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October 2021 - Issue 150
Progressive Rock CD Reviews
Barry Altschul’s 3Dom Factor - Long Tall Sunshine
Review by Gary Hill
This is a strong instrumental fusion album. Since Barry Atschul plays the drums, you might expect that instrument to be dominant.
Astral Magic - Visions of Infinity
Review by Gary Hill
This album is nearly a one-person release. That musician is Santtu Laakso (of Dark Sun), who is responsible for all music and lyrics, all instruments, vocals and programming.
Aural Hallucinations - Hearing what you want to See
Review by Gary Hill
This is just one track that is nearly 79-minutes long. I suppose that technically makes it a single, but that would be a real stretch of the imagination and the definition.
Jason Blake - Fictional Mirrors
Review by Gary Hill
I've covered Jason Blake previously as part of the band Aziola Cry. In fact, I reviewed their most recent disc in the last issue of MSJ.
Jason Blake - The Darkness Found in Shadows
Review by Gary Hill
This was the first of two solo albums from Jason Blake in the last year or so. I've reviewed the other one in this issue, as well.
Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come - Eternal Messenger An Anthology 1970-1973: Remastered & Expanded
Review by Gary Hill
I have to admit to not being all that familiar with Arthur Brown's work. Sure, I know about the stuff he did with Hawkwind and Robert Calvert and things like that.
Brown Eyed Blue - Point of View (digital single)
Review by Gary Hill
One of two singles from this new Canadian prog band I'm reviewing in this issue, I like this quite a bit.

Brown Eyed Blue - The City on the Hill (digital single)
Review by Gary Hill
While both songs I've reviewed from this act for this issue are dynamic, I'd say this is the further reaching of the two.
Dewa Budjana - Naurora
Review by Gary Hill
You can always count on Dewa Budjana to deliver high quality and inventive fusion, no matter who he's playing with. This album fulfills that promise with style.
City Weezle - No. 2
Review by Gary Hill
Good luck labeling or categorizing this album. It clearly fits under progressive rock, at least as art rock.
Crack the Sky - Between the Cracks
Review by Gary Hill
This is an interesting compilation from an interesting band. Crack the Sky's brand of progressive rock is unusual and intriguing.
Cyrax - Experiences
Review by Gary Hill
At first I thought about landing this under heavy metal. That's because I just listened to a few parts of a few songs.
Erik Dahl Ensemble - Gethenian Suite
Review by Gary Hill
The music here is based heavily on classical and jazz concepts. The instrumentation is in keeping with that.
Dr. Space - Lost in the Space Time Continuum
Review by Gary Hill
Dr. Space is a busy guy. In addition to his main act Øresund Space Collective, he seems to appear and work on all kinds of other projects.
The Enid - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Review by John Pierpoint
Life has never been easy for The Enid: a band whose career reads like a succession of cliff-hanger chapters in a novel.
Focus - Focus 50 – Live In Rio, 3CD/1 Blu Ray Deluxe Edition
Review by Gary Hill
This new set is quite intriguing. We get three CDs and a Blu-Ray disc. The first two CDs and the Blu-Ray are the concert recording.
Satoko Fujii - Piano Music
Review by Gary Hill
This album is, as the title suggests, all played on one instrument - piano. Don't expect traditional piano music, though.
Valerie Gracious, Steve Unruh, Phideaux Xavier - 71319 Live at Monforti Manor
Review by Gary Hill
This is an unusual release. Each live CD here represents one set of a show from July of 2019.
The Grid / Fripp - Leviathan
Review by Gary Hill
Robert Fripp provides guitar and soundscapes to this.
Head With Wings - Comfort In Illusion
Review by Gary Hill
Modern guitar based progressive rock is the order of business here. There are only three songs here, but this isn't a particularly short EP as none of the song are especially short.
Bernardo Lanzetti - Horizontal Rain
Review by Gary Hill
While Bernardo Lanzetti might not be a household name, in terms of Italian progressive rock, he really is a legend.
The Mangoes - Pale Blue Dot
Review by Gary Hill
I previously reviewed another set from this act. I put that one under prog, despite the band being considered more pop music. I made the same decision this time around.
Mortality - Mortality
Review by Gary Hill
This disc fits under progressive rock because that's where fusion generally goes at Music Street Journal.
Nolan & Wakeman - Tales by Gaslight
Review by Gary Hill
This new set collects three albums by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman into one impressive box set.
