Anasazi - Cause and Consequences Subgenre(s): Progressive Metal
Score: 70
Year: 2023
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 11th (of 18 2023 albums ranked so far)
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Still being, as Pat Boone would say, in a metal mood, today I had another run at this brand new release from French progressive metal powerhouses, Anasazi. Rather than being another in the Dream Theater lineage, Cause and Consequences comes forth more from the Opeth family tree with some of the fruit of Porcupine Tree. This is dark metal given the progressive treatment. Usually, this combination of darker metal and dreary lyrics is rather lost on me, but I did take to this album more than I would have expected had I known it's content. This album is far more riff and mood based than it is technical, although the musicians do occasionally show some chops. I especially liked the work of drummer Anthony Barreul, who keeps the rhythmic fires fully stoked even when riffs get a bit repetitious or plodding. I wouldn't call this a top tier album, but it is more than solid and adds some welcome variety to my prog metal stable.
Rush - A Farewell to Kings Subgenre(s): Heavy Prog
Score: 90
Year: 1977
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 2nd
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Spent last evening with an old friend. Rush's A Farewell to Kings is an album I loved when I first discovered it while exploring their back catalog after getting Moving Pictures in 1981. It is something of a mixed bag, but the high spots are so high that I still give it top marks overall and love it as an album.
The opening title cut is an excellent little treatise on power and shows lyricist Neil Peart expanding his philosophy beyond the Randian expositions of previous albums. Geddly Lee's vocal retains just enough of the scream from 2112 to be scathing enough to match the lyric, but it too is maturing a bit at this point. What an excellent opener!
Then comes the centerpiece and overall masterfully brilliant long form musical composition of the album, the amazing Xanadu, which somehow only seems to get better with time. The structure and subsequent execution of this epic tale set to music is nothing short of mind blowing. Compositionally, this exceeds even the album side 2112 that came on the previous album. A genuine stunner from end to end.
For me, Closer to the Heart suffers a bit from overexposure. It's a nice companion to the opening title cut, just viewed through a more positive lens. Musically, it has a better groove than Rush usually brings to this point in their career, so I can understand it's popularity. It's just a little too pie-in-the-sky for me, but still I can't begrudge this fine song.
Cinderella Man is another excellent example of the new, updated Rush and lyrically to my ear reminds me a lot of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I have no idea of whether or not that's what Peart had in mind (unlike all his Randian songs). It is also an interesting parallel since when asked what authors she admired most, the only name Rand gave was Hugo! It all ties together nicely for me.
Now, truth be told, Madrigal lets us know that Geddy had yet to learn how to really sing a ballad. But it is a very nice ballad and Geddy's delivery is heartfelt if not technically on par with his screamers. Still a marginal thumbs up.
The album closes with it's longest piece, the technically brilliant, but ultimately not really going anywhere Cygnus X-1. One gets the impression the group's ambition on this one rather exceeded their ability to execute. There's lots to like in here, but it's still certain, at least to me, they weren't yet sure they really knew what they wanted to to with it. Worth a listen, but not essential.
In the end, this was a nice return to an old fave in the midst of my rabid need to absorb new music.
Klaatu - 3:47 EST Subgenre(s): Prog Pop
Score: 60
Year: 1976
My Rank in Year as of this listen: Not ranked in my top 100 (1976 is a tough year to make my chart)
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Okay, so we've got Floydian space prog, psych prog with obvious debt to the Beatles, power-pop prog (hmmm....), sunshine pop prog (??? never knew that could be a thing), and even a full blown kiddie song that wouldn't sound out of place with Raffi on vocals. I doubt this will ever rise to the upper echelons of my progappreciation, but it is interesting.
Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue Subgenre(s): 1Fusion, Progressive Rock
Score: 90
Year: 1985
My rank in year as of this listen: 2
Author's note: this is a cross-post from my jazz diary. Allan Holdsworth is generally labeled as fusion and therefore resides first in my jazz diary. However, this music is very progressive, and it also rocks. Hence it is equally at home here. I will no doubt have a number of diary entries in days to come which will sit in both locations.
I'll never forget my first listen to this album. A friend who was a fellow Rush fanatic said "Have you ever heard of Allan Holdsworth" and alas, at the time, I had not. So he put this on. WHAM! I knew I was tapping into something special. I didn't feel like I could classify it, and that was actually part of the appeal. This was like nothing I'd ever heard and at the same time was loaded with elements I loved.
