The 500 Best Prog Albums - Ever!

[innerspaceboy]

Volume 5

Spoiler

├── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 5]
│  ├── Kansas - Kansas (1974)
│  ├── Kansas - Leftoverture (1976)
│  ├── Kansas - Masque (1975)
│  ├── Kansas - Point Of Know Return (1977)
│  ├── Kansas - Song For America (1974)
│  ├── Karthago - Second Step (1973)
│  ├── Kayak - The Last Encore (1976)
│  ├── Kebnekaise - Kebnekaise II (1973)
│  ├── Kebnekaise - Kebnekaise III (1975)
│  ├── Kebnekaise - Resa Mot Okant Mal (1971)
│  ├── Keith Emerson - Inferno (1980)
│  ├── Kenso - Kenso III (1985)
│  ├── Khan - Space Shanty (1972)
│  ├── King Crimson - Beat (1982)
│  ├── King Crimson - Discipline (1981)
│  ├── King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969)
│  ├── King Crimson - In The Wake Of Poseidon (1970)
│  ├── King Crimson - Islands (1971)
│  ├── King Crimson - Larks' Tongues In Aspic (1973)
│  ├── King Crimson - Lizard (1970)
│  ├── King Crimson - Red (1974)
│  ├── King Crimson - Starless And Bible Black (1974)
│  ├── King Crimson - The ConstruKction Of Light (2000)
│  ├── King Crimson - The Power To Believe (2003)
│  ├── King Crimson - Thrak (1994)
│  ├── King Crimson - Three Of A Perfect Pair (30th Anniversary Edition) (1984)
│  ├── Kin Ping Meh - Kin Ping Meh (1971)
│  ├── Klaatu - 3.47 E.S.T. (1976)
│  ├── Klaatu - Hope (1977)
│  ├── Koenjihyakkei - Angherr Shisspa (2005)
│  ├── Koenjihyakkei - Hundred Sights Of Koenji (1994)
│  ├── Koenjihyakkei - Viva Koenji!! (1997)
│  ├── Kollektiv - Kollektiv (1973)
│  ├── Kollektiv - SWF-Sessions Volume 5 (2001)
│  ├── Korni Grupa - Korni Grupa (1972)
│  ├── Kraan - Let It Out (1975)
│  ├── Kultivator - Barndomens Stigar (1981)
│  │  ├── CD 1 - Barndomens Stigar
│  │  └── CD 2 - Waiting Paths (Bonus CD)
│  ├── Kyrie Eleison - The Complete Recordings (2002)
│  │  ├── CD 1 - The Blind Window Suite (1974-1975)
│  │  ├── CD 2 - Live (1975)
│  │  └── CD 3 - The Fountain Beyond The Sunrise (1976-1978)
│  ├── La Maschera Di Cera - La Maschera Di Cera (2002)
│  ├── Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free (1973)
│  ├── Lasting Weep - Lasting Weep (1969-1971) (2007)
│  ├── Le Orme - Collage (1971)
│  ├── Le Orme - Contrappunti (1974)
│  ├── Le Orme - Felona E Sorona (1973)
│  ├── Le Orme - In Concerto (1974)
│  ├── Lighthouse - Can You Feel It (1973)
│  ├── Light Of Darkness - Light Of Darkness (1971)
│  ├── Lightshine - Feeling (1976)
│  ├── Lily - V.C.U. (We See You) (1973)
│  ├── Liquid Trio Experiment - Spontaneous Combustion (2007)
│  ├── Little Tragedies - New Faust (2006)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── L'Uovo Di Colombo - L'Uovo Di Colombo (1973)
│  ├── Magma - 1001° Centigrades (1971)
│  ├── Magma - Attahk (1978)
│  ├── Magma - BBC 1974 Londres (1999)
│  ├── Magma - K.A (Kohntarkosz Anteria) (2004)
│  ├── Magma - Köhntarkösz (1974)
│  ├── Magma - Live - Köhntark (1975)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh (1973)
│  ├── Magma - Mekanïk Kommandöh (1989)
│  ├── Magma - Theusz Hamtaahk Trilogie (2001)
│  │  ├── CD 1 - Theusz Hamtaahk
│  │  ├── CD 2 - Würdah Ïtah
│  │  └── CD 3 - Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh
│  ├── Magma - Üdü Wüdü (1976)
│  ├── Mahavishnu Orchestra - Between Nothingness & Eternity (1973)
│  ├── Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire (1973)
│  ├── Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)
│  ├── Man - Back Into The Future (1973)
│  ├── Man - Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (1972)
│  ├── Man - Do You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In (1971)
│  ├── Mandrill - Mandrill (1971)
│  ├── Maneige - Les Porches (1975)
│  ├── Maneige - Maneige (1975)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Angel Station (1979)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Budapest Live (1984)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Chance (1980)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Glorified Magnified (1972)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1972)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Messin' (1973)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Nightingales And Bombers (1975)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Solar Fire (1973)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Somewhere In Afrika (1983)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - The Good Earth (1974)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - The Roaring Silence (1976)
│  ├── Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Watch (1978)
│  ├── Man - Revelation (1969)
│  ├── Marsupilami - Arena (1971)
│  ├── Marsupilami - Marsupilami (1970)
│  ├── Massacre - Funny Valentine (1998)
│  ├── Massacre - Killing Time (1981)
│  ├── Massacre - Lonely Heart (2007)
│  ├── Massacre - Meltdown (2001)
│  ├── Matching Mole - Little Red Record (1972)
│  ├── Matching Mole - Matching Mole (1972)
│  ├── Maxophone - Maxophone (1975)
│  ├── May Blitz - May Blitz (1970) & The 2nd Of May (1971)
│  ├── Message - From Books And Dreams (1973)
│  ├── Message - The Dawn Anew Is Coming (1972)
│  ├── Metamorfosi - Inferno (1973)
│  └── M.I.A. - Transparencias (1976)

[close]

[innerspaceboy]

