Ole Lukkoye, Russia ***Inactive***

Space rock; Folktronica

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: Echoes of Reflections (2019)

Dyatly (2015)

Dyatly is Ole Lukkoye's 7th studio album (not counting the various compilations), and their first one since Kumeneira over nine years ago. And for me, this is the first Ole Lukkoye album I've heard since Crystal Crow Bar, nearly a generation ago. And it's probably been that long since I last heard this band at all, but my recollection was that Ole Lukkoye played a modern space rock style similar to Ozric Tentacles, with copious amounts of Central Asian indigenous music, somewhat like Korai Orom (Hungary) or the modern Russian band Vespero. But Dyatly is definitely more geared towards a mix of electronica and folk. The kind of folk one might hear on an Atman or Magic Carpathians (Poland) album. And it is here I learn of a new genre, but one I wholeheartedly agree with: Folktronica. Wikipedia defines it as such "a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring samplings of acoustic instruments—especially stringed instruments—and incorporating hip hop or dance rhythms".

And yes, Dyatly definitely projects this club like atmosphere. Chill out music for nomadic tent dwellers on psilocybin.

Given my initial expectations of Ole Lukkoye's sound, 'Kommuna Ra' was a bit of a rough start for me. I kept waiting for the space rock parts, but they were never to arrive. Perhaps it wasn't the best way to start the album, but then again, it's possible I've been way too out of touch with the evolution of the band. But by the title track, I was completely absorbed. This is the highlight for sure, with so many ethnic sounds and psychedelic trimmings, I felt myself being swept away to another world. When 'Bela Dama' opened with the female vocals in an almost prayer like chant, I fully expected to be blown into orbit. But here they chose to introduce the club beats, and it suddenly was all too familiar. But then again, Ole Lukkoye are from the (relatively) western European city of Saint Petersburg, which is a long way from the music the band is emulating. 'Just Wind' continues in a similar manner, at times reaching the highs of 'Dyatly'. The album closes pleasantly with 'Veni, Vidi, Vivi'. And at only 4 minutes, it occurred to me that this is one of the problems with the album: The other songs are just too long (all between 14 and 18 minutes). Perhaps a nice mix of 10 different compositions would have made for a better offering.

All in all, a very solid work. One that has me excited to revisit the Ole Lukkoye albums that I already own. This album comes highly recommended to those who would like to hear a band like Atman take their sound to a psychedelic night club... at 2 in the morning.

---8/3/15

Relax in Your Dream (2000)

These are live recordings from 1994 to 1998, and encapsulate the band's live performances after their 3rd album. I much prefer the studio output at this point (or I think I do, it's been forever since I heard any Ole Lukkoye from the collection, not counting their latest Dyatly). Only three tracks have been released before, so that's not the issue here like with most live albums. However Ole Lukkoye goes to great lengths for the perfect "set up", and then never does anything with it, just repeating themselves. I suppose that's what they were striving for in the live experience, but it doesn't translate well on disc  - for me anyway.

---12/20/18

Toomze (1996)

Very similar to the debut. Repetitive world trance music, which is still very good, but I prefer when it's mixed with psychedelia similar to Korai Orom. This album does have a psychedelic effect via the constant percussive beat, exotic instrumentation, and voices, as evidenced most on tracks 5 and 9. 

---9/4/23

Zapara (1993)

Like with Korai Orom, Ole Lukkoye loosely falls within the psychedelic festival circuit as well as various ethnic dance circles. This debut from the Russian group is a bit more world fusion and less psychedelic than their later albums, at least as I recall them. This is a very good title, but I have plenty of others to listen to in this space that are more interesting to my ears.

---6/23/23

Other albums heard: Doo Doo Doo (1998); Crystal Crow Bar (2001)

8/5/15 (new entry)

Ozric Tentacles, England

UK Festival Psych

Facebook

Soundcloud

Latest: Lotus Unfolding (2023) 

Paper Monkeys (2011)

Ozric's best studio album in about a decade. Paper Monkeys seems more motivated than the last few efforts. Definitely more energy, and features some fine guitar rave-ups from Ed Wynne, similar in that way to The Floor's Too Far Away (another newer Ozric album that I'm quite fond of). Electronica continues to influence their sound - perhaps even more so than prior. There's no mistaking this is an Ozric Tentacles album, and it doesn't appear they're ever going to change the formula. But for what they do, this is one of the better ones.

