This was perhaps one of my most anticipated albums in quite sometime. However, as a Steven Wilson fan, I also knew not to expect an album like anything that came before it. This is a review of thee long awaited reunion album of one of the most loved Prog bands.
Porcupine Tree went on hiatus in 2010, at the height of their popularity, so that founding member/singer/songwriter Steven Wilson could focus on his solo career. Much has been said over the years, and without turning this into a “he said/he said”, let’s just focus on 2022. The band announced a new album, without the inclusion of former bassist Colin Edwin. The trio (Gavin Harrison on drums, Richard Barbieri along with Steven also fulfilling bass duties) have left their fate open to interpretation. Is this the swan song PT fans never got, or a sign that there’s more PT to come? I think the upcoming tour will determine that. But in the meantime, let’s talk about the new music!
4 tracks were released ahead of times as singles. I listened to the first two (the first two tracks on the album), before waiting to hear the rest in one sitting. Hearing songs out of context can always be underwhelming, and with so much riding on this album in my mind, I was already feeling that way about the first two. I wanted to give the rest a fair chance. I’m happy to say that doing so has changed my mind about these tracks.
The album starts with “Harridan”. This 8 minute song begins with a funky bass riff, similar to Primus. This style of bass playing already clashes with the soft full tone you would expect from Colin, but is more in line with Nick Beggs work on “Luminol” from Steven’s solo album The Raven That Refused to Sing. Gavin and Richard’s style are immediately evident. Gavin’s complex yet clear and precise drumming suiting the groove, and Richard’s ambient keyboard tones filling in the empty space. It is an upbeat and driving tune, with a very quick chorus. Tonal wise I loved it, but felt like it didn’t have a hook. Steven’s distorted vocals was a welcome return, and it has a wonderful soft middle section for contrast. Upon repeated listens, I realized the chorus had a better hook than I initially realized, and as an opener and reintroduction to the band, it is a definite success.
“Of the New Day” was the second single released and while it showed the ballad style that Porcupine Tree has always incorporated into their albums, having it second after such a big opener seemed like a drop in momentum. Also, the quick changing of odd time signatures seemed to make the pace more frantic, for what could have been a simple and beautiful song. The time changes become second nature with repeated listenings, and an upbeat middle section makes it so that you have already covered a lot of ground with these two tracks alone. I still would have loved to have seen a more stripped down version of this song later in the track list personally, but I can easily see it becoming a fan favorite.
“Rats Return” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. While the band has walked the line between Prog Rock and Prog Metal (starting with In Absentia in 2001), this song sees the band at their most full on Prog Metal. Starting with a riff worthy of Dream Theater or Haken, it quiets during the verse to the strange and ambient sound we know and love from Porcupine Tree, especially on the Fear of a Blank Planet album. While the riffs and dynamic transitions give the impression of complexity, the structure itself is very simple, and it includes all three members doing with they do best which is why I love it so much.
“Dignity” is kind of what I wanted “Of the New Day” to be as the second track, though it works quite well in the middle of the album as well. It is a delicate and beautiful song, that takes its time to build up, and has some wonderful harmonies, melodies, and lyrics. I especially love the classic rock riff after the chorus. It blends old and new quite well with the mellotron sound of the 60s meeting Muse like keyboard sounds in its bridge. It also has one of Steven’s best guitar solos over an electronic drum beat before returning to the song, and the huge finish at the very end is an added bonus. This song will sound massive live.
“Herd Culling” has similar issues for me as “Of the New Day”. It is a heavy track with glimpses of the last two songs of Fear of a Blank Planet, and should be on the same level as “Rats Return” for me in theory. But these two songs are some of the rare occasions where I feel like the band focused more on odd time signatures than suiting the song (something, Steven has often said is never his focus). The time signatures in my opinion make the song too frantic (something that is obviously it’s intention), but take away from the heavy riffs, throughout or the great vocal melodies in the middle of the song. Maybe it’s just my ear struggling to hear the rhythm, but as a fan of lots of complex bands and songs, these gripes are not something I expected to have on this record.
“Walk the Plank” is possibly the most straight forward song on the album, but it’s also very effective because of that. It incorporates the electronic and industrial elements of “Bonnie the Cat” and the title track off of The Incident with the funky grooves of “Eminent Sleaze” off of Steven’s most recent solo album The Future Bites. It is a great song to place on the second half of the album because it is amongst the darker and more complex tracks, but it does not lose the overall feeling of them.
“Chimera’s Wreck” is the epic closer, clocking in at 9 minutes and 40 seconds. If “Dignity” was the more uplifting counterpart of the 1960s Prog inspired songs on the album, “Chrimera’s” is the sadder and darker tune. With a Genesis like arpeggiated guitar intro and an ethereal call and response during the verses, the lyrics are amongst the saddest lyrics; a bold statement for a man who has made a career exploring that side of the spectrum. The main hook contains the lyrics, “I’m afraid to be happy and I couldn’t care less if I was to die”. This hook builds up with great bass playing and Gentle Giant like wordless vocals. This is followed by great riffing, a guitar, falsettos, and an abrupt ending.
Every song on this album has merit, and in total, it is probably the band’s most progressive AND most metal album. However, the flow of the album is not nearly is good as that of the last few releases by the band, and once it is over, you struggle to remember exactly what it is that you have listened to. Repeated listens will obviously help with this, and every song would be amazing to see live. But as a complete album, I have trouble seeing it in the same realm as Fear of a Blank Planet or even The Incident. Plus, some of the bonus tracks from the deluxe edition were great and could have helped the album with flow and pacing. And as a fan, I’m tired of dishing out $100+ for a few extra tracks that should have been on the finished product. But with all my complaints, it is wonderful to have new PT in the world, and I’m hoping it won’t be the last.
I have never written a review of an album I helped make before, but seeing that my contributions were minimal, I still feel able to write this without my personal bias getting in the way. In fact, my love for Duncan Patterson’s music is the bias we should be more worried about.
Duncan Patterson may be most famous for his early work with the band Anathema, but has artistically (I believe) chosen to remove himself from projects when they start to take a life of their own. Maybe he’s in constant search of artistic freedom. Maybe he just gets bored. Either way, Antimatter (which is now under the careful watch of Mick Moss) and Alternative 4 (the band named after the Anathema album he spearheaded) have put out their own masterpieces of goth meets doom meets classical meets movie soundtrack.
My contributions to this album were working with my drummer Fernando Guerrero and our friend Alicia Mitchell in recording background vocals to compliment the already amazing Enas Al Said (female vocals) as well as Duncan himself. We were given just the parts we needed to add, which seemed like self contained songs as they were. But hearing them in the context of the full tracks with all parts put together was a fascinating and rewarding experience.
The album itself is a short one. Just 5 tracks, a total of 34 minutes long. And the music is very easy going. It doesn’t demand much from the listener, but to get lost in its ethereal sound. “Absolut Absolutum” starts off by building up with a choir like sound for over a minute before abruptly cutting off. The main piano theme comes in, later joined by frail female vocals (Enas). About 5 minutes in, Duncan’s background vocals come in slowly and help introduce the drums, which carries the tune the rest of the way alongside Alicia’s voice, whose delicate touch sounds more like a violin. There are only 8 lines of lyrics, but Enas conveys them with emotion, and the song leaves plenty of space in between lines for the message to come across.
“The Quiet Light” is the longest track on the album, at 10 minutes. As opposed to the spacious classical feeling of the first track, this feels more like a ballad from the get go. The piano is the driving feature with sparse orchestral flourishes and Duncan vocals filling in the powerful performance by Enas. A flute like instrument carries the piece into its next section, which is a hypnotic but still ambient trip hop section. The dub style drums and repeated piano melody unexpectedly drop out for a haunting back and forth between voice, strings, keyboards, before Enas repeats the phrase “calling me home” over it. This builds until the ending of the track.
“Walking Between Worlds” might be my personal favorite off the record. This song has a strong Celtic influence, starting with the excellent drum beat and use of reverb on the drums and vocals. Enas loses a bit of her Middle Eastern tonal qualities as she instead channels her Sinead O’ Conner or Dolores from The Cranberries. The driving rhythm is broken up with a very moody back and forth between Enas and Alicia’s vocals, acting as the chorus. The flute comes back in the middle along with some drawn out chords and notes. It is a section that reminds me of old school Prog such as Genesis, Moody Blues, or Camel.
