Sea Of Tranquility Fall Fest 2020

Sea of Tranquility is excited to announce Sea Of Tranquility Fall Fest 2020, its first ever curated virtual concert to benefit The Humane Society's COVID-19 Relief Fund.   

The world premiere will be Saturday, November 21^st at 7:00 PM EST.

Since its inception as a web-zine in 2001, Sea of Tranquility has been championing progressive rock, metal, and fusion music and musicians from all over the world. Today, after 1000s of interviews, reviews and feature articles, Sea Of Tranquility has built a large loyal following.

Artists participating include Doro Pesch, Uriah Heep, Mark Kelly (Marillion), Joe Bouchard (formerly of Blue Oyster Cult), Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash), Gentle Giant and fans, Jeff Young (Ex-Megadeth/ex-Badi Assad),  Lance King, Luke Fortini, Dwiki Dharmawan, Epic Tantrum, Gary Husband, Wingffield/Reuter/Stavi/Sirikis, Zero Hour, Fernando Perdomo, Glass Hammer, Ilium, Jack Hues (Wang Chung), Jim Ledford, Mike Antonelli and Friends and more.

The Humane Society launched the COVID-19 Relief Fund to support animal shelters, rescue groups and other organizations that are responding to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, with the goal of keeping people and their pets together during this crisis. Contributions to the fund are being used to provide veterinary care, pet food, horse feed and animal care supplies, as well as other costs related to caring for animals during the outbreak. Sea Of Tranquility Fall Fest 2020 will also encourage fans to adopt a pet to help reduce the strain on shelters.

We are selling limited edition merch and donating the proceeds to The Humane Society's COVID-19 Relief Fund.  We will also set up a link on our page to The Humane Society's COVID-19 Relief Fund for people who want to make a direct donation.

Based on what we have seen with other shows like this that we have been involved in, we expect over 100,000 views for the event in the first month.

Sea Of Tranquility Fall Fest 2020 will premiere on Sea Of Tranquility's YouTube and Facebook pages.

Sea Of Tranquility Fall Fest 2020 is being organized by Sea Of Tranquility, Vision Merch/Manic Merch and Chipster PR.
 
Links:
www.humanesociety.org/resources/covid-19-relief-fund
 
Sea of Tranquility:
Website: www.seaoftranquility.org
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCZF6XvqkFb9lURwIPePFU5w
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SeaofTranquility.org
 
Merch for Sea of Tranquility Fest:
www.visionmerch.com/SotFest2020

Symphonic Prog Review: Rick Wakeman-The Red Planet

Release Date: June 19 2020

Label: R +D Multimedia

Website

Red Planet is the newest release from The Caped Crusader, otherwise known as Rick Wakeman. Rick is probably one of the best known prog musicians and a pioneer in the use of electronic keyboards in rock music. As well as previously having been a member of The Strawbs, Yes and Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe (a Yes offshoot), not forgetting AWR (Anderson, Wakeman, and Rabin appearing as Yes), he has a list of session credits that almost stretch to the Red Planet. This list includes David Bowie, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Cat Stevens, Al Stewart, Lou Reed, and many more. Rick has also found time to release more than 100 solo albums across a swathe of genres.

The Red Planet is a return to the beginning, in that Rick has returned to the symphonic prog that appeared in many of his early albums, such as 6 Wives of Henry XIII, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table and No Earthly Connection.

The band on The Red Planet is Rick Wakeman (keyboards), Dave Colquhoun (guitars), Lee Pomeroy (bass), and Ash Soan (drums) and the other musicians are given the collective name of The English Rock Ensemble.

The Red Planet is an eight-track album with a total running time of just over 56 minutes (56:24), with track 4, “Olympus Mons” being the shortest at 5:20 minutes and the final track, “Valles Marineris” being the longest at just over 10 minutes (10:02).

The opening track, “Ascraeus Mons” (5:52) immediately puts the listener into a high plane of expectation with the superb swathe of swirling keyboards that ride over the top of that tight power unit of drums (Ash) and bass (Lee). Initially starting with a church-like organ passage, the drums and bass soon boost the sound before the excellent keyboard passages follow one another, revisiting earlier themes, but exuding first-class symphonic prog. A choral sound provides several passages before the guitar (Dave) gets a chance to shine. As an opening track, this is a very satisfying return to Rick’s symphonic prog areas and leaves the listener eager to sample the remaining seven tracks.

