New and Updated

Updated 25th December:

Ann Gaytan (Belgium): Thank You Ferré (EPM Musique 993382, CD, 1994)
Chanson
Ann Gaytan (lead vocals, keyboards)
An album of Léo Ferré covers seems to be de rigueur for a certain kind of underground francophone singer: Catherine Lara and Béatrice Tekielski also issued similar ventures. This one is very well executed, with some suitably dramatic performances and tasteful instrumental settings implying light folky rock backing. If you love chansons, you should adore this. I’m lukewarm about chansons. GRADE: C+.

Mirage (USA): It’s Been A Pleasure (No label, download, 2017)
Jazz/Rock
Tessa Register (lead vocals)
Mirage’s spare, jazzy music is filled with rhythmic twists and turns, fringing both RIO and math-rock; however, it also has a light, breezy mood that reminds me – of all people – of Shakatak. It’s notable that the penultimate instrumental ‘Donuts’, the one moment when the music gets relatively intense notwithstanding the very Shakatak-like piano solo, is the best thing by some margin. It’s also notable that the whole thing totals just 24½ minutes, so they never really stretch out and the whole thing feels more like a collection of vignettes than a fully-fledged album. GRADE: C+.
Mirage (USA): Chimpanzee EP! (No label, download, 2021)
Jazz/Rock
Court Carnaby (lead vocals)
Making It’s Been A Pleasure seems like ‘War And Peace’ by comparison, this 8½-minute EP bookends two shortish songs with two sub-one minute instrumentals. Musically it’s in a similar vein to their earlier release, though perhaps a little more relaxed and ambient in mood. GRADE: C+.

We Are Space Horses (USA): Apologia (No label, download, 2023)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Gabbi Vanderhoof (bass)
This 38-minute song-suite is difficult to describe, other than to say that it’s all very spacy and frequently quite heavy. Yet, despite one moment that recalls Pink Floyd’s ‘One Of These Days’ it’s not what would immediately think of as space rock, notwithstanding the acid guitars and whooshing synthesisers, and despite being heavy (at one point recalling stoner acts such as Fireball Ministry) it’s not really metal either and opens in a folky vein. However, it is consistently engaging, surprising and inventive, making for a deeply impressive debut. GRADE: B–.

Updated 18th December:

At Sing-Three-Birds (Germany): Encourage (No label, LP plus CD, 2019)
Folk/Rock
Anja Wylezol (principal vocals, guitar, flute)
The odd band moniker conceals the semi-acoustic alter-egos of Krabat, here offering breezy folk/rock that reminds me of many a Canadian seventies outfit. The nine-minute Mellotron-adorned title track is nothing short of stunning and worth the price of admission alone; nothing else comes close to equalling it, but this is mellow and atmospheric enough throughout to cross the line from C+ to B–. GRADE: C+.
See also Krabat

Child Bearing Hips (USA): Child Bearing Hips (No label, cassette, 1988)
Blues/Rock
Ethel Ann Powell (lead vocals, bass, harmonica), Pam Barger (drums, backing vocals)
This sparse, swampy blues/rock and country/rock EP (a single-sided cassette with five songs totalling 15 minutes) isn’t that far removed from Ethel Ann Powell’s previous project as Elephant Patch. However, this mostly loses the forlorn dislocating sense of weirdness that made that album so fascinating, so it’s unlikely to have the same appeal for collectors of the weird and challenging. GRADE: C+.
See also Elephant Patch

Krabat (Germany): Just To Meet The Sun (Performance Studios, CD, 2016)
Progressive
Anja Wyzelol (principal vocals, guitar)
This is a clear improvement over the underwhelming Waiting For The Next Big Thing, partly because Koch is singing a lot less. However, despite plenty of fine moments, it still doesn’t recapture the heights of 22, as it balances a song-based style with more overt progressive elements, leaving it just on the wrong side of the divide between C+ and B–. GRADE: C+.

Sado Ensemble (Uzbekistan): Tashkent Legend (Melodiya C60 22343 000, USSR, 1985)
Pop/Progressive
Mila Rominidi (principal vocals)
The mixture of naïve Abba-style pop and symphonic keyboard diversions here reminds me of the American band Games. However, Sado Ensemble are much more eccentric, drawing significantly on Eastern European folk traditions, though this isn’t always to their favour. GRADE: C.

Sirenia (Norway: Arcane Astral Aeons (Napalm NPR 816 DP, CD, with digipak and booklet, Austria, 2018)
Metal/Progressive
Emmanuelle Zoldan (principal vocals)
Whilst this is another good album, the identikit nature of Sirenia’s music meant that it pricked my ears only once: the guitar work on ‘Love Like Cyanide’ occasionally reminds me of early Siouxsie & The Banshees, confirming John McKay’s status as a remarkably influential and prescient performer. GRADE: C+.

June Wallack (Canada): June Wallack (RCA KPL-0136, with inner, 1976)
Singer/Songwriter/Progressive
June Wallack (lead vocals, keyboards, flute)
Backed by the cream of the Quebecois underground, this singer/songwriter offers a varied set: everything from folky numbers to a Billie Holliday cover to the full-blown progressive rock of the eight-minute ‘Mirage’, seven-and-a-half minute ‘Déjà C’est L’Automne’ and instrumental ‘Amalgame’. The results are consistently interesting, though this lacks the couple of killer tunes that would have elevated it to the next level. GRADE: C+.

Will-O-The-Wisp (Greece): Will-O-The-Wisp (Action ACT 001, 1999)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic/Progressive
Sofia Rapti (occasional vocals), Dina Nassi (keyboards)
At its frequent best, this offers lovely, lush folk/rock with lots of progressive elements and a definite psychedelic edge (in keeping with the beautiful and trippy cover). A couple of songs have a more straightforward singer/songwriter feel and are less impressive, but for the most part this is a charming debut. GRADE: B–.
Will-O-The-Wisp (Greece): Second Sight (Action ACT 003, CD, with digipak and booklet,2000)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic/Progressive
Sofia Rapti (occasional vocals), Dina Nassi (keyboards)
Whilst broadly similar to their first, right down to opening and closing with instrumental people, I find this slightly less compelling, though it’s still effectively melancholy, mellifluous and trippy. GRADE: C+.
Will-O-The-Wisp (Greece): Ceremony Of Innocence (WOW 001, CD, with oversized gatefold minisleeve and postcard, 2004)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic/Progressive
Sofia Rapti (occasional vocals), Dina Nassi (keyboards)
This is perhaps a touch more robust and rocking than their first two: still with lots of folky references but with a more pronounced late sixties influence. It’s also consistently impressive, without any individually outstanding songs but with a warmth and richness that envelops you from the first note to the last. GRADE: B–.