Volume 6

Spoiler

├── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 6]
│  ├── Minotaurus - Fly Away (1978)
│  ├── Miriodor - 3rd Warning (1991)
│  ├── Miriodor - Mekano (2001)
│  ├── Miriodor - Miriodor (1988)
│  ├── Mirthrandir - For You The Old Women (1976)
│  ├── Missing Link - Nevergreen (1972)
│  ├── Missus Beastly - Missus Beastly (1969)
│  ├── Monument - The First Monument (1971)
│  ├── Moose Loose - Elgen Er Løs (1974)
│  ├── Moving Gelatine Plates - Moving Gelatine Plates (1971)
│  ├── Moving Gelatine Plates - The World Of Genius Hans (1972)
│  ├── Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra (1973)
│  ├── My Solid Ground - My Solid Ground (1971)
│  ├── My Solid Ground - SWF Session + Bonus Album 2001 (2002)
│  ├── National Health - Complete (1990)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── National Health - National Health (1977)
│  ├── National Health - Of Queues & Cures (1978)
│  ├── Necronomicon - Vier Kapitel (1990)
│  │  ├── CD 1 - Kapitel 1- Necronomicon 1971
│  │  ├── CD 2 - Kapitel 2- Tips Zum Selbstmord - Live 1971
│  │  ├── CD 3 - Kapitel 3- Tips Zum Selbstmord
│  │  └── CD 4 - Kapitel 4- 1974
│  ├── Nektar - A Tab In The Ocean (1972)
│  ├── Nektar - Remember The Future (1973)
│  ├── Neutrons - Black Hole Star (1974) & Tales From The Blue Cocoons (1975)
│  ├── Nine Days Wonder - Nine Days Wonder (1971)
│  ├── Nine Days Wonder - We Never Lost Control (1973) & Sonnet To Billy Frost (1976)
│  ├── Nirvana - The Story Of Simon Simopath (1967)
│  ├── Nosferatu - Nosferatu (1970)
│  ├── Nova - Atlantis (1976)
│  ├── Nova - Blink (1975)
│  ├── Novalis - Banished Bridge (1973)
│  ├── Novalis - Novalis (1975)
│  ├── Novalis - Sommerabend (1976)
│  ├── Nova - Vimana (1976)
│  ├── Odin - Odin (1972)
│  ├── Odin - SWF Session 1973 (2007)
│  ├── Oktober - Die Pariser Commune (1977)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Oktober - Uhrsprung (1976)
│  ├── Omega - 10000 Lépés (1969)
│  ├── Omega - Éjszakai Országút (1970)
│  ├── Opus 5 - Contre-Courant (1976)
│  ├── Osanna - L'uomo (1971)
│  ├── Osanna - Palepoli (1973)
│  ├── Os Mundi - 43 Minuten (1972)
│  ├── Os Mundi - Latin Mass (1970)
│  ├── Out Of Focus - Four Letter Monday Afternoon (1972)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Out Of Focus - Out Of Focus (1971)
│  ├── Out Of Focus - Rat Roads (2002)
│  ├── Out Of Focus - Wake Up (1970)
│  ├── Pacific Gas And Electric - Are You Ready & Pacific Gas And Electric (1997)
│  ├── Paladin - Charge! (1972)
│  ├── Paladin - Paladin (1971)
│  ├── Pangea - Invasori (1976)
│  ├── Panna Fredda - Uno (1971)
│  ├── Pan - Pan (1970)
│  ├── Panta Rei - Panta Rei (1973)
│  ├── Parzival - Legend (1971)
│  ├── Passport - Passport - Doldinger (1972)
│  ├── Passport - Second Passport (1972)
│  ├── Paternoster - Paternoster (1972)
│  ├── Patto - Hold Your Fire (1971)
│  ├── Pavlov's Dog - At The Sound Of The Bell (1976)
│  ├── Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial (1975)
│  ├── Pazop - Psychillis Of A Lunatic Genius (1972)
│  ├── Pell Mell - Marburg (1972)
│  ├── Pentacle - La Clef Des Songes (1975)
│  ├── Pholas Dactylus - Concerto Delle Menti (1973)
│  ├── Picchio Dal Pozzo - Camere Zimmer Rooms (2001)
│  ├── Picchio Dal Pozzo - Picchio Dal Pozzo (1976)
│  ├── Pierrot Lunaire - Gudrun (1977)
│  ├── Pilgrym - Pilgrimage (2004)
│  ├── Planetarium - Infinity (1971)
│  ├── Polyphony - Without Introduction (1972)
│  ├── Popol Ace - Stolen From Time (1975)
│  ├── Popol Vuh - Popol Vuh (1972)
│  ├── Popol Vuh - Quiche Maya (1973)
│  ├── Premiata Forneria Marconi - Chocolate Kings (1975)
│  ├── Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per Un Amico (1972)
│  ├── Premiata Forneria Marconi - Storia Di Un Minuto (1972)
│  ├── Premiata Forneria Marconi - The World Became The World (1974)
│  ├── Principal Edwards Magic Theatre - Soundtrack & The Asmoto Running Band (1994)
│  ├── Procession - Fiaba (1974)
│  ├── Procession - Frontiera (1972)
│  ├── Prosper - Broken Door (1975)
│  ├── Pulsar - Halloween (1977)
│  ├── Pulsar - Pollen (1975)
│  ├── Quatermass - Quatermass (1970)
│  ├── Quella Vecchia Locanda - Il Tempo Della Gioia (1974)
│  ├── Quella Vecchia Locanda - Quella Vecchia Locanda (1972)
│  ├── Quicksand - Home Is Where I Belong (1974)
│  ├── Quiet Sun - Mainstream (1975)
│  ├── Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno - Per... Un Mondo Di Cristallo (1972)
│  ├── Råg I Ryggen - Råg I Ryggen (1975)
│  ├── Ragnarök - Ragnarök (1976)
│  ├── Rainbow Band - Rainbow Band (1970)
│  ├── Rainbow Theatre - Fantasy Of Horses (1976)
│  ├── Ramses - La Leyla & Eternity Rise (1993)
│  ├── Rare Bird - As Your Mind Flies By (1970)
│  ├── Rare Bird - Rare Bird (1969)
│  ├── Raw Material - Time Is... (1971)
│  └── Reale Accademia Di Musica - Reale Accademia Di Musica (1972)

[close]

[innerspaceboy]