“The Amber Line” is the song that is most reminiscent to Duncan’s work in Anathema and Antimatter. A guitar driven track with a dark melody and a duo throughout from Duncan and Enas. I love how their vocals pair and build together throughout the piece. It has a stronger emphasis on the lyrics, as previous tracks had words that fluttered around. This one’s are precise and upfront. The layering and effects are fantastic, and the second half is a dark yet beautiful test of patience as the guitar melody repeats and the vocals come in and out of the track.
The last song is also the title track. “Grace Road” is a 5 minute instrumental that is a somber way to part with the record. Starting with just piano, the strings come in a minute later, and then choir like vocals after that. It continues to build in this way, sounding like something straight out of The Lord of the Rings, till it comes to its final note.
Each of these songs provides something special to the album, making the whole experience cohesive, relaxing, and introspective. It should be no surprise at this stage in his career that Duncan knows how to compose, but at this stage, he has found a wonderful balance between his family time to become self reliant, and release gorgeous pieces of music on his own, with the help of a few friends. It is a fantastic release, and I am proud to have contributed even a small amount to it. To listen, you can go to his bandcamp or message me (comment below) for free download codes!
It’s been quite a while since my last concert review, but the right show will inspire you.
Last night, accompanied by my girlfriend and my drummer, we made a last minute decision to travel down to San Diego from LA for a solo piano show from the famed keyboardist most commonly associated with his work in Dream Theater. It’s not often I have to make this journey for shows living in LA, and only have to when I can’t attend the one happening over here. Needless to say, a solo Rudess show in a small room is absolutely worth the 2+ hours, and tired legs, and we couldn’t be more happy with our decision.
I’m starting this review off differently then I normally do. I’m getting the fact that is was an absolutely incredible experience out of the way early, cause I just want to get right into how great and well put together this setlist was. It was my first time at the House of Blues in San Diego. The Voodoo Lounge is the smaller room of the venue, and it was packed with a mostly respectful crowd on a hot/muggy Saturday night. The room eventually cooled down once doors had been opened long enough, and the subtle lighting changes were simple but appropriate throughout the set.
Rudess came out at 8 o clock and started with a short improv, that he joked would be the last time anyone ever heard it again unless they recorded it, and sent it to him. This set the tone for a night of masterful piano playing, and a light atmosphere of storytelling and laughs. Having seen Rudess from afar at a half dozen Dream Theater shows, it was a privilege to be so close to his fingers, as the ease-fully made their way across the keys. Dependent on the piece, he was either focused on the transcriptions, or smiling at the chord, engaging them to enjoy it even more.
The first real song was a new ballad called “Twilight Rain”, which provided some beauty, before showing his classical chops with a Bach piece, complete with harpsichord tones. He then played “Biaxident”, one of my favorite Liquid Tension Experiment songs. By the time he did his first 70s Prog rock cover, the set had already gone through multiple styles, piano tones, and artists.
The classic Prog covers of the set was something otherworldly. Starting with a beautiful rendition of “Space Oddity” by David Bowie, he then moved on to mimick the 12 string guitars for his cover of “Entangled” by Genesis. He had a full choir behind him in his rendition of “The Court of the Crimson King”. He had the classic organ tone for brief cover of “And You And I” by Yes.
He also played an incredible rendition of “Key to the Imagination” off of the new Liquid Tension Experiment album, which is a technical piece as it is, let alone the face that he arranged it all on piano, playing parts done by guitarist John Petrucci on the album. This and “Interstices” off of his “Feeding the Wheel” album showcased his ability to move through rock, jazz, classical, metal, through dissonant lines, and Gershwin like melodies.
The middle of the set was taken up by him soloing on Geo Synth/Geo Shred app that he created. Playing on a tablet, he did synth solos, piano solos, and blues solos that made you think he was playing a real slide guitar. He even at one point played the solo using his nose, as if this show needed to get anymore ridiculous.
Towards the end, he finally gave the Dream Theater fans in the crowd a little something special with renditions if “Hollow Years” and “The Dance of Eternity”, not only showcasing his diversity, but the diversity of Dream Theater, going from a beautiful ballad to the technical aspects and ridiculous time signature changes.
And if all this wasn’t enough, he came back out for an encore of “Even Less”, a Porcupine Tree cover that he covered with Steven Wilson when opening for Blackfield many years ago. He then finished the show with a genre breaking rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” that closed with the exclamation point of an ending that is the last part of “When the Water Breaks” by Liquid Tension Experiment. He emerged from his piano, with the crowd bursting into applause, and went to the merch booth for meet and greets, signing whatever the fans brought up to him.
Aside from his obvious chops on piano, the story telling aspect and balance of the setlist is what really made the show. From anecdotes of starting to learn piano, to playing for David Bowie, to his times at Juilliard, to getting Prog albums from friends, it was very intimate, very honest and very genuine. It was for fans of music, and for Jordan to have fun with his fans after all the world has been through in the past almost two years with COVID and politics. He payed tribute to the greats, dug out songs that haven’t been heard in a while, and did some fan favorites. In turn, it was very well received, and everyone looked like they had been musically cleansed by the end of the night.
This mini tour was greatly appreciated, and to Jordan and his wife who manned the merch booth, thank you so much for sharing your gift, and keeping great music alive.
Setlist
Piano Improvisation
Twilight Rain
Partita No. 5 in G major (Bach)
Biaxident (Liquid Tension Experiment)
Space Oddity (David Bowie Cover)
Entangled (Genesis Cover)
Moonchild (King Crimson Cover)
The Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson Cover)
Key to the Imagination (Liquid Tension Experiment)
It’s no surprise Steven Wilson is my favorite musician. His songwriting and his diversity has been influential on my own band, and I make it a point to see him each time he comes around because of how unique his live shows are.
His albums take a life of their own. They have their own style, concept, and imagery. From the drone inspired Insurgentes, to the jazz tinges of Grace For Drowning, the classic Prog of The Raven that Refused to Sing, to the dark modern Prog of Hand.Cannot.Erase, and the 80s pop inspired To the Bone, he had already shown us an interest in electronic music. It had been scattered throughout. So the next logical step was to bring it to the forefront. An album about modern life. An album about consumerism. And just the packaging to showcase it.
With its blank white style, and “item number” for random assortments of useful and not so useful things to buy, it could be seen on the standard edition, singles, deluxe edition box set, even a special one of a kind box set with a price tag of £10,000. It was on the websites, the music videos. This blank “future” (or present), was everywhere, staring us in the face whether we wanted it or not.
Musically, the album has been divisive, which is probably why it’s taken me so long to write this review. I wanted to approach it unbiased, but with so much build up, it was hard to become unbiased. Maybe it would have been easier if the album hadn’t been so delayed by the COVID 19 Pandemic. But that also shaped the album by giving Steven more time to change track orders and work on bonus songs.
So here is my take:
Part of what made this album so hard to review was the fact that most of it was already released by the time it came out. With each single, the songs had their lovers and haters. I didn’t want to get lost in this because it always makes a difference hearing it by itself versus in the track order. All we hadn’t heard was the “intro”, and the last two songs (“Self” was also released before my copy finally arrived).
The album begins with “Unself”, a simple melody and chord progression over an electronic drum beat. It’s good enough to be an intro, but my issue is that it doesn’t flow well into “Self”. Even a better transition would have made this combo of songs absolutely crushing.
“Self” is a great first song. it introduces the style of the album perfectly. The electronic style mixed with 80s pop. Female background vocals come in on the chorus and lower vocal octaves come in on the verses. The song is enhanced by its appropriate and memorable music video, something that could also be said for “King Ghost” and “Personal Shopper”.
Speaking of “King Ghost”, it’s a great follow up to add contrast with its ethereal style. It moves away from the funky Prince style of the first song to a more trip hop style, reminiscent of Massive Attack. Steven’s falsettos may be a turn off to some people, but it’s a great song that feels just a touch too short.
Up next is “12 Things I Forgot”, which is one of my favorite songs on the album, but is kind of an awkward song after the ambience of “King Ghost”. It os a poppy song that reminds Steven fans of his work with Blackfield. Great sound, catchy chorus, and a nice guitar tone at the end that could have become a full fledged solo (however Steven seems to be taking a page out of Aviv’s book and is going for the least amount of deviation as possible).
After this one step away, it goes right back to the darker and funkier tone of “Eminent Sleaze”. This one caused controversy when it was released as a single. It has a similar combinations of sounds as “Self”, but more focus on groove rather than the driving electronics. There’s some Pink Floyd in the guitars and keyboards, but it’s the lyrics that seem to turn people off. However, it’s a fun song to sing along with and I can imagine people dancing to it live.
