Back in stock: Progressive Rock

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: .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: 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.