art rock

Self-releasedRelease date: 26. 9. 2022Production: Robi BulešičAlbum length: 36.27 minGenre: Alternative Rock / Art RockRating: 9.0/10 NoAir, the alternative rock quartet from Koper, dropped their third studio album “Square” last…

Massimo Savić, one of the most respected and recognizable vocalists of the Croatian rock and pop scene, and one of those voices that left a permanent mark on the face of the wider regional music scene, has died at the age of 61 after a…

Location: Prague / Forum Karlin / Czech RepublicDate: Saturday, 10 December 2022 Everything was going according to plan. The October one. Right up until Uriah Heep started their 'experimenting' and 'rethinking', cutting short the…

Location: Ljubljana / Arena Stožice / SloveniaDate: Sunday, 4 December 2022 Bryan Adams, the legendary Canadian rock singer-songwriter, finally made it back to Slovenia. After the repeated postponements of the tour on which he was…

Label: BMGRelease date: 21. 10. 2022Production: Simple Minds, Andy Wright & Gavin GoldbergAlbum length: 38.10 minGenre: Art Rock / Pop / New WaveRating: 9.0/10 How do you make a great electro rock and pop album in strange times,…

Location: Vienna / Gasometer / AustriaDate: Sunday, 23 Oct. 2022 The Gasometer concert hall in Vienna was bursting at the seams on the second-to-last Sunday in October, packed with fans of the iconic English progressive rock band…

Label: Mascot Label GroupRelease date: August 19, 2022Production: David Paich & Joseph WilliamsAlbum length: 29.09 minGenre: Art RockRating: 7.5/10 David Paich needs no special introduction. One word does the job. Toto! Six…

Label: earMUSICRelease date: March 4, 2022Production: MarillionAlbum length: 54.19 minGenre: Progressive Rock / Art RockRating: 10/10 »An Hour Before Its’ Dark« is the long-awaited twentieth studio album from English prog rock…

Label: ZKP RTV SLORelease date: September 20, 2022Production: Mirko Vuksanović & David ŠuligojAlbum length: 49:09 minGenre: Art Rock / Art PopRating: 9.5/10 Avtomobili are rumbling again. On a night drive in a camper van,…

Location: Postojna / Parking lot in front of the municipal building / SloveniaDate: Sunday, September 4, 2022 It was just over nine years ago — August 24, 2013, to be precise — that Avtomobili first performed as part of the annual…

Location: Palmanova / Piazza Grande / ItalyDate: Tuesday, 2 August 2022 Early August 2022, and Ben Harper is coming to Palmanova — just two weeks after dropping his fifteenth studio album, Bloodline Maintenance, with his loyal The…

Label: Frontiers Music Srl.Release date: July 15, 2022Production: Alan ParsonsAlbum length: 45:05 minGenre: Art Rock / Progressive Rock / Pop RockRating: 8.0/10 Cult musician, producer and sound engineer Alan Parsons was never among…

Location: Graz / Messe Open Air / AustriaDate: Friday, July 29, 2022 Steve Lukather, exceptional musician and composer, that wonderful man of undecayed heart who has at least as many lives as the legendary art-rock sensation Toto —…

Venue: Pordenone / Parco San Valentino / ItalyConcert date: Wednesday, 20 July 2022 Unbelievable, but true. Jeff Beck, the ace of aces — the man many generously crown as the rock guitarist's rock guitarist — sharing a stage with…

Venue: Zagreb / ŠRC Šalata / CroatiaConcert date: Thursday, 30 June 2022 Simple Minds! The greatest Scottish band of all time. Out on a hits tour. Celebrating 40 years in the game. A band born in the second half of the seventies,…

Location: Udine / Castello Di Udine / ItalyDate: Friday, July 1, 2022 Steve Vai! What else is there left to say about this guitar deity? Steve Vai is one of those phenomena of a truly brilliant musician. He's an absolute…

Performing: Dan DVenue: Cerknica / Parkirišče Trikotnik / SloveniaDate: Friday, 10 June 2022 Dan D on a Friday in Cerknica! Even there, paths cross eventually — and a visit to Cerknica doesn't have to mean a Lordi concert, even…

Label: earMUSICRelease date: 4/8/2022Production: Eric CaudieuxAlbum length: 66.38 minGenre: Instrumental Rock/ Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Joe Satriani is incredible. 35 years ago, his album "Surfing With the Alien" changed the…

Label: Escape MusicRelease date: April 22, 2022Production: John ElefanteAlbum length: 56.21 min.Genre: Art RockRating: 9.0/10 John Elefante is a pretty familiar name to fans of melodic rock and AOR, mostly thanks to his brief stint…

