New and Updated

Updated 7th March:

Funeral (Norway): Gospel Of Bones (Season Of Mist SOM795D, CD, with digipak and booklet, France, 2024)
Metal
Kari Kleiven (occasional vocals), Ingvild Johannesen (strings, programming)
This funeral doom album is certainly majestic, with Ingevild Johanessen’s strings adding considerable gravitas to the proceedings. There’s also a fair level of variety as they’re not afraid to update the tempo when strictly necessary. I’m less convinced by the liturgical, almost basso profundo vocals: whilst well-executed, they make the music a little too gloomy and portentous (though this was probably the point) so the brief soprano contribution by guest Kari Kleiven on the opener lifts the mood significantly. GRADE: C+.
See also Ram-Zet

Grateful Dead (USA): Dave’s Picks Volume 53 (Rhino R2 726975, triple HDCD, with digipak and booklet, 2025, recorded 1976)
Rock/Psychedelic
Donna Godchaux (principal vocals)
This may be from 1976 but it sounds like more like ’77-vintage Dead, with the same metronomic slickness that made the legendary 8th May show so compelling. This doesn’t quite equal that benchmark show, but it’s one of the more impressive Dave’s Picks for some time. As a footnote, the album also includes the ive missing tracks from the 4th May 1977 show, allowing the entire show to be reconstructed. On doing so, I concluded this was another outstanding performance, also meriting a B. GRADE: B.

Grendel’s Sÿster (Germany): Katabasis Into The Abaton/Abstieg In Die Traumkammer (Cruz Del Sur Music CRUZ151, CD, 2024)
Metal/Folk
Caro (lead vocals)
At its best – the beautiful ballad ‘Golden Key (Won’t Fit)’, with plenty of Mellotron, and the majestic ‘The Fire That Lights Itself’ – this is stunning stuff. Elsewhere this sometimes crosses the line between ‘bracing’ and ‘hectoring’, but it’s altogether a more accomplished and confident set than their debut. Once again, all the songs are delivered first in English and then in German, at least in the download CD versions: nine songs apiece, totalling 85 minutes for the former, and eight apiece for the latter, whilst the vinyl has just eight songs in English. GRADE: B–.

Malarchy Band (UK): One Thousand Years From Home (No label malcd4, CD, 2007)
Folk/Rock/World Music
Jane Harwood (bass, flute), Jo Levine (accordion), Nell Farrally (violin)
With both Russ Stanley and Jane Harwood involved, this could more-or-less be viewed as a continuation of the Oroonies, but with a distinctly different musical style. Dropping that band’s psychedelic elements and surreal humour, this is virtuosic, intricate set of world music and klezmer-influenced instrumentals with semi-electric arrangements, not a million miles away from, say, Tin Hat. Given the quality of the playing, it feels mean to give this a C+, but there’s not much variety here and with 25 shortish tracks segued together there’s nothing in the way of improvisation either. GRADE: C+.

Second Oracle (Sweden): Second Oracle (Lazy Octopus LAZYORACLE001, with inner, 2019)
Psychedelic
Lisa Isaksson (joint lead vocals, guitar, flute), Rebecka Rolfart (joint lead vocals, bass), Karin Engqvist (keyboards), Josefina Pukitis (drums)
No prizes for guessing that this offshoot from Our Solar System offers spacy psychedelia, with lengthy, drifting organ and flute-led soundscapes. And since I’ve loved just about everything that has emerged from this particular pool of musicians, no prizes for guessing that is a B–. GRADE: B–.
See also Hashish, Laike, Life On Earth!, Lisa & Piu, Lüüp, Me & My Kites, Our Solar System

Jenny Sorrenti & Tullio Angelini (Italy): Néos Saint Just (MoreMusic Momus 015, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2024)
Singer/Songwriter/Ambient
Jenny Sorrenti (lead vocals, keyboards)
Despite the title, this is nothing like Saint Just: it’s essentially ambient music, with Jenny Sorrenti’s haunting voice and piano overlaid with electronics and occasionally other instruments. The results are haunting, beautiful and sepulchral, with a slight psychedelic edge, though with seven songs spanning 31½ minutes the term ‘slight’ also applies in a more pejorative context. GRADE: C+.

Hudson Swan Band (UK): Prospect Lane (Lochshore CDLDL 1239, CD, 1996)
Folk/Rock
Sue Swan (principal vocals), Lindsey Hunt (keyboards, whistle, backing vocals)
This band were from the north of England, but their album reminds me of seventies Clannad, with the same intricate acoustic arrangements occasionally leavened by some percussion to add a little rock energy. With arrangements based around guitar, bouzouki, keyboards and violin, they achieve a haunting and beautiful sound with lots of classical references, adding a shimmering sheen to the traditional songs and contemporary covers alike. GRADE: B–.

