Lies in The Sand (Raven Sad, 2011)

 Another Italian good band, but not what one usually labals as "Italan Prog". Raven Sad are an eclectic act, mostly into atmospheric sounds with beautiful guitar and keyboard solos. Space-rock, Psych Rock, yes, but with a strong emotional twist. They like down tempo songs, but they know how to rivet their listeners, even in long songs like this one, taken from their third album "Layers of Stratosphere". 

You won't find a more spacey cover art!

Raven Sad master mood changes, something they usually achieve by alternating the  foreground instruments, especially Samuele Santanna's guitars and Fabrizio Trinci's keyboards. Each musical shift opens new perspectives and deeper landscapes, like turning stages. It's kind of discovering new worlds and the sci-fi inspiration of "Lies in The Sand" adds a space-opera dimension to the big picture. 

Eins (Polis, 2011)

What a magical atmosphere! German band Polis has a very rich mood palette ranging from heavy rock to romantic tracks. This is a good example of the latter. Mostly instrumental, the song explores the most spiritual quiet realms, then offers an unpredictable finale where Christian Roscher's vocals and Sascha Bormann's drums come in to give their biting touch. As usual with them, Polis like vintage instruments and are inspired both by English prog masters and by German krautrockers, so that each song of theirs has its own flavour, even if they keep a recognizable dark and deep approach to songwriting. 

"Eins" was Polis debut album in 2011.

Then I always like bands singing in their native tongue, something reminding me how universal good music and good prog rock are. Finally, the band's eclectic attitude and the way they dig into the darkest side of life could make of them the latest incarnation of the most original bands from the past, the likes of Uriah Heep or Popol Vuh. Well, at least, let's hope so!

Pequeño animal (Dry River, 2011)

This Spanish band released their first album titled "El Circo de la Tierra" in 2011 and were a pleasant surprise to me. Sure, some of their tracks are too much on the metal prog side for my mellower tastes, but many songs are plain and very good progressive rock in a vital and colourful mood I like very much. " Pequeño animal" is one of them, full of bombastic and melodic lines, and also featuring well found changes in both rythm and tempo.

This cover art perfectly matches with the band's music, IMHO.

The background keyboard work by Carlos Álvarez Prades is brilliant, and all the musicians know how to play their instruments. Maybe a special mention goes to Ángel Belinchón Calleja's powerful vocals (and after all, Dry River used to perform Queen's covers in their early days...), adding a somewhat operatic pop-rock touch to the great picture, a welcome and original twist. And I also highly recommend to your attention their following albums...

Treebird (Sky Architect, 2011)

Opening the album "A Dying Man's Hymn", this track is one of the most interesting ones from this Rotterdam based band. After a wall of sound intro (just a minute or so), the song features a liquid and atmospheric guitar solo, reminding me of spacey atmospheres.  The voicals come in on this beautiful background along with vintage keyboards, giving a deeper landscape to the song. And I also recommend the instrumental finale, adding some lively interplays and a lighter mood. 

 This is the second studio album by Sky Architect.

It's a sweet but never sweetish mood, a delicate gateway into a good album and also a clever mix of old and new prog. Of course it isn't a tuning point in the history of rock, but if ever you're looking for 9 minutes of relaxing prog, this is your song.

Quarantine (Bader Nana, 2011)

Bader Nana is a musician for Kuwait, both a good composer and a skilled multi-instrumentalist IMHO.  This track comes from his album titled "Wormwood" and has the epic, heavy-oriented mysterious and diversified style you'll find in most of Bader Nana's works. He surely knows how to arrange a rich and enjoyable pot of different tempos, moods and instruments. I think you'll like the electric guitar in this song, so strong, fast and warm, not so far from Hackett's way in its melodic moments.

"Warmwood" was the first proper solo cd by Bader Nana.

 

Bader Nana also played drums in some bands, so you'll enjoy here true percussions instead of electronic features as in many other one-man bands. And good ones they are. There is a deep and inspired soul throughout "Quarantine", a genuine passion for music and for emotions, something I always appreciate and this is why I recommend it to you.