Label: Favored Nations / Mascot Label GroupRelease date: January 28, 2022Production: Steve VaiAlbum length: 46:41 minGenre: Art Rock/Progressive Metal/Guitar RockRating: 9.0/10 It's been a long, long time since the "little guitar…

Label: SPV/Steamhammer Records Release date: January 14, 2022 Production: Tony Clarkin Genre: Art Rock / Hard Rock Album length: Rating: 8/10 »The Monster Roars« is the latest studio effort from British prog/hard rock masters Magnum, who…

Label: Jaggy DRelease date: 8/27/2021Production: Ray WilsonAlbum length: 47:33 minGenre: Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Scottish singer Ray Wilson, who broke through internationally as a member of the post-grunge/neo-prog band Stiltskin and…

Self-releasedRelease date: May 7, 2021Production: Peter HammillAlbum length: 40:08 minGenre: Progressive Rock / Eclectic Prog / Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Peter Hammill, prog-rock thunderer, ominous poet of post-apocalyptic visions and…

Label: BMG / Tape ModernRelease date: October 22, 2021Production: Erol Alkan, Mark Ronson, Giorgio Moroder & Duran DuranAlbum length: 51.05 minGenre: Pop Rock / New WaveRating: 8.0/10 Duran Duran, icons of new wave, synth-pop…

Label: KUD Horse ControlRelease date: July 19, 2021Production: EdenonAlbum length: 32.33 minGenre: Art Rock / Alternative Rock / Alternative MetalRating: 9.0/10 Edenon are a band from the Styrian side of Slovenia, though the Savinja…

Self-releasedRelease date: August 21, 2021Production: Jernej ZoranAlbum length: 32.58 minGenre: Art Rock / Instrumental RockRating: 9.5/10 Well, some musicians talk and talk and nothing ever happens, while others keep quiet and work…

Label: Moonlee RecordsRelease date: June 4, 2021Production: Uroš MilkićAlbum length: 52.12 minGenre: Indie Rock / Alter Pop / Art RockRating: 9.5/10 “Pozivi u stranu” is the studio debut from Belgrade alternative rock quartet…

Label: CelinkaRelease date: February 8, 2021 (digital) / May 2021 (vinyl)Production: Janez DovčGenre: Folk/World Music/Pop/Art Rock/Jazz FusionRating: 9.5/10 Janez Dovč is a major name on the Slovenian music scene. He's the boss of…

Label: PivecRelease date: June 18, 2021Production: Jernej KržičAlbum length: 51.42 minGenre: Art RockRating: 9.5/10Buy the album! If we're counting right, "Kužne pesmi" is the ninth album from Katalena, by now rather legendary…

Label: Frontiers Music Srl.Release date: October 9, 2020Production: Buck Dharma, Eric Bloom & Richie CastellanoAlbum length: 61:15 minGenre: Heavy Metal / Hard Rock / Art RockRating: 8.0/10 "The Symbol Remains" is the fifteenth…

Release date: June 18, 2021Label: Alpha Dog 2T/UMeProduction: StyxAlbum length: 43.11 minGenre: Arena Rock /Art Rock / Progressive RockRating: 8.5/10 “Crash of the Crown” is the sixteenth studio album from American prog/arena rock…

Label: ZKP RTV SLORelease date: April 1, 2021Production: Drago PopovičAlbum length: 45:12 minGenre: Art Rock/Rock'N'RollRating: 10/10 “Črno na belem” is the eighth studio album from the now-legendary Slovenian rock'n'roll and art…

Label: Insideout MusicRelease date: May 14, 2021Production: Frost*Album length: 53.16 minGenre: Neo-Progressive Rock/Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Frost* are a British art and neo-progressive rock outfit powered by three exceptional…

Label: Frontiers Music Srl.Release date: May 7, 2021Production: Robert WrightAlbum length: 55.12 minGenre: AOR/art rockRating: 9.5/10 Sometimes things aren't so clear-cut and instantly decipherable once you slap an AOR label on a…

Label: Marmaduke RecordsRelease date: 5/21/2021Production: Jeff KollmanAlbum length: 59.21 minGenre: Art Rock / Instrumental RockRating: 9.5/10 American guitar ace Jeff Kollman is yet another independent, thoroughly one-of-a-kind…

Label: Carry On MusicRelease date: January 15, 2021Production: John PalumboAlbum length: 63.17 minGenre: Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Crack the Sky are an old American rock band, a progressive rock band to be exact, who kicked up quite a…

