One might imagine that a band that adopted a common conjunctive adverb as its name would lack creativity; however, that is not the case. Among the many bands I have covered in this series so far, However is without question one of the more rhythmically complex. In fact, comparisons to Gentle Giant and Frank Zappa would not be uncalled for. Like Gentle Giant, However’s four members display an impressive dexterity on a variety of instruments: brothers Peter and Joe Princiotto play everything from synthesizer and autoharp (Peter) to drums and trash can lids (Joe). Bobby Read’s saxophones steal the show on most songs, but he’s also no slouch on the clarinet, xylophone, and glockenspiel (among other instruments). And Bill Kotapish, although not credited with an equally long laundry list of instruments, performs superbly on bass and lead guitar. Like Frank Zappa, these boys clearly had some fun with the lyrics which, although used sparingly (on four out of ten songs), would appeal to many a progger’s quirky side (check out “Beese” below).
Despite the tracks’ complex structure and melody, they tend to be on the shorter side: the first three pieces are under four minutes each, but are nevertheless delightful to the music lover’s ear. The fourth piece, “Louise Sitting in a Chair,” is downright lovely: Peter’s piano and Bobby’s saxophones will have you convinced that Louise ought to remain forever fixed in her position. The title track features eerie soundscapes a la Robert Fripp punctuated here and there by Bobby’s saxes, which need no rest on this album. But the highlight of the ten, as mentioned earlier, opens with spoken word: “The bumblebee makes two different musical tones as it flies.” And the band seem to take this to heart, treating our ears to quirky synth sounds that imitate the frenetic buzzing of bees before re-introducing the sax and allowing Bill to shine with some deft work on his electric guitar. A touch of Zappa appears about five minutes in with some bizarre spoken word vocals that any fan of prog will appreciate.
The vocals may not blow you away, but they are not However’s centerpiece. What this band offers is a fantastical journey through a land of melodic and rhythmic complexity. Sounds to hear along the way will include the standard drums, bass, guitar, and keys, but as a bonus you will also be treated to the sounds of the duck call, marimba, kalimba, and – as the album ends – the gentle lapping of waves. Bon voyage!
Bjørn Riis is one of the most criminally underrated guitarists and artists out there. I have been consistently returning to his solo albums over the past few years, and they never disappoint. He’s a brilliant guitarist, and he manages to make so much out of the sparsest sounds. Where it would lack in other artists’ music, a simple drum beat creates the perfect mood and textures in Riis’ work. He is a master of a spacey atmospheric sound that is hauntingly beautiful.
Today he released a music video for his song, “The Siren,” told from the perspective of someone watching a dancer. The song is off his upcoming album, Everything to Everyone. The track features piano from Simen Valldal Johannessen of Oak, one of my favorite bands of the last several years. Riis has also provided guest guitars on a few Oak tracks.
As you most likely know by now, there’s a new holiday celebrated by musicians and music listeners all over the world. It’s called Bandcamp Friday, where the online music platform drops their commission and gives all the profit to their artists. I put together some recommendations, new and old, including some stuff you may have missed. Click on the cover art to take you to each album page.
Dave Kerzer has a pre-order up right now for his third solo project. If you’re aware of Mr. Kerzer and his close-knit community of prog-artists, you’ll know this is a highly anticipated release. For the first time Kerzner has combined collaboration with his bandmates from four different bands/projects: In Continuum, Sound of Contact, Mantra Vega and Arc of Life! Featuring an all All Star cast of Prog musicians including Fernando Perdomo, Durga McBroom, Nick D’Virgilio, Marco Minnemann, Randy McStine, Matt Dorsey, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, Alex Cromarty, Stuart Fletcher, Ruti Celli, Joe Deninzon and more! He has 5 different editions of this CD including a 4-disc set which includes outtakes and new recordings of Sound of Contact songs with a special autographed art-print. When you pre-order the special editions you can also get your name in the liner notes as a thank you.
Schooltree’s Heterotopia CD is now out of print, but the digital album is well worth the purchase. One of the best albums from 2017 and possibly the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway of the new generation. If you missed this one, I don’t feel sorry for you anymore, because now you know this exists! Their official debut album Rise is also a fantastic album to add to your digital collection.
A lot of wonderful music was released in 2021, so you may have missed this one! Really cool grounded prog-rock that actually rocks. Great riffs and nice gritty hard rock guitars are here, while the band is fronted beautifully by Melissa Jane Dichiera (singer of L.A.’s Lady Zep). Check it out!