This leads us to the first single, “Personal Shopper“, the longest song on the album. It’s got a Nine Inch Nails feel, combining dark EDM (electronic dance music) with ambience, the female backing vocals, falsettos, and a heavier feel than most of the album. It also has a middle section with Sir Elton John naming off products to buy. As a single, this middle section was unnecessary, but in the middle of the album, it helps get the point across and provides some much needed downtime in an album that mostly just flies by.
The last two songs on the album are ones that are ok, but not strong enough to send the album off on. “Follower” is a driving rock song with a repeated hook, that just doesn’t do much for me. It’s upbeat and sounds cool, but would have done better to build up the album before all the great songs that came before it. And “Count of Unease” sounds like Steven’s most uninspired ballad. No strong hook, no big finish. Final ballads are usually his specialty, but it feels so out of place at the end, and you wish there was a “Happy Returns” you could leave off with.
This would be the end of the normal review, but I quickly want to grow through all the leftover songs that appear on other formats.
On the Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set:
CD:
1. “Personal Shopper (Extended)” – an almost 20 minute version of the song to get lost in. Complete with Elton’s part done twice.
2. “Unself (Long Version)” – honestly doesn’t add much, but probably would have been a better build up/transition to the album.
3. “Ha Bloody Ha” – feels more like older Steven Wilson music, and definitely would have been out of place on this album.
4. “Move Like a Fever” – maybe my favorite song to have gotten left off. Dark, danceable, and has really cool sequencing. Hypnotic and memorable. Could have replaced “Follower”.
5. “King Ghost (Extended)” – Steven heard my request and made a longer, more chill version of this already great ambient song.
6. “I Am Cliche” – lives up to its name as the most generic sounding song thus far. A beat that sounds like it could have been for “Eminent Sleaze”, lack of catchy chorus, and a guitar riff that is ok, but I can see why it was left off of the main disc.
7. “Wave the White Flag” – this feels like what “King Ghost” could have been. Lots of similarities, but instead it’s done in that late 90s/early 2000s Porcupine Tree style when Radiohead was a big influence on Steven. Great track.
8. “Eminent Sleaze (Extended)” – another extended dance version like the other two we’ve had on this disc for far. The track takes its time to build on itself and contains all your favorite parts from the original.
9. “In Pieces” – A dark but driving track that has a lot of Depeche Mode influence. Interesting melodies, keyboard arpeggios, and murky guitar tones.
10. “Every Kingdom Falls” – In my opinion, would have been the better closing ballad instead of “Count of Unease”. Darker and sadder, and has that strong Tom Yorke feel. Also shorter and more to the point.
Cassette Tape:
1. “Anyone But Me (Demo)” – A Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra-ish pop song with backing vocals and harmonies, and a familiar chord progression that we’ve heard in countless songs, but all of the familiarity helps the point of the song and drives it’s lyrics and catchy chorus home. Supposedly, the official version will get released in its own format, maybe as a tour only edition.
On the Eminent Sleaze Single (Released on CD and Vinyl)
1. “Eyewitness” – Another track that could have replaced “Follower” in my opinion. 80s dance beats mixed with Tangerine Dream keyboard sounds and backup female vocals.
2. “In Floral Green” (Lonely Robot Cover) – an excellent cover of a very Steven Wilson like song. A spacey ballad by John Mitchell, also known from the bands Frost*, Kino, Arena, and It Bites.
From the 12 Things I Forgot Single (released as a vinyl only)
1. “Move Like a Fever (Alternate Version) ” – an extended version (2 minutes longer) of the already great song that can be found on the bonus disc of the album. The definitive version of the song in my opinion.
2. “King Ghost (Tangerine Dream Remix)”- If you thought the song was ambient to start with, this is an extended version by one of the great ambient artists of all time. Exactly what any fan of both artists could want!
Released on the Ultra Deluxe Version of the album, limited to just one copy.
1. “The Tastemaker” – released as a one sided 7” single, and graciously shared by its owner who also made a video to it. It’s a quick and easy song that expands on the sound and lyrics of “Eminent Sleaze”, without as many falsettos. Not worth £10,000 in my opinion (I’m joking of course, as I know the boxset came with way more than just this one song), but we are very fortunate that it fell in the hands of someone who actually released it to the public. Cheers to you Alan!
And that’s my review. It may not be close to being my favorite Steven Wilson album, but it provides many great songs that will fit well into his already amazing live shows, and the bonus material provided us with a wealth of material, so it’s not just the quick 40 minute album that we look to. I definitely would not want Steven to stick to a specific sound. The beauty has always been watching him try his hand at everything. I’m sure if the next one sounds very different, it would silence the haters of this one. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.
The thrilling conclusion to the my last post. As stated in my previous entry (I suggest reading that one before reading this one), I have taken liberty with some terms, and essentially combined what some would call Neo-Prog (new bands influenced by 70s Prog) and Post-Prog (bands inspired by other styles that have progressive tendencies) together to make a more cohesive list.
Aside from that, Nothing else new needs to be said so let’s get right to it! Starting at #9!
9. Riverside – Second Life Syndrome
Riverside are Poland’s greatest progressive export, and picking an album by the was actually even harder than picking one by The Flower Kings. I love every album by these guys equally. Every album so far has shown a different side of this multi-faced band. So I tried going with the one that I felt covered all the bases, while still demonstrating the Riverside sound.
Their debut Out of Myself shows the boys at their most Pink Floyd with a soft and delicate sound on most tracks. Rapid Eye Movement introduced a dark electronic sound. Anno Domino High Definition was their most compact and frantically paced, while Shrine of New Generation Slaves was their most organically classic rock. And Love, Fear, and The Time Machine is probably their best choice as most balanced.
But Second Life Syndrome will always be the essential Riverside album in my mind. Taking the ambience from their debut and adding in inspirations from Tool and Dream Theater, this album is a monster of a listen. From the iconic intro (“After”) into an all out showcase of what this band is capable of (“Volte-Face”) and then bringing it down with a beautiful ballad like “Conceiving You”, they are only mentally preparing you for the 15+ minute masterpiece that is the title track. Divided into three parts, it is everything you love about the band: relatable lyrics, aggression, emotional soft spots, and an experimental jam session.
The second half is equally impressive with another ballad (“I Turned You Down”), a progressive instrumental (“Reality Dream III”), another epic track (“Dance with the Shadow”), and the fragile but intense outro “Before”. You can’t go wrong with this insanely talented band, but I always return to this one as my personal favorite by them.
8. Neal Morse – Sola Scriptura
I already made the Genesis connection with my Spock’s Beard review in part 1 of this list. But I’ll reiterate it here. When Neal Morse left the band, they got drummer Nick to replace him on vocals. And Neal’s solo career has done as well as “The Beard” as they’ve continued on their way, like Peter Gabriel’s did. The big difference is obviously that Neal’s solo career incorporates Christian Rock, after finding Jesus, detailed on his Testimony albums. And Neal has balanced his time between Christian solo albums, and Prog solo albums, among other projects.
I know many people who get turned off by the Christian aspect, but they are missing out on some really great music. And it doesn’t get better than his concept album about the life of Martin Luther. This 4 song album contains three epics (2 of them passing the 20 minute mark) and one lone ballad. Fans of Neal’s work won’t be surprised by either. He is a master of multi-part epics with all his projects (“So Many Roads” from Lifeline and “World Without End” from Momentum almost helped pushed their respective albums on this list alone!), and his albums usually contain at least one orchestral/emotional ballad to provide a breath between all the prog.
This particular albums contains some of the heaviest riffs and moments that Neal has ever been a part of, as well as some of the most incredible melodic and simultaneously technical musicianship that you will ever come across. This is thanks to an all star cast consisting of Randy George on bass, Mike Portnoy on drums, and Paul Gilbert on occasional guitar solos. Everyone gets their moment to shine. Neal gets his keyboard and piano solos, Randy has his aptly titled “jam”, and Paul’s three sections are among the highlights.
To try breaking down each section would be too long. This album is full of memorable melodies, brilliant transitions, and some of the best performances these musicians have ever put to record (and with their extensive individual histories, that’s saying something!). I invite you to get past the lyrics if Christianity or talk of God is not your thing, because the musicianship will astound you, and Neal’s sense of composition will leave you all feeling warm inside. From the overture to the last lines of the album, this album is perfection.
7. Frost* – Milliontown
How do I follow up such bold allegations on my last review? With the brilliant debut of one of the most under-appreciated bands on this list. That being said, this band might have the most to do (besides Marillion) with the actual definition of Neo-Prog, since many of the people who have played in it have also been members of Arena, IQ, It Bites, and Pendragon. So how did Frost* come to be?
