PROG ROCK FOR BEGINNERS

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1. 

   Mobula

   by Gleb Kolyadin

   favorite track

   Parallax

   Composer, arranger, and keyboardist extraordinaire,Gleb Kolyadin presents us with this superb intrumental 4th solo release. He plays various acoustic and electric keyboards, with many guests joining him on percussion, acoustic and electric guitars, various flutes and whistles, bombarde, electric and upright bass, glockenspiel, guzheng, zither, electric kalimba, taishogoto, bow guitar, violin, and cello. His effortless dexterity is front and center, as it should be.

   1. 

      Ghosts

      by KALANDRA
      A wintery tune that calls back to the ancestors. Dulcet vocalist Katrine Ødegård Stenbekk reflects the traditions of the past, singing songs and lighting candles to honour those who have gone before.

      1. 

         Autumnal Covers

         by Raphael Weinroth-Browne

         favorite track

         Old Heart Falls (Katatonia cover)

         Three superb cover tracks, celebrating Autumn, offered by Canadian multi-instrumentalist, composer, and cellist, Raphael Weinroth-Brown. He is known for looping effects and combining classical, Middle Eastern, and metal into a riveting blend of acoustical majesty. Just splendid. These are offered for free, but really, put your money where your ears are, and be generous, won’t you?

         1. 

            Nocturne

            by Ekaterina Shelehova feat. Dimitra Kogioumtzidou
            Stunningly gorgeous and chill-inducing lullaby from Italian operatic vocalist, with superb cellist Dimitra Kogioumtzidou. This is a cover of a Secret Garden song, and it is breathtakingly lovely, as is everything Ekaterina does.

            

            The Veils “Asphodels” The Veils is spearheaded by New Zealand singer/songwriter Finn Andrews, signed to Rough Trade at the ripe old age of 16. On cursory listen, this is deceptively simple, but in reality, it is delicately and lushly produced. The pervasive feeling is melancholic, yet often what the late, great Tom Rapp called “constructive melancholy,” for there is a vein of hopefulness that runs through it. It walks the tightrope of life and death throughout, whether referencing Greek mythology, as in the title track, or the contemplation of the modern world being transformed in Concrete After Rain. Favourite Track: Mortal Wound (3:16)

            Alaghom “Return the the Beginner’s Mind” The band is marketed as progressive metal, but I hear quite a bit more retro 70s psych in these delicate, filigreed songs by Mexican artists, Alaghom. This album was composed as a soundtrack for a documentary about the Japanese martial arts dojo, Yasuagi Dojo NY, so perhaps the delicacy emanates from a nod to Oriental sensibilities. It indeed hits heavy at times, but always in a restrained way, perfectly calling to mind martial arts and it’s power in finesse. Favourite Track: The Opening of Satori (4:41)

            Alaghom “Return the the Beginner’s Mind” The band is marketed as progressive metal, but I hear quite a bit more retro 70s psych in these delicate, filigreed songs by Mexican artists, Alaghom. This album was composed as a soundtrack for a documentary about the Japanese martial arts dojo, Yasuagi Dojo NY, so perhaps the delicacy emanates from a nod to Oriental sensibilities. It indeed hits heavy at times, but always in a restrained way, perfectly calling to mind martial arts and it’s power in finesse. Favourite Track: The Opening of Satori (4:41)

            1. 

               Old Style (Album)

               by Estas Tonne

               favorite track

               Revival

               New to me is fingerstyle guitarist, Estas Tonne, who artfully blends Romani and Classical music. These pieces are all done organically in studio, in one take. Currently residing in Germany, he is a citizen of the world, originally from Ukraine, and has lived in Isreal as well. His music is meditative and invites one to listen and let your spirit wander where the music leads.

               1. 

                  Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief

                  by healthyliving

                  favorite track

                  Galleries

                  This is an offshoot of Maud the Moth, being Amaya López-Carromero on vocals, Scott McLean on guitar, bass, and synths and Stefan Pötzsch on drums. If you thought Maud’s latest (The Distaff) was devastating, well, this is at least equally so, if not more. But in an absolutely wonderful way. Heaviness abounds, with Amaya’s unrestrained vocals over a lot of post-rock crashing sonic waves. Not for the faint of heart, but you have an intrepid soul, don’t you?

                  1. 

                     V

                     by Naxatras

                     favorite track

                     Numenia

                     This is heavy psych/space rock with Middle Eastern and Grecian flavours, both hard-hitting and hypnotic. Instrumentation is the typical rock band lineup, plus keyboards and synths, flute, violin, and congas, as well as some traditional Oriental orchestra flourishes. The lyrics touch on the stuff of nightmares and reveries.

                     1. 

                        Nightjar

                        by Liz Overs

                        favorite track

                        Prayer to the Year

                        Sweet-voiced acoustic folkie from the UK, Liz Overs performs lead vocals and autoharp on these 12 original and traditional tunes. She is backed by very capable and tasteful players on acoustic and electric guitars, ebow, marxophone, psaltery, double bass, banjo, concertina, and mandolin, striking just the right balance. The result is pastoral and timeless.

                        1. 

                           Floodplain

                           by The Prophets of Zarquon

                           favorite track

                           Floodplain

                           Ethereal folk rock with world influences, the Prophets of Zarquon hail from the UK. This release addresses the Pagan festival of Beltane, utilizing electric and acoustic guitars, mellotron, mini Moog, various keyboards, bass, and drums. The diaphanous vocals of the single-named Roseanna invite one to enter the otherworlds, with time flowing both backwards and forwards at once.