Steven Wilson Presents - "Intrigue | Progressive Sounds in UK Alternative Music 1979-89" ALBUM REVIEW (box set/book)

By Dean Wolfe, Prog dog media   [album released feb 10, 2023]

Why do we need this collection of post-70s UK prog and art rock tunes? Didn't the 80s suck for prog??

You won't find any Genesis, Yes, or Asia in this collection but you will find solid proof that even after the seeming collapse of the progressive musical empire of the 70s- brought on by the rise of an upstart punk rebellion- prog lived on! Even if it did go underground. In fact, we even learn that punk and prog could form surreptitious collaborations.   

I wish I could have been best friends with Steven Wilson during the golden decades of music in the UK, but unfortunately, I grew up in a boring old place called Canada. However, thanks to this new collection of rare prog-tinged tracks from 1979-89, I can feel like I have been transported to Steven's rec room, where we are surrounded by albums on a shag carpet while he plays me his favourite tracks.

This is a massive little collection Steven curated in collaboration with Demon Music Group. The collection I have is a 4 CD set with an exceptionally beautiful and well-designed small hard-cover book (It's also available in vinyl format). It's loaded with carefully curated songs released out of the UK. There are about 14 songs per disc. I have to say even just cracking into the first disc has been more impactful than I expected. I only got as far as 10 tracks into disc one in my first listen. Same thing happened in the next two listens, but happily so. There was so much there to absorb and enjoy, and I was only getting started! The logic of events have proven to me this is probably the most practical way to attack this selection - piecemeal and spread out over many listening sessions. 

The book that houses the CDs is top quality. The articles (technically called liner notes) about each song and well written, and accompanied by photos of the original album artwork. There's also a substantial introduction by Wilson. Listening and enjoying this set has been a revelation and a pure pleasure, even if is a bit of a project because it's so vast and diverse. Each time I sit down to tackle some more songs, book in hand, I feel like I'm walking slowly through a modern art gallery, guided by a knowledgeable docent. 

Some of the tracks are even remixes by Steven himself. 

There's a few artists I knew well, like Tears for Fears, Japan, Kate Bush, David Sylvain...but out of about 50 selections, they were only a tiny slice. Steven avoided picking obvious tracks and dug for the more unique music. 

I highly recommend this set for several reasons. Firstly, it features a collection of inspiring music that is truly remarkable. Secondly, the liner notes, written by James Nice, are deserving of a Grammy Award, and provide valuable insight into the music and its creators. Lastly, the packaging of the set is exceptional, making it a beautiful addition to any music collection.  It's a trip though some of the best that the 80s had to offer but most mainstreamers will consider obscure and weird- God bless 'em. Six tracks didn't make it to the finish line due to legal or permission issues, but Steven lists them off for you to search out on your own. 

Before making a decision, it might be worth reviewing the track listing to avoid redundancy. However, I would be surprised to find anyone other than Steven Wilson who already owns the majority of these tracks.

Oh hey, Steven... I would love to see a future curated collection of 80's art-rock and prog-tinged music released from other parts of the world. It would be highly intriguing and I am definitely interested in hearing what you would come up with.

PS

Once I know the set better, I will tag on a small list of my favourite tracks to this article. Stay tuned for that...

Prog dog score: 5 out of 5 bones.  Steven Wilson, donning a brown Indiana Jones Fedora hat, has unearthed and dusted off significant musical treasures of post-70s prog and alternative rock from the UK. The accompanying well reasearched book makes this a university course-worth of material- a gift that will keep on giving for the prog-curious and then some. 

The prog dog VIDEO of this review is here.

Retrospective - "iNtroVert" ALBUM REVIEW (Modern Prog from Poland)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media   [album released nov. 16, 2022]

This review marks my first exposure to this 6-piece progressive rock outfit hailing from the land of popes: Poland. 

iNtrovErt is their new well-'polished' album (notice my pun- it wasn't deliberate). It is their fifth studio release, so clearly I'm late to the party. 

It is an admirably solid and cohesively put-together album- a weighty collection of modern sounding songs, radiant with a dark, edgy and slick aura. 

