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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Shadowlands Ombres Review by Gary Hill The music here is hard to describe. It's definitely got plenty of jazz in it. It's freeform and art music based, though. That sort of experimental nature is why I've landed it under progressive rock. However you classify this, though, it is unique and intriguing. It's certainly not for everyone, but it has a lot of surprises in store. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024 Volume 2 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review

Death and the Lady Weird horn buzzing that sounds like some kind of strange insect serves as the backdrop for the first vocals. There is a strange, nearly mainstream, but twisted, vibe to this. This grows, but never become less freaky. It has some seriously noisy, but spacey, freeform sorts of vibes as it continues. It drops to just the voice with a tiny bit of ambience behind late in the track. That motif, the voice over very minor background music, takes it to its close.

Fagradalsfjall Still quite freeform and weird, this has a lot of jazz in the mix. It's another cool track. It is definitely on the experimental, avante garde side of things.

Roll on Buddy This comes in more mainstream with a real retro jazz vibe. The vocals don't come in until near the halfway mark of the song. By the time they do, it has become much stranger. It's still more mainstream than anything else to this point, though.

Toybox Sparse and particularly understated, this is no less strange or freeform in its art music ways.

Georgie Trippy, jazzy sounds are on the menu here. This is freeform, drifting and very classy.

Woods in May While the arrangement on this is understated, it's also really trippy and manages to have a bit of a groove. While still freeform jazz based, this has some elements of psychedelia as it continues.

Ombres The title track comes in particularly freeform with short bursts of piano and voice. It builds outward with more sonic oddities as it continues.

Ech This track is just over a minute long. It's fairly sparse and quiet. It's also sans vocals.

The First Day More of a bluesy jazz groove starts things here. This is more mainstream than some of the rest, but it still has its weirdness on board.

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