Updated 11th December:

Babal (UK): Live At The Cellar 2nd August 1995 (Cellar Tapes CT009, CDR, with minisleeve, 2025)
Rock/Psychedelic
Karen Langley (lead vocals)
You have to hear some bands live to truly appreciate them. Babal are a band you have to see live to truly appreciate, as I discovered when watching one of their wonderful live DVDs. Bereft of visuals, this live set – comprising all but one track of Running In The Gutter – strikes me the same way as the original album: decent enough but not one of their best releases. GRADE: C+.

Ann Gaytan (Belgium): Babel (Orchidée Noire, with insert, 1987)
Rock/New Wave/Progressive
Opening with the eight-minute title track and closing with a dramatic instrumental, Gaytan’s much more interesting album takes her into much more rock-based realms. Although some might find the programmed drums and strongly eighties feel distracting, this is an interesting album placing her stylistically somewhere between Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes, Colette Magny, Béatrice Tékielski and contemporary Catherine Lara. GRADE: C+.

Prophets Of Zarquon (UK): Galleon Ascending (Otherworld Music, CDR, 2025)
Progressive/Folk/Rock
Roseanna (lead vocals)
Once again, the obvious reference point is early Karnataka (though the Prophets write much more memorable melodies), but this also reminds me of the folkier edge of Mostly Autumn (though the Prophets don’t equal Mostly Autumn at their peak). I’ve also concluded whose voice Roseanna’s recalls: fairly obvious, it’s Rachel Jones of Karnataka. GRADE: C+.

Updated 4th December:

Blackburn & Snow (USA): Something Good For Your Head (Big Beat CDWIKD 189, CD, UK, 1996, recorded 1965-1966)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Sherry Snow (joint lead vocals, percussion)
Blackburn & Snow’s recording career stretched to two singles on Verve, but this excellent retrospective compiles an unreleased album plus some extra bits and pieces. It’s a delightful period piece, capturing the West Coast scene as folk/rock transformed into psychedelia, with a joyous yet mystical mood and hints of everyone from Jefferson Airplane to the Mamas & The Papas. GRADE: C+.

Ann Gaytan (Belgium): Démesure (Chantel CHL 004, 1981)
Singer/Songwriter
Ann Gaytan (lead vocals, guitar)
This haunting singer/songwriter album, which has a typically Gallic sensuality, mostly features orchestral backing plus piano or acoustic guitar. However, a couple feature electric band backing, adding some very welcome variety, although this is overall a pretty sedate set. Framing it stylistically is difficult: it’s clearly rooted in the chanson tradition rather than any notion of pop or rock, but it could be seen as a more classically-influenced sidestep from some of Catherine Ribeiro’s solo work. GRADE: C+.

Ghostriders (USA): Sky West And Crooked (No label GR-1, 1981)
Rock
Jenny James
This obscure West Coast album has something of a late seventies Grateful Dead feel, though it’s musically a bit more robust, with hints of material like ‘Passenger’ from Terrapin Station or some of the harder-edged numbers on Go To Heaven. In particular, the vocals are strikingly Garcia-like, and the album was actually recorded at Mickey Hart’s ranch. As such, it’s pleasant enough, with a few excellent guitar jams, though with entirely short songs they never really stretch out or leave their comfort zone. The album was reissued the following year as The Ghostriders (Anthem ARLP 333) with completely different artwork. GRADE: C+.

Sandy Gurley & The San Francisco Bridge (USA): Sandy Gurley And The San Francisco Bridge (Tower ST 5135, 1968)
Pop/Rock
With a running time of 28½ minutes and only one original composition, this is perhaps a little slight. Nonetheless it’s very good, with Gurley’s powerful and versatile voice unifying disparate material and styles, with backing ranging from strings and horns to some stinging fuzz guitar. The closing ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ sees her accompanied by an uncredited Neighb’rhood Childr’n and it is possible that they perform on a number of other tracks. GRADE: C+.

Lowen (UK): The Legend Of Kay Kavus (No label, CD, 2025)
Spoken Word/Progressive
Nina Saeidi
Quite different from their other work, this features Nina Saeidi reciting an ancient text over minimalistic and spacy synthesiser backing. The results are rather interesting and mildly hypnotic, though it’s questionable how often one might want to hear something like this. GRADE: C+.

Maddy Prior & Forgotten Lands (UK): Fetlock Deep (No label, CD, 2025)
Folk/Rock
Maddy Prior (joint lead vocals), Rose Kemp (joint lead vocals)
Unlike Steeleye Span’s contemporaneous (and rather pedestrian) Conflict, this takes Maddy Prior back to the future. Daughter Rose Kemp’s edgier musical sensibility brings sparse accompaniment from harsh electric guitars and treated violin, making the whole thing feels like a punkier sidestep from early Steeleye circa Please To See The King. As such, this is one the most interesting albums mum Maddy has issued in years. GRADE: B–.

Seven-Headed Raven (UK): Between Coruscating Trees (Sparrowmask, CDR, with gatefold minisleeve, 2025)
Folk
Catherine Gerbrands (joint lead vocals, drums, saw), Liene Rudziša (joint lead vocals, kokle)
The presence of Miranda Sex Garden’s Katharine Blake and Circulus’s Will Summers gives a fair indication as to this trio’s style. No surprises for guessing that this is eerie, somewhat apocalyptic folk: quiet, sparse and mournful, with lots of neoclassical edges and a definite ‘Wicker Man’ vibe. It’s a style I love and this is by any measure an impressive example of the style. GRADE: B–.

Yun (South Korea): Möbius Strip (Si-Wan SRMK 0003, with foldout sleeve and booklet, 1996)
Progressive
Ma-Ri Seong (joint lead vocals)
A 40-minute suite by a multi-instrumentalist using a guest female vocalist? Can anyone say ‘Mike Oldfield’? Well, not really, as Jo Yun’s music, whilst not a million miles removed, is more minimalist and more overtly folky, with the emphasis on keyboards and not much in the way of guitar. Nonetheless, this is likely to delight Oldfield fans, or admirers of beautifully crafted instrumental music in general, especially with its magnificent cruciform oversized sleeve. GRADE: B–.

Updated 27th November:

[No update this week due to internet rewiring.]