It was formed by Jem Godfrey who is more known as a producer responsible for many British #1 hits such as “Whole Again” by Atomic Kitten. But Jem showed his own chops when Frost* released this album in 2006. Frost* has changed lineups, broken up, reformed, and changed sounds on each of their albums, and while their second one Experiments in Mass Appeal might actually be my personal favorite by them (I tend to flip flop back and forth), I can’t deny the mastery of the album that started it all.
It all starts with “Hyperventilate”, a 7 and a half minute jam session with equal parts of melodies and technicality. “No Me No You” starts off almost sounding punk before going into an explosive chorus. “Snowman” is a ballad that shows that what makes this album so brilliant is the production. The songs would sound simple if it wasn’t the ever present electronic elements filling up the empty space. And the tones Jem gets out of his keyboard are unreal.
The other brilliant trick is going back and forth between John’s warm vocals and Jem’s sharp ones. “The Other Me” picks it up again, starting with some interesting blues slides. “Black Light Machine” is a masterpiece, with one of the greatest guitar solos of all time (easily a top 10 for me) and its unique multi-part structure is a roller coaster of emotions. But it all leads up to the 26 and a half minute title track, that starts with a perfect movie soundclip to set the stage, and goes through a serious of memorable sections that rivals any of Neal Morse’s 20+ minute epics. Not bad for a band’s debut album!
6. Transatlantic – The Whirlwind
What is the formula for an album to beat some of the already incredible albums on this list? Easy. You make a supergroup featuring 4 band members that have already been on this list, with other bands of course. Transatlantic is the incredible combination of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Pete Trewavas from Marillion and Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings. This is their third album, and honestly, their 2nd one, Bridge Across Forever could have easily been its place. That album is structure very similar to Sola Scriptura. 4 songs, 3 epics (2 over 20 minutes), repeated themes and motifs throughout, and the lone orchestral ballad. So, why did I choose this one?
The Whirlwind is something all its own. This 77+ minute epic song is split up into 12 parts, each of them memorable on their own, but of course this album is accomplished off of the sum of all its parts rather anything individually. Every member of this band is familiar with concept albums, and every member is familiar with “suite” composition. So it’s no surprise how well all the parts fit together.
From the “Overture” and the uplifting “Whirlwind”, to the gorgeous “The Wind Blew Them All Away”. Through the jam session of “On the Prowl”, the Flower Kings sounding “A Man Can Feel”, and the Spock’s Beard sounding “Rose Covered Glasses”. And onwards through the dark and emotional “Is it Really Happening?” to the grand finale of “Dancing with Eternal Glory” and the “Whirlwind Reprise”. It is an absolute ride.
It is a band that utilizes all the strengths of all the members. All 4 provide vocals at different times. Mike’s drums sound organic and full. Roine and Neal fully take command with their alternating vocal styles as well as their well thought out guitar and keyboard solos. And Pete always knows when to shine through, either with his warm vocal tone or standout bass tone. And for those of us in the year 2020, it seems like they will be revisiting this album’s style and structure on their next album in 2021, so be on the lookout for that!
5. Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning
Where do I start with summarizing my love for all things Steven Wilson? Most known for his work in Porcupine Tree, Steven has had a career some of us can only dream about. Between No-Man, Blackfield, Bass Communion, Continuum, IEM, Storm Corrosion, and his solo career (not to mention his guest appearance amd wonderful remixes of classic albums), he has had the ability to work with some of the greatest musicians on the planet, experiment, and satisfy all his creative desires in regards to different styles of music. From prog, to pop, to drone, he has done it all. And while his fans cry for the return of Porcupine Tree, his solo albums have pushed him into uncharted territory.
I struggled between this and Hand.Cannot.Erase, which would probably be the fan favorite. And why not? It was a brilliant concept album inspired by a documentary of a true story and contains some of the most exciting moments he’s ever done. However, Grace for Drowning is still my personal favorite, so I’m going for it.
The beauty of this album is that it is 2 albums, both around 40 minutes each. Steven listened to his own advice and didn’t make an album of emotional depth too long. Instead, he split up the songs, creating two well-crafted albums, each with their own unique flow. They both start with contrasting instrumental build ups (the gorgeous and lush title track and the haunting “Bella de Jour”, named after one of my favorite movies).
“Sectarian” is a dark and heavy jam session, showing off the chops of the incredibly talented musicians. I forgot to mention that Steven has quite the group of guys backing him up on these discs (Jordan Rudess on keys, Theo Travis on flute and sax, Tony Levin AND Nick Beggs on bass, Steve Hackett from Genesis, Trey Gunn AND Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson, as well as others). Each album has its own gorgeous title track (“Deform to Form a Star” and “Like Dust I Have Cleared From Eyes”), which are the first song with lyrics and the last song on the last album, respectively.
“No Part of Me” is an electronic based song with a dark and heavy second half. Similarly, “Track One” is an acoustic piece with a surprising dark ambient second half. “Postcard” is the typical gorgeous but sad Steven ballad. But it is the darkest moments that really set this album apart: The uncomfortable industrial sounding “Index”, the hypnotic dark jazz “Remainder the Black Dog” and the centerpiece, the 23+ minute “Raider II” about the BTK killer. Steven brilliant introduces the motif on disc 1 with its 2 minute prelude, which simultaneously acts as a break for that album. But when it comes back, it’s a full force song of heavy riffs, flute solos, anxiety raising quiet moments, and quite possibly Steven’s heaviest vocal delivery (aside from Porcupine Tree’s “Futile”).
If you haven’t heard this one in a while, it demands another spin. I guarantee, you’ve forgotten how good this one is.
4. Anathema – Weather Systems
I think the greatest irony of this album being so high is that Anathema has never considered themselves Prog. In fact, aside from Pink Floyd, the members admit to never growing up with bands like Rush or King Crimson. And yet, they constructed an album that is so perfectly a Prog-like concept album, that it became one of my top 2 favorite albums of all time. If I had to do “desert island pick”, BTBAM Colors would be my heavy pick and this would be my soft pick. Unfortunately, I had to leave behind my personal bias, and rate this fairly.
Anathema started out as a death/doom metal band, and over the years slowly transitioned from goth, to alternative rock, to this gorgeous blend of orchestral rock. Having more in common with Coldplay and Radiohead than Jethro Tull and Genesis, they released a string of albums from 2010 to 2014 that in my opinion is hard to beat. And while We’re Here Because We’re Here and Distant Satellites are just hairs below in my opinion, this album has a beauty that is just unmatched.
The overall theme simultaneously compares the the loss of a loved one with the changing of the seasons. Comparing the powerful emotions felt between two connected human being with the powerful effects of Mother Nature conjures up a ton of beautiful imagery. And the music and the lyrics work hand in hand to compliment the touchings of such a heartfelt subject. It starts with the two part “Untouchable”, in a brilliant format that they recreated on their next album with “The Lost Song”. Starting off with an in your face acoustic melody, it is a string of upbeat emotional melodies building up to a climax. When the song drops, part two comes in, and a ballad version based on the melody and lyrics is sung, first by Daniel (male) and then by Lee (female). This call and response is like a communication with the other side.
“The Gathering of Clouds” returns to the fast paced, almost frantic acoustic style and the transition into “Lightning Song” is genius. This song showcases Lee’s ethereal vocal style with some of the best harmonies and a huge ending. “Sunlight” brings it down for a bit, but the incredible balance of post rock, indie, hard rock, and folk keeps you on your toes. “The Storm Before the Calm” breaks all that with a dark turn from left field, with its hypnotic electronic element.
“The Beginning and the End” and “The Lost Child” counter all the brightness of the early songs, almost like the winter of the album. It shows their goth influence but in a more mature way than that of their early albums. They’ve got beauty, restraint, and a blistering guitar solo by Danny in the former, while the latter ends with some vocals in the stratosphere. This all leads to one of the best ending songs I can think of.
“Internal Landscapes” starts with a soundclip of a man recounting his “near death experience” before the band comes in and ties the album all together with its final lyrics, “I was always there, and I will always be there”, sending you off with a feeling of peace and hope. All in all, one of the most emotional experiences and one of the best ways to spend 55 minutes of your life.
3. The Mars Volta – Francis the Mute
One of the more well known bands on this list, The Mars Volto broke through the mainstream despite their eclectic and experimental sound. One of two bands formed from post-hardcore band At The Drive In, this new project allowed the band to branch out into more progressive territories. They famously stated wanting their debut to sound like Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and while that’s not the album that comes to my mind, an hour long concept album was not a bad start for them!