Volume 7

Spoiler

├── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 7]
│  ├── Renaissance - Ashes Are Burning (1973)
│  ├── Renaissance - Prologue (1972)
│  ├── Renaissance - Renaissance (1969)
│  ├── Return To Forever - Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy (1973)
│  ├── Return To Forever - Musicmagic (1977)
│  ├── Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976)
│  ├── Return To Forever - Where Have I Known You Before (1974)
│  ├── Riff Raff - Original Man (1974)
│  ├── Riff Raff - Outside Looking In (1999)
│  ├── Riff Raff - Riff Raff (1973)
│  ├── Ripaille - La Vieille Que L'on Brûla (1977)
│  ├── Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (1973)
│  ├── Rufus Zuphall - Avalon And On (1993)
│  ├── Rufus Zuphall - Phallobst (1971)
│  ├── Rufus Zuphall - Weiß Der Teufel (1970)
│  ├── Ruins - Hyderomastgroningem (1995)
│  ├── Rumplestiltskin - Rumplestiltskin (1970)
│  ├── Ruphus - Let Your Light Shine (1976)
│  ├── Ruphus - New Born Day (1973)
│  ├── Rush - 2112 (1976)
│  ├── Rush - A Farewell To Kings (1977)
│  ├── Rush - Caress Of Steel (1975)
│  ├── Rush - Fly By Night (1975)
│  ├── Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
│  ├── Rush - Permanent Waves (1980)
│  ├── Rush - Rush (1974)
│  ├── Rush - Signals (1982)
│  ├── Rustichelli & Bordini - Opera Prima (1973)
│  ├── Saffran - Blue In Ashes (1975)
│  ├── Sagrado Coração Da Terra - Coletânea II- Instrumental (2002)
│  ├── Sahara - For All The Clowns (1975)
│  ├── Sahara - Sunrise (1974)
│  ├── Samla Mammas Manna - Kaka (1999)
│  ├── Samla Mammas Manna - Klossa Knapitatet (1974)
│  ├── Samla Mammas Manna - Måltid (1973)
│  ├── Samla Mammas Manna - Samla Mammas Manna (1971)
│  ├── Samla Mammas Manna - Snorungarnas Symfoni (1976)
│  ├── Samurai - Samurai (1971)
│  ├── Sandrose - Sandrose (1972)
│  ├── Satin Whale - Desert Places (1974)
│  ├── Second Life - Second Life (1971)
│  ├── Secret Oyster - Furtive Pearl (1973)
│  ├── Secret Oyster - Straight To The Krankenhaus (1976)
│  ├── Secret Oyster - Vidunderlige Kælling (1975)
│  ├── Shylock - Ile De Fièvre (1978)
│  ├── Skryvania - Skryvania (1978)
│  ├── Skyline - Louise For One Night (1975)
│  ├── Soft Machine - British Tour '75 (2005)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Bundles (1975)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Fifth (1972)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Fourth (1971)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Grides (2006)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Live 1970 (1998)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Seven (1973)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Softs (1976)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Softstage, BBC In Concert 1972 (1994)
│  ├── Soft Machine - Third (1970)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Soft Machine - Volumes One & Two (1989)
│  ├── Solaris - Marsbéli Krónikák (1984)
│  ├── Solaris - Nostradamus - Book Of Prophecies (1999)
│  ├── Spectrum - Spectrum Part One (1971)
│  ├── Sperrmüll - Sperrmüll (1973)
│  ├── Spontaneous Combustion - Spontaneous Combustion & Triad (1997)
│  ├── Spooky Tooth - It's All About (1968)
│  ├── Spooky Tooth - Live In Europe (2001)
│  ├── Spooky Tooth - Spooky Two (1969)
│  ├── Spooky Tooth - The Last Puff (1970)
│  ├── Spooky Tooth - Witness (1973)
│  ├── Starcastle - Citadel (1977)
│  ├── Starcastle - Fountains Of Light (1977)
│  ├── Starcastle - Starcastle (1976)
│  ├── Steel Mill - Green Eyed God (1972)
│  ├── Steve Hillage - Fish Rising (1975)
│  ├── Steve Hillage - Green (1978)
│  ├── Steve Hillage - L (1976)
│  ├── Stomu Yamashta - Go (1976)
│  ├── Stone Garden - Stone Garden (1998)
│  ├── Stormy Six - L'apprendista (1977)
│  ├── Stormy Six - Macchina Maccheronica (1980)
│  ├── Streetmark - Nordland (1976)
│  ├── String Cheese - String Cheese (1971)
│  ├── Subject ESQ - Subject ESQ (1972)
│  ├── Svanfridur - What's Hidden There (1972)
│  ├── Sweet Smoke - Just A Poke & Darkness To Light (2000)
│  ├── Taal - Mister Green (2000)
│  ├── Taal - Skymind (2003)
│  ├── Tasavallan Presidentti - Lambertland (1972)
│  ├── Tasavallan Presidentti - Milky Way Moses (1974)
│  ├── Tasavallan Presidentti - Tasavallan Presidentti (1969)
│  └── Tasavallan Presidentti - Tasavallan Presidentti II (1971)

[close]

[innerspaceboy]

