Agusa – Högtid

‘Högtid’ (2014) is the debut album by Swedish retro prog band Agusa, the re-release of which is out now. With a mix of Scandinavian folk rock and psychedelic influences, they create their own style of music. You can hear the retro right away in ‘Uti vår hage ‘. The music is fittingly joyful in ‘Melodi … lees verder

Arena’s anniversary show at De Bosuil was fantastic.

The prog rock band Arena was founded by keyboardist/vocalist Clive Nolan and Marillion drummer Mick Pointer. Thirty years ago, their debut album ‘Songs From The Lions Cage” was released. This is being celebrated with an extensive tour through Europe. Their performance at De Bosuil (Weert) was on Ascension Day. Three quarters of an hour before … lees verder

Moonlight Haze – Beyond

‘Beyond’ is Moonlight Haze’s fourth studio album. This Italian band makes symphonic, melodic metal. The catchy rhythm, ‘verse-rephrase build-up’ and fairly uncomplicated lyrics make the tracks accessible. The backing vocals are sometimes a bit predictable, but the combination of voices is fine. All songs are in English, with only ‘L’Eco Del Silenzio’ containing a blend … lees verder

Cosmic Cathedral – Deep Water

Cosmic Cathedral is a new super band. The band members are: vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse, dummer Chester Thompson, vocalist/guitarist Phil Keaggy and bassist Byron House. Their debut album ‘Deep Water’ was largely born out of jam sessions. You can hear Christianity in the lyrics, some more clearly than others. Some pieces are sung with a lot … lees verder

Elvenking – Reader Of The Runes – Luna

There is so much music launched that, as a music lover/reviewer, it is impossible to listen to everything. Not even if certain albums are on your “to do list”. For me, that applies, for instance, to the trilogy of by melodic folk/metal band Elvenking. Previously, ‘Divination’ (2019) and ‘Rapture’ (2023) were released. Most recently was … lees verder

Divide and Dissolve – Insatiable

Australian composer/multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed is a Cherokee woman. She incorporates her indigenous sovereignty, emancipation and experiences into the (instrumental) music of Divide and Dissolve. ‘Insatiable’ is about Takiaya’s vision of a better world. The drumming is droning, her guitar playing sludgy. Especially with her saxophone playing, and all sorts of sound effects, she creates her … lees verder

At De Bosuil, Colin Blunstone performed an overview of his 60-year career.

Colin Blunstone became well known in the 1960s with his band The Zombies, with which he had several hits. After about seven years, the band ended, but Colin remained active in music. He released solo albums, and was a regular guest singer for the Alan Parsons Project. Perhaps partly due to his part, ‘Old and … lees verder

KariBow – PanTerrania

In its almost 30-year existence, Karibow has released quite a few (double) albums. Some of these are true one-man projects, as founder Oliver Rüsing is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Moreover, he always wants to learn to play new instruments and likes to experiment with sounds.Fans of prog/melodic rock and AOR, among others, had to wait … lees verder

Soft Ffog – Focus

The EP ‘Focus’ is Soft Ffog’s second release. This Norwegian quartet combines jazz with prog rock to create nostalgic, instrumental songs.Opening track ‘Camel’ is complex, you have a lot to listen to. Elements from the beginning, reappear at the end. ‘Focus’ contains subdued parts and beautiful, high-pitched (keyboard) tones, among other things. This third (and … lees verder