I was not the biggest fan of ‘Monochrome’, Sammary’s debut album, as at the time it was primarily the work of multi-instrumentalist Sammy Wahlandt along with three singers. One of those, Stella Inderweisen, is still here in the project which has now morphed into a band with Sammy just providing drums on this release, having been joined by Jörg Wahlandt (guitars), Julius Stapenhorst (bass), Marvin Kollmann (lead guitar), Ivan Khobta (synthesizers), and Benedikt Schadt (keyboards). There is also a synth solo by Adam Holzman and a guitar solo by Bruno Bolz. When I reviewed their debut, I said they were bringing in influences from the likes of Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, The Pineapple Thief, The Gathering and Within Temptation, and in many ways that is still true except this time around there is more edge and bite than previously.
One never knows where the music is going to lead in that the songs are at times quite different from each other and they can easily move to being quite heavy when the need arises, which does make this somewhat difficult to listen to at times as the only continuous thread are the wonderful vocals of Stella, who often appears to be singing almost half-heartedly with little in the way of force and strength. The result is something which is undoubtedly a step forward from the previous album, but still feels more like a project than a full band, with some songs feeling as if they are not fully formed and could have done with some judicious editing and more collaboration. This is actually an album I enjoyed less the more I played it, and normally it is very much the other way around but let us hope they keep progressing and with the next one produce something which fulfils the promise. 6/10 Kev Rowland
I have missed out on Richard’s last few albums, which were both collaborations but now he is back with another ‘solo’ work. Richard of course provides most of the music (guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass, percussion, bouzouki, Appalachian dulcimer, accordion, melodica) and as with his other three solo releases he has been joined by Amy Fry (vocals, clarinet and saxophone) and this time we also have Chantelle Smith (vocals, harp, bodhran) while Sienna Wileman provides Avebury sound recordings. Wileman describes the album as a Prog / folk horror concept album, rooted in his home county of Wiltshire charting the encounter of a comet with Earth resulting in the undead rising and converging on The Ridgeway (an 87-mile chalk hill walk that starts at World Heritage stone circle site Avebury), all bookended by the last and first books of English magic.
I have been a fan of Richard’s work for the best part of 30 years, and this release fits in well with his most recent canon where he moves between singer-songwriter styles and his film for the ears approach. Whatever he is doing the music is wonderfully layered with multiple threads which interweave to create a world for the listener to fall into. That he is not more widely appreciated and recognised has long been a mystery for me, and I can only put it down to the fact that it would take many musicians to be able to recreate this music in the live environment so when he does perform it is generally in a stripped-down format. I always relish the opportunity to hear his albums and feel enriched for having done so, and with more than 20 albums now available under various guises Richard continues to produce music which is wonderfully enthralling and dramatic. 8/10 Kev Rowland
With a relationship stretching back more than 30 years, my prog writing journey will always be inextricably linked to Galahad as theirs was the first album I bought from the underground scene, while they in turn put me in touch with another band and it all went downhill from then. I have written words for a few of their booklets, and while I have not seen them play since moving to New Zealand I am still often in contact with singer Stu Nicholson. I know this closeness means I am never nearly as objective as others when it comes to reviewing Galahad, but when a band keeps putting out wonderful albums then I feel justified in continually singing their praises. This is their twelfth studio album, and features the same line-up as with the last release, ‘The Last Great Adventurer’, namely Stu Nicholson (vocals), Dean Baker (keyboards), Spencer Luckman (drums), Lee Abraham (guitars) and Mark Spencer (bass guitar). Recorded in multiple places it was then edited, mixed and mastered by engineer/producer Karl Groom (Threshold/Dragonforce/Pendragon/Arena/Yes etc.) who has now been working with them for some time.
