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Transatlantic
CD Reviews
Live in America
Review by Steve Alspach
It takes cajones to record an album consisting of your fifth or sixth performance ever as a band. But if you're as talented as the guys in Transatlantic, nerves are perhaps the only problem.

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STMPE
Review by Gary Hill and Steve Alspach
When you talk progressive rock and the term "supergroup" comes up, this band will certainly come to mind. The band is made up of Roine Stolt of Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas of Marillion, Neal Morse of Spocks Beard and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater.
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The Bridge Across Forever
Review by Steve Alspach
Prog's premier supergroup (Neal Morse, Roine Stolt, Mike Portnoy, and Pete Trewavas) strike again with this 2001 release. This album sounds similar to their first effort, but there are many differences that set this album apart.
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The Whirlwind
Review by Scott Montgomery
From the very beginning, I felt a sense of recognition, as SMPT:E is conjured.  
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Whirld Tour 2010 Deluxe Edition – 2 DVD & 3 CD
Review by Scott Montgomery
This is ridiculous!  Really!  The degree of virtuosity, complexity, and sheer stamina involved in performing this music live is staggering…almost to the point of absurdity.

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DVD Reviews
Transatlantic - Live In Europe DVD
Review by Larry Toering
This two disc set wasn't an easy pick between the three Transatlantic DVD's on the market, but ultimately I chose this one because I could review it at MSJ as it hadn’t been covered yet.

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Concert Reviews
Transatlantic - Live in St. Charles, Illinois, February 2014
Review by Josh Turner

Transatlantic covered all the albums and spread their material evenly throughout the night.


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Related Articles
Roine Stolt
Review by Steve Alspach
Interview With Roine Stolt from 2006
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Roine Stolt
Review by Bill Knispel
Interview with Roine Stolt of the Flower Kings From 2008.
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Neal Morse
Review by Josh Turner
Interview with Neal Morse from 2005



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Neal Morse
Review by Bob Cooper
Interview With Neal Morse From 2003
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Neal Morse
Review by Gary Hill
Interview with Neal Morse From 1999
Audio of this Interview is In Our Members Area - along with the full text

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Mike Portnoy
Review by Gary Hill
Interview with Mike Portnoy From 1998
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Roine Stolt
Review by Josh Turner
Interview with Roine Stolt From 2003



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Roine Stolt
Review by Gary Hill
Interview with Roine Stolt from 2009
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Roine Stolt
Review by Gary Hill, Mike Korn, Greg Olma and Josh Turner

Interview with Roine Stolt from 2011


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Neal Morse
Review by Grant Hill

Interview with Neal Morse from 2011


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Roine Stolt
Review by Grant Hill
Interview with Roine Stolt from 2012
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Roine Stolt
Review by G. W. Hill
Interview with Roine Stolt from 2016
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Neal Morse
Review by G. W. Hill

Interview with Neal Morse from 2016


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Marillion
Review by Gary Hill

Interview with Mark Kelly, Steve Rothery and Pete Trewavas of Marillion from 2018


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Dream Theater - 5 Years In A Livetime (Video)
Review by Gary Hill
 This video, the companion to the Once In A Livetime CD, chronicles the recent history of the band through assorted video clips.
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Neal Morse - ?
Review by Josh Turner
He did everything I would have asked of him and a whole lot more. This is his best album out of his most recent batches and one that rivals all the best from the year.
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Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
Review by Gary Hill

This is an intriguing disc from Dream Theater. It consists of one awesome 20 minute plus epic that’s a pure roller coaster ride and a series of cover tunes recorded live.


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Marillion - A Sunday Night Above the Rain
Review by G. W. Hill

You know, Marillion post Fish is a very different beast than Marillion of the Fish era.


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Various Artists - A Tribute To Captain Beyond - Thousand Days of Yesterday
Review by Gary Hill
These kinds of tribute albums are always mixed bags, with some material coming across very strong and others not working very well. This one is no exception, but in many ways it is one of the most consistent you'll find.
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The Flower Kings - Adam and Eve
Review by Steve Alspach
They're nothing if not prolific. Sweden's Flower Kings are back with another excellent offering of lengthy numbers and shorter, more accessible tunes.
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Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight
Review by Gary Hill
Let me say for starters that I really like Steve Hogarth’s voice. I think he does a great job of serving as Marillion’s lead singer.
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The Flower Kings - Alive on Planet Earth
Review by Gary Hill
This live album by The Flower Kings shows that they are not just a studio phenomenon. The disc should be evidence to the prog fan that this band is one to catch live as well.
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Marillion - All One Tonight - Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Review by Greg Olma
Marillion embarked on a tour promoting their then latest record F.E.A.R. and during that time, they made a stop at the historic Royal Albert Hall.  