Label: The Players Club / Mascot Label GroupRelease date: Feb. 26, 2021Produced by: Steve LukatherAlbum length: 50:18Genre: Art Rock First review by: Jernej VeneOver four-plus decades, American guitarist and singer Steve Lukather…

Label: The Players Club/Mascot Label GroupRelease date: 2/26/2021Production: Joseph WilliamsAlbum length: 50.23 minGenre: Art Rock / Art PopRating: 8.5/10 Joseph Williams hardly needs an in-depth introduction. The son of famed film…

Label: Cherry Red RecordsRelease date: Feb. 5, 2021 (digital) / March 26, 2021 (vinyl, CD/DVD)Production: Chris BraideAlbum length: 63:30 minGenre: Art Rock / Art PopRating: 8.5/10 Downes Braide Association is a partnership between…

Label: Cherry Red RecordsRelease date: 2/26/2021Production: Lee KerslakeAlbum length: 38.22 minGenre: Hard RockRating: 8.0/10 Lee Kerslake is a name every fan of good, proper rock music knows, not least for his work with Ozzy…

Label: earMUSICRelease date: March 12, 2021Production: SagaAlbum length: 52.42 minGenre: Art Rock / Progressive RockRating: 9.5/10 “Symmetry” is the first acoustic album in the long history of the veteran Canadian art rockers Saga.…

Label: The Music UniverseRelease date: 6. 12. 2020Production: Narada Michael Walden & Neal SchonAlbum length: 70.10 minGenre: Art Rock / Instrumental RockRating: 9.0/10 Neal Schon is one of those guitarists everybody has heard…

Label: Frontiers Music Srl.Release date: January 22, 2021Production: Jason BielerAlbum length: 56.49 minGenre: Progressive Metal / Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Can you even squeeze in a longer artist name? Jason Bieler, the guy fans of…

On February 12, 1981, Rush released their eighth studio album, “Moving Pictures” (RockLine review). It's one of the most important albums in the band's history, if not the most important. Fans simply can't agree on that one when they weigh…

David Bowie (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016), the eternal musical chameleon and sonic alien, who blasted into space in his songs with Major Tom, sold the world, went looking for life on Mars with Hunky Dory, caught post-apocalyptic…

Label: Warner Music GroupRelease date: 4. 12. 2020Production: BlackfieldAlbum length: 30.18 minGenre: Art Rock / Pop / Alternative RockRating: 7.0/10 Blackfield is a project born from the collaboration between Israeli pop star and…

Label: Frontiers Music Srl.Release date: December 4, 2020Production: Unruly ChildAlbum length: 52.05 minGenre: Art RockRating: 8.5/10 Unruly Child are a band that fans of melodic rock, and of rock that likes to experiment and hunt…

In mid-June 1970, Uriah Heep released their studio debut »Very ‘eavy … Very ‘umble« in the UK (RockLine review) and laid the groundwork for a musical artistry all their own. It didn't take more albums than their contemporaries needed to…

Self-releasedRelease date: 11. 12. 2020Production: Andrej Maver & FeedbackAlbum length: 41.19 minGenre: Jazz-Rock Fusion/Art Rock/BluesRating: 9.5/10 Feedback are one of the few Slovenian bands that play, plainly put, jazz rock…

Label: AOR Heaven RecordsRelease date: October 31, 2020Production: Rob MorattiAlbum length: 50.43 minGenre: AOR/art rockRating: 9.5/10 Rob Moratti is a very well-known name among fans of AOR and good melodic rock, and art rock too,…

Label: The Store for MusicRelease date: November 6, 2020Production: Martin BarreAlbum length (2CD): 109.51 minGenre: Art RockRating: 8.5/10 Martin Barre is the guitarist whose playing, and especially his one-of-a-kind style, is the…

Label: Insideout MusicRelease date: 10/23/2020Album length: 109.07 minGenre: Progressive Metal/Art RockRating: 9.5/10 Devin Townsend, the Canadian oddball of a thousand musical faces, wrapped up the "endless" year of 2020 by…

Label: Kscope RecordsRelease date: September 4, 2020Production: The Pineapple ThiefAlbum length: 45.10 minGenre: Progressive Rock/Art RockRating: 9.0/10 The Pineapple Thief are a British art rock outfit for modern times. Ever since…

Label: Fishy Music Ltd.Release date: September 25, 2020Producer: Calum MalcolmAlbum length: 84.30 minGenre: Neo-Progressive Rock / Art RockRating: 9/10 “Weltschmerz” is the long-awaited farewell studio album from the cult Scottish…