Track 5, “The North Plain” (6:53) has a spacey, quiet start with a piano theme, which gently builds in intensity until the drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards launch into the mix around the 1:30 minute point. A wonderful passage on keyboards follows while the powerhouse of drum and bass underpin everything so well. At 2:50 minutes, Rick’s keyboards start to soar above all else before a return to a similar passage to the start, which is very atmospheric and takes the track on past 4:40 minutes. Cue again another keyboard passage from the Caped Crusader himself, before a return to one of the earlier keyboard themes and a relaunching of another theme, but this time on guitar rather than keyboards which takes the track out.

“Pavonis Mons (7:13), track 6 starts with the band in unison before a nice passage from the keyboards, them a sudden change in tempo before returning to the opening theme. Superb keyboards over the solid rhythm section lead to a change of tack at the 2:00 minute mark, with a different keyboard theme before morphing into a piano passage and back into the keyboards. The track swings back into the earlier themes and changes tempo a couple of times as it starts to wind towards the finale. There is, however, still time for another flurry of keyboard work from Rick as we enter the last minute.

The Red Planet is an excellent example of keyboard-based symphonic progressive music played by one of the best, if not the best, keyboard players in the music environment. If you enjoy the earlier works by Rick, mentioned earlier in the review, this album is definitely for you and if you are new to Rick Wakeman, get this album as a superb example of a very skillful keyboard player at his very best.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson – Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
October 12, 2020

Tracks:
1. Ascraeus Mons (5:52)
2. Tharsis Tholus (6:16)
3. Arsia Mons (6:10)
4. Olympus Mons (5:20)
5. The North Plain (6:53)
6. Pavonis Mons (7:13)
7. South Pole (7:35)
8. Valles Marineris (10:02)

Prog Rock Review: Circuline-Circulive New View

Release Date: October 9, 2020

Label: Circuline Music

Website

Prog Stock 2017 was attended by actual people, how different? Things that were normal every day things have changed in the new norm. I usually attend at least 5 concerts a year and I went to one just before the virus spread like wildfire.

Circulive New View just came out this month. I covered Circuline-Circulive::Majestik DVD in 2018. That was an excellent prog-rock experience so I anticipate the same with the new release and was not disappointed.

The band Circuline is a prog-rock band out of New York that is no stranger to the stage. Circuline is Andrew Colyer (keyboards, vocals), Darin Brannon (drums, percussion), Alek Darson (guitars), Joel Simches (bass), and lead vocalists Billy Spillane and Natalie Brown.

Their performance at the festival was captured on a magnificent Blu-ray and DVD. This is a 3-disc set including a CD so all formats are covered for thirteen tracks offered on this superb audio-visual experience. There also bonus features with official videos, tour posters, images, and more.

Circuline members are polished professionals and bring a very entertaining show to the stage. Their music is distinctively prog-rock with an in-sync rhythm section, two incredibly talented vocalists, a guitar player suited to play through all the many changes one song can go through, and of course the amazing Andrew Colyer on keyboards. Andrew is recognized for his accomplishments but not on the level he should be. Based on what I have heard over the last few years, he ranks right up there with some of the best and most tasteful players active today.

Coming in under the wire in the prog world is nothing new because it refuses to go mainstream. Fans such as myself and thousands more are grateful for that and thank them for staying true to themselves and the music. That is something that is accepted going into this type of music and the music remains the most important factor, endearing fans of all ages to their work. This set is a document to the excellence of Circuline as a functioning musical unit without exception.

The two performances I enjoyed the most were the “Piano Challenge” on track #5 and “The Forbidden Planet + Drum Feature” on track 10. The drum performance was quite entertaining as everyone on stage was playing some sort of percussion. They all were in sync as well, which is not an easy task, especially if it is not your primary instrument.

The bonus you get has two choices of viewing for the video and then the soundtrack on CD for strictly the audio experience. Also, something interesting is the option of watching the video to a band commentary, however, I would recommend watching just the concert first then the commentary version to see what they all have to say about the performance.

