Astrolabio ~ Italy

Neo Italian prog; Retro Prog; Hard Rock

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Latest: Una Volta Qui Era Tutta Campagna Pubblicitaria (2026) Mar 8

UMR review page for Astrolabio

3/15/17 (new entry)

Jordsjo ~ Norway

Retro prog; Progressive rock

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Latest: Pestkrønikene (2026). July 24

UMR review page for Jordsjø

2/12/18 (new entry)

Agusa ~ Sweden

Retro prog

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Latest: Panacea (2026). May 22

UMR review page for Agusa

5/10/14 (new entry)

Telegraph ~ Israel

Retro prog

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Latest: Topography of Mind (2026). Digital only though they mentioned they are considering a CD and / or LP.

UMR review page for Telegraph

6/18/20 (new entry)

Agropelter ~ Norway

Retro prog

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Latest: The Book of Hours (2025)

UMR review page for Agropelter

2/2/26 (new entry)

Hällas ~ Sweden

Retro prog hard rock

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Latest: Panorama (2026) Jan 30

UMR review page for Hallas

10/14/23 (new entry)

Grovjobb ~ Sweden

Retro prog; Neo Psychedelic

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Latest: Nallebjörn är Död (2025) 11/28

Here's another band I didn't think we'd ever hear from again. Lots of 20+ year reunions going on!

UMR review page for Grovjobb

11/29/25 (new entry)

Sammal ~ Finland

Retro prog

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Latest: Aika Laulaa (2022)

The group is active and it appears they are working on a 5th album, with no timetable set.

UMR review page for Sammal

8/15/16 (new entry)

Accordo dei Contrari ~ Italy

Retro prog; Jazz rock; Neo Italian prog

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Latest: untitled 6th album. TBD

UMR review page for Accordo dei Contrari

7/25/11 (new entry)

Ring van Möbius ~ Norway

Retro prog

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Latest: Firebrand (2025). To be released Oct 3.

Well they said they were finished. And now they have a new album proclaiming they are done... done. Really, no really.

UMR review page for Ring Van Mobius

1/15/19 (new entry)

Siena Root ~ Sweden

Retro prog; Hard Rock

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Latest: Made in KuBa Live (2025). To be released Oct 3.

Albums I own and need to review: Kaleidoscope (2006); Different Realities (2009)

9/23/24 (new entry)

Hooffoot ~ Sweden

Retro prog

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Latest: Phantom Limb (2025)

UMR review page for Hooffoot

9/29/15 (new entry)

Gösta Berlings Saga ~ Sweden

Post rock; Avant prog; Progressive rock; Retro prog

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Latest: Forever Now (2025). To be released June 6.

UMR review page for Gösta Berlings Saga

6/24/11 (new entry) 

Hokr ~ Czech Republic

Retro prog; Progressive rock

Website (they have a Facebook page but it hasn't been updated since 2013)

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YouTube

Latest: Meandrea (2025)

UMR review page for Hokr

4/28/11 (new entry)

IQ ~ England

NWOBPR; Retro prog

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Latest: Dominion (2025) 3/25

UMR review page for IQ

12/30/14 (new entry)

Pocket Size (Stockholm), Sweden

Retro prog; Space rock

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Latest: Att G​ö​ra Kompisar (2022)

Pocket Size is still performing live as of this past summer.

Immortality: Cleaning the Mirror Volume 2 (2018)

Pocket Size is a band that I got in on the ground floor with and dutifully documented their first two albums enthusiastically. My initial reaction to this album wasn't as positive as the other two, and I didn't take any notes. So now some five plus years later, let's dive in. The album was recorded live in 2016 in front of what sounds like three people. As with their other albums, this isn't a solo endeavor but rather a full band effort. And early 70s instrumental prog mixed some space rock jamming is what you can expect here. There's a touch of the jazz rock style as well. I think this may have been one too many cleaning the mirrors for me. Not getting the same vibe as I did out of the other two. Also not very Swedish, more generic in terms of region. A fine album, but I have enough of this kind of style from the 70s.