Given how impressed I was upon first listen (that was in 1989, roughly four years after this album's release), it's even more surprising then that this album has continued to grow in me. It seems every time I listen to it, I like it more, usually because I hear something new. Today I was struck by the incredible balances the album strikes. Like a perfectly stable tripod, the album balances overall compositional structure, individual melodies, and fantastic soloing (the latter being the obvious element everyone notices upon first listen). The other place a newly recognized balance struck me was in the employment of instrumentation. Again, this is rightfully known as a guitar album; Holdsworth is a guitarists guitarist, a guitar God, and he certainly does all those crazy guitar God things here, but the overall success of the music is also reliant on excellent performances from the rhythm section (mostly Jimmy Johnson on bass and Chad Wackerman on drums, but with other equally talented musicians on latter tracks).
The opening title cut is one of the most seminal guitar tracks ever committed to recording and never grows old in my ear. And it's catchy as hell, at least for anyone with a progressive ear. The following "Home" is a grower, growing more beautiful with each listen. "Devil Take the Hindmost" is an astonishing track combining catchy melodies, progressive shifts, and out of this world musicianship in one astonishingly brilliant package. I used to think of "Panic Station" (the shortest song on the album) as something of a throwaway, but these days I'm totally captivated, both due to its surprising pop sensibility without losing its progressive edge, and as a bit of a bass clinic with some truly wicked lines. The shortest song is followed by the longest song, "The Un-Merry Go round," clocking in at just over 14 minutes. Even at that length, there's not a single wasted note as this is one incredible composition. The addition of keyboards helps this multi-part suite express multiple moods and hold interest over the long haul and it sits favorably alongside progressive rock epics from the likes of Genesis and King Crimson. The closing "In the Mystery" is another sub 4-minute song that is probably the closest thing to a skip at this point, and I still couldn't imagine skipping it! There's a lot packed into that three and a half minutes, all good, and very much in a progressive rock/progressive pop vein as opposed to the fusion tag that usually accompanies Holdsworth.
No throwaways. No weaknesses (although some find the vocals less than appealing, which I did at first, the more I listen, the more I think they go very nicely with the music).
Wobbler - From Silence to Somewhere Subgenre(s): Symphonic Prog
Score: 90
Year: 2017
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 1st
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Remember when I journaled Caligula's Horse, giving it high praise and declaring it my #2 album of 2017? Well, here's #1. Wobbler is a well established purveyor of modern symphonic prog and this release just solidifies that reputation. There is so much going on on this album, and all in a very good way. Personally, I love the very punchy bass of Kristian Karl Hultgren. I had to look it up and he does indeed play a Rickenbacker (along with a Fender P and a custom J), getting that Chris Squire tone, and like Squire he plays lines that really propel the music. As a bassist, that alone makes me love this album. But more than that, this is a serious symphonic prog album making incredible music with an impressive array of instruments. All of this is put in the service of ambitious, and largely successful, compositions. The quality of the interplay between musicians is also reminiscent of classic Yes. There is frenzied forays by the entire field that make me think of Sound Chaser off the Relayer album (another personal fave). But the less frenzied parts are what allow all that great progressive instrumentation to shine through and make this instantly classic symphonic prog. Mellotron and Flute are fairly regular prog instruments. But wait... there's more! The definitive track on the album for me is the closing Foxlight, which brings in harpsichord, bass clarinet, and glockenspiel, again all with a purpose. Brilliant. I knew this album was a keeper from the first few bars, and it only got better from there.
Aardvark - Aardvark Subgenre(s): Crossover Prog, Proto Prog
Score: 75
Year: 1970
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 27th
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Aardvark lasted just long enough to release this one self-titled debut in 1970. This is a shame. While this music is more proto-prog than real prog, the group showed very strong potential. Their sound is also very much of its time and not necessarily in a way that brings a strong sense of nostalgia. Their (almost) unique calling card, in addition to bringing a combined blues and psychedelic base in their proto-prog, was that they had two keyboardists and no guitarist. On paper, this sounds like something I wouldn't really go for, but I have to admit, this album really gets me. I like very much in spite of all the reasons I shouldn't.