Volume  8

Spoiler

└── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 8]
    ├── The Flock - The Flock (1969)
    ├── The Human Beast - Volume One (1970)
    ├── The Mr. Albert Show - Warm Motor (1971)
    ├── The Muffins - 185 (1996)
    ├── The Muffins - Chronometers (1993)
    ├── The Muffins - Manna-Mirage (1978)
    ├── The Trip - Caronte (1971)
    ├── The Trip - The Trip (1970)
    ├── Thinking Plague - A History Of Madness (2003)
    ├── Thirsty Moon - I'll Be Back - Live '75 (2006)
    ├── Thirsty Moon - Thirsty Moon (2006)
    ├── Thirsty Moon - You'll Never Come Back (2006)
    ├── Thors Hammer - Thors Hammer (1971)
    ├── Thrice Mice - Thrice Mice (2003)
    ├── Time - Time (2003)
    ├── Tipographica - God Says I Can't Dance (1996)
    ├── Tipographica - The Man Who Does Not Nod (1995)
    ├── Tipographica - Tipographica (1993)
    ├── Titanic - Eagle Rock (1973)
    ├── Titanic - Sea Wolf (2000)
    ├── Titanic - Titanic (2000)
    ├── Titus Oates - Jungle Lady (1974)
    ├── Tømrerclaus - Tømrerclaus (1978)
    ├── Tonton Macoute - Tonton Macoute (1971)
    ├── Tortilla Flat - Für Ein ¾ Stündchen (1974)
    ├── Trace - Birds (1975)
    ├── Trace - The White Ladies (1976)
    ├── Trace - Trace (1995)
    ├── Travelling - Voici La Nuit Tombee (1973)
    ├── Trettioåriga Kriget - Krigssång (1992)
    ├── Tribal Tech - Rocket Science (2000)
    ├── Triumvirat - Illusions On A Double Dimple (1974)
    ├── Triumvirat - Mediterranean Tales (1972)
    ├── Triumvirat - Old Loves Die Hard (2002)
    ├── Troya - Point Of Eruption (1976)
    ├── Twenty Sixty Six And Then - Reflections! (1993)
    ├── Tyburn Tall - Tyburn Tall (1972)
    ├── Univeria Zekt - The Unnamables (1972)
    ├── Univers Zéro - Ceux Du Dehors (1982)
    ├── Univers Zéro - Heatwave (1986)
    ├── Univers Zéro - Implosion (2004)
    ├── Univers Zéro - UZED (1984)
    ├── Uzva - Niittoaika (2002)
    ├── Uzva - Tammikuinen Tammela (2000)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff (1975)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - H To He, Who Am The Only One (1970)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Maida Vale (1994)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Now And Then (1988)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts (1971)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Present (2005)
    │  ├── CD 1
    │  └── CD 2
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Real Time (2007)
    │  ├── CD 1
    │  ├── CD 2
    │  └── CD 3
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Still Life (1976)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - The Aerosol Grey Machine (1969)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - The Box (2000)
    │  ├── CD 1 - Bless The Baby Born Today
    │  ├── CD 2 - The Tower Reels
    │  ├── CD 3 - One More Heaven Gained
    │  └── CD 4 - Like Something Out Of Edgar Allen Poe
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other (1970)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - The Quiet Zone - The Pleasure Dome (1977)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Time Vaults (1982)
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - Vital (1978)
    │  ├── CD 1
    │  └── CD 2
    ├── Van Der Graaf Generator - World Record (1976)
    ├── Vega - Andaluza (1978)
    ├── Vinegar - Vinegar (1971)
    ├── Violence Fog & Jerusalem - SWF-Sessions - Volume 6 (2001)
    ├── Violeta De Outono - Volume 7 (2007)
    ├── Vytas Brenner - La Ofrenda De Vytas (1999)
    ├── Wallenstein - Blitzkrieg (1971)
    ├── Wallenstein - Cosmic Century (1973)
    ├── Wallenstein - Mother Universe (1972)
    ├── Wallenstein - Stories, Songs & Symphonies (1975)
    ├── Wapassou - Ludwig (1979)
    ├── Wapassou - Salammbô (1978)
    ├── Warhorse - Red Sea (1999)
    ├── Warhorse - Warhorse (1990)
    ├── Warpig - Warpig (1970)
    ├── Weidorje - Weidorje (1978)
    ├── White Willow - Ex Tenebris (1998)
    ├── White Willow - Ignis Fatuus (1995)
    ├── White Willow - Sacrament (2000)
    ├── White Willow - Storm Season (2004)
    ├── Wind - Seasons (1971)
    ├── Wishbone Ash - Argus (1972)
    ├── Wishbone Ash - There's The Rub (1974)
    ├── X-Legged Sally - The Land Of The Giant Dwarfs (1995)
    ├── Yes - Close To The Edge (1972)
    ├── Yes - Fragile (1971)
    ├── Yes - Relayer (1974)
    ├── Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973)
    │  ├── CD 1
    │  └── CD 2
    ├── Yes - The Yes Album (1971)
    ├── Yes - Yessongs (1973)
    │  ├── CD 1
    │  └── CD 2
    ├── Yezda Urfa - Sacred Baboon (1989)
    ├── Yugen - Labirinto D'acqua (2006)
    ├── Zamla Mammaz Manna - FamilyCracks (1980)
    ├── Zao - Kawana (1976)
    ├── Zao - Shekina (1975)
    ├── Zao - Z=7L (1973)
    ├── Zarathustra - Zarathustra (1972)
    ├── Zior - Zior (1971)
    └── Zypressen - Zypressen (1996)

815 directories

[close]

[Trollheart]

Wonderful stuff, TH. I checked my post history and see that I've named a relevant collection a few times but never provided the inventory list of the library. There is a collection I picked up titled, "The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection (Vols I-VIII)" which includes the following 753 albums. You may find it useful in your research.

I'm going to have to break the list up into 8 separate posts due to the character count, but I'll see if I can hide the blocks of text so you don't have to scroll to the end of kingdom come...

Thanks for all the hard work, man, and for reading. It really makes a difference to know someone is actually following this.

Oh I'll have to listen to this in the car later. Never heard of Ewaz Vader. Curious!

The band is actually called One Shot. Ewaz Vader is the name of the album. Not, of course, to be confused with a certain Dark Lord of the Sith, who, to my knowledge, has no particular interest in jazz fusion. Nuclear fusion, yes. Jazz fusion, no.

[Saulaac]

Thanks for all the hard work, man, and for reading. It really makes a difference to know someone is actually following this.
The band is actually called One Shot. Ewaz Vader is the name of the album. Not, of course, to be confused with a certain Dark Lord of the Sith, who, to my knowledge, has no particular interest in jazz fusion. Nuclear fusion, yes. Jazz fusion, no.

I second that; ISB that is a humongous list which you put together   . Between you and the others, (where is grindy and comus btw?), the "Prog" genre is exceptionally well covered on SCD.

Any prog which ventures into more jazzy realms is bound to prick my ears in an upwards direction. And in fact any prog which ventures into jazzy and funky realms is bound to up my ears in a prick direc... OK I'll stop there.

But seriously, I enjoyed Ewas Vader a lot, TH. Thanks for pointing out that the band is actually called One Shot (Doh!). I listened to it once in the car with the wife (the volume was more on a "background" setting to suit the lady). The froggy French musicianship was apparent with their gloomy dark riffs. I spotted quite a bit of John McLaughlin in the guitars, and lots of Jan Hammer in the keys, along with serious Magma vibes.   

Your reviews are great because you describe an album very well even if you don't like it. That takes some ears. And this one was doubly great because I found out about One Shot. 

[Trollheart]

Album title: Night
Artist: Gazpacho
Nationality: Norwegian
Sub-genre: Crossover Prog
Year: 2007
Position on list for that year: 5
Chronology: 4th of 11
Familiarity with artist: 5
Familiarity with album: 2
Gold Rated track(s): Nothing really stands out, but they're all good.
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: There's one thing that turns me off Gazpacho, and it's their singer. Jan-Henrik Ohme always sounds to me like he's about to burst into tears, and the music is quite funereal. In fact, I can't think of a single upbeat Gazpacho track I've ever heard: they could almost be the poster boys for a new sub-genre - Funeral Doom Prog. That being said, I do like their music and this is an album I have not heard, so it may be different. It's typical of them: five tracks only but three of those are in double figures in terms of running times.