This collaboration between The Amorphous Androgynous and Peter Hammill is worth getting into, and I’m still getting into it. If I ever get around to writing my favorite albums from 2021, this will be included. Man, this takes you all over the place, and I love it. The cool cover definitely represents the music well, although you can’t really describe it- I would just experience it for yourself.
One from 2020 that I still can’t get enough of is Magenta’s Masters of Illusion. It has many breathtaking moments and the performances are top notch. And of course Christina Booth’s voice is like butter. It may be one of my favorite albums from Magenta, although I haven’t been through there entire immense discography.
Anything from Phideaux is worth listening to (and purchasing!) including his most recent Infernal. Some people swear by Doomsday Afternoon or The Great Leap, but my favorite of his is the dark and mysterious Snowtorch. Great journey of an album, has a classic feel with a modern edge. It looks like there are no CDs here (I have mine), but both the LP edition and digital are available. I’m not sure, but I think most of his discography is also here.
The Endless Collection, from Izz was just released last month. Well, 3 songs from it, anyway. While the songs are at a very un-proggy average of 3 minutes in length, supposedly they will be adding songs to it throughout eternity. So in that regard, it’s going to be longer than any album in existence! Any of the Izz albums are fantastic as well, and while they’re not all on Bandcamp, any of the ones that are, are worth checking out.
While we’re on the subject, one of the ladies of Izz, Laura Meade, released her solo album The Most Dangerous Woman last year, and is joined by most of the other Izz members as well. While it’s short by today’s standards, the album is wonderfully crafted and the performances are great. It’s available on CD, vinyl, and digital.
So, my friends- RUN, don’t walk, to Bandcamp right now and check some of this stuff out! I know the artists will appreciate it! Enjoy and have a wonderful Bandcamp Friday!
Brought to you (mostly) by the letter B! Purchasing links are embedded in the artist/title listing; a sample follows each review.
Dave Bainbridge, To The Far Away: put simply, a thrilling, ravishingly beautiful album. Separated from his fiancée on the eve of their wedding by the COVID pandemic, guitarist/keyboardist Bainbridge focused on the essentials — love and the longing it stirs, the beauty of the world and the changing seasons, the desire for hope and a future. Poet Lynn Caldwell’s words (movingly sung by Sally Minnear and Iain Hornal) capture these themes with rich simplicity, cradled in a lush orchestral blend of rock, prog and Celtic folk. Often evoking the palette of his breakthrough band Iona, Bainbridge and a stellar group of collaborators grab your attention and your heartstrings again and again, whether on the dramatic instrumental “Rain and Sun”, the epic paean to the creative spirit “Ghost Light”, the classically-tinged rhapsody “Infinitude (Region of the Stars)” or the yearning sprint of “Speed Your Journey”. Already one of my favorites of 2022, and recommended without hesitation. (And check out our extensive interview with Dave here.)
Arjen does it again on the third sci-fi metal outing of his supergroup starship known as Star One. ★★★★★
If you like prog metal, and if you like sci-fi movies and TV, then this is another fantastic disc from Star One. Arjen Anthony Lucassen is once again in the captain’s chair, steering the starship for this new mission into the galaxy of sci-fi shows about time travel.
Each track assembles a mighty away team to explore the thematic terrain of sci-fi artworks both famous and obscure. The key personnel on the bridge are Arjen on guitar and bass and Ed Warby on drums, starring roles like those of our beloved Kick and Spock. Erik van Ittersum on Solina Strings and Joost van den Broek (of After Forever) on Hammond are akin to mission support from Bones and Scotty. Here’s the breakdown of the away teams track-by-track:
Track 01, “Fate of Man” (05:29), is inspired by The Terminator. The magnificent maiden Brittney Slayes (of Unleash the Archers) delivers a killer vocal performance. The peerless Michael Romeo (of Symphony X) adorns the track with a scintillating guitar solo. CD2 of the package includes the same tracks as CD1, but with different vocalists: for this track, that’s Marcela Bovio (of Elfonia, The Gentle Storm, Stream of Passion, and MaYaN). Slayes is a tough act to follow, but Bovio shows she’s as spectacular as a supernova on her turn.
Track 02, “28 Days (Till the End of Time)” (07:20), is inspired by Donnie Darko. Russell Allen (of Symphony X) sings lead and keeps the disc feeling like a Symphony X album. John Jaycee Cuijpers (of Praying Mantis) does vocals on CD2. Timo Somers (of Delain) steals the show with a sweet guitar solo.