---11/24/24

Vemood: Cleaning the Mirror Volume 1 (2016)

Pocket Size have perfectly captured the essence of being alive in 1973 Sweden. Cigarette and marijuana compete for your olfactory senses, but your eyes water no matter the substance. You, of course, recite the Manifesto of the Communist Party verbatim, but only because you think you might get laid if you do. Otherwise King and Country works too, whatever. Progg, hell yea! Or not... who cares? Images of perfectly formed naked breasts shine ever so perfectly as you gaze blindly from your flat. Vemood is your soundtrack to your dream night in Stockholm. Long track Hammond organ jams that battle with saxophone, flute, and loud electric guitar. And even a melody to whistle to while waltzing down Drottninggatan. Ahhh.

---6/30/17 

Exposed Undercurrents (2014)

Contemporary 2014 Sweden is loaded - and I mean loaded - with rock bands emulating the sounds of the early 1970s. Most are of the US/UK hard rock variety, or they go for that "turn the amps to 11" stoner pseudo-metal sound. There are fewer bands that are making a try for the true progressive rock era sound of the early 70s era. I don't mean the all-in-proggy-prog Anglagard type either, but rather the more common sound of the day coming from Sweden like November, Saga, Flasket Brinner, and Trettioariga Kriget. There's a real psychedelic element to Pocket Size's sound as well, and that can only be considered a plus to the UTR's world.

The band themselves seem to possess a confused identity. In effect, the group is the vision of guitarist Peter Pedersen. Depending on which site you are reading (including their own), you're likely to see the band listed as Pocket Size, Pocket Size Sthlm, or Pocket Size Stockholm. No matter, as what's most important is that Pedersen brings in no less than 9 participants for his creative work. So this isn't a solo work with a monolithic viewpoint - or worse - a sterile digital sound. Not even close. What you get here is exactly what you would expect from a studio effort circa 1972, complete with all the requisite analog instruments and a certain je ne sais quoi attitude. Hammond organ, saxophone, electric guitar with a multitude of effects, spacey vocals (much of it in glorious Swedish), theremin, vibraphone, and flute give one an idea of what to expect. Put that together with a planned structure and a few melodies, a handful of complicated breaks, and some solo sections. This was the way music was presented years ago, when the last thought on Earth was obtaining a radio hit or falling in line with whatever scene a band was perceived to be associated with. A knowledge of jazz, classical, blues, and early rock and roll was all that was needed - and a strange desire to actually progress from there. Give me more of this.

---11/21/14

11/21/14 (new entry)

La Fabbrica dell'Assoluto, Italy

Neo Italian prog; Retro prog

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Latest: 1984: L'Ultimo Uomo D'Europa (2015). New album coming soon though!

1984: L'Ultimo Uomo D'Europa (2015)

Let's get down to brass tacks here: This album is made strictly for early 1970's styled Italian prog rock fans, performed by early 1970's styled Italian prog rock musicians. One could call this masculine Italian prog. Take parts Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Alphataurus, Semiramis, Museo Rosenbach, and even Pholas Dactylus - throw them all in the blender. And go weeeeeeee.

---12/5/15

7/25/16 (new entry)

Zopp, England

Canterbury; Retro prog

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Latest: Live at Danfest (2024). To be released Oct 4.

Zopp (2020)