Updated 20th November:

Sirenia (Norway/Spain): Perils Of The Deep Blue (Nuclear Blast NB 27361 29810, CD, with digipak and booklet, Germany, 2012)
Metal/Progressive
Pilar Giménez García (joint lead vocals)
This isn’t exactly a stylistic evolution for Sirenia, but it is certainly more ambitious and epic than their norm. In fact, it would rival the mighty Therion had it used real drums rather than the tinny programmed variety. GRADE: B–.
Sirenia (Norway/Spain): The Seventh Life Path (Napalm NPR 584 LTD, CD, with digipak and booklet, Austria, 2015)
Metal/Progressive
Pilar Giménez García (joint lead vocals)
This doesn’t feel like the slight step forward that Perils… did, though it’s equally majestic and in its own way equally impressive. In fact, it’s remarkable that every instrument on the album is played by Morten Veland, whose obsessive overdubbing redefines the concept of the ‘one man band’. GRADE: B–.
Sirenia (Norway: Dim Days Of Dolor (Napalm NPR 685 DP, CD, with digipak and booklet, Austria, 2016)
Metal/Progressive
Emmanuelle Zoldan (principal vocals)
Sirenia have changed vocalist again, but you won’t be surprised to learn that’s all that has changed. Actually, that’s not entirely true: my grade has changed to a C+, not because this is inherently inferior to their earlier work but because it’s marginally less ambitious and with albums this interchangeable margins start to matter. GRADE: C+.

Updated 13th November:

Honey Pot Collective (UK): The Outskirts Of Your Mind – Live 2022-23 (No label, DVDR, with digipak, 2024)
Psychedelic
Jacqueline Bourne (joint lead vocals, keyboards)
Limited to 50 copies, this live DVD features seven songs by the Honey Pot, two by Crystal Jacqueline and four by Icarus Peel’s Acid Reign, all shot on mobile phones. The video and audio quality is rather better than that description might suggest, though none of this is of broadcast quality. Ultimately, this feels a touch superfluous as all three bands are pretty static onstage, though the music remains impressive. GRADE: B–,

Paradigma (Norway): Mare Veris (Head Not Found HNF 008, CD, 1995)
Metal
Cecilie Eidskrem (joint lead vocals, keyboards)
The band described their sound as ‘majestic doom’, which isn’t far off the mark, though this is perhaps more specifically majestic doomdeath, blending soprano female vocals with growls and clean male singing. However, their powerful sound isn’t matched by equally memorable compositions and some of the tempo changes are not handled particularly well. GRADE: C+.,

Sirenia (Norway/Spain): The Enigma Of Life (Nuclear Blast NB 2571-0, CD, with digipak and booklet, Germany, 2011)
Metal
Pilar Giménez García (principal vocals)
Once again, the level of craft is superb and the level of innovation practically zero. Once again, I’m torn as to a grade as a result, but there’s no denying the quality of the music here. GRADE: B–.

Sirens Of Titan (USA): Sirens Of Titan (SOT Recordings SOT 0001, CD, 2007)
Metal
Felicia Mitchell (lead vocals)
Betwixt hard rock and traditional metal, this has punchy riffs aplenty but little in the way of variety, so the results, whilst initially invigorating, soon become rather fatiguing. GRADE: C.

Updated 6th November:

Flaming Row (Germany): Keeper Of The Scriptures/Hüterin Der Schriften (No label, double CD, with gatefold minisleeve, book, booklet, insert and download cards, 2025)
Progressive/Metal
Josie Ann Mau (occasional vocals), Melanie Mau (occasional vocals), Sally Minnear (occasional vocals), Magali Luyten (occasional vocals), Natalie Brown (occasional vocals), Jelena Dobric (occasional vocals)
This is possibly Martin Schnella and Melanie Mau’s best work: a richly crafted rock opera blending folky and hard rocking sections to great effect and packed with twists and turns. That said, rock opera with faint neoprogressive edges is never going to figure among my favourite styles. The two discs, incidentally, feature the same album with English and German lyrics, whilst the downloads also offer an instrumental version and audiobook MP3s of the German novel on which this is based (included in the deluxe package) in both languages. GRADE: C+.

Pareidolon (Canada): The Beginning: Live At Shambhala Hall (No label, download, 2024, recorded 2016)
Progressive/Rock/Metal
Brittany Keller (lead vocals, keyboards), Ashley Pierce (guitar), Anna Katerina (keyboards)
This four-track, 23-minute EP captures Pareidolon’s first gig from 2016 in excellent sound quality. The progressive hard rock here is both pleasant and accomplished, indicating that they hit the ground running and with many of their ideas fully formed. GRADE: C+.
Pareidolon (Canada): The Unattainable Shore (No label, CD, 2025
Progressive
Brittany Keller (principal vocals), Ashley Pierce (guitar, backing vocals), Anna Katerina (keyboards, backing vocals)
Pareidolon’s first full-length set lacks nothing in ambition: this is a concept album running for more than an hour, including a 24-minute track and bolstered by a demo version of the 10-minute ‘Emotional Tides’ (which is rawer and more energetic than anything on the album proper). This is sophisticated symphonic prog that’s extremely well crafted, mellifluous and accomplished; however like a lot of sophisticated symphonic prog, it doesn’t have melodies and riffs that quite match its chops. GRADE: C+.

Poor Genetic Material (Germany): Pastoral (No label PGM CD 13, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2025)
Progressive
Pia Darmstaedter (flute)
‘Pastoral’ is the perfect descriptor for Poor Genetic Material’s understated, mellifluous brand of prog and the artwork matches the music equally perfectly. On their Bandcamp page, they describe this as an ‘album we’re extremely proud of’ and so they should be: when they call this ‘the emotionally most intense album we have ever made’ they’re not wrong. Yet it all remains so understated that it’s still a C+, though a superbly crafted C+. GRADE: C+.

Sirenia (Norway/Spain): The 13th Floor (Nuclear Blast 27361 22910, CD, with digipak and booklet, Germany, 2009)
Metal/Progressive
Pilar Giménez García (principal vocals)
As with their earlier work, this is a difficult album to grade. Sirenia’s music is wonderfully crafted, epic and widescreen, with some decent hooks and not a note wasted – a shoo-in for a B–. But there’s very little artistic development from album to album, and unlike Therion (of whom the same could be said) not much in the way of ambition. In this case, I’ve erred on the side of generosity, but had I been in a slightly different mood this could easily have been a high C+. GRADE: B–.

Updated 30th October:

Emerald Dawn (UK): The Land, The Sea, The Air (Volume I) (World’s End WERCD6, 2025)
Progressive
Katrina Jane Stewart (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion, flute)
I’ve rated everything the Emerald Dawn have produced so far, and this ecologically-themed concept album is no exception. On the plus side, it takes them into some interesting new areas: the jazz-fusion feel of the opening instrumental ‘Dancing With The Spirit’ is a bold departure, as is the prog-metal riffing of ‘Under Changing Skies’. That’s not to say the album is perfect: the doomy melody lines of ‘While Oceans Die’ feel a little self-conscious, there are some occasional neoprogressive tinges and the brash mastering is a tad unsympathetic, but there’s plenty to enjoy here. GRADE: B–.