This is possibly the most polished release to date from the Dorset boys, with a somewhat heavier emphasis on Stu’s vocals as the band continue to evolve. When I first knew them they were solid 90’s neo prog, then moved into prog metal with the change in approach heralded by the arrival of Dean Baker and now happily straddle multiple sub-genres so while they are firmly “prog” it would be wrong to try and shoehorn them into any particular bucket. I have known Karl nearly as long as Stu, and while I always think of him first and foremost as a guitarist, he has built a richly deserved reputation on the other side of the desk, and has done wonders in bringing Spencer’s playing to the fore. When I listen back to early recordings one cannot hear all the work being put behind the kit, but when those tracks have been remastered by Karl it has been like hearing a new band, and here Spencer can be heard driving the band ever onwards. Mark is a multi-instrumentalist (and a fine singer in his own right), so his approach to the bass is quite different in that he is looking to see what he can add to the melody as well as underpinning the arrangement, while Lee is another renowned performer and his second stint in the band (he was originally bassist) as guitarist has allowed him to spread his musical wings. All this adds to the way the band keeps shifting and melding, while Dean is a musical magpie who didn’t even know what prog was until he joined the band a quarter of a century ago, and his relationship with Stu has meant they keep shifting and changing.
I mean, listen to “The Righteous and the Damned”, which commences with some acapella vocals overlaid on background noise of people walking around, but what some may not realise is that Stu is singing the words from the title cut of 2007’s ‘Empires Never Last’ before somehow the music segues into something Eastern European and folky. One of the joys of Galahad is they no longer feel shackled by any expectations so instead do whatever they want, and when this song turns into a System of a Down-style belter I was not too surprised, but was very pleased. The title cut of this album is about dealing with dementia and is very personal indeed. Stu has always had a way with words and here he paints a picture while Dean is there by his side on piano as we build into the piece. The layers gradually build as we are taken into the world of someone who is “filling up this thing which makes the water go hot, to make some drinks for people in another room whose names escape me”. Those two lines are incredibly powerful, and the arrangements allow for us to understand the emotions being displayed and the sense of loss and helplessness. As the song ends Stu takes two lines from Gabriel’s “I Don’t Remember”, which itself was about being trapped in a situation it is impossible to get out of, and delivers them in an incredibly poignant manner.
Musically this album is all over the place, from Eighties-style electronic dance through to prog metal and everything in between, yet the vocals and arrangements bring the album together so one looks forward to the next unexpected fork in the road and the detour where we move back on ourselves or in a totally different direction. Galahad consistently refuse to rest on their laurels and show no sign at all of losing inspiration or slowing down, and long may that continue. 10/10 Kev Rowland
Here we yet again have Clive taking a look at music which inspired him and performing it in a classical instrumental manner. Again he has taken the music and adapted it in a manner which is both true to the original and sympathetic to it but lifts the songs into new directions. It would be difficult to fault the choice of bands, with Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, ELP, VDGG, Led Zeppelin, Rush and Yes all here, but true progheads will be pleased to also note the inclusion not only of Marillion but also IQ and his version of “Widow’s Peak” is simply wonderful. I have always said the progressive bands who have been producing albums since the heyday of the genre should be recognised in the same breath as the classics, and here Clive ends the release by having Marillion close (with “Garden Party” segueing nicely into “Grendel”).
It is difficult to pick a favourite, but a special mention must be made of “Thick As A Brick”. We may not get the full length, but there is more than 20 minutes here to enjoy as he adapts his way through the classic. I am not overly fond of “Stairway to Heaven”, but I am sure that is because we have now been spoiled by the Heart version which will always be regarded as the gold standard. “Fanfare For The Common Man” is one of the most successful from a classical adaptation viewpoint, with glorious woodwind opening, and violins behind the piano for the main theme. Yes, this is all being played on synths, but Clive has done a wonderful job in using the best sounds for each “voice”. All it needs now is for a live performance with the LSO (or similar) showing just what Clive has managed to achieve with these great arrangements.
