...they play a heavy riffing style of riff heavy hard rock, drenched in psychedelic reverb it's Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Hendrix and Hawkwind, all put into a melting pot and aimed towards skiesRead the full review by Matt Bladen at musipediaofmetal.blogspot.com
Country: Italy
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Label: Lizard Records
Format: CD, digital
Release date: November 30, 2020
Tracklist:
1. Only Fool! Only Poet! (9:06)
2. Limbic Rendez-vous (6:57)
3. Charun (3:51)
4. After Dusk (20:47) :
- a) Promenade
- b) Debut
- c) Hey, Mr. Professor!
- d) Sgalambro's Ghost
- e) Pometine
- f) Pale Gallery
- g) Transhipment
- h) Nightdrive
5. Vanth (5:30)
6. Sonnar (8:23)
Total Time 54:34
Line-up:
Filippo Brilli - winds
Andrea De Luca - strings, keyboards
Davide Guidoni (Daal) - percussives, keyboards
Natalia Suvorina - voices
Split into two halves of the same, but different musical experience, the first half (Side A, if you will) is considered the European side as it does not include the bands usual swing rock grooves. With the tracks all exhibiting a varying degree and amalgamation of rather different European themes and sounds, it kicks off with the ornate piano work, at first, and then the up-from-the-gut musical imploring next of Captain Introspective and then brings us the rousing Renaissance storytelling of The Underground in Europe, which are backed by two of my own personal favorites here, the Zappa-esque constructions of both Maestro Mafioso and the boisterous Crimson Jig. The second half (Side B, if you will) can be considered the American side as the tracks have more of an American sound - from a Melvins-esque tune, to a bluesy tune, to a twisted Beach Boys tune to a swingy tune, it begins with the harmoniously prolific She’s A Stomper and backs that up with the melodic hipsway of Even Weezles Get The Blues, the riff ambient Eskimo Pie, and then closes on the exciting momentum of Cluedo.Read the full review by Anne Carlini
Music that has evolved and perhaps slightly changed since their previous album; Master Device & Slave Machines (2017). One of the reasons for this change is the absence of one of the initial members, songwriter and guitar player Wouter van der Veen, who has left the band and was replaced by newcomer Kay Bouten. Kay's guitar playing is a bit more metal and alternative than the heavy progressive approach of his predecessor. The other change are the songs itself. In my opinion, the band has left the well paved paths of progressive rock and metal and found themselves on the outskirts of powerful metal. Armed Cloud seems to be more extreme than before.Read the full review by Pedro Bekkers at backgroundmagazine.nl
Media/SamplesKaraba’s album starts with a slightly arabic feel. The repetitive groove of “Der Inder” gets the listener immediately into a different south-eastern space. Later the music gets more animated, more structured and more uplifting. A whole universe of little influences. Shades of certain Jazz and prog-rock bands: you might think about the canterbury scene of the 1960ies and 70ies. There are textures reminding of Soft Machine, Frank Zappa, Mats and Morgan, Kraan and maybe some Passport influences. (Another band from Munich that left a huge footmark in the worldwide jazz fusion history).The whole Karaba sound has a certain 1970es feel. But not in a pure retro way. The LP sounds more like a modern psychedelic 2020 Lofi Indie Jazz thing – a sound that fits well in these wild times and finds its place in the actual scenario of new jazz bands worldwide.
Country: Sweden
Genre(s): Symphonic
Label: Open Mind Records
Format: CD, vinyl
Release date: November 27, 2020
Tracklist:
1. Fair warning
2. Tectonic Plates
3. Scorched Earth Pass
4. Dance Of The Shuriken
5. Lunar Sunrise
6. Beyond The Pass
7. Twilight Furies
8. Perilous Borders
Line-up:
Johan Hedman - keyboards, percussion, additional voices and sounds
Erik Forsberg - lead vocals
Simon M. Svensson - bass
Hannes Ljunghall - additional keyboards
Media/Samples
Bandcamp
Links:
Web page
Facebook
Progarchives
Proggnosis
Country: USA
Genre(s): Avant Prog, Art Rock
Label: SKiN GRAFT Records
Format: CD, digital
Release date: November 27, 2020 (CD)
Tracklist:
1. Abe 1
2. Brushrock
3. Russian Todd
4. Faux Jazz
5. Smokeshake
6. Beautiful Day
7. Arpeggio
8. Blues ‘06
9. Psychopianos
10. FolkSqueakBuild
11. Wordless All Over
12. Where You Are Snippet
13. Blues ‘08
14. Multipianos
15. Blues ‘06B
16. Blues ‘08B
17. Pulse Checks And Afterthoughts
18. Todd Berlin
19. Dsynth
20. Weather Report
21. Shaft
22. Salvation Army Salad
23. InnTrialTaint
24. Campo Dinner
25. Miss Detroit
Line-up:
Abe- as himself
Jeff Libersher- guitar, vocals, trumpet
Thymme Jones- drums, trumpet, vocals, keys, percussion
Alex Perkolup- bass, vocals
Todd Rittmann- drums, guitar
Dylan Posa- toy guitar
Scott Rutledge- conversing
Dan Burke- lost and found sound
Jim Drummond- vocals
Mike Greenlees- drums
Phil Bonnet- guitar
Dan Forden- bass
Kent Miller- percussion
Steve Past- percussion
Sheila Bertoletti- keys
Charles Dudley Bayne, III- keys
Lise Gilly- flute, alto sax
Rob Pleshar-tuba
Ben Vida- trumpet
Carmen Armillas- vocals
Mike Hagedorn- trombone
The group ... play improvised, instrumental and unflinchingly exploratory cosmic rock. Veering between the already-blurry lines that border heavy psychedelia, classic-style prog and Hawkwindian space fare. ... That might make Four Riders Take Space Mountain particularly engaging for newcomers, and where some other releases in the vast swath thereof pull from different sessions and offer what feel like extended sections of broader works or are just executed with various aims on their own, the fact that “Approach,” “Ascent” and “Summit” move so smoothly ... and flow so righteously between active and atmospheric sections, ..., as well as the sheer sense of float that comes with the arrival at “Summit,” means that Four Riders Take Space Mountain is a standout even among the band’s other work in being a joy to follow through its progression.Read the full review at theobelisk.net
