Lady Time (Numen, 1998)

Numen are a Spanish band whose musical consistency, so far from any commercial benefits and strongly rooted in the neo-prog soil, I surely appreciate. Since their debut album "Samsara" they displayed a nice bend for melodies and considerable instrumental skills. This song comes precisely from "Samsara" and I know many of you would have singled out other and more complex compositions from this album... but I hope you'll forgive me as you know how much I like a well done and well played pastoral song.

Didn't I say that Numen also like beautiful artworks for their releases?

This is exacly the case with "Lady Time", where a well found theme lies on a smooth sonic carpet and the listener can also find some beautiful guitar solos and a delicious flute work. Furthermore, there is a very clever and unpredictable change of mood around minute 3:25, when the Camel-esque pastoral song becomes more Marillion-esque and, believe me, this is simply perfect for my ears. 

Spartacus Concerto I, II, III (Rumblin' Orchestra, 1998)

Rumblin' Orchestra's album "Spartacus" is a very good example of flamboyant and orchestral progressive rock, still it never goes too tricky and keeps a pleasant and not-too-intellectual mood. These Hungarian musicans resumed the Roman gladiator Spartacus's history also inspiring the German act Triumvirat for their 1975 album. I especially like this three part Concerto, classically lining up two lively sections and a central melodic interlude.

Rumblin' Orchestra only released two albums between 1998 and 2000.,

Not only the music is very well played and arranged, but it is build up on solid compositions and beautiful tempo variations. Even if keyboards are the foremost instrument here, a great deal classical instruments provide a coherent and original sound. And after all, coherence and union aren't so strange when family ties are concerned: five Rumblin' Orchestra members out of six belonged to the same family!

Shadow of The Lake (Mystery, 1998)

Here you are some well conceived and well performed neoprogressive rock. "Shadow of The Lake" is a 15 minutes track by Canadian band Mystery from their album "Destiny?". Like all the best examples of this sub-genre, you'll find here references to some of the classic bands from the Seventies and also a good deal of passion and emotion. In addition to this, the sung parts are very good, with a ballad-like flavour that Mystery know how to mix with the symphonic side of their music.

This is the original cover art of "Destinhy?". It also exists a 2009

10th anniversary edition with a different cover.

Some strong electric guitars and a series of beautiful changes provide more charming moments and enliven the track. Michel St-Père - the mind behind the band - plays both guitars and keyboards, and builds up a rather complex plot for this song, probably the first full-progressive one in Mystery's discography. I surely enjoyed it.

The Charade (Drifting Sun, 1998)

This band was founded by a couple of French musicians, then built up in the UK with Brtitish and American members... a real multi-national act! Their neo-prog songs are keyboard-driven, but many instruments play an important role, also some welcome acoustic ones. Pat Sanders and his friends like catchy tunes, tempo changes and nocturnal interludes. It happens I also like that. Fish-era Marillion and IQ are their most patent sources of inspiration, and surely Drifting Sun didn't change progressive rock history. 

"The Charade" is the opening track of "On The Rebound" CD.

That said, they cleverly exploited the genre's main features, adding a special taste for acoustic guitar and synth interludes, a fresh and pleasant combination, like in this song. Chris Martini's vocals perfectly match with the band's musical recipe. Last but not least, all the musicians know how to play their instruments, something we don't always find out there. So, if you need thirteen minutes of good old neo-progressive music, take this Charade and enjoy it.

Easy to Forget (Equinox, 1998)

Good and solid (neo-) prog bands live and play everywhere. This group, called Equinox, come from Panama and is worth a bit of our attention. The aerial and melodic "Easy to Forget" is an excellent example of their music. Nothing experimental or crossover, but a great deal of passion and some interesting themes.

This was thedebut album by Equinox.

I'm not fond of their lead vocalist, but I must admit they succesfully mix neo-prog atmospheres, short heavy passages and very good guitar solos. Some changes will surprise the listener, while the keyboards add some light and pleasant touches here and there and also provide the right background for this kind of song. The band released two albums between 1998 and 2000. Such a pity we couldn't hear more of them...

The Hanging Tree (Arena, 1998)

"The Visitor" by Arena is an album I like very much and this song, "The Hanging Tree", perfectly represents its richly flavoured mood. It starts like an atmospheric ballad, then a thick and epic wall of sounds comes in like an approaching storm. Soon after a theatrical vocal passage, here you are a Floydian guitar solo, a pleasant return of the first sung theme, another wall of sound and a bombastic chorus, followed by the final guitar solo.

The 1998 line-up: Wrightson, Mitchell, Nolan, Jowitt & Pointer.

