Dazed #12: Sarastro Blake, Narrow Pass, Nick Magnus, Schizoid Lloyd, The Unthanks

In my previous posting I gave marked Narrow Pass as a band to keep an eye on. That was on the strength of their debut from 2006. I have now listened to their later albums, and am happy to report that 2009's In This World And Beyond and last year's A New Day are both elegant and lyrical progenies of the early Genesis / Hackett ca. 1979-80 lineage. Narrow Pass seem to be one of those bands who compensate their fairly obvious non-originality with an honesty and openness that's hard to resist. And the music is quality stuff in their chosen genre.
My rating for both albums: 4 / 5

Like Narrow Pass, Sarastro Blake is an Italian project, led by guitarist Paolo Pigni. SB's 2013 album The New Progmantics is a nice piece of "pastoral crossover prog", for want of a better description. Filled with guest spots by British prog veterans, the album takes no great risks or chances, preferring to stay on a vaguely Renaissance/Camel-ish path. The execution is immaculate and even if there are no bright innovations, the result is very enjoyable indeed. Fans of King Crimson or VDGG are advised to steer clear, but if you enjoy your music with a cup of tea and a misty view from your window, this is pretty perfect. Note: the SB website was last updated in 2013 so it's very possible this is all there will be from them.

One of the guests on Sarastro Blake's album is Steve Hackett's (there he is again!) old bandmate, Nick Magnus. His solo effort N'monix was perhaps my very favorite of the 2014 prog crop: a very varied and lively album with a strong, almost epic sense of the visual; some of the tracks could well be parts of a movie score. The Genesis connection is not hidden away but proudly present on some - but not all! - tracks, and the guest vocals by PG-soundalike Tony Patterson emphasise the family line. It's Nick's fifth solo album and unfortunataly the only one I've heard so far. Have to fix that asap...
My rating: 5 / 5

Moving far away from the 70's British prog heritage, we have the Dutch Schizoid Lloyd's fairly new debut full length album, The Last Note In God's Magnum Opus (they have to earlier EP's out). And, by God, this is one I'll return to many times before I'm through with it! The style is... well,
would "hallucinogenic operatic prog death metal" do? The first references that come to mind are Mr. Bungle and Unexpect - if you're familiar with those bands you'll know what I mean. The songs twist and turn and refuse to stand still; they feature sudden changes from prog stylings to near silence to full blast metal barrage, with a very proggish framework to keep it all together. There are even moments that echo the adventurous early Queen of 1973-75; at other times, there's a resemblance to the more grandiose pieces of Cradle of Filth. One listen will not be enough and I'm very certain we'll hear a lot more of these guys. They are extremely talented both as musicians and songwriters, so here's hoping their avant-garde prog metal will find its audience!
My tentative rating based on two listens: 4,5 / 5

Finally, I'll close this posting with something calm. Britain's The Unthanks have been around for over ten years and have eight (!) albums in their discography. Led by the Unthank sisters, Rachel and Becky, they are described in Wikipedia as an "English folk group known for their eclectic approach in combining traditional English folk, particularly Northumbrian folk music, with other musical genres." I have no idea what undiluted Northumbrian folk music sounds like but their latest album, Mount The Air, is absolutely magical and uncategorizable. It's mutated folk, mixed with dreamy layers of orchestral strings and jazzy brass and wind instruments, and it's totally magical. It's a wonder the whole album is as strong as it is because there are no great dynamic shifts; listening to it is like flowing down a long river that only takes long, unhurried turns here and there. A complete surprise out of the blue - and another band that requires some retrospective listening.
My rating: 4,5 / 5

Dazed #11: Camelias Garden, The Imagined Village, Fernwood, Luna Rossa, Narrow Pass, Minimum Vital

This latest batch of quality prog turned out to have a largely acoustic character which coincided nicely with the first hints of the coming spring here in Finland: increasing light, sun warming the air during the days, sounds of birds... My favorite time of the year :)

Camelias Garden from Rome was recommended in one of the many prog groups on Facebook, and I'm grateful whoever it was that gave the hint. You Have A Chance is a marvelous debut album that echoes Tull, Renaissance, early Genesis but adds a rich splash of the band's own Italian personality. It's one of the sunniest, airiest, most optimistic prog records I've heard and I truly hope this 2013 album will have a sequel soon.

My rating: 4,5 / 5

Recommended in Big Big Train's facebook group, Bending the Dark, the so far latest album from The Imagined Village, took me totally by surprise. The band's - well it's more a project, really - earlier efforts were a decent upgrading of British roots music, but this 2012 album goes way beyond that. Effortlessly mixing genres and cultures, the band switches from Irish laments to jazz-spiced electronica in no time and manages more than a few prog tricks here and there. It's a unique album that grows on you and its strong points easily outweigh the few less powerful moments.

