Muziekrecensies
Crescent Moon is a Dutch atmospheric rock band. The theme of their fourth album, ‘Another Way to Live’ is the longing for a different direction. This search for choices involves both social and personal changes. It also deals with, for instance, uncertainty and reflection.The intro of ‘Queen of Spades’ is very different from what we … Read more, available in English and Dutch
It is impossible to mention the best concerts, because how do you compare them? The concerts I attend are very diverse. Sometimes acoustic, another time a “big load of noise”. From blues rock, to hard rock, prog/symphonic rock, with or without a touch of metal. I also went to very different concerts in 2024. Therefore, … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Versatile guitarist/composer/producer Nick Fletcher went solo in 2021, his music is a mixture of progressive rock, jazz fusion and classical music. The new album is called ‘A longing for home’. This is the final part of a trilogy that is about finding our true place both in ourselves and in the universe. Although ‘A longing … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Oz Avneya is the man behind Israeli prog metal project Avneya. You may know his name from the prog trio Obsidian Tide. For his debut solo album ‘Road to I’, he stepped out of his comfort zone. For the first time, he didn’t just write compositions, but also the lyrics. Here, he sought the balance … Read more, available in English and Dutch
The Swedish progressive folk-fusion-rock band often has album titles that are difficult to pronounce. But the fifteenth album, ‘Sommargryningsljus’, is quite a tongue twister. A translation app tells me it means summer twilight. These eight songs tell the story of a nocturnal journey. The first two tracks are about twilight, the last two about dawn. … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Vlyes is a new name, but founders Kay Söhl (ex Sylvan) and Jens Lueck Single Celled Organism and Isgaard) are well-known in the prog world. ‘Why’ is their melodic atmospheric prog debut album. This concept album is about the bio-industry. The story displays life (from birth to death) from the perspective of an animal. ‘The … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Arjen Lucassen wrote the Ayreon album ‘01011001’ in 2007. Since he never intended to perform it live, he could make it as complicated as he wanted. He did so, not only in terms of complex arrangement, but also by the amount of vocalists/musicians. Ayreon’s live shows are rare, but always a great spectacle. So was … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Dutch prog metal band Armed Cloud will launch ‘Nimbus’, their fourth album, on 25 May. Nimbus comes from cumulonimbus, aka thunderclouds. This is the band’s darkest and heaviest album to date. The sound at the start of ‘Safety Word’ is a bit duller than expected. The metal could have “thundered” a bit more. Still, the … Read more, available in English and Dutch
The story behind the new rock opera ‘Hollingsworth Mansion’ is extraordinary: In 1808, the Hollingsworth family died because their stand-alone house burned down. After restoration, the property was residenced by several families. In 1931 the Welbourne family moved in. It should have been a beautiful new beginning…. To understand the story, it is important to … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella is a duo from Germany. They release their albums through their own label, Gray Matters. Besides their own repertoire, they also make covers. ‘The Rainbow Tree’ is their fourth cover album. Again, they make their own acoustic versions of both new and old prog rock/metal songs. They start with “old” … Read more, available in English and Dutch