Opening then on the longest, seventeen minutes of "Dream of Stone", there's a slow, marching into with attendant howls on the synth before Ohme's voice comes in like some sort of lost spirit haunting the music, very ethereal. Some really lush keyboards driving this, with a sort of pulsing bass and some whining guitar, but mostly it's a synthscape that provides the eerie backdrop for Ohme's tortured voice. Sometimes the Gazpacho singer sounds uncannily like Marillion's Steve Hogarth, at least to me. It's impressive stuff, and the addition of low whistles and violin makes the music that much more engaging.

Again, sure they have their fanbase, but is starting off with a 17-minute monster the best policy? I know Marillion did this on Sounds That Can't Be Made, but they had been around for decades before they did that, and were well assured of their following. Gazpacho had only, at the time of release of this album, had three others and been in existence a mere four years, so possibly taking a chance? Lovely piano and violin ending, and we're into "Chequered Light Buildings", two-thirds shorter than the opening track at a mere six minutes and change, which opens on mournful simple piano, and again proceeds in a slow, stately way through its run.

Lovely organ and a kind of mass chant going on there near the end, very epic and sweeping as the song reaches its climax with some powerful guitar and a fine soaring vocal from Ohme. The song segues rather beautifully into "Upside Down", which is, you guessed it, another slow mournful tune. Let's just put it this way: you're unlikely to ever hear these guys rocking out or singing about beer and women, unless it's in a very sad and depressed way. This one runs for ten minutes and has that kind of slowburning feel to it, with some sort of rhyme (Norwegian perhaps) being recited by a female voice, or is it Ohme? Could be him. Whistles here add a very otherworldly feel to the music, and wind sounds too.

Another comparatively short track then in "Valerie's Friend", another six minute deal, which opens on acoustic guitar and attendant birdsong, then kicks out the stays and goes heads-down for... nah, just kidding. Everything here is played at a slow, sedate, some might say boring pace, but it all works very well. One of my favourite musical instruments, mandolin, sets an extra layer on this track, though it's probably the first on which guitar really takes control, and could be said to be the most intense on the album, so far anyway.

The closer is another epic, thirteen minutes plus, and "Massive Illusion" comes in on sonorous organ (I don't need to tell you it's a slow piece too, do I? Think you have the idea by now; these guys don't do, so to speak, above a walk and they never run) and with muttered speech recordings and some handclaps, it almost, but not quite, breaks out of the same tempo the album has maintained throughout. I read it's a concept album, something I didn't realise, but as one reviewer says, it's essentially one long piece of music almost broken up into movements, so if you are intending to listen to it, my advice would be not to try to listen to separate tracks, but let the whole thing wash over you and immerse you in its grandeur.

Personal Rating: 7.7/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Blomljud
Artist: Moon Safari
Nationality: Swedish
Sub-genre: Symphonic Prog
Year: 2008
Position on list for that year: 4
Chronology: 2 of 5
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 3
Gold Rated track(s): Pretty much everything
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: I don't know why, but I've always thought these guys were African or Middle Eastern. I do know why: they seem to have purposely set out to give that impression. The title, the cover, the fact that the word "safari" is in the band name: it's an easy mistake to make. I seem to remember Anteater (Nimbly here) introduced me to this band, and I was rather impressed. This is, however, the only one of their albums I've heard. It opens on an almost Beach Boysesque a capella vocal harmony, very pleasant, though "Constant Bloom" only lasts just over a minute, while conversely "Methusaleh's Children" is over fifteen, and opens with a beautiful piano and acoustic guitar passage then some fine organ joins it. Now, this is clever. I often castigate bands for opening on epic tracks, but Moon Safari have, if you will, sweetened the pill by kicking off with a very engaging short vocal piece, almost an introduction, which helps draw you in, and by the time it's run its short length you want to hear more, so you're ready for the longer track.

It of course has a long instrumental introduction, vocals not coming in until about three minutes in, busy Mellotron giving the tune that classic prog rock feel. Moon Safari also remind me of bands like Salem Hill or Spock's Beard, and they use throughout the album the likes of cellos, violins and, um, pedal steel, keeping up the old tradition of the 70s prog bands while also providing frankly some beautiful vocal harmonies, something for everyone really.

There's definitely also a sense of Queen in the close vocal harmonies, and you can't really have those in prog without invoking the name of the prog act most associated with them. Yes, it's Jon Anderson's titans of prog, though I would say there the comparisons end, as most of what Moon Safari do is more rooted in what we might call the neo-prog idea than that of the bands of the 70s, even Yes, who have survived into the 21st century but mostly rely on the same style of music that made them darlings of the prog scene in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Comparisons with Rush or Genesis don't generally work either, which is why I'm more inclined to line them up alongside the "younger" bands, such as already mentioned, and maybe Tinyfish, Elephants of Scotland and Fish on Friday. Yes, a lot of animals there, for sure, all to be found on safari, coincidentally. Nothing to this writing business, is there?

This is in fact a double album, and when you hear there are only 11 tracks on it in total, you know what to expect in terms of length. There are few tracks on it less than eight minutes long, and one of them may very well be the longest prog track ever written, but we'll get to that in due course. "In the Countryside" is one of the shorter ones, less than six minutes, and with those wonderful vocal harmonies and a very Big Big Train feel to the music, slight sense of folk in it too, then there's a fantastic Hammond solo to open "Moonwalk" with a soaring guitar right out of Genesis's "Firth of Fifth", dropping to ambient piano and then rising to a powerful keyboard run, definitely taking us back to the heyday of prog. A Hackettesque acoustic guitar flurry with attendant flutes completes the illusion, certain elements of Pendragon in there too in a fine instrumental which runs for almost nine minutes, but somehow that doesn't seem unusual with this band. Okay, not quite instrumental: there is a recording from Apollo 8, but other than that, no vocals at all.

"Bluebells" comes in on acoustic guitar and rippling piano, then those beautiful vocal harmonies take the song away in very much an upbeat country way. A very Yes-like vocal harmony bit close to the edge sorry end, reminds me a lot of the vocal bit on "Hold On" off 90125 and it slows down on lovely bright piano. Perhaps extending the flower theme then, "The Ghost of Flowers Past" closes the first half of the album (side one, CD one, whatever you prefer) with a really nice soft piano intro which then takes quite a dramatic turn on howling synth and guitar, then slows down again on the piano, and there's again a very Queen-like part near the end.

