Art Rock Show – Cen-ProjekT – Carnival of Lost Souls (Week 38)

Cen-ProjekT komt uit Duitsland en is van multi-instrumentalist Chris Engels en een trio met bassist Wolfgang Kropf en drummer Marius Boffgen. De teksten zijn geïnspireerd op gedichten. Chris heeft ook veel studioalbums onder zijn eigen naam uitgebracht, maar die zijn wat zwaarder van toon. De muziek op zijn albums met de band heeft wat invloeden van de symfonische prog uit de jaren 70 en bands als Genesis en Pink Floyd.

Prog Archives review: “This is the project of one man with only one guest on bass. The music is rooted in the symphonic prog of the 1970s. The melodies are developed around lush keyboards and emotional vocal harmonies. Some acoustic passages bring Genesis and Hackett’s style of playing.

The flute passage adds to the retro prog feel that we have throughout the album.… Read more...

Art Rock Show – Great Wide Nothing – A Shout Into the Void (Week 37)

Het Britse combo Nova Cascade werd eind 2010 opgericht als een ambient/progressieve rockproject door Dave Hilborne (synthesizers, zang), Dave Fick (bas), Charlie Bramald (fluit), Alessio Projetti (gitaar) en Heather Lesile (viool). Hun eerste album “Above All Else” werd uitgebracht in september 2018. Box Man is helaas de laatste plaat voor deze groep.

Prog Archives review: “They created an interesting debut with “The View From Olympus,” which has been described as a legitimate evolution of ’90s neo-prog, combining band arrangements based on vintage organs and synthesizers influenced by ’70s art/prog rock with clear vocals and melodies characteristic of Neal Morse-style American progressive hard rock, creating an impressive depth and scale that’s hard to believe comes from a trio arrangement.

Following the two-disc conceptual masterpiece of their debut album, “Hymns For Hungry Spirits,” which was a more modern and technical take on their debut style, this fourth album, their first label release, marks a turning point where they’ve shed the blockbuster-oriented tendencies of their previous albums and instead packed each song tightly while retaining their strengths, such as catchy melodies and brilliant keyboard work.… Read more...

Art Rock Show – Nova Cascade – Box Man (Week 36)

De Britse combo Nova Cascade werd eind 2010 opgericht als een ambient/progressieve rockproject door Dave Hilborne (synthesizers, zang), Dave Fick (bas), Charlie Bramald (fluit), Alessio Projetti (gitaar) en Heather Lesile (viool). Hun eerste album “Above All Else” werd uitgebracht in september 2018. Box Man is helaas de laatste plaat voor deze groep.

The Progressive Aspect (TPA): “The stunning opening track, The Choice, which clocks in at an epic 28 minutes, explores the consequences of one man’s decision to change his life by following an enigmatic signal and embarking on a mysterious quest. Musically its form consists of contrasting episodes, with little thematic continuity or development, but it is unified by an overarching narrative; in Dave’s words, “the moral of the tale is that we are all looking for something in one form or another, but with that comes many different consequences.… Read more...

Art Rock Show – Karmakanic – Transmutation (Week 35)

Karmakanic is een progressieve rockband uit Zweden, opgericht in 2002 door bassist Jonas Reingold (bekend van The Flower Kings). Naast Reingold hebben verschillende topmuzikanten uit de Scandinavische progscene bijgedragen, waardoor Karmakanic vaak wordt gezien als een soort “supergroep”.

Graham Thomas van TPA (The Progressive Aspect): “So what makes this album so special? Well, in the first place, Jonas Reingold’s songwriting has blossomed in terms of melody and tunefulness. The songs are laden with memorable hooks, soaring verses and lush choruses. Whether he is writing shorter snappier songs or extended epics, his attention to detail is meticulous, and the melodic sweep of the album never falters. He has been working towards this end for a few albums now, but Transmutation sees him eclipse his previous work, resulting in the best Karmakanic album yet.… Read more...