Giöbia (Italy): X-Æon (Heavy Psych Sounds HPS363, CD, with digipak, 2025)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Melissa Crema (keyboards)
One track is titled ‘1976’, but this predominantly instrumental space-rock set sounds thoroughly modern in its execution. That said, it draws liberally on seventies sources, with more of a Krautrock feel than their earlier releases, taking them away from their more familiar Floyd stylings and adding further exciting textures to their impressive sonic palette. GRADE: B–.

Submarine Silence (Italy): Atonement Of A Former Painter Turned Artist (Ma.Ra.Cash MRCLP 048, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2025)
Progressive
Manuela Milanese (occasional vocals)
Whilst the slight neoprogressive edge and strong Genesis influence (never my favourite seventies prog band) initially made me think this might be a strong C+, I was ultimately won over by the band’s rich folky textures, clear passion for classic Rock Progressivo Italiano and sheer ambition in including a beautifully-crafted side-long suite. The superb artwork (especially on the LP, which has a gatefold sleeve and insert) didn’t hurt either. GRADE: B–.

Updated 23rd October:

Amber Asylum (USA): Ruby Red (Prophecy Productions PRO 394 LU, CD, with book sleeve, Germany, 2025)
Progressive
Kris Force (joint lead vocals, synthesiser, violin, viola), Jackie Perez-Gratz (joint lead vocals, cello), Becky Hawk (joint lead vocals, drums, percussion), Fern Alberts (bass)
Back to being a band, Amber Asylum return with an album blending mid-length songs and instrumentals. It’s all effectively eerie and atmospheric, with the sparse string arrangements conveying a real sense of melancholy and doom, but I do find myself missing some of their more out-there excursions. GRADE: B–.

Goat (Sweden): Seu Sangue EP (Rocket Recordings LAUNCH304, cassette, with obi, UK, 2023)
Psychedelic/Dance
This stopgap set combines the new ‘Seu Sangue’ with dance remixes of songs from Oh Death to mixed effect. Whilst the quality of the underlying music remains stellar, ‘dance remixes’ aren’t really my thing, so on the basis that none of these versions improves on (or even equals) the original, I’d have to question the usefulness of this release. It’s certainly significant that the folky ‘Seu Sangue’ – the only track not to have been remixed – is the clear highpoint. GRADE: C+.
Goat & MC Yallah (Sweden/Kenya): Nimerudi (Rocket Recordings LAUNCH399, green or yellow vinyl, with download card, UK, 2025)
Psychedelic/Dance
In an odd sidestep for Goat, this 23-minute 12” EP contains five different mixes of their 2024 single ‘Nimerudi’, recorded with Kenyan female rapper MC Yallah. Needless to say, rap is not one of my preferred musical styles, but collaborating with an African hip-hop artists makes sense given with the band’s fixation on the continent’s music. As for the music results: by no means bad, but (surprise, surprise!) I would much have preferred this without the rapping and a couple of the remixes (notably the deconstruction by Good) are frankly tedious. As a footnote, the vinyl version contains ‘Seu Sangue’ as a bonus track. GRADE: C+.
Goat (Sweden): The Human Language ‘Goat’ Tape (Rocket Recordings LAUNCH424, cassette, UK, 2025)
Psychedelic/Dance
Yet another remix EP – this one consisting of eight tracks from Goat reworked by Human Language (whoever he/she/they may be). As Goat are increasingly recycling their music, I’ll recycle my reviews and once again note that the music here is decent but better before Human Language got his/her/their hands on it. GRADE: C+.

Litania (Italy/Serbia): Litania (Heavy Psych Sounds/Subsounds HPS369/SSR158LP, purple and black swirl vinyl, Italy, 2025)
Metal
Elisa De Munari (lead vocals, harmonium, sitar, dilruba)
Describing themselves as a ‘doom/Hindustan psych band’, Litania blend world music and metal influences in a similar way to Lowen – at least on paper. In practice, Litania’s music is harder-riffing, groovier, trippier and more majestic, giving them the edge for me. Whether their material equals their sound is debatable, but this is still hard-riffing, groovy, trippy and majestic enough to make it over the line to a B–. GRADE: B–.

Pic-Nic (Spain): Pic-Nic (HIspavox HHS 11-157, 1968)
Pop
Jeanette Dimech
This charming little pop album is an unassuming delight, with its feather-light textures, sweet harmonies and well-composed original material. In fact, this cam hold its own with the best folk/pop albums to emerge from the States and the finest Swingin’ London LPs of the era. GRADE: C+.

Updated 16th October:

Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale (Italy): Navicomete (Psych Out PO-33048, double, with poster, 2025)
Progressive/Avant-Garde
Terra di Benedetto (joint lead vocals)
True to the spirit of their 1978 album, this epic double LP offers spacy, drifting music that’s simultaneously very relaxing and deeply weird. Often folky and occasionally jazzy, these four long suites cover a wide range of territory without ever really settling anywhere or doing anything in particular. As such, my grade partly reflects the duo’s sheer ambition and level of craft – whilst this is frequently lovely, I can’t imagine myself listening to something this diffuse very often. GRADE: B–.

Ecstatic Orange (UK): World Keeps Spinning/Skimming Stones (Pop God PGCD30, CD, 1995)
Pop/Psychedelic
Elisa Carrahar
I discovered this Bristol band in a book about nineties psychedelic music, but whilst Elisa Carrahar had underground connections (appearing on an excellent Praise Space Electric album), this two-track 13-minute EP is trippy pop rather than anything resembling Jefferson Airplane or Hawkweed. Big surprise, given its locations: there are notable trip-hop elements too. GRADE: C+.
See also Praise Space Electric

Kathy McCord (USA): Kathy McCord (CTI CT 1001, 1970)
Singer/Songwriter
Kathy McCord (lead vocals)
Wild, jazzy opener ‘Rainbow Ride’, with its squalling horns and extended psychedelic guitar solo, is nothing short of remarkable. The remainder is much more conventional singer/songwriter fare, albeit beautifully sung and pleasingly varied, with settings ranging from baroque orchestration to lively country/rock to nostalgic whimsy. She went on to release a second and final album Baby Come Out Tonight as Kat McCord in 1979, which I have not heard. GRADE: C+.

