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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Big Paul Ferguson Virtual Control Review by Gary Hill This one is questionable for landing under prog. Big Paul Ferguson is probably best known as the drummer for and founder of the band Killing Joke. They are a post punk band, and a lot of this has a post punk edge. Then again, that musical genre leans toward prog a lot of the time. Quite a bit of this has a healthy helping of space rock in it, too. So, while I don't think this is a tight fit, I do think it can land there. Whatever you call this, though, it's a strong release. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022 Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.

Track by Track Review

Lapdogs Hard rocking, this is quite psychedelic. It has a real space rock kind of vibe to it.

Shiny Toys There is some definite industrial edge to this thing. Yet, it's also proggy and has some space rock. There is almost a hypnotic vibe to the vocals.

The Unraveling More of a driving tune, this deftly combines a dark, rather industrial edge, with a proggy space kind of vibe.

Extrapolate I dig the driving, hard-edged concept that makes up this number quite a bit. There is a bit of an 80s vibe to this. The percussion is pretty involved here.

Sea of Judgement The main vocals on this are mostly spoken. The cut has a lot of space rock built into it. An insistent rhythm section propels it.

Seeping Through the Cracks There is a lot of Hawkwind in the mix on this. The song is hard-edged, rocking and so classy. This is my favorite piece here. I'm reminded to some degree of "Sword of the East" by Hawkwind.

Data Lama Hard rocking, this is another strong tune, but not a real standout.

Glass Houses Another with plenty of industrial or techno sound in the mix, the vocals bring a trippy quality to the cut.

Plausible Deniability I love the hard rocking edge to this thing. There is a definite Hawkwind-like vibe, but it's also merged with some 80s music textures.

Dystopian Vibe Mellower and more atmospheric, the space comparisons definitely apply here. The vocals are spoken and weirdly echoed.

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