CD two then opens with "Yasgur's Farm" which rocks along nicely and may be the track wherein they use the pedal steel, though it sounds a little more like a banjo. "Lady of the Woodland" has a romping, dancing, almost Celtic feel to it, while "A Tale of Threes and Three" is a pastoral little ballad, quite short and mostly driven on soft acoustic guitar. This, and the previous track, are perhaps necessarily short to set us up for that suite I spoke of at the beginning, a piece I believe may have a claim to being the longest prog rock track ever composed. At a staggering 31 minutes and 44 seconds, "Other Half of the Sky" (let's be honest here: that's pretty close to Yes's "South Side of the Sky", now isn't it?) is broken into four parts, but whether I can trace them as the composition moves along is something I don't know.

It kicks off anyway with "Written in the Stars", a nice soft acoustic piece and I think the second movement, "The Meaning of Success" is led in by a rising Hammond and guitar as the tempo kicks up and we get another Queen-style vocal harmony bit, a lot of squealy keyboard and rocking guitar, into the third and longest movement, "The Child Inside the Man", which runs for just over ten minutes, and is carried mostly on a fine Hammond organ with as you might expect at this point some amazing vocal harmonies. The epic ends on "After All", and I have to congratulate these guys. It's extremely rare for a track to take up a half hour of my time and not lose my attention, but I was fully engaged right through, and it really didn't seem that long.

That could have been a very appropriate and triumphant way to bring the curtain down, but Moon Safari choose to favour us with one more track to end this fine album. "To Sail Beyond the Sunset" keeps up the almost perfect quality of this, their second album, and I can well see why it's so high on the list for the year of its release, and why it holds a 4-star rating on PA. I would say the closer's rippling piano parallels very much Genesis's "The Carpet Crawlers", at least the opening part of it, but it's very much its own animal, and a lovely, relaxed way to end an album that can get nothing less than top marks from me.

Many of the reviewers whose accounts I have checked have called this "Happy prog" and I'd have to agree. Not that prog rock is generally depressive or sad, but we've seen from bands like Opeth and, most recently, Gazpacho, that they can bring a more melancholy, even bitter side to the genre. There's none of that with Moon Safari; they love their music, they love life, and on this album they certainly show it. A fantastic, intricate, well-played and written, thoughtful and above all happy album. Listen to it and you'll be happy too.

Personal Rating: 10/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Part the Second
Artist: Maudlin of the Well
Nationality: American
Sub-genre: Experimental/Post-metal
Year: 2009
Position on list for that year: 3
Chronology: 4 of 4
Familiarity with artist: 2
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s): None
Silver Rated track(s): None
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: I would imagine that I heard of these guys from Frownland back at that musical forum where there was occasionally some banter to be had, but whether I listened to anything of theirs or not is debatable. I read this was a free album, financed by their fans, but it appears to have been their last output, so far. 2009 is a long time ago now, so I would doubt we'll hear from them again, but stranger things have happened. Speaking of strange, who thought up these titles? The album opens on (deep breath) "An Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000* Miles Before the First, or Revisitation of the Blue Ghost" with a nice instrumental, almost orchestral opening that then slows down to an absolutely plodding pace, the vocal coming in and singing as slowly as the music has turned. Mostly we're talking here about a chiming guitar playing essentially the same chords, and a lush synthscape, with now a vocal chorus coming in too. The vocal is fairly depressing though, I must say.

Now the whole thing is speeding up, dropping back to single bass piano notes and then full piano with attendant guitar, which is a lot more pleasant than what has gone before. Much better, in my opinion, without the vocals. "Another Excerpt: Keep Light Near You, Even When Dying" has a nice high pitched keyboard line leading it in, and then some violin and possibly sax before it drops to a soft piano and violin melody. Guitar then soars into the mix, about halfway through it speeds up, some basic vocals in there I think though they're not too discernible, and I'd prefer if they weren't there at all. They don't add anything to the piece.

I love the cello and minimal piano line that takes us into "Rose Quartz Turning to Glass", violin joining in before the piano gets much more solid and involved, indeed driving the tune now as it progresses, then everything drops out except the cello, wailing mournfully before strange guitar effects, sparse and scattered percussion and perhaps a few words or sounds of vocal sprinkle over its melody, kind of ruining it really. They should have left it alone. Right, now the singer is having a go. Definitely a case, for me, of trying to pile too much on top of each other. "Clover Garland Island" punches in on pounding guitar chords and a droning synth, but I have to admit now this is not for me. Too much happening and these guys don't seem to recognise the old adage that less is more. I guess that explains the "experimental" part in their name. They even have a fucking dog barking in the background.

There are only five tracks on the album, so it's not surprising they're all long, and this is certainly true of the closer, 11 minutes plus as we end on "Laboratories of the Invisible World (Rollerskating the Cosmic Palmistric Postborder)" which I assume is more of the same. Reviews say you close your eyes and just drift away on the music, MotW don't make music, they find it and so on and so forth, and all that may be very well true, but it makes it damned hard to review. Just not for me personally.

Personal Rating: 5/10

Asterisk = I work that out to six trillion miles, or one light year.

[Guybrush]

All bands I know about and gave heard something of, but I'm not really familiar with their albums. Prog is admittedly a nostalgic genre for me as most of what I enjoy dates back to the 70s. This is a nice reminder I should check out some new stuff. You're very inspiring.

Not that it matters, but the cover art for Blomljud is hilariously bad 😄

[Trollheart]

Thanks man. Yes the cover is hilariously bad, but an absolute case in point of not judging a book (or in this instance, album) by its cover. Highly recommended.

[Trollheart]

Album title: We're Here Because We're Here
Artist: Anathema
Nationality: English
Sub-genre: Experimental/Post-metal Post-rock/Art Rock
Year: 2010
Position on list for that year: 2
Chronology: 9 of 13
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s): Every single one
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: You know, I could have sworn I have not only heard this before, but reviewed it. And yet, when I look through my old reviews, nothing. Perhaps I had meant to. Well I know I've reviewed a few of this band's albums, and as far as I remember, I've liked them all. The title is sort of like something we Irish often say: we've arrived, and to prove it we're here. But you don't care about that. Let's see what the album is like, coming not quite, but close, to halfway through their discography so far. Nice acoustic opening anyway to "Thin Air", which really reminds me of something, reinforcing the idea that I've heard this before. I have to say, I don't get the genre tag, at least so far: this is nothing like post-metal, and not the slightest bit experimental. What it is is great though. I see Anathema have been through a lot of changes, beginning as a doom metal band, then transitioning into a sort of gothic rock one and dropping unclean vocals to end up as they are here, which I would characterise, so far anyway, and given the other albums of theirs I've heard, as progressive metal, even prog rock. This is very anthemic and emotional. Excellent start, really builds to a climax before a beautiful rippling piano takes us into "Summernight Horizon", with indeed quite a gothic feel to it, sans the histrionic operatic vocals.