---11/28/11

Spice Doubt Streaming (1998)

If you are seeking out the high octane variation of Ozric Tentacles, then look no further than Spice Doubt Streaming. This album completely eschews their reggae and new age electronic characteristics, and focuses strictly on their ability to set your stereo in flames. Which is my favorite aspect of the band. The first good clue is that the album opens with two of their most incendiary tracks - both the opening salvo on their respective albums (Become the Other, Erpland). 'Eternal Wheel' remains my personal favorite track by Ozric, and it's probably the only song on here that isn't quite up to the task of the studio version. The others I feel surpass their studio equivalents. And these aren't the only openers they chose. Perhaps best of all is 'Dissolution' (from Pungent Effulgent), which is absolutely lethal here. Elsewhere they have two of their most intense electronic pieces in 'Sploosh!' (Strangeitude) and 'Oddentity' (Curious Corn). If that isn't enough they throw in two mid album barn burners with 'Papyrus' and 'Myriapod'. Only to be bested by two new compositions 'Citadel Jam' and 'Spice Doubt', the latter renamed and rerecorded as 'Space Out' on Swirly Termination. All that's missing is 'Kick Muck'! But that track had already been well represented on prior live outings. All of these were their live debut on CD at the time.

What a smoker. This is probably my favorite Ozric Tentacles album, only in that it filters what I like best by them. And I have to say, I enjoy all of their albums! So there you have it.

---2/24/17

Curious Corn (1997)

Seems every time I talk about Ozric Tentacles it feels like I've already had that discussion. Honestly I have too many Ozric albums, and it's "too much of the same thing". Where does that really start though? Here? Well, I thought maybe so, but on reflection this one gets through the gate. 'Spyroid' seems more Eat Static than Ozric, but by the time of 'Oolite Grove', we're back in the comfortable world of Ed Wynne and Co. Ripping guitar solos, frequent changes, and excellent melodies. Hard to be critical of that. Curious Corn features some of their more known classics such as the title track, 'Papyrus', and especially 'Oddentity'.

---4/16/20

Become the Other (1995)

Seems every time I talk about Ozric Tentacles it feels like I've already had that discussion. :-) Become the Other was the first Ozric album I didn't buy real time since Erpland. I had tired of their sound by the mid 90s and the reviews indicated that Become The Other wasn't any more different. But a couple of years later I picked up the CD and enjoyed it immensely, perhaps the break in action being the key. In retrospect, Become the Other is one of their stronger releases, and features a few of their classics, especially the opener 'Cat DNA' along with 'Vibuthi' and 'Wob Glass'. If only looking to pick up a few Ozric albums, I would suggest this should be in that lot.

---4/19/20

Jurassic Shift (1993)

While listening to any album, I tend to read other reviews of what I'm listening to. I get the feeling that most reviews of Jurassic Shift were penned considerably later than the actual listen, or they weren't paying attention. For me, the most telling is the short shrift that 'Feng Shui' receives. To me it's one of their most innovative tracks, and the type of composition I'd like to see Ozric focus on more. In general I read things like "their requisite boring reggae song", "dull", and "spacey soft new age music". Did they actually listen to the whole song? Not only did they mix in traditional Chinese themes (new for them), but the last half of the track is the heaviest Ozric EVER got on tape. Ed Wynne tears it up - it's almost metal, something that Ozric stays (fortunately) away from, but in this context is breathtaking. I didn't see one review that even noted it. Wow.

---2/4/10

Strangeitude (1991)

Long ago (1989-1992), a buddy and I hosted a monthly 6 hour radio show on Dallas' local NPR station (one of those Saturday night fill-the-airwaves from midnight to 6 gigs - and I did it as a volunteer...) showcasing underground progressive rock, jazz, and electronic music - pretty much the oeuvre I write about here minus hard rock and metal. It was in 1990 that we were first introduced to Ozric Tentacles via a mutual friend who had just purchased the 2 LP set Erpland. We were both mightily impressed, immediately picked up its predecessor Pungent Effulgent (the earlier cassettes weren't widely available back then), and proceeded to play choice cuts from each album. We did get many requests for them, as Ozric has a sound that is immediately likable.

A year later, we were super excited to learn of their new album Strangeitude. And it did not disappoint at all. 'White Rhino Tea' is as progressive a track as Ozric ever penned, with constantly shifting themes and meters. 'Bizarre Bazaar' is this album's 'Kick Muck' - tight and energetic. And they finish on a high note with the blistering 'Space Between Your Ears', where Ed Wynne really lets loose, and is one of their best tracks in their entire canon. For my tastes, I've never been a big fan of Ozrics' pure electronic work, and here there are two, including the title track and fan favorite 'Sploosh!'. The latter does have a foot stompin' beat, but would have been more effective at half the length I'd estimate. So not perfect, but still an excellent 3rd album, and showed the world that they still had plenty more to offer from a creative standpoint. This latter element would slow over the years.