There is just such a deep sense of groovy-cool on this album that it's hard to not settle in happily. The keyboards provide excellent variety, ranging from fully fuzzed out organ to totally clean piano. They build together, play frenzied solos and duets, and when appropriate do nothing more than provide a very cool foundation for the very 1970 vocals. Overall, this is an album I'm frequently happy to return to, as I was today. This album never fails to put some kind of a smile on my face.
Rush - A Farewell to Kings Subgenre(s): Heavy Prog
Score: 90
Year: 1977
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 2nd
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Spent last evening with an old friend. Rush's A Farewell to Kings is an album I loved when I first discovered it while exploring their back catalog after getting Moving Pictures in 1981. It is something of a mixed bag, but the high spots are so high that I still give it top marks overall and love it as an album.
The opening title cut is an excellent little treatise on power and shows lyricist Neil Peart expanding his philosophy beyond the Randian expositions of previous albums. Geddly Lee's vocal retains just enough of the scream from 2112 to be scathing enough to match the lyric, but it too is maturing a bit at this point. What an excellent opener!
Then comes the centerpiece and overall masterfully brilliant long form musical composition of the album, the amazing Xanadu, which somehow only seems to get better with time. The structure and subsequent execution of this epic tale set to music is nothing short of mind blowing. Compositionally, this exceeds even the album side 2112 that came on the previous album. A genuine stunner from end to end.
For me, Closer to the Heart suffers a bit from overexposure. It's a nice companion to the opening title cut, just viewed through a more positive lens. Musically, it has a better groove than Rush usually brings to this point in their career, so I can understand it's popularity. It's just a little too pie-in-the-sky for me, but still I can't begrudge this fine song.
Cinderella Man is another excellent example of the new, updated Rush and lyrically to my ear reminds me a lot of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I have no idea of whether or not that's what Peart had in mind (unlike all his Randian songs). It is also an interesting parallel since when asked what authors she admired most, the only name Rand gave was Hugo! It all ties together nicely for me.
Now, truth be told, Madrigal lets us know that Geddy had yet to learn how to really sing a ballad. But it is a very nice ballad and Geddy's delivery is heartfelt if not technically on par with his screamers. Still a marginal thumbs up.
The album closes with it's longest piece, the technically brilliant, but ultimately not really going anywhere Cygnus X-1. One gets the impression the group's ambition on this one rather exceeded their ability to execute. There's lots to like in here, but it's still certain, at least to me, they weren't yet sure they really knew what they wanted to to with it. Worth a listen, but not essential.
In the end, this was a nice return to an old fave in the midst of my rabid need to absorb new music.
Excellent review! 100% agree with everything except that I think both Cinderella Man and Madrigal are marginal thumbs up (decent songs but a far cry from their best work), and Cygnus X-1 is among my favourite Rush songs from that phase, it gets better with each listen. Closer to the Heart is an interesting case, indeed it's overplayed and a bit too cheesy for my taste (side note: I generally like 70s Peart lyrics less and less as the time goes by, with some notable exceptions), but the solo was my favourite thing to play on guitar for quite some time. I don't think I'd listen to Closer to the Heart intentionally at this point in my life, but it's still a special song which works rather well in the context of a (slightly chaotic and very diverse) album.
Where would you rank Farewell to the Kings in Rush discography? I can see it's number 6 in your Rush rankings chart, but that's from 2020... I'm sure you have some new thoughts on that _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
Rush - A Farewell to Kings Subgenre(s): Heavy Prog
Score: 90
Year: 1977
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 2nd
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Spent last evening with an old friend. Rush's A Farewell to Kings is an album I loved when I first discovered it while exploring their back catalog after getting Moving Pictures in 1981. It is something of a mixed bag, but the high spots are so high that I still give it top marks overall and love it as an album.
The opening title cut is an excellent little treatise on power and shows lyricist Neil Peart expanding his philosophy beyond the Randian expositions of previous albums. Geddly Lee's vocal retains just enough of the scream from 2112 to be scathing enough to match the lyric, but it too is maturing a bit at this point. What an excellent opener!
