Titus Groan - Titus Groan (1970)

This self-titled obscurity from Titus Groan was a pleasant surprise.  Many of the early British symphonic or proto-progressive albums are largely a hit or miss affair, and opinions on the internet can often be sharply divided, hardly helping matters.  Titus Groan does little to differentiate themselves stylistically from the hordes of similar sounding bands of the era.  That said, if you're into that early prog, vaguely psychedelic, with a dash of hard rock vibe, you could do a lot worse than this particular album.  The band brings some interesting woodwinds like the Oboe and Saxophone to the fore to create an interesting feel at times.  For the most part though, the band plays fairly conventional early progressive rock, recalling the likes of East of Eden, Still Life, or any number of other similarly styled groups.

"It Wasn't For You" isn't exactly a promising opener, presenting itself as largely paint-by-numbers proto prog affair, and doesn't really go anywhere.  The album really takes off with the 11 minute suite, "Hall of Bright Carvings", with no shortage of inspired instrumental themes.  The irreverent melodic stomp of "Liverpool" and the haunting flute passages of "I Can't Change" continue the winning streak.  The poppy stuff is fairly successful.  "It's All Up With Us" and "Fuschia" clearly integrate Beatles-eque harmonies and melodic sense with an almost folky, but upbeat, feel.  The bonus tracks are an added pleasure for those of us rendered to the CD generation, as both compete with the material on the album proper, particularly an inspired version of Bob Dylan's "Open the Door Homer".  While a highly enjoyable listen, the album is probably of marginal importance in the grand scope of things, ultimately occupying little more than a second or third tier in the early British prog hierarchy of forgotten and undiscovered gems. - Greg Northrup [April 2002]

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Torman Maxt - The Foolishnessof God (1998)

Torman Maxt is a progressive metal band from California whose tasteful melodies, chops and dynamic compositional flair really make The Foolishness of God stand out from the often scary legion of independently released progressive albums.  Unfortunately for me, the band takes on a heavily Christian lyrical position, which is somewhat ironic considering the biggest influences seem to be Rush, Queensryche and Black Sabbath.  Still, I suppose one has to admit that early Rush is pretty fundamentalist, just a different kind.  Both bands certainly share a philosophically overbearing lyrical approach that can be somewhat tiresome and overdone.  On top of this, The Foolishness of God is a concept album that has something to do with all scholars and scientists of Earth being fools for denying God or something along those lines.  I could be wrong, I tried to tune out the lyrics since they were making me feel particularly unholy and hell bound.  Those of you with a sensitivity to preachy lyrics will be none to pleased to find that the band actually samples an actual preacher on the title track.  The religious among you may find the concept appealing, but I found the implications about as 'progressive' as a Pat Robertson-led theocracy or Ayatollah-era Iran.

Still, it would be unfair to slam the band for having different opinions than I do, especially when the music is this good.  Indeed, the Ozzy-style vocals melded with muscular Rush guitar and bass grooves is often reminiscent of fellow Californians Under the Sun, and I would give an unreserved recommendation to fans of that band.  The songs are solid, melodies catchy, and the group melds plaintive acoustic and driving electric contrasts beautifully.  A particularly pleasant surprise was the impeccable production and gorgeous packaging which lent to the air of professionalism to the whole thing.  Although not a style I'm particularly enamored with at this point, I can tell that this band has that intangible "it"; a mature, developed approach that separates them from a scene crowded with amateurs.  Fans of this style will want to give the band a shot.  Contact Torman Maxt at www.tormanmaxt.com. - Greg Northrup [December 2001]

David Torn - Door X (1992)

Originally published in Reels of Dreams Unrolled No. 2, May 15th 1997
I am the only one who likes this album. No David Torn fan I have ever met likes this album. I've even heard that there was an Internet chat somewhere in the deep reaches of cyberspace in which David Torn said that he doesn't like this album. Sometimes you just can't win. After years of innovative music making with groups such as Lonely Universe, The Everyman Band, and a number of solo projects including Cloud About Mercury with Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, and Mark Isham, Guitarist David Torn had caught the attention of a major record label. Unfortunately, it was Windham Hill Records. The label that had been the virtual McDonalds of New Age for years was now trying their hand at music for the masses, and Torn ended up as their Guinea Pig. 