Sorry (Daymoon, 2011)

"Sorry" is perhaps the best way into Daymoon's musical world. This band is the brainchild of Portuguese old running prog musician Fred Lessing, that after so many years of honoured service in a series of wannabe prog bands, finally found the right line-up for a well established act. As you'll discover in this composition, taken from the album "All Tomorrows", Daymoon's music is trongly influenced by Gilmour-era Pink Floyd, with an apparently strange addition: the flute and some other wind instruments, mainly played here and there by Lessing himself.

The Moon, of course, but not its Dark Side, this time...

A more cospicuous electronic background is also patent, but of course Lessing's guitar is one of the highlights of this song (and of the other ones too). I appreciate the changing moods of "Sorry", some of them being as strong as in a proper suite... and after all the returning themes and the balanced architecture of the song also work like in a composite track. All in all, this is an enjoyable and modern piece of prog, with roots plunging into the past and branches pointing at the future.

Kalasasaya (Sikus, 2011)

Bolivia has an ancient and well known folk music Heritage and many local musicians try to keep it alive. Just a few of them mix such a beautiful tradition with rock and electric instruments. Sikus are among the latter and they actually created a kind of progressive rock based on Andian atmospheres and modern arrangements. Thistrack, coming from the album "E.C.L.I.P.S.E.", is a good specimen of their experiment: it starts like an ambient Inca-like track, then the rock instruments come in.

"E.C.L.I.P.S.E." was the second studio work by Sikus.

They never cancel nor trivialize the folk roots, they just add their own full-bodied character to them, even they show another face of Bolivian soul. Those musicians know how to play both acoustic and electric instruments and how to put them in a well set up track. Just give them a chance... I did and I never repented!

Ever Since You Killed Me (Knight Area, 2011)

Year after year and album after album, this Dutch band found a foreground place on the neo-progressive stage. This song opens the album "Nine Paths" (featuring nine tracks, of course) and has a highly dynamic profile. The guitar solos and interplays with keyboards are a winning point, but I also like some unpredictable changes and the usual melodic vein of Kinight Area. Of course, those musicians have very strong contenders in their own Country, but I daresay they deserve a special attention for the emotional side of their music, something many neo-prog heroes too often forget.

"Nine Paths" was the fourth studio album by Knight Area.

How beautiful to see how Mark Vermeule's guitar switches from dreaming accents to devilish solos and back again! And how pleasant to enjoy Gerben Klazinga's keys driving both up and down tempo sections of this epic! It's a deep, passionate and vital kind of prog I actually like and re-listen to with great pleasure.

Ícaro (Albatros, 2011)

This is a very well written and played progressive rock, IMHO. Albatros come from Igualada, near Barcelona and their style became more and more original during the years. Sure, there are many influences you could recognize in this "Ícaro" (Riverside, Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree among them), but also a very personal way to melt them into a unique sound, fluid and dense, rocky and melodic. The Spanish lyrics add a latin touch that Javi Fernandez knows how to emphasize and the tempo changes are also a specialty of Albatros.

Albatros are a five-piece band, the most traditional line-up of 

Progressive bands... that doesn't mean they have a predictable sound!

 

Take the long and liquid instrumental part filling most of the second half of this song: it's one of the finest jazz/space rock contaminations I've heard from a contemporary band (IMHO, once again). Good taste and a mature inspiration can do miracles, believe me. No, better than that: try Albatros yourself!

Luminosity (SimpleXity, 2011)

This is a very good single release from the Egyptian band SimpleXity. They released an interesting debut EP called "Click to Start", including of course this track. It begins like a pop and catchy tune, then the electric guitar and the keyboards come in and the mood gets heavier and definitely progger. It's a fresh and lively way to approach the easy side of prog rock, but when the keyboard solo starts, followed by a rythm-driven instrumental bridge and finally a dreaming guitar solo, well, no doubt, this is progressive rock. And a good one, at that.

Hope to listen more from you... good luck, SimpleXity!

A final mention goes to Omar El-Deeb sentitive vocals and I also recommend to you all to browse the net and listen more tracks by the band. I really don't know how many acts like this one exist in the land of Pharaohs, but I'm sure there is more than meet the... ears. Anyway, these guys are worth the prog community attention, as sure as their Country is worth our respect and gratitude. Prog on, guys, prog on!