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Marillion - All One Tonight - Live at the Royal Albert Hall DVD
Review by Greg Olma
I reviewed the two-CD set of this concert here at Music Street Journal and back then I felt that the audio was great and you didn’t need the video of the concert.

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Rama - Andy West With Rama-Rama 1
Review by Gary Hill
For this album Andy West (Dregs) has compiled an intriguing bunch of musicians who join him at various points on the recording. Among those he has a cast of drummers composed of Rod Morgenstein (Dregs), Jonathan Mover (GTR) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater).
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Marillion - Anoraknophobia
Review by Steve Alspach
Marillion continues its path towards solid, rock-based music with Anoraknophibia, their most recent release. The band has its feet planted firmly in 2001 with its music that never gets too adventurous or exploratory.
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Dream Theater - Awake
Review by Gary Hill

Looking at Dream Theater's back catalog, I decided to turn my attention to the final album to feature Kevin Moore as their keyboardist.


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The Flower Kings - BetchaWannaDanceStoopid
Review by Josh Turner
How can this be strictly improvisational jams? It's not possible.
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Spock's Beard - Beware of Darkness
Review by Gary Hill
The leanings on this album are widespread (Neil Young, Yes, Beatles, King Crimson), and the changes are so fast as to be difficult to keep track of at times.

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Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Review by G. W. Hill

This is such a great album.


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Marillion - Brave
Review by Greg Olma
Marillion took a turn in 1994 by releasing this concept album during a time when the music scene was really into grunge.  

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Marillion - Brief Encounter (vinyl)
Review by Greg Olma
In 1986 Marillion were riding high in England, but here in the United States, they were relative unknowns.  

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Circus Brimstone - Brimstoned in Europe (Live)
Review by Josh Turner
There wouldn't be any complaints if The Flower King's didn't make these official bootlegs available. As it is, they are so prolific it's profound.
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Dream Theater - Bucharest, Romania 7/4/02
Review by Greg Olma
Dream Theater have decided to beat the bootleggers by releasing their own material and cutting them out of the picture.  Now, I know that you can't do that completely because the band tours constantly and they only have a limited amount of product on their label Ytsejam Records.
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Dream Theater - Chaos In Motion DVD
Review by Greg Olma
I like being a Dream Theater fan. Not only do you get great music, but they tour a lot and lately, they seem to put out a visual record of every tour.
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Various Artists - Citizens of Hope and Glory. The Story of Progressive Rock written by Stephen Lambe
Review by Scott Montgomery

This is an enjoyable read that saunters through the chronology and culture of progressive rock.


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Marillion - Clutching at Straws
Review by Tim Jones
One of just four studio albums Marillion put out while Fish was still with them, Clutching at Straws delivers the expert lyrics and the heartfelt vocals that define the Fish-era Marillion. After this album and the band's tour, Fish left Marillion to work on a solo career; the music is awesome; the band chemistry wasn't.


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Dream Theater - Dark Side of the Moon DVD
Review by Bill Knispel
In an effort to provide more material to their fervent fan base, Dream Theater created their own label, Ytsejam Records, to release a series of “official bootlegs.” These releases include interesting live shows, collections of studio demos, and “making of” collections that present works in progress for past studio album releases.
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Kaipa Da Capo - Darskapens Monotoni
Review by G. W. Hill
You really can't beat Roine Stolt if you like melodic prog rock. This album is a brand new set from a variant on his 1970s band Kaipa.

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Spock's Beard - Day For Night
Review by Gary Hill
Day for Night is the fourth studio album from Spock`s Beard. The album is a departure from their earlier albums in that shorter numbers has replaced the fifteen-minute suites.



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The Winery Dogs - Dog Years - Live In Santiago & Beyond 2013-2016 BluRay
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite a cool set. First we've got a live video of The Winery Dogs.

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Agents of Mercy - Dramarama
Review by Gary Hill

I’ve been amazed by the quality of music being released in 2010. 


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Various Artists - Encores, Legends and Paradoxes
Review by Gary Hill
With a cast of players that reads like a prog "who`s who", this ELP tribute takes the classics and makes them fresh and new again. The result is an incredibly listenable piece of music that really entertains.

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Karmakanik - Entering the Spectra
Review by Josh Turner
This is supposed to be a solo project by Jonas Reingold, but it really stands alone as a complete band. If it were good it would defy expectations.
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Marillion - F E A R
Review by Greg Olma

Marillion are now a band that does not need to pander to any record label or current trend.  In fact, they create a sound that I can’t compare to anyone else.


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Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity
Review by Gary Hill
There are those who feel that Dream Theater is not a progressive rock band. However, this album contains many factors indigenous to progressive rock.
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The Flower Kings - Flower Power
Review by Gary Hill
The Flower Kings sound contains elements and leanings of the classic prog of the '70's, but is definitely still their own. Since the Stardust We Are disc, the band's writing skills seem to have matured.
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Flying Colors - Flying Colors
Review by Larry Toering

Flying Colors, for once in a long time prove that rock music can still be everything it's supposed to be in a landscape that constantly attempts to limit it.