The weakness of Door X, and the real reason no one likes it is that producer Steven Krause can never make up his mind as to what he wants Torn to be. On the one hand, you have songs like "Lion of Boaz," which feature Torn's ambient guitar drones and chord voicings accented perfectly by Mick Karn's fretless bass and some interesting, yet subtle drum lines from Bill Bruford; while on the other you have "Diamond Mansions," where a drum ostinato accompanies Torn's unsettling voice waning on about peace and mysticism, with his guitar coming in now and again almost as an afterthought. What results is two separate albums fighting it out at once. There is a certain groove to songs like "Lion of Boaz," the Squeeze-like danciness of "Promise," and the control to chaos of "The Others" that is painfully vacant from "Good Morning Mr. Wonderful," "Diamond Mansions," and "Time Bomb." And it's not so much a vocals versus instrumentals argument, it's based more on feel. This album flows so well when the musicians are allowed to take control, but it happens so rarely that it becomes frustrating waiting for something to happen. It's very hard to listen to this album all the way through because the songs just don't get along with each other.

But the real problem with this album is that David Torn has been boxed into a set of pop songs. His strength is breaking boundaries, not coloring within the lines, and for fans used to his more adventurous work with looping and ambient tones, Door X is simply trying to force his guitar style into places where it doesn't belong. Without the freedom to use his musical style to take the listener away from the norms they are used to, you are left with an album of familiar sounding songs with some great guitar solos in them. In the end, Door X simply fails because its not much you haven't heard before. There is a bit of appeal in the fact that if you are a fan of his music, it's cool to hear him work within "normal" confines as opposed to the anarchy of the music he has been making since. So in that sense, the album works as a sort of novelty for true fans. Maybe that's why I like it. 

If you really want to check out the man and his music, look for other releases, like Polytown with Terry Bozzio and Mick Karn. But if you are already a fan, I suggest taking a listen to this album once more with an open mind. Yes, he is being forced to play short solos in pop songs. But some of those solos are brilliant. It's a chance to catch a glimpse of what these songs could be if musicians were allowed to be what they are, and not what a record label thinks they should be. - Dan Luft [May 1997]

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Anyone remotely familiar with the three musicians who play on this album would probably assume the music within is bound to take the listener to unconventional musical realms. One listen proves that assumption to be entirely true, and what fantastic realms they are!

Polytown was recorded in 1993 and still sounds incredibly fresh 10 years later. Its unusual mixture of avant-garde rock, jazz, ambient and ethnic music from around the world is a much more potent and original one than similar attempts made by lesser groups. This is not the watered down stuff some people call "world music," nor is it commercial new age drivel. This is an example of fine musicians translating a myriad of influences into their own familiar idioms of outside jazz and rock. What comes out in the end is one of the finest and most progressive fusion albums since the 1970s.

Though some other instruments are thrown in for color here and there, most of Polytown consists of the basics: guitar, bass and drums. That these musicians can do so much with these three very familiar instruments is incredible, but we must remember that these three men are some of the most iconoclastic players ever in each of their fields. Mick Karn's slinky, percussive fretless electric bass helped propel the music of Japan well beyond what many of that band's punk/new wave contemporaries were doing in the late '70s and early '80s. David Torn's searing guitar solos and highly processed looped ambience has graced numerous cutting edge albums on labels like ECM and CMP in the '80s and '90s. And lastly, Terry Bozzio has played with Frank Zappa, UK, Missing Persons and Bozzio/Levin/Stevens and is renowned for being one of the most innovative and unorthodox rock drummers ever. The combination of these three distinctive musical personalities is a unique and powerful one indeed.

Much of Polytown is comprised of judicious use of atmospherics mixed with melody and percussion that give unmistakable but subtle nods to various kinds of music from the East. Tempos are moderately slow and instrumentation sparse, but these three know how to fill up the space in clever ways without sounding self-indulgent. Torn's washes of ambient guitar are largely responsible for filling in the aural cracks, but Karn and Bozzio also show themselves to be very capable at keeping things moving in a tasteful fashion as well.