Utilizing the incredible flow of the first album, they tried a different approach with their second album, and this is where they really shined. Frances the Mute at heart is a 5 song album, though the title track did get left off and the last song was split up on CD and Digital versions. But this album’s structure has always reminded me of another classic Prog record: In the Court of the Crimson King. So if you’ll indulge me, let me explain.
Frances the Mute starts with a bang. After lulling you in, it surprises you with its blend of jazz, hard rock, avant-garde, and Prog. It alternates between English and Spanish lyrics and has some of the most unique dynamic transitions of any album on this list. There are long ambient transitions between each song, including analog style tape warping and loops. If “Cygnus” is this album’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” with its heavy jazz, then it brings things down with its 2nd track ballad “The Widow”.
And while it may sound nothing like “I Talk to the Wind”, it creates the same effect. At heart, “The Widow” is an ambient blues jam, with a ripping solo to prove it. Things pick back up with “L’Via”, a heavy but catchy song with Latin rhythms and a haunting soft section. And again, has nothing remotely to do with King Crimson’s masterpiece “Epitaph”, they both have that middle album boost, because track 4 in both cases, are where things get really similar.
“Moonchild” and “Miranda” both start off with few quiet lyrics before extended tinkering sessions, or in Volta’s case, their attempt at a Spaghetti Western. In both cases, an unexpected hit signifies the fifth in final track; in Crimson’s case, the epic title track, and in Volta’s case, the 33 minute “Cassandra”. Cassandra might not be the band’s signature song, but it is epic beyond all belief. Flute and saxophone solos that would make Crimson happy, multi-part sections, and a fusion of genres inspired by albums like Bitches Brew by Miles Davis.
The point of this comparison is not to show that they cheated. It’s to show that despite mainstream success, The Volta’s forward thinking approach and unique combination of sounds ties everything together, just like it did when Crimson came out with their groundbreaking approach in the late 60s. This is a monster of an album and deserves to be on a list alongside more “traditional” Prog bands like Marillion. Not to mention it has Flea from the Chili Peppers playing trumpet, John Frusciante on two guitar solos, and cover art by the late great Storm Thergerson. What more do you want?!
2. Radiohead – Ok Computer
If you were to look at the song lengths of this next album alone, you’d think I was crazy for putting this so high on a Prog list. But there’s just no denying the importance of OkComputer. Radiohead is without a doubt the most well known band on this list, but have always tried to find a way to push or reinvent themselves with every release. When this album came out in 1997, grunge and Brit pop were all the rage. And while this album has elements of both, it’s progressive tendencies introduced a whole new generation of music listeners to forward thinking styles of music.
Referred to as “The Dark Side of the Moon of the 90s”, it really does feel like a revamped version of the themes tackled on that classic album. To all the things that already made us go crazy (war, time, money, literal mental illness), we could now add the growing developments of computers and the foundations of cyber wars, fear of micro-chips, chat rooms and eventual social media groundwork, as well as substance abuse of any kind of mind altering narcotic, and so much more. And the music pushed all this.
Between Thom York’s slightly off, but also hypnotic vocals and the wide range of guitar tones and production techniques, the band was in the perfect balance between their early guitar-driven rock and their later experimental/electronic phase. Starting off with “Airbag”, drawing you in gently with a slightly upbeat rhythm the way “Planet Telex” did on their previous release, it is an introduction to the kinds of weird tones and unique melodies that you’re in for. But that all changes with “Paranoid Android”.
Possibly one of the greatest songs of all time, it is a dark, nihilistic journey through 3 distinct sections with some of the best transitions I’ve ever heard in my life. Think of it as a grunge “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Not operatic, but just as exciting. “Subterranean Homesick Alien”, a play on a Bob Dylan song name, is an ethereal tune with some of nicest use of octaves on a guitar (alongside “Killing in the Name of” by RATM). “Exit Music (For a Film)” is one of the saddest sounding songs I can think of, which is unusual placement before the catchy “Let Down”, but somehow works.
“Karma Police” is a classic everyone has probably heard with a chord progression straight from “Sexy Sadie” by The Beatles. Next is a brief interlude spoken by “Microsoft Fred” (Im dating myself by remembering this) before picking up with “Electioneering”, the most rocking song on the album. “Climbing Up the Ways” is a “wall of sound” style song with elements of drone, trip hop, dub, and punk. “No Surprises” is a ballad that plays around with pop music of the 50s and 60s, conjuring up the “white picket fence American dream”.
“Lucky” is another dark ballad, with beautiful use of Mellotron sounding choirs, tremolo, slide guitar, and a soaring solo, and in that sense, probably has the most to do with Prog aside from “Paranoid Android”. It all ends with “The Tourist”, which has a slight jazz feel to it. Like the lyrics, everything “slows down” and gently lulls the listener to a full and complete stop before it is ok to take off their seatbelts or lap bar restraint. And though the songs aren’t your traditional “prog songs” it’s hard to deny the diversity and thought process involved.
With influences ranging from Bitches Brew by Miles Davis, to Elvis Costello, to REM, to PJ Harvey, to CAN, The Beach Boys, even Ennio Morricone, Radiohead (as Steven Wilson once described) “snuck up” on music journalists with ambitious albums that proved that concept albums could be cool again. And if it wasn’t for Ok Computer, we probably wouldn’t have had this next one…
1. Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet
I tried to balance this list with influence, mainstream appeal, ambition, uniqueness, as well as personal bias. That being said, there was no way this wasn’t going to be #1. One of my top 5 favorite albums of all time, and Steven Wilson’s second appearance on this list. If Ok Computer was Dark Side of the 90s, here’s Ok Computer of the 2000s.
By 2007, Porcupine Tree had already released a string of great albums and were getting more and more popular with every tour. What once was a joke side project for Steven while he worked in No-Man had now become his main focus. In Absentia and Deadwing were already being viewed as modern classics and were going to be hard to top. But while both of those albums balanced the pop aspects with their new found appreciation for heavy metal (courtesy of working with Opeth and the discovery of Meshuggah), Fear of a Blank Planet (a nod to the famous album by Public Enemy) pushed them into darker territories.
Fear of a Blank Planet is a concept album based on the book Lunar Park by author Bret Easton Ellis (famous for Less Than Zero and American Psycho). It’s lyrics describe a lost generation stumbling around malls with no real direction in life. Self medicating with prescription pills or other forms of drugs, as well as alcohol and sex just to pass the time. It is a dark and nihilistic look at growing problems with a generation raised on social media and only knows of what they are shown. In other words, the album does justice to the Bret Easton Ellis writing style.
The 6 song album is paced beautifully, taking hints from the Court of the Crimson King structure I mentioned above. The first song is the title track, which might be the most punk rock sounding song the band has ever done. Aggressive guitar playing, in your face lyrics, a Robert Fripp style guitar solo, Gavin’s incredible drum fills scattered throughout, and Colin’s bass and Richard’s keys filling in all the empty space gracefully.
The second song is a simple ambient ballad called “My Ashes” providing breathing room between the monster third track “Anesthetize”. This three part song is “Paranoid Android” on steroids. They both start with mid tempo sections and unusual chord progressions, the middle section is by far the heaviest, with some truly crushing riffs seemingly coming out of nowhere, and the last section is the soft reflective moment.
“Sentimental” was originally going to be another multi-part song before being cut down to a second ballad to provide more rest before the last two songs. It is among the catchiest Porcupine Tree choruses. “Way Out of Here” starts out soft before blasting with a string chorus. impressive middle section, and another fantastic guitar solo. And “Sleep Together” is one of the darkest songs by the band, with its unusual sounds, Middle Eastern and Indian influence, and climatic buildup towards the end. A fitting finale.
I’m tempted to break it down more and talk about every little thing I love on it, but it is best experienced as a whole. It perfectly encompasses the pop sensibilities of bands like Coheed, Dear Hunter, Radiohead, and Mars Volta, while equally paying tribute to the Prog that has come before it. Influenced from 70s bands like King Crimson, Rush, and Pink Floyd, while balancing modern influences like Tool and Nine Inch Nails, and even incorporating electronic and industrial music like Tangerine Dream and Massive Attack. It is one of the most perfectly balanced albums I can think of.
Well, it looked like my last list caused a bit of controversy but also was helpful to a few people. So I’ve decided to speed up the process for my next list. The difference between Prog Metal and Neo-Prog Rock is essentially that while Prog Metal (as the name would suggest) is a combination of the progressive genre with heavy metal (that started with Dream Theater, Queensryche, and Fates Warning but has grown substantially from there), neo-Prog is essentially a resurgence of the classic 70s Prog sound of Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and many others.