In recent years Clive has been producing some wonderful releases, and this is yet another that all progheads will surely enjoy, I know I did. 9/10 Kev Rowland
After Geoff Mann left Twelfth Night he continued his musical adventures, releasing three solo albums. After the recording had been completed for the last of these, ‘Psalm Enchanted Evening’, and a release date planned for February 1986 he decided to form a band, which would later be known as The Bond. Geoff kept with him guitarist Dave Mortimer who had played on the solo albums, Steve Ridley (who had been involved with the play ‘The Dawn’ where Geoff had the lead role) provided keyboards and occasional woodwind, while Andy Mason (who had played on ‘I May Sing Grace’) was the drummer. By the time of the recording of this album in 1987 Mason had departed, with Geoff now providing not only vocals and wobbly/non-wobbly guitar but also programmed and real-time drum machines.
Twelfth Night have now released this album as a definitive edition, both digitally and as a limited-edition CD which contains all the lyrics plus photos, and they have more than doubled the length by including the single versions of two songs, a demo of each song from the original, plus live cuts. All the tracks have been carefully re-mastered by the original recording engineer (and co-producer) Clive Davenport from previously unheard and higher quality master tracks. This means it is absolutely essential for fans of Geoff, and ties in nicely with the excellent new biography, but what about those who have yet to come across his music? How does this album stand up more than 35 years after its release?
This is almost impossible for me to review objectively as I know the original songs very well indeed, while it is no lie to say the death of Geoff back in 1993 (when he was just 36) impacted me greatly, even though we never actually met. Both these factors mean objectivity has gone flying out the window, as the original album is one I know and love, and listening to the songs again in this definitive edition is wonderful. Lyrically it is highly Christian in nature, while the lack of bass and real drums are not noticed at all. Geoff’s music had a very picked nature, with an underlying theme providing the backing and a more aggressive chord structure over the top with keyboards switching between being almost unnoticeable to becoming the major aspect. Then of course there are Geoff’s emotional vocals, instantly recognisable and like no-one else. This album is in many ways a logical continuation of his solo albums, and does not seem out of place at all, but now there are a group of people working together to perform the songs live. Less off the wall and experimental than albums like ‘Second Chants’, this is a great introduction to those who wondered what Geoff did musically after leaving Twelfth Night. 8/10 Kev Rowland
Hiro Kawahara is a Japanese experimental musician who has been releasing material under his own name or using the band name Heretic for more than 30 years. There have been times when Heretic have been a proper band, or Hiro and guests, or others when he has been the only member but always with the same aim of taking influences from the likes of Heldon (in particular) and Tangerine Dream and imbibing them with Japanese hints and nuances to create something which is challenging and confronting all at the same time. This compilation has been put together in album sequence, but many of these have additional tracks so the complete set is 62 tracks with a total running time of more than 13 hours. Yes, you read that correctly, 13 hours 36 minutes to be precise and I played it through twice before I started to understand what was going on.
This is not music which is easy to listen to or comprehend, and it would be very easy indeed to discard it as the noodlings of someone sat in a studio with little else to do and no interest in the rest of the world. However, if one is prepared to spend the time really listening to what is going on then one will find a great deal in here to discover and enjoy. It is not meant to be something to settle back with and relax, but is designed to have the listener work hard – not all art is meant to be easy, and sometimes it is the extra effort which gives the greatest rewards. This is music which must be played on headphones and one needs to really listen and pay attention, as this is angular and sharp, never settling and there is a danger of missing what is going on. It is a lot to take in but I am sure I would never have got inside and appreciated this nearly as much if I had just played the odd track (which are often 30 minutes in length) or bits of albums. Cuneiform have somewhat hedged their bets on this one as while it is possible to purchase this as ‘Complete Works’ they have also made the individual albums available as well. However, given the complete set is only $75, if this style of music is of interest then I would just jump on and get this as not only is it the best value for money it is certainly the best way to understand Hiro.
Not for the fainthearted, this is yet another essential extended set from Cuneiform Records. 8/10 Kev Rowland
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