New and Updated

Updated 7th February:

Beau Dommage (Canada): Au Forum De Montréal (Polydor 2424 250, with inner, 1984)
Rock
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers
This band’s seventies studio albums all offered pleasant soft rock with high production values and that typically Québecois breezy feeling, but without the unforgettable songs that would have elevated their music to the level of, say, Fleetwood Mac. This live reunion effort does nothing to change that impression. GRADE: C+.
Beau Dommage (Canada): Au Forum De Montréal Vol 2 (Polydor 2424 253, with inner, 1984)
Rock
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers
Like the first volume – and like their albums in general – this drifts by pleasantly without making huge impression, particularly as their live arrangements are not quite as precise as their studio counterparts. Both volumes were combined as the double CD Beau Dommage Au Forum in 1992. GRADE: C+.

Dismal Euphony (Norway): Spellbound Demo ’95 (No label, cassette, 1995)
Metal
Linn Achre Tveit (joint lead vocals), Elin Overskott (keyboards)
This 17½-minute, three-track demo bfuses various strands of metal, with the whole thing having a slightly impressionistic, mildly psychedelic sound founded upon hazy vocals and shimmering walls of guitars. The results are rather intriguing and mildly interesting, though the band’s distinctive sound isn’t matched by equally memorable songs. GRADE: C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): Soria Maria Slott (Napalm NPR 021, CD, Austria, 1996)
Metal
Linn Achre Tveit (joint lead vocals), Elin Overskott (keyboards)
Somewhat different from their demo, this blends black and gothic metal elements (complete with both death growls and angelic female singing), though it throws lots of other elements into the mix. I can hear plenty of references to symphonic prog plus a fair few folky diversions as well and even some mediaeval and world music touches, all adding up to an unusual, rather lo-fi sonic stew that’s strangely mellow and understated for a metal album. GRADE; C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): Autumn Leaves – The Rebellion Of Tides (Napalm NPR 033, CD, with digipak, Austria, 1997)
Metal
Linn Achre Tveit (joint lead vocals), Elin Overskott (keyboards)
The low-budget feel and slight sense of awkwardness of their first two releases is gone – the music here is majestic, powerful and beautifully crafted. It's also close to fellow Norwegians Theatre Of Tragedy, who were broadly contemporaneous but got there a year or two earlier and perhaps did it slightly better. However, whilst this is uneven it certainly goes some interesting places, particulartly during the highly experimental 12-minute closer ‘Splendid Horror’. GRADE: C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): Lady Ablaze (Napalm NPR 073, CD, Austria, 1997)
Metal
Anja Natasha Lindløv (occasional vocals)
Anja Natasha Lindløv has a much more dramatic vocal style than her predecessor and this 19-minute EP is rather more direct musically than the band’s previous work, largely focusing on pummelling death-influenced riffing. It’s all invigorating enough, bolstered by an atmospheric closing instrumental, but like everything they’ve done it doesn’t quite cross over from ‘good’ into ‘great’. GRADE: C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): All Little Devils (Nuclear Blast 27361 63402, CD, Germany, 1999)
Metal
Anja Natasha Lindløv
Continuing the more direct style of Lady Ablaze, this proves that Dismal Euphony are highly adept at what they do: the music here is powerful, dynamic and atmospheric in all the right places. But it also proves the difference between a C+ and B– album. I enjoyed hearing this and imagine I will enjoy it the next time I play it. I’m just in no particular rush to do so. GRADE: C+.

Kaipa (Sweden): Sommargryningsljus (InsideOut IOM715, CD, with book sleeve, Germany, 2024)
Progressive
Aleena Gibson (joint lead vocals)
Kaipa’s last album turned out to be a B–, much to my astonishment, as I’ve never rated anything else they’ve done above a C+. So does Sommargryningsljus follow suit? In a word, no. It offers pleasant enough symphonic progressive – all mellow and melodic and nicely put together, but somewhat lacking in variety and dynamics. Or as the old lager ads used to put it, it’s good but not that good. GRADE: C+.

Jeannie Piersol (USA): The Nest (High Moon HMR019, with booklet, 2025, recorded 1967-1969)
Pop/Psychedelic
Jeannie Piersol (lead vocals)
Ms Piersol’s sixties discography stretched to just two singles, but she had an interesting pedigree, being a close friend of Grace Slick and at one point co-frontwoman of the Great Society. This fascinating album compiles both singles plus eight unreleased recordings from the same period, most of which prominently feature the Great Society’s Darby Slick. The music here is rather more conventional than the Great Society, though, mixing pop-edged psychedelia with a few more soul-oriented tracks with horns and Minnie Riperton on backing vocals. The result is a charming period piece that’s beautifully presented and packaged to boot, with the better half fully deserving of a B–. GRADE: C+.

Sagitta (South Korea): Hello World (Beatball, CD plus DVD, with digipak, booklet and postcards, 2005)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Lee Jung-eun (joint lead vocals, tambourine)
Lavishly packaged and beautifully presented, this Korean duo’s music refracts late sixties Californian folk/rock through a modern prism, creating a gentle and beatific sound. The DVD features a slightly different set of songs with low-budget visuals, completing a charming and winsome set. GRADE: C+.

Updated 30th January:

All In The Merry Month Of May (USA): At Home (Reverb Worship RW 103, CDR, with minisleeve and booklet, UK, 2010)
Folk
Joëlle Premo (lead vocals, tambourine, accordion, banjo, dulcimer, autoharp)
This is traditional American folk, with a lo-fi vibe. I like American folk a lot less than its European counterpart and I’m not that keen on lo-fi folk either, so this doesn’t really align my with tastes despite being a perfectly decent album. At a push, it could be compared to Shirley Collins’s first couple of albums with a much more basic recording, though unlike Collins’s dulcet tones Joëlle Premo’s singing is quintessentially American. GRADE: C.
All In The Merry Month Of May (USA): Root Bramble Stone (Reverb Worship RW 103, CDR, with book sleeve, UK, 2011)
Folk
Joëlle Premo (lead vocals, percussion, accordion, concertina, banjo, violin, dulcimer)
This is a step up from their/her first, partly because the material is more oriented towards the UK. The lo-fi element again entails some odd artistic choices – we get acapella six minutes of ‘Lord Bateman And The Turkish Lad’ with Premo’s voice solely in the left stereo channel and nearly nine of ‘The House Carpenter’ performed against the rumbling of a building storm – but these eccentricities succeed in adding originality and personality to the album. As a footnote, a later download-only release from the following year, Fun-A-Day 2012, is pure spoken word, with no musical elements whatever. GRADE: C+.