Track 03, “Prescient” (06:34), is inspired by Primer. Ross Jennings (of Haken) supplies his truly unique vocals, along with Michael Mills (of Toehder), for a very satisfying combo. Will Shaw (of Heir Apparent) handles it on CD2. I watched Primer a long time ago and, unlike the familiar references on the first two tracks, I had to look it up to remind myself of the plot: “Friends and fledgling entrepreneurs invent a device in their garage which reduces the apparent mass of any object placed inside it, but they discover that it has some highly unexpected capabilities – ones that could enable them to do and to have seemingly anything they want. Taking advantage of this unique opportunity is the first challenge they face. Dealing with the consequences is the next.”
Track 04, “Back from the Past” (04:50), is inspired by Back to the Future, and it’s a real hoot. Jeff Scott Soto does the spirited vocals and Ron Bumblefoot Thal (of Sons of Apollo, Guns ’n’ Roses) the mind-bending guitar solo. John Jaycee Cuijpers (of Praying Mantis) does vocals on CD2.
Track 05, “Revel in Time” (04:37), is inspired by Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and is the most whimsical of all the tracks. Arjen is having lots of fun with this whole project, so it seems right to make this the title track. Also, the “revel” is a nice pun on “travel”, since “travel in time” is the unifying album theme. Brandon Yeagley (of Crobot) does vocals and Adrian Vandenberg (of Vandenberg, Whitesnake) the raucous guitar solos. John Jaycee Cuijpers (of Praying Mantis) does vocals on CD2.
Track 06, “The Year of ’41” (06:20), is inspired by the movie The Final Countdown. I guess this song is okay, and the movie has receded in my memory. Joe Lynn Turner (of Deep Purple, Rainbow) does vocals and the amazing guitarist Joel Hoekstra (of Whitesnake, Cher, TSO) does really fine work on the soloing. Jens Johansson (of Rainbow, Yngwie, Stratovarius) does the synthesizer solo, but on CD2 it’s Alessandro Del Vecchio on both vocals and the synthesizer solo. I had to recall the plot: “During routine manoeuvres near Hawaii in 1980, the aircraft-carrier USS Nimitz is caught in a strange vortex-like storm, throwing the ship back in time to 1941—mere hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.” Fine, that’s great, but I think I’d prefer to hear the song by Europe that has the same title.
Track 07, “Bridge of Life” (05:13), is inspired by the movie Frequency. The inimitable Damian Wilson (of Threshold, Headspace, Landmarq) contributes memorable vocals, and I feel sorry for Wilmer Waarbroek on CD2 who has to be compared to the great Damian. I had to remind myself of the plot here also: “When a rare phenomenon gives police officer John Sullivan the chance to speak to his father, 30 years in the past, he takes the opportunity to prevent his dad’s tragic death. After his actions inadvertently give rise to a series of brutal murders he and his father must find a way to fix the consequences of altering time.”
Track 08, “Today is Yesterday” (05:46), is inspired by the movie Groundhog Day. Dan Swanö (of Nightingale, Second Sky, Edge Of Sanity) hams it up on vocals. At first, I thought the vocal performance was as ridiculous as the umlaut on the last vowel of his name. But after more listens, I warmed up to it. The track has nice thoughts about the classic Bill Murray flick. Lisa Bella Donna contributes Moog synth, and Marcel Singor (of Kayak) the appropriately obnoxious guitar solo. Arjen Lucassen himself (of Ayreon, The Gentle Storm, Stream of Passion, Ambeon, Guilt Machine, in case you forgot) does all guitars, bass, keyboards, and even the vocals on CD2. You can listen to this track every February 2nd: “A narcissistic TV weatherman, along with his attractive-but-distant producer, and his mawkish cameraman, is sent to report on Groundhog Day in the small town of Punxsutawney, where he finds himself repeating the same day over and over.”
Track 09, “A Hand on the Clock” (05:51), is inspired by the movie Source Code. The brilliant Floor Jansen (of Nightwish, After Forever) is stellar on vocals here, and it’s hard to believe someone of her talent is buried on track nine. Then again, I can understand wanting to lead with Brittney’s star turn on track one, and the rationale here seems to be Arjen saving his favorites for last, placing Jansen in the antepenultimate position, so that the excitement and anticipation builds as we listen to the CD and eagerly await her turn. Joost does a Hammond solo to add extra zip. Floor’s sister Irene contributes backing vocals but also the vocals on CD2 together with Marcela Bovio. I’ve only watched this movie once, back when it was first out: “When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.” Pretty decent, but it’s Floor’s singing that I would return to again and again.