The band's main singer, Jakub Roszak, has a distinctive and masculine breathy vocal style. Adding to the richness of their sound, Beata Lagoda often pairs up with Jakob in a sort of dual-lead vocal singing style. Their voices lock together seamlessly, creating an awesome harmonic convergence of machismo and machisma. Beata also takes on lead singing duties and is the band's piano and keyboard player. 

Compositionally I find it delightfully unpredictable, avoiding clichés, but still sounding mainstream and approachable. They are kind of Pink Floyd-y in parts, but with a more modern blend of soft metal/ hard rock and metal sound. Maybe some other comparisons could include glimpses of Muse, Rammstein and Porcupine Tree.

The album is not a bumpy or herky-jerky ride. If you prefer your prog moderate (without too many complexities in key or time signature changes) you've found your band. They keep the songs on an even keel and pumping. Generally they have a spacious sound: tasteful, big and melody-driven. There are broad and wide atmospherics throughout. The guitars and bass are tight and restrained but do move to the fore to shine in spots with some wicked broad-stroke guitar solos for example, and trench-digging bass riffs. 

iNtroVert is actually quite danceable, even slow sexy danceable at times. There's some deep gyrating grooves in the track called Away.  

Some of Retrospect are Coldplay fans, and one of the refreshing things I like about the album is the use of straight-up acoustic piano throughout (as well as synths) and Beata, the only woman in the band, is behind that solid presence throughout. This also makes the band primed for stadium rock shows. They are currently rehearsing for dates in Europe to promote Introvert. 

(Also worth mentioning for the interest of others who still collect CDs and LPs: the CD packaging is awesome: generous with a lyrics booklet and excellent original artwork throughout).

The lyrics are timely in a brooding way, given the current state of the world- and I get from them a sense of struggling through the chaos of modern life and yearning for a grounded and palpable sense of what's real vs. what's fake- searching for silence amid the noise. 

You can catch my Prog dog Podcast episode where I interview the newest member of the band in Poland HERE. As well, I reacted to a song from the album HERE.

Echo Us - "Inland Empire" ALBUM REVIEW (prog rock/new age ambient)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media    [album released March 2023]

Inland Empire by Echo Us is a flowing, seductive and elegant album of dreamy ambient progressive rock written and performed by multi-instrumentalist Ethan Matthews out of Portland, Oregon. 

The album covers a vast expanse of inspirations, taking the listener on a audio journey across the more far-flung curves of the planet. It is a keyboard/synth and guitar-based album, with varied and often exotic approaches to percussion. There's lots of Mike Oldfield-esque guitar solos, as well as plenty of complex Steve Hackett-like nylon string acoustics. Parts of the album remind me of David Sylvian too (and I'm a big fan of all the aforementioned musicians).

Ethan's vocals don't take on a constantly-present 'lead singer' type of role. Rather he visits within the songs as they unfold and he punctuates and narrates. I couldn't help but be reminded of the vocalists from Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Arcade Fire. There are also interesting speaking and singing vocal clips dropped in thoughout. 

It's a rich, lushly produced album that I found immediately addictive. Ethan is a gifted composer and very tasteful with the vast array of textures that adorn the album. For example, though I'm not a fan of harsher digital keyboards and prefer analog tones, Ethan draws on both and I could find not a single fault in any of his wide pallette of choices.

(There is a history to this one-man band- so check out my prog chat with Ethan HERE to learn more about the origins of this project.)

http://Echous.net

https://echous.bandcamp.com/

Adarsh Arjun - "Aches and Echoes" ALBUM REVIEW (prog guitar instrumental)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media    [album released Jan. 26, 2023]

Looking for some tasteful and soul-soothing modern electric guitar music to get your head bopping?
Adarsh Arjun is a gifted weaver of melodies as an independent solo artist from Kerala, India, with a treat for you. 

His impressive and often joyous sounding debut album Aches and Echoes will turn your aches into distant echoes. It's a no-brainer for fans of progressive rock like Dream Theater or Yes and guitar-man Steve Howe (who has many instrumental guitar solo albums). 

What's different about Adarsh to Western ears is how he is subtly impressed upon as a composer by Indian culture- most notably in his beautiful irresistible melodies and motifs. There are embellishments by guest instruments like a sax solo on Hide N Seek, violin, piano and marimba or glockenspiel and more. He also surprises with some very tasty jazz chordings, leading songs down unexpected paths. 