Selfishness Part I (Different Strings, 2011)

Taken from the album "The Sounds of Silence- Part I: The Counterparts",this is a very interesting piece of music, coming from Malta. "Different Strings" actually are the multi-instrumentalist Chris Mallia's project, including guest musicians and vocalists. Yes, there are many, many different moods and changes in this song, but I also find in it a firm musical point of view, featuring arcane backgrounds and strong, even heavy guitar and keyboard solos in the foreground.

Chris Mallia's band released the 2d part of this concept in 2015.

 

You might recognise here and there some Golden Era models, but the final result surely is original and pleasant. The track is set up with care, lining up a series of themes and a good mix of classic rock instruments and electronic devices. The listener goes through heaven and hell, ethereal landscapes and full bodied rock 'n' roll sections. Erroll Cutajar's warm and somehow calm vocals probably aren't what you'd expect from a band named after a Rush' song, but I like them anyway. So, welcome to my blog, Different Strings!

Turn It up (Karmakanic, 2011)

A lively, catchy prog song. Taken from Karmakanic's "In A Perfect World" album, this is exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to less complex and still not trivial songs. Karmakanic could be considered another side project by bassist  Jonas Reingold of  Flower Kings fame, but the band slowly grew up and reached a stand alone status, powered by very good albums and many excellent songs.

 

"In A Perfect World" was Karmakanic's fourth studio album.

This one isn't among their most adventurous ones, but it has an original arrangement and a somewhat unpredictable pattern that I actually like. Each time "Turn It up" seems to fit into the rules of a traditional song, something unforeseeable comes in, changing and enriching the big picture. It's a fresh and enjoyable way to mix prog and mainstream rock, a pleasant surprise for many prog lovers, I reckon.

And The Stone Said: "If I Could Speak" (Beardfish, 2011)

Great epic, this one, taken from the album "Mammoth". Vintage instruments, as usual with Beardfish, but also a fresh air and a free inspiration, something you won't always find in contemporary prog bands. Johan Holm's guest saxophone adds a Crimsonian or even VDGG edge to this track, in which an old prog lover can find many other golden era influences. The final result, however, is a coherent and original rough sound, with all the tempo changes that a long track needs to keep the listener's attention truly awake.

"Mammoth" was the sixth studio album by Beardfish. 

The sung sections have a strong melodic line, and Rikard Sjöblom's voice is very, very good. The instrumental passages are full of interplays, so you'll also find an impressive wall of sound circa minute 11:00 and even an almost metal moment towards the end of the song. All in all, I like each and every moment of this song, one of my favourite ones by these Swedish musicians. Hope you'll like it too.

Untidal (WhyOceans, 2011)

This is what I call an intense, moving track. There are prog roots in it, but also many elements we'd call post-rock. It comes from "At Land", the debut album of a very interesting Chinese band called WhyOceans. The excellent fusion between keyboards and guitars, the delicate drumming work, the mood changes and the visionary impact of this music are indeniable.

Quite an interesting band, I even like this cover art.

 

For those into prog history, there are many links to some Scandinavian modern bands, but also a vague King Crimson taste and a Brian Eno distant echo. For sure, like for most of the Chinese contemporary prog acts, you'll find here the sense of wonder, an aerial dimension, even a spiritual quest. Nothing too intricated or Tricky, still some ten minutes of unusual and beautiful soundscapes.

Hallelujah (Little Tragedies, 2011)

Another excellent proof by Russian band Little Tragedies, something full of old good prog rock, but also reminiscent of Eastern European folk music. This is taken from the album called "Obsessed" and it actually became an obsession to me since the first time I listened to it. The joyful theme on which the track is based is elegant and enthralling. It includes some original variations on both popular and cultivated sides, involving all the instruments.

"Obsessed" was Little Tragedies' ninth studio album.

 

 It's a hymn to life, a real Hallelujah sung to the world using all the progressive tools. Even the rather short duration time is perfectly fit to the final effect, as unnecessary repetions or incongruous interludes are simply cut off. That's why this instrumental goes directly to the listener's heart. For a band accostumed to long and intricated suites, this is aperfect way to remember how beautiful prog can be in its shortest sketches when a good melody and a bunch of good players are involved.

