Ske, Italy

News: Ske has reissued 1000 Autunni as 1001 Autunni and includes a full disc of live and other material. According to Paolo, there will definitely be a "Ske 2", and he has completed about 15 minutes of new music.

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Location: Tradate, Varese (northeast of Milan, near the Swiss border)

Overview: Like some modern groups, Ske seems to have compiled the best parts of what progressive rock has to offer, and reassembles them into a hodge podge of the entire genre.

UMR notes

R-U Kaiser, Chile ***Inactive***

News: R-U Kaiser are a little known band from Chile, who released one brilliant album back in 2007 called Ocelos. They have now returned with a new album, Desde la Oscuridad, that I'm most anxious to check out. I'll be ordering it soon, once it hits these shores.

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Location: Antofagasta (NW part of Chile)

Overview: About the only modern group I've heard that actually reminds me of Atila's Reviure album. We're talking symphonic cosmic space rock, and the Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser reference (Ohr label founder) is no accident.  A superb album and one of the most promising groups of recent times.

Manilla Road, USA

News: I have been remiss in updating this page. Unfortunately band leader Mark Shelton passed away unexpectedly - after playing a concert in Germany - on July 27th. His presence on the world stage will be greatly missed. Thanks to the artist of the wonderful photo above.

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Location: Wichita, Kansas

Overview: Manilla Road's legacy is now long cemented. Basically they are credited with popularizing, if not inventing, what we now call Epic Metal. My own history with them goes back to while I was still in high school in 1983... so I've got nearly 35 years invested in the band. Not sure there's anyone else with that kind of longevity that has really mattered to me in modern times - well I guess Iron Maiden goes back even further with me - but that's a rare breed. Long ago, a buddy and I even visited Mark Shelton at his house in Wichita in 1991, after he had folded the first phase of the band. He reformed The Road in 2001 with Atlantis Rising and hasn't looked back since. Their second go round has a longer tenure than the first! And they continue to get more progressive as time goes on. Manilla Road are the shining example of how a band should age. If you are only to listen to one Manilla Road album, I highly suggest you seek out The Deluge (1986). All one can say is WOW.

UMR notes

As I first build out this page, I only have a couple of albums covered. But there's more already written, and plenty to come. I own them all!

Bubu, Argentina

News: After 40 years, Bubu is back with their sophomore effort! Advanced word tells us it's just as good as Anabelas. Wow! So armed with that data, I pulled the trigger on the new album. More to come... (and I've now heard it, and the advanced word was absolutely correct!)

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Location: Buenos Aires

Overview: Bubu have the uncanny ability to mix complexity with melody and warmth, while still rocking hard. Timeless music.

UMR notes

VAK, France

News: VAK's second album Budo has just been released. The buzz on this one is enormous, so I picked it up right away. Can't wait to hear it!

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Location: Paris

Overview: VAK are a band that is clearly rooted in the Zeuhl movement. The debut favored Eskaton whereas their next release was more dense similar to Jean-Paul Prat maybe. Magma fans everywhere should be rushing out to obtain these.

UMR notes

Scherzoo, France

News: Scherzoo 04 is out and I have it on the way to me now. The album promises to be more in the Canterbury mold. I'm excited about this, as I wasn't as keen on them moving away from Zeuhl to Avant prog.

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Location:  Lyon

Overview: Scherzoo's sound is somewhere between avant prog and Zeuhl, whereas Thollot's solo works scratch the avant angle and add in some Heldon like electronic rock. Apparently they are now moving into a Canterbury direction.

UMR notes

Necronomicon, Germany

News: Well, forget what I said. There is a new album (see cover above)! It's noted as such in the comments but I missed the meaning. Oh my goodness, this band is something else...

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Location: Aachen

Overview: Necronomicon released one famous album (in the underground that is) in 1972, and only reappeared with some archival releases in 1990s. Then completely out of nowhere they released an album in 2012 that was even better than their original release!

UMR notes

ARC, England ***Disbanded***

Unfortunately Mark Shreeve passed away on Aug 31, 2022.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no centralized website or Facebook for the band. There's plenty of samples, mostly under the Ian Boddy name. I have no idea why the band's name is capitalized. As far as I know, ARC is not an acronym that stands for something. Maybe the progenitors will inform us?

Overview: One of the premier Berlin School electronic revivalists going today. Mark Shreeve already is enshrined in the school's hall-of-fame with Redshift, so ARC makes it 2 for 2. And Ian Boddy needs no introduction either to fans of the genre.

UMR notes

Taipuva Luotisuora, Finland

News: Taipuva Luotisuora have returned in 2017, after a two year break, playing live concerts well into the summer. No word yet on a new album. September 28, 2018 update: Posts pretty much stopped after the above. Oh well...

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Location: Turku

Overview: Taipuva Luotisuora started as an Ozric like band before incorporating post rock and space rock elements in their sound.