There's some exceptionally beautiful and haunting themes on Aches and Echoes. For example the pristine ambient atmospheres in parts of songs like Heartsick. 

Adarsh has the skill to impress other guitarists but he uses it with restraint, honouring the inspired melodies that are kings of his songs. He moves through clean and distortion guitar tones easily and keeps the album balanced in that sense, so that it's not full-on rock, or metal, or Djent all the time. There are plenty of unique twists in his compositions without relying on tricky time signature manipulations (though there are some).

My only minor suggestions for improvement would be to hear the bass a bit more prominently, though it's generally present and sitting soundly in the mix. Songs like I Can't Breath have complex bass lines worth noting. Also a real live-recorded drummer's touch is always an asset but practically speaking, up-and-coming artists can tailor and program great sounding drum tracks 'in the box', which Adarsh has clearly done with this recording. I like the cool production tricks like he pulled at the end of Moments to Memories.

This is a beautiful and inspiring album full of pristine and quiet moments gracefully flowing into harder rocking dynamics. It is light and upbeat throughout- no downer music here. Also, there's nothing at all pedestrian about any of the songs- they each stand uniquely, freshly offering ideas for listeners. I'm super-impressed and highly recommend this new artist without reservation. 

Be sure to watch my interview with Adarsh Arjun here: https://youtu.be/jd1xnPmLkcY

https://adarsharjun.bandcamp.com/

Ringo Deathstarr "Pure Mood" ALBUM REVIEW (shoegaze, dreampop, 2016)

By Dean Wolfe, Prog Dog Media     (album released 2015 in Japan, 2016 in America).

First of all, forgive me. I'm a recent and enthusiastic shoegaze convert (though no stranger to alternative indie rock). So my review may touch on the generalities of the genre as much as it will on Austin trio Ringo Deathstarr, whom I happily lucked upon in an internet or YouTube search.

They may or may not have a closet full of skeletons, but hopefully guitarist Elliot Frazier has extra room in there to keep some guitar pedals. Collectively those little metal boxes are like a 4th member of the band- performing a key role in the overall sound. 

For those not aware, the guitar pedal business is booming and we are living in the throes of a pedal renaissance, with boutique pedal makers springing up around the world offering unlimited ways to colour the sound of your guitar, bass, or any instrument really. 

Ringo Deathstarr are surprisingly rocking. Vocals are fairly prominent but not overemphasized. Bassist Alex Gehring and guitarist Elliot Frazier share lead vocal responsibilities. Drummer Daniel Coburn's energy is integral to the sound and he plays like a composer as much as a time-keeper. 

I love how this band weaves together it's songs. They are melodic and textural. They have distinct structure but seem unorthodox. Amidst the huge melodic and spacious sounds this band creates, structure sometimes loses importance as verses and choruses evolve simply into organic parts of one whole.  

Gehering's bass plays a huge role here- often voicing key melodic parts- perhaps McCartney-inspired to a degree? She sometimes partakes in the textural pedal-effected adventurousness as well, moving between clean and distorted sounds.

Ambience is a key aspect of the overall sound- whether it be soft or abrasive sheets of sound or waves of echoes. Even when kind of harsh there is a softening effect handled well in the mixing and mastering. Perhaps the real softening comes from the female presence imparted from bassist/singer Gehring's sweet vocals? There are some gorgeous harmonies too. 

The album has a bit of Nirvana-esqueness grunge-leanings away from the pure shoegaze sound on tracks like Heavy Metal Suicide and it's male-led vocals by guitarist Elliot Frazier. Which leads me to ask: of all the musicians who died a tragic death, isn't Kurt Cobain on the top of the list as our world's biggest musical loss? Did grunge and whatever else it would have evolved into die with Kurt? 

Tone-setting textures are big with Ringo as with most Shoegaze and dream pop. Jangly guitar-driven pedals ring gloriously and unselfconsciously. Can't always make out the lyrics or vocals? Too bad. Don't worry about it. You could listen harder or just accept that singing is not at an elevated level in shoegaze, though Ringo Deathstarr do break that mould on tracks like Show Me the Truth of Your Love in which we have an easy to hear male/female.

