Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 
June 2010 - Issue 82
Progressive Rock CD Reviews
Algernon - Ghost Surveillance
Review by Gary Hill
Fans of free-form instrumental progressive rock should appreciate this. While not all of this falls into what I would consider to be RIO (Rock In Opposition) territory, much of it does.
Jeff Berlin - High Standards
Review by Gary Hill
Let’s get this out right at the beginning, this really isn’t progressive rock. It’s pure jazz. That said, there are similarities between the two styles.
Barry Cleveland - Hologramatron
Review by Gary Hill
I like this album a lot. It has a lot of modern progressive rock mixed with space rock and many other sounds built into the musical tapestry.
Coheed and Cambria - Year Of The Black Rainbow
Review by Greg Olma
Since I am new to this band, I’m not as involved into the story of their previous four CDs.  
Copernicus - Nothing Exists
Review by Gary Hill
This album used to be available only as an LP. It is getting its first CD release now, although it was the first album from Copernicus.
Flying Machines - Flying Machines
Review by Gary Hill
Maybe this doesn’t really belong in progressive rock. Sure there is a lot of alternative rock meets pop built into this album.
The Gak Omek - Nonrenormalizability
Review by Gary Hill
The alien musical entity known as “The Gak Omek” has produced a new CD of thrilling instrumental progressive rock.
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Review by Greg Olma
This record from 1973 is the predecessor to the behemoth The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.  
Trey Gunn - Marco Minnemann – Modulator
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing disc – both in concept and delivery. Marco Minnemann recorded a massive drum solo several years ago.
Haken - Aquarius
Review by Gary Hill
I like this album a lot. It does a great job of combining classic progressive rock sounds with more modern elements.
Gary Hill - Earth – Part 1
Review by Scott Montgomery
(Editor’s note: This Gary Hill is the same Gary Hill who publishes Music Street Journal – and therefore is editing this review.
Gary Hill - Earth – Part 2
Review by Scott Montgomery
(Editor’s note: This Gary Hill is the same Gary Hill who publishes Music Street Journal – and therefore is editing this review.
Gary Hill - Earth (Parts One and Two) - Digital Only
Review by Scott Montgomery
(Editor’s note: This Gary Hill is the same Gary Hill who publishes Music Street Journal – and therefore is editing this review.
Keravel - Must
Review by Gary Hill
There is something to be said for keeping it short and to the point. This album could have probably benefited from some reduction in terms of the amount of music.
Levi/Werstler - Avalanche of Worms
Review by Gary Hill
This is an all instrumental album. It has quite a bit of heavy metal built into it, but more in a fusion motif. There are other sounds that occur, too.
Lovespirals - Future Past
Review by Gary Hill
I like this disc a lot. I’m sure there are those of you who will say that it doesn’t fit into progressive rock, but I’ll stand by including it in that category.
Erik Norlander - The Galactic Collective
Review by Gary Hill
With this release Erik Norlander has revisited different pieces of music that he recorded with Rocket Scientists, Lana Lane and more.
Oomph! - Truth or Dare
Review by Gary Hill
This is far from traditional progressive rock. It’s not even closely tied to music like Dream Theater.
Pilgrim Speakeasy - Anarchitecture
Review by Gary Hill
The latest disc from Pilgrim Speakeasy, this time out it’s a double CD set.
Radio Massacre International - Time & Motion
Review by Gary Hill
The instrumental progressive rock that makes up this album is quite entertaining.
Random Touch - Through the Lens of the Other Dimension
Review by Gary Hill
Random Touch never fail to change things up from disc to disc.
Paul Roland - “Duel” – 20th Anniversary Reissue
Review by Gary Hill
This might not really qualify as progressive rock, but it has to come close if it doesn’t.
Syzygy - Realms of Eternity
Review by Gary Hill
Ohio’s Syzygy have released a masterpiece in Realms of Eternity.
Tempest - Another Dawn
Review by Gary Hill
Tempest has always been a cool band, but it seems that the last few releases they’ve done, they’ve just been on fire.
Umphrey's McGee - Mantis
Review by Scott Montgomery
This, the sixth studio release from the Chicago-based sextet, serves up nearly an hour of new compositions.  The songwriting is quite good. 
Univers Zero - Clivages
Review by Gary Hill
Univers Zero is considered progressive rock. At times they fit that definition.
Steve Vai - Where The Other Wild Things Are
Review by Gary Hill
Steve Vai is an amazing guitarist.
Various Artists - Hawkwind Triad
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing disc. It’s three bands all covering Hawkwind songs.
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.
Zevious - After the Air Raid
Review by Gary Hill
This is a good album, but it stops short of great. The main shortcoming here is the lack of variety.
Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews
Beyond Threshold - Revolution
Review by Mike Korn
Here's a hungry young band from my own backyard.
Derdian - New Era Pt 3: the Apocalypse
Review by Gary Hill
While the technical, epic metal that Derdian produces here is not all that original (at least in terms of the genre), these guys do it better than most.
High on Fire - Snakes Of The Divine
Review by Mike Korn
I think High On Fire's Matt Pike is one of the most important guitarists ever in heavy metal.