Circulive New View is the complete audio and visual experience you could have. Excellent musicianship is the most important factor and that is what makes everything else the icing on the cake.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Prog Rock Music Talk Founder
October 24, 2020

Track List:
01. Intro / Erosion (Live)        
02. Soleil Noir (Live)        
03. One Wish (Live)    
04. Nautilus (Live)    
05. Piano Challenge (Live)    
06. Hollow (Live)    
07. Return (Acoustic) [Live}        
08. Fallout Shelter (Live)    
09. Pale Blue Dot (Live)    
10. Forbidden Planet / Drum Feature (Live)    
11. Inception (Live)    
12. Summit (Live)        
13. Stereotypes (Live)

Prog Rock Review: Lighthouse Sparrows-The Deep End

Release Date: August 4,2020

Label: Samsara Records

Website

Back in 2019 in Finland, guitarist Sami Sarhamaa and his colleague, Olli Huhtanen, a sound engineer, made the move from talking about music to actually making the music. Surprisingly quickly they had 5 tracks completed and a mini album, The Deep End was released.

In effect, Olli produces the basics of the track and Sami adds things to his liking and they decided that rather than aim to produce prog rock, art rock or whatever, they would simply “go with the flow” of what they produced.

The onset of Covid – 19 lockdowns meant that time to finalize these 5 tracks became available. Via the internet, the two friends, working in their own studios, collaborated with other musicians, namely Miri Miettinen (drums) and Trio Tingo (backing vocals). This ultimately resulted in The Deep End being released at the beginning of August.

The Deep End is a 5 track mini album with a total running time of just over 30 minutes (30:11) with track 3, “Shallow End” being the shortest at 4:45 minutes and the final track, “Gravity” the longest with a playing time in excess of 7:00 minutes (7:11).

The opening track “Gravest Danger” (6:17) starts with a great guitar riff which falls away to a gentler scenario before the crystal-clear vocals enter. The track slowly builds in intensity and the gentle guitar passages are sublime. Around the halfway point the track has an excellent synth theme before the guitar sets down another excellent passage and ushers in the vocals again. Another excellent passage builds with the musicians showing their skills before the sound drops away to end with a solo piano motif. This track has certainly been successful in getting the listeners interest and for relative newcomers, this has been an excellent taster for the 4 tracks still to come.

Track 2, “Scales” (7:00) carries on from the opening track with more excellent vocals and superb guitar riffs. After 4 minutes, the track takes a different direction with some exquisite piano and synth passages, prior to the vocals appearing. Only 2 tracks in and this release is looking like a stunning debut for Lighthouse Sparrows.

The third track, “Shallow End” (4:46) continues the good work with a much more laidback feel, which highlights another facet of the band. The vocals sound very relaxed but can “roughen up” when required. Synth passages carry the track on with sudden seamless changes in tempo and a guitar passage with a little more “punch” takes the track to its finale.

The last 2 tracks, “Deep End” and “Gravity,” (4:57 and 7:11 respectively), continue to impress to the listener, bearing in mind that this release is a debut mini album. Synths, great drum and bass from the engine room, excellent vocals and stunning guitar passages. The range of the band over the 5 tracks on offer is exceptional.

The Deep End is an amazing debut and gives the listener the perception of a band that has been playing and recording for a long time as the band just exudes confidence in what they do. I have no hesitation in suggesting that this mini album would be money well spent and I look forward, in anticipation, to where Lighthouse Sparrows go from this point.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson – Prog Rock Music Talk Staff.
October 10, 2020

Tracks:
1. Gravest Danger (6:17)
2. Scales (7:00)
3. Shallow End (4:46)
4. Deep End (4.57)
5. Gravity (7:11)

Jazz/Prog Fusion Review: The Segue

Release Date: December 8, 2019

Label: Digital release

Website

The Segue hail from Poland and are the second new Polish band to catch my attention recently. The band comprises 4 members, Robert Wiercioch (guitar), Karolina Wiercioch (piano, grand piano, synths), Marcin Essen (bass) and Szymon Piotrowski (drums) and they are joined on this recording, Holograms, by three guest musicians, Jan Kozlinski (bass), Michal Sarapata (bass) and Maciej Dzik (drums).