Overproduction with a band like Ringo Deathstarr would be inappropriate and unneeded. Think of it a little like an audio equivalent of collage art- with pieces of magazine photos ripped, not cut, and glued into an arrangement on a canvas. The music doesn't feel overwrought or overthought- part of the beauty of a garage-y lo-fi approach. At the same time I wouldn't call it overly raw either- there's a nice balance in all of Ringo Deathstarr's music. 

The album imparts a mostly cheerful vibe - no depression-causing tunes in my opinion, but still there are hints of sadness. Mostly there's plenty of dreamy expanses here like the dream pop term implies. Cotton Candy Clouds is a great example. Gehring's vocals remind me a little of Emily Haines from Metric.

The bass lines are often innovative or kinky in cool ways. Stare at the Sun is a great track that demonstrates this- and a fine sample of their work. 

I hope guitarist Elliot Frazier is on YouTube demonstrating how he gets some of the great tones he has such an finely tuned ear for. His riffs drench the album with a wide spectrum of shades and washes that I find are consistently palatable and creative.

Pure Mood by Ringo Deathstarr is an album well worth owning and comes with my recommendation. 

Imaginaerium - "The Rise of Medici" ALBUM REVIEW (symphonic rock/metal)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog Dog media    [album released March 20, 2023]

Imaginaerium's debut opus The Rise of Medici is a modern symphonic prog rock music concept album that performs a service: bringing history into the present- lyrically and even instrumentally, with a complement of renaissance instruments plus occasional ringing church bells and chanting monks. 

Italy-born powerhouse singer Laura Piazzai has politely fielded comparisons of Imaginaerium's music to Nightwish, suggesting a much more elegant approach has been taken than straight-up symphonic metal. 

For one thing, there are four vocalists assuming specific character-roles, though Laura is the most dominant as Contessina. Clive Nolan, the lyricist, is also known as the longtime keyboardist of Neo-prog group Pendragon. He sings representing Rinaldo degli Albizzi, a longtime enemy of the Medici family. Also, the album is rich with broad approaches in how the songs are presented: utilizing different percussion, harp, choral, mandolin, acoustic guitars, as well as your customary metal guitar crunch, bass and drums- crashing cymbals and all. 

If you're at all like I used to be and are turned off by operatic vocals amidst modern rock and metal, be reassured the style of singing on the album is thoroughly contemporary. One of the singers, Elena Vladyuk even has a Kate Bush-like voice, and the male singers sing with great character and spice. Oh, and it's all sung in English.

Sadly Imaginaerium's composer/guitarist Eric Bouillette, also a member of French prog band 9 Skies, passed away in the summer of 2022, causing a setback and blow to this new band. A regrouping is in progress as they are planning to perform concerts widely and in general carry on. 

Compositionally the album is rock solid, filled with distinct and strong melodies like Fall from Grace for example, which has all the hallmarks of an instantly classic melody. The calibre of musicianship throughout the album is high among the vocalists and instrumentalists alike. 

There's no skimping here: The album is almost an hour, and the bonus CD has what I believe are radically alternate versions worth hearing and diving into, if not just as interesting as the main CD.  The songs feature different and beautiful instrumentations and vocal duets, including more prominent use of the harp and other worthy experiments, plus interviews with the 3 core members Clive, Eric and Laura.... That's just speaking of the CDs. The album packaging is truly gorgeous and satisfying, setting a high bar that I wish all album releases could follow. Much thought went into the ear book design. Good thing too, as this is the kind of album that reading the lyrics adds much to the listener's experience. The history of the Medici's is brought to life with a tag-team of passionate singers. 

Another bonus for male prog fans: When listening to The Rise of Medici your partner likely won't ask you to turn the volume down. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Piazzai in a prog chat (link here).

https://imaginaerium.org/

Espresso - "Espresso" ALBUM REVIEW (Instrumental Prog Rock from Chile)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog Dog Media    [album released Sept. 2, 2022]

Considering it's a debut release, Espresso has emerged as a cohesive, mature and confident prog rock fusion quartet brimming with strengths.

The album is simply and ably produced- formidably creative and fresh throughout. Guitarist Fernando Meneses Díaz says that the band wanted the material to be reproducable on stage without sacrificing anything for a live audience's listening pleasure. 

