Back in stock: Progressive Rock

Review: Best known as - but not restricted to being - the singer from 1970s prog behemoths Yes, Jon Anderson embarked on an American tour in 2023 after the universally (by the band at least) despised Union album. This time he was not backed not by his famous bandmates but by The Band Geeks, a bunch of musicians who meticulously recreated the music of the greats of the 1970s. "They sound just like the classic Yes of the seventies," he commented at the time, "the Yes that I know and love." Therefore this live collection sees him employing his distinctive, almost unfeasibly high and pure tones to a number of classics from the band's earliest days, with 'Starship Trooper', 'Your Move - I've Seen All Good People', 'Yours Is No Disgrace' and the ever triumphant 'Close To The Edge' among the list of undeniable crowd pleasers. It may be two decades on from these songs' initial inception, but Anderson and the aforementioned Geeks do a pretty good job of rolling back the clock here.

Review: After a period of roughly three decades, German soundtrack artist and onetime Karlheinz Stockhausen apprentice Holger Czukay shares a surprise trove of lost tapes, which are said to have been once recorded by the artist for "free disposal" and which were presumably forgotten about at the time. Now available, all of said material is said to date back to at least the 1990s, and marks the forward thinking and "ahead of its time" (as remarked by fellow producer Schneider TM) approach to cold Kraut and experimental wave that informed Czukay as he experimented freewheelingly with beatmaking while in the company of further fellows Dr. Walker and Air Liquide. Also evolving in temporal conjunction with an experimental live show involving body tracking tech, fashioned by mixed media artist Arthur Schmidt, there are implicit themes of virtual reality and haptic sound control here. Way ahead of its time indeed.

Review: Music Is Our Friend serves as the final release from progressive rock giants King Crimson; a live album recorded during their 2021 US farewell tour. Originally planned for 2020 but delayed an entire year due to the pandemic, several shows were to be moved due to extreme weather, though the band didn't end up cancelling a single date. Labelled as an official bootleg, the primary bulk of material comes from the final Washington stop, apart from the last four cuts which were taken from the pre-tour "Friends & Family" show in Albany. Spread out over a beastly 200 gram 3xLP collection, clocking in at a mammoth two and a quarter hours, and spanning their decades-long, monolithic discography, this bootie is a must have for fans, who, for no other fathomable reason, may never get to experience purchasing a new release adorned with the moniker of the great king ever again. At least we still have Robert Fripp's YouTube covers with wife Toyah Willcox to entertain us into oblivion.

Review: .Originally released in 2009, Crack The Skye would serve as the fourth full-length and creative rebirth of sludge-indebted alternative metal behemoths Mastodon. Inspired by the suicide of drummer Brann Dailor's sister in their youth, the album takes cues from prog classics such as Pink Floyd's Animals and King Crimson's In The Court Of The Crimson King to craft a monolithic sonic journey spread across seven tracks. With their later material taking on a more instantaneous approach to composition, whilst coming off the back of the harsh dynamics of 2004's Leviathan and 2006's Blood Mountain, the mercurial middle point the band found themselves on this LP emboldened them to add Dailor as a third lead vocalist, providing a melodious fulcrum between the snarl of bassist Troy Sanders and nasal croon of guitarist Brent Hinds. A hallucinogenic, astral projecting prog epic in the search for peace accumulated through unprocessed grief, the project has been held near and dear to the hearts of the band and their fanbase in the fifteen years since initial release and now celebrates such a milestone with this definitive boxset. Spread across gold vinyl 2xLP with a bonus blu-ray, poster, magnet sheet and 12-page booklet.

Review: Originally released in 1999 and celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Still Life served as the fourth full-length from Swedish progressive metal titans Opeth, while marking their first project with bassist Martin Mendez (the second-longest-serving member after primary songwriter Mikael Akerfeldt). Another concept album following on from 1998's predecessor My Arms, Your Hearse, the narrative details an anti-Christian sentiment of a man ostracised from his village due to a perceived lack of faith, only to return years later to be with his love. It's here where things turn very grim and complex, whilst the narrative is further bolstered by the compositional intricacies, weaving frosted Scandinavian death metal around lush prog-folk harmonies. Reissued on splattered vinyl and spread across a double LP set, the album remains a strong favourite across the devout Opeth camps of the world.

Review: The 2024 Obsession (Deluxe Edition) by UFO revitalizes the band's 1978 hard rock classic with a remastered sound and a beavy of bonus material. Released by Chrysalis UK, this edition features the original album remastered from the production tapes and includes a previously unreleased live mix of their 1978 Agora Ballroom performance. This live set, newly mixed by Brian Kehew, captures UFO's peak, showcasing Phil Mogg's powerful vocals and Michael Schenker's electrifying guitar work. The album, noted for its darker and atmospheric tone, features signature tracks like 'Only You Can Rock Me' and 'Cherry'. Schenker's playing shines, especially on tracks like 'Ain't No Baby' and 'Lookin' Out for No. 1', while Mogg's vocals are in top form. The chemistry within the band is palpable, and the songwriting is solid, flowing seamlessly throughout the album. Four bonus tracks, including an alternate version of 'Cherry' and two studio recordings from Strangers In The Night sessions, enrich this edition.