From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website Monument / Zior biography (By Raffaella Berry (Raff) More than an independent band, MONUMENT are an offshoot of British hard rock band ZIOR, who released two albums in the early Seventies. Their only album, "The First Monument", is the result of an all-night, drunken jam session involving the four members of ZIOR. The album features a heavy, distorted, Hammond-drenched sound, and ZIOR's trademark occult lyrical themes.
Dustygroove.com: “A sweet psychedelic set, but one with very mysterious origins -- originally recorded as a sound library session, by a group that was really the better-known Nuova Idea! The album's definitely got a vibe that fits its sound library roots -- all instrumental, with a bit less bravado than most psyche albums of this type -- almost more of a focus on the rhythms, which stretch out strongly amidst the Hammond and guitar solos on the set. The whole thing's still pretty rockish, but also has a deeper sensitivity to the overall sound too -- a quality that's partly due to production efforts of Giampiero Reverberi.”
Review by ClemofNazareth SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk Researcher 3 stars. Flaming Bess is a pretty obscure band, and one that like most people I’d never heard of. That is, until they released their ‘Black Sun’ album a couple years ago with its appealing cover of a meditating young lass and its throwback, sometimes lounge-like but seductive lazy instrumentals. Shortly after I sought out this early recording, which is even more appealing given its release date of 1980 and the unlikely sound at a time when most bands were shedding any visible connection to progressive music.
D'AccorD biography Norwegian band D'ACCORD formed early 2008 and really appeared on the scene in Summer of 2009 when they released their eponymous debut album.
Critically acclaimed it has received great reviews so far even outside Norway with music which is reflecting their influences adopted from several heavy rock and prog bands like Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Jethro Tull, to name a few. The songs are rendering an authentic 70`s sound with great vintage keyboard work. ********************************************************
If some person were to ask you, "hey, what is this prog rock stuff?" you could start telling them about this rock music that's adventurous, ambitious, beautiful, challenging, complex, etc. etc... or you could just throw on "Knots" from this album. I'm glad to exist in this universe where the creatures join together and cook up something as wildly genius as "Knots". Positively the most intricate, head-spinning, disorienting vocal arrangement ever (revered and imitated by such bands as Spock's Beard), rivalled in complexity only by a few of Gentle Giant's other compositions; as well as one of the most magical and timeless endings I've ever heard (with the multiple vocal layers, and frenetic drums...) -- this is far beyond songwriting, this is "musical architecture".
Review by Cesar Inca SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator 4 stars What else can I say that many others haven't in praise of Alphataurus' eponymous album? Well, for starters, this is one of the top masterpieces of hard rock oriented Italian prog, or Italian prog, for that matter. The level of beauty and imagination instilled in all compositions, the fine interplay created among the four musicians, the captivating layers and chords played on synth, organ, harpsichord and mellotron, the stunning vocal lines sung by the lead vocalist. there are so many ingredients that make this dish made in Columbus' hometown such a fantastic feast. Actually, none of these five tracks sounds as heavy as some other bands catalogued in this sub-genre (Balletto, Biglietto, Museo Rosenbach, for example), but there's always that special intense fire drifting through the electric guitar lines, the keyboard solos and textures, the powerful rhythm section, and of course, the half-operatic rock linings of Michele Bavaro's singing (sometimes anticipating and over-Dioing Dio). 'Peccato d'Orgoglio' is a great 12-minute opener: this track itself is the most representative incarnation of the band's style, full of diverse motifs, all of them bearing a predominant orchestral feel, yet played with a hard rocking attitude. The guitar and keyboard parts sound really hard, and so do the sung parts. The lead singer's deliveries are both ballsy and sensitive, and the occasional harmonies are quite strong, too (similarly to the vocal harmonies in the best New Trolls repertoire).
5 stars One of my favourite bands, ANEKDOTEN, is here with their third studio album. Besides some tracks that sound typical ANEKDOTEN, there are also some tracks that show a small change of direction in their music. The change is towards a softer, more unique and own sound. ANEKDOTEN 's music is comparable to KING CRIMSON and HÖYRY-KONE with lots of Mellotron and other interesting instruments such as Cello, Rhodes, Vibraphone and Wurlitzer. Their music has a big contrast between melancholic, slow and quiet to bombastic and chaotic but yet complex. My favourite tracks are "Kiss of Life" with powerful Mellotron and the 11-minute "Hole". Although I haven't got used to Anekdoten's slightly new approach, this album isn't bad at all, but it doesn't reach the same heights as their previous albums "Vemod" (1993) and "Nucleus" (1995). ANEKDOTEN is still high above the average bands today, and this album is highly recommended. Review by Greger PROG REVIEWER
Review by HeptadePROG REVIEWER 5 stars This has been a big year for new albums, what with Porcupine Tree, Rush and Marillion records coming out. Those records have all been pretty good, but for me, this was the one I was waiting for, and it's everything I cracked it up to be.
5 stars Metalised psychedelic rock, the music impacts like nuclear force and settles within you. Led Zep, Deep P, Black Sabbath and assorted bands where supposed to be heavy, but this stands alone (we are talking about 1969) as the predominant ultimate heavy metal attack. Even compared with regular (80's) Heavy Metal (Metallica, Iron Maiden) High Tide has been there, seen it and done it already. Rougher, louder and better at it, if I may add.