Esinti (Gevende, 2011)

What an original, even weird music this Turkish band builds up! It seems to me there's a bit of King Crimson and VDGG inside, but all here is actually  unpredictable and modern. This "Esinti" (meaning "Breeze"), taken from the album "Sen balık değilsin ki", is a collection of evanescent emotions, pulsing soundscapes and changing moods. Serkan Emre Çiftçi's trumpet is the trademark of the band, but the rythmic background and the delicate guitar are excellent too. The first section of the song is a dreamy water colour leading to an almost spoken sung performance.

This is the second studio album by Gevende.

The change around minute 4:10 is stunning: we fly from a Crimsonian atmosphere to a Mid-Eastern sung section, ruled by a viola, starting with a pizzicato and soon going into an experimental but never unpleasant melody. And when the main theme comes back, it's via a tough wall of sound including follk and rock instruments. Really, if prog rock means trying new ways, well, this is the proggest thing I can figure out.

To Where The Maps End (Rainbow Danger Club, 2011)

This is a fascinating mix of pop, prog and post-rock, ending up in a melodic and slow tempo song, full of good musical ideas and based on both electric and acoustic instruments, mostly the excellent Lao Xing Gan's trumpet. The melancholy mood of the track isn't as dark as many other contemporary creations. On the contrary, this is a dreamy world where Coldplay meet Genesis and the traditional prog gently flows into the math-rock stream.

"Where Maps End" was the band's debut album.

There's a growing presence of modern prog musicians in China today (you'll find more of them in this blog too), and it seems to me that  these bands set up their rarefied architectures with a keen attention to details and an undeniable good taste. IMHO, this track is but another proof of such a musical blossoming. Hope you'll enjoy it.

The Last Sunrise (Xanadu, 2011)

These Polish musicians produce an effective prog rock, melting both heavy and melodic elements in a thick, enthralling way. I like their good taste for a not so common guitar driven progressive rock: just think that keyboards in this song are played by a guest musician, while two guitarists are members of the band. "The Last Sunrise" is the title song of their debut album and it is full of a powerful nostalgy that's very modern and still reminiscent of great bands (well, the goup's name reminds me someone from the other side of the Ocean...).

"The Last Sunrise" is a diversified, interesting debut album.

And of course the middle section of the track isn't so far from post-rock sounds. But this isn't ambient music, as Xanadu love full bodied themes and double guitar solos... and I like them too. Another peculiar way to Polish prog, another musical facet of a Country that never seems to run out of interesting bands.

Nonchalant (Druckfarben, 2011)

Oh, how graceful this song is! Canadian Druckfarben surely listened carefully to all Yes albums, but they translated Chris Squire's band world in their own musical language, adding some folk elements and some other influences to create a diversified, colourful prog rock. In this case, they probably were reminiscent of Genesis and Kansas too, and the resulting sound is sweet - never sweetish - and highly evocative.

This self named album was Druckfarben's debut CD in 2011.

Many acoustic instruments contribute to the dreaming atmosphere of "Nonchalant", and so the vocals do, with their vintage arrangements. Be as it may, I love this song and I appreciate the delicate and keenly studied embroideries that grace it. Am I too soft-hearted? Probably I am, but please, listen to this song before my final conviction into the mellowest circle of Hell!

Snowtorch Part One (Phideaux, 2011)

You'll find somewhere else in this blog my opinion about Phideaux Xavier, so I just say here I think he's one of the most interesting musicians in the current progressive rock scene. This suite, opening the same titled CD released in 2011, is a brilliant proof of that. This epic is divided into four movements ("Star of Light", "Retrograde", "Fox on The Rocks" and "Celestine") and framed into a longer concept based on the unusual parallelism between biology and sentiment.

Phideaux released nine studio albums from 1992 to 2011.

Full of vintage keyboards and modern sounds altogether, this long track is a mine of details and musical tricks, as always with Phideaux, and I'm glad to say that the sung sections are specially strong, something that non always occurred in this artist's previous works. In short, "Snowtorch - Part One" is a progressive treat, a bittersweet musical jewel I'm sure you'll enjoy if you didn't before.