Track 10, “Beyond the Edge of it All” (04:52), is inspired by the British sci-fi/horror TV series Sapphire and Steel, which I did not know about until listening to this CD. John Jaycee Cuijpers (of Praying Mantis) does good vocals, and I think Arjen does the guitar solo here as part of the “best for later” logic of the album tracking. He must be a big fan of the show, because after looking it up and watching it, now I am too. I can’t believe I had never seen it before, because it is absolutely classic, and I am grateful to Arjen for bringing it to my attention through this album. Mike Andersson (of Tungsten, Star One) does vocals on CD2. Perhaps listeners will want to have a two-week film festival of all the movies Arjen has made this album about. That’s a great idea, and I welcome you to it. My own festival ended up being a Sapphire and Steel marathon:
“Sapphire & Steel is a British television science-fiction fantasy series starring David McCallum as Steel and Joanna Lumley as Sapphire. Produced by ATV, it ran from 1979 to 1982 on the ITV network. The series was created by Peter J. Hammond who conceived the programme under the working title The Time Menders, after a stay in an allegedly haunted castle. Hammond also wrote all the stories except for the fifth, which was co-written by Don Houghton and Anthony Read. In 2004, Sapphire and Steel returned in a series of audio dramas starring David Warner and Susannah Harker.”
Track 11, “Lost Children of the Universe” (09:46), is inspired by the movie Interstellar. That movie is one of my top-ten favorites, so I approve of the “best for last” implication here. Roy Khan (of Kamelot) does vocals here, and the Hellscore Choir also shows up near the end for an unexpected twist. Steve Vai delivers an Academy Award-worthy guitar solo.
Surprisingly, Tony Martin (of Black Sabbath) is placed on CD2 instead, but I think Arjen faced an impossible choice here, because Khan’s dramatic delivery is just so darn good. I think Ray Gillen was a better singer for Sabbath than Tony Martin was, but alas Tony is better known.
Marcela and Irene contribute truly stellar interstellar backing vocals, as on so many other places on the album: they really deserve a lot of credit as the (perhaps unsung) background singing heroes that they are here on this disc.
Note: Arjen released this track as an advance single, with a mix of vocals from both Roy and Tony. So, if you are true fan and total collector like me, you will want all three versions of the song.
Thanks you Arjen and crew for another thrilling journey. I am grateful for hours and hours of so much enjoyment with this virtuous circle of sci-fi movies and songs. Rock on at warp speed!
Erewän – How Will All This End? – Anesthetize Productions, December 10, 2021
Tracks: Rising Sun on the Shore (4:06), Childhoods (5:05), Walk Away (5:32), Headline (7:07), The Banshee’s Keening (5:45), Witches of the Middle Ages (4:33), Twist of Fate (5:24), Evil’s In Us (8:14), Highlands (5:49)
Erewän’s late-2021 album, How Will All This End? has a fresh sound mixing a variety of rock and acoustic sounds. While Erewän may sound like a band name, it is actually the stage name for a Nice, France-based solo artist. Musically that may surprise you, since there is a rather heavy Celtic influence on the record. Erewän wrote all of the lyrics and the music, and Alexandra Lamia and Eric Bouillette guest on a couple of tracks. The rest of the music was performed by Erewän, who also made the artwork.
The album mixes elements of traditional progressive rock with folk music, particularly Celtic folk music. Irish whistles and violin are prevalent, along with acoustic guitar. Erewän plays some excellent electric guitar, as well. It’s a very pleasant album to listen to no matter where the music goes. At many times it’s rather soothing.
How Will All This End? is essentially a concept album, with all of the songs connected by the theme of the evil mankind has committed throughout history, and how that evil infiltrates each of us. The lyrics are sobering, and they force us to take a good look inside. Thankfully the music isn’t as gloomy as the lyrics can sometimes be.
Evil is deep down inside men
Evil is in each of us
Evil! Evil! Evil! Evil!