Then comes the centerpiece and overall masterfully brilliant long form musical composition of the album, the amazing Xanadu, which somehow only seems to get better with time. The structure and subsequent execution of this epic tale set to music is nothing short of mind blowing. Compositionally, this exceeds even the album side 2112 that came on the previous album. A genuine stunner from end to end.
For me, Closer to the Heart suffers a bit from overexposure. It's a nice companion to the opening title cut, just viewed through a more positive lens. Musically, it has a better groove than Rush usually brings to this point in their career, so I can understand it's popularity. It's just a little too pie-in-the-sky for me, but still I can't begrudge this fine song.
Cinderella Man is another excellent example of the new, updated Rush and lyrically to my ear reminds me a lot of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I have no idea of whether or not that's what Peart had in mind (unlike all his Randian songs). It is also an interesting parallel since when asked what authors she admired most, the only name Rand gave was Hugo! It all ties together nicely for me.
Now, truth be told, Madrigal lets us know that Geddy had yet to learn how to really sing a ballad. But it is a very nice ballad and Geddy's delivery is heartfelt if not technically on par with his screamers. Still a marginal thumbs up.
The album closes with it's longest piece, the technically brilliant, but ultimately not really going anywhere Cygnus X-1. One gets the impression the group's ambition on this one rather exceeded their ability to execute. There's lots to like in here, but it's still certain, at least to me, they weren't yet sure they really knew what they wanted to to with it. Worth a listen, but not essential.
In the end, this was a nice return to an old fave in the midst of my rabid need to absorb new music.
Excellent review! 100% agree with everything except that I think both Cinderella Man and Madrigal are marginal thumbs up (decent songs but a far cry from their best work), and Cygnus X-1 is among my favourite Rush songs from that phase, it gets better with each listen. Closer to the Heart is an interesting case, indeed it's overplayed and a bit too cheesy for my taste (side note: I generally like 70s Peart lyrics less and less as the time goes by, with some notable exceptions), but the solo was my favourite thing to play on guitar for quite some time. I don't think I'd listen to Closer to the Heart intentionally at this point in my life, but it's still a special song which works rather well in the context of a (slightly chaotic and very diverse) album.
Where would you rank Farewell to the Kings in Rush discography? I can see it's number 6 in your Rush rankings chart, but that's from 2020... I'm sure you have some new thoughts on that
Thank you for sharing your perspective on these songs. The Closer to the Heart anecdote is particularly interesting as it reminds me of my experience with Limelight from Moving Pictures. I tend to think of it less that the rest of the album partly due to overplay (it got more airtime where I lived even than Tom Sawyer), but ohhhh, that guitar solo!
In reviewing my Rush album rankings, I'm not seeing any need for adjustments, at least in the top 10 or so. 2020 wasn't so long ago. If I remember correctly. The adjustments I made at that time were to slide A Farewell to Kings up one slot ahead of Signals and to slide Hemispheres up one slot ahead of Permanent Waves.
Aghora - Aghora Subgenre(s): Technical Metal/Extreme Progressive Metal
Score: 90
Year: 2000
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 3rd
Soprano fronted technical/prog metal from the south Florida technical/death metal scene (includes members of Cynic and Death). Great progressive rhythms and positively wicked bass lines.
Heavy
Technical
Beautiful
This continues to grow on me even two decades since first acquisition.
Marillion - An Hour Before It's Dark Subgenre(s): Neo Prog, Symphonic Prog
Score: 75
Year: 2022
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 11th (of 49 2022 albums ranked so far)
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Marillion's most recent album delivers music that is all too Marillion and not not very Marillion all at the same time, and yet it is a superbly coherent blend. The music is mostly slightly subdued neo prog with symphonic prog overtones and that makes for fine listening, especially with headphones. Steve Rothery's guitar gets a little more out front time, and that's also a very good thing here. Lyrically, there is concern for society, but also for the individual, and it's not all miserable doom and gloom, thus lifting this album well above the usual modern whinging. With each passing listen, I hear more that makes me appreciate it more, but I also hear more that makes me lament the sameness of it all. On balance, it sits far to the positive side of the scale. Definitely a thumbs up in the end. I find the latter portion of the album, with the last three cuts, "The Crow and the NIghtingale," "Sierra Leone," and "Care" to be the strength of the album, and finishing strong is always welcome. I won't say this is actually a prog masterpiece, but it is a welcome addition to the canon.
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