Reviews, Pt. 11

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 8 -- Part 9 -- Part 10
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Next on the playlist!

After much delay, here are the handful of album reviews I've written since July.  As usual, clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

~*~

Yossi Sassi Band - Roots & Roads (Israel)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

The Yossi Sassi Band officially debuts its unique brand of Middle Eastern metal with a conscience, branching out of the independent musings of the band’s founder into a collaborative effort.

Karmakanic - DOT (Sweden)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

DOT is a new apex for Karmakanic, a symphonic project rich with virtuosity and creativity.

John Wesley - A Way You'll Never Be... (USA)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Another hook-filled, hard rock album with an indie, singer/songwriter bend, A Way You’ll Never Be is the distillation of John Wesley’s past projects and a conception of music that is raw and unapologetic.

The Jelly Jam - Profit (USA)

The Jelly Jam's well-crafted fourth record is their first concept album.

Syndone - Eros & Thanatos (Italy)

Eros and Thanatos is a powerful, multilayered concept album with memorable passages (whether or not you speak Italian!) and plenty of complex musical hooks that will especially attract the ears of keys aficionados.

Reviews, Pt. 10

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 8 -- Part 9
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Next on the playlist!

Here are the album reviews I've written since the middle of April.  As usual, clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

~*~

Knifeworld - Bottled Out of Eden (UK)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

A challenging piece of multilayered writing, Bottled Out of Eden contains all the dynamic intensity and unpredictability that has carved such a unique niche in the progressive rock arena for Knifeworld’s music.

Starchitect - Results (Ukraine)

Results is a rough entry in the nebulous catalogue of modern post-metal.

Monster Killed By Laser - Hunched & Twined (UK)

Hunched & Twined: really cool, superfluous, psychedelic prog presented in four-minute increments or less.

The Rube Goldberg Machine - Fragile Times (UK)

RGM’s work is subtle, nuanced creativity, taking cues from the likes of Steven Wilson while still maintaining a strong individualistic approach to songwriting.

Big Big Train - Folklore (UK)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Folklore has energy, melody, nuance, and character, and it’s certainly a candidate for best album of 2016.

Jon Anderson & Roine Stolt - The Invention of Knowledge (UK, Sweden)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

The Invention of Knowledge is a mature distillation of its writers’ individual, remarkable craftsmanship.

Reviews, Part 9

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 8
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Next on the playlist!

Here are the album reviews I've written since the beginning of February.  As usual, clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

~*~

Godsticks - Emergence (UK)

[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

The UK metal band’s third studio-length release, Emergence is a polished album, showcasing more of the quality music that Godsticks is dedicated to writing.

Bruce Soord - Bruce Soord (UK)

[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Bruce Soord’s self-titled solo debut blends a singer-songwriter mantra with art rock, electronica, and ambience.

Aunt Mary - New Dawn (Norway)

Aunt Mary’s first original studio project since 1973 struggles with self-identity.

Ed Bernard - Polydactyl (Canada)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Polydactyl is a strong showcase of Ed Bernard’s mature musicianship, caliber of songwriting, and clear musical vision.

The Barstool Philosophers - Crossing Over (The Netherlands)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Crossing Over waxes eloquent both lyrically and instrumentally, combining atmospheric elements with a strong metal vibe.

Davina & The Vagabonds - Sunshine (USA)

Alternative, Americana, New Orleans, blues, and – of course – jazz, all presented by one charismatic, modern big band.

Reviews, Part 8

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 9
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Next on the playlist!

Here are the album reviews I've written since October.  As usual, clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

Lots of USA prog this round, and a couple of local East Coast bands for me as well!

~*~

Flying Colors - Second Flight: Live at the Z7 (USA)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Raw, precise, and inspiring, Second Flight: Live at the Z7 is yet another taste of the virtuosity that Morse, Morse, Portnoy, LaRue, and McPherson provide for Flying Colors.

Advent - Silent Sentinel (USA)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Silent Sentinel is the inspiring and anthemic third release from a mature band now well into its second decade.

3RDegree - Ones & Zeroes: Volume 1 (USA)

3RDegree’s first album in three years (their fifth overall) is a heavy-hitting, well-rounded, and mature addition to their discography.

See also: Interview with Rob and Pat

The Tea Club - Grappling (USA)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Grappling succeeds Quickly, Quickly, Quickly as another refined work in The Tea Club’s expanding library.

Unified Past - Shifting the Equilibrium (USA)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

The symphonic metal band’s seventh album adds another notch to the rockers’ belt and a new lead singer to their roster… but not much more.