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Flying Colors - Flying Colors
Review by Larry Toering

Flying Colors, for once in a long time prove that rock music can still be everything it's supposed to be in a landscape that constantly attempts to limit it.


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Marillion - From Stoke Row To Ipanema
Review by Greg Olma
This 2 DVD package is set in the time when Steve Hogarth took over the vocals from Fish.  The first disc is kind of the bonus  as it features items usually found at the end of a DVD or as the extra disc.
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Marillion - Fugazi
Review by Josh Turner
While Marillion is by no means a favorite among radio jockeys, it is an elite group to many progressive rock fans.
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Dream Theater - Greatest Hit (...and 21 other pretty cool songs)
Review by Gary Hill
You know, a band with one real hit might be bitter. From the humorous title of this set, it seems like that’s not the case with Dream Theater.
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Marillion - Happiness is the Road Volume 1: Essence
Review by Bill Knispel
Marillion has been fairly prolific over the past four or five years, releasing a regular stream of studio albums, live releases, DVDs and so on.  When it was announced that the newest studio album would be a double, many people may have raised an eyebrow. 
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Marillion - Happiness is the Road Volume 2: The Hard Shoulder
Review by Bill Knispel
Happiness is the Road is a double album, it is true.  However, it is being released as two separate volumes.  Volume 2 is subtitled The Hard Shoulder, and is a far more diverse release. 
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Marillion - Holidays In Eden
Review by Greg Olma
Marillion were the prog darlings of the UK music scene in the early 80s.  After four successful albums, the band split with charismatic front-man Fish. 

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The Winery Dogs - Hot Streak
Review by G. W. Hill

This band seems to really be hot right now.


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Dream Theater - Images And Words
Review by Gary Hill
Images and Words marked the debut of lead singer James LaBrie to the DT fold and his performance here showed him to be a powerhouse of talent. This disc is arguably the most metallic in the DT catalog, certainly fueling the prog versus metal debate in progressive rock circles.
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Dream Theater - Images And Words Live In Tokyo/5 Years In A Live Time DVD Set
Review by Greg Olma
This DVD set is a no frills set that basically took the two videos and put them on DVD.  I’m not complaining.

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The Flower Kings - Instant Delivery DVD
Review by Ron Fuchs
Instant Delivery is a great 2 DVD live document of the touring support of their latest (at the time) release Paradox Hotel, recorded in Tilburg, in The Netherlands on April 19th 2006.
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Anderson/Stolt - Invention of Knowledge
Review by G. W. Hill
The “Anderson” in the name is Yes co-founder Jon Anderson. The “Stolt” is Flower Kings leader Roine Stolt.
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Neal Morse - It's Not Too Late
Review by Steve Alspach
Neal Morse is showing that there are two sides to his musical persona - one as the leader of Spock's Beard, but another that shows that he is at home writing well-crafted rock numbers.
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Kaipa - Keyholder
Review by Josh Turner
I was really curious to hear this album. At best, I digested the previous release, Notes from the Past, which left me with a little heartburn.
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Spock's Beard - Kindness of Strangers
Review by Gary Hill
Considered by many to be one of the best of the new wave of progressive rock bands, Spock`s Beard was formed in 1992 in Los Angeles.



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Marillion - Less Is More
Review by Gary Hill
Marillion chose to record a collection of their Hogarth era songs with just acoustic instrumentation.
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Neal Morse - Life & Times
Review by Gary Hill

This brand new release from Neal Morse finds him moving from his usual Christian lyrical territory into slice of life stories that seem poignant and personal. Musically he creates sounds that are among the most mainstream and pop-rock based of his career.


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Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
Review by Gary Hill
Due to be released on March 10th, this album by Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe), Jordan Rudess (Dregs, Rudess Morgenstein) and Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci (both of Dream Theater), much like the Black Light Syndrome CD by Bozzio, Levin, Stevens was written and recorded over the course of six days (with the exception of some keyboard and guitar overdubs). This album is in fact rather similar to Black Light Syndrome, but with the musical changes being a bit more dynamic and possessing a generally higher energy level.
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Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 2
Review by Gary Hill
If you are into prog, and buy only one album this year, by all means, make it this one. The first Liquid Tension Experiment album was wonderful, and this one is even better.
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Dream Theater - Live At Budokan
Review by Greg Olma
Dream Theater have always made a point of only releasing quality product. Whether you like it or not, you always have to admit that the recordings and videos were done in the best possible way.
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Dream Theater - Live at Budokan BluRay
Review by G. W. Hill

I’ve got to admit that I go through phases with Dream Theater.