Man is a wolf to man, He is the danger
He’s proved it through the ages, man can be toxic
Obsessed with one thing: How to own more
More power or money, so he made up the war
– “Evil’s in Us”
As you can imagine, the record has some rather dark moments. “Headline” is a difficult track addressing the problems of bullying in schools and school shootings. It takes a very dark turn with the sounds of gunfire and screaming midway through the song. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s a reminder of the evil we deal with in the world.
Thankfully the next song starts off more upbeat musically. “The Banshee’s Keening” has a very Celtic feel, as the name might suggest. I’ve always enjoyed the sounds of Irish whistles, which this song has in abundance, along with what sounds like fiddle in the background. The song is about exactly what the title says. A banshee is a spirit in Irish folklore that roams across the land “keening,” or wailing, in response to someone’s death.
“Witches of the Middle Ages” displays the calmer elements of the album, with a simple acoustic melody and the haunting Irish whistles and what I believe are bagpipes (it might be a guitar effect). The lyrics tell the story of a girl accused of being a witch and then executed by the Inquisition.
Thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom. In the lyrics of “Evil’s in Us,” Erewän gives us a glimpse of hope:
But demons rub shoulders with angels
Yet maybe angles could win sometimes
If you take time to listen to your heart
To your heart
To your heart
The final track is instrumental, which is a very good thing. The album is quite dark lyrically, and “Highlands” gives the listener a chance to decompress. It’s a soothing track, starting out acoustic with Irish whistles, piano, and strings before gradually adding in the rock elements. Midway through it jams into an electric guitar solo that retains the Celtic folk music styling with its melody. It’s a great bookend to the opening instrumental track, which eases the listener into the journey Erewän takes us on. Both songs remind me of Dave Bainbridge and Dave Brons’ solo work. If you’re a fan of their work, definitely check out Erewän.
My one complaint about the record is Erewän’s vocals can sometimes be difficult to understand. His accent is thick, which might leave the listener lost at times. I’ll compare it to the recent Premiata Forneria Marconi album, which features both English and Italian versions of the songs. I listened to the English version first, and I found Franz Di Cioccio’s vocals to be difficult to follow, although I really enjoyed the music. When I listened to the Italian version, his vocals sounded great and very natural. All that to say, I would love to hear a version of Erewän’s album with French vocals. I know that would limit the marketability of the record, but it still would be nice to hear.
Even as it is, How Will All This End? is a great album filled with a beautiful blend of rock and acoustic folk music. The lyrics make you think, which is what good art should do. The guitar solos soar, blending well with the Irish whistles. Give it a listen on Bandcamp.
California’s Lobate Scarp, led by Progarchy’s very own Adam Sears, has released a new single off their upcoming album, You Have It All. The song, “Our Test Tube Universe,” features special guests Ryo Okumoto and Jimmy Keegan. It isn’t every day a band releases a 7 and a half minute single! The band features Adam Sears on vocals and keyboards, Peter Matuchniak on guitar, and Andy Catt on bass. This single has some great keyboards by Okumoto, and the guitar work stands out as well. I appreciate the way the song ebbs and flows. Very nice.
The rest of the album also features guests Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, and Eric Moore. The album will be released April 1.
RIVERSIDE – Touring across North and Latin America!
Continuing the celebration of their 20th band-anniversary, Polish rock masters RIVERSIDE will soon embark on a comprehensive tour across North America and Latin America.
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in with the following message: “We’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of RIVERSIDE in very demanding and difficult times. Nevertheless, we keep on fighting and we can’t wait to go on our next tour of the States, Canada, and Latin America. We have prepared for you a very special set featuring music from all of our albums. We hope you’ll like our choices.“
The complete list of upcoming RIVERSIDE dates announced so far reads as follows:
RIVERSIDE – North American Tour 2022 With special guests Keith Semple of The Cyberiam (for USA dates) & Randy McStine (for Canada dates)
April 2 Atlanta, GA – Hell at The Masquerade
April 3 Nashville, TN – Exit / In
April 5 Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
April 6 Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
April 8 Phoenix, AZ – The Nile Theater
April 9 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
April 10 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
April 12 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
April 13 Seattle, WA – Neumos
April 15 Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
April 16 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
April 18 St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar and Hall
April 19 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
April 20 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
April 22 Toronto, ON – The Opera House
April 23 Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
April 24 Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
April 25 Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
April 27 New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
April 28 New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
April 29 Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live
April 30 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore SoundStage
RIVERSIDE – Latin American Tour 2022
May 8 Mexico City, Mexico – Auditorio Blackberry
May 10 Guadalajara, Mexico – C3
May 13 Santiago, Chile – Teatro Teleton
May 15 São Paulo, Brasil – Carioca Club
Stay tuned for more special, international anniversary shows to be announce soon…
RIVERSIDE have recently released a special Digital Single entitled “Story of My Dream” to enhance the anniversary celebration. This brand-new track was recorded and mixed at The Boogie Town Studio in Otwock, Poland during two days in July and five days in September 2021, engineered and mixed by Paweł Marciniak as well as mastered by Paweł Marciniak at Manximum Records in Łódź, Poland.