Emerald Stone (UK): Magic Carpet (No label, download, 2019)
Psychedelic
Melanie Sibthorpe (lead vocals, guitar, synthesiser)
This 17½-minute EP offers late sixties-influenced West Coast psychedelia, clearly refracted through a British prism – in fact it reminds me of the early nineties underground more than the sixties, and in this case I mean that as a compliment. In particular, the closing ‘Visions Of A Future’ is outstanding, with its squalling acid guitars, and I would have rated this a B– had it been a little more substantial and demonstrated a touch more personality. GRADE: C+.

Epos (USSR): Rock-Ballad “Ilia” (Melodiya C60 28465 001, 1989)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Irina Nikolaichuk (joint lead vocals), Anna Dudanova (joint lead vocals), Tatiana Frenkel (violin), Galina Klokar (violin)
Deeply rooted in Russian religious and folk opera traditions, this blends lengthy acapella sections and classical instrumentation with synthesiser and occasional (and very effective) use of rock elements. At times fringing apocalyptic folk, the band offer an unusual blend of the ancient and modern that remains distinctly Russian and highly unusual. They issued a second album two years later, which I have not encountered. GRADE: C+.

Magic Brother (UK): I Don’t Mind (No label, download, 2014)
Garage/Psychedelic
Faye Milton (occasional vocals, flute)
To grade this C+ sounds mean: it’s first-rate retro-rock, effortlessly refracting late sixties and early seventies sounds through a modern prism. It’s also extremely well recorded for such an obscure outfit (whose only physical release was a split 10" EP), with fine arrangements and decent songwriting. It just lacks that indefinable je ne sais quoi to move it up a notch, like many similar (though in most cases, less consistent) outfits from the eighties, nineties and noughties. GRADE: C+.
Magic Brother (UK): Uncooked (No label, download, 2020)
Garage/Psychedelic
Faye Milton (lead vocals, flute)
This 25-minute, five-track EP is clearly a collection of demos as the sound quality is pretty basic, to put it kindly. Once again, there is some good music here, but the sheer rawness of the recording means I’m not likely to play this often – if ever again. GRADE: C+.

Rossington Collins Band (USA): Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (MCA MCA-5130, 1980)
Rock
Dale Krantz (principal vocals)
Following Lynyrd Skynyrd’s fatal plane crash, several members regrouped with Dale Krantz taking the lead vocalist’s position. Her raw, Maggie Bell-esque vocals invite comparisons with Bell’s contemporary project Midnight Flyer, which occupied similar musical territory. The good news is that the Rossington Collins Band do it better – the material here is more melodic, more confident and more assertive. The bad news is that there isn’t another anthem like ‘Free Bird’ or ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ here, leaving the album to get by on atmosphere and swagger. GRADE: C+.
Rossington Collins Band (USA): This Is The Way (MCA MCA-5207, with inner, 1982)
Rock
Dale Krantz (principal vocals)
This is a slight step up from their first, with a more varied musical palette, taking in the acapella ‘Pine Box’ and the folky ‘I’m Free Today’. But when all is said and done, this is just good old-fashioned Southern Rock that doesn’t quite achieve greatness. GRADE: C+.

Updated 23rd January:

Army Of Moths (UK): The Canine Trilogy (No label, CDR, with gatefold minisleeve and insert, 2021)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
Three songs about dogs, all as whimsical and unpredictable and oddball as one might expect – at one point this even made me think of Chas & Dave. As such, this won’t be for everyone, but to my ears there’s not a pup among them. GRADE: B–.
Army Of Moths (UK): Four By Two – The Chaos Demos (No label, download, 2024)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
If I didn’t know in advance, I’d never have realised that these four songs are demos – they sound like any other Army Of Moths tracks. Is that testament to how fully the band’s vision is realised here or a commentary on the somewhat low-budget nature of their finished albums? Either way, it doesn’t really matter, as all four numbers are excellent and packed with invention and joie de vivre. GRADE: B–.
Army Of Moths (UK): The Chaos Emporium (No label, double CDR, with minisleeves, booklet, autographed certificate and sticker, 2024)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
The 92 minutes afforded by this double album allow Army Of Moths to indulge their widescreen impulses to the full. Although not a concept album and made up mainly of shorter pop-oriented songs, they achieve an organic flow that makes the album feel like a journey – a very scenic journey with lots of places of interest along the way. GRADE: B–.

Big Big Train (UK/Italy/Sweden/USA): A Flare On The Lens (InsideOut 19658890622, Blu-ray plus triple CD, with digipak, insert and slipcase, UK, 2024)
Progressive
Clare Lindley (occasional vocals, violin), Maria Barbieri (guitar)
It's odd to see ‘Wassail’ – Big Big Train’s one truly great song, just as ‘Strange Machines’ will always define the Gathering – reduced to the acoustic medley towards the middle of the set. A second, shorter set is included as a bonus, and is considerably livelier than the main feature, though as a whole this once again confirms my impressions of Big Big Train as a likeable, quintessentially English band (despite the multinational line-up) with great stagecraft, good musicianship and winsome material – though still only one truly great song. GRADE: B–.

Moin (West Germany): Lieder, Tänze Und Balladen Aus Nord-Deutschland (Polydor 2371 792, with inner, 1977)
Folk
Jutta Schmeck (occasional vocals, violin, recorder, whislte)
The title says it all: this is traditional German folk, richly arranged for a wide range of acoustic instruments. The overall result is akin to an unplugged Ougenweide without the progressive elements and should appeal to those enjoy the straighter end of the band’s repertoire. GRADE: C+.

Precedens (Czechoslovakia): …Co Nám Zbejvá… (No label, cassette, 1984)
New Wave
Bara Basiková (joint lead vocals)
Precedens shared vocalist with Bara Basiková with Stromboli, but though there are occasional slight similarities the two bands are generally operating in quite different territory. This is new wave-influenced pop/rock, with lots of odd little proggy references (par for the course for many Eastern Bloc bands) but not enough substance to qualify as anything other than a mildly interesting curio. The album was reissued on vinyl and CD in 1991, credited to PraPrecedens. GRADE: C.
Bara Basiková & Precedens (Czechoslovakia): Doba Ledová (Panton 81 0729-1, 1987)
Rock/Progressive
Bara Basiková (lead vocals)
The faint symphonic and progressive elements from their debut are much more prominent here, resulting in an odd synthesis of electronic pop and and Stromboli-like high-tech fusion: all detached and minimalist and mildly gothic – and ultimately rather difficult to define. GRADE: C+.
Precedens (Czechoslovakia): Věž Z Písku (Panton 81 0868-1, 1988)
Pop/Rock/Progressive
Bara Basiková (principal vocals)
Whilst this is perhaps a touch more pop-oriented than its predecessor, there’s not much in it. Once again, their blend of electro-pop, symphonic textures and gothic elements, underpinned by very faint jazzy edges, is odd through and through but not displeasing for all that. GRADE: C+.
Precedens (Czechoslovakia): Pompeje (Panton 81 0879-1331, 1990)
Rock/Progressive
Bara Basiková (joint lead vocals)
The excellent instrumentals ‘Archa Bláznů’ and ‘Pompeje II’ are the obvious highpoint here, raising the prog quotient with their rich neoclassical flavour and some spidery lead guitar work on the former. Elsewhere, this is a touch darker than normal, whilst offering the band’s unusual mix of proggy, electronic and pop/rock touches. Bara Basiková subsequently went solo before reuniting with the band many years later. GRADE: C+.