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Kino - Live at CalProg, Whittier, CA, 2006
Review by Lorraine Kay
CalProg 2006 was a full day of great prog-rock from across the country and the UK. Held in the Whittier Community Center, in Whittier, CA, a small community in Los Angeles County, there is always a family-friendly atmosphere in the 400 seat facility
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Spock's Beard - Live at London’s High Voltage Festival, July, 2011
Review by Alison Henderson

It was quite a feat that the US prog legends were at the festival at all because of the notable absence of Nick D’Virgilio.


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Dream Theater - Live at the Marcus Amphitheater-August 24th, 1998
Review by Gary Hill
Dream Theater proved that, even as an opening act, they are to be taken seriously in the prog world. In fact, they made a very strong argument for deserving to be placed at a higher point on the bill, meaning no disrespect to the other bands that performed at the show.
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Dream Theater - Live at the Riviera Theater, Chicago IL, August 12, 2000
Review by Steve Alspach
Dream Theater were on their Metropolis 2000 tour, and they performed a number of songs from their latest album, "Scenes From a Memory", but they performed a solid two hour-twenty minute show that never let up in intensity. The band opened with "Metropolis" from their most recent album.
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Dream Theater - Live at the Vic Theater, Chicago, Illinois May 13, 1998
Review by Gary Hill
The debate as to whether or not Dream Theater is progressive/art rock still rages on. After seeing this show, I cast my ballot in the "are" category.
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Marillion - Live From Cadogan Hall
Review by Gary Hill

Marillion are included in the progressive rock section of Music Street Journal because in the beginning they were very definitely prog. 


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Marillion - Live From Cadogan Hall DVD
Review by Gary Hill

Marillion’s Less Is More album featured acoustic renditions of many of their songs.


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Dream Theater - Live in Boston, MA, August 2005
Review by Josh Turner
Dream Theater was pretty good, but not excellent. With the exception of a couple songs, most of them have been performed untold times in past concerts.
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Spock's Beard - Live in Chicago IL, August, 2000
Review by Steve Alspach
Opening for Dream Theater, Spock's Beard played a surprisingly short set. With their new album, "V" due out shortly, one would think that the band would have played a few songs from that album, but it wasn't to be. 




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Dream Theater - Live in Chicago, August 2009
Review by Greg Olma
If you are a Dream Theater fan then you know Mike Portnoy takes a lot of effort in making sure that each time the band visits a city, they play a different show. 
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Dream Theater - Live In Chicago, February 13th, 2000
Review by Gary Hill
When a band releases a concept album, there is always the temptation to come out on tour and do the entire album from beginning to end. Quite a few bands have tried it.
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The Flower Kings - Live in Chicago, IL, August, 2008
Review by Josh Turner
I had twisted my ankle earlier in the week and was experiencing heat exhaustion upon my arrival. It was an unusually bad day for me. Yet, everything with fine with the universe once The Flower Kings took the stage.
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Marillion - Live in Chicago, IL, October 2016
Review by Greg Olma
When Marillion rolls into town, it’s a special event.  Ever since their tour in 1997 for This Strange Engine, I have not taken Marillion touring the US for granted.  

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Dream Theater - Live in Chicago, July 19, 2003
Review by Gary Hill
As someone who has seen Dream Theater live quite a few times, let me say that this show has me a little perplexed. First, I was never one to fall into the bandwagon of their detractors who said that they were all about playing millions of notes with no passion or musical theme.
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Marillion - Live in Chicago, June, 2005
Review by Josh Turner
If you get a chance to see Marillion in concert, don't miss the opportunity. They were much better live than I could have ever imagined.
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Dream Theater - Live in Chicago, March 2006
Review by Josh Turner
I've seen Dream Theater live on many occasions. They consistently maintain a high level of quality and innovation.
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Spock's Beard - Live In Chicago, May, 1999
Review by Gary Hill and Steve Alspach
Who says that progressive rock can`t be fun and funny? Certainly not Spock`s Beard.

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Marillion - Live in Chicago, October 2nd, 2004
Review by Steve Alspach
Marillion hit the Midwest for the first time in seven years as part of their world-wide "Marbles" tour. Before a sold-out crowd, the band played the songs from the single-CD version of the album as well as a history of the Steve Hogarth-era band.
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Marillion - Live in Dallas, Texas February 2018
Review by Greg Olma

I was lucky to catch Marillion back in 2016 on their first run of F.E.A.R. tour dates,so when they decided to come back to the United States for another group of shows, I just had to attend, this time in Dallas.


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Liquid Tension Experiment - Live in Downey, CA, June 2008
Review by Michael Bader

Downey, California is best remembered for the spacecrafts, fighter jets and B-1 bombers built there over the past three or four decades.


More (and larger) photos from this concert are available in our members' area.



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Flying Colors - Live In Europe DVD
Review by Greg Olma

Flying Colors is a prog super group that has been around for quite a few years now.