Neo-Prog started in the 80s with Marillion, and still continues to this day. I must admit (at the risk of losing my credibility) that I did not include albums from a lot of other founding neo-Prog bands, because they didn’t have the same widespread influence, so let me give them a shoutout right now (I’m so sorry Jadis, Pallas, IQ, Arena, Pendragon, Twelfth Night, and a few others. You all deserve better). The reason I choose to specifically focus on Neo-Prog is because…
Well… frankly…. the progressive genre has expanded so much that there are so many different kinds of Prog these days. Bands that have very different approaches and inspirations are all kind of lumped together, from Muse to Opeth, from Mastodon to King’s X, to Karnivool and Periphery, Prog has become kind of blurred. And that’s not a problem for people who are now learning of new bands that way. But for a reviewer making a list, I strictly want to focus on bands that created albums that have a very direct link to the 1970s classic Prog sound.
Now many of these bands may still have their own approach, and may have included techniques or styles that would never have happened in the 70s or appeared on a 70s album, but that’s ok. as long as the link is direct and make sense, I’ll allow it.
Also, I’ve decided to split this up into two parts because of how long the last list came out to be. So here we go! Here’s my list of the 18 essential Neo-Prog Rock albums!
18. Dredg – El Cielo
Dredg had one of the more interesting string of albums to look at (5 from 1998 to 2011). What makes them so interesting is how much they changed from album to album while still retaining the band’s character. From the harsh heavy sound of their debut, Leitmotif (which looking back isn’t too far off from that of their good friends Deftones), to the alternative rock on Catch Without Arms, to the electronic pop sound on their final album Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy.
But it was their 2nd album El Cielo that is considered a crowning achievement. A concept album about dreams and sleep paralysis, it is inspired by one of Salvador Dali’s most famous paintings. It is a diverse album with unique transitions (done mostly by a series of interludes). It ranges from pop, hard rock, and post rock influences, but is always focused. From the catchiness of “Same ol’ Road” and “Sanzen”, to darkness of “I’m Sorry But it’s Over”, and ends on the glorious high note of “Whoa is Me” and “The Canyon Behind Her”. It starts off strong, ends strong, and takes you through many wonderful places throughout.
17. The Dear Hunter – Act II: The Meaning of, and All things Regarding Ms. Leading
We continue this list with a band who is more likely to be called indie rather than prog, but that doesn’t take away from the truly progressive things that these guys are doing. Multi-album concept albums based on a story that the singer created, 9 EPs with 4 songs each based off of moods and feelings associated with each color in the color spectrum, live transitions/jam sessions between songs that would make any band jealous, and a lack of fear when it comes to attempting/incorporating new styles of genres into their already diverse sound.
Act II is the 2nd in a 5 album concept cycle. Musically and lyrically picking up where the first part left off, we follow a boy who travels to the city after the death of his mother. There he falls in love with a prostitute and encounters heartbreak, one of many tragic events in this characters life. The band compliment with hard rocking tunes like “The Procession” “The Church and the Di’e”and “Dear Ms. Leading”, vaudeville style songs like “The Oracles on the Delphi Express” and “Vital Vessels Vindicate”, progressive moments (“The Lake and the River” and “The Bitter Suite”), ballads (“”Evicted”, “Where the Road Parts”, “Black Sandy Beaches”, “Red Hands”), and even upbeat pop tunes like “Smiling Swine”.
It is a phenomenal record, worth every second of every listen, and blends genres like folk, rock, blues, and jazz like it’s nobody’s business. The lyrics are emotional and require multiple spin to full digest.
16. Coheed and Cambria – In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Like The Dear Hunter, Coheed is probably more well known as an indie or “emo” rock band due to the pop punk aspects of their first album. And while those aspects are still a part of the band to this day, they have more than proven their Prog credentials.
This second release (and continuation of their “Amory Wars” saga) by the band not only shows improved songwriting and production, but also longer songs, and concepts within concepts. Starting with the epic battle cry that is the title track, we are treated to a few shorter tracks ranging from upbeat happy tunes, to darker songs with great dynamics and transitions like “The Crowning”. And aside from the well-known hit single “A Favor House Atlantic”, the second half sees the band channeling the attitude of bands like Rush.
From “The Camper Velourium” Trilogy which gets darker and angrier with each song, to the two 9+ minute epics “The Light and the Glass” and “21:13”, the band shows their knack for melodies, harmonies, instrumental moments, riff-writing, chord progressions, and tie-ing stories together by bringing back motifs from earlier songs.
15. 3 – The Ghost You Gave to Me
Poor 3. This band has never been given the recognition they deserve. Perhaps they were cursed with the hardest band name to “google”. But anyone who’s seen them live knows that they are a talented group of musicians, who interestingly blend funk, flamenco, hard rock, and space rock, all in a tight package that sounds like no other band.
Going into this list, I thought I was going to put their 2007 release The End is Begun. That or 2004’s Wake Pig perfectly showcase the balance between the band’s early sound and their later darker and heavier style as well. But their most recent release (which is now 9 years old) is the most focused released in terms of their Prog side. With a string of catchy hard rock tunes, they showcase their odd times and syncopation. But the real champions of the album are “One With the Sun”, “It’s Alive”, and “Only Child”, which showcase the band’s transitions, bright and ambient tones, build ups, and songwriting.
Plus, ending with the brilliant all-encompassing lyrical ballad of “The Barrier” really brings the album closure, as it almost acts as a recap of everything the band had done so far. The world needs more 3!
14. The Flower Kings – The Sum of No Evil
Going into this list, I knew this was going to be one of the most challenging tasks: picking a single album by The Flower Kings. These prog masters not only have an extensive catalog, but consistent as well. Known for long albums, double albums (Paradox Hotel, Unfold the Future, Stardust We Are), albums that flow through like 1 long song (Flower Power, Space Revolver) it is impossible to pick an essential album by the band.
So out of pure bias, this one has always stood out in my mind as my personal favorite. The problem with most albums by the band is that with so much material and lots of short interludes, their albums can sometimes feel overbearing and all over the place. In my opinion, this is the band at their most focused. No filler. Just 6 great songs.
With only one song written by Thomas Bodin and the rest written by frontman Roine Stolt, it doesn’t have as much diversity as some of their albums do, but it is no slouch. The album is full of beauty, melody, technicality, musicianship, moments of flash, moments of much needed rest, and hints of the darker tone the band started using. This is one of the best starting points for a new fan and is still a fan favorite as well.
13. Beardfish – Destined Solitaire / Mammoth
Since this is unlucky #13, I’m gonna go ahead and cheat on this one. Actually it has nothing to do with the number and everything to do with the fact that I literally can’t pick a winner between this two. It’s not that these are the most perfect albums ever, but they are so equally matched together that it would be a great injustice to separate them. These two albums represent the band’s transition from their sprawling double albums to the dark and heavy albums they ended their career with.
Beardfish are a Swedish progressive rock band with traces of everything 70s. From Genesis and Zeppelin, to Deep Purple and Frank Zappa. Perfectly blending the hard rock elements with the quirkiness and technicality of their heroes, they reached acclaim with Sleeping in Traffic Part 1 and 2.
Both albums start with strong progressive instrumentals, “Awaken the Sleeping” harkens back to Gentle Giant and Focus, “The Platform” showing hints of modern metal like Mastodon. Both albums have their signature songs (“Destined Solitaire”/“And the Stone Said: If I Could Speak”) ballads (“Tightrope”), grooves (“In Real Life There is No Algebra”), and plenty of epics that showcase so many styles of the band. They always know when to bring it down with a short time, but there’s so any catchy melodies on these albums that it’s hard to even know how to summarize them.
RIP Beardfish. Many hopes that the world gets to see you again some day.
12. Antimatter – Fear of a Unique Identity
This might be a divisive choice. Some might say that this band isn’t even progressive. Some might say that this isn’t even the band’s most progressive album. Antimatter started out as a collaboration between Mick Moss and Duncan Patterson, formerly of Anathema. This album was the first without Duncan, and was Mick’s time to prove that he could lead the band all on his own.
He exceeded all expectations, with an album that was heavier than anything the band had done thus far. Combining the electronic, dark wave, gothic, and acoustic elements of previous albums, Mick tied it all together in a very Pink Floyd-like way. A clear and focused theme of modern life, excellent production, beautiful tones, emotional delivery, and a strong album from start to finish.
While it may not have anything to do with Yes or Jethro Tull like many of these albums do, it is a rare treat to hear such a well put-together album, and that is very 70s of Mick and the boys. One of my all time favorite albums and worthy of the recognition.