See also Stromboli

Solstice (UK): Return To Cropredy (Prog Rock.com’s Essentials PRE0016, Blu-ray plus CD, with gatefold minislevve, 2023)
Progressive
Jess Holland (lead vocals, guitar), Jenny Newman (violin, backing vocals), Ebony Buckle (backing vocals), Dyane Crutcher (backing vocals)
To say they Solstice are at heart hippies isn’t an original observation; it’s been obvious since their first album. But it’s central to understanding the appeal of their Cropredy reunion concert as they cavort around the stage in multicoloured clothes, with the women’s faces bejewelled, celebrating the joys of life and music. This glass-half-full approach, coupled with their funky and soulful riffs (something I genuinely hadn’t noticed before), is key to their appeal and I don’t doubt that both band and audience had a wonderful afternoon. As for me, I prefer my prog darker, weirder and more challenging, but there’s no disputing that this is a fine live set. The set is completed with a lengthy and very interesting documentary about the band’s history. GRADE: C+.

Spurge (USA): The Untitled EP (No label, download, 2013)
Rock/Progressive/Metal
Jen Hodges (joint lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums)
The obvious comparison here would be the better-known (and slightly later) Insect Ark, even though the two bands’ work isn’t that similar. Like Dana Schechter, Jen Hodges is a multi-instrumentalist who delivers mainly instrumental music that is frequently atmospheric and unusual. Unlike Schechter, she doesn’t concentrate on any particular style – this ranges from progressive metal numbers (excellent) to an actual song with partly rapped lyrics (not so good), so what the music gains in diversity it loses in focus. GRADE: C+.
Spurge (USA): The Titled EP (No label, download, 2015)
Rock/Progressive/Metal
Jen Hodges (guitar, bass, keyboards)
The country-tinged closing song aside, this is less varied than their debut, both for better and worse – though mostly better. It doesn’t deliver the same surprises as The Untitled EP, though since those suprises were often unwelcome that’s no bad thing. Instead, this shorter EP (24 minutes) offers a series of guitar-led vignettes, covering a range of territory and all quite diverting. GRADE: C+.

Updated 16th January:

Army Of Moths (UK): Sorry To Disturb You (No label, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, 2018)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
The obvious reference point here is a low-budget Cardiacs (which raises the question of whether there is a high-budget Cardiacs), as Army Of Moths combine new wave and proggy influences in a similar way. They’re perhaps a little more pop-oriented, though they can rock out in style, with clear eighties as well as late seventies references. Whether you like their playful bric-à-brac music may hinge on whether you like this kind of whimsy (and indeed whether you like the Cardiacs). I love the Cardiacs. GRADE: B–.
Army Of Moths (UK): My Kingdom For A Horse (No label, download, 2020)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
At four songs and 16½ minutes, this download-only EP is a marginal case for review. So is the grade – B– for something as insubstantial as this? But their brand of playful symphonic pop is a delight, making this a nice addendum to their first album (or more accurately, taster for their second). GRADE: B–.
Army Of Moths (UK): By Word Of Moth (No label, CDR, with gatefold minisleeve, 2020)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
This doesn’t add much to the impression created by their first album – as a band with a very distinctive style, Army Of Moths perversely make their varied music sound surprisingly homogenous. As such, this raises the question of how many Army Of Moths albums anyone might need in their collection – as opposed to choosing one and playing it on repeat. But I can only judge albums on their own merits, and on its own merits this is a B–. GRADE: B–.

Children Of The Sün (Sweden): Leaving Ground, Greet The End (No label, red vinyl, with inner, some autographed, 2025)
Rock
One of the reviews quoted on the album’s Bandcamp page compares it to Fleetwood Mac, but that’s one of the few influences I don’t hear in the Childrens’ seventies retro rock. What I can hear is everything from Uriah Heep to Abba, all blending into a melodic, intoxicating stew that makes you wish this lasted for more than 29½ minutes. One also shouldn’t discount the shadow of Led Zeppelin, as a radical (and rather wonderful) languid interpretation of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ proves. GRADE: B–.

Erika Józsa & Horváth Károly (Romania): Kettőspont (Două Puncte) (Electrecord STM-EDE 01451, 1978)
Folk/Rock
Erika Józsa (joint lead vocals, guitar, percussion, recorder)
At its best this delicate album by two ethnic Hungarians based in Romania sounds like an unplugged Ougenweide, with the same crystalline sound and intricate arrangements. Whilst nowhere near as adventurous as Ougenweide, this is certainly one of the more interesting folk albums from the Eastern bloc and can stand alongside the contemporary work of the Czech duo Hana & Petr Ulryochoví. GRADE: B–.

Mamaguitar (Japan): Mamaguitar Sings Mamaguitar (Zelone zel-004, CD, with obi, 2012)
Pop/Garage/Psychedelic
Jun (joint lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion), Yoko (joint lead vocals, drums)
This may be their first album in a few years and they may be down to a duo, but in Mamaguitar world it’s perpetually 1965. That’s no bad thing – the Nippon ladies do one thing and do it very well, though they also do it rather predictably, raising the questoon of how much Mamaguitar one needs in one’s life. Then again, the same could be said of favourites like Therion or Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard or… well, most bands really. GRADE: C+.

Thunderstick (UK): Something Wicked This Way Comes (No label, download, 2017)
Rock/Metal
Lucie Vowles (lead vocals)
Formed by a former Iron Maiden and Samson drummer, Thunderstick were an early eighties hard rock band which reformed in 2017 with new singer Lucie Vowles (also of Kentish Spires). The sound here is distinctly eighties and distinctly retro: as the sleeve notes to the 2018 vinyl reissue put it, ‘Thunderstick were never heavy metal. Thwy were classic rock all down the line.’ GRADE: C+.
See also Kentish Spires

Updated 9th January:

Absolute Grey (USA): Painted Post (Midnight MIR LP 134, 1987)
Folk/Rock
Beth Brown (lead vocals)
This 27½-minute mini-album focuses on the acoustic side of Absolute Grey’s music and features some lovely instrumental textures; in fact, it may be my favourite of their releases to date. However, it also reinforces my impression that whilst they have a winsome sound they don’t necessariily have the memorable songs to match. GRADE: C+.
Absolute Grey (USA): A Journey Thru The Past (Di Di Music L.L. 121, 1988)
Rock/Garage/Psychedelic
Beth Brown (lead vocals)
I thought this sounded a little wilder than Absolute Grey’s studio output, and then I heard some audience interaction and checked the back cover. As its name suggests, this compiles live recordings from 1984 and 1985, resulting in one of the better entries in the band’s admittedly not-that-diverse canon. GRADE: C+.
Absolute Grey (USA): Sand Down The Moon (Di Di Music L.L. 151, 1988)
Rock/Garage/Psychedelic
Beth Brown (lead vocals)
The opening ‘Hammer Of The Gods’ is appropriately named, being a wild feedback-drenched instrumental that opens their final album in style and falls into the ‘I didn’t know they had it in them’ category. Things never get that wild again, but this is by some margin their best: more varied, more atmospheric and more confident than anything they’d managed before. In fact, this convinces me that had they stayed together Absolute Grey would have managed a B– album, something (much as I like them) I would previously have thought impossible. GRADE: C+.