---4/17/18

Erpland (1990)

In the mid 1980s there was a burgeoning new music scene coming out of the rural fields of England. They lived the "hippie ideal" of a lifestyle unencumbered by responsibility, and that which included many free music concerts. On the music front, many of the groups were influenced by the relatively obscure UK group Here and Now, who steadfastly held to the notion that music should be free (not to mention the musical similarities between the two bands). To sustain themselves, the various bands in the scene took a page out of the heavy metal handbook, and began to make self-produced cassettes that were traded and sold at the many various concert events. As is often the case with movements such as these, many grew tired of the lifestyle and moved on. And the bands themselves began to consolidate, where the most serious and most talented would take it forward to a more professional level (Amon Duul II anyone?). And just as Metallica represented the Bay Area thrash movement, Ozric Tentacles became the icon for the UK Festival Psych scene.

Personally I had no idea any of this was going on in the 1980s. Even though I had plugged myself into the various mail order catalogs of the day, most notably England's Lotus Records, I must've looked past these items that were for sale. Or not, I'm not entirely sure. "Erpland" was my introduction to the band, and I bought the LP as it had just been newly released in 1990. I quickly snapped up the prior "Pungent Effulgent" as well on LP (Demi Monde). To my ears, Ozric Tentacles is a very easy band to get into. In fact, to this day, when someone wants to hear a few notes from "something in your collection", I'll pull out Ozric. It never fails to satisfy the guest. Sure, I could also pull out Magma's Mekanik, and have everyone screaming from the room. And for the rare person who doesn't go screaming, I begin to worry about the safety of my family. Anyway.... Ozric Tentacles has an instantly likable sound, that also happens to rock hard. Of course it must be stated that Ozric didn't create the wheel. To say they were heavily influenced by Hillage era Gong would be an understatement. But what Ozric did do successfully is to distill certain elements of that sound, perhaps the most popular ones for many a Gong fan, and take it in different and exciting directions.

Some 20 years on from "Erpland", nothing has changed, and Ozric has well over a dozen more studio and live releases. This has been the most common criticism of Ozric Tentacles. That there has been no progression, no experimentation with other sounds, instrumentation and ideas. The term "Ozricitis" was born and now applies to other bands who follow a similar path. But it's not entirely fair either, as each album, when heard on its own, does possess a unique quality. It's just a tight window frame that they operate in, that's all. The key with listening to Ozric Tentacles is to not listen to many of their albums at once. Take one in, absorb it over time, wait a few weeks or months, and then do the same with a different album. It does alter the way you hear the band. The irony in saying all of this is that "Erpland" is Ozric Tentacles' most diverse album. And is probably the ideal place to start.

If I were to recommend one track from this album, and perhaps recommend one track from their entire discography, it would the album's opener 'Eternal Wheel'. It has all the elements of a great Ozric composition - the psychedelic ambiance, the trippy progressions and the ferocious guitar lead climaxes.

---1/28/10

Other albums heard: Erpsongs (1985); Tantric Obstacles (1985); There is Nothing (1986); Live Ethereal Cereal (1986); Sliding Gliding Worlds (1988); The Bits Between the Bits (1989); Pungent Effulgent (1989); Afterswish (1992); Live Underslunky (1992); Arborescence (1994); Waterfall Cities (1999); Swirly Termination (2000); The Hidden Step (2000); Live at the Pongmaster's Ball (2002); Spirals in Hyperspace (2004); The Floor's Too Far Away (2006); The YumYum Tree (2009); Technicians of the Sacred (2015)

12/21/11 (new entry)

Il Segno del Comando, Italy

Neo Italian prog

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: Il Domenicano Bianco (2023)

---UMR notes

Il Segno del Comando (1997)

Il Segno del Comando's debut comes from the 90's renaissance wave of darkly influenced Italian progressive music as promoted by the Black Widow label of Genoa. Their haunting formula includes pipe organ, synthesizer, echoplex'd guitar, and impassioned vocals in Italian. Il Segno del Comando were the culmination of Black Widow's stable of the era, which included Runaway Totem (especially at the time of their debut), Standarte, Malombra, and Abiogenesi. Perhaps a bit more space rock influenced than the aforementioned bands, making it all that much more interesting. As is typical of albums from the 90s, the production is a bit bright and thin - thus diluting the impact of the overall power of the compositions. Also Il Segno del Comando are one of the few Italian bands using a real mellotron during this era.

If there was ever an album that proves the theory that a weak ending can ruin the overall impression, it's Il Segno del Comando. After an impressive 6 track run, the band enters a full 10 minute clumsy 90's styled funk track ('La Taverna dell'Angelo') with no less than the annoying soprano sax in the lead. I'm convinced the low grades this album gets tagged with are no doubt weighed down by this clunker. Try to overlook it.

5/19/13 (new entry)

Love Gang, USA-Colorado

Progressive hard rock; Heavy metal

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: Meanstreak (2023)

---UMR notes

Dead Man's Game (2019)

I don't even know where to begin on this one. It checks off so many boxes, it's crazy. Down the line: 1) retro hard rock - check; 2) progressive hard rock - check; 3) early metal - check;  4) organ (possibly Hammond) - check; 5) flute(!) - check; 6) local grooves - check; 7) great cover - check; 8) overall coolness - check.