I do have to say though that while it lists Lee Douglas as the main vocalist, this does not sound like a female voice. I mean, I can hear a feminine voice there in the backing vocals, but the main singer seems to be male. Maybe it's just me. Maybe they switch vocalists as some prog (and other) bands do. "Dreaming Light" seems like it may be a ballad, riding on soft acoustic piano, with possibly some violin and yes, it is a ballad and a very beautiful one too. But yeah, I think PA have this totally wrong. First off, this is not post-metal or experimental, so I will go with Wiki's genre tags, which make much more sense, above. Also, the main vocals are definitely sung by a male, presumably Vincent Cavanagh. Really impressed so far.

And it just keeps getting better, with another piano-driven ballad in "Everything", which features a double vocal, duet, call it what you will, a real sense of twentieth-century prog rock merging with that of this century, taking the best of both and moulding them into something which is very much more than the sum of their parts. "Angels Walk Among Us" keeps up the super-high quality here, with some sort of uilleann pipes or something of that nature giving the song quite a Celtic flavour. I get the impression Anathema are not going to get out of first gear here, that this is an album of mostly slower, easier-paced tracks, and that's fine with me if they're all as good as what has gone before already. The spoken word part at the end over mournful organ sets the seal on this excellent song. "Presence" is the shortest track on the album, just shy of three minutes, and very atmospheric, leading into the longest, "A Simple Mistake", which almost segues from the previous track.

I think to some extent it might even be profitable to listen to this album as one long piece of music. I'm not saying all the tracks are the same, by any means, but they do seem to flow cohesively together and rely on one another, though I don't believe this is meant to be any sort of a concept album. This track is, however, the first time I hear the band make any sort of attempt to up the tempo. It doesn't quite break out into a rockfest or anything, but it's more dramatic and powerful and epic than any of the other tracks. As it's the longest, just over eight minutes, maybe that's not surprising. But Anathema know just how far to push it without disturbing the overall rhythm and tone of the album.

That track is also the closest I see the band coming to fulfilling the post-rock tag, as mostly it's instrumental and gives you that feel all right; other than that, I would definitely put this as mostly progressive rock. A rising acoustic guitar introduces "Get Off, Get Out", then it's subsumed into a kind of darker, denser atmosphere, with vocal chorus arising out of the melody like angels ascending to Heaven. The tempo picks up again, this almost straight rock/pop but no worse for that. Beautiful to hear the orchestra coming in on "Universal", as everything drops back to almost funereal pace, the drumbeats like the slowing thump of a heart; whether they're meant to signify dying or not I don't know, but that's what I hear. Powerful, emotional vocal as the orchestra swells behind Vincent, and a gorgeous piano outro as we move into the final track.

"Hindsight" is only beaten out by "A Small Mistake" by four seconds as the longest track, and its opening on a radio being tuned to various stations takes me all the way back to 1983, and Marillion's "Forgotten Sons". There's some sort of spoken piece then, against soft synth, a few guitar chords gently washing over the melody before another takes control, slowing pulling the track in another direction as the voice fades out and I find myself wondering if it's going to be an instrumental? Yes it seems that it is, and it's a fitting end to a fantastic album.
Personal rating: 10/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Grace for Drowning
Artist: Steven Wilson
Nationality: English
Sub-genre: Crossover Prog
Year: 2011
Position on list for that year: 1
Chronology: 2 of 8
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 3
Gold Rated track(s): Every single one
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: What a busy guy Steven Wilson is, eh? In addition to helming Porcupine Tree, collaborating with Aviv Geffen in Blackfield, not to mention No-Man and Storm Corrosion, he's remixed the entire King Crimson catalogue for release, and also somehow found time to record and unleash upon us his second solo album, Grace for Drowning. And even then, it's a double album, clocking in at a total of 83 minutes for the standard version, or over 125 minutes if you shell out for the deluxe, 3-CD unreleased material set. Any way you look at it, that's a hell of a lot of work! When does this guy sleep?

The standard album is a two-disc set, featuring seven tracks on disc one and five on disc two, with one of the latter being a 23-minute composition. It opens with the title track, lovely lazy piano and a sound that reminds me of the summer days of my youth, great vocals and backing vocals adding to the seventies feel on this short track. It's almost ethereal, so soft and lulling that when it's very quickly over, you wonder did you hear it at all? Then we're into "Sectarian", a much longer track at just over seven minutes, just as restrained though with easy keys and guitar, soft percussion which after a minute ramps up to allow the song expand and stretch itself, becoming more a prog-rock sound with warbly keyboard runs, dramatic filmscore-type music and somewhat discordant sax and horns, with choral vocals. Halfway though it all slows down for some nice piano and guitar, then deep horns and heavy percussion signal yet another change, and the song is only four minutes old.

Speaking of time, we're now nine minutes into the album as a whole, and other than the choral vocals and the kind of Beach Boys-esque humming on the title track, we've yet to hear any vocals. Very jazzy piano improvisations coming up next, as the song settles down a little, and it ends as it began, quietly and softly, but still no-one has sung a word. "Deform to Form a Star" is a completely apt PT-style title, and like the previous track it starts out almost inaudibly until Wilson's beautiful piano line introduces the song proper, and finally we have singing!

Wilson is now such a respected - almost revered - figure in the rock world, especially the progressive rock sphere - that being asked to perform on one of his albums must seem more like an honour than a favour, so both Tony Levin and the great Steve Hackett must have considered themselves blessed indeed to be allowed to participate. Wilson also uses many musicians well-known from the world of jazz, like Ben Castle, son of the late Roy, and Theo Travis, while he also enlists the help of King Crimson's Trey Gunn and Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess.

As the first vocal song, "Deform to Form a Star" is a lovely little ballad, with gorgeous guitar work and sublime piano, and Wilson's voice lending the whole thing a real air of majesty and power. "No Part of Me" starts off with tinkling keys reminiscent of the work of Vangelis, joined by more solid piano while guitar moans in the background, then Wilson's voice comes in again, perfectly complementing the music, riding along it like a surfer riding a wave, certain in his confidence that it will bear him up and carry him where he wishes to go. String section swells behind him, the London Session Orchestra adding to his musical safety net as he travels on, a soul in flight. Guitars then get a bit sharper, a bit more insistent as the wave begins to break and Wilson heads towards shore, the roar of surf in his ears as the music bears him up. He no longer needs to sing: now he is a part of the music, playing it, involved in it, lost in it as the wave starts to dissolve and he falls forward into the raging sea, but still he knows he's safe, and continues on till he finally finds himself deposited gently on the shore by soft synth, and "Postcard" helps him to his feet.

