art rock

"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…

On Monday, April 16, 2018, Alan Jakin, a former member of Nova Gorica art rock champions Avtomobili, passed away after a serious illness. He was one of the most distinctive guitarists around, and his playing and approach left a lasting…

"The album has a dash of eclecticism, and that's exactly what we've been missing for the last four years. Grega Habič Band from head to toe. A brilliant piece of work in every respect, one of the highlights of Slovenian music for 2018."

"Every time you spin it in the CD player, Lanzon's perfectionism and his layered musical polish will keep you busy, gratefully, and suck you right back in."

Label: Sony MusicRelease date: 12.01.2018Production: Mike FraserAlbum length: 51.16 minGenre: Instrumental Rock / Art RockRating: 8.5 / 10 Joe Satriani is a legend of the genre-coined "instrumental guitar rock" variety. The man who…

"With the EP »Gotcha!«, Jernej now steps onto the international music scene under the moniker Ivansson. He picked six instrumental tracks, tweaked their titles a bit, packaged them up skillfully and offered them to the music crowd, and the…

"Cabaret chanson with a female voice front and center, where different genres deftly pass the baton to one another, ends up as a blend of them all and a real eclecticism. That was also the core aim of the album 'Nemi film'."

"After Verona in 2016, another amphitheater has "fallen" – this time in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where Marillion once again glowed in all their majestic performing magic!"

Label: Ear Music RecordsRelease date: 2017Production: Bob EzrinAlbum length: 45.47 minGenre: Heavy Rock/Hard RockRating: 8.0/10 After a four-year break from the studio, Deep Purple are back with "Infinite", their twentieth studio…

Location: Udine / Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine / Italy Date: Thursday, 09.02.2017 Udine's Teatro Nuovo Giovanni played host to a world-class music legend. Rick Wakeman, the English keyboard wizard who made his name as a member of…

Album length: 38:33 Production: Maras Tomaž Mot & Mike Poole Release date: 2017 Label: Nika Records Click to buyRating: 9.0/10 Drevored are a rock band from the Dolenjska region, based in Novo mesto. Seven years after their…

"From the first track to the last, the album »Daleč« simply has to be listened to as a whole. It unfolds in the glow of the great artistic brilliance of seasoned, experienced masters."

"Marillion surprised us way more with a performance of the more than fifteen-minute title masterpiece, that is "This Strange Engine", with which they closed their fantastic show in Verona in epic fashion."

"The regular part of the show flew by in a flash. Vai came back out for the obligatory encore and "modestly" asked the audience: "Can we play one more song?" The band then launched into the sorely missed Firegarden Suite, or rather the…

"With the kind of playing and devilish rock'n'roll sorcery the legendary lineup delivered this time in Vienna, there's no fear of the band thinking about retirement. "

"Toto have reached the point where any show could be their last, so fans like us know to cherish every chance to still catch them live, whenever one comes along, all the more."

Label: RCARelease date: December 17, 1971Production: Ken Scott & David BowieAlbum length: 41.50 minGenre: Art pop / Pop rockRating: 9.0/10 The art-rock gem “Hunky Dory” may well be the most important achievement in the career of…

Label: Sony MusicRelease date: 24.07.2015Album length: 64.01 min.Production: Joihn Cuniberti & Joe SatrianiGenre: Instrumental Rock / Art RockRating: 8.5 / 10 The man who more or less enthroned instrumental guitar rock in the…

"Toto's debut show in Ljubljana was a success in every respect, and any fan of top-shelf musical expression, whether rock, pop or jazz, who missed this one-of-a-kind concert event can really kick themselves, because it's a big question when…

"Waters' personal frustrations, which hit their peak on "The Final Cut", would surely have come across as more credible on a solo debut, instead of being projected through the Pink Floyd frame, with his longtime partners in misery reduced…

"Like every show of theirs, this one in Izola was over in the blink of an eye. Avtomobili showed up professional once again and played a full-blooded two-hour set, packing in all the best-known songs of their career. Another gorgeous gig."

"The performance proved the timelessness of this striking Gorica band and their work, and every one of their shows remains a chapter of its own. They're still masters of the perfect sound."