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Dream Theater - Live in Holmdel, New Jersey, July 2010
Review by Bill Knispel
Dream Theater has not been an opening band for a very long time.

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Sons of Apollo - Live in Houston, Texas May 2018
Review by Greg Olma

Sons of Apollo, for those of you who don’t know, are a new prog metal group featuring an all-star lineup.  


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The Winery Dogs - Live in Houston, Texas, March 2023
Review by Greg Olma
The Winery Dogs are back, and I couldn’t be more excited.  It has been almost eight years since I saw them on stage, and I was lucky to catch them on this your for their latest release III.  

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Neal Morse - Live in Los Angeles, CA September, 2008
Review by Michael Bader
Having not followed Neal Morse’s post Spock’s Beard and TransAtlantic career, you could imagine my surprise when I learned that Neal Morse has redirected his amazing musical talents towards promoting God’s word, “Prog Style.”

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Agents of Mercy - Live in Milwaukee, WI, May 2011
Review by Josh Turner

By their own accord, they weren’t at their best. They were jetlagged and forlorn after a long flight and many hours of desperate searching for a needed piece of equipment at countless stores in the windy city.


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The Flower Kings - Live In Palatine, IL, 2002
Review by Gary Hill
Talking to those in attendance after this show it is obvious that there were two types of fans in the audience. On the one hand there were those who ate up the entire set, savoring, and even reveling in the improvisational jamming that was spread throughout the band's set.
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Dream Theater - Live in Rosemont, IL May 13, 2008
Review by Greg Olma
Dream Theater hit the road again but this time it is more of a tour package instead of the usual concert with a support group. Titled Progressive Nation 2008, Dream Theater headlined a four band bill that consisted of bands hand picked by Mike Portnoy.
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Dream Theater - Live in Rosemont, IL, August 2007
Review by Greg Olma
I was surprised when I bought my ticket for this Dream Theater show. The past few tours that I saw them, they were the only band and it was billed as “An Evening with…”
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Flying Colors - Live in St Charles, Illinois, October 2014
Review by Greg Olma

Flying Colors, for those of you who don’t know, is a prog super group that has been around for a few years now.  


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The Winery Dogs - Live in St Charles, Illinois, October 2015
Review by Greg Olma

The Winery Dogs have been tagged with the label of “super-group,” and while I agree that they deserve that lofty title, they are more than that.


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The Winery Dogs - Live in St. Charles, Illinois, March 2014
Review by Greg Olma
The words “Super Group” are thrown around a lot but very often these bands consist of only members of other popular groups.
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Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian - Live in Tokyo
Review by G. W. Hill

When I got this disc I was really looking forward to it. I mean, with a list of names like that how could you go wrong?


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Dream Theater - Made in Japan
Review by Rick Damigella
There are only a handful of bands with the boldness, chutzpah and talent to record and release a series of official live bootlegs where they cover another well known band’s album.
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Various Artists - Magna Carta Guitar Greats – Volume I
Review by Grant Hill
These Magna Carta sampler discs serve as a great way for people to sample a number of their releases without having to shell out the cash for each and every one of them. I'd have to say that as these things go, this is one of the better ones – and they are all quite good.
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Marillion - Marbles
Review by Steve Alspach
Aylesbury's finest come back with Marbles, their first studio 2-CD. Marbles is prog at its finest - the band knows how to write and play in a more conventional structure, but they haven't lost their knack to construct longer pieces that never meander.
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Marillion - Marbles In The Park DVD
Review by Greg Olma
The great thing about Marillion is that they are rewriting the way a band interacts with their fan base.  They were the first (to the best of my knowledge) to use crowd-sourcing to put out music and fund tours. 

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Marillion - Marbles On The Road DVD
Review by Greg Olma
There have been volumes written about Marillion and the debate of who is/was better, Steve Hogarth or Fish, stills goes on to this day.  While some will continue to bemoan the exit of Fish, most of us fans have given the “new” line-up a definite thumbs up. 
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Marillion - Marillion.com
Review by Gary Hill
Seeming to maintain some of the style of Radiation, this album also hearkens back to an older Marillion era while still reaching into the future.
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Dream Theater - Master Of Puppets
Review by Greg Olma
From the beginning, Dream Theater always gave the fans something special. When they go out on tour, if they have a 2 night stay at any venue, the second night becomes “cover” night.
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Dream Theater - Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York DVD
Review by Greg Olma

Dream Theater never do anything half way.  They created the masterpiece Metropolis: Scenes From A Memory and then decided to play the whole thing on tour.  


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Kaipa - Mindrevolutions
Review by Josh Turner
I'm a big fan of Kaipa's "Keyholder". The year it came out, it was second in my book only to The Tangent's "The Music That Died Alone".
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Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
Review by Gary Hill
This album was my first exposure to Marillion, and the first thoughts that I had were that they sounded a lot like Genesis, and the real Genesis, not the pop stuff that the band was putting out by that time.
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Sons of Apollo - MMXX (Deluxe Edition)
Review by Gary Hill

It is still pretty early in the year, but I'll be surprised if this release doesn't make my "best of 2020" list. The mix of sounds here includes metal, good solid hard rock and plenty of progressive rock.