Rawjaw (Germany): Cyclone Cycle (ON/Enlightenment Music ONR 601/EMCD 96113, CD, 1998)
Psychedelic/Metal
Anne Wichmann
At the hinterland of heavy psychedelia and metal, Rawjaw offer 11 shortish, slightly punky songs with just voice, electric guitars, bass and drums. The results are mildly interesting and often quite energetic, but this isn’t what you’d call a profound or consequential album. GRADE: C+.
Rawjaw (Germany): HC00H (Rawjaw RJ-CD 1, CD, 2000)
Psychedelic/Metal
Anne Wichmann (lead vocals)
Whilst operating under the same self-imposed limitations as their debut, this is better in any way: whereas their first sounded constricted, this is expansive, and whereas their first was frankly a little dreary this is highly engaging. However, given their self-imposed limitations, this still doesn’t quite make it to a B–. GRADE: C+.
Rawjaw (Germany): Retrospective (Nasoni 015, 2001)
Psychedelic/Metal
Anne Wichmann (lead vocals)
This compilation features tracks from both their albums and from some rare CDR EPs that I have never encountered. It cements my earlier impression of the band: a serviceable outfit making enjoyable but unexceptional music, meaning I’d like to hear those EPs but am far from desperate to do so. GRADE: C+.

Sirenia (Norway): Nine Destinies And A Downfall (Nuclear Blast 27361 17570, CD, with digipak and booklets, Germany, 2007)
Metal/Progressive
Monika Pederson (principal vocals)
Whilst this is still very well-crafted, their music is starting to sound a touch formulaic, especially with a procession of short tracks that allow little room for experimentation. Thus the problem here isn’t quality: it’s that this style has been commonplace, meaning albums need to be exceptional to stand out, and this isn’t. GRADE: C+.

Updated 9th October:

Grateful Dead (USA): Dick’s Picks Volume 54 (Rhino R2 726977, quadruple HDCD, with digipak, minisleeve and booklet, 2025, recorded 1973)
Rock/Psychedelic
Donna Godchaux (backing vocals)
The main show from 26 March 1973 is a slow burner: the first set, whilst perfectly competent, doesn’t really take flight until the closing 20-minute ‘Playing In The Band’. Typically for the Dead, the second set is far superior, so the show just about qualified as a B–. The bonus disc, recorded on 31st March, features ‘Playing In The Band’ from the end of the first set and most of the second; it contains some fine jamming and is a solid B. GRADE: B–.

Sirenia (Norway): At Sixes And Sevens (Napalm NPR 105, CD, Austria, 2002)
Metal/Progressive
Fabienne Gondamin (joint lead vocals)
This offshoot from Tristania sees Morten Veland playing all the instruments apart from the violins, though you’d never know it was a one-man-band project from the huge and majestic sound, which recalls both Tristania and Therion. As such, the hype sticker proclaiming it’s simply ‘gothic metal’ doesn’t really do it justice: whilst this doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the genre, it’s so effectively executed that that doesn’t really matter. GRADE: B–.
Sirenia (Norway): An Elixir For Existence (Napalm NPR 135, CD, Austria, with digipak and booklet, 2004)
Metal/Progressive
Henriette Bordvik (joint lead vocals)
This doesn’t add much to the impression created by their debut – in fact, it doesn’t add anything as it follows the same format to a tee. Consequently, even more so than their debut, its usefulness is debatable but the quality of theirmagnificent, beautifully crafted music isn’t in question. GRADE: B–.

Square Wild (UK): The Astral Lodge Sessions (No label, CDR. with minisleeve, 2025)
Progressive/Metal
Lucy Shevchuk
Modern prog bands have become increasingly adept at making a little material go a long way here, but here’s a new wrinkle: the first half of this apparently contains songs from their forthcoming debut album and the second half demos for their planned second. The main difference between the two types of material is that the finished songs have much chunkier riffs and a fuller sound, emphasising the hard rock side of their sound, whilst the demos are more sparse, emphasising their prog roots. Which is better? That’s moot, but they add up to an enjoyable debut album (despite the band billing it otherwise) that builds old the promise of their earlier EP. GRADE: B–.

Weltraumstaunen (Germany): Weltraumstaunen (Nasoni, 1999)

Psychedelic

Silk Heinrich (joint lead vocals, bass)

This offshoot from Growing Seeds focuses more on the talents of multi-instrumentalist Dave Schmidt, with Silk Heinrich co-writing and performing on only two of the five tracks. I don’t find the music quite as fully realised as Growing Seeds', as side one consists of somewhat scrappy free-form jams, though the two longer cuts on side two are nothing short of superb. GRADE: B–.

See also Growing Seeds

Updated 2nd October:

Corima (USA): Amaterasu (Soleil Zeuhl SZ 50, CD, France, 2016)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Andrea Itzpapalotl (lead vocals, violin)
Executed as two lengthy suites, Amaterasu mostly trades Quetzalcoatl’s manic zeuhl for something far more unusual and less Magma-influenced. Almost entirely instrumental, the album balances jazz and classical motifs to deliver music of considerable invention and intensity, with the relaxed 'Tsukotomi' giving way to the deranged fury of 'Amaterasu' itself. As much RIO as zeuhl, this is the kind of album I wish Art Zoyd had gone on to produce, instead of becoming seduced by electronica and arts council grants. It’s also a landmark of modern experimental prog. GRADE: B.

Loomings (Italy/France): Hey Weirdo! (Soleil Mutant SM 57, CD, with digital and booklet, France, 2019)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Maria Denami (joint lead vocals), Clara Weil (joint lead vocals)
Despite the title, the self-conscious manic wackiness that characterised their debut has been replaced by a much more laid-back sound, though Loomings’ music is still unpredictable and highly experimental. This change of emphasis could have been a positive or a negative; in this case it’s clearly the former, with the album being more mature and consistent and far less fatiguing than their first. GRADE: B–.

Nicole Calo (Philippines): ShadowPlay EP (No label, CD, 2014)
Singer/Songwriter
On the basis of this five-track, 25-minute EP Nicole Calo could be viewed as a modern Véronique Sanson, with a similarly slick and commercial style. Of course, what set Sanson apart was not just her style but her truly exceptional songs; I don’t hear anything equally compelling here, though ‘The Warriors’ is nothing short of excellent, but this is still a more than promising debut. GRADE: C+.