I am most impressed with this debut, as I will freely admit that fusion/jazz fusion would not normally be a genre I would listen to, and, it is also an instrumental album, another area I can find less interesting, but The Segue have an interesting sound that takes me beyond any preconceptions.

Holograms is a 7 track album with a playing time of just over 45 minutes (45:15), with the opening track, “Segue,” the shortest on offer at 3:55 minutes and the final track, “Time Space Illusion” being the longest, clocking in at 8:14 minutes.

The opening track, “Segue,” bounces into life very quickly and grabs the attention just as fast. Guitar, bass and drums set down an amazingly interesting sound and just after the 1-minute mark, there is a synthesizer passage before the track settles into the earlier style. Around the 2:10 minute point there is a slight change to the guitar which steps to the fore, driving the track along, suitably underpinned by that thumping bass and precision drumming. Just into the 3-minute mark there is a very atmospheric passage before the band wind up and are away. An ideal opening track, highlighting the musician skills and enticing the listener into the sound of The Segue.

Track 2, “Questions” (6:31), starts off much more gently and soon the piano of Karolina takes the track onwards with a very jazzy feel, suitably aided by the guitar, bass and drums. Karolina then moves into one or two different piano passages, complimented by the engine-room of drum and bass. The piano remains the major instrument, although around 3:45 minutes, there is an excellent bass passage which changes the tone of the track. Karolina (piano) and Robert (guitar) take the track on with Robert coming to the forefront, before a very gentle piano/bass passage ushers the track to completion.

The fourth track, “Future Ways” (4:30), starts with a synth passage to which the bass and drums soon pitch in followed by the guitar. Karolina concentrates on the synth on this track, together with Robert’s exquisite guitar playing and the bass and drum foundation is always there, supporting. “Future Ways,” as with all the tracks, gives the individual musicians a chance to step into the spotlight and shows the band to be a unit of very skillful musicians.

Initially I mentioned that jazz and instrumentals do not form a major part of what I would normally listen to, but The Segue seem to be different in that they mix what they do so well. Karolina is as accomplished on synths as the piano, although her style of playing certainly shows a love of jazz. Robert on guitar can throw out jazzy guitar runs with the best of them, but is not averse to suddenly diving into a more prog vein.

I think that it is this versatility that make Holograms so accessible and I have no doubt that many people will think the same. Holograms will be an excellent addition to many CD collections and indeed I still listen to tracks regularly. This is an excellent debut release and I look forward to finding out where further releases will take the band.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson -Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
September 22, 2020

Tracks:
1. Segue (3:55)
2. Questions (6:31)
3. Torrent (8:05)
4. Exosphere (6:30)
5. Future Ways (4:30)
6. Broken Mind (7:30)
7. Time Space Illusion (8:14)

Kevin Godley - The Final on Vinyl Interview

I had a great time interviewing Kevin Godley an amazing multi-faceted artist that was in 10cc on four excellent recordings, recorded some great music with his band mate Lol Creme and continued on with a solo career and many other projects.

Neo Prog Review: Abel Ganz-The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments Of Clarity

Release Date: July 6 2020

Label: Self Released

Website

Abel Ganz was formed back in 1980, had a ten-year hiatus from 1996 to 2006, and came back bristling with new ideas. The debut appeared in 1984, Gratuitous Flash, which was remixed, remastered, and re-released in 2016. The album under review is album No 7, The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity.

The band has undergone many personnel changes since coming into being in 1980, but original members are still around in various bands. If you want to find out more about Abel Ganz, then check out my pod-cast, “The History Of Abel Ganz”, available as The Ancient One Show No 140 on www.progzilla.com

The band line-up for The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments Of Clarity, the album under review, is now Davie Mitchell (guitars), Jack Webb (keyboards), Mick Macfarlane (vocals/guitars/bouzouki), Stephen Donnelly (bass), Denis Smith (drums/vocals) and David King (guitars/keyboards/drum programming). There were also 9 guest musicians involved.