Grega Habič is a guitar ace from Jesenice of a kind they don't make anymore. A seasoned, versatile guitar virtuoso who's one of a kind. Unique. He's counted among the most active Slovenian musicians, and the adjective "independent" fits…

Label: Dallas RecordsRelease date: 9/23/2020Production: Bogunov, Jurij Toni, Eki Alilovski & Sandi TrojnerAlbum length: 55.04 minGenre: Art RockRating: 9.5/10 Bogunov, a band that's been around since 2002 or so – at least that's…

Label: English Electric RecordingsRelease date: June 26, 2020Production: Nick D'VirgilioAlbum length: 69.13 minGenre: Progressive Rock/Art RockRating: 10/10 NDV is the abbreviation, and longtime nickname, of charismatic American…

"A project with potential that surely won't have the last word, though the 2018 debut remains considerably more convincing."

"The Mael brothers have never bowed to anyone, and this time is no different: they refuse to play along with today's life and moral systems and norms."

"The main goal of the album "Vrane" has been achieved. Grega hasn't sacrificed a speck of his unique artistic originality. If anything, he's broadened the vividness of his guitar genius with new moves and ideas, successfully weaving into…

"It's not yet clear whether this is the album of their artistic zenith. Kyros are still developing by leaps and bounds, and "Celexa Dreams" is a definitive, mature step up from its predecessor "Vox Humana", on which Kyros had already…

"Todd Sucherman, the drummer of American rock icons Styx, tries on the singer-songwriter hat on his studio debut and delivers an outstanding art and pop rock gem of eighties retro-nostalgia."

" When it was born 50 years ago, “Very ‘eavy … Very ‘umble” served up remarkable innovation, and with that very first record Uriah Heep proved they were a band with a finely honed musical pedigree, one they could boldly build on and push…

“Curse of the Hidden Mirror” did have a few ups and downs in quality, but all in all it was still a thrilling record that delivered a heaping helping of listening pleasure for most longtime Blue Öyster Cult fans. After the solid “Heaven…

"“Heaven Forbid” remains the overlooked album in the band's huge discography, which makes a lot of sense when you set it next to Blue Öyster Cult's seventies legacy. Still, it's a superb effort, one where the band worked some of the essence…

"On his new self-released studio outing, this outstanding musical gem of a talent keeps deepening, widening and nurturing the expressive qualities of his previous three albums, holding onto a top-shelf standard of musical artistry dressed…

Label: Metal Mind ProductionsRelease date: 21.02.2020Production: Ian ParryAlbum length: 44.45 minGenre: Progressive Rock / Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Ian Parry is no stranger to the rock’n’roll scene. He kicked off his music career in…

"This live document loudly announces that 2020 will once again be one of the more exciting years for Blue Öyster Cult and all their devoted fans, in an already colorful and long-lived career for these iconic rock heavyweights."

"The third reissue of a string of cult classics, first released as "Cult Classic" in 1994, has gotten a sound remaster, and it signals that after 19 dry years Blue Öyster Cult are getting ready to release a new studio album."

"»Mi nismo« is, as said, the best El Kachon album released to date. A sextet of outstanding musical characters, delivering an extraordinary blend of full-blooded emotion, passion, brilliant creative freshness and eclecticism that's rooted…

"'Shapeshifting' is an album where Satriani managed to deliver exactly what he set out to. A set of thirteen tracks with wildly different characters that paint a vivid picture of his guitar playing's personality, or rather its musical…

" The solo debut from Nightwish bassist Marko Hietala is, loosely speaking, an art rock album! It can even (conditionally) carry the prog label, and as some might wrongly expect, it's nowhere near a metal record. It's an outstanding…

"An album where you run into everything, and one you won't get to the bottom of any time soon. From metal to blues, electronic music, jazz, even classic prog rock and psychedelic shenanigans. Want a surprise? Expect the unexpected."

"“Coat Of Arms” is another superb studio achievement from a legendary band that stays true to its traditional (chiseled) style. On the new album, Wishbone Ash radiate expressive freshness, creative sparkle and even a cheeky playfulness,…

"The Serpent Rings" is very much cut from the same cloth as its predecessor. Magnum conjure up the magic of their golden era (the 1980s) with real success, but for all the 'corrections' they still can't hide Catley's fading vocals.