Praise Space Electric (UK)L 2 Leaving Demons (Delirium DELEC CD 015, CD, 1994)
Progressive/Progressive
Elisa Carrahar (occasional vocals), Caroline Jarret (occasional vocals), Lia Leenderly (occasional vocals)
This odd little album is difficult to describe: about half-instrumental, it combines somewhat psychedelic jamming with progressive influences and a fair bit of lounge. In some ways, the laid-back jamming here could be compared to Astralasia without the electronics and dance edge, though its defining characteristic is how laid-back most of it sounds. As such, I’m torn as to a grade: this is nothing more than a series of rather inconsequential vignettes, but they’re very good vignettes so I’ll err on the side of generosity. GRADE: B–.
See also Ecstatic Orange

Us & Them (Sweden): We Count The Evening Stars (Withdrawn 007, CD, with minisleeve, 2023)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Britt Rönnholm
Limited to 50 numbered copies, this 21-minute EP features six cover versions (two of which are designated ‘bonus tracks’ for some reason) including a lovelyversion of Trees’ ‘The Garden Of Jane Delawney’. As always, this is delightful, delicate stuff: bittersweet, haunting and extremely evocative. GRADE: B–.
Us & Them (Sweden): The Lights And The Shadow (Fruits De Mer Friends Of The Fish 88, CDR, with digipak, UK, 2025)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Britt Rönnholm
This is perhaps a little slight – the keynote cut is the eerie, psychedelic six-minute ‘Things Obvious To Other People’, with everything else being pleasant rather than striking – but it is customarily lovely. GRADE: B–.

Updated 25th September:

Big Brown Bear Way Out Hotel (Denmark): Live From The Livingroom (No label KMLP 6, 1981)
Singer/Songwriter/Folk/Rock
Kate Merete Israel (backing vocals)
Although credited as a band project, this is essentially the vehicle of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Samuel Israel. He largely performs his atmospheric songs to backing from acoustic and electric guitars, though about half the cuts have full band backing. The results have an unpretentious down-home charm and are worth a listen by anyone who likes laid-back singer/songwriter or contemporary folk music. GRADE: C+.

Cruachan (Ireland): The Living And The Dead (Despotz DZCD110, CD, with digipak and booklet, Sweden, 2023)
Metal/Folk/Progressive
Audrey Trainor (violin, viola, cello)
Cruachan’s first album with a female member in nearly two decades is a fine set, blending Celtic and metal influences with aplomb (even if they don’t appear to have learned any new tricks in the intervening 17 years). However, Karen Gilligan’s vocals are a significant loss: whilst the use of several guest singers provides welcome variety, the only female vocal is on ‘The Changeling’ and it lifts the album significantly. GRADE: B–.

Filigree (UK): Filigree (IBC Sound Recording Studios, acetate, 1973)
Folk
Christine Jeffrey, Patricia Spratt
This unreleased album is wide-ranging indeed, from an acapella ‘Yesterday’ to a beautiful version of ‘Banks Of The Lee’ that resembles Faraway Folk at their finest to an unusual (and very effective) garagy electric reading of ‘Meet On The Ledge’. However, whilst this is frequently quite lovely it’s not all good news: the band also have one foot in choral classical music (notably on ‘O Bone Jesu’) and another in the pure MOR and nostalgia camp (pun very much intended), as throwaway numbers like ‘Moonlight Medley’ and ‘Lida Rose’ indicate. An archive release, also self-titled (Bright Carvings BCLP012, with inserts, 2024) compiles the better tracks from the acetate with a few pieces from a live cassette. GRADE: B–
See also Sunday Afternoons

Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra (USA): Time/Life (Song For The Whales And Other Beings) (Impulse 4798480, CD, 2016)
Jazz
Carla Bley (piano)
Bley’s final album with Haden, issued two years after his death, shows her firmly in the driving seat: in addition to playing piano, she arranged, co-produced, and wrote three of the five numbers. A world away from their noisy 1969 debut, this is richly scored big band music, with strong classical influences: mellow, sumptuous and engaging, but a little lacking in surprises or moments that grab the attention. GRADE: C+.

Mae McKenna (UK): Everything That Touches Me (Transatlantic TRA 321, 1976)
Pop/Rock
Mae McKenna (lead vocals, piano)
This is a little more robust and a lot less precious than her debut, but it shares the same strangths and weaknesses. It’s all tasteful and impeccable, making for wonderful background listening, but this isn’t really music that demands your attention. However, if you’re of the opinion that Like An Old-Fashioned Waltz is Sandy Denny’s best work, you’ll thoroughly enoy this. GRADE: C+.
Mae McKenna (UK): Walk On Water (Transatlantic TRA 345, 1975)
Pop/Rock
Mae McKenna (lead vocals)
Album number three offers lovely mellow pop, with superb singing and musicianship, impeccable arrangements and a beautiful cover to boot. However, like many albums without any self-penned songs, it’s utterly lacking in personality. GRADE: C+.

Softwire (UK): Amplitude (No label, download, 2024)
Rock
Softwire being Software (and essentially a ‘various artists’ project as much as a collective), this ranges from early seventies-style hard rock (quite a bit of hard rock, actually) to ballads, synth-pop and rap. As such, most listeners will have strong preferences between tracks, but overall this is as charming as usual and somehow just about manages to hang together. GRADE: C+.

Us & Them (Sweden): From The Corner Of My Eye (Mega Dodo Mega 17P, CDR, no sleeve, UK, 2018)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Britt Rönnholm
Another day, another lovely EP from Us & Them – this one comprising four songs totalling 15½ minutes and available only as a download or a sleeveless promo CD (though a single with two of the four songs achieved a full commercial release). Musically this moves them from folk to folk/rock with the addition of programmed drums on most songs; the move suits them, adding further depth to their delightful sonic palette, as does the frequent Mellotron. GRADE: B–.
Us & Them (Sweden): On Shipless Ocean (Mega Dodo DODOCD29, CDR, UK, 2018)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Britt Rönnholm
Two ten-minute tracks indicate the duo’s broadening ambitions, introducing a slight progressive edge to their haunting, trippy folk sound. The other nine numbers are pretty impressive too, adding up to another fine set. GRADE: B–.
Us & Them (Sweden): …And I Observed The Blue Sky (Withdrawn 006, CD, with digital, 2022)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Britt Rönnholm
This is a more straightforward than their last, consisting entirely of short songs. But those short songs are so haunting and beautiful and compelling that it doesn’t feel like a step down. GRADE: B–.

Willow Willow (USA): Willow Willow (Mod Lang ML014, CD, with digipak, 2002)
Folk/Rock
Miranda Zeiger (joint lead vocals, guitar), Jessica Uchs (joint lead vocals)
Miranda Zeiger’s songs are delicate and melodic, with a strong pop sensibility, and the electric backing is sparse and well-judged, with some nice baroque touches. The whole thing has an appealing summery, beatific vibe, but the girlish harmony vocals – very American, very indie – make this is a little too twee for my ears. GRADE: C+.