Judas Priest - British Steel 30th Anniversary Edition
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve already reviewed the British Steel album, and in fact, the version that’s released here as the audio CD. That doesn’t mean I’ve reviewed this set.
LA Guns - Shrinking Violet (Deluxe Reissue)
Review by Gary Hill
Perhaps it’s metal, perhaps it’s not, but either way, this disc is cool. LA Guns is forever tied musically to Guns N Roses through Tracii Guns, but you really don’t hear a lot of the GNR sound on this set.
Overkill - Ironbound
Review by Mike Korn
Overkill sure doesn't have anything left to prove to the metal world.
Ratt - Infestation
Review by Greg Olma
This is the first Ratt album in ten years and it is a barn burner for sure.  It’s like they stopped time and created a record that would have fit comfortably in 1985.  
Scarlet Paradigm - You Don’t Need This...
Review by Gary Hill
I’m not sure about the wisdom of titling your EP “You Don’t Need This”.
Warbeast - Krush The Enemy
Review by Mike Korn
If you're familiar with the thrash scene of the early 90's, you'll probably recall the name of “Rigor Mortis”.
Wuthering Heights - Salt
Review by Gary Hill
While this band creates some strong epic metal and this is a strong disc, it’s not without its share of shortcomings.
Non-Prog CD Reviews
Laith Al-Saadi - In the Round
Review by Gary Hill
This is a rather unique album. It comes by that label because of the variety of music contained within.
Big Daddy Love - To the Mountain
Review by Gary Hill
Here we have a band that is quite diverse. If you only listen to one song, depending on which one you choose, you are likely to consider them to be a completely different type of act.
Black Bone Child - Alligator
Review by Gary Hill
These guys lay down a smoking version of killer hard rock with plenty of retro stylings. Their sound at times makes you think of different bands like Led Zeppelin, Clutch and the Black Crowes.
Black Bone Child - Take You Blind
Review by Gary Hill
Black Bone Child’s Alligator disc (reviewed in this same issue of Music Street Journal) showcased a blues heavy, hard rock sound that’s well rooted in the classic rock traditions.
The Funky Knights - The Funky Knights
Review by Gary Hill
This disc is a cool one. It’s got a very retro funk sort of texture to it.
Jonny Lang - Live at the Ryman
Review by Gary Hill
This live album from Jonny Lang is good, but not great. The truth is, had Lang stuck more towards his blues roots it would be a more powerful disc.
Sister Hazel - Threeve
Review by Gary Hill
Sister Hazel are currently working on a new album. They’ve released (digitally only) this three song EP in the process, though.
Sun Domingo - Live in Montreal Marillion Weekend
Review by Gary Hill
I would almost put these guys under progressive rock. They are closer to jam band music, though.
The Tygers - Second Album
Review by Gary Hill
Well, there is something to be said for taking the time to get it right.
Various Artists - Live at Knebworth
Review by Gary Hill
This live set from 1990 sure has a lot of great performances from a lot of great stars.
DVD/Video Reviews
Michael Bolton - Live at the Royal Albert Hall DVD
Review by Gary Hill
OK, it’s a safe bet that there are a number of you out there who really hate Michael Bolton. The truth is, he might not be the cutting edge rock music, but he does what he does quite well.
Jeff Healey - and the Jazz Wizards – Beautiful Noise DVD
Review by Gary Hill
If you know Jeff Healey as a blues guitarist and singer, prepare to have your head rearranged. This is a great live DVD featuring Healey playing jazz.
Andrew Hill - Solos: The Jazz Sessions DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I really like this series – both in concept and delivery. The idea is deliciously simple. Take a jazz musician and set him free to improvise an entire performance.
Incognito - Live In London: The 30th Anniversary Concert DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Incognito’s brand of music combines jazz, R and B and funk into a mélange of sounds that is simply catchy and yet also shows off plenty of instrumental prowess.
Janis Joplin - Final 24: Her Final Hours DVD
Review by Gary Hill
There’s sort of a bizarre element to this series of DVD’s. Basically they are an attempt to reconstruct the final day of the life of a celebrity. 
The Kinks - You Really Got Me – The Story of The Kinks DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I won’t necessarily trash this DVD, but I will say that, while it has its strong points, being true to its title is not one of them.
Lee Konitz - Solos, The Jazz Sessions DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing series. Essentially, they take a jazz musician and let them perform full on improvisations.
John Lennon - Rare and Unseen DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is a no brainer for Beatles fans. A DVD of a collection of literally rare and unseen footage of John Lennon, this will be a fine addition to any Beatles’ fan’s collection.
Keith Moon - Final 24: His Final Hours DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Just based on the concept of this series, you can probably understand that there is a certain “driving by a fatal collision” element to these videos.
The Rolling Stones - Rare and Unseen DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Stones fans, rejoice, this DVD has a lot of great interviews you may have never seen before. Don’t come here looking for live clips, though, as the set is lacking in those.
Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Solos: The Jazz Sessions
Review by Gary Hill
What do you get if you take a jazz musician and put him alone on a stage and tell him to improvise? You get some incredible performances. And that is the concept behind this DVD series.