Emeraude (France): Geoffroy (Le Kiosque d’Orphée KO 810907, 1981)
Progressive
Bernadette Simon (piano)
This is remarkably well recorded for a private pressing and musically rather good too, offering quiet, delicate, spacy prog with some lovely acoustic guitar and piano playing. Yet it only just makes it over the line to B– because about half the album uses spoken vocals which add nothing to the music (and in some places actually detract) – would it have killed them to source a real singer? GRADE: B–.

Brigitte Fontaine (France): Pick Up (Verycords 6022046523, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2024)
Rock
Brigitte Fontaine (lead vocals)
Mixing alternative rock helmed by new collaborator Lionel Limiñana and a few snatches of ethnic folk helmed by long-term partner Areski Belkacem, Pick Up could be seen as a compendium of familiar Brigitte Fontaine styles. Whilst that may imply she’s treading water, her music remains fresh and intriguing for an artist of 85 – and indeed for an artist in 2024. GRADE: B–.

Mama Guitar (Japan): Introducing… (Captain Trip CTCD-196. CD, with obi, 1999)
Pop/Garage/Psychedelic
Jun (joint lead vocals, guitar), Iris (joint lead vocals, bass), Yoko (drums, backing vocals)
Refracting early-to-mid-sixties pop styles – beat, surf, garage, incipient psychedelia – through a Nippon prism, this often sounds authentic enough that one could imagine it was extracted from EPs issued at the time in Singapore or Hong Kong. The results are energetic, enertaining, a mite inconsequential above all just plain good fun. GRADE: C+.
Mama Guitar (Japan): In Mama Guitar Style (Captain Trip CTCD-283. CD, with obi, 2000)
Pop/Garage/Psychedelic
Jun (joint lead vocals, guitar), Iris (joint lead vocals, bass), Yoko (drums, backing vocals)
They do it in style indeed: this is as good a pastiche or sixties girl group and Far Eastern beat styles as anyone could want. Of course, you may not want a pastiche of sixties girl group and Far Eastern beat styles, but this sort of stuff makes a delightful palate cleanser after a diet of experimental prog and avant-garde metal. GRADE: C+.
Mama Guitar (Japan): Mama Guitar’s Holiday (Raindrop RR-1001, 7", 2002)
Pop/Garage/Psychedelic
Jun (joint lead vocals, guitar), Iris (joint lead vocals, bass), Yoko (drums, backing vocals)
This short EP is a marginal case for inclusion and is here solely because the CD reissue (Beatball BEAT-18, South Korea, 2005) adds three bonus tracks that take its playing time up to nearly 15 minutes. Musically, this is more sophisticated than their earlier work, in terms of both arrangements and production, and sees the band breaking some new ground with aplomb. GRADE: C+.
Mama Guitar (Japan): Mama Guitar In Germany (Raindrop 45-0145, 10", 2006)
Pop/Garage/Psychedelic
Jun (joint lead vocals, guitar), Iris (joint lead vocals, bass), Yoko (drums, backing vocals)
Whilst this short live album doesn’t really add anything to the impression created by their studio work, that’s missing the point. In many ways Mama Guitar are one-trick ponies – but then the same could be said of any band that chooses to operate within clearly defined parameters. The main thing is that they execute that trick very well and, as always, they’re a fun group and don’t take themselves too seriously. GRADE: C+.

Melting Clock (Italy): Destinazioni (Black Widow BWRCD 224-2, CD, 2019)
Progressive
Emanuela Vedana (principal vocals)
This Rock Progressivo Italiano album is elegant, beautiful, superbly crafted and extremely atmospheric. However, like many modern RPO albums it lacks the unforgettable songs and compelling riffs to place it alongside the seventies greats. GRADE: C+.
Melting Clock (Italy): Altrove (Black Widow BWRCD 269-2, CD, 2024)
Progressive
Emanuela Vedana (principal vocals)
Like their debut, this is a lovely mellow listen and extremely refined in its execution. Also like their debut, it never really commands my attention, ultimately serving as high-class background music. GRADE: C+.

Updated 2nd January:

Absolute Grey (USA): Absolute Grey (Acid Tapes TAB 012, cassette, with insert, UK, 1984)
Rock/Garage/Psychedelic
Beth Brown
One side was recorded in the studio and the other live; the studio side is more controlled and has better sound quality whilst the live side is more lo-fi but considerably wilder, as one might expect. Both offer enjoyable but not exceptional guitar rock with some nicely trippy edges. GRADE: C+.
Absolute Grey (USA): Green House (Earring EAR 2, 1984)
Rock/Garage/Psychedelic
Beth Brown (lead vocals)
Second time round, the first three tracks on each side is a studio recording and the last a live number (including a version of the Velvets’ ‘Beginning To See The Light’, indicating one of their key influences). Once again, the live numbers are considerably more raw and energetic, and once again this is pleasant stuff that doesn’t deliver any surprises. However, in the arid musical climate of 1984 it must have felt like a minor miracle that anybody was making this kind of rock at all. The subsequent double CD reissue (DBK Workds dbk108, 1984) adds a rather good bonus live disc Bless Their Pointed Little Heads, mainly recorded at shows in 1984. GRADE: C+.
Absolute Grey (USA): Live At CBGBs (Acid Tapes TAB 026, cassette, UK, 1985)
Rock/Garage/Psychedelic
Beth Brown (lead vocals)
Whilst this is no more exploratory than their earlier releases – Absolute Grey are the definition of a likeable but unexceptional band – the music here is denser, occasionally creating a borderline Jefferson Airplane vibe. Indeed, they actually cover ‘White Rabbit’ and make a reasonable fist of it. GRADE: C+.
Absolute Grey (USA): What Remains (Midnight MIR LP 125, 1986)
Rock/Garage/Psychedelic
Beth Brown (lead vocals)
One of the reviews in the promo material accompanying my copy compares Absolute Grey to Signe Anderson-era Jefferson Airplane, but there are two big differences: the Airplane were musical pioneers whereas Absolute Grey are retro copyists and the Airplane wrote great songs whereas Absolute Grey’s are merely enjoyable. GRADE: C+.