No way would have I ever heard of this were it not for my friends at What's Left here in the Springs. I was looking for something to spend my trade credit on, and they mentioned this album. They know my tastes lean towards the progressive and the retro - and far away from death metal. And they're from Denver? I said why not, I've got nothing to lose. And... all to gain. As is the case here.

It would appear to me that this album may be marketed to the wrong folks. Based on whatever reviews I can find, they seem to be from the metal camp. And that's OK, but for example I saw one person comment it reminded him exactly of Motorhead. Excuse me, but can you remind me again which Motorhead album has flute, sax, and organ? No - this needs to marketed to prog, krautrock, and hard rock fans.

The person we have to circle in the band here is Leo Munoz. Take him out, and you have a cool - but somewhat standard - hard rock band, albeit an interesting one. Munoz is the one responsible for the organ, flute, and sax. You just don't see too many bands today with that kind of talent on hand. He's the X factor for sure. Kam Wentworth is the guitarist, lyricist, singer, and is clearly the front man here. His singing is the one place where Lemmy comes to mind. Though honestly, I hear just as much Paul Di'Anno and even Ron Royce (Coroner). From an overall attitude, sound, and music perspective, I'm most reminded of Fort Worth's Blood of the Sun, though again the flute creates some separation. And considering the latter instrument, the Spanish band Ñu also comes to mind here.

All the tracks are satisfying on some level, though I appreciate the ones with more instrumental breaks. Side 2 is definitely the more adventurous of the two. The closer 'Endless Road' is the best for my tastes. If you're a fan of the late 70s /early 80s hard rock/metal/prog combination - you'll want this.

12/9/20; 8/6/23 (new entry)

Blood Ceremony, Canada

Retro prog; Doom metal

Facebook

Latest release: The Old Ways Remain (2023)

---UMR notes

Lord of Misrule (2016)

Lord of Misrule is Blood Ceremony's 4th album, and sees the band time travel even further back than prior. Continuing on with this pattern, perhaps soon Blood Ceremony will sound like The Ventures, while Alia O'Brien dances the Mashed Potato...

Lord of Misrule immerses itself into the 1969 landscape quite successfully, mixing psychedelia, folk, hard rock, with slight traces of prog. Though I've defended Blood Ceremony in the past from sounding just like Jethro Tull, here the band seem to be embracing the tag. So yes, perhaps Stand Up era Tull is indeed the blueprint, with some Jefferson Airplane mixed in, and a cameo from Black Sabbath's first album. All with O'Brien's "witchy woman" vocals layered on top. While the music remains excellent - perhaps I say this due to my predilection for the style - there aren't the standout tracks of the past. It's definitely a very good "mid career" album, with well thought out compositions, but it does lack a certain dynamism.

Let's just hope the next album doesn't feature a cover of Hawaii Five-O. Book 'em Danno.

The Eldritch Dark (2013)

The Eldritch Dark sees Blood Ceremony improve on the already excellent Living with the Ancients. The doom metal Black Sabbath component has been reduced, and a decidedly more typical 1969/70 tone has been adopted in its stead. Oh yes, it's still a heavy album - just not as overt as prior. Organ, mellotron, acoustic guitar, fiddle, and flute are more prominent than prior. From a compositional perspective, the band took a page from the early 70s UK folk rock playbook of Mellow Candle and Fuchsia. And Blood Ceremony are now fully admitted into the Post psychedelic, proto progressive with female vocals club. As I said on my Living with the Ancients review, Ian Anderson wasn't the only one walking around with a flute in England in those days - it was a fairly standard instrument in the 1970 English rock landscape. So you may find comparisons to Tull compulsory, rather than accurate.

Now a word about Alia O'Brien's vocals. Throughout the album, I was reminded of someone very specific. But I couldn't figure it out. Then it hit me. All I needed to do was look at my own list above. It's Silvana Aliotta of Circus 2000, who no doubt was influenced by Grace Slick herself. And the first time I read a description of Circus 2000, her vocals were said to be "witchy". How appropriate, then, that O'Brien has a similar voice. Not sure if it's intentional (probably not), but definitely a cool voice to possess.

All the changes Blood Ceremony implemented on The Eldritch Dark are for the better as far as I'm concerned. Even the lyrics have improved. It's still witch stuff, but at least they seem to be taking it more seriously and professional than prior.

Living with the Ancients (2011)

I personally love the combination of female vocals, flute, organ, and fuzz guitar - so Blood Ceremony can almost do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Jethro Tull is an inevitable comparison because of the flute, but there are no similarities beyond that. Personally I think bands like Tomorrow's Gift (first album), Goliath (UK 1970), Room, and Affinity are closer to the sound here than Tull. And if you don't know these bands, and enjoy Blood Ceremony, then cool - new albums for you to discover right? (though I feel compelled to mention that none of these groups have a metal component).