The Life Of The Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity is a 6 track release, although there is an extra track on the 2 different digital releases, and has a running time of just over 50 minutes (50:18). The third track, “Arran Shores” is the shortest track on offer at 2:40 minutes, and the fifth track, “Sepia and White” is the longest at 13:31 minutes.

The opening track, “The Life of the Honey Bee and other Moments of Clarity,” the title track starts off with a gentle acoustic guitar riff that morphs quickly into a full band workout on the same theme before the acoustic guitar/keyboard comes back and Mick’s vocals join in just after the 2-minute mark. Mick’s voice is a very characteristic part of the Abel Ganz sound and the powerful voice carries the expression of the lyrics excellently. The listener is drawn into the world of Abel Ganz almost like settling into a favorite armchair and joining the band on the musical journey. Just on the 4-minute mark, we are treated to an unexpected harmonica passage by Alex Paclin, which sounds more like Stevie Wonder than Stevie Wonder does. Another superb instrumental passage takes us back into those wonderful lyrics presented so well by Mick. After 6:15 minutes, there is a second unexpected appearance, this time by Fiona Cuthill, playing superb fiddle, which heads up an excellent passage prior to the keyboards of Jack Webb building up in the background. Just shy of the 9-minute mark there is another directional change, this time the bluesy guitar of Davie Mitchell (I think) before the track seems to settle into an area very reminiscent of Steely Dan, as the opening track moves towards its completion. Before it does so, however, the excellently named Snake Davis adds a superb saxophone ending. The opener has lasted 12:37 minutes and Abel Ganz has nailed it, taking the listener here, there, and back again on the journey and ensuring that they are looking forward to what else this majestic album has for them.

The next 3 tracks, “One Small Soul” (5:52), “Arran Shores” (2:40), and “Summerlong” (5:22) move more into the gentle acoustic environment, ”One Small Soul,” finds Mick again in fine voice, duetting at points with Emily Smith ( a former Scots Singer Of The Year) and producing a superb modern folk-inspired track which has an instantly memorable melody. “Arran Shores” allows David King to show how a simple acoustic guitar number can evoke so many thoughts and memories, especially if you know the Isle of Arran. The third track, “Summerlong” takes the listener on another journey with some beautiful piano and strings, showing different facets of the Abel Ganz sound. In these three tracks, there are wonderful mo-ments with guitars, keyboards, vocals, and the powerhouse of bass (Stephen Donnelly) and drums (Denis Smith) underpinning everything that is going on.

The second of the long tracks, track 5, “Sepia and White” (13.31) starts up like a full-blooded rock workout before dropping into a superb piano passage heralding Mick’s vocals entering the track around the 2:15 minute mark. More guitar riffs appear and carry the track along and into a repeat of the earlier piano/vocal combination, prior to a majestic synth passage which leads into a full band workout led by the guitar. This section is a good example of the band flexing their collective musical muscle. Midway through the track, it is another superb piano passage that links to an almost laid-back section, with a simple melody that hits the listener just right. This track seems to ooze a feeling of nostalgia which is prevalent throughout the album, looking back but gazing forward with hope. The band drives the track to its finale.

The final track, “The Light Shines Out” (6:17), is a very gentle laid-back piece of music with Denis taking over the reins of lead singer, backed by a superb low whistle melody. The vocals are very different from Mick, but seem to suit this particular track very well. As the track progresses, the listener becomes aware of a subtle piano passage behind the vocals and the appearance of some subdued strings. Around the halfway point, there is some excellent bass from Stephen prior to a short melodic passage before the vocals return. Just after the 5-minute mark, the low whistle returns with the earlier motif and the track evolves into a short “funky” fadeout.

Earlier this year in a review, I commented that I had not heard a “perfect album,” but the band in question at that point, Kaprekar’s Constant, had come very close to that mark. Honey Bee exceeds that previous review by a few tenths towards perfection and is certainly my record of 2020.

This is a majestic album produced by musicians who have a vision of where the band is going and possess the skills to take the band there. Credit should also be heaped onto the Abel Ganz guest musicians, some of whom have appeared regularly on previous albums.

My advice is very simple, go out and get hold of this album, although the success since the release has resulted in the CDs selling out and a reprint is now in progress. Don’t lose out again and get one ordered as soon as possible.