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Neal Morse - Momentum
Review by Grant Hill

When I first saw the official video of the title cut, I became pretty excited.


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Neal Morse - Morsefest 2015: ? and Solo Scriptura LIVE
Review by Gary Hill
In 2015 Neal Morse put together Morsefest. It was a two night event. On one night of the show, he performed his ? album, while the second night they did Solo Scriptura.

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Neal Morse - Neal Morse
Review by Steve Alspach
On "Day for Night," Spock's Beard songwriter, frontman, and head whisker Neal Morse said that he wanted to put emphasis on the songs rather than the long suites so prevalent on their first few albums.
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Neal Morse - Neal Morse Band: Alive Again
Review by G. W. Hill

This new live set from Neal Morse includes the double disc CD set and a bonus DVD. The performances are powerful. T


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Various Artists - New World Man: A Tribute to Rush
Review by Gary Hill
Here we have a new Rush tribute album from the fine folks at Magna Carta.

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Dream Theater - Octavarium
Review by Steve Alspach
For years I tried. Honest, I tried.
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Dream Theater - Once In A Livetime
Review by Sean Faust
For the past 9 years, progressive virtuosos Dream Theater (currently Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, John Myung, James LaBrie and Derek Sherinian) have been blessing the music world with their highly textured (and sometimes ethereal) music and thought-provoking lyrics.
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Neal Morse - One
Review by Josh Turner
While Testimony is spoken in the first person, One is in the third. Neal has the knack for relaying meaning through song. He tells a smooth flowing story, yet it's nowhere near a monologue.
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The Flower Kings - Paradox Hotel
Review by Steve Alspach
You gotta admire the Flower Kings' work ethic. On the heels of Roine's solo album "Wall Street Voodoo" comes the latest album from Sweden's no. 1 progressive group, and it's a 2-CD set to boot.
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Steve Thorne - Part Two: Emotional Creatures
Review by Gary Hill
Steve Thorne's first Emotional Creatures CD was a masterpiece of melodic progressive rock. Well, this one is, too.
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Kino - Picture
Review by Steve Alspach
Any prog-rock "conglomeration" will get my attention. From Emerson Lake and Palmer (they pretty much were the first ones in that genre, right?) to today, you really can't go wrong with any of them.
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Various Artists - Popoff Archive 2: Progressive Rock written by Martin Popoff
Review by Greg Olma
The music world has many characters who work behind the scenes, from producers to engineers to marketing people (and many more). 

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Mike Portnoy - Prime Cuts
Review by Gary Hill
Mike Portnoy now has his own entry in the Magna Carta Prime Cuts collection. This disc, as the rest of the series, features selected tracks from albums that the artist has contributed to, presented here as sort of a slice of some of the best of the work from him.
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Jordan Rudess - Prime Cuts
Review by Josh Turner
Jordan Rudess is "technically" the best keyboardist in the business. When you limit this contest to progressive rock, it's a no-brainer.
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Billy Sheehan - Prime Cuts
Review by Steve Alspach
Ever play a bass guitar? "Strings" are a misnomer - they use great big, fat, wires. You have to work up some muscle in your fingers to aptly play a bass.
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Sons of Apollo - Psychotic Symphony
Review by Gary Hill

Had I heard this album last year, it would have definitely made my best of 2017 list, and been pretty high on the list. This is an amazing album.


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Marillion - Radiation
Review by Gary Hill
Radiation is an album that shows a band stretching so far from their origins that they are essentially redefining themselves
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Marillion - Real To Reel
Review by Greg Olma
Marillion was always a band that seemed to do things on their own terms.  For example, the band released this live album after just two studio releases, which was not the norm for bands at the time.



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Marillion - Recital Of The Script
Review by Greg Olma
In the early 80's, when I was a young lad, my life revolved around the music coming out of Europe.  I was totally immersed into the NWOBHM and my trusty friend Kerrang magazine kept me up to date with all the new bands.
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Various Artists - Romantic Warriors: A Progressive Music Saga DVD
Review by Ron Fuchs
In many ways this documentary echoes some ideas about the music business that were discussed on Before The Music Dies.
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Dream Theater - Santiago, Chile 12/6/05 DVD
Review by Greg Olma

I have said it many times, Dream Theater are a band of the fans for the fans.