Updated 18th September:

It’s A Beautiful Day (USA): Live In San Francisco (No label, download, 2021, recorded 1960?)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Patti Santos
The provenance of this live recording – five songs in just under 28 minutes – is unclear, but judging from the track listing I’d say it’s from 1970 or 1971. Despite the superior bootleg sound, there is some stunning music here, including an eight-minute ‘White Bird’ taken at a faster pace that the studio version. As an amusing footnote, notwithstanding the recording quality the download is high-resolution, at 96/24. GRADE: B.

Giannis Kozatsas & Giannis Petritsis (Greece): Troïkas Polemos (Philips 6331 079, with poster, 1975)
Folk/Rock
Elpida Karagiannopoulou (occasional vocals), Marina Adamopoulou (occasional vocals)
This concept album about the Trojan War features full band backing with some assertive lead guitar and relatively restrained orchestrations. Its charming period sound is persuasive enough to make it a contender for a B– but I remain unconvinced that it has the killer material to push it over the line. GRADE: C+.

Shelagh McDonald (UK): Parnassus Revisited (No label SMCD2013, CD, 2013)
Folk
Shelagh McDonald (lead vocals, guitar)
On her unexpected comeback album, Shelagh McDonald resembles neither Sandy Denny nor Joni Mitchell. Her beautiful voice remains undimmed by the passage of time and her guitar playing is remarkably fluent, However, whilst this is a fine set by any standard, there’s a limit as to how excited I can get by any album with voice, acoustic guitar and no other accompaniment, hence my grade. GRADE: C+.

Elisa Montaldo (Italy): Il Fascino Dell’Insolito (No label, download, 2024)
Progressive
Given the eccentricity of Montaldo’s previous solo work, this could have been almost anything. In fact, this 26-minute mini-album sees her reinterpreting a selection of theme tunes from cult 1970s Italian TV shows. Not being familiar with the originals, I can’t judge the success of her covers, but the spacy keyboard-based music here is certainly enjoyable enough, with a faintly eerie aura, if perhaps a little substantial given the tracks’ short running times. GRADE: C+.

Solstice (UK): Clann Live: The Colchester Gathering (No label, download, 2025)
Progressive
Jess Holland (principal vocals), Dyane Crutcher (occasional vocals), Ebony Buckle (occasional vocals), Jenny Newman (shaker, violin)
‘Gathering’s is the operative word, as Solstice keep the notion of eighties (rather than retro sixties) communality alive with their uplifting, melodic tunes and fiercely independent stance. That’s to be admired, but as usual I find their actual music pleasant and relaxing rather than admirable. GRADE: C+.

Us & Them (Sweden): Based On A True Story (Withdrawn 004, CDR, 2007)
Folk
Britt Rönnholm
At their best – notably the trippy ‘Things Obvious To Other People’ this duo of singer Britt Rönnhom and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Anders Håkansson achieve a beatific mood of great beauty and fragility. Not everything is of the same standard, but for the most part this is delightful, with a high C+ rather than B– grade reflecting a relative lack of variety rather than a lack of quality. GRADE: C+.
Us & Them (Sweden): Summer Green And Autumn Brown (Mega Dodo DODOCD11, quadruple CD, with minisleeves and envelope, 2015)
Folk/Psychedelic
Britt Rönnholm
The addition of electric guitar to the band’s sonic palette on many songs is a welcome development, making their sound richer as well as a great deal trippier. In particular, the 10-minute ‘From The Inside Looking Out’, with its synthesisers and Mellotron, is a stunning piece of psychedelic folk. The limited edition version of the album included three previously released EPs: 2009’s Fruits De Mer Volume 8, 2011’s Summerisle (all covers of material from the ‘Wicker Man’ soundtrack, as the name suggests) and 2014’s By The Time It Gets Dark. GRADE: B–.
Us & Them (Sweden): Fading Within The Dwindling Sun (Fruits De Mer Crustacean 75, 10”, some on orange vinyl, 2016)
Folk/Psychedelic
Britt Rönnholm
This 22½-minute EP comprises covers of five songs by Sandy Denny: for the most part they’re superb, with Us & Them preserving the atmosphere of the originals without slavishly copying their arrangements. Overall I find the interpretations here more satisfying that those of ‘Wicker Man’ numbers on their earlier EP: whilst that was enjoyable, they never quite equalled the originals, whereas here they really bring their own gently trippy style to bear. GRADE: B–.

Updated 11th September:

Arteria (Mexico): Cuatro Visiones (Elbon 002, CD, 2011)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Mari Carmen Graue (violin)
The real revelation here is that the band is from Mexico: I tend to associate this kind of dissonant chamber music/RIO with French and Belgian outfits, and this immediately brings to mind Univers Zéro and some of Art Zoyd’s less electronic ventures. Entirely instrumental, the music prominently features electric guitar, anchoring it to rock rather than modern classical music, and there’s a high level of dynamism, but the presence of 10 discrete tracks makes the album a little fragmentary. Nonetheless, anyone liking Univers Zéro or the less electronic end of Art Zoyd, as I do, will find plenty to enjoy here. GRADE: B–.

Gong & Daevid Allen (UK/France/Australia): 1998 GAS Tape (Gong Appreciation Society GAS 1998, cassette, 1998)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Gilli Smyth (occasional vocals)
One of the more interesting annual GAS compendiums, this features one side of live Gong and another of pieces by Daevid Allen, his band Brainville, and Stephan Lewry. However, the Gong side is much less compelling than the superb performance captured on the previous year’s cassette: whilst ‘You Can’t Kill Me’ and its lengthy intro are excellent, it reaches a nadir on the pedestrian ‘Heaven’s Gate’, sung (for some reason) by occasional latter-day bassist Keith Bailey. The Allen/Brainville/Lewry side, meanwhile, is consistently solid without crossing over into greatness. GRADE: C+.

Grayceon (USA): Then The Darkness (Translation Loss, double, marbled black or cream vinyl, 2025)

Metal/Progressive

Jackie Perez-Gratz (lead vocals, cello)

This is Grayceon’s most ambitious venture by some margin: 11 songs in 78 minutes, including the 20-minute epic ‘Mahsa’. That said, it’s debatable whether this breaks any new ground for them; what isn’t up for debate is the majesty and dynamism of the music here, making the issue immaterial. GRADE: B–.