Normally I would sum up, but I will let the band do that, as they have done it rather well. “The influences on the new album continue in a similar vein (to previously), further developing the band’s eclectic mix of folk, rock, metal, and Celtic styles. The album’s trajectory shifts between crunching guitars, subtle acoustic instruments, strings, soaring Hammond, and emotive grand piano, all connected by lyrical storytelling plus timeless vocals and harmonies.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson – Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
August 31, 2020

The Final On Vinyl Interview With Rick Wakeman

Crossover Prog Review: Fatal Fusion-Dissonant Minds

Release Date: July 10 2020

Label: Apollon Records

Website

I have been a follower of the band, Fatal Fusion since I heard a track from an early album. Fatal Fusion was formed in Oslo, Norway in 2008, and utilize classic instruments, vintage synthesizers, mellotron, and Hammond organ as they pay homage to the 70’s prog bands, but they have their sound.

That sound has been described as a blending of different genres such as rock, classical, metal, blues, jazz, and even psychedelia and Latin. The band has released four albums, from the debut, Land Of The Sun (2010), through The Ancient Tale (2013), and Total Absence (2016) and onto the album being reviewed, Dissonant Minds (2020).

Fatal Fusion has had a settled line-up since its inception in 2008 and the 5 members appear on all albums; Knut Erik Grontvedt (vocals), Stig Selnes (guitar), Erlend Engebretsen (keyboards), Lasse Lie (bass) and Audun Engebretsen (drums, percussion).

Dissonant Minds is a four-track release with a running time of just over 43 minutes (43:08), with track 3, “Beneath The Skydome,” the shortest at 4:23 minutes and the final track., “Broken Man Pt 2,” is the longest track on offer at just under 17 minutes (16:42).

The opening track, “Coming Forth By Day” (14:22), is straight to work almost immediately with the band into full flow with 2 distinct passages, the sound building up, dropping away and then this flow repeating, so when the 3-minute mark is reached, the sudden arrival of an acoustic Spanish style guitar passage is a great surprise. The electric guitar puts in an appearance, now and again, before the acoustic passage is joined by a flute, which heralds the entrance of the instantly recognizable vocals of Knut Erik Grontvedt. Initially, there follows a very gentle passage before the vocals harden, and the band starts to rock, changing the style, before a switch back into the gentle, almost meandering passage, which then repeats ensuring the listener is kept on their toes (aurally speaking). Around the 7:10 minute mark, the electric guitar of Stig gets the opportunity to shine and he carries the track until the vocals return around 9:00 minutes. By 9:30 minutes, the pace has changed again and the band is in full flow with the keyboards of Erland getting the chance to come to the forefront. A more choral style keyboard passage appears around 11:20 minutes and the vocals return, as does the electric guitar of Stig and the band start to drive towards the finish. However, at 14:00 minutes, the band leaves the finale to the vocals of Knut Erilk and the superb piano of Erland.

I feel that the opening track to any album requires to be one that will grab the listener and “Coming Forth By Day” does just that. The listener is taken on a journey from the soothing and gentle to the harder and rockier areas which leave the listener looking forward to the rest of the album.

The final track, “Broken Man Pt 2” (17:22), is the second epic-length piece of music on the album and it has taken from the debut album in 2010 to come up with Part 2 of “Broken Man” which graced that earlier album. The opening of “Broken Man Pt 2” starts in a relatively gentle style with the band working as a tight unit with bass (Lasse Lie) and drums (Auden Engebretsen) setting down the solid foundations of the track. By the 6th minute, the style changes with keyboard swathes and an insistent drive from the powerhouse, the bass, and drums, behind Knut Erik’s vocals. The keyboards and that driving beat then switch with the entry of Stig’s electric guitar around the 9:00 minute mark. The track continues to drive along with the keyboards to the forefront and similar to track one, the listener is frequently teased with “retro snippets” which hark back to time away in the past, but no sooner have they appeared then they are gone. Around 11:45 minutes, everything drops away leaving the solitary piano playing a plaintive theme, which heralds the appearance of the vocals again, which are similarly plaintive, before the band are off and running, if not quite as fast as earlier, before again taking a backseat as the vocals come to the fore. The band again gets to flex their collective muscles with a keyboard-driven passage taking the track onto 15:30 minutes. Stunning guitar work just after 16 minutes heralds the impending end of the track, with the sound building to a crescendo and then simply vanishing.

