Now Playing Thread

[maddox]

What!? 

[Teunis]

Cosmograf - The Unreasonable Silence

[Teunis]

jp: Simon Says - Tardigrade
np: The Cry - Quick Quick Slow (featuring John Watts, Fischer-Z)

[Teunis]

pp: Neal Morse Band - The Similitude Of a Dream
jp: The Pineapple Thief - Your Wilderness
np: The Aurora Project - World Of Grey

[Teunis]

Antimatter - The Judas Table

[PH]

I was listening to a playlist with some of my favourite Big Big Train songs from the "Folklore" and "English Electric" albums.
What a band! I can't recommend them enough. There's Genesis (SEBTP-ATOTT era) and there's some Yes. The singer is called Phil Gabriel, uhhh, I mean David Longdon. And he is a multi instrumentalist playing all kinds of unusual instruments. Everything sounds so brilliantly British. I love it! And they're really productive nowadays. "Folklore" was released this year (contender for best album of 2016 if you'd ask me!!) and they're already writing for a release in 2017.

Now listening to Steven Wilson's "4½" EP.
Trying to figure out what my top 10 2016 albums would look like. Steven's probably not in it this time.

[Steve Jones]

Pure Reason Revolution - Amor Vincit Omnia

More Pet Shop Boys than Prog, methinks, but some nice bits all the same.  A recent purchase that'll probably end up on ebay if it doesn't grow on me!

Other than that I've been doing wall-to-wall Quo over Christmas, in memory of Rick Parfitt

[Teunis]

Listening to Radio 2, the Top 2000. Always nice between Christmas and New Years Day. Number 1 is, like most of the editions, Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

[Teunis]

Kyros - Vox Humana

I've read raving reviews about this album. As some of you will know, 'Kyros' is the new name of the band. They were formerly known as 'Synaesthesia'. They're from the same label as IQ. Really liked their self titles album, so I was curious. Not bad, but too many weak tracks in my opinion ...

[PH]

Kyros - Vox Humana

I've read raving reviews about this album. As some of you will know, 'Kyros' is the new name of the band. They were formerly known as 'Synaesthesia'. They're from the same label as IQ. Really liked their self titles album, so I was curious. Not bad, but too many weak tracks in my opinion ...

Yes, I have heard both albums too. Also seen them live supporting IQ two years ago. Pretty good album, new one too. Live they didn't blow me away, but it didn't keep me from listening to their album.

[Teunis]

Blind Ego - Liquid (Contender for my top-3 of this year )

[Teunis]

Marillion - F.E.A.R.

[Teunis]

First album I played in 2017:

Toto - Toto XIV

now listening to Dollhouse Rock Radio

[Teunis]

jp: The Neal Morse Band - The Similitude Of A Dream
np: Eden Shadow - Melodies For Maladies

Listening on Spotify. Read a review on DPRP.net that made me curious. Comparisons with Day Six, Rush, Genesis and a 9 out of 10. Despite the title of the album, it lacks melodies, at least till now .

[Teunis]

Sleeping Pulse - Under The Same Sky

A Facebook friend recommended this album. It's a collaboration between Mick Moss (Antimatter) and Luis Fazendeiro (Portuguese ambient-metal band Painted Black). As Mick Moss is responsible for the vocals, it sounds very much like Antimatter. Really like it so far .

[Teunis]

The Pineapple Thief - Tightly Unwound (Deluxe Edition)

[Teunis]

jp: Asia - Astra
np: Evership - Evership

[PH]

np: Evership - Evership

Ah, haven't seen them mentioned before. I read on Progwereld a very good review. So how is it?

[PH]

Kaipa DaCapo - "Dårskapens Monotoni" on Progstreaming.com
(Hey Nicky, did you see the ° on the a? )

I really like this. But I'm kinda biased since I seem to like everything with Roine Stolt in it (The Flower Kings less, strangely).
It's got a blues feeling to it. But it also has a very 70s prog style. With Hammond organ and mellotron etc.
I can't say that it sounds a whole lot like the old Kaipa, but it sounds good!
I think I'd rate this album higher than the Anderson/Stolt collaboration, because more is happening here. Less singing and more music.