The tones and timbres heard on Polytown are anything but standard. Karn's fretless Wal bass (the same brand used by Geddy Lee to such unique effect on Rush's late '80s albums) growls in the lower registers and provides an unusually funky pop and twang in the high end. Bozzio's drum kit (which has been known to incorporate giant bass drums and unusual cymbals) utilizes many percussives not found in the standard drum kit, and throughout it all, Torn's guitar swirls, floats, echoes and emits mysterious, wavering, sustain-soaked solos.

There is not a bad track on this album, but some certainly stand out. "This is the Abduction Scene" is aptly named for its intense sense of action and malevolence. Karn's frighteningly distorted bass drives the piece while Torn provides some of his most energetic soloing of the album. This piece seems like a bit of a tease for being too short, but it is remarkable for sounding a lot like what King Crimson could have been doing around the time of Thrak had that album been more focused. This listener is inclined to conclude Polytown beat KC at its own game with this track and did it a year or two earlier.

"Snail Hair Dune" is the longest track and is notable for Torn's remarkably smooth bent-string melodies, which go a long way toward making this one of the most exotic sounding tracks on the CD. Torn gets a couple of solos in which he really gets to show off his Fripp-styled fuzz sustain combined with an almost Holdsworthian tremolo technique.

"Red Sleep" is a mellow, slightly less risky piece that varies just a bit from the formula on most of the rest of the album. It utilizes some subtle Hammond organ chords to set a relaxing tone over which Karn plays some slow, beautiful melodies. While the playing by each musician on this album is superb, it seems fair to say that Karn consistently gives the most interesting performances. He's probably one of the few players (along with Les Claypool) to do anything really new and interesting with the fretless bass since Jaco Pastorious put the instrument in the spotlight in the 1970s.

Polytown is remarkable for its consistency. The group manages to maintain a very unique sound throughout the entire album without being repetitive or boring. What Torn, Karn and Bozzio created in Polytown sounds like futuristic jazz-rock from desert climates. Even the album cover images allude to rattlesnakes and exotic locales. While this album will sound unique at first listen, it may take a while to reveal its genius to most listeners. All in all, however, it's a very convincing and engaging album that enables one's mind to travel to places one's body may never visit.

Like other releases from the now defunct CMP label, this album is out of print. It does, however, turn up on Ebay very regularly. Get it. - Scott Hamrick [June 2003]

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Although only released a matter of weeks ago, La Torre dell'Alchimista is easily on its way to becoming the album of the year. The buzz around this album is growing bigger on a daily basis. Take the sound of the Italian progressive rock renaissance of the early 70s and mix it with today's high production standards and you have an album destined to be a classic in years to come. The band is comprised of keys, bass, drums and flute, with acoustic guitar and clarinet embellishments on selected tracks. An assault of analog keys waits behind each twist and turn; killer hammond attacks, dashing mini-moog lines and the occasional piano and digital synth. Easily the highlight of the album, keyboardist Michele Mutti's style is similar to that of the other Italian greats; powerful and Emerson-like, yet distinctly restrained and Italian. The prominent role of flute, and its frequent interplay with the keys bears a strong resemblance to Hungarian symphonic group Solaris at times.

The album opens in prime fashion with the hammond lead intro to "Eclisse". The band demonstrates their excellent sense of dynamics, with bombastic organ lines trading off with quiet flute interludes and then running synth lines leading into powerful, emotional Italian vocals. Dark symphonic keyboard swells are broken by bright and airy flute. "Il Volo" slows things down with a romantic and atmospheric ballad. Giardino's vocals conjure up the perfect, somber mood. In stark contrast, songs like the title track and "L'apprendista" plow foreword with furious melodicism, dropping riffs left and right that will be stuck in your head for days. "La Persistenza Della Memoria" provides another interlude; a beautiful, classically influenced piano solo. The epic "Acquario" caps off the album wonderfully, with a climax of keyboard frenzy ending with a jazzy conclusion.