This flushing material is so well organised, so beautifully composed and arranged and so coherent that I used to listen compulsively to this song back in the late '90s and I still put it on from time to time. Probably because of its airy main theme, or maybe because of its dynamic pattern, I think this is one of the best achievements of a band that surely left (and still leaves) a deep mark in the story of neo-progressive genre. And I can but thank them for that.

La Magna Carta (Drama, 1998)

When French band Drama released their album called "Flying over The 21st Century", some reviewers found it a little incoherent, being full of disparate ethnic references. I can't deny it's actually weird to fly over the entire planet in a single CD, but there are many beautiful moments in this record. Among my favourite ones is the opening song, "La Magna Carta", lining up in an enthralling succession Scottish bigpipes, Peruvian flutes, Spanish guitars, Genesisian quotes, Oldfield lanscapes and Floydian breaks.

This album was the second studio work by Drama.

Despite such a composite lot (and, alas, the programmed drums), the electric guitars and the rythm section succeed in their desperate effort to draw a coherent pattern in which each moment finds its place. It's a foolish rhapsody, maybe, but I like its liveliness and the sincere love for prog rock it reveals. Not for the purist ears, but highly recommended if you're searching for a sunny and easy piece of music.

Psychodrama (Numen, 1998)

I know, I know... so many neo-prog bands fill the virtual shelves of my blog. Nonetheless, these Spanish boys deserve, IMHO, their own space here and this song will help me to explain why. Not only Numen are pretty good when it comes to writing melodies, but they also like changes. Good changes, I mean. Listen to the way they shift from rythmic sections to sweet acoustic ones and vice-versa in "Psychodrama", especially around the acoustic guitar part. I also happen to like César Alcaraz passionate vocals, somewhere between IQ and Ange.

"Samsara" was the band's debut work and their only one until 2014.

And then, I love the way the piano gets in at minute 6:41and starts a rather jazzy and unusual section, seconds before the Marillion echoes come back with the main sung theme. Contrasts are the very hard core of progressive rock, so I welcome catchy lines and pop ballad verses as long as they're mixed with some less predictable moments. That's exactly what Numen seem to master very well in their best songs. And that's why I'm glad to have them in my blog.

Epilogue (Salem Hill, 1998)

The American prog scene is a very rich and diversified one. Salem Hill, for example, successfully engaged themselves in a rather easy prog rock path (with a pinch of mistery in it) that I like very much. This "Epilogue" is the closing track of a very good concept album called "The Robbery of Murder", originally recorded on cassette in 1995, then re-recorded and revised for the final CD version. It's a good melodic, even symphonic song, in a soundtrack-like glorious way. The theme is so well found and the arrangement so cleverly set up that I was reminded of Alan Parsons Project, but also of Spock's Beard.

"The Robbery of Murder" was Silent Hill's fourth official release.

I like the way the vocals carry on the band's wall of sound and the guitar solo perfectly finishes the work. A light, but also lively and fresh approach to music this is, and a very flushing one. That doesn't mean you'll be overwhelmed by the sound, on the contrary you'll be able to identify and to enjoy each single instrument and each single variation. A wise production and a definite taste are responsible for that. Two more reasons to try this track.

Pod powieką (Quidam, 1998)

No doubt among the dozens of neo-prog bands born in Poland, Quidam deserve a special place. As this "Pod powieką" (meaning "Behind The Eyes") will easily prove, their music is a rich, flowing stream, leaded by Emilia Derkowska's voice, full of good melodies and dreamy instrumental passages. This song is taken from the band's second album, ""Sny Aniolów", that's to say "Angel's Dream".

This album came two years after the band's acclaimed debut CD.

Never too sweet, but always pleasant, this song includes some well found arrangements, where the acoustic and electric instruments are cleverly mixed. Jacek Zasada's flute is a bonus reason to listen to "Pod powieką", as it perfectly fits into the fairy background. This isn't a band for fully intellectual listeners, but if you like a sensible mix of brains and heart, well, this song's for you and you could also take a go with the rest of Quidam's discography. Enjoy your trip!

Dance of The Demons (Etcetera, 1998)

I was pleasantly surprised when I first listened to this suite. I didn't know the Danish band behind it, nor their self titled debut album, but I listened to this track three times in a row. I like the way it develops each theme, exploiting its different features in both melodic and rythmic aspects. The track is divided into three parts (well, two parts and an interlude called In Medias Res), spanning over 21 minutes of good old symphonic rock with an original twist. All is well done here: the creative drumming background, the usual abundance of keyboards, the lively and eclectic guitars, even the saxophone coming in from time to time.