Cavetree (USA): Everybody Is Getting Paid (No label, download, 2013)
Rock/Progressive
Hanna Acuzi (lead vocals)
The short opening number of this 28-minute album is acapella, consisting of moaning, wailing and screaming. However, what follows is guitar-led math-rock with some tricksy tempo changes and a distinctly American feel. With Hanna Acuzi strongly resembling Courtney Swain, they sound like they were heavily influenced by Bent Knee: there’s even an interlude (called, er, ‘Interlude’) of the kind of fuzzy electronic pop Bent Knee have pursued on their last couple of albums. Except they clearly weren’t: this was released in 2013, before most of Bent Knee’s discography and long before they discovered any interest in fuzzy electronic pop. So did Cavetree influence Bent Knee? Given their only releases were two Bandcamp downloads, it seems unlikely; more likely, both bands drew on the same influence to create their own distinctive brands of rock, with equally interesting results. GRADE: C+.
Cavetree (USA): Watts On (No label, download, 2014)
Rock/Progressive
Hanna Acuzi (lead vocals)
Their second release is even shorter at 17 minutes and slightly different in mood. The knotty tempos remain, but the feel of the music is closer to a new wave/prog metal hybrid with meandering, off-key vocal lines – all very dense and impressionistic. As a result, this time round they don’t really resemble Bent Knee; in fact, they don’t resemble anyone in particular. GRADE: C+.

Galadriel (UK): Anthems For The Heathen (No label, cassette, 1984)
Progressive
Fran Hallard
The band’s dense neoprogressive rock, led by elegant flute and Fran Hallard’s slightly punkish vocals, is more ambitious than many, but when all is said and done this is still rather low-budget neoprog. Nonetheless, it’s all incredibly nostalgic, perfectly capturing a certain era of British underground rock – they even have a stab at reggae rhythms on ‘No Cause For Celebration’. GRADE: C+.
Galadriel (UK): Ty’n-Y-Cym (No label, cassette, 1984)
Progressive
Fran Hallard
Side one of their second album consists of studio recordings, with a slicker and more professional sound than their debut. Side two offers home recordings with the same amateurish, mildly punkish edge as their first. Both are enjoyable and represent a solid step forwards. Tracks from both these albums were compiled, along with some unreleased recordings, as the cassette Galadriel’s Edge issued under the band’s new name Edge Of Faith. GRADE: C+.
See als Edge, Edge Of Faith

Raindrops (USA: The Raindrops (Jubilee JGS / JGM 5023, 1963)
Pop
Ellie Greenwich, Beverley Warren
Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich are better known as songwriters and collaborators with Phil Spector; their own album includes a version of their evergreen ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’. Drawing on soul and doo-wop influences, among others, this is an enjoyable album of sixties pop and as accomplished as one would expect from the talent involved, but given its release date there is little here for rock fans. GRADE: C+.

Updated 26th December:

9 Swans Repeat (Sweden): 9 Swans Repeat (GAC 007, CD, 2003)
Jazz/Avant-Garde
Lindha Svantesson (principal vocals), Nina De Heney (occasional vocals, contrabass)
With all the sounds created by dual double basses and female voices, this experimental jazz album is minimalist, haunting and sometimes quite spooky. It’'s varied too, from melodic folky passages to more typical free-jazz experimentation, complete with free-flying scat vocals. As such, this isn’t going to please every ear, but it’s certainly a fascinating and unusual set. GRADE: C+.

Dandelion Wine (UK): Model Village (English Garden ENG 1017CD, CD, 1996)
Psychedelic
Shirley Souter (occasional vocals)
This offshoot from Red Chair Fadeaway, masterminded by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tim Vass, offers exacty the same kind of pastoral psychedelia – charming, beatific, featherlight, delightful and occasionally a little too fey for its own good. Or to put it another way, this sounds exactly how you would expect an album called Model Village from a band called Dandelion Wine to sound. Shirley Souter sings lead on, and co-writes, one cut and contributes backing vocals elsewhere. GRADE: C+.
See also Red Chair Fadeaway

Lady June (UK): Live At The Residencia Hotel (Counter Culture Chronicles 92, cassette, with insert, Holland, 2021, recorded 1992)
Spoken Word/Folk
June Campbell-Cramer (lead vocals)
To describe the recording of this single-sided cassette as primitive would be an understatement: everything is in glorious mono and all packed into the left-hand stereo channel as a bonus. Mixing poetry readings with occasionally folky interludes on acoustic guitar, synthesiser and pipes, the set isn’t particularly compelling, though Campbell-Cramer’s good humour always shows through. Nonetheless, it’s a nice addition to her slender discography and very well packaged to boot. Incidentially, the same label released I’ve Never Been To Canterbury (Counter Culture Chronicles 91, 2021, recorded 1991), comprising an interesting interview (also very poorly recorded) about Campbell-Cramer’s career and ending with demos for a couple of unreleased songs. GRADE: C.

MaidaVale (Sweden): Tales Of The Wicked West (The Sign CR005, CD, with digipak, booklet and download card, 2016)

Rock/Metal/Progressive

Matilda Roth (lead vocals), Sofia Ström (guitar), Linn Johannesson (bass), Johanna Hanson (drums)

Yet another Swedish retro-rock band, offering early seventies hard rock grooves à la Blues Pills or to a lesser extent Children Of The Sün, with this one given distinction by the all-female line-up. That’s not meant as a putdown: I love the style and like this album, though like much like of Blues Pills’ output, their songs don’t cross the line between ‘good’ and ‘great’. But there’s plenty to enjoy here, not least the atmospheric eleven-minute closing instrumental that was unique to the download. GRADE: C+.

MaidaVale (Sweden): Madness Is Too Pure (The Sign CRC010, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2018)

Psychedelic

Matilda Roth (lead vocals), Sofia Ström (guitar), Linn Johannesson (bass), Johanna Hanson (drums)

According to the hype sticker, album number two has ‘led MaidaVale further down the Kraut and experimental path’ whilst retaining ‘the strong melodic and psychedelic elements from their debut’. However, I wouldn’t describe this as ‘Kraut’ or ‘experimental’ in any way and wouldn’t call their debut ‘psychedelic’. That was simply good old-fashioned retro-rock and tquite different and somewhat superior second effort is simply good (though still not quite great) psychedelic rock. GRADE: C+.

MaidaVale (Sweden): Sun Dog (Silver Dagger SCS001, some on black in clear vinyl, with inner, 2024)

Psychedelic

Matilda Roth (lead vocals), Sofia Ström (guitar), Linn Johannesson (bass), Johanna Hanson (drums)

Album number three is slightly different again, comprising louche funky rock with a trippy feel: pleasant, engaging stuff that at its best resembles a less heavy and far less musically adventurous Goat. If that sounds like I’m damning the band with faint praise, maybe I am: three albums in they’ve convinced me they make likeable music I’ll always be pleased to hear but that they’re extremely unlikely to release an LP I’ll truly love. As a footnote, in a reverse of the norm the vinyl version features a bonus track ‘Perplexity’, meaning the CD and download run for a paltry 33 minutes. GRADE: C+.