Verdun (USA): Verdun (RCI 829757-81682-1, CD, 2004)
Progressive/Metal/World Music/Avant-Garde
Martha Roebuck (joint lead vocals), Ngoc Hoàng (joint lead vocals)
Crossing experimental rock with Vietnamese music and some electronic elements, this is a thoroughly modern prog album – there are no 10-minute tracks, ostentatious tempo changes or spidery solos here. There is, however, an agreeable level of variety, from hard-riffing passages with off-kilter rhythms to almost ambient sections; they even throw in covers (or, perhaps more accurately, deconstructioms) of ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Stand By Your Man’ to keep us guessing. GRADE: B–.

Updated 28th February:

Analog Missionary (USA): Voyage Of The Demeter (No label, CDR, with sticker, 2000)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Anstrom
The track titles tell their own story: ‘The Black Carriage’, ‘Mina’s Letter’, ‘Passage To Bremen’ and ‘From Flight To Capture’ confirm that this is the soundtrack to a non-existent film rather than an album per se. The music is pitched somewhere between dreamy psychedelia and keyboard-led sympho-prog: I can hear strong echoes of Enya and a few hints of Popol Vuh, though there are several heavy rock-oriented numbers that effectively vary the pace. But whilst the music is well-crafted, atmospheric and absorbing, this suffers from the problem facing many soundtrack albums – it’s all a bit fragmentary and the music occasionally sounds secondary to the (non-existent) film. As a footnote, the packaging is very basic indeed – a slimlime CD case with no booklet or rear tray card. GRADE: C+.

Ava Marie (USA): The Night Of The House Fire (No lsbel, download, 2013)
Folk
Not a female soloist as one might expect, Ava Marie was a band including a female member. She contributes some backing vocals here and possibly some instrumentation, though this 26-minute EP is pretty minimalist – male vocals set against acoustic guitar and/or keyboard plus occasional spund effects, creating a wintry, sepulchral vibe. The slightly mannered, all-American singing style could divide opinions, however. GRADE: C+.

Byron (Finland): The Omega Evangelion (The Goatmancer GR07, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, Italy, 2021)
Metal
Johanna Eteläkari (principal vocals)
My favourite metal is eclectic, experimental or progressive and preferably some blend of all those things. This is none of them, being old-school seventies and eighties-influenced mainstream metal, but it is a particularly good example of the genre – nicely understated, with well-crafted mid-length songs and not a hint of Spinal Tap-esque clichés or histrionics. GRADE: B–.
Byron (Finland): Chapter II: The Lotus Covenant (The Goatmancer GR2401, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, Italy, 2024)
Metal
Johanna Eteläkari (principal vocals)
Despite the majestic title, this is even less substantial than their debut, clocking in at a fraction over 33 minutes. Nonetheless, it’s more confident and varied, with a beautiful symphonic ballad and some well-judged keyboards and cello. More importantly, once the again the melodies, riffs and tempos are spot on, making this as good an example of its style as you’re likely to find. GRADE: B–.

Crash Mighty (France): You Don’t Know Me (No label, download, 2018)
Rock/Metal
Dinny (lead vocals, tambourine)
They describe themselves as ‘math-rock’ and ‘punk’, but whilst the vocals are somewhat punky this is basically good old-fashioned hard rock with supple playing and some excellent leads. Then again, there’s a cliché that much seventies punk was badly played hard rock, so where does one draw the line? GRADE: C+.

Dark Mother (UK): Dark Mother (No label, cassette, 2015)
Metal
Holly Johnson (lead vocals, guitar), Tanya Byrne (bass), Bethan Louise (drums)
Like Tanya Byrne’s numerous other projects, this is sludgy doom metal, in this case with androgynous vocals creating a striking similarity with Windhand. With three songs totalling just under 13 minutes, it’s difficult to come to a definitive assessment of Dark Mother’s musical quality, but this is certainly pretty good (if not particularly distinctive) sludgy doom. GRADE: C+.
Dark Mother (UK): Dark Mother/Shrykull Split (Vedala VET023, 7", 2017)
Holly Johnson (lead vocals, guitar), Tanya Byrne (bass), Bethan Louise (drums)
There’s even less music to judge here: one song apiece from Dark Mother (the five-minute ‘Giving True’) and fellow (all-male) Nottingham band Skrykull (the six-minute ‘The Black Moon’). Again the Dark Mother track is rather good, whilst Shrykull’s contribution is in a doomdeath vein and less to my taste, though still perfectly listenable. GRADE: C+.