"Mr. Parsons once again showed off flawless sonic perfection and delivered a practically spotless show, where, besides some of the most famous The Alan Parsons Project standards, we also heard a few lesser-known tracks that stirred up…

"Even live, Fish remains indestructible and rock-solid when it comes to delivering his gut-wrenching messages, and he's still a top-notch entertainer too, so we didn't mind at all that the set list that night leaned mostly on his newer…

"The two-hour concert experience once again confirmed the firm conviction that Avtomobili remain the Slovenian byword for great artistic brilliance, the kind that only a band with a clearly honed musical vision can develop over time, backed…

Location: Graz / Stadthalle / AustriaDate: Sunday, 23.11.2014 This time around, Graz's Stadthalle played host to Peter Gabriel, one of the most colorful musical artists and vocal icons of all time. The hugely charismatic Gabriel…

Label: Parlophone Records Release date: 16.09.1988 Production: Tim Friese-Greene Album length: 41.30 min Genre: Post Rock / Art Rock "Spirit of Eden" was one of the best albums of the 1980s. It unwittingly laid the groundwork for a new…

"Even though almost all of us ended up soaked to the bone under the stage, Simple Minds' show in Lignano was a real treat for every nostalgic fan of big new wave hits with the occasional dose of art rock molasses."

"An hour and fifty minutes of exceptional musical and instrumental aesthetics, walking the perfect middle line between ultra-melodic catchiness and the free-spirited playfulness of improvisation from the one-of-a-kind master of the…

"In all honesty, Saga were the absolute winners if you compare the two bands' sets. Besides a fascinating setlist, the whole band was in phenomenal form from start to finish, and they were rewarded accordingly with longer applause than…

"Kill the Engine" is a new masterpiece of unconventional art-rock freshness, embodied by the fiercely penetrating charisma of this generous Slovenian artist's musical vision. With his new album, Grega Habič stays true to his one-of-a-kind…

"'Dub Naturalis' is an album you'll be digging into for a long time. In its cerebral hypnosis it grabs you instantly, but in the composing, its complexity demands a lot more listening."

Label: CelinkaRelease date: 2014Production: Janez DovčGenre: Folk/World Music/Pop/Art Rock/Jazz FusionRating: 9.0/10 Yep. Slovenes can be team players too. Janez Dovč, the lead protagonist and visionary behind the "Sounds Of…

"The point of fusing accordion, tuba and percussion into one unconventional, out-of-the-ordinary musical body hits its mark with sheer audacity. It serves up a completely autonomous musical experience that's hard to pin down with any real…

"Anyone who wants an evening of pure sonic perfection, shamelessly infectious melodies and boundless virtuosity, delivered through some of the biggest rock classics of the seventies and eighties, "

"Toto built their career on perfection and creative brilliance, and those were the guiding lights at Saturday's show in Padua."

"Steve Vai in the best possible shape, this time on the stage of Trieste's Politeama Rossetti theater. Unforgettable! Where the limits of musical expression lie, only he knows. And that's exactly what always draws us to Vai the most. A…

"The man keeps his youthful cheek and enthusiasm in approaching his daily artistic pursuits! After another one-of-a-kind experience, let's hope Satriani never loses either trait in the art of the singular, exhibitionist brilliance of his…

Label: Epic RecordsRelease date: 07.05.2013Production: Mike Fraser & Joe SatrianiAlbum length: 45.03 minGenre: Instrumental Rock / Art RockRating: 9.0 / 10 In the new millennium, Joe Satriani has found remarkable consistency in his…

"Alan Parsons Live Project's show in Vienna can only be described as pure sonic perfection, the kind you can these days catch at only a handful of concerts by musicians who have devoted most of their careers to art rock refinement and…

Label: ZKP RTV SlovenijaRelease year: 2008Production: AvtomobiliAlbum length: 68.35 minGenre: Art Rock / Pop Studio 14 rarely lets a Slovenian act slip by, as long as they've brushed up against the airwaves even a little in their…

"You can't miss it when His Excellency, the musical alien and guitar guru of elusive caliber with that one-of-a-kind art charisma, Steve Vai, appears onstage in front of you. All you can do is travel with him. And at the speed of light.…

"After this show, Vai remains a born stage entertainer, a grand wizard and master of shock-and-show excess, spiced up with the elusive playing of a unique six-string, even seven-string, theory! But that's enough, I'll save a few more words…

"You can feel that this lineup can reach even higher and even further in artistry."

"»Mesta železniških postaj« ranks among the finest creations of the band's long-running career, and among the finest moments in the history of Slovenian rock."

Location: Faak Am See (Faaker See) / Harley Davidson Biker's Week / AustriaDate: Friday, 08.09.2012 And it has rolled into our neck of the woods for the fifteenth year running! The new European Bike Week, with the Harley Davidson…

"The Vienna show was one of the last on this year's European tour, and you could feel it: more energy, more ease, and a band playing even tighter than usual."