Oddleaf (France): Where Ideal And Denial Collide (Audiens/Golden Twigs ODDLEAF/I. CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2024)
Progressive
Adeline Gurtner (principal vocals), Carina Taurer (keyboards, backing vocals)
The brainchild of keyboardist Carina Taurer, who wrote all the material, Oddleaf unsurprisingly have a strongly keyboard-dominated sound. With tracks of up to 14½ minutes, they avoid most of the worst neoprogressive clichés; however, this is not particularly exploratory music, relying on mood and texture more than anything. It all peaks on the closing 11-minute instrumental, on which Taurer deploys her full box of tricks to create some fine moments, occasionally akin to Epidaurus. GRADE: C+.

Slať (Czech Republic): Elegie Propastná (Doomentia DOOM239-1-1, blue and black splatter vinyl, with insert, 2024)
Metal
Jana Kremace (joint lead vocals)
Betwixt doom and traditional metal, this features suitably crushing riffs, nicely stripped-down arrangements (just vocals, guitar, bass and drums) and an excellent recording. However, it also prominently features death growls, both male and female, and a low level of variety so falls just the wrong side of the dividing line between C+ and B–. GRADE: C+.

Updated 19th December:

Ruby Dawn (UK): Beyond Tomorrow (Progressive Gears PGR-CD0037, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2023)
Progressive
Carola Baer (lead vocals, keyboards)
Ruby Dawn’s brand of symphonic rock is pleasing enough, with chunky arrangements featuring atmospheric keyboards and assertive lead guitar. They also manage some intermittently memorable hooks and have a decent grasp of dynamics. But ultimately this is like a lot of borderline-prog modern albums inasmuch as nothing much really happens. GRADE: C+.
Ruby Dawn (UK): Live At The Steam Museum (No label, download, 2023)
Progressive
Carola Baer
This live album is a significant step up from its studio counterpart – the settings are starker, the music is more dramatic, and Carola Baer’s superb singing is given more prominence. They still lack the material that would give them the momentum to make it all the way to B–, but when I’m in the mood for beautifully recorded mellow melodrama this will do nicely. GRADE: C+.
Ruby Dawn (UK): Beyond Tomorrow (No label, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2024)
Progressive
Carola Baer (lead vocals, keyboards)
Once again the level of drama is high and the recording is beautiful, adding distinction to what would otherwise be a merely solid symphonic rock album. Thus if you’re looking for adventurousness and experimentation, this probably isn’t the album for you, but if you value emotion and intensity you could certainly do a great deal worse. GRADE: C+.

Seven Steps To The Green Door (Germany): The? Truth (Progressive Promotion PPR CD 118, CD, with digipak, 2024)
Progressive/Metal
Anne Trautmann (joint lead vocals), Jana-Christina Pöche (joint lead vocals), Amielie Hofmann (joint lead vocals), Elisabeth Markstein (joint lead vocals), Annemarie Schmidt (joint lead vocals), Carolin Koss (joint lead vocals)
Like many rock opera projects, this tends to subordinate the music – a mixture of pomp-rock and prog-metal – to the lyrics and the lyrics to the story. Nonetheless, the music here is varied and interesting, covering a wide range of territory, although one could never describe it as revelatory. The album was also released as part of a 3CD compilation of the entire trilogy in a book sleeve autographed by the band and containing download codes for 24-bit and instrumental versions of The? Truth. GRADE: C+.

Updated 12th December:

Crippled Black Phoenix (UK): The Wolf Changes Its For But Not Its Nature/Horrific Honorifics Number Two (Season Of Mist SOM 818B, double CD, with digibook, 2024)
Progressive/Metal
Belinda Kordic (principal vocals)
The first disc comprises re-recordings of material from across Crippled Black Phoenix’s 20-year career, and if they can recycle their songs I’ll recycle an earlier review: CBP appear incapable of releasing poor or even mediocre music. This is stunning stuff: by turns riff-driven and crushing, atmospheric and Floydian, and eerie and unsettling. The second offers a set of covers, the most suprising choice being Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’. Whilst not quite as striking as the first disc, this is also pretty impressive in its own right, adding up to one of the best (and most substantial) albums of the year. GRADE: B–.

Krobak (Ukraine): Little Victories (Mals MALS 399, CD, with digipak and insert, Russian Federation, 2013)
Progressive
Asya Makarova (bass), Natasha Pirogova (drums)
After several releases as the one-man project of Igor Sidorenko, Krobak added a female rhythm section for Little Victories. The result is actually a large victory, as this is a superb album of elegant instrumental progressive rock led by virtuosic violin , with the results being both wintry and fiery. Admittedly there’s not a great deal of variety across the tracks (though there often is within them) but with music this good who cares? GRADE: B–.
Krobak (Ukraine): Nightbound (Starpoint, CD, with digipak, 2016)
Progressive
Asya Makarova (bass), Natasha Pirogova (drums)
This is decidedly more varied than their last, despite the broadly similar approach, and once they demonstrate an effective grasp of dynamics over the four lengthy tracks. The results are powerful, dramatic, haunting and atmospheric by turns, with the whole thing having a somewhat dark and sombre mood. GRADE: B–.

Professor Tip Top (Norway): Are You Empirical? (No label, CD, 2012)
Psychedelic
Mette Soele Zachau Mathiesen (occasional vocals, drums)
Unusually for a 21st-century retro-psych album, this sounds distinctly eighties rather than sixties, so it could be described as a pastiche of a pastiche. As pastiches (even pastiches of pastiches) go, it’s a very good one nonetheless, and might just about have qualified for a B– if it were a little more consistent and a touch more substantial. GRADE: C+.
Professor Tip Top (Norway): Aoum (No label, CD, 2012)
Psychedelic
Sonja Otto (occasional vocals, organ), Mette Soele Zachau Mathiesen (drums)
Like their debut, this is close but not quite there – a pleasant and mellow collection of eighties-inspired psychedelic numbers that sometimes hint towards excellence but generally don’t. Nonetheless, again like their debut, this is pleasant and engaging stuff throughout and ends on a high with the majestic ‘All Through The Night’. GRADE: C+.
Professor Tip Top (Norway): Tomorrow Is Delayed (Apollon ARP031CD, CD, 2020)
Progressive
Sonja Otto (lead vocals, keyboards)
After several albums with all-male line-up, Professor Tip Top changed direction completely, abandoning their psychedelic roots for a melodic symphonic rock sound. Dominated by Sonja Otto’s gentle vocals and lush keyboards, Tomorrow Is Delayed is a mellow and charming, if not exactly adventurous set, that’s a world apart from their first couple of LPs. GRADE: C+.
Professor Tip Top (Norway): Tomorrow Is Delayed (Apollon ARP051CD, CD, 2020)
Progressive
Sonja Otto (lead vocals, keyboards)
This is somewhat more adventurous and progressive than its predecessor, which works to its advantage; they even embrace elements of space-rock on the Hawkwind-lite of ‘Past Forever’. However, for the most part this is mellow, inoffensive stuff that drifts by pleasantly without making any significant impression. GRADE: C+.

