Reviews

The orchestra of orchids is back. And so is the magic!

The orchestra of orchids is back. And so is the magic!

"Elegant Gypsy & More" could easily have been recorded in the seventies, eighties, nineties or at the start of this century, because Al Di Meola is still as much of a master on electric guitar as he was more than four decades ago, while…

Primal Fear have never nailed the right balance of power metal riff punch, epic scale, bombast, musical openness and compositional ingenuity as consistently as they do on "Apocalypse".

Primal Fear have never pulled off anything as epic and bombastic, or as musically open-minded and inventive, as what "Apocalypse" delivers. It's honestly one of the best albums of their career to date.

"Something Magic" was a seriously solid, dignified (temporary) farewell for the cult prog-rock pioneers, who stayed firmly true to their own sonic heritage.

»Nighfall in Middle-Earth« is still the brightest jewel in the crown of Germany's prog/power metal champions to this day.

On "Land of the Midnight Sun", an outstanding debut that once again showed just how well jazz fusion works on 'turbo drive', Di Meola set a high bar for the rest of his solo career and laid a solid foundation for his future solo projects.

With "Opus," Mr. Di Meola, who recently surprised everyone by saying that for the first time in his career he made an album while actually being in a good mood, has served up a gorgeous, suitably eclectic and mostly acoustic-leaning record.

»Sunsets On Empire« may well be the most overlooked achievement of Fish's solo career. Mostly thanks to Wilson's songwriting and production work, it has stood the test of time much better than some of his earlier solo albums.

The Sea Within have made a very likable, supremely listenable and 'flowing' debut, which is probably just the opening chapter of future studio projects from this ambitious international collective. Some of the compositions are a real feast…

With Sonder, Tesseract kind of blend elements from their past albums. The band is still technical, atmospheric, melodic and unpredictable, but the album as a whole doesn't hit as hard as the first two.

With Sonder, Tesseract kind of stitch together elements of their past albums. The band is still technical, atmospheric, melodic and unpredictable, but as a whole the album doesn't hit as hard as the first two.

Three years later, another album followed. It's their eleventh studio record overall, called »Bound to the Witch«, and it picks up the story from its predecessor, with one important difference: it sounds way more convincing, more consistent…

New times, new drive. Fresh surges of testosterone in the veins of old tomcats! A thoroughly convincing document, sonically incredibly polished yet scuffed up and torn, with a punk-garage sheen, just dirty enough and just sharp enough.…

With »War Dance« Colosseum II hit their artistic peak, crafting eclectic jazz fusion on 'turbo drive', but even though it was their most mature effort, they once again failed to land the commercial response they were after.

With »Seventeen«, Kayak have made a pretty catchy, likeable album stuffed with symphonic prog rock gems, and it's solid proof that even the new version of the band is working at a high level of arranging, songwriting and playing, worthy of…

'Tardigrades will inherit the Earth,' say The Mute Gods on their slow, boring and poorly produced effort, which does these musicians no credit at all.

One of the most striking AOR records of the rock'n'roll era gets a new lease of life and fresh essence in its new version, while keeping all its exceptional charisma and grandeur. Even after the "refresh," it works perfectly well.

The decorated bakery led by Miss Baker heads off to San Remo.

One of France's oldest and most revered progressive rock bands has pulled off a feat with "Heureux!" that stands up even against their best records from the seventies.

»Fly From Here - Return Trip« is a thoroughly superfluous project, and its one real standout is Horn's still remarkably well-preserved voice, which gives it a slight quality edge over the pretty average original.

The album "Utrip" counts as one of the best releases, or full-length studio achievements, to come out in Slovenia this year.

Compared to a promising debut that hinted at the quintet's huge potential, Orkestrada have taken a clear step forward with the new album, in a self-evolving bloom of artistic expression.

`The Perfect Poison`, as one of the songs on the new Lizzy Borden album puts it. And it's true. Brilliantly polished, and the most mature studio album of Lizzy Borden's whole career. The long wait was worth it.

On "The Shadow Theory," Kamelot once again stick faithfully to their long-running, tried-and-tested and successful symphonic metal recipe, not budging from it by a single millimeter. That will of course please most of the longtime fans,…

An album that will seduce you, then completely win you over with the eerie tenderness of a gorgeous, borderline brilliant confessional vocal character.