11. Spock’s Beard – Beware of Darkness / X / Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
If you thought my answer for Beardfish was cheating, you’re gonna hate this one. Spock’s Beard is one of the most loved American progressive rock bands to be influenced by the 70s style. Coming out of Los Angeles in 1992, they had the talent, the counter-melodies of Gentle Giant, and a twisted/dark sense of humor. They’ve also been blessed with the ability to reinvent themselves multiple times.
After a string of successful albums with Neal Morse, they pulled a Genesis and had their drummer Nick become their singer. After he left, the band recruited Ted Leonard from Enchant. And so I give you my pick of the essential albums from each era of the band, because each accomplished singer deserves a shoutout for what they all brought to “The Beard”.
Beware of Darkness is their second album with Neal and the most balanced in my opinion. I could have picked any from the Neal era really because they are all so unique, but this one has always stood out to me. It features a George Harrison cover in their style, the quirky “Thoughts” which continued in parts on later albums, the epic “The Doorway”, a showcase of the band’s classical style guitar sounds, a ballad, a band staple in “Walking on the Wind”, and a heavy and epic closer with “Time Has Come Today”.
Nick took a while to fit in, if you ask me. Some of the albums drag on and don’t gel quite right. But X shows the band at the most confident that they had been in quite some time. Three epics full of introspective lyrics, technicality, and beautiful moments (“Edge of the In-Between”, “From the Darkness”, and “Jaws of Heaven”), a fun song in “The Emperor’s Clothes”, the excellent instrumental “Kamikaze”, and the remaining two or three songs (based on the version you get) are catchy and memorable. From start to finish it’s a joy to listen to.
Ted Leonard made quite the impression with his first album with the band. Continuing the confidence and strong songwriting of the previous album, it felt like he had been in the band for years. His emotional and heartfelt delivery highlighted the band’s playing. From Enchant sounding songs like “Hiding Out” and the ballad “Submerged”, to the Nick led Spock’s Beard sound of “A Treasure Abandoned” and “Something Very Strange” even back to the Neal era sound of “I Know Your Secret” and “Waiting For Me”. It even has another edition in the “Thoughts” saga.
If I had to pick just one I’d give the Neal album the nod for the classic sound, but I have to give props to all three eras/singers.
10. Marillion – Misplaced Childhood
Picking a single album from Marillion’s discography is not an easy task, and yet, Marillion fans would most likely gravitate towards this one. Despite its love and acclaim, it doesn’t truly show all sides of Marillion. The first two albums were straight Genesis worship. The next two was the band’s “classic sound”, the next few saw the band’s new singer trying to continue that sound while also trying to be more mainstream, and since then the band has balanced long progressive albums with the introspective alternative rock sound similar to U2, Coldplay, and Radiohead. And while not every album is a classic, they’ve adapted beautifully with the times.
And while I wanted to pick one album that showcased singer Steve Hogarth and all he’s done for the band, I just couldn’t pick one album that reaches the same level of acclaim of this Fish-era masterpiece. Breaking away from just their love of everything Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel, the band showed that they were competent songwriters with Fish’s emotional lyrics and Steve’s Gilmour-like solos. The first of two Marillion concept albums written by Fish, the album looks at love, success, acceptance, and lost childhood.
The album starts with the gentle and delicate “Pseudo Silk Kimono” and travels through some of the band’s most memorable songs: its biggest hit “Kayleigh”, the touching “Lavender”, the multi-part “Bitter Suite”, and the triumphant “Heart of Lithuanian”. The second side flows as well as the first side, not as mainstream but equally as memorable. The upbeat “Waterhole” and “Lords of the Backstage” lead to the epic “Blind Curve” and the album ends on a high note with the title track and “White Feather”.
I would love to do an in depth review of this one and a few of the Hogarth releases such as Brave, Afraid of Sunlight, Marbles, and Somewhere Else. For now, enjoy this album and my in depth review of Clutching at Straws, which is also on this blog spot.
That’s it for part 1. Stick around for part 2 with albums 1-9. I should have it up soon.
I have never been shy in expressing my admiration for English musician and producer STEVEN WILSON, and highly anticipate any new release by him. So you could imagine my excitement at the announcement of a new EP a year after his last album, Hand.Cannot.Erase. That album was my favorite release of the year 2015, and I was lucky enough to see him twice on the album’s subsequent tour. At one of those shows, he played a new song, titled Song X at the time. Now in January of 2016, we know that song is called My Book Of Regrets, and we know that it starts off this EP known as 4 ½. The idea behind this EP is that it is a compilation of songs that have been left off his past couple of solo releases. However, simply in releasing a compilation, STEVEN WILSON is still able to bring about such a level of flow that is unparalleled by any other musician. These seemingly unrelated songs seem to have a concept behind them, despite being written at different times and despite being written with different mindsets. My Book Of Regrets is a 9 and a half-minute piece with many twists and turns. From a great verse and chorus to the intricate solos towards the end, this song has it all. It also has lyrics from the point of view of a detached woman in the backseat of a London taxi. The next song is Year Of The Plague, a beautiful instrumental of simple guitar arpeggios and nostalgic violin lines. It is nostalgic, sad, but also hopeful, and is a wonderful transition between the first song and the next song. Happiness III is a more straightforward song with an incredibly catchy chorus. Originally written around 2003, thematically it relates to the detached lyrics of My Book Of Regrets, despite being from the point of view of an entirely different character. Sunday Rain Sets In and Vermillioncore are excellent instrumentals, which show the jazzy and virtuosic abilities of the members of the Steven Wilson band. The EP ends with a reworking of a Porcupine Tree song with Israel singer Ninet Tayeb during the chorus and Theo Travis playing saxophone during the middle section. Overall, this EP shows the talent of all of the members inSTEVEN WILSON’s current band, it shows STEVEN’s ability to write many different styles of music, and it shows that songs that were left off of albums deserve a second chance, because they may end up fitting perfectly with a group of different songs in the future.
After witnessing such an incredible concert last night, I was extremely excited to get down to The Wiltern in Los Angeles and relive the experience. My friend obviously felt the same way, and we arrived at the venue around 6 o clock, an hour before doors opened. As an avid concert goer for heavy metal shows, I am used to getting at the venue early to establish a good spot in front of the band. So it was a strange sight for me when I arrived to find out we were the first people there. It did not occur to us that there would be no rush to get to the venue, because it was a seated event. We waited around for a line to form, which it eventually did, and started recognizing many faces who were at the night before. In addition, we talked to people who had traveled from the East Coast and saw shows over there. They were just as excited as everyone else.
The doors opened, and the crowd filed inside. Many ran to the merch booth or to the bars scattered across the venue. I however was excited to go to my seat. I have been to The Wiltern many times, however I had never sat on the balcony before, and couldn’t wait to see what the view was like. For those who are unfamiliar with it, The Wiltern is a gorgeous theater that feels like something from the past with its gold looking walls and Art Deco style. The view from the balcony was amazing, and we knew instantly that we were going to be in for a treat. We talked with other friends who were at the show and watched as the 1,850 capacity began to fill up. Eventually, the video that started the set the day before began to play, and we knew what we were in for. The venue began to applaud, and people rushed to their assigned seats.
The video progressed with images of city, and a repetitive droning sound continued. Eventually, the lights darkened, keyboardist Adam Holzman came up on stage, and he began to “First Regret”. The rest of the band came up and joined in on “3 Years Older”, which helped show the band’s technicality and chemistry. After the song, Steven addressed the audience about how excitement was encouraged, similar to how he did the previous night. He was more direct this show, and less talkative with the audience. It was interesting to see how the spaces in the set were left open so he could address the same subject matters, but how this time around it felt a little bit more routine than the previous night, where he seemed to go off on tangents. Perhaps this was because this show was being recorded live for streaming by Yahoo.com. However, the audience who had not heard him say these things before were active listeners, and continued to laugh at Steven’s stories throughout the night.
The set continued through “Hand Cannot Erase”, “Perfect Life”, and “Routine”, the later two continuing to be some of the more memorable tracks from the set (and even more so because of the bigger venue and more room for ambience). Craig’s drum fills were excellent during “Perfect Life”. Even though I knew to expect the revamped version of “Index”, it still amazed me nonetheless. The precision of the snaps, the dark overtone of Steven’s voice and the images behind him, and the power of the band when they all eventually join in. I love how this song has continued to evolve in the live sense, since it’s inclusion in Steven’s very first solo tour. It is such a great song. “Home Invasion”/”Regret #9” were again an incredible section of the show, thanks to the heavy riffs, funky keyboard parts, and incredible solos. Head bobbing could be seen throughout the venue, and it wouldn’t surprise me if these songs continued to be a standard in tours to come. He took a break to address the crowd, and then went into “Lazarus”. It really amazes me how close this song gets to the original. The keyboard parts, background effects, and drum fills are exactly as they were on the studio recording. The visuals are the same ones Porcupine Tree would use when they would play it live. If it wasn’t for Nick Beggs’s unique backup vocals, you would think that Colin, Gavin, Richard, and John had payed you a surprise visit. He took a break to address the crowd one final time, before going into the song “Harmony Korine”. He did not play “Song X” because he did not want it on the live stream before it was recorded. This was the only difference between this set and the previous one.