3/14/12 (new entry); 5/28/13; 8/10/16

M-Opus, Ireland

Progressive rock

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: At The Mercy Of Manannán (2023)

---UMR notes

1975 Triptych (2015)

It's about time my brethren in Ireland got into this prog rock thing (Hayes is an Irish name for the record. Then again my Ma is 100% pure Kraut and my Pa was a Celtic mutt. But hey! I have a story brewing here...). Take away the Ulster based Fruupp and the book on Irish progressive rock gets thin in a hurry. So it appears M-Opus discovered Supply, Demand, and Curve did they? Oh - you don't know who I'm talking about? Well, then... In any case, M-Opus goes much further than either band mentioned above, way into the depths of creative progressive rock, as evidenced by the 33 minute 'Different Skies' with its different tones, colors, styles, shifts, and food groups. Much attention has been paid to period instrumentation (keyboards being the most obvious) and compositional style. I'll say this to every band who insists going back 40 years in time to prove some kind of point I GUESS: You have one fan right here. And... keep going! Please.

5/1/15 (new entry)

Il Cerchio d'Oro, Italy

Neo Italian Prog

Bandcamp

Latest: Pangea e le Tre Luna (2023)

Dedalo e Icaro (2013)

Despite having a heritage that dates back to 1974, Il Cerchio d'Oro seem to be paying homage to the 90's Italian renaissance rather than the original 70s movement. Odd, given that many of their peers are looking back 20 years further. Il Cerchio d'Oro reminds me of bands such as Malibran, Barrock, and Nuova Era. In my estimation, certainly better than the former two but not quite up to the standard of the latter. The analog instrumentation isn't convincing, the drums are more rock oriented rather than jazz, and Dedalo e Icaro definitely has that bright, digital sound. All the same, there's no doubting that Il Cerchio d'Oro plays in the classic Italian style. The constant thematic shifts within each composition, the lengthy instrumental interludes, and the rough hewn vocals (in Italian of course) all underscore the region's characteristics. There are better albums from Italy being created now, but Il Cerchio d'Oro's sophomore release is no slouch. Conditionally recommended to fans of the style.

---6/26/13

7/21/13 (new entry)

Il Bacio della Medusa, Italy

Neo Italian prog; Eclectic

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release (coming soon in 2023): #lmilla / Imilla

---UMR notes

Deus Lo Volt (2012)

Il Bacio della Medusa returns with their 3rd opus, an album that is likely to please fans of classic early 1970s Italian progressive rock – and perhaps only to them. Allow me a chance to further clarify: If band names such as Delirium, Cervello, and Odissea send a chill up your spine, then Deus Lo Volt will be considered a must purchase. Otherwise, you may want to do a bit more research and get back to us. There is some Italian progressive rock that is easy to digest on initial listening (PFM, Le Orme, Acqua Fragile…) – and then there’s the deep-dive stuff – albums that require hours of listening to a preferred style and still love it despite the quirks. In other words, you have to be “all in” to appreciate an album such as this. Good, bad, or indifferent, I myself would have to be considered “all in”, so I think it’s a wonderful piece overall. But this is not the first album I’d pull from my collection for a co-worker looking to hear a few sounds from my collection. They’d look at me as if I’d just arrived from another universe (well, they do anyway, but let’s not go there…). Deus Lo Volt is a concept album about Pope Urbano II, the Papal overlord of none other than the First Crusade. If there was ever a topic that is likely to draw a gleeful smile from a shadowy progressive rock fan, well then... this has got to take the cake! What the lyrics interpret of his life and ambition is for Italian speakers only, and I could care a less really. I’m here for the music and the vocal representation. On this latter point, the male vocals here are of the 70s gruff variety similar to the aforementioned bands in sentence number #2.  Of course there’s the fluttering flute provided by no less than a shapely and beautiful long haired lass. All the other requisite sounds and themes are in place: Majestic keyboards, hard rocking guitars, and a rhythm section that can’t stand to stay on the same meter for more than 20 seconds. A couple of somewhat disappointing observations: The title track, for the first 5 minutes at least, sounds more like Iron Maiden on their debut than Italian prog rock. And while I love Maiden as much as the next person, I do feel it’s a bit incongruous here. Though the final two minutes of said track show off their Italo-prog cred – add flute - and go all Osanna on us. And then finally we get to the length of the disc. Now I know lots of folks feel that “filling the disc” with 80 minutes of music is tiresome, and while I may not completely agree, I do understand the point. But Deus Lo Vult is only 34 minutes long. Certainly another 10 or 15 minutes could have been added to fill out a normal LP length? We’re in Dalton territory here, right? On the plus side, the CD comes in a wonderful hardbound book cover, with an interesting lyric libretto with photos. I’m really enjoying this musically and aesthetically. But surely, oh surely, there  had to be another 10 good minutes sitting on the cutting room floor?