UMR notes

El Circulo de Willis, Spain

News: El Circulo de Willis are active and playing live shows in their native Spain. No word on a new album. I've only heard the latest from 2015 called Retales, but I was mightily impressed with the music and will certainly explore their back catalog as opportunity affords.

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Location: Madrid

Overview: El Circulo de Willis play an exciting instrumental progressive music driven by flute and guitar, with some sax, synthesizer, and metal touches. Like a blend of Ozric Tentacles, Naikaku, and Dream Machine with a bit of Kong thrown in.

Universal Totem Orchestra, Italy

News:  Universal Totem Orchestra are celebrating their latest album release Mathematical Mother, and playing the odd festival. The album itself is brilliant IMO, and is at, or near, the top of my favorite releases from 2016 - and of all the 2010 decade! Don't miss it.

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Location: Rovereto (north of Verona in the mountains near Trento)

Overview: Universal Totem Orchestra are an offshoot group of Runaway Totem, and features a larger scaled group and a trained soprano vocalist. Their music is heavily influenced by Mekanik era Magma, with a dose of heavy instrumental prog fusion. All 3 of their albums to date are fantastic.

Ayahuasca Dark Trip, Peru

News: Ayahuasca Dark Trip have released their latest opus in September entitled Upaya. It's download only so far, but there's talk of a vinyl issue.

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Location: Lima

Overview: Ayahuasca Dark Trip are a psychedelic ambient band from Peru that use guitars and soft vocals to achieve a hypnotic affect.

UMR notes

Litmus, England

News: Litmus are active playing festivals throughout the summer of 2017. There seemed to be talk of a new album, but nothing more has surfaced. I haven't personally heard anything since Planetfall so I'm way behind anyway.

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Location: London

Overview: Litmus are an aggressive space rock band that sound like a hyped up Hawkwind meets Omnia Opera.

UMR notes

Quaterna Requiem, Brazil

News: Quaterna Réquiem are very active on the live front in their home country of Brazil. No word on a new album though.

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Location: Rio de Janeiro

Overview: Quaterna Réquiem were one of the first bands of the late 1980s/early 90s progressive rock renaissance to review the works of the Mediterranean bands such as Quella Vecchia Locanda and Gotic, rather than the standard English "Big 3" of Genesis, Yes, and ELP.

UMR notes

Deformica, Argentina

News: Deformica are very active and playing many live shows in Argentina. No word on a new album, though I haven't heard their latest, which is the 2013 album I'm displaying here. (last check: Oct 8, 2018)

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Location: Buenos Aires

Overview: Deformica are a mix of instrumental King Crimson combined with post rock tendencies. Anywhere from Tortoise to Djam Karet one will spot the sound of Deformica.

UMR notes

Anglagard, Sweden

News: According to the band's website from October 8th: "The band has gone into songwriting mode after several concerts in North America (which happened to include full renditions of "Hybris"). In related news, Jonas, Johan and Erik have apparently started a side project with Thomas Johnson playing some sort of progressive jazz music. In terms of website news, the recent DVD releases have finally been added to the discography." Great - add a distraction there. These guys are hilarious. Probably by 2024 we can expect a new album then...

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Location: Stockholm

Overview: Probably the foremost contemporary post 1990 band to capture and recreate all that was great about the early 1970s original progressive rock movement.

UMR notes

Omnia Opera, England

News: Omnia Opera are still kicking! They're actively looking for a new keyboard player, so it seems they're ready to get going again. They also have an offshoot band called 7Shades and they recently played with The Oroonies - yet another blast from the past. Both of these bands have old cassettes that are in dire need of reissue.

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Location: Kidderminster (SW of Birmingham)

Overview: Omnia Opera can best be described as a heavier and more in-yer-face variation of the classic UK festival space rock sound. More Hawkwind and less Gong that is to say. About the only band I can think of that rocks harder than Ozric Tentacles in this genre.

UMR notes

Humus, Mexico

News: Humus is still kicking around, and playing live shows in their native Mexico. I haven't heard any of their output since 1999's Whispering Galleries. The scan above represents their 2014 comeback album Wheel of Malarkey, and I believe they have more than that, at least online. I need to get on the stick here.

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Location: Mexico City

Overview: Humus started as a rather primitive space rock group, and evolved into something highly complex, while never losing their fierce psychedelic edge. In the end, they combine two of my favorite styles: Space rock and Canterbury fusion. Like a meeting between Sensations' Fix and National Health. A brilliant band in my estimation.

UMR Notes

Deluge Grander, USA

News: Deluge Grander have announced that their 4th album will be released in November, and is titled Oceanarium.

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Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Overview: Deluge Grander is a group created by the ever creative mind of Dan Britton, formerly of Cerebus Effect. This is Britton's vehicle for old fashioned over-the-top 1970s American school of complex proggy prog ala Cathedral, Mirthrandir, Pentwater, and Yezda Urfa.

UMR notes

Kotebel ~ Spain

Progressive rock; Avant prog

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UMR review page for Kotebel

11/15/12 (new entry)