There will probably be a major amount of hype surrounding this album, but it easily stands on it's own. The band has a phenomenal sense of composition that always keeps things fluid and organic. They have an excellent sense of balancing both the beautiful and bombastic. An instant classic that comes with the highest of recommendations. - Mike Prete [July 2001]

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Tortoise -

This album is looked upon as a landmark in "post-rock". Indeed, it has inspired plenty of followers, and garnered much critical praise (and a healthy share of backlash as well). While possibly not worthy of it's numerous accolades, Millions Now Living Will Never Die stands as an excellent album. Featuring a blend of Krautrock and jazz, with perhaps a little electronica, Millions Now Living Will Never Die is certainly a unique sounding album. While closer inspection may betray some of the band's roots, the music remains fresh sounding, even years after numerous bands have attempted to fashion themselves in Tortoise's image.

The 21-minute opener "Djed" harkens directly back to Neu!'s first album, particularly "Hallogallo" (a resemblance so striking that I was *immediately* reminded of "Djed" when I first listened to "Hallogallo", which wasn't until the 2001 Neu! CD re-issue). Both songs are built around very similar pulsing, rhythmic backbones, though while Neu! rides it to the song's completion, Tortoise eases it into a slow groove and eventually abandons it altogether."Djed" is certainly the heart of the album, but the remaining tracks are not to be overlooked. The lush "Glass Museum", percussion heavy "The Taut and Tame", and somber "Along the Banks of Rivers" (whose ringing guitar notes never fails to remind me of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") are also highlights. Though each mines different territory, common themes run through all of the songs: guitar & vibraphone melodies, varied percussives prone to sudden changes, and a complete lack of vocals (if you exclude the muffled voices on "Dear Grandma and Grandpa").

The strength of the music, however, is something transcendent of it's basic elements. There is often a surreal quality to the music, as though it's not quite being directly experienced (indeed, I see how some listeners have lost themselves in this disc). It's ideal as late-night headphone music (which is precisely how I'm listening to it now). Though not "progressive rock" in the traditional sense, there are a number of bands out there who are breaking new sonic ground, with the same gung-ho approach to music as the pioneers of progressive rock. Tortoise is one such band. Progressive rock fans are encouraged to come along for the ride, and witness the next evolution of "art rock". Oh dear, it seems that I'm adding to the already overly-heaping praise. Oh well. Ignore the exuberance, and just listen to this outstanding album. - *Legion* [April 2002]

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Townscream - Nagyvárosi Ikonok (1997)

I gotta say, the opening to this album is one of the most exciting I've ever heard.  I mean, its just an explosion of keyboards and locked-in, thundering drum patterns, with some killer electronic sample cycling over the riff, driving home the groove.  Phenomenal.  Townscream is the project of former After Crying keyboardist Csaba Vedres, and there is an expectedly significant carry over from his former band, Vedres being the main composer during his stay.  Considering that After Crying's period with Vedres at the helm was their most arguably their most successful, fans of their early work would probably want to follow him to Townscream before exploring the more inconsistent later After Crying albums. Nagyvárosi Ikonok received a ton of hype upon its release, and as usual there's been backlash, but I think now that the dust has settled, it still stands as a great album.  For those familiar with After Crying's work, Townscream is slightly heavier and more aggressive, but also manages to work in that lush, classically inspired After Crying feel at points.  In some ways they are even more varied, which may contribute to complaints concerning the discontinuity of the album.  Even those unfamiliar with early After Crying should make an effort to pursue Townscream, as I think the album stands up very well on its own, and would possibly halt the unconscious desire to compare the two groups.

As is usually the case with Csaba Vedres, his biggest inspirations seem to be King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, as well as his incorporation of a dark classical feel.  The album moves through a number of different phases, which sort of caused me to lose interest at various points at first, focusing on one chunk of pieces and then sort of zoning out.  However, repeated listenings have allowed the whole thing to sink in and make sense.  The title suite is an unequivocal masterpiece.  The aforementioned opening is utterly fantastic, but the piece doesn't really let down as far as quality goes, though certainly the intensity is varied throughout.  It incorporates a number of beautiful piano solos, as well as a drum solo that uses sampled rhythms to great effect before exploding into the suite's shuddering climax.  "Minden Nap" is the first track that really evokes early After Crying, an extremely beautiful and melodic piece featuring vocals, acoustic guitar and flute.