Dry Heart (UK): Dry Heart (No label, acetate, with inserts, 1970)
Folk/Psychedelic
Anne Rounce (joint lead vocals)
This actetate, created in a run of 10 copies, has such an incredible atmosphere that it almost acts as a time machine, transporting one back to an era when mournful, mildly trippy folk with an ISB influence was being created in bedrooms and low-budget studios up and down the land. As such, it functions in the same way as, say, masterpieces like Stone Angel or Courtyard Music Group or Caedmon. The only problem is that it doesn’t have great songs like Stone Angel or Courtyard Music Group or Caedmon. GRADE: B–.

Grendel’s Sÿster (Germany): Myrtle Wreath/Myrtenkranz (No label, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2019)
Metal/Folk
Caro (lead vocals)
Grendel’s Sÿster play folk metal, but in a completely different style from, say, Lumsk or Cruachan; despite being German, they also don’t sound like Ougenweide with heavy riffs. Instead they blend folk with power metal, solely using female vocals, electric guitars and drums: the results are often bracing and sometimes quite impressive, so in theory this should be a solid B–. But there’s a slight feeling of something missing, and I suspect that something is variety, in terms of both the arrangements and tempos, not helped by the fact they deliver the same set of songs first in English and then in German. Indeed, the one time they vary their formula, on the acapella closer, the album gets a significant lift and would have benefited from such innovations elsewhere. GRADE: C+.

Naomi (USA): Cottage Songs (Cottage, 1975)
Singer/Songwriter
Naomi Lewis (lead vocals, guitar, clarinet, ukelele, kazoo)
When I first heard this rare and expensive album I was somewhat underwhelmed, but listening to it again I find it genrle, charming and beatific. It's also welcome to find an American seventies singer/songwriter displaying no obvious influences from either Joni Mitchell or Carole King. On the downside, it sometimes crosses the line between delicate and twee, but perhaps that’s only to be expected from an LP with lyrics about love, nature, and occasionally Jesus Christ. GRADE: C+.
Naomi (USA): Seagulls And Sunflowers (Cottage, 1976)
Singer/Songwriter
Naomi Lewis (lead vocals, guitar)
Slightly more varied than her first, this ranges from the straight rock of ‘There Will Be Music’ and ‘Rock Me’ to the delicate instrumental title track. Once again, it’s sometimes a little too sweet and I can’t imagine her figuring among anyone’s all-time favourite singer/songwriters but Ms Lewis certainly had more talent than many of her contemporaries who landed major label deals. GRADE: C+.

Regan & Bricheno (UK): Apparitions (No label, download, 2024)
Folk/Rock
Julianne Bricheno (lead vocals, bass, keyboards, programming)
The big question here is about authenticity rather than a quality – it is possible in 2024 to recapture the unique atmosphere of a band that in the late eighties recaptured the unique atmosphere of the late sixties and early seventies? Apparitions doesn’t really provide a definitive answer: unlike the woeful Iceland this is consistently lovely and consistently true to the spirit of All About Eve. But there’s a still a slight feeling that there’s something missing: only once or twice could I believe I was actually listening to late eighties All About Eve and I’m not sure whether this is due to the absence of Andy Cousin or Paul Samwell-Smith or simply a few truly killer songs. GRADE: B–.

Throbbing Gristle (UK): At The ICA London (Industrial IRC 2, cassette, 1979, recorded 1976)
Avant-Garde
Cosey Fanni Tutti
This recording of a 1976 gig has both remarkably good sound quality considering its source and remarkably challenging music considering its era. Even in the anything-goes musical mood of ’76, this must have sounded wild beyond belief – a world away from pub-rock-masquerading-as-punk. It still sounds wild and innovative today. GRADE: C+.
Throbbing Gristle (UK): 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Industrial IR0008, with poster and photo, 1979)
Avant-Garde/Pop
Cosey Fanni Tutti (occasional vocals, guitar, synthesiser, cornet)
Notwithstanding the sardonic title, this adds a sharp electro-pop sensibility to the band’s experimental sound, indicating for the first time that they have a real gift for melody. Their blending of styles remains very weird, which is to the album’s credit, and as a mishmash of the accessible and the forbidding 20 Jazz Funk Greatsinvites regular replays in a way that much of their other work doesn’t. GRADE: B–.

