As you can see in the photo above, I’ve drawn a full house of fresh music by artists well known in the Rockin’ Republic of Prog for this hand. (As well as a world-famous joker from another deck.) Unless otherwise noted, title links are to Bandcamp or Spotify for streaming. Where streaming links don’t include them, separate links with purchase options follow each review.
District 97, Stay For The Ending: Another great leap forward for the prog pride of Oak Park, Illinois, D97’s fifth studio album is a shoo-in for my year-end list of favorites. It bursts at the seams with the good stuff – Jim Tashjian’s massive guitar thrash, Andrew Laurence’s neck-snapping synth licks and harmonies, Tim Seisser’s buoyant, bubbling bass work and Jonathan Schang’s exuberant off-center drum grooves. As always, singer Leslie Hunt hits every musical curveball out of the park, her energy and sophistication driving home one breathtaking melodic hook after another. Once the stylish, thrilling title track ropes you in, the eccentric fusion workout “Many New Things”, the Crimsonesque riff-go-round of “Crossover”, the galloping social comment of “Divided We Fall” and the stutter-stepped “Deck Is Stacked” will keep you on the edge of your seat. Can’t recommend this highly enough.
Glass Hammer, Arise: How does ace GH conceptualist Steve Babb follow up on his surprisingly heavy Skallagrim fantasy trilogy? With an even heavier sci-fi concept album, of course! As Babb’s AI-enhanced android protagonist heads for the stars, the spacey invention comes fast and furious; the propulsive kick of “Wolf 339”, droning industrial ballad “Lost” and blues cruise “Proxima Centauri B” all build to a shattering, sludgy apocalypse on the title track. Throughout, multi-instrumentalist Babb and his colleagues (including fellow GH founder Fred Schendel on one track) pile on the dramatic tension, while Hannah Pryor’s vocals vividly trace the turmoil of an intelligence lost in the cosmos – only to be confronted with Someone greater than it bargained for. Dare we hope for a sequel? Order from Glass Hammer’s website.
Dave Kerzner, Heart Land Mines, Vol. 1: After a troika of albums exploring distant worlds in the extended fashion prog fans so love, Kerzner brings it all back home. No, it’s not an original concept: boy meets, loves and loses girl, then drives across country to forget girl while writing songs about the whole mess. But it all happened to Dave back in the 1990s, including the songwriting – which gives this project (the first in a series based on his “songs from the attic”) a real edge and vibrancy. In terms of the music, think less Pink Floyd and Genesis, more Beatles, Steely Dan and Alan Parsons: sturdily constructed, left-field pop, chock full of emotion and color. From the cynical shuffles “Dreaming in LA” and “Dirty Girl” to the heartbreak ballad “Worlds Apart” and beyond, Kerzner gives this music his all, his singing more expressive than ever, his arranging and production even more vivid and intense. With tasty touches galore from his world-class backing band (Fernando Perdomo, Matt Dorsey and Derek Cintron) and special guests, Kerzner has hit my year-end favorites list yet again; on the surface, the first installment of Heart Land Mines (more volumes are promised) might seem less ambitious than New World, Static and The Traveller, but it’s every bit as compelling and delightful. Order various editions from Bandcamp.
David Longdon, Wild River: Music by a younger man than we came to know during Longdon’s time with Big Big Train, his 2004 solo debut reveals both an eclectic sensibility and the level of aspiration you’d expect from a singer ballsy enough to audition for Genesis as Phil Collins’ replacement. The basic vibe is folk-inflected, artsy singer-songwriter, focused on acoustic guitar and fiddle (with a pinch of Pete Townshend’s aggression on the opener “Always”, “Mandy” and “Vertigo”), but even then, Longdon’s range extended to the title song’s R&B shout-out and the darker turns of “This House” and “Joely”. And as the Floydish “Falling Down to Earth” (complete with Mellotron) gives way to the extended metaphor of the finale “On to the Headland,” we hear the sensibility that emerged to tell Greg Spawton’s tales of Old Albion for The Underfall Yard and the English Electric sequence, then seek fresh destinations for Big Big Train before his untimely death. This pristine reissue, remastered by Rob Aubrey, includes a bonus live album with previously unreleased material Order from Burning Shed or The Band Wagon USA.
The Rolling Stones, Hackney Diamonds: You might have heard something about this one; “those British bad boys” (as Bob Dylan referred to them when I heard him in concert last month) are back in the saddle, hedonistic and petulant as ever. Slashing their way across producer Andrew Watt’s dry, tight soundstage, Keith Richards and Ron Wood whip up vigorous, punchy riffs by the dozen (though there’s little room for their classic guitar weave). Meanwhile, Mick Jagger strikes every vocal pose in his repertoire and then some, shouting and moaning what are quite possibly the filthiest lyrics he’s ever written. The whole thing rocks hard, and there’s genuine magic afoot when Bill Wyman and the late Charlie Watts crank up the rhythm on “Live By the Sword”. But ironically, the best moments here come during the collaborations — Paul McCartney powering “Bite My Head Off” with an immense fuzzed bass lick, “Lady Gaga” channeling the early 1970s with Jagger during the gospel-soaked “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”. A respectable showing for the Stones and a fun listen for fans — but how of many of these songs, as cool as they sound, will make the setlist for next year’s inevitable tour? Order from … well, just about everywhere.
Tiger Moth Tales, The Turning Of The World: When Pete Jones stepped back a bit from the keyboard and picked up his acoustic guitar, this more straightforward sequel to 2020’s chamber-prog opus The Whispering of the World was the attractive result. The man’s got a lot on his mind – “revolution, changing technology, life-altering events” – and he doesn’t hold back with his opinions. At his best, Jones’ direct, sensitive reflections on the passing scene cut to the heart, especially on the epic allegory of “The Snail, the Horse and the River” and “We’ll Remember”, an affecting tribute to David Longdon. And if upbeat inspirational songs about life such as “Pass It On” and “Make a Good Sound” lean a bit toward limpid jazz-funk, they quickly pick up energy every time Jones picks up his saxophone and melodica for expressive fills or soaring solo choruses. A change of pace from his recent seasonal albums, it’s always good to hear from a man who truly believes “It’s So Wonderful to Be Alive” — and isn’t shy about reminding us of it! (There’s also a bonus disc available, The Whispering Suite, with outtakes and live versions bridging TMT’s two “World” albums and 2022’s A Song of Spring.)
— Rick Krueger
Glass Hammer – At The Gate
The Tangent – Songs From The Hard Shoulder
Lobate Scarp – You Have It All
Dave Brons – Return to Arda
Gabriel Keller – Clair Obscur
Inhalo – Sever
Big Big Train – Welcome To The Planet
Big Big Train – Summer Shall Not Fade
Bjørn Riis – Everything To Everyone
Devin Townsend – Lightwork/Nightwork
Meshuggah – Immutable
Porcupine Tree – Closure Continuation
Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark
1. Oak – The Quiet Rebellion Of Compromise
My favorite prog book of the year was Steven Wilson’s Limited Edition of One. Breaking the mold of rock artist memoirs, Wilson (and Mick Wall, who helped him in the writing process) created a post-modern masterpiece. I typically dislike anything deconstructive (in an academic sense), but Wilson turned it into an art form. He combines memories with lists of his favorite music, books, and movies along with more philosophical commentary on his career and on music in general. Check out my full review of the book: 
Progarchy 