A terrific final track, with the regular movement from the gentle to the more aggressive style, gives the track an edginess and the stunning solo passages, both from guitar and keyboards, completing the superb ending to Dissonant Minds.

Fatal Fusion has continued to build from the foundations set down in 2010, and Dissonant Minds is the culmination, thus far, of the evolution of the band. If you like your prog rock to sound fresh, but still give a nod of the head to the prog scene from the ’70s, welcome to the sound of Fatal Fusion. This is an album that should find its way onto many listeners CD shelves or storage areas, so give it a good listen and if this is the first Fatal Fusion release you have heard, be prepared to dig deep to collect the earlier albums.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson - Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
July 9, 2020

Tracks:
1. Coming Forth By Day (14:22)
2. Quo Vadimus (7:41)
3. Beneath The Skydome (4:23)
4. Broken Man Pt 2 (16:42)

Prog Review: Jon Anderson-1000 Hands Chapter One

Release Date:  July 31, 2020

Label: Blue Elan Records

Website

The name, Jon Anderson, is inextricably linked with the band Yes, as the unique vocalist has appeared on at least 15 of the albums released by the band, but as a solo artist, Jon has released 16 albums. The debut, Olias Of Sunhillow was released in 1976 and the newest release, 1000 Hands Chapter One, is scheduled for release in July 2020.

Jon has a very characteristic voice which he describes as an alto tenor, although some reviewers wrongly class his voice as falsetto. The album being reviewed, 1000 Hands Chapter One, has its origins back in 1990, when much of the material was produced. It was then put on the back burner due to the commitments of Yes. Fast forward to 2016 and the idea of using this previously taped material to produce a finished album resurfaced. The list of musicians involved reads like a “Who’s Who” of major name musicians, including Steve Howe, Larry Coryell, Chick Corea, Rick Wakeman, Ian Anderson, Jean Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, and Carmine Appice.

1000 Hands Chapter One is an 11 track album with a total running time of just over 50 minutes (50:32), with track 6, “Now Variation,” the shortest at 1:02 minutes and track 4, “Activate,” the longest, with a playing time of 8:51 minutes.

The opening track, “Now” (1:13) is a short acoustic track that highlights the stunning Jon Anderson voice. Acoustic guitar and a vocal, so simple, but so atmospheric, and a wonderful opener to the album, which leads straight into track 2, “Ramalama” (3.49). The tempo has notched up a little, and the opening minute is acapella, with Jon’s voice being multitracked, before the instruments joining in. The track fills out with banjo (?), drums and violin, and has a sing-along feel to it, almost tempting the listener to join in, before gently fading out.

Track 3, “First Born Leaders” (5:22) takes off in another direction, starting with a gospel “call and answer” style vocal, again in acapella style. A steel band enters and changes the feel of the track, with the vocals settling into a gentle meander. Instruments appear and disappear over the main part of the piece, such as guitar and trumpet, as that superb vocal carries everything along. It is that amazing voice that holds the track together, together with the brass sound at times. At the last minute, the song reverts to the opening passage before Jon escorts the track to the sudden ending.

The finale to the album is track 11, “Now and Again” (3:39) and is a revisiting of the opening track but fleshed out a bit more, and forms the perfect ending to the album, having come full circle through a variety of different styles.

1000 Hands Chapter One touches many styles as it moves through the 11 tracks, acapella, steel band, gospel, strings, world music, and I even detected a little nod in the direction of Olias of Sunhillow, Jon’s debut album. On first hearing, I will admit that my thoughts were that this was a very different Jon Anderson album to previous releases, but repeated hearings suggest that this is an album that Jon has set out to produce and has done so excellently. His use of the different styles and the recurring themes reminded me of a similar album released by David Gilmour, Rattle That Lock, back in 2015, which was a very different style of the album from David.

1000 Hands Chapter One is certainly worth a few listens and it will then be up to the individual listeners to make up their minds. In my opinion, it is an excellent album, which seems to have different hooks each time it is played.