Rick Miller - Breaking Point (Canada)
[PROG Mind / Tollbooth]

Another release in a long sequence of albums, Breaking Point is Rick Miller’s newest foray into psychedelic progressive rock.

Reviews, Part 7

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 8 -- Part 9
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Next on the playlist!

Here are the album reviews I've written since July.  As usual, clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

In other now-belated news, I have officially joined Jason Spencer as a contributor to his website, The PROG Mind, a site devoted specifically to a more thematic discussion of music (not simply cursory reviews).  I'm excited to devote my attention specifically to progressive rock (which I've always tended to do anyway) and also focus on the deeper nuances of what I'm listening to (which I've, uh, always tended to do anyway).  I'll still be posting to The Phantom Tollbooth, but The PROG Mind will be a better venue for writing about the obscure music I'm passionate about and actually have the content reach other fans.

~*~

Corvus Stone - Unscrewed (Finland)

Unscrewed maintains the quirky, self-aware, musical satire that characterizes the band’s previous material, and is a collection of radically transformed tracks from Corvus Stone I and II.

Maddison's Thread - Maddison's Thread (UK)

Maddison’s Thread is a strong, mature debut: an old soul wrapped in deceptively modern packaging.

Barock Project - Skyline (Italy)

The stellar, 70's-progressive-style fourth album from Barock Project.

Andrew Peterson - The Burning Edge of Dawn (USA)

Andrew Peterson’s 11th studio release is yet another solid record – a lush and reverent celebration of the work that God is still doing.

Reviews, Part 6

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 7 -- Part 8 -- Part 9
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Next on the playlist!

Here are the album reviews I've written since February.  As usual, clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

~*~

Hasse Fröberg Musical Companion - HFMC - (Sweden)

Of the three Musical Companion releases to date, HFMC is undoubtedly the most mature as well as the most cohesive, and currently stands as my pick for best album of 2015.

Corvus Stone - Corvus Stone II (Finland)

Corvus Stone II is an eclectic collection of songs from an eclectic combination of musicians, a varying journey through elements of funk, jazz, psychedelic rock, and Canterbury prog.

Big Big Train - Wassail (UK)

Wassail is a solid EP, foreshadowing Big Big Train’s forthcoming material.  This is just another bite-sized portion of the band’s stylistic craft, enough to keep fellow “passengers” whistling for a while longer as we wait for the Train to once again depart the station.

Rocket Scientists - Refuel (USA)

Refuel is a story that is as much autobiographical as it is universal: a tale of journeying, persevering, and wondering just when the time disappeared.  It is rich and ambitious, focused but complex, and another quality release from this trio of dedicated musicians.

Reviews, Part 5

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 8 -- Part 9
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Next on the playlist!

Here are the album reviews I've written since this past September.  Clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

Let me know what you think!

~*~

Engineers - Always Returning (UK)

Always Returning is a multi-faceted, philosophical puzzle with enough musical textures to keep both fans and musicians listening.

iamthemorning - Belighted (Russia)

The combination of Gleb’s classical approach to composition with Marjana’s singing ability produces bold, melodic pieces that are distinctly modern, yet extraordinarily mature.  Belighted is one of 2014’s must-purchase albums, from one of the decade’s bands to watch.

 The Phil and John Show - Cover Art (Canada)

Phil Naro is a prolific and diverse songwriter with a powerful set of pipes, and is continually finding new avenues for his creativity to expand.

KINGs - KINGs EP (Canada)

Phil Naro is a prolific and diverse songwriter with a powerful set of pipes, and is continually finding new avenues for his creativity to expand.

Bishop Reilly - Bishop Reilly (USA)

Bishop Reilly is a mature offering from a pair of musicians with a lot of experience behind them.  Their music is a conjunction of folk, blues, and rock: a vehicle for stories that connect to the human heart.

Reviews, Pt. 4

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 8 -- Part 9
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Next on the playlist!

Here are the album reviews I've written since the beginning of August.  Clicking on the album covers will take you to the band's music where you can listen to and/or download the album in full.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews.

Let me know what you think!

~*~

Ghost Town Riot - Ghost Town Riot (Seattle)

Ghost Town Riot is a catchy, intense, and well-written album.  The band have a good sound, strong dynamic concepts, and deeply thoughtful music that doesn’t fit any conventional pop/rock mold.

A Formal Horse - A Formal Horse EP (UK)

A Formal Horse come with gusto as well as instrumental proficiency, offering a final product that does not disappoint.  This EP is their debut showing: a small collection of their ambitious work to date.