Growing Seeds (Germany): Miraculous Journey (Pleitegeier PGV 7960, CD, 1997)
Garage/Psychedelic
Silk Heinrich (joint lead vocals, guitar, bass, synthesiser), Doris Sörgel (organ)
‘With Me’ liberally quotes the riff from Hawkwind’s ‘Assault And Battery’, which proves the adage that if you’re going to borrow you might as well borrow from the best. In fact, Growing Seeds borrow from anyone and everyone, creating a spacy sonic stew with everything from crushingly heavy guitars to sitars. The result is one of the finest psychedelic albums of the nineties, executed with real energy and verve. Oddly, the vinyl version has a quite different track listing, dropping several cuts from the CD but adding an excellent exclusive suite ‘Five Days In A Bus’ on the second side. GRADE: B–.

Hobbit House Collective (UK): The Hobbit House Collective (Regal Crabomophone winkle 45, CDR, with mini sleeve, 2022)
Psychedelic
Jacqueline Bourne
Bringing together various stakeholders from the Honey Pot/Crystal Jacqueline, this received broader release as a double single featuring superb covers of Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Battle Of Evermore’ and ‘Ramble On’, a heavy acid-rock jam based around Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ and one original jam ‘Wolfgang Does The Nurburgring’. However, a CDR adding five bonus alternative versions of the tracks was sold at a Honey Pot gig in London in January 2022. Whilst my grade may seem generous for what amounts to an odds-and-sods collection, this is perhaps the best album to emerge from this collective of musicians – which is saying quite something. GRADE: B.

Updated 4th September:

Foehn (France): Faëria (Centre Loisirs & Culture CC 4610, 1985)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Anou Belliard (lead vocals)
The obvious reference point here is Cos, with Anou Belliard offering some very Pascale Son-like scatting, though there are slight references to the softest end of Magma and fusion and jazz/funk in general. Composed as the soundtrack to a modern ballet, this is both well-structured and beautifully recorded, but it doesn’t have quite the same carefree abandon as Cos or sense of adventure of Magma, and the prominent synthesisers sometimes get a bit cheesy.

GRADE: C+.

Honey Pot (UK): The Secret (Billywitch B1004CD, CDR, with book sleeve, 2021)
Psychedelic
Jacqueline Bourne (joint lead vocals, keyboards)
A picture of Jefferson Airplane, a quote from Robert Crumb about the Grateful Dead and a still from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ indicate the Honey Pot’s secret: they take psychedelic inspiration from anything and everything, rather than slavishly adhering to any particular style. Of course, many modern bands play eclectic psychedelia, so the real issue is whether or not they have innate trippiness. The Honey Pot have it. GRADE: B–.
Honey Pot (UK): The Happiness Explosion (Billywitch B1020, double, 2024)
Psychedelic
Jacqueline Bourne (joint lead vocals, keyboards)
The Honey Pot’s first album in three years is quite the epic, offering 17 songs totalling nearly 83 minutes. However, don’t expect any kind of high-blown concept album, as I’m struggling to identify any overarching or collective identity. Nonetheless, as with everything this band has released, there’s plenty of good music on offer. GRADE: B–.
Honey Pot (UK): Live At The New Avalon Ballroom (Mega Dodo DODOLP38, purple vinyl, 2025)
Psychedelic
Jacqueline Bourne (joint lead vocals, keyboards)
Mixing old and new material, this live set is customarily excellent, boasting the winning combination of acid guitar and trebly organ – the building blocks of many favourite albums in my collection. GRADE: B–.

Monumentum (Italy): In Absentia Christi (Misanthropy AMAZON 7, CD, UK, 1995)
Metal/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Francesca Nicoli (joint lead vocals)
This experimental album is both very metallic and very gothic, but not what the description ‘gothic metal’ usually implies. Its tapestries of songs and instrumentals (that somehow manages to include a deconstruction of Visage’s ‘Fade To Grey’) covers a wide range of musical territory, with lots of classical references and a dark, despondent theme being the unifying factor. Add in some anguished semi-spoken male vocals and mainly wordless female soprano singing and the end results can only be described as quintessentially Italian: very likely influenced by seventies Jacula and Antonius Rex and probably an influence on those bands’ return in the early noughties. GRADE: B–.
Monumentum (Italy): Ad Nauseam (Tatra TATCD-060, CD, Norway, 2002)
Rock/Metal/Progressive
Elisa Carrera (occasional vocals), Francesca Bos (occasional vocals)
Whilst equally gothic, this second and final album is more electronic, less metallic and considerably less varied and experimental. Nonetheless, this is still atmospheric and powerful stuff, even though I miss the constant surprises of the debut. GRADE: B–.
Monumentum (Italy): Metastasi (Cursed Land Entertainment CRS.03, CD, 2004)
Rock/Progressive
Francesca Nicoli, Francesca Bos
This collection of remixes and odds-and-sods sees the band abandoning its metal roots almost entirely: what remains is gothic, doomy electronic music with lots of symphonic references. Whilst much of the music is more than decent, the heavier riffs that used to anchor down their material are a significant loss, and like many odds-and-sods compilations this doesn’t cohere like a studio album. GRADE: C+.

Musica Orbis (USA): To The Listeners (Longdivity 22644, 1977)

Jazz/Rock/Progressive

Kitty Brazelton (joint lead vocals, piano, flute, recorder), Caille Colbourn (joint lead vocals, piano, harp)

Musica Orbis’s blend of jazz-fusion and modern classical influences is unusual, to say the least, lending their music a slightly detached and academic feel. That said, the album is not without its charm and is frequently very inventive, though the more experimental first side is clearly superior to the more conventional second. GRADE: C+.

Updated 28th August:

Stormy Six (Italy/UK): Macchina Maccheronica (L’Orchestra OLPS 55009, with booklet, 1980)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Georgie Born (cello)
Some albums transcend language barriers whilst others don’t: the admittedly fascinating Macchina Maccheronica belongs in the second category. This Italian band pioneered Rock In Opposition during the seventies, issuing a string of albums (though this was the only one with Henry Cow alumna Georgie Born in the line-up), and here their sound blends Brechtian elements with Italian folk styles, chamber music, some circus-like elements and a few (fairly restrained) avant-rock edges. The end results are very interesting, but I suspect one would need some command of Italian to appreciate this to the full. GRADE: B–.
See also Lindsay Cooper, Feminist Improvising Group, Henry Cow, Officer!, Mike Westbrook Orchestra

Uffington Horse (USA): Enchantment (Sea Fire Productions SFP 0409, CD, with poster booklet, 2004)
Folk/Rock
Heather Alexander (lead vocals, guitar, violin)
This electric folk album features excellent original material by Heather Alexander and lively, if not particularly varied, arrangements. The relative narrowness of the band’s style becomes obvious over 14 songs and nearly 66 minutes, but there’s enough good stuff here to get it over the line to a B–. Ms Alexander made a number of solo albums, which I have not encountered. GRADE: B–.

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–.

New and Updated​​​​​​​​​​​

New and Updated