The Story of My Dream” single features artwork by Travis Smith (Opeth, Katatonia, etc.) and can also be checked out in a video clip directed by Tomasz Pulsakowski / Sightsphere here: https://youtu.be/-s7fedFOP88
Additionally, RIVERSIDE also released two digital “best of” compilations via to showcase the comprehensive and rich back-catalogue from across the last two decades of band activity. Featuring material all especially remastered by Magda and Robert Srzedniccy (Serakos Studio) for this occasion, “Riverside 20 – Vol.1, The Shorts” includes 19 tracks and “Riverside 20 – Vol.2, The Longs” includes 14 songs each.
RIVERSIDE previously also re-issued their debut album “Out Of Myself” as well as the “Lost’n’Found – Live in Tilburg” release via InsideOutMusic, following the launch of their acclaimed latest studio album “Wasteland” in 2018. Check out the various available back-catalogue titles by RIVERSIDE from the IOM webshop here: https://www.insideoutshop.de/Search?q=riverside
And stay tuned for more RIVERSIDE new soon…
RIVERSIDE line-up:
Mariusz Duda – bass, vocal
Maciej Meller – guitar
Michał Łapaj – keyboards and hammond organ
Piotr Kozieradzki – drums
How does this strike your fancy?King Crimson (RIP, Mr. McDonald) + Australia + a string ensemble + jazz rock + opera = Fantasy of Horses. Sound interesting? If so, then you may enjoy the music of the somewhat divisive Rainbow Theatre. Based upon other reviews I have read, even proggers find this album difficult to categorize: is it an obscure masterpiece? An unjustly maligned effort? Or a cheap imitation of King Crimson? I’m not sure where I stand on this at the moment, so I’ll leave it to you to decide. Hailing from the Land Down Under, Rainbow Theatre released two albums in the mid-70s, Fantasy of Horses being the second of the two. Here’s a brief review of this polarizing album:
The album opens with the instrumental “Rebecca.” In what sounds like an homage to In the Court of the Crimson King, Rainbow Theatre begins with a beautiful mellotron and horn-driven sound. Bassist Ferg McKinnon is the focal point on this piece, however: his thunderous hammering drives this track along.
“Dancer” is perhaps the strongest track on the album. Like many a great progressive track, there are several notable melodic and sonic shifts throughout this piece: gentle organ and horns introduce the song before we first hear Keith Hoban’s dramatic vocals. Unlike Freddie Mercury, however, Hoban does not pull off the operatic style he is trying to capture, resulting in what may charitably be described as a “forced” sound. Despite the underwhelming vocals, this piece benefits from its dynamic character: after a flourish of horns and bass we are treated to some impressive work on the trumpet courtesy of Frank Graham and a solid guitar solo from Julian Browning (who doubles as a keyboardist). A sudden transition to piano and flute caresses our ears with pleasant harmonies before we return to horns and mellotron toward the conclusion of the piece.
Drummer Graeme Carter (who shines throughout the album) leads a frenetic opening charge in “Caption for the City Night Life,” which captures the attitude of King Crimson’s “Pictures in a City” fairly well. Carter’s drum solo is an especial standout on this track.
The title song (see below) transitions from a soft piano melody to pounding bass and horns to a spacey, Tangerine Dream-like sequence to more enjoyable interplay between horns, bass, and percussion. Like “Dancer,” this is a dynamic piece that would qualify as excellent if it were not for the operatic vocals. Overall, however, it’s a fitting conclusion to this album.
Is Fantasy of Horses worth a listen? Without a doubt. I cannot say it will appeal to all tastes, but those of you who find yourselves hooked will appreciate the interplay between the bass, percussion, and horns, all of which are played with a passion and skill comparable to some of the classic progressive artists.
Erewän – How Will All This End? – Anesthetize Productions, December 10, 2021
Progarchy 