Discesa Agl'inferi D'un Giovane Amante (2008)

Il Bacio della Medusa is back with their sophomore effort Discesa Agl'inferi D'un Giovane Amante. Just rolls off the tongue doesn't it? Well if there was any doubt where Il Bacio della Medusa's heart was after the debut, then those were put to rest for the opening here. With the addition of violin, Il Bacio della Medusa declares that they are indeed a progressive rock band, and they're here to stay. Simone Cecchini's vocals have definitely improved, and you can tell he's studied the early 70s masters intently (and even more so on their 3rd album). Love the Pholas Dactylus styled psychotic narration. His performance is definitely one of the highlights of the disc. Meanwhile Diego Petrini gives the old fashioned piano more air time, which is always welcome here at UMR. Not to mention plenty of old school organ. Eva Morelli's staccato flute is layered on the constantly changing rhythms, and guitarist Brozetti still has a bit too much pig squeal in his guitar, but he can lay off when appropriate. For those who miss the glory days of Osanna, you could do worse than pick this album up on your next order.

Il Bacio della Medusa (2004)

Il Bacio della Medusa may have entered the scene quietly, but that album cover certainly is striking. Like a cross between Nuova Idea's Clowns and Manilla Road's The Courts of Chaos, one might imagine this to be some wacky prog metal take on the classic Italian 70s scene. Fortunately it is not and is much more reverent to the Italian progressive rock masters than heavy metal. Still, this is definitely their heaviest album, and also their most modern sounding. It could pass for sophisticated hard rock as much as symphonic progressive. In that way, Il Bacio della Medusa started their career much in the same way as Deus Ex Machina. Hey, you gotta start somewhere. And in 2004, there was a lull in the retro progressive movement, and it seemed every band coming out of Italy were either prog metal nuts, or Dutch styled neo progressive bands singing in English, neither of which interested me much anymore. So here comes Il Bacio della Medusa with their flutes, psychotic Italian vocals, crazy dynamics, even an accordion, plus more ideas than they could control at that time. In retrospect, it's an excellent album, where perhaps the only fault was the aforementioned crunchy guitars, which belied their overall approach.

9/18/12; 12//13 (new entry)

Astrolabio, Italy

Neo Italian prog; Retro prog

Facebook

ReverbNation

Latest release: I Paralumi Della Ragione (2017). Working on their 3rd album now for possibly 2023! 

---UMR notes

L'isolamento dei Numeri Pari (2014)

I could say that L'isolamento dei Numeri Pari is Italian prog-by-the-numbers, but that would be rather cheeky of me. See, Astrolabio are not ones to take things too seriously. The album's title means "Isolation of the Even Numbers", and witness the cover as the even numbers are roaming about in a body of water. Meanwhile the tracks are all indexed by the odd numbers (1,3,5....to 21). Musically, the metaphor holds as well - but in a good way. No question Astrolabio have studied their 1970s Italian prog, and though the instrumentation teeters both the 70s and 90s, the overall execution is splendid. If one were to be critical, it's that the album doesn't feature any dramatic highs, nor too many surprises, so in that way they aren't like the very best the genre has too offer. Our good friend Apps79 offers up Jumbo and Biglietto per L'Inferno as a couple of benchmarks, but they aren't near as passionate and experimental as the former, nor as jarring as the latter. And yet, of course, it's a good comparison all the same. I hear more Osanna in the "hard core Italian" aspects of the album, whereas Pink Floyd (cheers Snow!) gives us our Anglo sound (perhaps Mary Newsletter from the home country gets a shout out). Very good album overall. No surprises or head lifting moments, and yet it accomplishes what it set out to do. Hard to complain about that. For fans of classic Italian prog.

3//17 (new entry); 5/19/18

Odessa, Italy

Neo Italian prog

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: L'Alba della Civilta (2022). Didn't realize they were still around!

---UMR notes

Stazione Getsemani (1999)

Yet another one of those forgotten Italian prog albums from the 90s. I dutifully picked most of them up as they were released. Listened. Happy. Filed. 21 years later, here we are again, and I couldn't remember a thing about it. Odessa tapped into that unique strain of songwriting that goes with the Italian progressive rock movement. This is not retro at all - the instrumentation screams the era in which it was released. But the composition style looks backwards 25 years, and that's what makes albums like this endearing. As time goes by, many albums from my collection are finding themselves in the sale pile, and yet these 90s Italian prog albums continue to grow in stature. For certain, I'm predisposed to liking them. Odessa is not where you start your exploration into the Italian prog renaissance. But if you're a fan like me, then it should be on your list to investigate.