Once More, Autumn - Love Is a Sea
Review by Gary Hill
While this might not be the most obvious choice for inclusion under progressive rock, I think it fits quite well.
Scott Reeves Quintet - The Alchemist
Review by Gary Hill
We generally land fusion under progressive rock, which is why this goes there.
Resistor - The 5th Season
Review by Gary Hill
The brand of progressive rock on this is guitar-based. It leans toward metal at times.
Dana Sipos - The Astral Plane
Review by Gary Hill
In terms of progressive rock, this definitely doesn't fit under the heading. I'd argue that  it fits as art rock music.
Kevin Sun - <3 Bird
Review by Gary Hill
This album is essentially a love letter to Charlie Parker's music. I have landed this under progressive rock because we always put fusion under prog.
Trifecta - Fragments
Review by Gary Hill
Trifecta is (appropriately) a trio. The group is made up of Nick Beggs (bass), Adam Holzman (keyboards) and Craig Blundell (drums),
Darryl Way - Destinations 2
Review by Gary Hill
I like pretty much everything Darryl Way does. He is probably best known for his work in Curved Air, but that's only one piece of the musical picture he presents.
Zero Times Everything - Sound Of Music
Review by Gary Hill
This is the second disc from Zero Times Everything. Like the first one that I also reviewed at MSJ, this is exceptional adventurous.
Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews
Abigail's Affair - Shattered
Review by Gary Hill
There is a certain formula to a lot of modern metal. You know what I'm talking about, right?
Exciter - Long Live The Loud
Review by Mike Korn
The glory years of the 80s brought forth a ton of metal bands that should have gone on to huge careers but missed by inches. Savatage was one such band,
Infirmum - Walls of Sorrow
Review by Gary Hill
I probably shouldn't like this album. I mean, one of my pet peeves of a disc is when everything is of the rocking, heavy variety, without any mellow music to provide contrast.
The Mighty One - Torch Of Rock And Roll
Review by Gary Hill
The story of this act is interesting, and most of it is captured in the lyrics to the title track.
Orange Goblin - Healing Through Fire
Review by Gary Hill
I had heard of this band before, but never really heard them. I have to say that I've been missing out.
Non-Prog CD Reviews
Thomas Abban - The Spiritualizer
Review by Gary Hill
There is something to be said about knowing when enough is enough. When I reviewed Thomas Abban's previous release I said that it would have been stronger had some of the songs been left off.
Arienne Hearts Charlie - The Greatest Show
Review by Gary Hill
This set has a lot of old-school jazz in the mix.
Harvey Dalton Arnold - Stories To Live Up To
Review by Gary Hill
Harvey Dalton Arnold will probably be known to a lot of music fans as having been the bass player for the Outlaws in the 70s.
Victoria Bailey - Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline
Review by Gary Hill
In the last decade or two a type of country music that's closer to pop has emerged. Don't expect that here.
Joe Bonamassa - Now Serving: Royal Tea: Live From The Ryman
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed the video version of this album in the previous issue of Music Street Journal and promised the CD review for this time around.
Colin Bracewell - Valley
Review by Gary Hill
This new EP has an interesting blend of sounds. There is a lot of modern pop music, some R&B, moody dreamscapes, art music and more.
Brad Byrd - Where Were You When the World Stopped?
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite an intriguing set. When I was done spinning it, I was left with one thought: I wish there was more.
Electric Peace - Hate Is A Special Feeling
Review by Gary Hill
I previously reviewed another (also four-song) EP by this act. I talked about how difficult it was to put a label on them.
Tori Evans - Sonder
Review by Gary Hill
There is a certain kind of sound that seems almost clichéd these days. Well, technically there are always quite a few of those in play at any given time.
Kirk Fletcher - My Blues Pathway
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say, if you like blues guitar music, you can't argue with this album. This is the real deal.
Noah Gundersen - Lover
Review by Gary Hill
This album has some songs that really work. I would say that as a whole it's a strong, but definitely imperfect set.
Lynne Hanson - Just Words
Review by Gary Hill
I love this album from start to finish. There is never a misstep. 
Lucy Isabel - Rambling Stranger
Review by Gary Hill
Lucy Isabel has given us a nice collection of tunes here. The music ranges from more folk and country based music to rock.