Frank Zappa - The Freak-Out List DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Let’s get one thing out right away. Those looking to find a lot of footage of Frank Zappa playing live will be disappointed with this DVD.
Interviews
Jeff Berlin
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Jeff Berlin from 2010
Big Daddy Love
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Ashley Sutton and Brian Swenk of Big Daddy Love from 2010
Black Bone Child
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Donny James and Kenneth M. of Black Bone Child from 2010
blld
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with blld from 2010
The Funky Knights
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Randy Pratt of the Funky Knights from 2010
Heathen
Interview by Mike Korn
Interview with David White of Heathen from 2010
Makajodama
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Mathias Danielsson of Makajodama from 2010
Modest Midget
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Artis Orubs and Lionel Ziblat of Modest Midget from 2010
Pilgrim Speakeasy
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Roger Roge of Pilgrim Speakeasy from 2010
The Pineapple Thief
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with The Pineapple Thief from 2010
Starcastle
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Stephen Tassler of Starcastle from 2010
Tempest
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Lief Sorbye of Tempest from 2010
The Tygers
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with The Tygers from 2010
Concert Reviews
Ratt - Live In Chicago, May 2010
Review by Greg Olma
It has been a few years since I have seen Ratt in concert so I was pretty excited that they were not only coming back to Chicago but they were also doing it on the heals of their newest release Infestation.  
Book Reviews
Various Artists - Psychedelic Days: 1960-1969 written by Patrick Campbell-Lyons
Review by Gary Hill
One caveat that I need to get out right away is listing this book under Various Artists. Here’s the thing, Patrick Campbell-Lyons was one of the main guys in the band Nirvana.
 
More Issues
March 2024 - Issue 163
December 2023 - Issue 162
October 2023 - Issue 161
July 2023 - Issue 160
April 2023 - Issue 159
February 2023 - Issue 158
December 2022 - Issue 157
October 2022 - Issue 156
August 2022 - Issue 155
June 2022 - Issue 154
April 2022 - Issue 153
February 2022 - Issue 152
December 2021 - Issue 151
October 2021 - Issue 150
August 2021 - Issue 149
June 2021 - Issue 148
April 2021 - Issue 147
February 2021 - Issue 146
December 2020 - Issue 145
October 2020 - Issue 144
August 2020 - Issue 143
June 2020 - Issue 142
April 2020 - Issue 141
February 2020 - Issue 140
December 2019 - Issue 139
October 2019 - Issue 138
August 2019 - Issue 137
June 2019 - Issue 136
April 2019 - Issue 135
February 2019 - Issue 134
December 2018 - Issue 133
October 2018 - Issue 132
August 2018 - Issue 131
June 2018 - Issue 130
April 2018 - Issue 129
February 2018 - Issue 128
December 2017 - Issue 127
October 2017 - Issue 126
August 2017 - Issue 125
June 2017 - Issue 124
April 2017 - Issue 123
February 2017 - Issue 122
December 2016 - Issue 121
October 2016 - Issue 120
August 2016 - Issue 119
June 2016 - Issue 118
April 2016 - Issue 117
February 2016 - Issue 116
December 2015 - Issue 115
October 2015 - Issue 114
August 2015 - Issue 113
June 2015 - Issue 112
April 2015 - Issue 111
February 2015 - Issue 110
December 2014 - Issue 109
October 2014 - Issue 108
August 2014 - Issue 107
June 2014 - Issue 106
April 2014 - Issue 105
February 2014 - Issue 104
December 2013 - Issue 103
October 2013 - Issue 102
August 2013 - Issue 101
June 2013 - Issue 100
April 2013 - Issue 99
February 2013 - Issue 98
December 2012 - Issue 97
October 2012 - Issue 96
August 2012 - Issue 95
June 2012 - Issue 94
April 2012 - Issue 93
February 2012 - Issue 92
December 2011 - Issue 91
October 2011 - Issue 90
August 2011 - Issue 89
June 2011 - Issue 88
April 2011 - Issue 87
February 2011 - Issue 86
December 2010 - Issue 85
October 2010 - Issue 84
August 2010 - Issue 83
June 2010 - Issue 82
April 2010 - Issue 81
February 2010 - Issue 80
December 2009 - Issue 79
October 2009 - Issue 78
August 2009 - Issue 77
June 2009 - Issue 76
April 2009 - Issue 75
February 2009 - Issue 74
December 2008 - Issue 73
October 2008 - Issue 72
August 2008 - Issue 71
June 2008 - Issue 70
April 2008 - Issue 69
February 2008 - Issue 68
December 2007 - Issue 67
October 2007 - Issue 66
August 2007 - Issue 65
June 2007 - Issue 64
April 2007 - Issue 63
February 2007 - Issue 62
December 2006 - Issue 61
October 2006 - Issue 60
August 2006 - Issue 59
June 2006 - Issue 58
April 2006 - Issue 57
February 2006 - Issue 56
December 2005 - Issue 5
December 2004 - Issue 4
December 2003 - Issue 3
December 2002 - Issue 2
December 2001 - Issue 1
December 2000 - Issue 0
August 2025 - Issue 0
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com