My rating: 4 / 5

Fernwood are another British folk-based ensemble with prog leanings. I have so far only listended to their debut, Almeria, and must say I like it. It's nothing immensely memorable, but it's very good atmosphere music, with warmth and expressiveness aplenty; Anthony Phillips would be a natural reference point. The compositions could be more developed and detailed, but maybe the later albums have taken care of that already. As a debut, very promising indeed.

My rating: 3,5 / 5

The first Luna Rossa album, Sleeping Pills and Lullabies, was one of my favorites in 2013. So the expectations were high for the follow-up. My initial reaction to Secrets and Lies was slightly reserved; the immediate magnetism and drama of the debut seemed a little more downplayed and the music a little more ordinary. But the more I have listened, the more I like this. It's an intricate album that guards its soul a bit more than its predecessor did, but the effort is worth it. Recommended to anyone with appetite to innovative female auters along the lines of Kate B., Jane S., Joni M.... you know.
My rating: 4 / 5

Italy's Narrow Pass is one of the bands I have discovered when just browsing for new prog releases. Their latest sounded truly fabulous on first listen but I decided to go through their output from the beginning. Their debut, A Room of Fairy Queen's, from 2006, is more than solid. It's a nicely balanced whole that covers a musical ground that's half Steve Hackett and half something folkier and more acoustic. I enjoy this a lot and will report on their 2nd and 3rd albums in my next postings.

My rating; 4 / 5

Another continental band I discovered during the browsing session mentioned above was the French Minimum Vital who have been around for a fairly long time. I checked out a cd that has their first two albums, Envol Triangles / Les Saisons Marines, in one; those records date from 1985 and 1987, respectively. I believe they only represent the initial musical stage in a long evolution, and in a way they are dated, sounding very much like the 80's fusion oriented bands tended to sound. But there is definitely something original bubbling under the surface as well, and the overall impression is of a young band paying its debts to Brand X and Tull's instrumental pieces before moving on to find their own true voice. Not great but nice and, in retrospect, pretty interesting too. Will continue with their discography later.

My rating: 3 / 5

Dazed #10: The Blogger Returns - a wrap-up of six months of prog

Seems it was late August since I wrote anything here. In September something called "suddenly very busy at work" interfered with the more meaningful things and I dropped the blog for a while. It was not planned; a middle-aged man just can only handle so much baggage at one time...

But hell, I'm here again, with all my used-to-be-long hair hangin' down and a simple mission: catch up and give a very quick rundown on what I've discovered and enjoyed, progwise, during the half a year since I was here last. So, here goes...

A Secret River: Colours of Solitude

Beautiful crossover prog with some gorgeous melodies and assured playing. Brilliant debut album for the band from Northern Sweden - may you have a long and succesful career! Already looking forward to album #2...

http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=46966

A.C.T: Circus Pandemonium

Sweden again, but the Southern parts this time. A.C.T have established a loyal fan base who endured several years of silence after their previous album, Silence (ahem). This comeback is as solid, virtuosic and entertaining as prog can be and may be their best so far. The happy combination of influences ranging from Queen, ELO and Kansas to Rush, It Bites and Dream Theater results, paradoxically, in a unique sound that I just love.

http://open.spotify.com/album/0OdSw9VH2i4ZdXmC0ebf6f

Abel Ganz: Abel Ganz

The Scottish cult band's unlikely comeback album after a very long break was one of 2014's most unlikely prog events, picking up rave reviews and awards here and there and everywhere. And they so deserve it: the album is a jewel - visual, atmospheric, innovative, poetic and adventurous, not to mention warm and utterly human.

http://open.spotify.com/album/6qt6CWW6pdUvc2FLzl2DFJ

Adeia: Hourglass

Nightwish may combine metal with classical on a surface level but Adeia, one of Christiaan Bruin's many bands, goes deeper and creates a freakishly bold mashup of extreme metal, older classical (Renaissance, early Baroque) music and surreal soundscapes with a strong prog undercurrent. Lots of chances taken, all of which pay off. Keep your eyes and ears on this one.

http://open.spotify.com/album/776bvNEG4jou7ISiV4FjWT

Discus: ...tot Licht!