Jim Lawson-Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
June 28, 2020

Tracks:
01. Now (1:13)
02. Ramalama (3.49)
03. First Born Leaders (5:22)
04. Activate (8:51)
05. Makes Me Happy (3:50)
06. Now Variation (1:02)
07. I Found Myself (5:05)
08. Twice In A Lifetime (5:06)
09. WDMCF (4:11)
10. 1000 Hands (Come Up) (8:24)
11. Now And Again (3.39)

Eclectic Prog Review: Fren-Where Do You Want Ghosts To Reside?

Release Date: March 6 2020

Label: Independent

Website

Where Do You Want Ghosts To Reside? is the debut album released by the Polish band, Fren. Hailing from Krakow, they are classed as an eclectic prog band and were formed in 2017. The band is a quartet, comprising Oscar Cenkier (keyboards), Michal Chalota (guitars), Andrew Shamanov (bass) and Oleksii Federov (drums).

These guys are creating a few waves for being newcomers, as I have seen a couple of reviews which have extolled the virtues of this band, as well as hinting that they have a few older bands to thank for their sound. Having listened to this release, which was sent to me by Michal, many times, what we have here is an excellent set of musicians who give “nods” to various areas of “older, classic” prog, but masterfully incorporate these retro-style sound excursions into the sound of Fren. At this point, I should also mention that Fren is an instrumental band, and they have successfully circumvented my normal apprehension of such entities, as at no time during Where Do You Want Ghosts To Reside? did I think “what a difference a vocalist could have made at this point.”

Where Do You Wants Ghosts To Reside? is a 6 track album with a total playing time of just under 45 minutes (44:29), with track 3, “Goraca Linia”, being the shortest at 2:59 minutes and the fourth track, “Pleonasm,” the longest on offer at just over 12 minutes (12:02).

“Pleonasm” is a majestic track dominated by the superb piano passages. After a gentle piano passage starts the track, with the rest of the band almost unobtrusive in the background, the piece moves into a more jazzy sequence with all the players playing their parts very well, as the piece unfolds, the tempo, and the intensity shifts several times with the piano leading the way for the most part. The interplay between the four very skilled musicians is nudging perfection. Little forays, again into a more jazz-based style, this time led by guitar, ebb and flow, as the music returns to the piano lead before entering into a majestic full band passage around the midpoint of the track. The listener is drawn into the atmospheric piece by the shifting points of emphasis and the revisiting of the superb piano sections. At times this track is very minimalistic before building into a thunderous full band section, then the sound is stripped away to simply piano with the other instruments underpinning the track. The last 1-2 minutes are hugely atmospheric as the track moves to the finale. This is a stunning track that is different musically from the 3 prior tracks but maintains the high bar set by those tracks.

The final track on the album is track 6, “Time To Take The Stones Away” (8:41), and starts with another majestic repeating riff, before settling into a guitar-led passage which pushes along, giving Michal the chance to shine. A simply lovely piano passage at 2:00 minutes is backed by tempered bass and drums with the piano again the main instrument of the piece. Just after 4:00 minutes, the sound clears away to leave a stunning bass sequence with sporadic drum inputs before the guitar almost stealthily enters proceedings. Prior to the 6:00 minute point, the sound moves more aggressively before the piano comes in over the top and with the band now playing with such skill, the track is escorted to its completion.

This is a stunning debut release by Fren, performed by musicians who share a similar goal, that is, to aim for perfection in their music. Where Do You Want Ghosts To Reside? is an album that simply shouts out “Buy Me!”. From the simplest of passages to the multi-layered passages, this is an enthralling album to listen to. You will marvel at the points where you just about have time to think “that sounds like….” before another passage whisks you deep into the sound of Fren. This, in my opinion, is a must-have purchase in any true prog fan’s collection and will be listened to many, many times generating real musical enjoyment.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson   ProgRockMusicTalk Staff
June 16, 2022

Tracks:
1. Twin Peaks (4:41)
2. Surge (9:43)
3. Goraca Linia (2:59)
4. Pleonasm (12:02)
5. Heavy Matter (6:23)
6. Time To Take Stones Away (8:41)