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Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
Review by Vivian Lee
Since 1985, the five-man outfit named Dream Theater has offered progressive rock fans thoughtful and emotional music that makes them marvel and ask, how do they do that? DT's brand of prog vividly shows eclectic, hard-to-place influences, which include jazz, neo-classical, and ethnic music forms.
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Dream Theater - Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with The Octavarium Orchestra
Review by Bill Knispel
Dream Theater closed their 2006 20th Anniversary tour with a sold out show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Joined onstage by a specially assembled orchestra, the band performed two sets.
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Dream Theater - Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour Live With the Octavarium Orchestra DVD
Review by Bill Knispel
Dream Theater has heavily embraced the home video/DVD market over the years, releasing five full-length videos over the past 12 years. Their latest video release, Score, celebrates the band’s 20th anniversary with a full headlining set recorded live at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall on 1 April 2006.
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Marillion - Seasons End
Review by Greg Olma
This album was always going to divide the fans.  Some fans just can’t get past a change of vocalists and therefore don’t give the material a chance. 



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Flying Colors - Second Nature
Review by Larry Toering

This band has succeeded the sophomore curse by not trying to defeat it, but succumbing to all of the cliches and eclectic efforts to do so.


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Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Review by G. W. Hill

This isn’t a favorite Dream Theater album for me.


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Spock's Beard - Snow
Review by Steve Alspach
The parallels are amazing. A band, noticed for its work in progressive rock, releases for its sixth album an epic tale of a young man making his way in the world, only to have the band's lead singer surprisingly pack it in and leave the band.



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Spock's Beard - Snow Live DVD/CD set
Review by Gary Hill

Who says progressive rock can't be serious and showcase a spirit of fun at the same time? Obviously anyone who says that has never seen Spock's Beard live.


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Neal Morse - Sola Scriptura
Review by Josh Turner
This album is outstanding. If there was any stronger word to use in its place, I’d have chosen that instead to sanction my approval.
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Marillion - Somewhere Else
Review by Greg Olma
I don’t know why I always look at Somewhere Else as a companion disc to Marble,  because they are very different releases.  Marbles flowed from one song to the next whereas Somewhere Else has a more eclectic vibe. 

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Marillion - Somewhere in London DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve never seen Marillion live. I only recently got to see Fish in concert.
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Neal Morse - Songs from November
Review by G. W. Hill

I’ve liked Neal Morse’s music from all the way back in the Spock’s Beard days.


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The Prog Collective - Songs We Were Taught
Review by Gary Hill
The Prog Collective releases compelling progressive rock album after album.

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Vapourspace - Sonic Residue from Vapourspace
Review by Steve Alspach
Here's an interesting concept - take songs from various releases from a progressive rock record label and let the music be transformed by a techno mix until it's nearly unrecognizable from the original source.
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Marillion - Sounds That Can’t Be Made
Review by G. W. Hill

This is quite a tasty album. In fact, it might be the best album from the Steve Hogarth version of the group.


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The Flower Kings - Space Revolver
Review by Gary Hill
The newest release from the Flower Kings finds them both staying true to their trademark sound and moving in new and unusual directions. We definitely find signs of both on this potent album
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The Flower Kings - Stardust We Are
Review by Gary Hill
This album is the latest by Swedish band The Flower Kings. Featuring a fresh approach on influences from many classic prog bands, this is a strong release.
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The Tangent - Stars and Pyramids
Review by Josh Turner
If you missed them at ROSfest 2005, you missed the best thing they've done so far. If you haven't even seen them live at all, it is essential you hear this disc.
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Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Review by Bill Knispel
Dream Theater really needs no introduction. As perhaps the foremost and best-known proponent of progressive metal, they have forged a more than 20-year career.
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Neal Morse - Testimony
Review by Steve Alspach
Neal Morse's first post-Spock's Beard album is a big pill to swallow - over two hours' worth of music that document Morse's conversion to Christianity.
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Neal Morse - Testimony 2
Review by Grant Hill

What is life? Are we just pawns in someone’s game of chess? These are just two of the life mystery questions posed in the epic album, The Suffering Joy, by Norwegian progressive rock band, Magic Pie.


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Neal Morse - Testimony DVD
Review by Josh Turner
If there is one music DVD to get this year, I have the one for you. There is no doubt in my mind that I would choose Neal Morse: Testimony Live as DVD of the year.
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Agents of Mercy - The Black Forest
Review by G. W. Hill

The latest album from Agents of Mercy, this is arguably one of the best discs of 2011.


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Dream Theater - The Dark Side of the Moon
Review by Bill Knispel
As a way of providing something different and special to their fans, Dream Theater began a series of cover shows in 2002. Whenever the band were scheduled to perform two nights in the same venue/city, they would dedicate part of their second show to a performance of a classic album, covered in its entirety.
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Various Artists - The Drum Pad's 20th Anniversary Show
Review by Gary Hill
Drummers and drum fans unite and purchase this DVD! It features a number of world class drummers and you just don't get any better than this if your musical passion is geared towards percussion.