Updated 21st February:

A Brand New Day (USA): A Brand New Day (No label 32365, with insert, 1978)
Country/Pop/Rock
Janine Staniszewski (joint lead vocals, percussion)
Cut by a trio following the Bahá’I faith, this is a charming and very professional rural rock set, with all-original material. As an added bonus, the lyrics are philosophical or whimsical rather than overtly religious and the best couple of cuts are a real delight. GRADE: C+.

Centrifugal Force (Canada): Matter (Uforia UFOCD02, CD, 1998)
Progressive
Jacqueline Sloan (occasional vocals, synthesiser)
This odd project by Colin Doroschuk of Men Without Hats falls broadly under the progressive banner but is far more eccentric than that description suggests. Blending singer/songwriter, post-punk and electronic elements plus a considerable amount of spacy synth-prog, it goes in all kinds of different directions and is frequently startling in its changes of style and oddball sonic stews. Not everything works well and the album takes a few minutes to achieve lift-off, but this is certainly an interesting and radical set. GRADE: B–.

Ram-Zet (Norway): Freaks In Wonderland (Space Valley SVR006, CD, 2011)
Metal/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (occasional vocals), Karoline Amb (keyboards, accordion, backing vocals)
An impressive swansong from the Ram-Zet crew: like its predecessor, this constantly jars, surprises, wrongfoots and delights the listener. This makes it all the sadder that they split up, but then again it’s hard to see where they could have gone from here. GRADE: B–.
See also Funeral, Viper Solfa

Throbbing Gristle (UK): DoA – The Third And Final Report (Industrial IR0004, with calendar and postcard, 1978)
Avant-Garde
Cosey Fanni Tutti (guitar, effects, tapes)
This is far more varied than their previous outings – everything from symphonic synth-pop to mutant rock jamming to snatches of voices over minimalist backing. But whilst frequently fascinating, the set – like a lot of avant-garde excursions – ultimately feels rather fragmentary, with not much to hang onto. GRADE: C+.

Updated 14th February:

Belzebub (UK): Up Jumped The Devil (No label SRTX/82/CUS 1496, 1982)
Folk
Joan Halliday (occasional vocals, guitar, keyboards)
Based on the six tracks I’ve heard, this is pleasant enough traditional folk, with a few minor folk/rock edges, some faint Home Service edges (notably in the occasional use of brass) and an unwelcome vaudevillian edge on the closing ‘Gorgonzola Cheese’. It’s all pleasant enough, but doesn’t exactly inspire me to purchase a copy so I can hear the other four songs. GRADE: C+.

Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (Canada): Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (CBS PFC 80047, 1980)
Singer/Songwriter
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (lead vocals, piano)
The former Beau Dommage member’s solo debut consists of sophisticated singer/songwriter music with faint jazz/funk edges. Whilst beautifully crafted, with backing from Québec’s top session players, the results are insufficiently heartfelt to qualify as outstanding singer/songwriter music and insufficiently catchy to qualify as quality pop. GRADE: C.
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (Canada): Plus Fort (Kébec-Disc KDS-585, 1983)
Pop
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (lead vocals)
‘Moins Fort’ might have been a better title, as this collection of second-rate funky eighties pop songs makes her undistinguished debut sound like a masterpiece in comparison. Worse, this has the thin, trebly sound typical of many late seventies and early eighties Québecois albums, meaning it could strip paint on some of the high notes. What’s more, like many late seventies and early French albums, it’s incredibly short – seven songs totalling little more than 25 minutes – so not only is the food terrible but the portions are small too. GRADE: D.
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (Canada): Aimer Pour Aimer (Polydor 2424 252, with booklet, 1985)
Pop
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (principal vocals)
With a 12-minute closing number, this is considerably more ambitious than Plus Fort and also has much better songs. However, the same eighties high-tech approach to the arrangements and production somewhat negates the improvement. Desrosiers went on to cut several more albums which I haven’t heard, but I’d be amazed if any of them rose above a C+. GRADE: C.
See also Beau Dommage