5/10/20; 7/8/23 (new entry)

La Bocca della Verita ~ Italy

Italian neo prog

Facebook 

Bandcamp (Altrock)

Latest: [Un] Connected (2023)

UMR review page for La Bocca della Verita

8/4/17 (new entry)

Prometheo ~ Italy

Retro Italian prog

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: Stupor Mundi Vol. 1 (2023) 

D'un Fuoco Rapito, d'un Giovane Uomo, d'un Amore Insensato (2019)

Of a Kidnapped Fire, Of a Young Man, Of a Senseless Love (of course I looked it up...) is the debut album from Prometheo, a decidedly retro band from Italy. Singing in the native tongue while using vintage equipment, the band clearly studied the masters before going into the recording session. While their heart is clearly in the right place, the music is a bit stilted and flat. Some of that is the production and some is the instrument tones. I've seen references to legends such as Museo Rosenbach and Biglietto per L'Inferno, but both are far more kinetic than this album. Perhaps it's too well studied. All the same, a fine debut by a group who shows immense potential.

6/29/23 (review)

6/29/23 (new entry)

Anno Mundi ~ Italy

Progressive rock; Hard rock; Doom

YouTube

Latest: Land of Legends (2019)

Land of Legends (2019)

Land of Legends is the 3rd release from Anno Mundi, a 5 piece group who play a myriad of prog, hard rock, and metal styles. A very fascinating album, pigeonholing it is a hopeless task. Anno Mundi are frequently compared to Ozzy and Black Sabbath, but on Land of Legends, that influence is only apparent on the closer. It could be argued their songcraft is too modern to capture the true mood of the original Sabbath.

The opener is the only "normal" metal track here and has elements of Dream Theater and Candlemass. Not a representative offering, though in context with the rest, maybe it is. Things get very interesting on 'Hyperborea'. Violins, acoustic guitar, analog synthesizers, and experimental voices all then lead to an Iron Maiden like NWOBHM styled epic. This is followed by a short acoustic ballad. The 9 and a half minute 'Hyperway to Knowhere' (what?) follows and is arguably the best song on the album. Starts off in a proggy experimental way with plenty of acoustic guitar. Then a really cool hard rock break hits strong with echoed electric piano and heavy guitars. Excellent guitar solos as well. All this leads to the closer: 5) 'Female Revenge', now there's a title to ponder! We're back to metal, but it's of the rawer early 80s quality (think NWOBHM). Now we finally get some Black Sabbath riffs but with a modern touch in the vocal department. Always enjoy the Hammond organ and piano being interjected in tracks such as these. Really bizarre mix of ideas here.

This is one of those albums that has plenty of growth potential. Non-linear and creative. 

6/28/23 (review)

6/28/23 (new entry)

Seldon ~ Italy

Proggy AOR

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: Per Quale Sentiero (2018)

Per Quale Sentiero (2018)

Seldon on Per Quale Sentiero offer up a contemporary and sophisticated styled neo-Italian prog rock with AOR tendencies. Elements of jazz fusion and early 80s Rush are apparent.

6/24/23 (new entry)

Polyfeen, Denmark

Retro prog

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: Den Sidste Vilde (2020)

---UMR notes

Den Sidste Vilde (2020)

Polyfeen are one of those bands from the early 70s that didn't manage to record anything in their era. Many years later a 1972 archival recording surfaced that demonstrated a group with talent but the recording quality was dodgy and not necessarily a pleasant experience. This event though lead to the band reforming with a couple of original members and they have since issued two albums. Den Sidste Vilde is their latest. We see this career trajectory quite a bit in Italy, to mixed results. Polyfeen are one of the better ones to have made a comeback such as this.

The overtly psychedelic cover indicates this will likely be a space rock or stoner metal type album. Fortunately it is not either but rather a mix of retro psych and late 70s styled progressive rock. The second track is a cool little instrumental that could have been done by a band like Saga in their heyday. Track 3 sounds like the most psychedelic aspects of the Beatles. Tracks 1 and the last 3 are their retro prog numbers. It's on these that the band shine the best, especially the closer, arguably the album's high water mark. This one took a couple of listens to soak in, as I thought it might be too similar to other modern groups. But there's some uncommon depth here in the songwriting that makes it a keeper.

6/28/23 (new entry)

Witchwood, Italy

Hard rock; Progressive rock

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: Before the Winter (2020)

A long ago recommendation from my good friend Spacefreak. I hope to check them out at some point.

6/23/23 (new entry)

Arkitekture, South Korea

Retro prog; Avant prog

Bandcamp

Latest release: Rationalis Impetus (2022)

Haven't heard yet, but reviews are promising with comparisons to Anglagard meets Art Zoyd. Apparently the group was previously known as Superstring, who have 3 albums to their credit (haven't heard them either).