The next section of the album was originally what sort of lost me.  "A Lazarus-Ból" through "Koldus" are extremely ELP-ish, and very bombastic.  However, the aggressive cello and horn parts that overlay the keyboard pyrotechnics really sunk in over time, and I've gotten to thoroughly enjoy this section of the album as well, reminding me that there's really nothing wrong with ELP bombast, as long as its done well.  The final section of the album starts out very slow, as both the 9th and 10th tracks occupy around 10 minutes of near dead air, consisting of minimalistic chanting and sound effects.  However, patience pays off as the closing set of tunes proves utterly fantastic, rivalling the best work of After Crying, and in very much the same style.  Stunning symphonic progressive with an overt classical air and with all the flourish and grand instrumentation that we've come to expect from such large scale Vedres compositions. Nagyvárosi Ikonok requires some persistent listening for it to all fall together.  It does drag at points, and the project could have used some tightening up, but the album still holds up with any of the After Crying albums.  A great example of original and inspired symphonic progressive for the 90s.  Here's to hoping we'll see some more out of Townscream in the future, though Vedres has been apparently concentrating on solo piano work as of late.  Ah well, the next album could have been a real classic. - Greg Northrup [July 2001]

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Trace - Birds (1975)

Trace was a Dutch band that played extremely energetic and inspired keyboard heavy classical rock.  Their second album is reportedly their finest, and indeed comes off like a more light-hearted and less mechanical Emerson, Lake & Palmer.  Trace is somewhat notable for it's membership, featuring keyboard whiz Rick van der Linden from Ekseption and drummer Ian Mosely, later of Marillion.  Though I've heard fairly unanimous bad things about the classical adaptations on the Ekseption album, van der Linden's playing on Birds is phenomenal.  This is high-energy, unabashedly pompous stuff that is just a lot of fun, making use of every kind of vintage keyboard imaginable.

The album is made up of a bunch of short tracks and then the epic "Birds" suite.  Of the earlier tracks, "Bouree" is a blast, kicking off the album in grand fashion and setting the tone.  The highlight of this first part of the album is without a doubt "Opus 1065", an adaptation of a Bach piece that is absolutely stunning.  Darryl Way's violins are used incredibly here.  Definitely one of the nicest rock adaptations of a classical piece I've ever heard.  "Penny" is a fairly boring jazz workout, and is rather tedious as anticipation builds for the incredible title suite.  "Birds" is no disappointment.  This track has it all, as it works through it's various themes, borrowing liberally from classical pieces throughout (don't ask me which ones) and mixing it all with the frenetic keyboards and general rock and roll machismo.  The band also must have saved their strongest original material for this one as well, as there is hardly a weak point on the whole thing.  Occasionally, vocals appear for the first times on the album, and aren't overly unpleasant despite the slight accent.  This is a keyboard album for sure though, the clear attraction being van der Linden's generally bombastic but electrifying playing.  One of the best Dutch albums I've heard for sure. - Greg Northrup [March 2001]

Click Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info

Click Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info

Triana - El Patio (1975)

Triana were/are the most commercially successful progressive band from Spain.  They combined indigenous flamenco and folk influences with mid tempo soft rock leanings.  I believe they are still together in one incarnation or another, but by now the music has taken a more commercial approach. El Patio is the band’s debut, and like most of their fellow countrymen, their careers didn’t begin until after most of the classic English bands had already released their masterpieces.