Ram-Zet (Norway): Pure Therapy (Spikefarm Naula 009, CD, 2000)
Metal
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (occasional vocals), Renate Grimsbø Kuldbrandstad (occasional vocals)
Blending influences from all different kinds of extreme music – black and power metal, hints of techo, frequent classical and avant-garde touches – and topping off the relentless riffing with death vocals, violin and even Abba-like female choruses, Pure Therapy aims to explore a schizophrenic man’s mind and the results are frequently fascinating, though at times almost overwhelming, meaning many listeners may find this more interesting than enjoyable. GRADE: B–.
Ram-Zet (Norway): Escape (Spikefarm Naula 022, CD, 2002)
Metal/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (joint lead vocals), Ingvild Johannesen (violin, backing vocals)
This is more progressive and slightly more adventurous than their first, but there’s not a lot to choose between them. Whilst resembling lots of other bands, Ram-Zet blend their disparate metal influences into a distinctive whole, but whilst they’re admirably bold they may remain too relentless for some ears. GRADE: B–.
Ram-Zet (Norway): Intra (Tabu Recordings RUBA013, CD, 2005)
Metal
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg, Ingvild Johannesen
The final part of the conceptual trilogy initiated with Pure Therapy is probably the best: the music has more stürm und drang and more variety without losing any of its pummelling power. The result is a frequently remarkable slice of experimental metal (or should that be mental?). GRADE: B–.
Ram-Zet (Norway): Neutralized (Ascendance ASC23014CD, CD, UK, 2009)
Metal
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (joint lead vocals), Karoline Amb (keyboards)
Whilst this doesn’t add much to the impression created by their first three albums, it’s outstanding in its own right. Throwing everything from church music to classical guitar to world music references into the mix, Ram-Zet deliver another constantly surprising and highly experimental set that’s almost dizzying in its level of eclecticism. GRADE: B–.

Skypark (USA): Summer Days Are Forever (Shelflife LIFE 006, CD, 1998)
Pop
Jen Cohen, Ariadni Londos
Living up to its title, this 15-miinute EP offers nicely trippy if slightly generic indie pop that sometimes resembles Galaxie 500 and similarly displays a strong influence from the third Velvet Underground albums. Most of the members went on to lengthy careers with other bands. GRADE: C+.

Skyron Orchestra (Sweden): Skyron Orchestra (Transubstans TRANS004, CD, 2004)
Rock/Metal
Veronica Lonstjärna (lead vocals), Anna Glans (organ)
From the band name I was expecting this to be space-rock, but it’s actually that retro-styled early seventies-sounding hard rock beloved by Swedish bands. I’m a sucker for this style when it’s combined with convincing riffs and powerful solos – and this case it is. It’s also to their credit that I suspect they were a major influence on the next generation of Swedish bands in this style, from Blues Pills to Children Of The Sün. GRADE: B–.
Skyron Orchestra (Sweden): Situations (Transubstans TRANS018, CD, 2006)
Garage/Rock/Metal
Veronica Lonstjärna (principal vocals), Anna Glans (occasional vocals, keyboards)
Time goes backwards for Skyron Orchestra here: this is late sixties-styled garage rock with lots of trebly organ, though also plenty of the heavy riffing that characterised their debut. The only thing missing is any real jamming; maybe they’d have got to that had they survived to cut a third album. GRADE: B–.

Throbbing Gristle (UK): The Best Of Vol I (No label, cassette, 1976)
Avant-Garde/Psychedelic
Cosey Fanni Tutti
Issued only as a private cassette for friends and contacts, this influential band’s debut consists of scrappy jams with weird electronic effects, stepping forward from the stranger end of Krautrock. The results are fascinating and must have seemed astounding in the very different musical climate of 1976, but there’s very little variety over the album’s 80 minutes. GRADE: C+.
Throbbing Gristle (UK): The Best Of Vol II (No label, cassette, 1976)
Avant-Garde/Psychedelic
Cosey Fanni Tutti (guitar, effects)
In contrast to Volume I, this mostly consists of songs – or, more accurately, jams with horror-themed monologues over them. Once again, the group were breaking new ground for the seventies: only Comus had tried anything lyrically similar to this, and once again the music is interesting and unsettling. However, like their first they mostly deploy the same tricks over and over again. GRADE: C+.
Throbbing Gristle (UK): The Second Annual Report (Industrial IR0002, with stickers, 1977)
Avant-Garde
Cosey Fanny Tutti
Even less rock-oriented than the two tapes, the band’s official debut album consists of guitars processed through electronics and frequently intertwined with fragments of speech. The first side compiles live and studio versions of the group’s early standards ‘Slug Bait’ and ‘Maggot Death’ (one of which consists of an argyment wiuth a heckler at a gig rather than actual music) whilst the second features a 20-minute improvised film soundtrack. Both are fascinating, minimalistic and completely unlike anything else released at the time; neither is likely to inspire frequent listening. However, as a weirder step on from the stranger end of Krautrock, with some incredible stereo effects to boot, this is certainly worth hearing. GRADE: C+.

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

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+.

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