Just like yesterday's La Maschera di Cera, Zopp are a band designed specifically for a progressive rock sound of the 1970s past. In this case it's the music of Canterbury - and even more to the point, National Health. It's a two piece group lead by Ryan Stevenson, who plays every instrument under the sun, including a host of analog keyboards (or simulations thereof), fuzz bass, and lead electric guitar. Essentially Stevenson is Zopp. Joining him in this endeavor is drummer Andrea Moneta, who does a fine job of maintaining the polyrhythms expected of the genre. In this way Ryan Stevenson is emulating another Englishman, a one Andrew Marshall, he of Willowglass fame. Marshall is all about Anthony Phillips era Genesis in the same manner that Stevenson is all about National Health. A bit obsessive, but very welcome to these ears anyway. In addition to the two piece, Stevenson recruited no less than 4 others to join him, most notably Andy Tillison of The Tangent and others. The album has a full sound, what you would expect from a much larger ensemble. All the great qualities of Canterbury are present including the wedgy analog sounds, the insouciant melodies, and the complexity of composition. For what Zopp set out to accomplish, they nailed it! I seem to never tire of the Canterbury genre, as it's a timeless and beautiful sound. It doesn't seem fair that we only got two studio National Health albums (not counting DS Al Coda or archival material of course). I mean if precisely one million bands and artists can copy the same old American Idol fare, it's not too much to ask for some small Canterbury portions is it? Zopp fits most comfortably with contemporary Italian and Spanish artists such as Moogg, Homunculus Res, and Planeta Imaginario. Easy recommendation for genre fans.

---1/26/21

6/16/23 (new entry)

Cuprum, Czech Republic

Retro prog

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Latest: Samizdat EP. 1 (2024)

Brahma Višnu Šiva (2014)

The sophomore effort Brahma Višnu Šiva shows Cuprum upping their game a bit. The flute is more present, the guitars have a louder psychedelic tone, the 70s keyboard set is full blare (Hammond, Rhodes, Moog, Mellotron). All still sung in their native, and wonderful, Czech language (can I please ask for those wishing for English to stop? My goodness, is there really no one else singing in English now?). The songwriting has seen a bump up as well, and the album engages the listener that much more. It's telling that I've seen videos of Cuprum covering Flamengo. There cannot be a better band from the old Czechoslovakia to emulate. And there's still room for improvement, as they have yet to explore the more kinetic aspects of progressive rock. For those who can't seem to get out of the 8th decade of the 20th Century (like me par example), then Cuprum is your dream band. Ground zero of the Retro Prog movement is right here. Wonderful stuff. Keep it going my friends from the East!

---7/11/14

Musica Deposita (2011)

With Cuprum what you get is good old fashioned hard rock meets progressive with loads of fuzzy guitar, Hammond organ and a little flute. Sure, it's retro 1971 England or Germany, and a sound you've heard from other modern bands like Wicked Minds (Italy), Seid (Norway), Siena Root (Sweden), Blood Ceremony (Canada), Hypnos 69 (Belgium) and a few others. But the Czech Republic has no such tradition, and hearing this style performed with the Czech language is quite interesting indeed. About the only band from 1970's Czechoslovakia that even came close to this sound was Flamengo and maybe Modry Efekt - both groups only at their most hard rocking selves. The songs for the most part are quite compelling, even though it does possess that been-there-done-that feeling. I think if Cuprum expands their instrumental palette, adds a few more ideas per composition, navigates the twisty road and turns on a dime capriciously and truly does "go for the gusto", then they will hit Masterpiece status. Even as it stands, I'm quite happy with what they accomplished on this most extraordinary debut.

---6/11/12

6/11/12 (new entry)

Sacri Monti, USA-California

Retro prog; Heavy psych

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Latest: Retrieval (2024) to be released Jul 26.

Sacri Monti (2015)

Sacri Monti are a new band from the San Diego area (north near Carlsbad), who play a very aggressive form of heavy psychedelic music. The reality is no one actually performed with this energy in the late 1960's, maybe Blue Cheer at the beginning, but this is far more focused and pertinent. Perhaps filtered even. And while you know Sacri Monti has digested the "stoner" genre in total, they somehow manage to avoid all the pitfalls that befell lesser groups who have tread similar paths. The guitars are heavy on the wah pedal, and the organ is thick as molasses. Killer solos, and compositions that actually seem to be... well... composed. There are no "slabs of fuzz distortion" or "vocals on the 6th whiskey" here. Just south of that actually, which is why it works so well. It's borderline Monster Magnet, but then they reel it back to the year 1970 just in time. "Just in time". Yes, that. Great start and I'm most curious what they come up with next.

---7/28/16

Other albums heard: Waiting Room For the Magic Hour (2019)

7/28/16 (new entry)