"Abre la Puerta" slowly fades in with an acoustic guitar and mellotron choir before a crescendo into the main melody.  This is a nice build up to the vocal section and really gives one a beautifully atmospheric feeling that he/she has been transported to a cantina somewhere in Madrid!  The nearly 10 minute opus is probably the most up-tempo track the band has ever attempted and ends with a relatively exciting fade out.  "Se de un Lugar" continues in much the same vein and is nearly as addictive as the album opener.  From there, the album becomes more song oriented, but no less memorable.  I particularly like the pair of tracks that close the album; "En el Lago" has a great melody and vocalist Jesus de la Rosa sings with a great deal of passion and vigor.  "Recuerdos de Una Noche" ends the album on a high note and (almost!) makes me want to dance.

There are many things that I recommend about Triana’s El Patio.  The acoustic flamenco guitar is simply gorgeous and Jesus de la Rosa’s keyboards are tastefully arranged, if a bit restrained.  The material is consistently excellent throughout, though I do wish that they would take a few more chances with regard to rhythm and structure.  Many progheads complain that Triana aren’t progressive enough, so folks into Magma or even ELP may want to give this a listen before buying.  But if one enjoys softer progressive bands like The Moody Blues, Barclay James Harvest or even folk music in general, I would give El Patio a big thumbs up. - Steve Pettengill [October 2001]

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TriPod - TriPod (2000)

Originally published in Reels of Dreams Unrolled No. 14 , Ocober 4, 2001
TriPod. There are only three guys in the band. Get it? How prog can a three-piece without a keyboardist be? All real prog bands at least include a keyboardist, right? And this band doesn't have a guitarist either! Bass, drums and saxophone, of all things, are basically all you get on this CD, folks. While you might expect this combination of instruments to yield some kind of cheesy Huey Lewis type of '50s rock, or at best, jazz, either supposition would be way off the mark. TriPod rocks quite nicely, thank you very much. And they don't leave out the prog either.

Many other unknown modern prog bands have taken the (ch)easy way out when compensating for their lack of members. They've resorted to the use of drum machines or relied too heavily on sequencers and computers to play their music for them. Rather than using such crutches to attempt to reconstruct someone else's played-out vision of progressive rock, TriPod (whether by necessity or design) has capitalized on their situation and crafted a unique style of progressive rock out of what many would see as limited resources. The result is lean, sinewy, complex rock propelled by bass riffs and decorated by self-assured, memorable saxophone melodies. 

The most distinctive and unique element of TriPod's sound is the saxophone. Keith Gurland's well-honed saxophone skills are always the center of attention on this CD. That may scare some folks away, but even those who generally don't care for horns in their music are likely to be surprised how listenable the sax playing on TriPod is. Gurland's playing is appropriately daring for progressive rock, yet it is melodic and well integrated within the each song's structure. He generally avoids the "dirty" sound and excessiveness that can make many saxophonists so annoying. Gurland doesn't abuse the spotlight, though it would be easy for him to do so. His melodies, tone and technique almost instantly call to mind the work of one of prog rock's greatest saxophonists, David Jackson of Van Der Graaf Generator. 

The next most important feature in TriPod's sonic palette is Clint Bahr's 12-string bass. Its sharp, distorted tone is reminiscent of that of King's X's Doug Pinnick (a 12-string bass pioneer), but Bahr's technique is more driven by necessity. He strums chords and arpeggios in a rumbly, guitar-like style that fills in the spaces left vacant by the absence of guitar or keys. Bahr plays the Geddy Lee role by also supplying vocals and a smattering of synth via bass pedals. The timbre of his voice is very agreeable, sounding a little bit like Greg Lake, but with a slightly shaky delivery in more difficult passages .

With the possible exception of the slightly monotonous "A Most Logical Position," there is not a bad song on TriPod. However, one stands above the rest in terms of progressiveness. The two-part "Incident" suite is the second longest song on the album at nearly eight minutes. The first part, subtitled "Retro-Glide," is a mostly instrumental, fast-paced rave-up that shows what this band can really do when they cut loose. TriPod is a surprisingly good debut album. It deserves a proper release, but you should buy it now to support the band. You won't be sorry. Besides, it will be a collector's item someday. - Scott Hamrick [October 2001]

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TriPod - TriPod (2003)

TriPod is a three-piece band consisting of a drummer, saxophonist and 12-string bassist/vocalist. If that sounds like a far cry from just about any other rock band lineup (prog or otherwise) operating these days, it's because it is. Keyboard drenched and symphonic this ain't. Rhythmic, energetic, stripped down and bursting with frenetic zig-zag melodies it is. TriPod live up to their New York City heritage perfectly. They're in your face, cultured and confident. The 14 tracks on TriPod show a band successfully staking new musical ground, yet never venturing into realms that are difficult or feel contrived. The music on TriPod bridges the gap between progressive and accessible (but not commercial) in a surprisingly successful way. 