Entrenched deep within the psychedelic scene High Tide explores the field in a new direction, forcefull guitar riffing, high paced rhythms (and some slow paced passages thrown in for good measure) makes High Tide stand with one foot in late 60's psychedelica and the other in 80's heavy metal, everything passes by, from The Doors (Walking Down Their Outlook) Iron Maiden (Death Warmed Up), till Led Zeppelin combined with Arthur Brown (Futilist's Lament).
Review by kenethlevine SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog-Folk Team 3 stars After a 15 year absence, the collective vision that is FLAMING BESS`returned, led by multi instrumentalist Hans Wende as the sole original member. A "Fata Morgana" is a superior mirage on the horizon, often shapeshifting, and not an inappropriate description for the contents herein.
While presumably the saga of the protagonist continues to evolve, and the jazzy symphonic style remains largely intact, several more mainstream and conventional songs with simplistic messages could relate to pretty much any story. While they are funky, well played and undeniably catchy, "The Power" and "Regenkind" ("Rainchild") are also painfully generic. On the other hand, "Hoffnung (Hope Song) rises through pained lead and acoustic guitars to an emotive second half in which guest vocalist Bernd Hammes leaves all on the table. Elsewhere, we find plenty of fine tunes spanning the BESS spectrum, mostly not earth shattering, although "Dau"", "Erbarmen" and "Gedankenspiele" are pretty hard to put down, with their later CAMEL/later NOVALIS/tame FINCH/UK take on accessible, quasi-instrumental prog.
5 stars Between the Leaves is the sole release by Norwegian one-album wonders Déjà-Vu With a lineup including two ex-members of Høst (Knut Lie on drums and Svein Rønning on guitar) and the late Kai Grønlie on lead vocals, it's a legendary rarity due to originally only being released as a small test pressing. Sadly, the commercial tide had gone against prog at that point, and the album didn't get a more widespread release until 1995, by which point Kai Grønlie had passed on. It's a shame, because whilst most "lost classics" are at best merely very good albums
Exceptional Greek mainly instrumental prog from 1973. Multiple instrumental layers, dynamic and effortlessly shifting complex rhythm changes, baroque and traditional Greek folk music elements, excellent musicianship and songwriting throughout. No wonder it is regarded among the best Greek prog ever. Tracks: Invader, Genesis, The Family, Memory, Return, Love, Ego, Song, The Festival, The Miracle, The Dream, Look Both Horse & Green, Conquest & Z Force.
This is a remastered 2 CD boxset/compilation from the Swedish heavy progressive rock group Anekdoten. The first CD is a selection from their latest three albums, A Time Of Day, Gravity, and From Within. The last track is a previously unreleased track recorded for this release. The second CD is a mixed selection from the 1993 album Vemod, plus some alternate versions of tracks from A Time Of Day and Nucleus.
Asterix was a direct predecessor of Lucifer's Friend; released one (eponymous) album in 1970. Technically, this was the first Lucifer's Friend album, only under a different name. Also, one single was released featuring a slightly altered line-up, without John's involvement. Peter Hesslein began his musical career way back in 1963 with a band called the Giants. Peter Hecht and Dieter Horns were both members of a group known as the German Bonds, from 1965 onwards. Peter Hesslein joined the Bonds in 1968 which survived until 1970. At this point the various members took up the study of graphic design in an attempt to forge more sensible careers.
Atlantis was a band formed by ex-Frumpy musicians Inga Rumpf, Jean-Jacques Kravetz and Karl-Heinz Schott, in late Summer, 1972. The initial line-up included guitarist Frank Dietz and ex-Emergency drummer Curt Cress (later with Triumvirat, Passport). The band played a few live gigs in Germany before they recorded their debut in London's Island Studios. The US magazine, Cash Box, compared Atlantis with the Doobie Brothers and praised Inga Rumpf's blues-tinged voice. Shortly before the group went on a four week tour of England with Procol Harum, Traffic, Vinegar Joe and the Sharks, Cress and Dietz left and were temporarily supplanted by Udo Lindenberg and George Meier.
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
Studio Album, released in 1980
D'AccorD biography
If some person were to ask you, "hey, what is this prog rock stuff?" you could start telling them about this rock music that's adventurous, ambitious, beautiful, challenging, complex, etc. etc... or you could just throw on "Knots" from this album. I'm glad to exist in this universe where the creatures join together and cook up something as wildly genius as "Knots". Positively the most intricate, head-spinning, disorienting vocal arrangement ever (revered and imitated by such bands as Spock's Beard), rivalled in complexity only by a few of Gentle Giant's other compositions; as well as one of the most magical and timeless endings I've ever heard (with the multiple vocal layers, and frenetic drums...) -- this is far beyond songwriting, this is "musical architecture".
Review by Cesar Inca
Review by kenethlevine
5 stars Between the Leaves is the sole release by Norwegian one-album wonders Déjà-Vu 
Atlantis was a band formed by ex-Frumpy musicians Inga Rumpf, Jean-Jacques Kravetz and Karl-Heinz Schott, in late Summer, 1972. The initial line-up included guitarist Frank Dietz and ex-Emergency drummer Curt Cress (later with Triumvirat, Passport). The band played a few live gigs in Germany before they recorded their debut in London's Island Studios. The US magazine, Cash Box, compared Atlantis with the Doobie Brothers and praised Inga Rumpf's blues-tinged voice. Shortly before the group went on a four week tour of England with Procol Harum, Traffic, Vinegar Joe and the Sharks, Cress and Dietz left and were temporarily supplanted by Udo Lindenberg and George Meier.