The Tangent - The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery Subgenre(s): Symphonic Prog, Neo Prog, Eclectic Prog
Score: 85
Year: 2017
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 5th
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Needing only five songs to reach 75 minutes (6 to reach a full CD 80 minutes on a rerelease with a bonus track), The Tangent are obviously fans of epic cuts. Fortunately, they're more than up to the task of amassing epic compositions that can justify otherwise excessive running length. Of course, prog makes a good genre in which to do this since prog is famous for long instrumental passages and ever changing time signatures, keys, moods, etc. Of course you can't go through all those changes without an equal number of transitions and the facility with which a prog artist executes those transitions can make or break an epic prog composition. I'm happy to say The Tangent are genuine transition masters. Those shifts are frequent and significant, but never awkward and often take place without the listener even noticing at the time. The musicianship here is absolutely top shelf. As a bassist, I have a particular affinity for the active, punchy bass lines here, but I must say every instrument is nailing it throughout. Sweetening the prog pot even further are the seamlessly embedded jazzy bits that add unique color to this music. The album, as you can probably surmise just from the title, is largely political. While I don't necessarily disagree with the political message, it does eventually get to the point that the politics are delivered more as a blunt instrument than artful exposition, but that's a small enough part of the album to not be a real detriment. Overall, this is killer and musically hits me in my happy prog place.
Evergrey - The Atlantic Subgenre(s): Progressive Metal
Score: 75
Year: 2019
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 38th
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This is pure progressive metal from Sweden right here. However, the progressive elements are not dominant, while various metallic elements are. The surprising thing is how much of the album is mid tempo, and there is at times a strong doom metal vibe, but without completely dripping the tricky progressive bits. At other times, riffs are more borne of the thrash genre. Now doom and thrash aren't the most "listenable" genres. And neither is prog for that matter, but this album is also loaded with hooks. Add to that some polished production and it's surprisingly commercial. The blend is actually rather pleasing, although by the end of the album some of it ends up sounding a little by-the-numbers samey.
Far Corner - Risk Subgenre(s): Avant Progressive Metal
Score: 85
Year: 2018
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 5th
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This is an album of all instrumental avant prog metal, an in that vein, its exceptional the music is continually challenging, both in composition and execution. The density of the compositions and the technical demand of the parts can get rather relentless and many folks will be done listening well before the albums 74 minute run time elapsed. But if you're into such a challenge like I am, this is likely to be a hit. If you want just a taste, give the song Oracular Intent a spin.
The 80s are considered by many to be a sort of musical black hole, a cultural and artistic wasteland of sorts. While much of my favorite music comes from the 80s, its mostly squarely in the hard rock and heavy metal realms. Back at the time, I had no exposure to the very broad world of prog; I was just familiar with the big names and there I would have agreed with the general view of the decade as it applied to prog as far as I knew. I had no use for 90215; Floyd's glory days were well behind, Tull was clearly in decline, and Genesis would never be great without Hackett.
But is it really all that gloomy? It's time I start looking into that! Thanks to the internet age, I've already discovered many great prog acts from the 70s that I missed back in the day, so let's checkout the 80s, specifically second tier or obscure bands not big enough to be on the radar of a music fan without ready access to that niche.
That in mind, my next 10 prog listens will be one per 80s year in chronological order, focusing on bands I currently know little of.
Now I'm not honestly expecting to unearth my next Gentle Giant or Premiata Forneria Marconi, but I have high hopes for some exciting new discoveries along the way.
Day one:
Itoiz - Ezekiel Subgenre(s): Prog Folk
Score: 80
Year: 1980
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 16th
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Itoiz are listed as folk prog, but it turns out this album is a unique and intriguing brand of symphonic prog tinged folk prog. There is as good a fusion of acoustic and electric parts as one could hop to hear in prog, or any genre for that matter. The lyrics are in the group's native Basque tongue. Male vocals are on the weak side but the female vocal is stunning. The flute work is exemplary. Unlike a lot of folk prog offerings, there is excellent variety across the length of the album which ultimately seals this as an excellent listen overall.
Prog in the 80s, Day 2 For today, I was to move on to 1981 and grabbed the following album for that year. Turns out this is actually a 1980 release, which I have updated on this site. No worries though as it certainly won't hurt me to spend an extra day in 1980!