In the Presence of Wolves - Thalassas (New Jersey)

Thalassas is a fantastic debut album, combining vivaciousness with thoughtfulness, and melody with technical proficiency.  It’s young and fresh, and hints at the quality of releases yet to come.

Flying Colors - Second Nature (US)

Second Nature, Flying Colors’ sophomore release, is representative of everything the band does well.  Its balladic, singable songs are also technical and complex, characterized both by their boldness and their uplifting refrains.  This is one of 2014’s definitive releases.

The Pineapple Thief - Magnolia (UK)

Magnolia, The Pineapple Thief’s 10th studio release, is an album complex enough to be progressive, but simple enough to be accessible, and warrants a number of listens to truly appreciate its well-constructed layers.

Reviews, Pt. 3

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 8 -- Part 9
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Next on the playlist!  These are all bands I've reviewed since the end of May.  Clicking on the album covers will take you directly to sites where you can sample or listen in full to each band's material.  The hyperlinks will take you to my reviews of their music.  Let me know what you think.

~*~

Soup - The Beauty of Our Youth (Norway)

Wistful, ambient, and achingly gorgeous, The Beauty of Our Youth is a soundscape of purposeful orchestration, recalling the days of childhood and adolescence in a dreamlike haze of retrospective emotion.

Psycrence - A Frail Deception (Greece)

Psycrence write song-oriented metal, with composition, fury, and melody.  This is a young band with a personal sound, plenty of ability, and the ambition to write quality music in the voice they’ve found.

Yossi Sassi - Desert Butterflies (Israel)

Desert Butterflies has all the elements of music that I love: inventive use of themes, blurring of genre lines, technical performance, attentiveness to melody, and solid performance. The pioneer of "Oriental Rock," Yossi Sassi delivers a memorable sophomore album.

Jeff Green Project - Elder Creek (Ireland)

Elder Creek is a great example of new-wave or crossover prog, and tells a story of memory.  A unique mix of symphonic prog, psychedelic rock, folk ballad, and classical mythology, this is an uplifting album with the power to entertain, encourage, and invigorate.

Paving the Labyrinth - Polyopia (South Africa)

Paving the Labyrinth are a practiced and technical band with a strong debut album.  Polyopia is a combination of technical post-rock and melodic prog with an experimental edge, and will appeal to any fans of gritty, complex music.

Anton Roolaart - The Plight of Lady Oona (New York)

The Plight of Lady Oona is unique and ambitious, and ultimately an impressive album – easily one of my favorite releases of 2014.

Reviews, Pt. 2

Part 1 -- Part 3 -- Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6 -- Part 7 -- Part 8 -- Part 9
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There's probably a better way to share these than in bunches, but I'd rather not make individual posts for each review.  I want maintain this blog as a venue for personal expression as opposed to transforming it into a forum for music reviews.

Regardless, in case anyone is interested, here's my latest round of reviews (since April 3rd).  For classic prog fans, I recommend Rocket Scientists and Láquesis.  For fans of blues rock, psychedelia, and quirky hooks, Marblewood or These Curious Thoughts.  Backhand is a bit of an enigma -- Latin metal with progressive elements, but a distinct bend toward songwriting.

I've also got albums from five more bands/artists currently on the table: Soup (Norway), Psycrence (Greece), Paving the Labyrinth (South Africa), Yossi Sassi (Israel), and Ghost Town Riot (Seattle).

If you take a listen to any of these, let me know what you think!

~*~

Láquesis - Láquesis (Argentina)

Láquesis is a strong debut release, full of powerful ballads, soft instrumentals, and enough musical technicality to satisfy fans of both classic and contemporary eras of progressive rock.

Rocket Scientists - Supernatural Highways (California)

Supernatural Highways is an invigorating, compelling, and thoroughly enjoyable EP, well-written and well-orchestrated, commemorating Rocket Scientists' 20th anniversary.

 Marblewood - Marblewood (Switzerland)

With song structures that are loose, fluid, and supremely high-energy, Swiss jamband Marblewood compose long, blues-influenced instrumentals well-suited to the live performance.

These Curious Thoughts - What is it, and how did it get in there? (UK/Detroit)

These Curious Thoughts write powerful compositions - indie/post-rock at its finest. What is it, and how did it get in there? is unique, strange enough to beg additional listens, and profound enough to demand a few more.

Backhand - Through the Turbulence (Venezuela/Canada)

Through the Turbulence accomplishes exactly what its title suggests: the album is full of frenetic solos and rapid sections, and deals with heavy thematic elements, but also showcases the musicians' appreciation for intense dynamic changes and quality songwriting.