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Marillion - The EMI Singles Collection
Review by Greg Olma
I had no idea that Marillion had this many videos.  I'm sure that many of these were never shown on MTV so I guess I can be a bit forgiven for being ignorant of these little video treasures.
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Spock's Beard - The Light
Review by Gary Hill
This album shows influences from many prog directions (Yes, Genesis, Alan Parsons) and nonprog directions (metal, Elton John). .


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Flying Colors - The Making of Flying Colors DVD
Review by Larry Toering

When this band broke on the scene in mid 2012, the fans were expecting a lot, and a lot is what they got and then some.


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The Tangent - The Music That Died Alone
Review by Josh Turner
Stop reading right here… Go out and get the album NOW!!! You should run, not walk.
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Neal Morse - The Neal Morse Band - Live in Saint Charles, Illinois, February 2019
Review by Josh Turner

In a snap, Neal Morse took center stage behind his keyboards with an arsenal of guitars in tow. Modeled after most of his creations, the music began with an overture.


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Neal Morse - The Neal Morse Band – Live in Portland, Oregon, March 2019
Review by Larry Toering

This band seem to be very pumped, and it could be coincided with the Morsefest coming on, as announcements have been going out about it while NMB are on tour.


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Neal Morse - The Neal Morse Band - Live in Saint Charles, Illinois, January 2017
Review by Josh Turner
The album, "Similitude to a Dream," is nearly two hours of seamlessly integrated music. The Neal Morse Band played it in its entirety with a single intermission where the discs split.

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Neal Morse - The Neal Morse Band The Similitude of a Dream Live In Tilburg 2017 DVD Box Set
Review by Gary Hill

Say what you will, but Neal Morse and his band are among the most talented people out there. Morse keeps releasing such high quality stuff, too.


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Dream Theater - The Number Of The Beast
Review by Greg Olma
Dream Theater has never been a band that does things without giving 110% effort and value. To beat the bootleggers, Dream Theater has created its own label to release live shows along with studio demos and assorted material otherwise unavailable to the public.
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The Flower Kings - The Rainmaker
Review by Gary Hill
The Flower Kings return with their latest dishing of their particular flavor of progressive rock. The group typically has a style that is very hard for journalists to keep up with because it changes so briefly.
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The Flower Kings - The Sum of No Evil
Review by Josh Turner
When I receive a Flower Kings’ album, it’s a personal event of the utmost importance. The only problem is finding a long-enough lunch, a shady tree to idle under, or a stretch of asphalt that’s sufficiently-straight.
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The Winery Dogs - The Winery Dogs
Review by G. W. Hill

When I heard the lineup on this, I assumed it would be a progressive rock release.


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The Tangent - The World That We Drive Through
Review by Josh Turner
With all the hype, this was setting itself up to be the disappointment of the year. So, how good is The World That We Drive Through?
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Marillion - This Strange Engine
Review by G. W. Hill

In our quest to start filling some of the holes in our archives, I decided to review this Marillion disc.


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Dream Theater - Train of Thought
Review by Gary Hill
When I heard Dream Theater was releasing another album, this immediately piqued my interest. Dream Theater had been my gateway into the Progressive Metal genre.
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Dream Theater - Uncovered 2003-2005
Review by Greg Olma

Dream Theater continues to release great CDs through their Ytsejam Records label.  They have released live discs and demos but this one is kind of odd as it is a compilation of songs from different sources.  


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The Flower Kings - Unfold The Future
Review by Steve Alspach
Sweden's most prolific progressive band returns with another two-CD album of songs that shows the band's willingness to try any and all musical styles. Fans of this band will find this to be another excellent album in the band's catalogue.
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Spock's Beard - V
Review by Steve Alspach
The fifth album from Spock's Beard shows them to be at the forefront of current progressive music. In this album the band is able to play exciting, adventurous music without ever becoming self-indulgent or pompous.



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Roine Stolt - Wall Street Voodoo
Review by Josh Turner
As usual, this artist is hard-at-work and boy is he busy. It's ironic when you consider how many artists are so preoccupied with the promotion of a single album and then take years to develop it.



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Karmakanik - Wheel of Life
Review by Josh Turner
To say this disc would be as good as the band's debut would be saying a lot. The first one offered a variety of styles.
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Dream Theater - When Dream And Day Reunite DVD
Review by Greg Olma
Dream Theater is truly a prog band of the people, by the people, and for the people. I can’t think of a band that really has such a close tie with their fans.


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Dream Theater - When Dream and Day Unite
Review by Gary Hill
This was the debut disc from Dream Theater and the first album from them I ever had.
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Marillion - With Friends From The Orchestra
Review by Greg Olma
Marillion has been on a roll recently releasing albums, both studio and live, and with each one, they put forth something different for their fans.



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The Prog Collective - Worlds on Hold
Review by Gary Hill
The Prog Collective always puts out interesting music. It's a project that has Billy Sherwood at its core.

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