Prog, prog-rock

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

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

The English band Mostly Autumn has been around for about 25 years and it is hard to imagine the prog rock circuit without them. The band consists of seven people, some of them are multi-instrumentalist. The keyboards give this album an atmospheric opening. After a few soft, peculiar sounds, there is a gradual change. The … Read more, available in English and Dutch