"If you know this musician's past studio exploits, and especially if you're drawn to albums where the art-magic of pure-blooded guitar playing takes center stage, weaving through the borderlands of hard rock, blues, soft neo-classical…

"Let's hope that, given how deeply the musicians are involved in all sorts of other projects and challenges, Brest stick around and become a fixture, one that keeps enriching the often idea-starved Slovenian music scene with its homegrown,…

In this article we pick ten lyrics by the iconic Canadian prog rockers Rush that best capture the guiding principles of their legendary drummer Neil Peart (09/12/1952–01/07/2020).

"On another occasion, Mattias invited the locals to help him sing the verses of 'Freak of the Week.' He suggested they make it easier on themselves and replace the tricky English words in the chorus with the names of some Italian pizzas."

Label: Gordeon MusicCompilation length: 126:45 minGenre: art rockRating: 9.0 / 10 Ray Wilson, the much-loved Scottish singer-songwriter who made his name as the frontman of Genesis, Stiltskin and Cut_, and who since 2003 has also been…

"From Out of Nowhere" is like a time-machine trip back to the golden days of Lynne's ELO, which means the seasoned musician has once again made an album that's totally to the taste of the longtime faithful.

"It's a step into new musical territory, where Moore discovers new dimensions in his search for the best he can deliver right now. "Soul Shifter" may well be the most mature solo studio album from this artist."

With "Behold Electric Guitar", we can say that this is Gilbert's most defined and accomplished fusion of classic rock, blues and jazz to date.

Venue: Ljubljana / Orto bar / SloveniaDate: Monday, 07.10.2019 Paul Gilbert is back at Orto bar. Over ten years ago he played the smaller (upper) stage of this beloved club — about 100 people packed in. Back then, the Mr. Big reunion…

"With this concert, Same Babe confirmed every quality of their rapacious stage acuity, punch, and intellectual rebel pose — all commanded by exceptional, singular, brilliant artistry of clear expressive character, repeatedly jabbing…

"In every respect, »48 Seconds« is the very definition of artistic brilliance, a record you can't add a thing to or take a thing away from. A perfect, flawless piece of work. "

"Welcome to the vivid, one-of-a-kind, timeless and utterly unique mantra of seven wonderful bards, who will move you, wake you and stir you up when you meet them together on the night of “Prvi krajec”."

Location: Ljubljana / Cankarjev dom / SloveniaDate: Wednesday, 15.05.2019 Laibach remain an unstoppable fortress of Slovenian musical art. Last year they released a new album reworking the musical from the film "The Sound of Music"…

“The Seeds of Love” was one of the artistic peaks and the next sonic evolution in the career of the unforgettable masters of new wave romanticism and art pop rock perfectionism.

With "The Secret", Mr. Parsons has made a very likable album that turned out almost exactly as most of his fans wished and expected. Even though it mostly doesn't reach the high standards of The Alan Parson Project's golden years, it's one…

Location: Roncade (Treviso) / New Age Club / Italy Date: Thursday, 01/31/2019 Uriah Heep are long-living rock 'n’ roll legends with a pioneering pedigree, and they're not stopping or letting up. They've been kicking ass since the end of…

The Roxy Music debut built a strange and wildly innovative bridge between progressive rock and glam rock, and along with Sinfield's superb production and Ferry's half-metaphysical, half-lovesick lyrics, that was one of the key ingredients…

The Canadian masters of unconventional art rock feats, who have always had their strongest backing in Germany, are in superb form throughout the whole set captured on “So Good So Far”, a live document that will delight fans of every…

With "Raingods With Zippos," the Scottish prog rock veteran created one of the shiniest gems of a solo career, and it's still something to be immensely proud of today.

"Pin Ups" is one of the few Bowie albums you can't call a rock classic. It's nothing but covers of his favorite artists from his teenage years, and it's mostly interesting for anyone who wants to know who shaped his musical development.

“Turn of the Tide” confirmed that BJH had pulled off a fairly successful transition into the eighties as a slimmed-down lineup. Despite a few ugly misfires and some shortcomings, especially on the keyboard front, it was still a solid and…

"Amar Caballero" couldn't live up to the standards Babe Ruth set with "First Base," but it's still a solid effort, and these days it'll appeal mostly to prog rock fans who like a quality female lead vocalist.

The often-overlooked "Silent Nation", which boasted excellent production from Payne, was in many ways not your typical Asia album, and that's exactly what remains one of its biggest draws today.

»The Time Machine« was one of the better moments of Alan's solo career and a worthy part of the legendary The Alan Parsons Project legacy, even if it had a few less dazzling moments too.

It's hard to believe that "Broadway the Hard Way" came out of a grueling, cut-short tour after which Zappa wrote off the whole rock-band concept for good, because listening to it, Frank's crew sounds like a well-oiled machine having the…