Back catalogue: Progressive Rock

Review: There's a juxtaposition of gravel and soaring, almost-gliding quality to the epic guitar work that welcomes you into Eden Gardens. It's as though the refrains and chords are so expansive they envelop everything from ground level to stratosphere. The work of Papir and Cause Sui members Martin Rude and Jakob Skott, the result is both technically impressive and spiritually beneficial. Post-rock that makes you feel genuinely freer than before pressing play.

As grand as it sounds, there's also something very real happening here. For some, this kind of stuff may come across overblown and inflated, but then there's no pomp and pageantry present. And by that we mean the parts that exist are well balanced and you can understand why they are there without necessarily knowing. Everything feels right, and in the correct place, which is probably the best recommendation we can give.

Review: This work by Alf Emil Eik is a serene and soothing soundtrack for moments of relaxation, meditation or peaceful ambience. Eik's ethereal melodies transport listeners to a realm of inner peace and timeless beauty. Each track blends intricate layers of sound and evokes serenity and wonder while the harmonies resonate deeply within your soul. Uplifting yet introspective, the music invites reflection on the beauty of life and the mysteries of existence. A fusion of classical, ambient and new age influences abound here and prove Eik to be a master composer.

Review: If you type ELO into Google today the first suggestion is Elon Musk. Sure, he might have cracked, to some extent at least, the mass-marketed electric car, and all the best to him in the space race. Nevertheless, it's disputable whether or not he was ever quite the visionary Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan were in the early-mid-1970s. The undisputed heyday of Electric Light Orchestra, fourth album Eldorado was arguably at the peak of their creative force. Already having firmly established their sound - a surreal hybrid of bar rock, soul, blues, and grand strings - this record really sees them explore the possibilities of that abstract brew. Better yet, ears were open enough at the time to ensure they didn't languish in obscurity, sole reserve of the obsessives or deliberately contrary listeners, and instead claimed a spot in the upper echelons of British pop at the time.

Review: After showcasing their early years with a collection of tracks from 1975-1977, ELO turn to the other end of their illustrious career and a re-release for Moment of Truth, the 1994 album from spinoff project ELO Part II. This album showcases a brilliant 'Overture,' reflecting a successful return to the El Dorado-era sound - a feat Jeff Lynne struggled to recreate after first finding success with it. The record features memorable pop tracks such as 'Breakin' Down the Walls,' 'Power of a Million Lights,' 'One More Tomorrow,' and the standout 'Love Or Money,' up there with their finest melodies. Rock-influenced songs like 'Don't Wanna,' 'Whiskey Girls,' and 'So Glad You Said Goodbye' add variety and 'Underture' closes the album on a very high note, capturing the band's classic grandeur. This release offers a satisfying return to their pop and symphonic roots and is worth a listen for ELO fans.

Review: The newly reissued (on orange vinyl, no less) Moment of Truth album by Electric Light Orchestra Part II captures the spirit of the original group while also showing them carving a new path. It has lush orchestral arrangements, intricate harmonies and catchy melodies that stay true to the band's symphonic rock roots and highlights include the energetic opener 'Hello,' the anthemic 'Breakin' Down the Walls,' and the emotive 'One More Tomorrow.' While some tracks may lack the innovation of ELO's peak years, the album still delivers solid performances and a nostalgic vibe for fans that make sit with diving into all over again.

Review: Elephant9, renowned for their electrifying live performances, continues to impress with their upcoming double live album, Catching Fire, recorded during a remarkable 2017 concert in Oslo to celebrate Terje Rypdal's 70th birthday. This release, available on double vinyl through Rune Grammofon, adds to the band's impressive discography, which includes multiple studio albums and live recordings. Catching Fire shares a visceral energy reminiscent of classic live albums from Mahavishnu Orchestra, ELP, and King Crimson, combining moments of intense improvisation with serene interludes. The 22-minute opening track showcases Rypdal's distinctive, glacier-like melodic lines, demonstrating his mastery and unique approach. His synergy with Stale Storlokken, who has supported him for nearly 30 years, creates an inseparable musical dialogue, while the rhythm section of Torstein Lofthus and Nikolai Haengsle ensures a solid, dynamic foundation. With its careful mix aiming to capture the live concert experience, Catching Fire is poised to be a highlight for fans. The world of Norwegian jazz prog never sounded better.

Review: After relocating from Colombia to Spain in the early 1970s, sibling duo Elkin & Nelson recorded a string of albums that became hits across the Latin world. 'Angeles Y Demines', a 1974 double-album that has here been given the remastered reissue treatment, is arguably the strongest of the lot. It's certainly the one that Balearic heads return yo regularly, featuring as it does the scene classic 'Jibaro (Enrolle)' alongside many more slices of Latin/Flamenco/Funk/Jazz-Funk fusion. Their sound was unique but undeniably weighty and dancefloor-ready, with the album's many highlights including 'Abran Passo-Ahoa (Enrolle)', 'Anacaona', and their dense, sunrise-ready cover of 'Ain't No Sunshine'.

Review: Embryo, the music collective from Germany, rekindle the flaming title of "one of the most important German jazz-rock bands from the 1970s" with a brand new mini-LP on Sonarama. A neat collection of unreleased ethno-jazz from 1979-80, its rediscovery in the archives captures the band's formerly-only-hazily documented journey across Afghanistan, North Africa and the Near/Middle East, documenting the German supertroupe's late-career collabs with regional outfits, such as the Kabul Radio Orchestra and players from Eritrea, Syria, Morocco and Iraq. Blending trad melodies with free-flowing improv, this touring jazz explosion flaunts the many scalene modes native to such places; their provenance is esoteric and difficult to track down.

Review: As well as his prog rock god status as part of ELP, English musician Keith Emerson is well known for his soundtracks for the likes of Dario Argento's 1980 movie Inferno. This Murderock album was written in part as a tribute to the master of Italian horror Lucio Fulci and was first released in 1985, described at the time as being like Flashdance meets Psycho. It's a mix of dance tunes for the day and some dramatic scores and was first reissued in 1993. This version adds four never before released tunes which were used in the backing to the most macabre scenes of the movie.