Keith Gurland's aggressive, wonderfully melodic sax playing combined with hard hitting riffs and fast, angular jazz melodies makes comparisons to Van der Graaf Generator and King Crimson circa "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Pictures of a City" almost unavoidable. Other than that, however, there is not much evidence of a classic prog influence in TriPod's music. It's almost tempting to link TriPod with bass-heavy progressive post-punk groups like Ruins or Primus, though that doesn't quite fit either. The short, song-oriented nature of much of the album might put some proggers off at first, but there is plenty of really interesting instrumental interplay that will keep most open-minded proggers coming back until they get it. To make it easier, there are even two improvisations and a total of five instrumentals (two of which serve mostly as short preludes).

This album finds the band improving upon the sound quality and vocal performances of their demo CD. They also add several new songs. Unfortunately, they decided to ditch "Incident Suite," the best track on the demo. Still, we have some really interesting, creepy improv with "Ghosts," high-energy, catchy rock of "Jerome's Spotlight" and the more elaborate prog rock of "Dance of the Kabuki" and "As the Sun." 

TriPod has done a wonderful job of establishing their uniquely gritty, yet sophisticated signature sound and attitude on this CD. This proves to be something of a double-edged sword, however, as the album would have benefited from a little more variation. The five instrumentals do serve as notable exceptions to the rule of homogony, as they offer an optimistic peek at what a more well-rounded TriPod will almost certainly sound like in the future. Unfortunately, most of these instrumental tracks are too short and often feel incomplete, so their effect on the album as a whole is not as dramatic as it ought to have been for the sake of variation.

When TriPod manages to fully meld their newfound experimentalism with their already well-crafted compositions in the context of an individual piece, then they will have completely arrived. It will surely be an arrival worth waiting for. Until then, prepare yourself with this very enjoyable and ambitious CD. - Scott Hamrick [October 2003]

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Il Trono Dei Ricordi - Il Trono Dei Ricordi (1994)

With a very bombastic and majestic opening, replete with all manner of keyboards, "The King Of Memories" will have you thinking, "is this ELP or Triumvirat"? Initial vocal similarities reminded me vaguely of John Wetton, whose voice I highly admire and respect but, being Italian, these guys have managed the vocal department very well as there is an almost imperceptible accent that can be totally ignored. Vocally, the impressions of a Peter Gabriel wannabe are also apparent, although if you can emulate the best so well, why complain to the manager? Seeing that P.G. is focussing more of his attention and efforts towards the ethno / world area of the musical spectrum, it is comforting to see there is a competent replacement for the type of vocal delivery we no longer witness as much from Peter. The vocalist's style changes yet again and it is only towards the end of the second song that you are made aware of his Italian background.

Although there are only four longish songs on the album, they quickly kick things into top gear and don't let the listener go easily. There is heaps of variety on this brilliant release and there should be plenty to appeal to a new listener. Once again, you can expect to be served up plenty of great keyboard runs with a few intermittent hints at a medieval influence. There are plenty of melodious moments to enjoy within the songs and these are wonderfully punctuated by some scorching lead guitar throughout. If I had to make a comparison I would have to suggest a melding of influences from Acqua Fragile, Maxophone, ELP and Triumvirat's 2 best offerings. As these bands are high on my list of all time favorites, I certainly don't mind if Il Trono Dei Ricordi joins them on the top shelf.