The members of the band were humble as we spoke about how they collaborated together to create this new album, faced as they were with Pandemic lockdown logistical complications (see the interview on Prog Chat #14 here). Some of the material originated in a previous project but great effort was made to incorporate the newly added keyboard elements to the album's songs.

The guys in Espresso have different focuses as far as musical influences, but King Crimson and Rush do surface time and again. And in all fairness, Allan Holdsworth, Steven Wilson and ELP do come to mind as I listen. Worth mentioning too that being Chile natives, I do detect that culture's inevitable welcome influence in spots. Depeche Mode is an influence in the keyboard department.

A brief word about each musician: 

Elías Orellana Gómez is the quintessential drummer that everyone wants in their band- clean and precise, and a clear candidate for future 'best drummer' category vacancies. 

Bassist Pierino Madrid Pruzzo is a serious player, super-capable, busy, but never obtrusive. He doesn't just play the bass, he explores it. 

Guitarist Fernando Menesis Díaz plays big and broad, moving between colourful and nebulous atmospherics to focussed, mean and 'shreddy'. 

Keyboardist Wilfredo Salas González: It's nice to hear a keyboardist that feels essential and omnipresent in a band rather than being an add-on or mere padding to a project. 

No need for a singer on the album. There's plenty here to engage the ear. 

'Cooler'- has a fantastic dirty grinding theme groove. This composition hints how this band nimbly moves in and out of shadows, and in and out of sections with ease. It's full of plays on time signatures, and features bass and guitar prominently with solid support from synthesizers as is the case on much of the album. The jazz fusion feel is established here as well and sets a tone for the album. The guitars have an Alex Lifeson-esque tone. 

'Nuevo Horizonte' is exciting and quick paced. It features lead synth pulses and jazz fusion ear-bending chords emphasized on Fernando's wah wah pedal. Also we hear some cool drumming work while we listen to atmsopheric recorded astronaut radio chatter. 

'Io' is a most unpredictable song. It starts off with spacey chords, and the bass plays a key role again. Then there's a feel-change and a new monster riff, and then back to spaceyness. Probably my favourite moment on the album is when we hear the latin music influence with a piano section that I only wish there were more of on this album- the Latin American vibes compliment prog fusion surprisingly well. The bass plays has lines that will motivate any musician to want to figure out what Pierino is doing. Then we have some really shreddy guitar solos showing again how Holdsworth has influenced so many guitarists. 

'Kosmos' shows off Espresso's diversity as song composers. It's complex (as usual) but easily accessible. The bass starts the song with multi finger hammer-ons.  There's some playful teasings of smooth lounge- jazz in there- and this perhaps hints at native Chilean music. There's more spacey-ness with walking baselines and synth sweeps, plays on complex time signatures over busy keyboard lines, and even a surprise mini-drum solo à la Ringo Starr meets David Bowie.  

'Dimensión Fractal' -is the track that sneaks up on you- and has some of the most exciting moments of the album. It starts off melodical and unsuspecting, then grows into a winding journey with an epic finale. Acoustic piano plays a big role here, which is a refreshing change as synthesizer dominates most of the album. There is a truly freaky and mischievous time shifting section to delight your musical senses. Fernando rounded the track out with some amazing shredding in the finale while Pierino rips the bass chords and Elías double-kicks up a storm. 

The 6th track, called 'Rollercoater', no doubt as a kind of description of what the song contains: plenty of musical twists. It could be a definitioin of the band as a whole as well. It doesn't sit idle! This band is so interesting when pushing into mysterious and darker territories as well- not just the fun and cheerful stuff. Lots of timesignature flirtatiousness here and the bass plays a large role in parts.

Vórtex is yet another example of how Espresso's compositions always keep you guessing. There's some off kilter riffs, cool synth and guitar work, complex descending chords and down-and-dirty riffs, and cool synth work. And of course some playful time signatures. 

Prog dog score: 4 out 5 bones. A tight, cohesive album of instrumental prog fusion capturing great moments between band members- and plenty of well-composed musical highlights - a big thumbs up for the new kids on the Chilean block! 

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listen/buy music from Espresso here: 

http://espresso.bandcamp.com/

Listen to my prog chat with Espresso here.