Muziekrecensies
Arjen Lucassen is mainly known for his prog metal band Ayreon. But Star One is also loved by its fans. Arjen is a film freak, which inspires him musically. Every track on his new album ‘Revel in time’ is based on a film. CD 1:‘The Terminator’ was the inspiration for ‘Fate of Man’. After a … Read more, available in English and Dutch
According to their own words, Kisaragi Station combines classical piano with thrash metal riffs. And they mix catchy rhythms with elements from ambient rock. ‘First Flame’ is the debut album of this German prog metal band. The protagonist of the story (tracks 1 to 4 ) wants to build on the successes of his clone … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Temple of Switches is a studio prog band from California, founded by multi-instrumentalist Tenk van Dool. ‘Four’ is the band’s fourth album, on which you can hear a mixture of rock, jazz and classical influences. ‘Welcome’ has the catchy start of a rock song, followed by electronic sounds and later organ music, among others. The … Read more, available in English and Dutch
In the mid 90s, singer/multi-instrumentalist Arne Schäfer formed Apogee. Man and society are recurring subjects for this German prog band. The lyrics are profound and not meant to be sing along. ‘Out of Control’ has an extensive instrumental intro with various twists. Arne plays several key instruments. You can also hear nice details of acoustic … Read more, available in English and Dutch
In 2019, André Saint and Aaron Gidney founded the prog/melodic hard rock band Grace and Fire. Bassist Tim Ashton (founder of Galahad) and drummer Graham Brown (Paradox Twin, Cairo) complete the lineup. Their debut album ‘Elysium’ was released in November, but only recently crossed my path. It is actually too late for a review, but … Read more, available in English and Dutch
The English melodic rock band Magnum exists almost 50 years! Of course, there have been several changes in the line-up, but guitarist Tony Clarkin and singer Bob Catley have been there from the beginning. Their artwork has always looked beautiful. After a number of quite colourful album covers, the artwork of new album, ‘The Monster … Read more, available in English and Dutch
The band members of the blues band Vendetta Drive previously played in other bands. Sometimes bands break up, and a new one is formed. Just like this band from Horst, Limburg (The Netherlands). ‘Move’ is the opening track, but it starts the way a song could have ended, which is already the first surprise. After … Read more, available in English and Dutch
01 – Epica – Omega02 – Dave Bainbridge – To the Far Away03 – Blank Manuskript – Himmelfahrt*04 – 7even Bridges – Million Voices*05 – Ben Poole & Guy Smeets – Acoustic duo live*06 – Swallow the Sun – Moonflowers07 – Franck Carducci – Oddity08 – Nick Fletcher – Cycles of Behaviour *09 – Drifting … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Tom de Wit is a well-known name in the prog metal circuit. He is the man behind the band ‘Dreamwalkers Inc’. Occasionally he releases a solo album under the name of TDW. Early this year, there was the physical release of his personal album ‘The Days The Clock Stopped’. Also with his new album ‘Fountains’ … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Drifting Sun is a studio band from England. Their prog rock contains both atmospheric elements and heavier pieces. Formerly Peter Falconer was the regular singer, he has a remarkable voice, which not everyone appreciated. On their album ‘Planet Junkie’ (2019), there were three guest vocalists. On the latest album ‘Forsaken Innocence’, the Greek Jargon is … Read more, available in English and Dutch