Tristwch Y Fenywod (UK): Tristch Y Fenywod (Night School LSSN096, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2024)
Folk/Psychedelic/Avant-Garde
Gwretsien Ferch Lisbeth (lead vocals, harp), Sidni Sarffwraig (bass), Leila Lygad (drums)
Everything comes together for the trio on their studio album: this is genuinely remarkably stuff that becomes increasingly unsettling as the album progresses. The decision to combine harp, new wave-influenced electric bass (which sometimes makes you think you’re listening a gothic post-punk LP) and electronic percussion pays dividends in terms of creating a unique sound, and whilst parts of this could repel as many listeners as they attract it’s certainly one of the landmark albums of 2024. GRADE: B–.

Updated 5th December:

Gian Castello (Italy): Taliesin (Black Widow BWRCD 027-2, CD, 1999)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Anna Manusso (occasional vocals, violin)
Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Castello demonstrates considerable talent here, carefully layering voices and acoustic instrumentation to create an ornate tapestry of sound. Drawing on traditional sources, his songs are both delicate and haunting, creating an album of remarkable tranquility and fragility. GRADE: B–.

Chifonnie (France): La Chifonnie (Hexagone 883008, 1977)
Folk
Dianne Holmes Brown (percussion, concertina, vielle, backing vocals)
La Chifonnie’s music could be compared to an unplugged Malicorne, and like that band they offer a fair level of variety – everything from acapella pieces to beautiful acoustic passages to the full-blown folk/rock of ‘Gironfla’, with Malicorne’s Hugues de Courson on bass. The use of female as well as male lead vocals would have given it even more variety and a further boost; as it is, it’s just about on the cusp of a C+ and a B. GRADE: C+.
Chifonnie (France): Au-Dessus Du Pont (Hexagone 883022, 19778)
Folk
Dianne Holmes Brown (piano, darbouka, concertina, vielle, backing vocals)
Their second and final album moves their sound slightly closer to folk/rock, with greater use of drums and percussion, though it’s broadly in the same vein as their first. Once again, this is varied, intricate and effectively; it just lacks the relentless invention that made Malicorne so impressive (and once again both male and female vocals would have helped). GRADE: C+.

Gorgone (France): Barminam (No label GORG001/1, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, 2024)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Caroline Indjein (principal vocals), Laura Guarrato (occasional vocals)
No prizes for guessing that these modern Magma alumni play zeuhl, in this case crossed with fusion, jazz/funk (in the positive sense of that term) and even hard rock elements to create some nimble and propulsive music. However, Magma’s conceptual grandiosity is entirely absent, but that’s both a minus and a significant plus – who needs blatant Magma copyists when Magma themselves remain active? GRADE: B–.

Iraklis (Greece): Se Allous Kosmous (EMI 2J 153 70256/257, double, 1976)
Progressive
This ambitious project by Iraklis Triantafyllidis and a huge cast of collaborators offers sophisticated symphonic progressive rock, with short tracks stitched together to create a varied and vivid concept album. Whilst there’s nothing exactly cutting edge here, the blend of differing rock, pop and folk styles is consistently pleasing, despite an unwelcome diversion into rock ’n’ roll on ‘Tha Rthei Vrohi’. In fact, it might be no exaggeration to describe this as one of the most important Greek prog albums from the seventies. As a footnote, the bulk of the vocals are male but female singers front a couple of cuts. GRADE: B–.
Iraklis (Greece): I Stigmi (Polýavlos SPR 302, with insert and stickers, 1984)
Pop/Rock/Progressive
Quite different from the ambitious Se Allous Kosmous, this mostly consists of rather undistinguished high-tech pop: very eighties, somewhat new wave-influenced, occasionally with reggae rhythms. The 10-minute closer adds some progressive diversions and just about lifts this from a C to a C+. As a footnote, one of the eight songs has female vocals. GRADE: C+.

Thunderbirds With Heather & Harvey (Singapore): My Lonely Heart (Philips 883.552 PY, 1968)
Pop
Heather Batchen (joint lead vocals)
The cover may be wonderfully psychedelic, but the music is pretty square sixties pop, with overbearing string arrangements on several songs. Meanwhile, the material mostly comprises covers (including familiar fare such as ‘Puppet On A String’ and ‘Silence Is Golden’) plus a couple of originals, including one by Heather Batchen. GRADE: C.
Heather-Harvey & The Thunderbirds (Singapore): Birthday (PP Sound PSY 112 275, 1970)
Pop
Heather Batchen
Although still slightly MOR in parts, this is by the superior of their two albums, with a more rocking sound, a fair bit of fuzz guitar and a nice garage edge. Consisting entirely of covers, this isn’t the most groundbreaking album, but some of the reinterpretations are fairly radical so at its best this is one of the most charming exotic beat albums you’re likely to hear. GRADE: C+.

Robert Reed With Les Penning & Angharad Brinn (UK): Sanctuary | Covered (Tigermoth TMRCD0824, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, 2024)
Progressive/Folk/Rock
Angharad Brinn (lead vocals)
A somewhat different instalment in the Sanctuary series, this sees Reed reinterpreting music he loves – from ‘Chi Mai’ to ‘Telstar’, ‘Scarborough Fair’, the ’Dr Who’ theme, ‘Willow’s Song’ and inevitably a segment from ‘Tubular Bells’. Mixing short instrumentals with a few songs, this is a touch fragmented and a mite inconsequential but never less than charming. And what do Reed’s reinventions of such disparate material sound like? Mike Oldfield, of course. GRADE: C+.

Various (Greece): I Pop Stin Athína – Zontanoí Sto K‎ýttaro (Zodiac SYZP 89023, LP plus 7", 1971)
Rock/Progressive
Stella Gadedi & Bourmpoulia, Despina Glezou
This compilation of supposedly live tracks (though the audience sounds overdubbed to me) features two excellent garage pop numbers from former Nostradmos member Despina Glezou. Meanwhile, Stella Gadedi & Boumpoulia offer nearly ten minutes of experimental prog, led by Gadedi’s occasional wordless vocals and eloquent flute playing. Among the non-female acts, Damon & Phidias deliver two pleasant contemporary folk songs and Exadaktylos offer a jazzy prog jam with spoken vocals (very vague reference points might include Catapilla and a sort of Greek version of Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes) and a straighter bluesy number. Finally, the best-known act here, Socrates Drank The Conium, provide a ten-minute blues jam covered in stinging fuzz guitar. GRADE: B–.
See also Despina Glezou, Nostradamos

Updated 28th November:

Rosalie Cunningham (UK): To Shoot Another Day (Esoteric Antenna EANTCD1111, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2024)
Rock
Rosalie Cunningham (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion)
I noted in my review of Cunningham’s last studio album that ‘when she’s good she’s good’. She’s intermittently good here : the album takes flight in the middle with the dynamic instrumental ‘The Smut Peddler’, the atmospheric ‘Denim Eyes’ with its intense coda and the glam rock-inspired ‘Spook Racket’. Elsewhere this has the crunchy riffs and enjoyable early seventies ambience one would expect from a Rosalie Cunningham LP, but I find the material mostly unmemorable. GRADE: C+.