"The biggest strength of “Somewhere to Elsewhere” is that the compositions lodge themselves in your ear incredibly well, and the album as a whole flies by in a blink. There are no potentially boring moments on it, although no composition…

In an acoustic setting, the "brutal" truth of the concept gets magnified even more through subtle sensitivity and softness, and since the album is deeply personal, its emotional reach and the reach of the passions sung out are showcased to…

With its majestic arrangements and inviting atmosphere, "Five" will win over most fans of contemporary classical music and Banks's piano mastery. Anyone hoping for some kind of continuation of the mighty Genesis musical "story" won't find…

»Greatest Hits Part 1« is a big moment of release and studio fun for the tireless, restless Leoni. With CoreLeoni, it also opens the door to live stages while Gotthard take a well-earned rest.

It took a long time for this band, formed in the mid-eighties, to put out its debut. It's a strong-character album that was years in the making, and in terms of quality there's hardly anything you'd add or take away. Highly recommended…

After a somewhat limping predecessor that played it cautious above all and was out to win approval for the revamped lineup, its follow-up »The Road to Hell« is a far more confident and self-assured continuation.

Label: Celinka RecordsRelease year: 2018Album length: 13:35Rating: 8.0 / 10 Taja Božič is a Slovenian musician, composer and arranger who, together with her backing band The Kirkwaalds, put out an "extended play" (EP) this May called…

Taja Božič is a Slovenian musician, composer and arranger who released an extended play (EP) called "Divji svet" this past May with her backing band The Kirkwaalds.

"»Got Rhythm?« reflects the layered musical polish and sharp instincts of musicians who, in the distinctly stimulating language of string chamber music, deftly trade and wheel and deal across different genres as well as rhythmic textures."

A varied, hugely infectious record that's pleasantly inviting from start to finish. Chamber music full of teasing genre flirtations, from classical, jazz and Latin rhythms to inspiration drawn from Slovenian folk melodies.

"Melting several genre blends in one pot, the band has woven a musical ID card all its own, one that bridges those genres effectively and brings them together in an open, deeply conciliatory dialogue. "

A varied, lively passion play of eleven original tracks, this record shows off a fully formed songwriting identity. It speaks in a relaxed, easygoing, soft voice, and thanks to that softness it's actually seriously tantalizing.

It probably won't surprise many people following the modern prog-rock scene that Spock's Beard have created yet another masterpiece with "Noise Floor", which is also their most interesting achievement so far with Leonard on lead vocals.

»Only Human« is yet another dead-center bullseye for the band, their fifth, and fans of the group didn't think twice about slotting this album into their private CD collections the moment they could.

Christian has once again dodged the predictability trap with superb production, polished, finely crafted songs and his trademark, infectious singing, which keeps its exceptional, expressive vocal character even into his later years.

Just under 44 minutes of devilishly good music that keeps a wonderfully clever link to the classic Bonfire alive. It teases just the right amount in that respect. Only a little, but enough. With no Lessmann in the lineup that's hard to…

"No shortage of self-irony, sarcasm and mockery once again! Boh remains a razor-sharp provocateur, a master of twisting turns of phrase and a smith of clever quips. It's precisely this barbed streak of Boh's imagination that keeps Nula…

A new winning hand from a razor-sharp, one-of-a-kind musical mind! Ladies and gentlemen, the resident jokers of Nula Kelvina have a great new album out, packed with mocking, confessional tomfoolery!

Once again, the new album suffers from a lack of unified songwriting focus, so it doesn't bring a real leap in quality over its predecessor. The first half is promising again, then things veer a bit "off to the side".

Yep. Rage in the lineup of Peter Peavy Wagner (vocals, bass), Manni Schmidt (guitar) and Christos Efthimiadis (drums) are back together, with one difference: they're not called Rage, they're called Refuge.

So Don Airey is back, three years after his previous solo album "Keyed Up." "One Of A Kind" is kind of what you'd expect. Airey stays in the creative territory that feels most like home to him, the stuff he loves most and, of course, knows…

»Wuthering Nights-Live in Birmingham« is yet another superb live record from the guitar legend and his outstanding backing band, and it's sure to delight Steve's longtime fans most of all.