Asia Minor - Between Flesh and Divine Subgenre(s): Symphonic Prog, Neo Prog
Score: 80
Year: 1980
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 13th
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A few years before Wetton and Howe formed Asia, a couple Turks walked into France and formed Asia Minor. This lost group made some excellent neo symphonic prog there in 1980. The sound very much like a reformed Camel bringing in some strong Floydian influence, and the result is kinda' the best of both worlds with some crazy time changes, plenty of instrumental variety (lots of flute, which I love) all given a slightly spacy treatment that actually enhances the underlying foundation much of the time.
Yeah the 80's are still proggin' as far as I'm concerned.
Eskaton - 4 Visions Subgenre(s): Zeuhl
Score: 85
Year: 1981
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 17th
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Wow! I really wish I'd heard this back in 1981; it would have positively blown my mind! Even today with another four decades of musical exploration under my belt, I find this crazy, edgy blend exhilarating. I love the soprano vocals over the sort of avant groove foundation, and that bass work is totally off the hook. Wicked good album. Second listen was even better than the first.
Rebekka - Phoenix Subgenre(s): Prog Folk
Score: 85
Year: 1981
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 8th
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Being beautifully female-fronted prog folk, the easy comparison here is Renaissance, and if you like one, there's a good chance you'll like the other. But that is not to say Rebekka are copycats. This German prog folk group has their own vision and style. Interestingly some songs are sung in German and some in English, but always with the angelic voice of Marion Weldert. There's actually more instrumental work overall, including things from distortion guitar to harpsichord mixed in with the underlying folky foundation. Exciting enough to get me jazzed, but mellow enough to be pleasing, this is another fine example of 80s prog.
Bacamarte - Depois Do Fim Subgenre(s): Symphonic Prog, Prog Folk
Score: 90
Year: 1983
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 1st
I've stumbled upon another symphonic prog album with a good deal of folk prog influence, this time from Brazil, with as you'd expect, lyrics in Portuguese. What was unexpected was just how freaking awesome this album is! This thing is truly hitting on all cylinders for me. The musicianship is spectacular, and the electric guitar in particular is most exhilarating. But there's also plenty of gorgeous acoustic and classical guitar. The flute is, as always, most welcome in my prog and, in this case, brilliantly delivered. Then there's that super punchy bass, the type that drives great prog so. Synths are used, not overused, and to good effect. As if this wasn't enough, there's the positively stunning, entrancing voice of Jane Duboc. All that instrumentation and skill is put to solid variety and excellent use across eight divers yet coherent cuts. Really, there are no weaknesses here. I am aware that I sometimes get caught up in the joy of new discovery can be prone to overstating the greatness of something that hits me just right, and that may well be happening here. Nevertheless, based on three listens over the last two days, I'm going to go ahead and move this right into the top spot in 1983 (admittedly a weak year), regardless of genre.
Castanarc - Journey to the East Subgenre(s): Neo Prog, Eclectic Prog
Score: 75
Year: 1984
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 20th
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This is essentially an early neo-prog album with folk influences and some debt to Yes and Genesis, but in a much more easy going vein. A nice album, but not essential and nothing to really make a strong case to put the 80s on the prog map.
Last edited by Fischman on 3 days ago; edited 1 time in total
Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly Subgenre(s): Progressive Metal
Score: 70
Year: 1985
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 31st
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This album seems to get a lot of love and ink, mostly because many credit it as being the first progressive metal album. While it is rightfully classified as progressive metal, I'm going to call it a more specific progressive thrash as thrash is very clearly the type of metal underlying the introduction of the progressive elements, mostly expressed in the rhythm section. In fact, the group sounds more like Flotsam and Jetsam than any prog or other prog metal group I can think of. It does get problematic for me though as the vocalist seems determined to out-Priest Rob Halford and the constant shrieks punctuating lines similarly throughout the album gets tiresome. So, fine music which can technically be called progressive but is more thrash-ish than anything somewhat marred by a vocal style that desperately cries out for more variety, let alone any nuance. I give it props for tyring, and for being the progenitor of a great genre and rank it accordingly, even if I don't totally love it.
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