The strength of song writing on this release had me in awe of the members' talents as I have yet to find one fault with any of the content, despite repeated listening over a protracted period of time. This disc has really stood the test of time for me, a feat that few bands can achieve. After listening to an album for ten or twelve times, I am often looking for something new and challenging. Suffice it to say, this has been played to death but still does the job very well. A classic album I am sure many will enjoy if you take the trouble to lay your hands on it. - Greg Cummins [November 2001]

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La Tulipe Noire - Faded Leaves (2002)

La Tulipe Noire’s latest album is said to be somewhat of a departure from their earlier cloning of Marillion, although Faded Leaves still takes a strong cue from the latter’s dark and depressing aspects. Anguished vocals deliver an angst-ridden performance (although with out much emotion) over a backing of digital choir/string backing on keys, with the lead lines on piano for the most part. Stereotypically “big” guitar power chords alternate with a Pink Floyd-like fluidity to provide the punch of the album. A pedestrian rhythm section featuring big, gated drums keeps time, and not much else.

Now playing in a similar style to Marillion is not bad in and of itself, and despite constant derision from many, they were certainly one of the finest bands of the neo-prog movement, and this style has a strong and loyal following. Unfortunately, La Tulipe Noire does absolutely nothing to try to carve out any kind of distinct sound. Every song here sounds exactly the same, most extended to 7-8 minuets for no apparent reason, and when clocking in at nearly seventy minutes total, becomes mind numbing after only a few songs. The band stays in the same plodding 4/4 most of the time, rarely changing tempo at any point. Neither do they vary any of the instrumental tones, adding to the sameness. There is nothing wrong with playing in a simpler style, but this kind of music depends more on it’s emotional content, and this album comes off as rather sterile and uninteresting. I’ve listened to Faded Leaves a few times for this review, and I can easily say I never want to hear it again. - Mike Prete [October 2002]

Twelfth Night - Live and Let Live (1984)

Despite my general unenthusiasm for most of the groups tagged with the "neo-progressive" label these days, I found that I can definitely deal with many of the "first wave" British neo-prog groups.  Bands like IQ, Marillion, and now Twelfth Night have all been easier for me to digest because of their darker, hard-edged feel, as opposed to the light, poppy and nausea-inducing tendencies of current bands like Landmarq or Spock's Beard.  Live and Let Live is a marathon live album that was released by Twelfth Night in the early 80s, a very energetic performance replete with a raw, punkish feel and a dramatic vocal performance from the late Geoff Mann.  Musically, the band falls in line with the typical sound of the day, an aggressive, streamlined take on Genesis-y prog, and dependent on the on-stage antics (narration, costumes) of their frontman.  Judging from this album, Twelfth Night is certainly much more hard-edged and guitar oriented than Marillion, though probably not as complex as IQ.  Generally, songs are oriented around electric guitar parts, shifting from clean melodic passages to more metallic, up-tempo affairs with significant digital synthesizer flourishes topped Geoff Mann's eccentric and emotional vocal delivery.  If you're familiar with their peers, you should have a pretty good idea already of whether or not this will appeal to you.

Though the album is definitely enjoyable, it bears some fairly noticeable flaws, all of which should be taken in stride considering that it is a live album. The band proudly states in the liner notes that the album was recorded with no overdubs, so some expected problems do of course arise.  The mix is inconsistent, instruments can often be difficult to hear, or way too loud, and which instrument this happens to seems to shift constantly through the course of Live and Let Live.  The vocals are often lost among the instruments, and Geoff Mann's furiously emotional delivery and apparent concentration on inaudible stage presence often causes him to lose the melody a tad, or to sing to far away from the mic.  With this to consider, the album is really damn long, and hard for me to sit through in one sitting.  The band's sound is obviously not extraordinarily varied, and certainly gets tiresome to me.  The album is also bogged down with goofy narration concerning love and war and what not from Geoff Mann, in songs like "We Are Sane", "Sequences", and "Love Song".  This could be cool once in awhile, but its overdone.  "The Ceiling Speaks", "Fact and Fiction" as well as bits of "We are Sane" and "Sequences" are pretty extraordinary however, and certainly make this a live document worth owning for fans of those early neo-progressive groups like Pallas, IQ and Marillion. - Greg Northrup [August 2001]

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