sad passing in the music world. Drummer Clive Brooks, best known as a member of such Canterbury bands as Egg, Uriel / Arzachel, and Groundhogs, has died at the age of 67. Details are sketchy at this point. The news was reported on Nick Mason's Facebook page — Brooks was Mason's drum tech. » Read more

2017-05-02
Col. Bruce Hampton RIP – The phrase "He died doing what he loved" is almost a cliche, but in the case of Col. Bruce Hampton, it couldn't be more true. Hampton, who was born Gustav Berglund III, collapsed on stage at his own 70th birthday celebration and later passed away. The event took place at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. » Read more

2017-04-16
ProgDay 2017 Announces First Bands – Flor de Loto, Sonar, and Infinien are the first three performers to be announced for the 2017 edition of the long-running ProgDay Festival. The 23rd ProgDay takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, at Storybook Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. » Read more

More news

Previously in Exposé...

Roger Powell - Fossil Poets – Roger Powell is best known as long-time keyboardist for Utopia as well as his early pioneering synthesizer records (Cosmic Furnace and Air Pocket). Fossil Poets is his first set of new recordings in... (2008) » Read more

Forgas Band Phenomena - L'Axe du Fou – Patrick Forgas is a French drummer who has been releasing jazz-rock fusion gems since the late 70s. The latest incarnation on Cuneiform Records finds Patrick and his band mates Sebastien Trognon (sax... (2010) » Read more

Baku Llama - Eris – Eris is the debut release by this Southern California based trio, oft given to systematic discoveries in the rockier terrains of what one might call soundtrack music. Their vision is rooted in... (2008) » Read more

Golden Avant-Garde - Golden Avant-Garde – Existing from around 1986 through the early 90s, Golden Avant-Garde was formed around mainstays Chihiro Saito (bass) and Takeshi Naganuma (drums), the former having played with Katra Turana and his... (1996) » Read more

Patrick Broguière - Icones – Broguière's debut album Brocéliande was one of Musea's brightest promises last year, the multi-instrumentalist (guitars, keyboards, violin, and flute) serving up a magical dish... (1996) » Read more

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