On the other hand, the
Prognosis series usually is all prog bands, and ones I know or usually have at least heard of. Our random choice brings us to this one, number 14.
Track 1: “Facing Reality” by Ether’s Edge.
A problem asserts itself. I think, when I did these last time, I had Spotify so could usually catch any of the tracks, as I don’t have the discs (or I probably do, but have no idea where they are now) and YouTube is no help. So for now I have to leave this one, unless I can find another way to get the track. It’s from, so far as I can see, their only album,
Return to Type. Sounds like a secretary who went back to the office because she forgot she had not finished her work. Yeah, you get bad jokes here, too, no extra charge.
Okay, with no other alternative then, I’m taking the one track they have from that album, which is the title track. Guess it doesn’t make that much difference; it’s the band we want to hear, not any specific track, so any one will do. This is somewhat heavier than expected, so I would hazard that Ether’s Edge are more in the progressive metal area, though I have to say I have never heard such a bland voice! Like the guy is almost speaking the lyric with not an iota of inflection or emotion at all. I don’t think the song is that boring, but his singing certainly robs it of any interest I might have had in it.
Rating: 1/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY3KD6LOWXI
Track 2: “Revolution of Light” by Aisles
This, however, I do have. I in fact have all of Aisles’ records, though I think I’ve only heard one. This is taken from their second album,
In Sudden Walks, and it’s a nicely uptempo song with more than a touch of eighties Yes and some Jadis about it. There’s a good division of work here, with keyboards keeping pace with guitar, neither overpowering the other, and it’s a decent little song. I doubt I’d remember much about it though, which would be something of a major niggle.
Rating: 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xf9D78iNjE
Track 3: “Staring at the Sun” by Credo
From their third album,
Against Reason, this is a long one, over ten minutes. Nice keyboard arpeggios to start us off, kind of Spock’s Beard in a way, then it gets going on a synth line reminiscent of Touchstone perhaps, long instrumental intro of nearly three minutes which incorporates a fine guitar solo. Good upbeat song with Rotheryesque touches on the guitar and a singer whose style seems to give more than a nod to Justin Hayward and Rob Sowden of Arena.
Rating: 7.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCUVPHmTiXk
Track 4: “Like the Ocean” by In Lingua Mortua
Okay well these guys are obviously not doing any pastoral ballads are they? A big throaty scream and bludgeoning guitars in a dramatic, sort of horror-movie style punches you in the face and nicks your wallet while you sit dazed on the ground and ask “But where are the Moogs? The Mellotrons? Not even a
flute, for god’s sake?” And they come back and trample over you again for having had the temerity to mention flutes. Look, I don’t know who these guys are, but prog rock they ain’t. Let’s see if we can untangle this mess. To MA, post-haste! Progressive Black Metal, it says. From Norway, it says. Second album,
Salon des refuses, it says. Well all right. Should guessed with a name that translates to “in the language of the dead” they weren’t exactly going to be singing about quests and dragons.
Rating: 3/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9X-YzwCU48
Track 5: “Interstellar” by Amplifier
Amplifier I know; I’ve heard one or two of their albums. Should at least be easier on the ears than the dead-speaking ones. From one of their most famous albums, their third,
The Octopus, and now I see it’s not them I’m thinking of, but another band I keep getting them mixed up with. Oh no wait, it is: I see the album I’m thinking of,
Echo Street, so yeah, same band. Haven’t heard this one though I don’t think. Another ten-minuter. Ah, how I love prog! As long as it’s a good ten minutes, of course. Heavier than expected, but then Discogs describes them as psychedelic/space rock, and yeah, I think these guys have more in common with Hawkwind than Hostsonaten. It’s good but it’s really not my sort of thing.
Rating: 5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6-OHRup75c
Track 6: “Contemporary Ache” by Modest Midget
Another one I know nothing about. Taken from their debut album,
The Great Prophecy of a Small Man, this is more guitar-driven than keys, some nice interplay between the guitar and the bass player, but there’s something sort of simple/poppy about the tune, can’t really get into it. Doesn’t, to be honest, sound much like prog to me.
Rating: 7/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6xdnjbJWss
Track 7: “Falling Down” by Pallas
Pallas I have only heard the one album but really liked it. This is from
XXV, which looks to be their twelfth album, pretty good neo-prog, but I don’t really have too much else to say about it to be honest. Nothing wrong with it, just nothing that stands out.
Rating: 7/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpS7XUCUeQE
Track 8: “Dark Star” by Panic Room
I’ve heard Panic Room too. This is from their second album,
Satellite and opens with a cool powerful toccata on the organ, Mostly Autumn’s Anne-Marie Helder doing a fine job on the vocals. Vaguely Celtic feel to this. All right I guess.
Rating: 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2yeoKmx4Fc
Track 8: “From the Darkness” by Spock’s Beard
I worry about Spock’s Beard. Like Porcupine Tree and Riverside, I try to get into their music but keep coming up against a wall. And this is seventeen minutes long! It will either be very good or very boring, we’ll see. From the album
X, their tenth, not surprisingly, the track is a suite, broken up into four parts, and starts off in that frenetic way that makes me often dislike them so much. Still, there’s plenty of time for it to change, and it does, slowing down around the 7th minute (second part? Maybe; hard to say) with some nice piano lines in the 9th. Again, it’s a decent song but I’m not convinced and I won’t be remembering it once it’s over.
Rating: 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACSW0n8Yw_o
Overall average rating for this disc: 8/10
Considering I know some of the bands here, it's still not really that impressive. And why do these guys keep choosing artists to whom I would imagine prog is a dirty word? I can't fathom the idea behind the selections. Overall, I'd say I'm underwhelmed and somewhat disappointed, despite the much higher average rating for the disc as compared to the
Progtronics one.