Another great little ballad, carried on guitar and piano, with delightful violin and cello joined by the rest of the orchestra, it's an aching, tender song with great yearning and desperation in the music. It's also the first single to be released from the album. There's a beautiful backing here from a choir, apparently called "Synergy Vocals", and they do a fantastic job of punching you right in the heart, just at the right moment. Then it all drops away to piano and a single, lonely voice and in a moment it's over, leaving you with a sense of loss and wanting more.

"Raider II", which is on the second disc, is that 23-minute composition I spoke of in the introduction, and here we have a two-minute prelude, after which the curiously-titled "Remainder the Black Dog" closes the first disc. A nine-minute monster, this track opens with Genesisesque piano circa "The Lamb", which is quickly joined by Wilson's vocoder-enhanced vocal, then a little later the guitars break in, courtesy of ex-Genesis man Steve Hackett, and another jazz/fusion jam results as the horns and the piano go to work, keyboards and guitar fighting it out as the song runs on. Like a lot of Wilson's work on this album there's not that much in the way of vocals, the voice being more just an onlooker or sometimes a conductor to marshall the various and varied instruments at his disposal, and ensure they're all in a harmony of direction.

And so closes disc one, and we open the second disc with "Belle de jour", very like the love theme from a movie, with all instruments played by Wilson, his only other accompaniment the London Session Orchestra again. It's a bittersweet little melody, with not surprisingly a very French feel, the autoharp in particular adding an almost spiritual aura to the song. It's a short song, just shy of three minutes, with guitar and piano both vying for top billing, then we're into "Index", which starts off with an ominous, dramatic line on guitar and drum machines keeping almost a rolling beat as Wilson sings like a somewhat unhinged enthusiast, reminding me of Marillion's "A Collection": "I'm a collector and I've always been  misunderstood/ I love the things others seem to overlook." Chilling, and the somewhat dissonant music adds to this sense of unease. Probably the most disturbing song of "collectors" I've heard since Arena's "The Butterfly Man".

"Track One" - odd, coming as it does three tracks into disc two and so essentially being the tenth track on the album - is a pastoral ballad in the style of the Moody Blues or even the Beatles - oh, wait, no it's not! Just became hard-edged guitar, spooky synth and powerful dramatic drums. Then that fades away almost to silence, before being replaced by acoustic and electric guitar to its fade. One thing you can be sure of with a Steven Wilson track, is that you can't ever be sure of anything. It may start one way, but turn suddenly and veer off on a totally different track, and if you consider yourself a hunter of song styles, it'll lead you a merry dance before - if ever - you catch it.

And so to "Raider II", twenty-three minutes and more than half of disc two. Opening on bassy piano with cello and violin, the vocal comes up almost as an afterthought, like someone slowly climbing out of a pit, then suddenly the music bursts out like a prog-rock prelude, something out of the back catalogue of Yes or King Crimson, and Wilson's vocal is clearer, stronger and more persistent, taking the lion's share of your attention. Flute and clarinet from Theo Travis adds a folky/jazz feel to the song, then fades out as the piano and guitar take the track in a new direction. Again. Nice piano solo from Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess, while the enigmatically-named Sand Snowman keeps a great line in acoustic guitar.

Things evolve then into something of another jazz jam, with clarinet, sax, piano and flute all having their say, till it all calms down around the twelve-minute mark (still only halfway through!) and there's a period of slow, low, relaxed instrumental that takes us towards the next peak, choral voices and humming synth driving us slowly, like sheep on the way home, to our destination as the piano chimes out in the background, lonely flute and harmonium beckoning us on. Surprisingly, it's vocals that greet us at the sixteen-minute mark, not heard for so long now that it's easy to have slipped into the belief that this was an instrumental, but Wilson reminds us this is not so. It's only a brief few words, but it's enough to remind us that Steven Wilson the singer is still around, watching Steven Wilson the multi-instrumentalist and waiting for his chance to get back in on the action.

Things power up and get all dramatic again at the nineteen-minute point, and it seems like this is all building to something, as the piece is now coming towards its eventual conclusion. But in fact it all builds to a crescendo and then slowly, very slowly, with feedback guitar leading the way, fades away, leaving a single bass to mark the time left, joined then by a classical guitar, some violin and some low, slow percussion to finish off this monster masterpiece.

And he's not finished yet! You would think after an opus like that Wilson would have left it and called it a day, but there's another eight-minute song to come. "Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye" is a guitar-led ballad, Wilson's vocals the strongest and clearest they've been since disc one's "Deform to Form a Star", and a joy to hear. Gorgeous guitar workout and a return to the seventies style of the opener, which seems an age ago now (it is: the album has now been running for almost an hour and a half!), simple but very effective melodies directed by the master and becoming much more than the sum of their parts. The closing three minutes of the track is soft, ambient keyboard and programmed sounds, leading us full circle to how it began, and ending an album that certainly lives up to its promise.

There's no doubt there's a huge amount to work through here, a lot to get your musical head around. If you're not familiar with the work of Porcupine Tree (and I'm not that well-versed in their music), and further, you know little of Steven Wilson's styles, this is going to be a hard one to pin down, there are so many different influences and sounds on it: rock, pop, jazz, blues, ambient, electronic, acoustic, film music ... it really needs to be listened to with all your attention in order to be able to appreciate it. I suppose I should have waited to hear it a few more times before giving my verdict, but time is not on my side, so I've had to judge this album before I've had a chance to really sink down into it and properly experience it.

But it's a big high-five from me. Grace for Drowning may only be Steven Wilson's second solo album, but it's clear he has honed his craft through years of playing with Porcupine Tree, as well as Blackfield, No-Man and his many other projects, to a point where he knows exactly what sort of sound he wants, and how to get it. He knows who to call in for help, and he knows also when to just let his own creative juices and immense musical talent take the floor on its own. Grace for Drowning is a personal triumph for Steven Wilson, and we can only sit and wonder what the guy is going to come up with next? There is, and should be, no other place for it than at the very top of the prog albums released this year.

Personal Rating: 10/10