Peggy James - Paint Still Wet
Review by Gary Hill
This is an album that's a bit hard to pin down in terms of musical style. There is a lot of country and folk here, but there are plenty of other things included, too.
Jess Jocoy - Such a Long Way
Review by Gary Hill

In the land where Americana, country, rock and the blues meet, I think Jess Jocoy must be a superstar.

Brian Johannesen - Holster Your Silver
Review by Gary Hill
This album is packed full of strong songs. There are no tunes that miss the mark, but some really manage to stand out beyond the others.
Ranzel X Kendrick - Foreglow
Review by Gary Hill
You can generally count on quality from Ranzel X Kendrick, and this collection is no exception. The music here is generally on the mellower side.
The Meteors - Skull N Bones & The Curse of Blood and Bones
Review by Gary Hill
This music is something called "Psycho Billy." To me that means a blending of old school rock and roll, surf music, punk rock and frequent horror and science fiction themes.
Ben Molatzi - No Way To Go
Review by Gary Hill
This is not the usual folk music collection. These songs were recorded in 1981.
Mourning Noise - Mourning Noise
Review by Gary Hill
This CD from Mourning Noise gathers up a number of recordings from the early to mid 1980s. The general concept here is hardcore punk, but there are some twists and angles at play.
Peter Perrett - Humanworld
Review by Gary Hill
There is an interesting blend of sounds on this disc. Depending on the song you might hear things that make you think of 80s music, punk rock, power-pop, psychedelia or more.
Lee “Scratch” Perry - Rootz Reggae Dub
Review by Gary Hill
I always enjoy Lee "Scratch" Perry. This album continues that trend.
Jon Roniger And The Good For Nothin' Band - Live at 6010
Review by Gary Hill
Fun, jazzy, blues based music is the order of business. There is a decent range of sound within that picture.
The 69 Cats - Seven Year Itch
Review by Gary Hill
It's definitely appropriate to have this review in the October issue of Music Street Journal.
James Lee Stanley - Without Susie
Review by Gary Hill
You can always count on James Lee Stanley to deliver great music. This album is no exception.
Sun King Rising - Delta Tales
Review by Gary Hill
The man behind this project is John Blangero. He has created an album that really captures a classic sound.
Surrender Hill - A Whole Lot of Freedom
Review by Gary Hill
If you like country music, you're probably the chosen audience for this album. The music here does have elements of folk and rock in it, too, but the country concepts are the common denominator.
Thin Lear - Wooden Cave
Review by Gary Hill
Thin Lear is the brainchild and project of Matt Longo. This release has some exceptional music with a decent range, sometimes within each song. .
Brian Charles Tischleder - This Town
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed a previous set from Brian Charles Tischleder and mentioned that his voice sounds a lot like Bruce Springsteen.
Triumph - Just a Game
Review by John Pierpoint
Triumph were a very successful Canadian Trio, active from 1975 to 1993.
Various Artists - 16 Bars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Review by Gary Hill
This soundtrack album was created by Speech of Arrested Development. It features him collaborating with a number of prisoners who were doing time when this was recorded.
James Williamson & Deniz Tek - Two To One
Review by Gary Hill
This release by two punk rock guitarists has a lot of great music on it. There are a handful of songs here that I think miss the mark, but overall I like this set a lot.
DVD/Video Reviews
Horrorpops - Live At The Wiltern Blu-Ray, DVD and CD set
Review by Gary Hill
This live video set from Horrorpops is a great product, particularly in terms of the packaging. You get a CD and Blu-Ray and a DVD of the show all in one place, and it comes in a great digipack.
Uriah Heep - Classic Heep Live From The Byron Era DVD
Review by Greg Olma
Uriah Heep is one of those bands that have had many eras due to their longevity.  While you may like some versions better than others, there is a quality throughout their 50-plus-year career. 
Uriah Heep - The Magician’s Birthday Party DVD
Review by Greg Olma
In the early 2000s, Uriah Heep were in a unique space.  They were having another resurgence that started with Raging Silence. 
Various Artists - Fanfare For The Uncommon Man: Official Keith Emerson Tribute Concert 2 DVD / 2 CD Box Set
Review by Gary Hill
In 2016 there was a concert held as a tribute to Keith Emerson. This amazing package captures that concert.
Interviews
Jason Blake
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Jason Blake from 2021
Clark Colborn
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Clark Colborn from 2021
Billy Sherwood
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Billy Sherwood from 2021
 
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