[Teunis]

Ah, haven't seen them mentioned before. I read on Progwereld a very good review. So how is it?

Played it about 3 times, also because of that review, but now deleted it from my Spotify playlist. Not bad, but I've heard better .

np: Threshold - March Of Progress

[PH]

Played it about 3 times, also because of that review, but now deleted it from my Spotify playlist. Not bad, but I've heard better .

Which brings me to my following question. Do you, like me, think that Progwereld is often rating albums too high? There are so many reviews that I've read that are very positive about albums that, after listening to them, I don't agree with.

I mean, it's good that they're promoting unknown and (often) younger bands. (And they seem to prefer Dutch bands especially.) But I'd appreciate it if they're being honest about it.

Neal Morse's latest album got totally slashed. And then some unknown hobby band from Lutjebroek is getting praise for having released one of the best albums in 2016...?
That's OK, if it were true. But, like I said, I'm often disappointed in those highly praised albums.


Phew... sorry for the rant. Now that's out of my system, let's listen to some music today.

Blackfield - "Blackfield"
A very special album. I think their second is a little bit better, but I have fond memories of listening to this one.

[Teunis]

Which brings me to my following question. Do you, like me, think that Progwereld is often rating albums too high? There are so many reviews that I've read that are very positive about albums that, after listening to them, I don't agree with.

I mean, it's good that they're promoting unknown and (often) younger bands. (And they seem to prefer Dutch bands especially.) But I'd appreciate it if they're being honest about it.

I'm inclined to say you're right, at least that's also my opinion. Of course it's all about taste, but the bands and albums I do like often get bad reviews .

Neal Morse's latest album got totally slashed. And then some unknown hobby band from Lutjebroek is getting praise for having released one of the best albums in 2016...?
That's OK, if it were true. But, like I said, I'm often disappointed in those highly praised albums.

I don't get that either. Neal Morse always gets the 'heard it all before, nothing refreshing' label. Especially the last two Neal Morse (Band) albums sound very refreshing to me as they're band efforts. Well, I keep on believing the reviewers do really mean what they write . But I'm often disappointed listening to albums that get raving reviews from this website ...

np: Frost* - Falling Satellites

[PH]

Well, I have to admit, in this case, that I'm very pleasantly surprised. I'm talking about Evership. I wanted to listen to it, I don't know, to prove my earlier point, or for confirmation. Instead, this proves that tastes indeed do differ.

But still, I stand by what I've said about Progwereld. To their credit though, I take a look at their website very often and wouldn't want them to go away!

Evership. Yes, at least I think this is pretty good. I'm now in my second listen. It has a Classic Rock feel to it. Think Queen, Styx etc. But proggier. It has some of those Wakeman-esque keyboard sounds. And very tasty (acoustic) guitars. But above all that, is the excellent singer, who reminds me of Freddy Mercury in places. Production is really good too.

So, Teunis, to my surprise, against all expectations, I do like this album and will probably get back to it again.

[Teunis]

Well, I have to admit, in this case, that I'm very pleasantly surprised. I'm talking about Evership. I wanted to listen to it, I don't know, to prove my earlier point, or for confirmation. Instead, this proves that tastes indeed do differ.

Okay, didn't see this coming .

But still, I stand by what I've said about Progwereld. To their credit though, I take a look at their website very often and wouldn't want them to go away!

Definitely, every Tuesday I visit the website after their update! For the news, the (concert and album) reviews, interviews and for the gigs and new releases. That's a lot of work, thumbs up for them .

So, Teunis, to my surprise, against all expectations, I do like this album and will probably get back to it again.

You're welcome .

np: Wolverine - Machina Viva

[Teunis]

pp: Muse - Absolution
np: Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side - Pathfinder (Read a nice interview in the Dutch prog magazine 'iO-pages'. Not bad so far, will listen to it again ...).