All Etcetera's albums feature this shortened Etc logo.

There are roughly three moods in this "Dance": a melodic one, a classically rock one and a slightly jazzy one. They're so well set in the big picture that you scarcely could be bored by it: tempos and instruments always change and the final effect is almost visual, with dark and bright moments following one another. If you ask me, listening to this is one of the best things you could spend your next 20 minute spare time.

Valley of The Shadows (Cairo, 1998)

Taken from Cairo's "Conflict And Dreams" album, this track perfectly illustrates the highly dynamic kind of prog these American musicians released in their three studio album, between 1994 and 2001. The sung sections and vocal harmonies are obviously reminiscent of Yes, but this "Valley of Shadows" has an original up tempo,intricate and enthralling structure I really like. Bret Douglas surely is a good singer, as he mixes very well power and sensibility in his performance and the backing voices are also very good.

"Conflict And Dreams" was Cairo's second studio album.

Mark Robertson's keyboards rule the track, but the band act as one, especially when they open the listener's view over wide horizons and distant landscapes. I daresay Cairo found a perfect balance between vintage sounds - mostly Keys - and up to date solutions, that's to say between symphonic rock and neo-prog. For sure, if you like fast fingers and virtuoso interplays, devilish piano and flushing arrangements, you won't be  disappointed by this.

Silence Reigns (Fruitcake, 1998)

Some months ago, I was looking for some new prog music, but I wanted something with a plain, catchy melody asin was during the glorious proto-prog era. And I found this unusual and apparently naive theme floating on a mellotron and acoustic guitars ocean. How beautiful, how relaxing, how discreet this song is. Fruitcake are a Norwegian band with a rich and interesting discography, and this was exactly the song I was serching for.

"Power Structure"was the fifth Fruitcake's album.

Despite its unassuming intro, "Silence Reigns", the closing track from the album "Power Structure", evolves into a full grown symphonic rock song, but never loses its freshness. So, after a powerful instrumental section, the main theme comes back and it's like meeting an old good friend. That's how Fruitcake saved my day!

En Castille (XII Alfonso, 1998)

I don't always like XII Alfonso when playing New Age (It's my fault, of course, not theirs), but I really adore their forlk oriented tracks, like this "En Castille", offered as a bonus track in their "Odysées" album, released in the year 1999, a project involving more than 20 musicians. Actually, our track was one year older than the album. Just listen to its joyful rythm, to its wide range of acoustic instruments and to all the creative interplays it features.

There are three different pressings of this album,

including different bonus tracks.

The Mediterranean atmosphere - not necessarily Spanish - reminds me of a summer sunset at the seaside. The Spanish guitar solo is simply splendid... and what about the mandolin? Wonderful. Sure, there's no rock'n'roll here, but I'm sure I will survive even without a single electric guitar. It's an enthralling instrumental song, rich and bright, caressing and optimistic. And you won't find this everywhere.

Art Gallery (Galleon, 1998)

I read somewhere that Sweden has some 7 millions inhabitants and I'm convinced that half this number must be involved somehow in prog rock music, if only I consider how many bands and musicians I know (and appreciate) from this country. Galleon is an important part of this movement and the 14 minutes opening epic of their album "Mind over Matter" is a good example of their kind of prog, even if they changed somewhat during the years.

One ofthe best cover arts in Galleon's discography, IMHO.

I really like this song apart, maybe for the strange electronic intro: it's a dynamic, variated and classic prog song, not so original, that's true, but so fresh and pleasant that it seldom finds its way to my CD reader. The changing tempo and the instrumental sections (especially the melodic keyboards solo around minute 10) are excellent, but I also recommend the sung main theme, let alone the performing skills of the band. The lyrics are intriguing, exploring the esoteric side of art. What else? Well, try it!

Schoolyard Fantasy (Flamborough Head, 1998)

The opening track of this Dutch band's debut album is surprisingly good. Sure, they're strongly influenced by Marillion & Friends, and you'll breathe a Floydian smell roaming around (and in the lyrics...), but there's a brand melodic vein and a firm touch when it comes to put the different sections of this rather long track in the right order. So, the slow tempo and atmospheric background is delightful and never too sweetish, while the more lively sections feature good guitar work by André Cents.

A rather sad artwork by Theo Spaay. But I like it.

Keyboards are everywhere, as you can imagine, but Edio Spanninga's style is gentle and discreet and he knows how to switch from synths to piano and back again. I also like Siebe Rein Schaafs' tight and airy vocals, adding a further personal mood to the song. If you're searching for some good neo progressive rock, you'll find it here.