"Outstanding technical chops, pure joy in performing and a laid-back vibe once again added up to an unforgettable night of live music with Toto. These guys were simply born for the stage, born to perform!"

Label: EMI RecordsRelease date: January 29, 1990Production: Jon KellyAlbum length: 50.38 minGenre: Art Rock / Neo-Progressive RockRating: 9.5/10 Scottish vocal oddball Fish (real name Derek William Dick) put out his solo debut not…

"The debut "Dubzilla" is one of the best albums to come out in Slovenia in 2011."

""Open Heart Surgery" is an album that, with its unshakable and utterly unique message, puts Grega Habič among the world's elite Earthlings, and one that can make even the biggest masterminds in this game prick up their ears at any moment,…

Location: Velden Am Wörthersee / Bluesiana Rock Cafe / AustriaDate: Wednesday, 7. 9. 2011 Carl Verheyen is a guitar wizard: a renowned, in-demand and hugely sought-after studio guitarist, a touring sideman for Supertramp back in the day…

"Despite Waters' grumbling and contempt for the album, it deservedly got a warmer reception and more enthusiasm than "The Final Cut" from both fans and critics at the time, so Gilmour and Mason came out of this battle of egos as the winners…

"Avtomobili don't play all that often, but when they hit the stage, they simply enchant you. Their music and the way they perform it are so strong in substance and character that at a gig Avtomobili build a world of their own, one that can…

"It's all right there in front of you! It works in synergy! It generates itself, amplifies itself and fertilizes itself. The essence of musical magic, shining in full. On the club scene, you simply can't ask for more! If you're a…

Label: Parlophone RecordsRelease date: November 18, 1985Production: Alex Sadkin & ArcadiaAlbum length: 43.36 minGenre: New Wave / Art RockRating: 10/10 Arcadia was a side project formed in 1985 by three members of the New…

Label: Epic RecordsRelease date: 05.10.2010Production: Mike Fraser & Joe SatrianiAlbum length: 53.12 minGenre: Instrumental Rock / Art RockRating: 8.5 / 10 What's left for the founding father of modern guitar rock, the one and…

Album length: 43:25 Production: Drevored Release date: 2009 Label: Nika Records / Franklin Republic RecordsBuy the album!Rating: 8.0/10 Drevored, a good thirty years after they first formed, are finally putting out their studio…

"If the whole thing carries real expressive depth, a hefty essence of the very spirit of the form it creates, serving up a unique, hard-to-replicate stamp of the moment captured by the developmental step that is the album "Self Destruct…

"Moving Pictures" always holds a special place in the universe of rock music. The place of a rock masterpiece! The most important album of Rush's career."

""Hold Your Fire" is the peak of Rush's "synth eighties" era. After it, the guys started reviving the rock-style placement of the individual instruments in the production. The keyboards began sliding into the background, and the guitar…

Label: EMI RecordsRelease date: March 1, 1973Production: Pink FloydAlbum length: 43.09 minGenre: Progressive Rock/Art RockRating: 10/10 What on earth is there left to write about "the dark side of the moon"? It's an extraordinary…

"Catharsis is a record that took the best from guitar giants like Petrucci, Vai, Satriani, Hendrix and the like, then piled a heaping helping of uniqueness and individuality on top of the masters' lessons. With this release, Grega Habič has…

Label: EMI RecordsRelease date: October 31, 1971Produced by: Pink FloydAlbum length: 46.48 minGenre: Progressive Rock/Art RockRating: 9.0/10 Steeped in esoteric atmosphere, "Meddle" may well be the most important album in the…

"I'd call this Fish show very good, not phenomenal like the one in Augsburg, but still more or less in line with what I expected anyway."

"I sure hope this was only the beginning of our concert-going and friendship with the "father" of neo-progressive rock: a Scottish giant with a gentle heart and a sharp pen."

"I haven't seen Slovenes join in with such unity and just the right amount of immersion at a "rock" concert in a long time, an event that was all about the simple flow of positive energy from the stage to the crowd and back."

"The title track Salisbury is basically a Uriah Heep manifesto of exceptional artistic ambition, instantly comparable to Pink Floyd's notorious Atom Heart Mother suite. They were a hair's breadth from breaking through into the ranks of…

"Four hours!!! Madness! Satriani + Vai + Fripp = G3 2004!"