6/21/23 (new entry)

Logos, Italy

Italian Prog

Facebook

Soundcloud

Latest release: Sadako e le Mille Gru di Carta (2020)

---UMR notes

L'Enigma della Vita (2014)

Logos are a seasoned band from the northern Italian town of Verona, who bring forth an intriguing mix of progressive rock styles from the past. Those coming to this album hoping for a 70's styled sound, however, will most certainly leave disappointed. Even the supposed "vintage" sounds of the mellotron and organ are emulated, or certainly sound that way.

None of which deters this writer in the slightest. Logos seem more like a band of the 90s, that next generation of exciting Italian groups that blended the classics with a more modern sound. From a composition perspective, Logos certainly do look back further to the golden age.

The first impression you'll hear is one of mid 70's Pink Floyd, that peculiar deliberate and methodical songcraft, mixed with heavy spatial atmospheres. It isn't until 'In Fuga', that Logos demonstrate their Italian heritage (beyond the language of course). And the followup track 'Alla fine dell'ultimo capitolo' is where it becomes apparent that Logos came of age during the 90s. In particular I hear the influence of Consorzio Acqua Potabile coming through here. And the third ingredient is a healthy dose of space rock jamming, which provides that spicy kick to take off the implied rigidness. When Logos mixes their ingredients just right, the results can be divine.

One track that will certainly raise your head from your smart phone is 'In Principio', a title that holds a clue. Indeed there is a noticeable pastoral flavor here, reminding one of - yes - Celeste. Midway through there's a splendid space rock jam, as if Sensations' Fix walked into the studio with a bag of psychedelics. I've never heard anyone mix these two styles so splendidly.

On the other hand, L'enigma della vita can drag on occasion, and the rhythms can often be more perfunctory than creative. Personally I found the vocal style to be very good, perhaps not to the standard that Italian prog often brings forth, but if from any other country, Logos would fly high.

There's an enormous amount of music here to absorb, and given that much of it requires one's full attention, the relistenability factor is high. I was torn between 3.5 and 4.0 here (Gnosis 10/11), but given my predilection for the style, I'm staying with the higher score.

12/27/16 (new entry)

Homunculus Res, Italy

Canterbury style (this band needs a decent logo!)

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: Ecco L'impero Dei Doppi Sensi (2023)

---UMR notes

Come si Diventa Ciò Che si Era (2015)

The Italian National Health continues on with their sophomore effort, with native Picchio dal Pozzo, and irreverent Stereolab, trimmings. Basically a continuation of the debut, with more prominent guest stars than prior (from Muffins, Rascal Reporters, New Trolls). Fine with me, as I can listen to this kind of melodic - and complex - music all day. Xenophobes: so sorry for you, must order from Olive Garden menu.

Limiti all’Eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto (2013)

Homunculus Res is a tremendous new Canterbury styled band from Italy. Following in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Moogg, Homunculus Res have perfectly captured the spirit of another era. Brilliantly mixing melody and complexity, with a jazzy undertone, the 18 tracks on here flow seamlessly, and the album is over far sooner than you might expect. Fans of National Health and Picchio dal Pozzo will most certainly want to investigate. There's also a dash of Stereolab at their most insouciant en Francaise moments. The whimsical and positive disposition of the melodies are at complete odds with the distorted nature of the analog (or faux analog) instruments presented here. I never tire of music like this. Let's see if they can take their ideas to the next level. Highly recommended.

1/30/14; 1/9/16 (new entry)

Mar Assombrado, Brazil

Progressive rock 

Facebook 

Soundcloud

Latest release: Geografias Estranhas (2021). They've announced a 4th album called Muito Além dos Espelhos to be released in early 2024.

---UMR notes

Canções Do Farol (2017)

Along with Mantra, Mar Assombrado represents another independently released progressive rock album from Brazil. And while I loved Proximo, Canções Do Farol is even better for my tastes. It's been forever and a day since a new album came out of nowhere like this and knocked me on my ass. The music is assembled in the same way that the Italian masters of the 70s would do it.  Flute is a major component of Mar Assombrado's sound, yet another Italian hallmark. It's a mix of soft and hard passages (but not metal), and the compositions never stop evolving. While Mantra is a bit more eclectic, and could be considered a hard rock band at times, there's no mistaking Mar Assombrado for anything but hardcore progressive rock. The instrumentation is not retro, so again we are dealing with the modern era, but I found the tones here quite pleasing. I heard this album 3 straight times in one evening (I hardly ever do that anymore), and it continued to improve with each listen. A really great album as far I'm concerned, and looking forward to hearing more from this band. Didn't realize until very recently Brazil had so much interesting new music coming out in the progressive rock space!

6/10/20 (new entry)