The set finished the same, with the continuation of the remainder of the album, and the members walking off stage. I thought that “Ancestral” sounded a lot heavier than the previous night and I left this show with a lot more admiration for that track than I had before. After the album, the screen went down and the opening video for “The Watchmaker” began to play. It was great to see it from the balcony cause it filled up the venue in the darkness and looked a lot creepier than it had the previous time. The band played “The Watchmaker”, and it continues to be an amazing track in a live setting. The band went straight into “Sleep Together” and the crowd went wild for this one. It’s amazing how excited the crowd gets for this track live, even though it would not be the Porcupine Tree song that most people would ask to hear. The band went offstage to the sound of extremely loud cheers, and one of the longest claps I’ve ever heard. The band returned with another incredible rendition of “The Raven That Refused to Sing” before finally ending the set, thanking the audience, and taking a bow.
All in all, I’m very thankful that I was able to experience this show two times in two different venues. From being up close in the fifth row to seeing it from far away in the balcony, there is always something to enjoy about the set. Up close, you can see their fingers and appreciate their technicality. From far away, you can see the visuals better and enjoy the overall experience. Either way, Steven Wilson and his band of world class musicians are among the best live acts out there now and are not to be missed.
As stated when Hand.Cannot.Erase came out earlier this year, Steven Wilson is my biggest musical inspiration. He is more than just a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is an artist in the true sense of the word, as his albums are conceptual and he does everything in his power to give each album a world of their own, or their very own life force if you will. You don’t just listen to his albums… you immerse yourself in them. So of course when a tour was announced for the new album, I couldn’t wait. Having previously seen Steven 5 times (twice in Porcupine Tree, once in Blackfield, and twice solo), I knew to expect the very best live show.
I have been to The Grove many times for heavy metal shows, but never for a show like this. The venue has many different tiers or levels, and I was used to rushing to the front to secure a spot. However, the venue was seated for this show, and there was no rush to get to my seat. Me and two other members of Aeonic Impulse got there 30 minutes before he started, and enjoyed looking at the exclusive tour only items at the merch booth, including the deluxe version of the new album and a tour program. The tour program reminded me of the many plays I have grown up seeing, and gave me the idea that this was going to be more than a concert, but a theatrical experience. In addition to that, there were signs everywhere that said pictures of the show would not be allowed during the performance under any circumstances (something that Steven did on the previous two tours as well).
The times said Steven was supposed to start at 8 PM, but it was around 8:15 PM when something started to happen. A video started playing behind the instruments, and showed birds, grass, trees, buildings, cars, and people. All the things you would see in a big metropolis. The presentation had begun. Already it was tying into the story of Hand.Cannot.Erase, an album based on the real life events of Joyce Carol Vincent (a young, popular, attractive woman who lived in the heart of a big metropolis, chose to isolate herself from her family and friends, and was not discovered for three years after her actual death). A repeated note was played over and over throughout.
Finally, keyboardist Adam Holzman came up on stage and began to play the intro song to the new album, “First Regret”. The image on the screen focused on a beautiful girl, who it was safe to assume was going to be the character the album focused on. The rest of the band came out on stage, to extremely loud cheers, and the band joined in on the epic track, “3 Years Older”. Steven’s band was rounded out by Nick Beggs on bass, who has been with Steven since his first solo tour, as well as newcomers Dave Kilminster on guitar and Craig Blundell on drums, filling in for Guthrie Govan and Marco Minnemann. Immediately it was easy to see the technical proficiency of each member, as well as the chemistry amongst every one on that stage. From the great solos at the end of song, the album continued with the straight forward title track, the electronic based “Perfect Life”, and the incredibly emotional “Routine”. These songs helped enhance the show in different ways. “Hand Cannot Erase” got the crowd singing along, the drum beats and repetitive nature of “Perfect Life” created an amazing ambience, and “Routine” was heavily fueled by the animated images on the screen.
From there, Steven stepped outside of the album to revisit “Index” from Grace For Drowning. However, it was a revamped version of the song that started with Steven talking the lyrics over the snaps of all the band members before the instruments joined in. It was a creative take that showed a lot of imagination on the band’s part. They continued with the heavy/funky “Home Invasion” and “Regret #9”, which is a jam song that focuses on keyboard and guitar solos. The band stepped away from the album again, and Steven explained how he was not a nostalgic guy when it came to playing his old songs, but certain songs he’s done has stood out. The band then played “Lazarus”, my favorite Porcupine Tree song. It was an emotional moment that made a lot of older Steven Wilson fans happy. Next was a song that was written for Hand.Cannot.Erase but did not make it onto the final tracklist. He explained that it might be recorded and released later this year. The setlist identified the song as “Song X”. It was around 10 minutes long and was a very enjoyable track from start to finish. Before returning to the songs on the album, he continued with “Harmony Korine”, which he has played on every one of his solo tours so far, and remains a favorite.
He finished the rest of the album (skipping “Transience”) with the extremely progressive “Ancestral” and the emotional ballad “Happy Returns”, which was my favorite song from the album. It was a fitting closer, and the crowd cheered loudly as the band walked off stage to the sound of “Ascendant Here On…” over the speaker. A see through curtain was put in place as the crowd cheered, and images where projected on it. Anyone who saw the last Steven Wilson tour would remember it is the intro video to “The Watchmaker”. The video lasted tour minutes and consisted of surreal images and drone sounds before the band tackled the highly progressive track. Even though I had seen “The Watchmaker before”, it was still one of the highlights of the night thanks to the images of clocks synced up to the images. It reminded me of the videos Pink Floyd used to have when they would play “Time” live. The end of the song went straight into the beginning of “Sleep Together”, another Porcupine Tree song. I had seen Porcupine Tree play this one live on their tour with Coheed and Cambria, and knew how great it was live. It is a very dark and heavy song, and the crowd seemed to love it. Finally, the set was finished off with “The Raven That Refused to Sing”, which was the closer of the last tour. It is an emotional track in a live setting because of Steven’s excellent vocal delivery, the music video being played behind the band, and the post rock guitar tone that happens during the climax of the song.
Overall, the concert could not have gone better. Aside from the excellent setlist, musical technicality, and visuals, the band was obviously in high spirits. Steven took many breaks to talk to the crowd, and it was the most personable he has ever been. He talked about how cheering during the concert was highly encouraged. He explained why he tends to focus on dark topics in his music and told a funny story about how his manager thought that “Routine” was the darkest song Steven has ever written. He took time to talk about his new signature model acoustic guitar, which he played during the show, and how the simple songs he writes tends to be his favorites. And finally he talked about his love of music from the 1980s, especially shoeguaze. He would keep saying how he knew he was talking a lot and promised that he would be quiet. The two hour set was an incredible experience, and I couldn’t wait to relive it again.
Harmony Korine is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and occassional actor. He is best known for writing Kids and directing the movies Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy, Mister Lonely, Trash Humpers, and Spring Breakers. His films deal with the darkness of daily life and have a heavy use of dark humor. The plots center around typical drama in the lives of human beings that are then exaggerated to the points that the are absurd. This causes tense moments where the audience is left to wonder if the images are funny because of how over the top they are, or if they are in fact very realistic and therefore are not funny because they hit too close to home. He allows for a lot of improvisation in his movies and gives his actors suggestions on note cards rather than giving them full on scripts. He makes use of surrealism, non-linear forms, and mixing different kinds of camera styles such as Super 8 alongside 35mm. His movies show unique and bizarre individuals with a high emphasis on areas that consist of abandoned buildings and broken objects. He calls this portrait the “American Landscape”, and it can be found in most of his work. He has been the subject for much debate whether his movies are pieces of art and actually have something worth saying, or if they are just pretentious and self indulgent. He has said many times that he does not like to cram his movies with a lot of metaphors that force people to constantly try and figure out what it all means. He would rather have memorable images that speak for themselves and stay with the audience members. I tend to agree with him, because I think the images in his movies are extremely difficult to forget due to his focus and direction.
View of the Sunrise 