Fervent Mind (Norway): Tranquilize (Kaarisma KAR169, 2019)
Progressive
Live Sollid Schulerud (lead vocals, synthesiser, electronics)
Fervent Mind’s style of prog is thoroughly modern, drawing on indie and hard rock influences and prioritising atmosphere over bombast. There’s also a fair smattering of Floyd in their sound, particularly during the occasional extended instrumental sections, and at times this resembles twenty-first century prog pioneers such as Anathema or Pure Reason Revolution. The only missing ingredient is truly killer songs – Ms Schulerud’s material is consistently good, but whilst I could imagine myself enjoying this album at any time I can’t imagine playing any of its numbers frequently. GRADE: C+.

Grateful Dead (USA): Friend Of The Devils (Rhino R2 726291, 19HDCD, with gatefold minisleeves, booklet, shaker drum and box, 2024, recorded 1978)
Rock/Psychedelic
Donna Godchaux (occasional vocals)
Showcasing seven concerts from April 1978, this set highlights an era of the Dead that’s often overlooked in favour of the more illustrious 1977. The first show from 6th April is consistently good, with some fine jamming during ‘The Other One’, but it’s also remarkably laid-back (even by the Dead’s usual standards) and somewhat lacking in fire and intensity (B–). Similarly, the concert from the 7th has no obvious low points but never exactly commands one’s attention (also a B–). Things step up significantly with the show from the 8th, on which the band is firing on all cylinders, creating a bit of a May 8th 1977 vibe, though the 15-minute ‘Rhythm Devils’ interlude is a tad dull (a solid B). The set from the 10th also contains numerous fine moments but once again a boring ‘Rhythm Devils’ and a slightly lethargic mood overall (a very strong B–). The show from the 11th is also close to a B but doesn’t quite make it (and for once ‘Rhythm Devils’, despite lasting a staggering 21 minutes isn’t to blame, as it’s quite dynamic): it’s consistently good-to-very-good but truly transcendant moments are pretty rare. The concert from the 12th was also a standalone release from dead.net, indicating that they thought it the pick of the bunch; to my ears it’s consistently pretty good, notwithstanding nearly 26(!) mind-numbing minutes of ‘Rhythm Devils’, but not a patch on the show from the 8th (B–). Likewise, the show from the 14th is consistently good, with another very long and dull ‘Rhythm Devils’, but never really feels like top-tier Dead (yet another B–). The final concert from the 14th is the other obvious winner: no truly exceptional moments but it’s consistently impressive, and ‘Rhythm Devils’ is shorter (a mere 14½ minutes!) and less dull than usual (B). Overall this is a pleasant enough set, but when comparing it to previous Dead boxes it has fewer highpoints and a touch less consistency, indicating that they’re beginning to struggle for top-tier shows having released so many over the last couple of decades. GRADE: B–.

i Häxa (UK): i Häxa (Pelagic PEL 256-V, quintuple one-sided 12”, some on clear vinyl, with booklet, sticker and box, Germany, 2024)
Folk/Industrial/Psychedelic/Avant-Garde
Rebecca Need-Menear (lead vocals)
This mixture of dark folk, electronica and industrial elements – all gothic and haunting and über-pretentious – reminds me of the sort of thing that often appears on the Reverb Worship label. This has greater scope, not to mention what sounds like a larger recording budget, with the whole thing resembling a film soundtrack (which it apparently was) and ranging from moments of symphonic beauty to pure cacophony. Drenched in echo and effects, the album resembles some sort of mutant hybrid of Kate Bush, Nico, Nurse With Wound and Current 93 and is fascinating, adventurous and unsettling. As a footnote, the album was also released on double LP and CD, but only the boxed set edition (limited to 500 copies) includes the bonus fifth disc with an additional nine minutes of music. GRADE: B–.

Updated 21st November:

Lady June (UK): Lady June (No label, cassette, 1982?)\

Folk/Rock

June Campbell-Cramer (lead vocals)

With Mother Gong’s Harry Williamson producing and providing much of the accompaniment, this three-track EP reminds me of both Mother Gong and the more melodic end of the Poison Girls (mainly due to Campbell-Cramer’s resemblance to Vi Subversa when she sings rather than speaks). As such, this is a nice little curio but at nine minutes isn’t what you’d call a substantial artistic statement. GRADE: C+.

Lady June (UK): Bananas (Street Copys, cassette, 1985?)Folk/Rock

June Campbell-Cramer (lead vocals)

Another odd little EP (this one comprising four songs and one spoken-word piece totalling 12 minutes) offers a fairly high level of variety, with guitarist Gerry Fitzgerald’s accompaniments ranging from folk to avant-gardism. Once again, it’s a charming addendum to Lady June;s Linguistic Leprosy, but utterly inconsequential at the same time. GRADE: C+.

Prowlers (Italy): Orchidea (Ma.Ra.Cash MRC 045 CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2024)
Cristina Lucchini (joint lead vocals), Laura Mombrini (joint lead vocals), Anna Cavalli (occasional vocals), Agnis (occasional vocals)
This is, of necessity, a rather vague review as Orchidea is a rather vague album. It offers a mellow, beautifully-crafted mixture of symphonic and Rock Progressivo Italiano styles across a selection of tracks rather from three to 20 minutes. It’s consistently satisfying without being particularly memorable. Most notably, it’s clearly strong enough for a B– without having the distinctiveness I’d generally expect in a B– album. GRADE: B–.

Pure Reason Revolution (UK): Coming Up To Consciousness (InsideOut Music IOM710, CD plus DVD, with digipak and booklet, 2024)

Progressive

Writing Pure Reason Revolution reviews is starting to feel like ‘Groundhog Day’, as most of comments from Eupnea and Above Cirrus remain. This makes it (just) over the line to B– as it’s atmospheric, Floydian and occasionally quite dynamic, not to mention heartfelt (unsurprisingly, since it’s a concept album about the death of Jon Courtney’s beloved dog). But their material isn’t as memorable as their sound, leaving The Dark Third and ‘Silent Genesis’ as landmark works I can’t imagine the band emulating any time soon. GRADE: B–.