No shit: it's a prog band from Indonesia! Just goes to show great prog knows no boundaries. Very ambitious and wide-ranging stuff, combining the extreme complexity of Zappa to immensely beautiful moments and glimpses of their South-East Asian musical culture. A genuine surprise!

http://open.spotify.com/album/3AeRUuvyjbZnsmETIpexVP

Dynamo Bliss: 21st Century Junk / Poplar Music / Day and Night

Ah, more Swedes... Dynamo Bliss are basically a melodic alt.pop band with a heavy sprinkling of prog spicing up the dish - Todd Rundgren & Utopia are perhaps the closest reference point. Always good, at some points downright ingenious, for example Circadian Rhythm on Day and Night. 

http://open.spotify.com/artist/3lOUElSlISxyHVg3pLSX6j

Sean Filkins: War And Peace & other stories

Sean used to sing with Big Big Train and the same sense of the British epic prog is present on his solo effort. It's a marvelous piece of work, combining a prog sensibility and scope with a sharp singer-songwriter talent.

http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=33676

Fractal Mirror: Garden of Ghosts

The Dutch band's 2nd album is a beauty, putting the not-so-great debut safely to rest. Covering much the same musical ground as A Secret River, the album takes melancholy and turns into something elevated and majestic. I love listening to this fairly loud; the songs may be pretty but there's power behind them. Epic without being grandiose.

http://open.spotify.com/album/6qBLKp1ctAgnZ2yZdYAtwi

Jeavestone: Spices, Species & Poetry Petrol / 1+1=OK

My fellow Finns Jeavestone managed to stay hidden even from their countryman: they've been around for a few years but somehow eluded me for a long time. So glad I discovered them at last because this is priceless stuff! The album titles reflect a sense of manic humor that shines through in their "fuck the genres" approach to prog - you never know what the next song's like but somehow it all sounds like Jeavestone. Complex at times, straight at others, always fun.

http://open.spotify.com/album/1JT86YUN91z9yzfAIOnXBn

http://jeavestone.bandcamp.com/

Nick Magnus: N'monix

Steve Hackett's old bandmate's solo outing was among my very favorites of 2014. Despite some faint whispers of 1970's Genesis and Steve's early solo stuff, N'monix has a strong own identity; again somehow very visual which is a quality I always love. Big music with a big heart, lovingly executed.

http://open.spotify.com/album/3SCEU83AFEuqOD2PZ8PjHw

Mercury Tree: Freeze In Phantom Form / Countenance

I usually don't go for current American prog with its math rock / post rock tendencies. But these guys are simply brilliant musicians and, unlike many of their peers, bring a strong sense of melody to the highly strung music. Lots of energy, very tight playing, great control of nuances.

http://open.spotify.com/album/1WI3ps1azcNtNVwvT8Pn4J

http://themercurytree.bandcamp.com/

The Oneira: Hyperconscious

The 1/3 Greek and 2/3 Italian prog trio won me over in a few seconds. I heard a snippet of a song from this album and it was one of those moments my ears just picked up instantly. There's nothing overtly original here, it's actually more like a combination of 1970's and 1980's UK and US prog influences upgraded to 21st sounds. But the playing is excellent, the production faultless, the songs have great variation and class and the production is top notch.

http://open.spotify.com/album/6S2xIeFz5ho2LA5EnZjvvm

Tony Patterson: Ra / All The World / Barriers / Northlands

The singer of Re:Genesis can do a 1:1 imitation of PG at the drop of a hat but Tony's solo efforts usually pass the obvious. I'm actually pretty taken with his material: all three albums and one five-track EP are individual wholes with individual profiles. Ra is mostly instrumental Oriental prog (yup), All The World is a cousin to Francis Dunnery's solo stuff, Barriers is the in-this-case-obligatory PG soundalike album (it's style is so So-era PG one wonders if TP just had to go all the way just once) and Northlands, done with Brendan Eyre, is an eye-wateringly gorgeous paean to the British North and one of the prog jewels of 2014. I had no knowledge of TP before this January and now I'm a fan. Yay :)

http://open.spotify.com/artist/1MGM2AIoTsUmSoarbREnJl

Robert Reed: Sanctuary

Well now: if Tony Patterson merely tracks Peter Gabriel, Robert Reed has decided to become Mike Oldfield. That's the only possible explanation for Sanctuary, an album that reproduces the Oldfield sound and style ca. Hergest/Ommadawn so precisely it's scary. Does it make any artistic sense? Definitely not. Is it entertaining? Hell yes! Depending on your Oldfield fandom, of course.

http://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/sanctuary

White Willow (several albums)

The Norwegian band has been around for quite some time but only lately entered my radar so I have ploughed through their almost entire back catalogue. They are an intriguing bunch, with music ranging from Tull-ish folk prog to moody atmospherics to guitar driven heavier sound. There's not a single song I got hooked to, it's more an overall thing. I like the way they move around, and sometimes out of, the prog field, trying out different things and approaches.

http://open.spotify.com/artist/62f9LejTohfxGWhMP00ZrS