With »Different Stories«, Anubis have put together an exceptionally pleasant, easygoing collection of acoustically rearranged standards from their earlier albums. It's aimed first and foremost at their most devoted fans, though, because…

Label: Clean Feed RecordsRelease year: 2018Production: Samo ŠalamonAlbum length: 58:29Rating: 9.0 / 10 So what's our Samo Šalamon up to these days? Revelling in fresh musical challenges, one after another. The man, regarded as one of…

A bass-less trio of old friends and another wildly infectious, fun and thrilling addition to the discography of Samo Šalamon, the great guitar hero of modern jazz guitar.

Galahad so s »Seas of Change«, mojstrovino izjemnih ambinetalnih razsežnosti, ki slogovno izvrstno pluje med njihovim zgodnjim in sodobnim pristopom, vnovič opozorili, da že nekaj let sodijo v 'prvo ligo' neoprogresivnega rocka.

"'Family' was a sort of little blues lexicon of the band, an important work of affirmation. 'Wacky Blues Professors' feels a touch groovier and funkier, and its musical vision is stylistically more focused and chiseled."

The fire, the sharp wit and the seething inspiration show no sign of dying down, and the new album is another utterly fascinating chapter from a band that in many ways is taking on the status of top dogs, not just of the current Slovenian…

"Šlajn is a new Slovenian outfit that swears by forging little tunes, cobbled together the typical way, straight from the sunny side of the Alps. What makes them special is that they flirt openly with country and country rock sounds. Given…

Šlajn are a new Slovenian outfit sworn to forging little songs, typically welded together under the skies of the sunny side of the Alps. What sets them apart is that they flirt openly with country and country rock tunes. Given that this…

With the kind of fire Overkill show on »Live In Overhausen«, you wouldn't be all that surprised if Bobby and the gang were still at it thirty years from now, celebrating the 60th anniversary of their studio debut.

"“Buh” is a different kind of art rock story, with its own musical direction, its own energetic vibe and a recognizable musical character. "

So the album »Buh«, the debut of Uroš Buh, or let's just call it the band Buh, is a very strong, tightly hewn piece of work, both in musical composition and in message (the poetry), packed with tangible substance.

Sure, »Gravitiy« follows the musical direction and guidelines of its predecessor, but it's no longer as sharp in freshness and ideas as »Legacy« was.

»Quiet Storms« is a release 'reserved' for Galahad's most loyal fans, who'll mostly be buying it for a handful of new tracks, none of which can seriously compete with their best work.

"Armor of Light" is an achievement tailor-made for all Riot fans and everyone who loves traditional heavy metal logic, old-school ossified, pioneering in spirit. A truly worthy successor to "Unleash the Fire".

"Dubzilla are becoming grand masters of their art craft, of pure instrumental dub naturism. Their third album, "Post Dub Impressions", is a chiseled, instantly recognizable musical dossier that deepens, nurtures and builds on everything…

Dubzilla are becoming the great masters of pure instrumental dub naturism. The new album »Post Dub Impressions« deepens, nurtures and builds on this chiseled musical dossier you can recognize from a mile away.

No, anyone who thought things would go downhill after Joco's departure will have to eat their words this time. New times, new situation, new artistic moves. Another superb Demolition Group album.

"The band is nowhere near losing its compass, and Pojdiva tja is a gorgeous addition next to its older studio siblings in the group's rich discography."

Money is one thing, and pooled talent is another, but above all of it reigns an extraordinary chemistry that holds this band together, and on their fourth studio album it has finally paid off in full and shone with all its artistic…

The excitement of all of us who caught King Crimson's Vienna show 'live' in late 2016 was, of course, huge when this live document came out. No exaggeration: this is one of their best live albums, and there are far from few of those, which…

Arena always take all the time they need on every new studio project so that success is practically guaranteed, and with »Double Vision« they've pulled off a dark masterpiece of epic proportions that carries on their enviable tradition of…

Gilgamesh may not have been the most innovative or entertaining act of the Canterbury scene, but in their short existence they undeniably made one of the classics of the genre with their debut.

With »Downwind«, Moerlen's Gong hit their creative peak and cut yet another fascinating album, though in a few spots it was already showing cracks and small signs of a creative crisis.

»Seven«, the last Soft Machine album with a number in its title, was a noticeably more accessible effort than its predecessors, one with which the jazz fusion champions, emboldened by the success of »Six«, set out to reach a somewhat wider…

»Live Floating Anarchy«, the only official album released under the Planet Gong name, just before Allen's brief 'prog punk' phase, is a one-of-a-kind oddity in the Gong discography.

With »Six«, which pulled them back from the brink of ever-deeper obscurity and gave them a fair bit of stability, Soft Machine delivered one of their better efforts. The live and studio halves are equal in quality, and thanks to the…

Z »You« so Gong dosegli svoj ustvarjalni vrhunec ter postavili piko na i »Radio Gnome Invisible« konceptualne trilogije.

The mid-session drummer swap turned "Fifth" into an odd sonic hybrid within Soft Machine's colorful discography, one that can't make up its mind between drowsy free-jazz forms and the more energetic jazz fusion wit that takes over in the…

»Angel's Egg«, the core of the »Radio Gnome Invisible« trilogy, was one of the defining moments in Gong's history, with Allen's musical crew at the peak of their creative powers and wild ideas just pouring out on their own.

Big Bad Wolf are huge fans of old-school metal, both the British kind and the old-school American speed and thrash kind. Motörhead's influence is all over it, and the whole thing should get Venom fans worked up too.

"Outrage of Modesty" brings a whole fistful of dynamite sticks, perfect for giving your scalp a proper combing and cleaning out your ear canals. "

"Fourth," which set the bar pretty high for any comparable release to follow, still ranks among the gems of English jazz fusion today.

"Real Life Version is a band that absolutely has to make some noise abroad. Absolutely. The new album drives that home once again. If an Offspring ever swings through here, we know who the opener will be."

After almost 50 years in the game, you expect a band of this vintage to give you a good album, a decent album, maybe a solid one. Modest and respectful, in other words: no miracles required. But for an album to turn out as devilishly good…

"After nearly 50 years in the game, you'd expect a good album from musical elders, a decent album, maybe a solid one. Modest and respectful, in other words: no miracles required. But for an album to be as damn good as "Firepower" is a hefty…

Still, Real Life Version manage to be a little bit their own. Ajdovščina-style their own, get it? They've got their own punk rock musical dossier, which they're now deepening and nurturing even further with the new album »Furious Winds And…

"The charge this album gives off doesn't fade until the very last second of playing time. A bottomless well of energy transformed into musical magic. Unique in every respect, one of a kind, unrepeatable and singular."

There are no genre boundaries here. Six tracks, all stretched out to serious length, boast serious motivic variety, unexpected twists, and an incredibly sparkling, witty performance (interpretation) that gives the listener a feeling of…

A fresh tale of sub-Alpine "Ej'ga" blues, which long ago swapped the carefree cheer of the folk hero and his famous (Kekec) songs for something far grittier.

If this were the eighties, Trium might have landed themselves a pop-rock evergreen with this album. As it is, "Puzzle," just like the album title hints, is a very clever foldout, a jigsaw of countless tiny arrangement details that build up…

It's no surprise that “Ma7ematika” feels like a collection of tracks that Big Foot Mama, Avtomobili or Siddharta forgot to record over the course of their careers.

"A tale of sub-Alpine "Ej'ga" blues that long ago swapped the carefree cheer of the national hero and his famous (Kekec) songs for something far grimmer. "

»Continental Circus« is the Gong album that would have been perfectly fine never being made, though as a backdrop for a documentary it's not all that bad and has at least two bright spots.

Despite a few improvisational provocations and, for its day, an innovative flirtation with jazz-salted minimalism, »Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard« is one of Wyatt's more accessible solo outings, but it stays in the long shadow of its cult…

"Third," a jazz fusion and Canterbury scene classic that defined the classic Soft Machine sound, is the pivotal record in this cult band's incredibly colorful discography, and they'd go on to live through a few more interesting, vividly…

Even in their golden years, the band still has no shortage of talent and inspiration.

Yet another outstanding studio album from a long-running, seasoned hard rock band!

On "Camembert Electrique", still a treat today for any fan of space rock and avant-garde psychedelia, Daevid Allen and his cosmic family of green-capped gnomes finally unveiled, from the window of a flying teapot, the view of the galaxy…

"An album that will make even those music lovers who normally run a mile from the word jazz fall for the genre. An album whose perfection lets it go toe to toe with its contemporaries on the international stage without breaking a sweat.…

Lovro's new jazz adventure, on which the brilliant virtuoso keeps building on his wildly accessible musical approach, deftly balancing the challenge of jazz improvisation with high musicality and tight, compact arrangements.

With the transitional »Volume Two«, Soft Machine began smartly moving out of the world of experimental psychedelia and onto the improvisational plains of jazz fusion, which would soon become their trademark.